Kevin Costner 'loved' John Mulaney's 'Field of Dreams' Oscars bit: 'He was a genius'
If you build a great "Field of Dreams" awards show bit, Kevin Costner will come and praise it.
In an interview with People published Sunday, the "Yellowstone" star heaped praise on comedian John Mulaney for his extended joke about the 1989 baseball movie at last month's Oscars.
"I couldn't believe that guy," Costner told the magazine. "Amazing. I watched it a second time."
While presenting the Oscar for best sound, Mulaney playfully described the plot of "Field of Dreams" in great detail, citing "If you build it, he will come" as one of the great lines in cinematic history. Costner starred as farmer Ray Kinsella in the film, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
Costner's character "mows down corn, and then there is a field, and then he's like, 'I'm going to watch ghosts play baseball,' " Mulaney joked at the Oscars. "And the bank is like, 'You want to pay your mortgage?' And he's like, 'Nah, I'm going to watch ghosts play baseball.' "
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After recounting the plot of the movie, Mulaney concluded, "I love 'Field of Dreams,' that should win best picture, though they'll probably go with one of this year's."
Speaking to People, Costner said he was "very touched by" what Mulaney said, adding, "I should talk to him because I was really impressed. He was a genius. I loved what he did."
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Costner previously reacted to Mulaney's bit in the days after the Oscars, writing on Instagram that it was "not a bad summary."
The official YouTube clip of Mulaney's "Field of Dreams" Oscars segment has amassed more than 900,000 views, with many comments calling on the comedian to host the 2025 Academy Awards. The "New in Town" comic and former "Saturday Night Live" writer previously hosted the Governors Awards in January and delivered a well-received monologue that some fans saw as an audition to eventually serve as Oscars host.
"It's an absolute no-brainer to get an incredibly famous comedian who actually enjoys and respects the craft of filmmaking to host a film awards show," one comment read. "He’s gotta host the full show next time."
Four-time Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel, though, recently said on his show that he has been asked to host the ceremony again in 2025 and that he "might" do so − if only to spite former President Donald Trump, who called him the ceremony's worst emcee in history.