The comedian took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce he's been selected to host the 2019 Academy Awards for the first time.
"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 suppose to," he wrote. "I am so happy to say that the day has finally come for me to host the Oscars. I am blown away simply because this has been a goal on my list for a long time....To be able to join the legendary list of hosts that have graced that stage is unbelievable."
Hart succeeds Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted the last two Academy Awards.
The move comes at a time when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is in desperate need of a ratings boost for its annual telecast. Last year, the audience declined to an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers (from a recent high in 2014 of 43 million viewers) and the organization, along with its broadcaster ABC, have suggested radical changes to help improve the show’s viewership, including a promise that it will not run over three hours.
Hart follows in the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel, who had the hosting gig the past two years. The Jumanji: Welcome to the jungle star will work withproducers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss, who will oversee the production for the first time. Weiss will also direct.
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