By Beth Harris
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) --The Oscars are going without a host again this year.
ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke said the Feb. 9 telecast will focus on what worked last year: "huge entertainment value, big musical numbers, big comedy and star power."
Last year's ceremony attracted 29.6 million viewers, the second-smallest in Oscars history but 12% more than in 2018, which ended a four-year slide in viewership. Comedian Kevin Hart was originally announced as host, but he backed away when some anti-gay tweets he posted a decade ago resurfaced.
ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences agreed to go hostless for a second straight year, Burke said.
"We expect that we're going to have a very commercial set of nominations," Burke told a TV critics meeting Tuesday, "and a number of elements have come together that convinced us we'll have a very entertaining show."
Nominations will be announced on Monday.
Last year's Emmy Awards also went without a host. ABC is televising this year's ceremony on Sept. 20, and Burke was asked if she had any idea who might preside.
"Baby Yoda," she joked, referring to the infant version of the "Star Wars" character that became an instant sensation on Disney Plus' "The Mandalorian."
Ryan Stasyshyn named head of Rodeo FX’s Toronto office
Rodeo FX has appointed Ryan Stasyshyn as the new head of its Toronto office and its offering of visual effects, animation and creative services. Stasyshyn has been part of the production teams for projects including WandaVision, Watchmen, John Wick: Chapter 4, The Handmaid’s Tale, 1923, and Priscilla. Throughout his career, Stasyshyn gained invaluable on-set experience serving as the head of production, head of operations, and managing director.
“In an era where VFX companies are often bought out and focused solely on the bottom line, Rodeo FX stands apart. The company sets a high bar for talent and work, creating an environment that fosters collaboration like I’ve never seen before,” said Stasyshyn.
“With Ryan stepping in as head, we aim to grant the Toronto studio greater autonomy, enabling it to lead its own projects while supporting our headquarters and our other studios with their global initiative,” explained Sebastien Moreau, president and founder of Rodeo FX.
Well known in the Toronto community, Stasyshyn has worked with several of the biggest local studios including Intelligent Creature, Monsters Aliens Robots Zombie and Maverick VFX.
The Toronto studio, which recently finished projects for Netflix, Warner Bros. and Nissan Canada, marks the fifth international location of Rodeo FX, along with Montreal, Quebec City, Los Angeles and Paris.
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