Despite the considerable amount of backlash the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has received over the lack of diversity among this year's Oscar nominees, Chris Rock will still host the 88th Academy Awards.

Rock was being pressured to back out of hosting the show, but Academy Awards producer Reginald Hudlin told Entertainment Tonight (via Variety) that he will indeed be hosting. In fact, he'll be addressing the #OscarsSoWhite situation during his opening monologue.


"Chris is hard at work," Hudlin told the outlet. "He and his writing staff locked themselves in a room. As things got a little provocative and exciting, he said, 'I’m throwing out the show I wrote and writing a new show.'"

Hudlin went on to express his confidence in Rock to "deliver something that people will be talking about for weeks," noting the Academy is not only ready but excited for what he has planned. "They know that’s what we need. They know that’s what the public wants, and we deliver what the people want."


Just yesterday, the Academy's Board of Governors announced it will be overhauling its membership and voting rules, with the goal of doubling the Academy's number of women and diverse members by 2020.