Eddie Murphy Exits As 84th Academy Awards Host; Brian Grazer to Produce 84th Academy Awards® with Don Mischer

Here’s the latest in the revolving Oscar Host/Producer door. In the last 24 hours, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced that Eddie Murphy had withdrawn as host of the 84th Academy Awards after yesterday’s announcement that producer Brett Ratner had resigned following the derogatory statements he made at a Q & A session of his TOWER HEIST film.

“I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” said Sherak.

Commented Murphy, “First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”

So who will take over as the new producer? In the latest press release, Academy President Tom Sherak announced that Academy Award®-winner Brian Grazer will join Don Mischer as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards. This will be the first time Grazer has produced the Oscar® telecast.

“Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work,” said Sherak. “He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars®.”

“I am thrilled to welcome Brian Grazer as my partner and that we will be  collaborating to produce an outstanding show,” echoed Mischer.

“It’s very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career,” said Grazer. “Don is a legend, and I am excited to work with him.”

“I too am delighted that Brian will join Don in producing the Academy Awards and I am looking forward to our producers delivering the movie event of the year,” commented Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.

Grazer has earned four Academy Award nominations. He won a Best Picture Oscar in 2001 for “A Beautiful Mind.” In 1984, Grazer was nominated in the writing category for “Splash,” and he received Best Picture nominations in 1995 and 2008 for “Apollo 13” and “Frost/Nixon,” respectively. His other film credits include “Spies Like Us,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Liar Liar,” “8 Mile” and “Cinderella Man.” His current projects include the about to be released “J. Edgar” and the just released “Tower Heist.”

Who would you like to see as host? Oscar fav Billy Crystal? A Hollywood star like Tom Hanks, Will Smith or Robert Downey Jr.? Or an elder statesman to really class it up…like Morgan Freeman? It was announced today that Freeman will receive the 2012 Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille award. People love to hear that guy talk.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.