It has been confirmed that Chris Rock will still host this year's Academy Awards despite other stars calling for him to step down due to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, and the comedian will make reference to it in his opening monologue.
Producer of the Academy Awards, Reginald Hudlin, told Entertainment Tonight that Rock has written an entire new show so he can make reference to the controversy.
"Chris is hard at work. He and his writing staff locked themselves in a room," Hudlin said. "As things got a little provocative and exciting, he said, 'I'm throwing out the show I wrote and writing a new show. Chris is that thorough. He's brilliant, and I have 1000% confidence that he will deliver something that people will be talking about for weeks."
"You should expect [#OscarsSoWhite jokes]. And, yes, the Academy is ready for him to do that. They're excited about him doing that. They know that's what we need. They know that's what the public wants, and we deliver what the people want," he added.
The 88th Academy Awards take place in Hollywood on February 28, and this will mark Rock's second turn as host, his first time being the 2005 ceremony.
