Who will replace Kevin Hart as host of the 2019 Oscars? Turns out, maybe nobody.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is reportedly "freaking out" after Hart, who was hired to host the awards, relinquished the responsibility, Variety reports. Homophobic tweets of Hart's from years earlier had resurfaced, leading the Academy to tell him he must apologize or he'd be replaced. The group was reportedly hoping he would simply apologize and stay on as host, but Hart instead decided to step down, although he later apologized anyway.
But the Oscars are just two months away, and Variety reports the Academy was "blindsided" by all this and had "no contingency plans in place." The group is reportedly considering a variety of options for how to proceed, including the possibility of just putting on the show without a host. That wouldn't be unprecedented; it last happened in 1989. The idea would be to instead rely on a line-up of different presenters, or as one insider said, "a bunch of huge celebs, something SNL style, and buzzy people." This could include a monologue delivered by a group rather than a single host.
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There's still the possibility of an actual host being hired to replace Hart, but the problem is the Academy is now reportedly quite worried about hiring someone who could be too "edgy." Whatever they decide, they better do it fast, as the 2019 Oscars is scheduled to take place on Feb. 24.
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