Entertainment Weekly has just confirmed that Chris Rock "is in talks to host the 88th Academy Awards." However, no deal has yet been made, so this isn't all set in stone yet.
Meanwhile, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has declined to comment on the report.
If Chris Rock actually signs the deal papers, it'll be his second time hitting the Oscar stage since his first back in 2005. That time, "Million Dollar Baby" won the award for Best Picture.
Furthermore, if Chris Rock accepts the deal, he'll be working with the award show's new co-producer, Reginald Hudlin, who actually directed the pilot episode of Chris Rock's TV show, "Everybody Hates Chris."
It was on September 1 when the Academy named Reginald Hudlin and David Hill as next year's ceremony producers. According to Variety, ratings fell a staggering 16 percent in the 2015 show, which was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.
In an interview with the publication the same day, Hudlin and Hill revealed that they had already been talking about potential hosts - "looking at the possibilities of a solo performer or a combination of people for the duties."
Not only that, but audiences and event attendees might just find the upcoming show to be somewhat different. Combining the skills of David Hill - a veteran of live TV thanks to Fox Sports and "American Idol" - and film veteran Hudlin "marked a departure for the Academy," with the two promising the show to have some new elements, while keeping with the Oscars tradition.
It's been a decade since Chris Rock's last Oscar stint. Since then, only two celebrities hosted twice: Jon Stewart hosted the 2006 and 2008 shows, while Ellen DeGeneres hosted in 2007 and 2014.
The 2016 Oscars is expected to be at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on February 28.
