Oscars' New Producer: Brian Grazer

He steps aside after his pal, Brett Ratner, steps down over slur

(NEWSER) - Eddie Murphy won't be hosting the Oscars after all. One day after buddy Brett Ratner stepped down as producer for using a gay slur , Murphy announced that he would not be part of the show. Murphy is one of the stars of director Ratner's new flick, Tower Heist. The Oscar folks now have about three months to fill the two key posts. More»

Brett Ratner apologizes for saying 'rehearsing is for fags'

(NEWSER) - Using anti-gay language can do serious harm to your Hollywood career, Brett Ratner has discovered. The film director, facing a firestorm of criticism over his use of a gay slur, has resigned as producer of the Oscars telecast, according to the Hollywood Reporter . During a Q&A session at a screening of his new comedy, Tower Heist, last week, Ratner said that "rehearsing is for fags." A Howard Stern interview in which he discussed his sex life added fuel to the fire. More»

Familiar face tweets that he's replacing Eddie Murphy

(NEWSER) - Who else? Billy Crystal will be the new Oscars host. Crystal himself tweeted the news in joke form, notes the Huffington Post : "Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions," he wrote . "Looking forward to the show." Two sources confirm to the Los Angeles Times that Crystal will indeed be hosting for the ninth time. The move comes after Brett Ratner was ousted as producer, Eddie Murphy stepped down as host, and Brian Grazer replaced Ratner . More»

Critics sound off on choice to host the Oscars

(NEWSER) - Eddie Murphy is officially hosting the Oscars , and entertainment writers are up in arms panning or defending the choice. Here’s what people are saying:

• “It’s hard to get excited,” writes Patrick Goldstein of the LA Times , “because—how do I put this as respectfully as possible?—his last three live-action movies have been embarrassingly schlocky stinkers.” To modern moviegoers, he “feels like a relic from another age.”
• “If his jokes are of the Daddy Day Care variety, then we’ll be in for a really long night,” writes Dave Karger of EW . But let’s give him a chance: “Wouldn’t it be great if the Oscars helped return one of our best comedians to his former glory?”

Best Actress winner donates $10K to struggling Central Falls school

(NEWSER) - Meryl Streep's Best Actress win over Viola Davis was the big upset of the Oscars; even Streep herself seemed surprised, calling the whole process "a crapshoot." But now she's making it up to Davis—in a big way. Streep donated $10,000 to a struggling school in Rhode Island in Davis' honor, Reuters reports. Davis has been championing the bankrupt Central Falls, Rhode Island , where she grew up, inspiring Streep to send a check to the Segue Institute for Learning, a charter school in town facing the loss of its building. Click for more on Central Falls' woes . More»