Dwayne Johnson is the latest actor to explain why he won’t be hosting the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony.
In response to a fan on Twitter, the actor explained that he was the Academy’s first choice to host the show this year, but due to filming commitments for his upcoming “Jumanji” sequel, he was unable to follow through with the gig.
“Ah mahalo dude, I was their first choice to host this year, and my goal was to make it the most fun and entertaining Oscars ever. We all tried hard, but couldn’t make it work since I’m shooting ‘Jumanji.’ Academy and I were super bummed but maybe one day down the road,” he wrote.
The explanation comes on the heels of Variety‘s own confirmation that the 91st Academy Awards would be the first in 30 years to proceed without an emcee. Kevin Hart (who, it’s worth noting, will also return for the “Jumanji” sequel) was initially tapped to take on the hosting gig but following widespread backlash for a number of homophobic tweets, the actor was forced to step down from the position.
In place of an emcee, producers will use various celebrities to introduce the show’s different segments instead of the traditional monologue-filled opening.
The Academy Awards are set to air live at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. on ABC.