Aubrey Plaza is returning to host the 35th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent announced on Thursday.
Plaza hosted last year’s Indie Spirits and will be back again for 2020, which takes place on Feb. 8.
“Like all great independent film performances, this one deserves a sequel,” Plaza said in a statement. “The people have spoken. Bow down to your host!”
Last year when she hosted, Plaza starred in a sketch where she and indie stars like Brian Tyree Henry and Marcia Gay Harden formed a ritualistic cult and sacrificed “Stranger Things” star Finn Wolfhard to the Gods of Hollywood to spare the world of blockbusters. This year, “Midsommar” is nominated and has a similar premise, so it should be good.
The Indie Spirits always take place the day before the Oscars, and last year, Plaza wasn’t shy about dinging that awards show for not having a host, but we’ll see what the Academy decides this year.
Last month, Zazie Beetz and Natasha Lyonne jointly announced the nominees for the 35th annual awards, with “A Hidden Life,” “Clemency,” “The Farewell,” “Marriage Story” and “Uncut Gems” landing nominations for Best Feature. The Safdie brothers “Uncut Gems” and Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse,” both dramas from A24, led the pack of all nominated films with five nominations apiece.
“At a time when the world is so bitterly divided and civil discourse is almost impossible, it’s nice we can all agree that Aubrey Plaza is the greatest host in the history of hosting,” Josh Welsh, Film Independent president said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have her back. Today is also the last day to join Film Independent as a member to get access to the nominated films and vote on the winners.”
“Aubrey is back! Last year, fear of her signature take on hosting duties, kept that other awards show host-less. We are excited to see what she brings to the tent this year,” IFC executive director Blake Callaway said in a statement.
Plaza will next be seen in “Black Bear” opposite Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon, which she also produced and will premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. She is currently in production on Lina Roessler’s “Best Sellers” opposite Michael Caine, which is based on an original screenplay that won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting award.
The show will be broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT/ 5:00 pm ET on Sat., Feb. 8, 2020. The ceremony will be held on the beach in Santa Monica and will be executive produced and directed by Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions for the sixth consecutive year. Shawn Davis returns as producer for his 18th year, Rick Austin returns as producer for his fifth year and Danielle Federico and Andrew Schaff also return as co-producers.