Update: So this one is now official. Insert joke about Oscar ceremony being 127 hours long here.
And we thought “about to be offered” stories were bad. Deadline reports (sort of) that James Franco and Anne Hathaway have been offered the Oscar hosting duties and it “looks like” (whatever that means) they have accepted the gig. Unless they haven’t. Because they also might have to pull out due to prior commitments.
So, in case you’re still trying to sort this one out: Anne Hathaway and James Franco might host the Oscars, unless they don’t.
The news follows a familiar trajectory to wishlist/offer news which seems to be all the rage. At any rate, the pair are a good fit for the televised broadcast that is forever trying to get people under the age of the twenty five to tune in. Franco is likely an Oscar nominee himself with his starring turn in Danny Boyle‘s “127 Hours” earning accolades, while Hathaway recently bared a lot of skin, and delivered a strong performance in Ed Zwick‘s “Love And Other Drugs.” The actress is no stranger to the Oscar stage having performed a song and dance number with Hugh Jackman (who recently turned down another shot at hosting the show) at the ceremonies a couple of years ago.
We like Hathaway and Franco well enough, but they seem like safe and somewhat boring choices. The Oscars need a showman (or woman) and not the temporary allure of celebrity hosts if they want to get a younger demographic in there. Well, if the story does pan out and they do take on the hosting duties, we hope that Franco arrives in the guise of his alter ego on “General Hospital.”