At the premiere of his new comedy film "Tower Heist" he said he's "excited" about the job but "hoping not to drop the ball."

The film's director, Brett Ratner, is also producing the Academy Awards and approached Murphy with the idea of hosting.

On the comic's to-do list between now and then is to watch some movies.

"What's the front-runner? Who knows?" he asked on the red carpet.

Murphy was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2007 for his performance in "Dreamgirls" but lost to Alan Arkin.

The 84th Annual Academy Awards are Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012.