The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has named the actors James Franco and Anne Hathaway as the co-hosts of the 83rd Academy Awards next February.
Franco – soon to be seen in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours and known to many as Peter Parker’s best friend Harry in Spiderman – will be joined by Hathaway, who has appeared at four previous Oscars ceremonies, including 2008, when she was nominated for her leading role in Rachel Getting Married.
The producers of the Oscars telecast say the James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons, describing them as “fresh, exciting and multi-talented.”
This is the second year that the Academy has gone for joint hosts, after the perceived success of the 2010 event, which was fronted by the increasingly comic actor Alec Baldwin and the decreasingly comic actor Steve Martin.
The 2009 show was more of a song-and-dance spectacular, hosted by the Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who broke a long-held tradition of having the ceremony fronted by comedians.