Jimmy Kimmel opens the Oscars with monologue
Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the 96th Academy Awards with his opening monologue.
"It was a hard year, but it was also a great year for movies," he said, referencing the writers and actors strikes from 2023. "The people in this room somehow managed to come up with so many excellent films and memorable performances. This night is full of enormous talent and untold potential -- but so was 'Madame Web,' but who knows."
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Kimmel also spoke about the year's biggest hit at the box office, "Barbie," crediting director Greta Gerwig with making the doll a "feminist icon" and poking fun at her widely perceived snub for best director.
"I know you're clapping, but you're the ones who didn't vote for her, by the way," he joked, speaking to the audience.
Kimmel also got a laugh when he said that if "Barbie" stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling didn't win anything tonight, they at least had "already won something much more important -- the genetic lottery."
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Also receiving a shoutout was Messi the dog from "Anatomy of a Fall," who the talk show host said "may have given the performance of the year."
Kimmel also joked about how many of the year's nominated films were longer than normal, saying he had his mail redirected to the movie theater when seeing "Killers of the Flower Moon."