Dwayne Johnson Explains Why He Couldn't Host The Oscars This Year
For the first time in 30 years, the Oscars won't have a host this year. Comedian Kevin Hart was previously slated to act as master of ceremonies, but some controversy arose following some old jokes on Twitter, and he decided to step down. But Kevin Hart wasn't even the first choice to host the Oscars. Instead, it was one of his Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle co-stars.
The always charismatic Dwayne Johnson recently revealed that he was the first choice to host the Oscars this year. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. But the door isn't closed on having The Rock host the ceremony at some point.
St. Louis film critic Dan Buffa suggested on Twitter that the Academy should have Dwayne Johnson hosting the Oscars next year. That's when Dwayne Johnson revealed that he almost hosted the show this year:
Ah mahalo dude, I was their first choice to host this year, and my goal was to make it the most fun and entertaining Oscars ever. We all tried hard, but couldn't make it work since I'm shooting Jumanji. Academy and I were super bummed but maybe one day down the road 🥃 https://t.co/eiiMuBNOzb
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 6, 2019
Dwayne Johnson is a very busy guy right now, producing and starring in tons of movies, so it's no surprise that his schedule kept him from being able to dedicate enough time to host the Oscars. This kind of hosting job requires a lot of time for rehearsal to make sure the live broadcast goes off without a hitch. And since Johnson has the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle requiring his attention, it just wasn't in the cards.
However, it sounds like Johnson and the Academy had some promising plans for the show, so maybe he'll end up hosting at some point. Then again, Dwayne Johnson has a full slate of upcoming projects. Right now, his IMDb profile lists 11 projects that are either in pre-production, development or have only been announced. Not all of those projects are guaranteed to move forward, but Johnson is adding new projects to that slate all the time.
Even though Dwayne Johnson won't be hosting the Oscars, you'll still be able to get your dose of The Rock later this month. The action superstar will be appearing as himself in the upcoming release of Fighting with My Family, calling back to his old days as one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. We caught the movie at Sundance and found it to be an enjoyable and inspiration underdog sports movie that you can enjoy even if you're not a wrestling fan. So you won't be able to smell what The Rock is cooking at the Oscars, but you can catch a whiff on the big screen next week.