Murphy had been due to host the prestigious awards for the first time but resigned in November following the exit of producer Brett Ratner, leaving organisers rushing to find a last-minute replacement. Comedian Billy Crystal, who has presented the ceremony eight times previously, stepped into the breach and now has poked fun at the drama in the official Oscars trailer.
Murphy had been due to host the prestigious awards for the first time but resigned in November following the exit of producer Brett Ratner, leaving organisers rushing to find a last-minute replacement. Comedian Billy Crystal, who has presented the ceremony eight times previously, stepped into the breach and now has poked fun at the drama in the official Oscars trailer.
The star-studded trailer sees Robin Williams don a rather dodgy moustache to play a Mongolian boat man, before Josh and Megan finally discover 'The Host' in his cave. As the mysterious host is revealed as none other than Billy Crystal, Fox tells him they come on 'behalf of an old friend' before opening a box containing an Oscar. With the pair's epic quest finally over, Crystal cuts down the pair by telling them: 'Could have just texted.'
The light-hearted trailer marks a change in marketing tactics for The Academy, with Christina Kounelias telling The Hollywood Reporter: 'We wanted to try something a little bit different this year instead of a traditional, clip-based piece. The trailer has a fun twist that conveys how excited everyone is to have Billy back.'The clip will run in cinemas for one month, with the ceremony due to take place on February 26.