Jimmy Kimmel tapped to host the 2017 Oscars

PanARMENIAN.Net - Jimmy Kimmel has been tapped to host the 89th Annual Academy Awards. His selection will be announced soon by the show's producers, Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd, but Kimmel has already confirmed the news on his Twitter account, AceShowbiz said.

"Yes, I am hosting the Oscars," wrote Kimmel, who will tackle the prestigious duty for the first time. "This is not a prank," the 49-year-old presenter continued, before adding, "And if it is, my revenge on @TheAcademy will be terrible & sweet."

"Jimmy has the qualities of all the great hosts," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs told THR. "He knows who he is, he knows the audience and he knows how to captain a ship with many moving parts. We're thrilled he has agreed to host our show."

The 2017 Oscars will be broadcast on February 29, 2017 by ABC, the same broadcasting company for Kimmel's late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

This year, Chris Rock was chosen for the high-profile job. The comedian first hosted the Oscars back in 2005. Neil Patrick Harris took the job in 2015. The most-watched Academy Awards ceremony was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres in 2014.