(NEXSTAR) — Maybe three hosts is the charm?
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes have been announced as the co-hosts of the 94th Academy Awards, marking the first time since 1987 that the telecast has had three emcees.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Tuesday morning following earlier reports that Hall, Schumer and Sykes had already agreed to take the gig, according to outlets including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
The decision to hire multiple hosts for the Oscars ceremony isn’t an entirely new one. The show has been helmed by solo hosts, duos, trios and, at times, even six hosts, as was the case in 1959 (and 1958, if you count Donald Duck). But with the decision to hire Hall, Schumer and Sykes to co-host, the 94th Academy Awards will be the first to be emceed by three women.
Reports from multiple outlets also indicate that Hall, Schumer and Sykes will each host a different hour of the ceremony, although the Academy had made no mention of this particular plan as of Tuesday morning.
“This year’s show is all about uniting movie lovers,” Will Packer, the producer of this year’s show, said in a press release shared by the Academy on Tuesday. “It’s apropos that we’ve lined up three of the most dynamic, hilarious women with very different comedic styles. I know the fun Regina, Amy and Wanda will be having will translate to our audience as well. Many surprises in store! Expect the unexpected!”
The Academy is undoubtedly hoping its hosts can bring new eyeballs to the show, too. The 2021 telecast attracted only around 10 million viewers — or less than half the number of people who watched the show in 2020, which was already the least-watched Oscars in history.
The producers of the 2021 ceremony strayed far from convention, too, hosting the ceremony at Union Station in Los Angeles with a smaller audience and arranging to announce the best picture winner before either of the lead acting categories. The show also had no host, like the two ceremonies preceding it.
This year’s Oscars, to be held at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, will take place on March 27.
