With the 2026 Oscars just days away, host Conan O'Brien is opening up about returning to the helm for the second year in a row and what he has planned for the 98th Academy Awards.
"I'm chill, because we've been working really hard. We have a lot of fun ideas," O'Brien told ABC News' Lara Spencer in an interview that aired Thursday on "Good Morning America."
"It doesn't mean a million things won't go wrong or sideways between now and the actual show, but that can be a challenge too," he continued, adding that it's "always a running battle up until the moment the Oscars begins."
The 98th Oscars will be held Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The show will be broadcast live on ABC and streaming on Hulu beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Ahead of the award show, O'Brien said he has been visiting a variety of comedy clubs to test material for his opening monologue.
"The crowds really like it, because I'm a surprise, so they don't know that I'm gonna show up," O'Brien explained. "And some of these are very far-flung comedy clubs. They're also a bowling alley. They're also a car rental place."
"You have a decent chance of getting a [laugh] -- or punched, but either way, it's entertainment," he added.
This year, with several films in strong contention, O'Brien said he's "excited" to see it all unfold.
The Oscars has 24 award categories, each with five nominees, except for best picture, which has 10.
"I think the movies are spectacular, really. And they're all quite different," he said. "I mean 'Sinners' is amazing, and 'One Battle After Another' and 'Marty Supreme,' those are incredible films, and 'Bugonia,' and I mean – I could go on and on."
O'Brien also reflected on his first time hosting the Oscars last year, rating it a 15 "on a scale of 1 to 10."
In his opening monologue last year, O'Brien commented on actor Timothée Chalamet's butter-yellow suit, saying at the time, "Love that suit. You will not get hit on your bike tonight."
"And everyone laughed," O'Brien recalled. "I remember at that moment thinking, 'OK, that's all this is.' All this is, is finding those little moments and stringing them together."
He added, "I'm praying Timmy Chalamet wears something really brightly colored."
Although O'Brien said he can't share a full preview of what's to come at the Oscars this Sunday, he teased some singing and dancing on his part.
"I think America demands to see Conan's body in motion. You just have to tune in," he said.
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