Chris Rock is set to host the 2016 Oscars, producers announced Wednesday.
This is the comedian’s second time at the helm of the movie industry’s top awards show — he also hosted the 77th annual Academy Awards in 2005.
“Chris Rock is truly the MVP of the entertainment industry,” producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin said in a statement Wednesday. “Comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, documentarian – he’s done it all. He’s going to be a phenomenal Oscar host!”
Rock added, “I’m so glad to be hosting the Oscars. It’s great to be back.”
Neil Patrick Harris hosted the show in 2015, though rumors circulated that producers had first asked Rock as well as Ellen DeGeneres to take the job.
Then-producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron told Page Six at the time, “Many names are discussed and sometimes even floated without there being any formal offers. At times, these casual discussions take on a life of their own, and some are eager to break a story without knowing the facts. Neil Patrick Harris received the Academy’s formal offer. He is the perfect choice for the Oscars and will be the consummate host.”
The 88th annual Academy Awards is scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The show airs on ABC.
