The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to return to the two-host format for next year's Academy Awards (which will reward the films from this year even though it's technically airing on television next year) by announcing that James Franco and Anne Hathaway will lead the next Oscar ceremony, due to hit ABC on February 27th, 2011.
Obviously this pairing was meant to appeal to a younger audience, but it's also a strange move for the Academy considering both Franco and Hathaway could wind up as Oscar nominees themselves. Franco is certainly one of the frontrunners for Best Actor after his fantastic performance in 127 Hours, while Hathaway has been earning raves for her turn in the newly-released romantic dramedy Love and Other Drugs. If both end up nominated, wouldn't that be a tad strange, especially since they're also hosting? Would it look like favoritism or just a happy coincidence?
It's also hard to see what Franco and Hathaway will add to the ceremony other than a few more youthful eyes. They're not stand-up comics or known for big dance numbers, and so we're not sure how the Academy plans to utilize the duo, aside from at least one "I got pretty nekked in Love and Other Drugs" joke.
Are Franco and Hathaway a good choice as hosts, or do you think this was a real bad decision?
