Will they roast the stars? Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall dish on hosting the Oscars

The Academy Awards are compensating for three years of hostless Oscars by tripling up.

Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall are joining forces as the first Oscar hosts since Jimmy Kimmel handled the duties solo in 2018.

Schumer is already happily proclaiming success even before she joins her comedic cohorts on Hollywood's biggest night (ABC, Sunday, 8 EDT/5 PDT).

"I don't see how we can lose, honestly," says Schumer, who hosted a raucous 2015 MTV Movie Awards. "We'll know we left it all out on the Oscar stage and that we did it. We're going to show what three women, and two women of color, can do."

So what's the path to success? USA TODAY spoke to the three hosts between final rehearsals:

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So how's it going to work with three hosts?

There is host familiarity between all three. Notably, Schumer, 40, and Sykes, 58, co-starred in the 2017 comedy "Snatched," while Hall, 51, and Sykes starred in 2021's "Breaking News in Yuba County." Sykes says the team felt comic lightning at their first meeting last month.

"It was just instant chemistry, we all fit well together," says Sykes, who says that all three will be onstage to kick off the show.

The rest of the night will see host groupings. "There will be different variations," says Sykes. "Two of us or just one, even three. We're going to switch it up."

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Who's given the best Oscar host advice?

All three know Chris Rock (host for the 2005 and 2016 Oscars), who passed on his thoughtful insight. Sykes recently spoke to Jimmy Kimmel (2017 and 2018) on the comedian's late-night show. But the real tips came when the cameras were off, she says. What did he impart? "You have to be the Oscar host to get those tips," she says.

There's a connection with four-time host Whoopi Goldberg, for whom Sykes wrote Oscar jokes. "The View" star has weighed in as well. "Whoopi said just to have fun because if you're having fun, then the audience is having fun," says Hall.

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Will the A-list stars in the audience get roasted?

There will be jokes made involving the stars seated inside the Dolby Theatre. But don't expect the sometimes-awkward zingers of many awards shows past.

"I am leading with love," says Sykes. "It's going to be a fun night. I know these people, They showered, they got dressed up. They worked hard making these films. I'm not ruining anybody's night."

"Roast is too harsh, but we will have fun," says Hall, who adds that bringing the assembled A-listers into the Oscars is part of the fun for the TV audience and the stars themselves.

"They will be part of the joke, they are not the joke," says Hall. "You want the joke to be something that their best friend would say, but they can still laugh about it."

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Will the Ukrainian president beam into the Oscars?

Schumer has made headlines with her hope to have Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy beam in via satellite during the Oscars to highlight the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's unclear whether the show's producers have agreed or if a linkup is possible.

"I haven't given up hope, but I think it would be a good move," says Schumer. "I want to go to sleep that night knowing that I did my part in raising awareness to some of the horrible things going on, including (what's happening) in Florida and Texas. The whole world is on fire."

Sykes is not so sure that a Zelenskyy chat will be possible. "He's pretty busy, I don't know if he has time for our little movie show."

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Will it get boozy?

Schumer, who has joked she's preparing for the Oscars by drinking, says she's not planning on imbibing during the show. "But I'm known to start celebrating too early." She says the hosts are planning a toast to a hopefully successful show directly after.

"Just the three hosts and a fancy bottle, even Opus One ... if someone else is paying," says Schumer. "If someone wants to sponsor us, we're up for that."

Hall isn't willing to say what the post-show toast will be. "That will depend on what happens on the show," she says. "There's a fine line between a toast and just saying, 'That was awful, I'm getting drunk.' "

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oscar hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes talk roasting celebs