Conan O'Brien Gets an Oscars Threepeat

Conan O'Brien has been lined up for an Oscars threepeat. The Academy has tapped O'Brien to host the 99th Oscars, marking his third consecutive year as emcee. Live-event veterans Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return as executive producers for a fourth straight year, with O'Brien collaborators Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney also back on board, Variety reports. The ceremony will air March 14, 2027, on ABC and Hulu from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, part of Disney's longstanding deal to broadcast the awards through their 100th edition in 2028. There have been plenty of repeat hosts in Oscars history, but nobody has hosted it three times in a row since Billy Crystal in the early 1990s, reports the New York Times.

• "We are thrilled to be working again with Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff, and Mike for the 99th Oscars," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement. "They are an incredible team and have produced such captivating, entertaining, and heartfelt shows over the last two years." They added that they "look forward to Conan superbly leading the celebration with his brilliance and humor." Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich said O'Brien's "singular comedic voice" has energized Hollywood's biggest night.
• In his opening monologue earlier this year, O'Brien quipped that he was "honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards," the AP reports. "Next year it's going to be a Waymo in a tux." In a sketch at the end of the ceremony, he was appointed "Oscars host for life," then "killed," with YouTuber Mr. Beast appointed as his successor, per Deadline. The show will move to YouTube for the 101st awards in 2029.
• Oscars viewing hit a post-pandemic high of 19.7 million in O'Brien's first year as host, per the AP. It dipped slightly this year, but social media engagement during the show surged 42%.