With weeks to go until the 91st Academy Awards, the show will go on without a host.
Fox News reported that a publicist with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed the news Monday night.
Although there will be no host, People reported ABC President Karey Burke teased an opening number at the Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour on Tuesday.
“From what I’ve heard, we have a very exciting opener planned,” Burke said. “We are not going to go straight into people thanking their agents.”
“After that, it was pretty clear that we were going to stay the course,” she explained. “There was an idea that they were going to have the presenters just host the Oscars. We all got on board with that.”
Credit: Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File
Credit: Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File
Kevin Hart was tapped to host the show in December, but stepped down after homophobic tweets of his resurfaced soon after he was announced for the gig.
Burke said the the show will be three hours long.
"The main goal, which I'm told the Academy promised last year, is to keep the show to three hours," Burke said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "The producers decided to wisely not have a host and have the presenters and the movies be the stars. That's the best way to keep the show to brisk three hours."
The Oscars air Feb. 24 on ABC.
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