Oscar News: Eddie Out, Billy In

After filmmaker Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men 3) made an offensive comment, he not only was fired but his Tower Heist leading man, Eddie Murphy, announced that he's calling it quits as the host for the forthcoming 2012 Oscar telecast.

The good news to come from that controversial even is that there has been a replacement to fill Eddie's place: Billy Crystal. 2012 will mark Crystal's 9th time as host for Hollywood's annual event.

It's Official: Eddie Murphy agrees to host 2012 Oscars

In case you haven't heard, rumors about Eddie Murphy to host next year's Oscars telecast has been confirmed. The 50 year-old funnyman who was on SNL from 1980 to 1984 and star of hit films such as 48 Hrs, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Golden Child to be the second SNL alumni to host the telecast with the first being Billy Crystal who has hosted multiple times with the most recent being in 2004.

Eddie Murphy, From Oscar nominee to Oscar host

Among the few (IIRC) SNL alumni who got a chance to host the Oscars such as Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, and multi-host Billy Crystal, rumors have been swirling around that another of the show's alumnus, Eddie Murphy, has been picked as a front runner to host next year's Oscars telecast on Feb. 26th on ABC.

Is Eddie Murphy the Next Oscars Host?
Sep 5, 2011 07:04 PM ET
by Kate Stanhope
Will Eddie Murphy's next role be Oscars host? It will be if ceremony producer Brett Ratner gets his way, Deadline reports.
Ratner is set to inform the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on Tuesday that Murphy is his top choice for the gig, according to the report.
Murphy, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2006 for Dreamgirls, is reportedly interested in hosting. But he probably will not get the gig alone. Eight-time Oscars host Billy Crystal is likely to be involved with the show in some capacity after he expressed interest in returning to host at a Los Angeles film screening last month. Crystal has previously hosted the show in 1990-1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2004.
This would be Murphy and Ratner's second collaboration. Murphy stars in Ratner's next film, Tower Heist, which hits theaters on Nov. 4.
The 84th Academy Awards telecast is set to air live on Sunday, Feb. 26 on ABC. Do you think Murphy would make a good Oscars host? Do you want Crystal to return?