Kevin Hart to host Oscars 2019, says 'it's time to rise to the occasion'

If there were any doubts that the upcoming Academy Awards of 2019 would be boring to watch, erase them as star comedian Kevin Hart has just confirmed that he will be hosting the Hollywood’s biggest night. 

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday to confirm the news, Kevin wrote: "I will be sure to make this year's Oscars a special one," adding, "now it's time to rise to the occasion."

This will be the first time when Kevin will get to host the Oscars night, one of the most-watched and loved awards night globally. 

First-time producers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss will oversee the show, with Gigliotti as the producer and Weiss on hand as co-producer and director.

Kevin also thanked The Academy for the opportunity and wrote: "I appreciate @TheAcademy for the opportunity," and added, "For years I have been asked if I would ever Host the Oscars and my answer was always the same...I said that it would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me as a comedian and that it will happen when it's supposed to." 

The last two Oscar nights were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and produced by Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd. 

It is expected that the Oscars 2019 will offer something different from the previous years, so as to retain the TV audience which has been declining every year. We told you earlier that among the first few changes, the show will run for much shorter than three hours. Also, not all the awards in the 24 Oscar categories will be revealed live. Instead, six to eight categories will be announced before the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood during commercial breaks, and edited excerpts from the acceptance speeches will be broadcasted later.

The Academy board had also decided to introduce a “popular” Oscar category, to recognise “outstanding achievement in popular film,” ensuring that some of the biggest box office successes of the year have a prominent place at the awards. The idea couldn’t get through as it wasn’t received well by the people and the management. They shelved the idea. 

The Oscars will air live on February 9. It was pulled forward by two weeks as the initial date of the awards was February 24. In another news, BAFTA  has also shifted its 2020 award ceremony date.