John Mulaney, Jimmy Kimmel Pass On Oscar Hosting Gig

Jimmy Kimmel and John Mulaney have both passed on the job of hosting the next Oscars on March 2, Variety has confirmed.

Kimmel, a four-time Oscar host, reportedly turned down the gig earlier this summer. Mulaney, whose presenting routine was one of the highlights of this year’s show and who also hosted the Governors Awards, has a busy schedule with several projects coming up. His talk show “Everybody’s in L.A.” could also get renewed by Netflix, according to Puck, which first reported the hosting news.

The Academy declined to comment.

A four-time emcee for the annual ceremony, Kimmel is currently tied for the fourth most hosting duties with Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon. He sits behind Johnny Carson (5), Billy Crystal (9) and Bob Hope (19).

Mulaney, who hosted the Governors Awards in January and presented at the 96th Academy Awards, had become a favorite among awards enthusiasts to take up the mantle. In an interview with Variety in June, Bill Kramer, Academy CEO, shared his praise about Kimmel and the possibility of Mulaney if he were to join the telecast, saying, “We are lucky to have Jimmy [Kimmel], who helped create one of the best Oscars last year. John Mulaney also did an incredible job. All I will say is, with whomever hosts the show moving forward, we want to continue with this tone of celebration, respect, humor, and a great love of movies. We have some great options.

This year’s slate of possible award contenders looks to include an eclectic mixture of blockbuster films (“Dune: Part Two”), massive star power (Lady Gaga, “Joker: Folie à Deux”) and beloved auteurs (Steve McQueen, “Blitz”). The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2.