The Advocate
Bruce Vilanch Not Writing Oscars for Brett Ratner
By Jeremy Kinser
Veteran comic Bruce Vilanch, who has written for the Oscars since 1989, says it’s unlikely he’ll be involved in the upcoming ceremony to be produced by Brett Ratner and hosted by Eddie Murphy, reports The Wrap.
Ratner told the Los Angeles Times over the weekend that he and coproducer Don Mischer have hired a new crop of writers for the 84th Annual Academy Awards, to be hosted by his Tower Heist star Eddie Murphy. Some of the writers have ties to Ratner, including the screenwriters of his new film, and only one longtime Oscar-show writer, Jon Macks, made the list.
The Wrap asked Vilanch if he was going to work on the show this year, to which he replied by email, “Guess not.”
Vilanch has been writing for the awards since 1989 and has been head writer since 2000. Vilanch has written for numerous hosts, including Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, and Billy Crystal.
Ratner revealed to The Wrap today that with the exception of Macks, all the writers he announced were on board just to write for the show’s host, Eddie Murphy. Ratner says hasn’t yet determined how much of a writing staff he’d need for the rest of the show. The Wrap suggests that staff could possibly still include Vilanch.
Entertainment website Deadline has criticized Ratner’s recent behavior as undignified for a producer of the Academy Awards. Ratner, currently under fire for a homophobic comment made during a Q&A prior to a screening of Tower Heist over the weekend and for which he apologized, has also appeared on talk shows recently discussing his prolific sexual exploits and offered unkind remarks about actress Olivia Munn.
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Are you kidding me??? Bruce Vilanch IS the Academy Awards! PERIOD!
If this turns out to be true, it’ll be total bullsh!t and a sad day for the industry.
They leave it kind of open-ended, don’t they? And Radnor is such a homophobobic prick….it really wo’t be the same!
Yeah, I’m waiting to see how this pans out. I can’t remember if it had something to do with Gil Cates being ill or deceased that Ratner was brought in to produce, then his gang of goons to write. He’s already made a faux pauss(?) with his anti-gay slurs (and on our Super Bowl day!).Yeah, I think there might be some regrets there!
Now that Brett is out, and Eddie just announced that he’s out too–that leaves an opportunity for Bruce to get back in. You’re right about waiting to see how this pans out. I think it will turn out for the best. The Oscars are too important to “shake up” from scratch. Leave it to the pros–and as we all know–Bruce is the best! Now might be a good time to bring Billy Crystal back as host. He’s good at improv, still has plenty of time to prepare for it, is tried and true, and yes, he’s got a movie coming out later in the year! In fact, a Billy and Bette pairing, along with Bruce behind the reigns = fantastic Oscar!!
I’m just wondering who they will pick….I thought Billy said he was through, and Bette has always said she was too scared to do it….but you never know, people change….maybe a pairing of Bette and Billy would take some of the pressure off. Sure will be interesting to see what happens!