James Franco and Anne Hathaway to Host 83rd Oscars?

James Franco and Anne Hathaway to Host 83rd Oscars?

Movie News

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

Although the talented duo of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin kept the last Academy Awards ceremony light and entertaining, they might not have grabbed enough young viewers to give the show’s ratings the serious boost producers may have been looking for. Deadline reports that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences might be looking to attract a younger demographic for the 83rd annual Oscar ceremony by recruiting James Franco and Anne Hathaway to host the show.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but the sources that provided the information seem fairly confident that both of the stars will indeed take on the role next year.

Overall, they both make an interesting choice for the show. Hosts tend to be comedians, and while Franco has made it very clear that he can bring in big laughs with his hilarious portrayal of a drug dealer in “Pineapple Express,” when you think of Anne Hathaway, “laugh-out-loud comic” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Can anyone say that they will have the right chemistry to keep the night fun? It’s something that we’ll just have to wait for to find out.

To make matters even more complicated, Franco himself has a vested interest in the results of these Oscars. He delivered a terrific and (mostly) one-man show performance in Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours.” He’ll likely be nominated in the Best Actor category, and with the Academy now looking at ten nominees for Best Picture, “127 Hours” will certainly be in the running for the top prize.

Things could get awkward if Franco has to run on stage and tell a few jokes after losing out for Best Actor. He seems like a good-natured guy who’ll remain professional, but it will definitely be on viewers’ minds.

With the year winding down and the awards ceremony drawing near, we can expect an official announcement on this matter sometime soon. As long as Billy Crystal isn’t hired again, hey, that’s a little reason to celebrate, right?