EDDIE MURPHY TO HOST THE OSCARS!

Eddie Murphy had stiff competition for the 2012 Oscars hosting gig, which he officially landed Tuesday.

EDDIE MURPHY TO HOST THE OSCARS: 'I AM ENORMOUSLY HONORED'

A source close to the production of February's 84th Annual Academy Awards show tells us funnymen Billy Crystal and Jerry Seinfeld were gunning for the coveted role.

After James Franco and Anne Hathaway proved that quirky, youthful co-hosts were not necessarily the key to boosting the Oscar telecast's ratings and reviews, predictions circulated that the academy would once again go old-school with Crystal in 2012.

Last month, the Los Angeles Times reported that Crystal, who's hosted the Oscars eight times, told an audience at an American Cinematheque screening of "City Slickers" that he'd be willing to host the movie awards show "one or two more times."

According to our source, however, "Rush Hour" filmmaker Brett Ratner, who's producing the 2012 Oscars telecast with Don Mischer, was never interested in the comic actor.

Crystal "was campaigning for [the hosting gig] on his own," says the source, "but he was never actually in the running."

The insider snarkily added that Crystal was a "backup option" that "no one was seriously considering."

The source also says Seinfeld's camp contacted the academy to express Jerry's interest in hosting, but points out that, as far as Ratner was concerned, Murphy was his guy.

The 50-year-old "Dreamgirls" star, who plays Slide in Ratner's upcoming film, "Tower Heist," was named the host of the awards Tuesday by Ratner and Mischer.

Ratner called Murphy a "genius" in an interview with MTV.com, gushing: "The only time I ever really had to pinch myself was the first day of shooting with Eddie Murphy."

The insider notes that Ratner's choice to use his "Tower Heist" star as host of the Oscars could have synergistic benefits for both the movie and TV broadcast.

"It's definitely a promotional thing," says the source. "They'll associate [Murphy] with the film obviously when he's in the [Oscars] spotlight."

Maybe next year, Jerry.

Crystal, through his spokeswoman, applauded the choice of Murphy. "Eddie will do a great job," he said.

A spokesman for Seinfeld did not get back to us by our deadline.



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