Jimmy Kimmel, John Mulaney Reportedly Pass on Oscars Gig

HOLLYWOOD (CNS) - Late night host Jimmy Kimmel won't be returning as next year's Oscars host, and comedian John Mulaney has also passed on the job, it was reported Tuesday.

Kimmel, a four-time host of the Academy Awards, apparently turned down the hosting job earlier this summer, which was first reported by the website Puck. Other industry outlets later reported the same news, including Variety, Entertainment Weekly and the Hollywood Reporter.

Kimmel is currently tied for the fourth-most hosting duties with Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon, sitting behind Johnny Carson (five times), Billy Crystal (nine times) and Bob Hope (a record 19 times). He has expressed a desire to spend more time with his family in recent years, and is taking the summer off from his ABC show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Mulaney, who hosted the Governors Awards in January and presented at the 96th Academy Awards, had become a fan favorite to get the gig. But according to Puck, Mulaney has a busy schedule with several projects coming up. He recently hosted a limited-run talk show, "Everybody's in L.A.," on Netflix.

In an interview with Variety in June, Academy CEO Bill Kramer shared his praise about Kimmel and the possibility of Mulaney joining the telecast.

"We are lucky to have Jimmy (Kimmel), who helped create one of the best Oscars last year. John Mulaney also did an incredible job," Kramer said. "All I will say is, with whomever hosts the show moving forward, we want to continue with this tone of celebration, respect, humor, and a great love of movies."

The 97th Oscars will be held March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.