Official: Eddie Murphy to Host Oscars

Eddie Murphy has been confirmed as the host of next year’s Brett Ratner-produced telecast of the Academy Awards, thereby guaranteeing that the 2012 Oscars will either be the best or the worst Oscars ever. Perhaps both. Here are some canned “quotes” invented by someone who works in PR:

“Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever,” said Ratner. “With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances – especially on stage – I know he will bring excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show Don [Mischer] and I want to produce in February.”

“I am enormously honored to join the great list of past Academy Award hosts from Hope and Carson to Crystal, Martin and Goldberg, among others,” said Murphy. “I’m looking forward to working with Brett and Don on creating a show that is enjoyable for both the fans at home and for the audience at the Kodak Theatre as we all come together to celebrate and recognize the great film contributions and collaborations from the past year.” [press release via Deadline]

Hey, I love Beverly Hills Cop and Raw and Delirious and James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub just as much as you. But that Eddie Murphy is dead, okay? There could be an Oscars montage of all the movies Murphy never should have made. Let’s keep expectations low, people.