Academy Awards Odds: Who Will Host in 2018?
“Envelope please. And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the host of the 90th annual Academy Awards will be … Bob Hope! Wait, no, sorry. Wrong envelope. Apparently that’s the envelope for who will host Heaven’s after-party. Can I get the right one please?”
Obviously the Oscar envelope flub is all anyone’s talking about in the days following the event. But the show must go on! Instead of dwelling on a mishap that’s going to be hashed and re-hashed by every media outlet in the nation, let’s take a look ahead and figure out who will get hosting duties next year.
In 2016, Chris Rock had the monumental task of not only hosting the 88th Academy Awards but also being the token black comedian to host what was an all-white affair.
The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite became the biggest story of the night and although some wanted Chris Rock to boycott his hosting duties over the controversy, the man used it for some hilarious material.
No matter what you thought of Chris Rock’s performance, he did enough to entertain without taking away too much from the actual event. Without the host, all we would have is “I want to thank God” or “I want to thank 376 people that nobody knows” or “insert political message here.” Talk about boring.
This year’s selection, Jimmy Kimmel (whom I predicted last year would be the one to take the gig), was a natural choice. ABC’s late-night golden boy has done a bang up job with his Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars special over the years.
He brought to the table exactly what you’d expect: easy humor that included lots of Trump jokes and on ongoing feud with Matt Damon. I can’t forget about the bus-load of tourists who got the surprise of their lives when they were brought into the Dolby Theatre and got to meet some of Hollywood’s biggest names.
Kimmel also did a great job steering the ship through choppy waters after La La Land Moonlight was announced as Best Picture. The mishap was unprecedented in Oscar history.
Who is the frontrunner to host in 2018? Below is a list of favorites with a few who may just be wishful thinking. I, for one, hope the Academy finally looks outside of the box and goes with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or maybe Kevin Hart.
Odds on Hosting the Oscars in 2018
Kevin Spacey remains the front-runner because he can sing, dance, and be absolutely hilarious. In fact, it’s rather shocking that Spacey hasn’t been the host yet. I don’t think it’s a matter of if but rather when.
Right behind Spacey sit Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig who bounced up the list due to their fantastic award-presenting performances at this year’s Golden Globes. A lot of times this is where hosts are found and if the Academy is smart, they’ll scoop them up before the Globes nabs the Despicable Me duo.
Speaking of the Globes, many people like the idea of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting because they have done such a great job of hosting the Golden Globes in the past. However, the Academy likes to come up with its own originals and doesn’t like stealing from other places. Maybe teaming Tina Fey up with Steve Carell would be a better choice?
If we were going to go with a duo instead of a single host, why hasn’t anyone taken a chance on Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele? They had a successful sketch-comedy show that would be perfect for the Oscar stage. Even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart would be something to behold if they paired up.
Louis C.K. slips a bit compared to last year but is still a dark-horse. The problem is that his comedy stylings and celebrity may not have the impact, ratings-wise, that the Academy Awards are looking for.
Don’t sleep on Justin Timberlake. Like Kevin Spacey, Timberlake can sing, dance and also has a wicked sense of humor.
Odds will be updated over the course of the year, but here’s where we sit right now.
- Kevin Spacey: 9/2
- Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig: 6/1
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart: 11/1
- Ellen DeGeneres: 12/1
- Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele: 19/1
- James Corden: 19/1
- Justin Timberlake: 20/1
- Hugh Jackman: 20/1
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt: 25/1
- Tina Fey and Amy Poehler: 30/1
- Louis C.K.: 30/1
- Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin: 35/1
- Billy Crystal: 35/1
- Aziz Ansari: 40/1
- Amy Schumer: 40/1
- Conan O’Brien: 50/1
- Kate McKinnon: 50/1
- Ricky Gervais: 60/1
- Jim Carrey: 75/1
- Seth Rogen: 75/1
Trevor was Sports Betting Dime’s resident geek (aka: entertainment writer) from 2016-18. He also moonlights as a national film reviewer for other publications. He comes equipped with diplomas in marketing and broadcast journalism with a PHD in couch lounging.
