It may be hard to believe, but the 95th Academy Awards are less than a month away. That means ABC and The Academy have a mission they desperately need to complete: Make America watch the Oscars again. Following last year’s rebound to 16.6 million viewers from 2021’s record low 10.4 million viewers, the pressure is on to get the ratings somewhat closer to 2020’s 23.6 million viewers (a pre-pandemic record low). Much of that responsibility is on the shoulders of this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel who is emceeing the ceremony for the third time. Today, Kimmel, ABC and The Academy released a new promo teasing the fact that Kimmel likely wasn’t the first, second, third, fifth or even 11th choice to host this year’s ceremony.
READ MORE: State of the Oscar Races: Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Original Song All Up For Grabs
The “Top Gun: Maverick” inspired trailer finds Kimmel in a flight suit and aviator sunglasses arriving at The Academy where photos of the more, um, successful hosts adorn the walls (Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Martin). In a conference room, Vice Admiral Simpson and Rear Admiral Bates, played by Jon Hamm and Charles Parnell from “Maverick,” inform Kimmel that he has been summoned to discuss his hosting this year’s Oscars. As someone who has been highly critical of Kimmel’s previous hosting gigs, this almost 4-minute-long promo is quite funny and features an unexpected cameo.
Kimmel previously hosted the 2017 and 2018 ceremonies. He was criticized for joking both films get statues during the “La La Land”/”Moonlight” Best Picture snafu during his first ceremony. The show went without a host for three years until Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer hosted last year. That trio earned mostly favorable reviews, but all three have been outspoken at one point or another over how The Academy handled the Will Smith slap during that telecast. It was noteworthy that new AMPAS president Janet Yang said The Academy’s response to that incident was “inadequate” during the Oscars luncheon yesterday.
In regards to other aspects of the show, is still unclear if all five Original Song nominees will perform during what is still being promoted as a three-hour telecast.
You can watch the entire trailer embedded in this post.
The 95th Academy Awards will be telecast live on ABC on Sunday, March 12 beginning at 5 PM/ 8 PM PT.