James Franco and Anne Hathaway to Host the Oscars,83rd Academy Awards in February

Out with the old, in with the young: James Franco and Anne Hathaway will co-host  the 83rd Academy Awards in February, an apparent bid to attract younger  viewers to the telecast.            The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the  announcement on Monday morning, with the producers of this year’s show, Bruce  Cohen and Don Mischer, noting in a joint statement that the two actors  “personify the next generation of Hollywood  icons – fresh, exciting and multi-talented.”   
 Making the choice more unusual, both Mr. Franco and Ms. Hathaway are part of  this year’s Oscar race. Mr. Franco has a very good shot at a best actor nomination for his stomach-churning turn in “127 Hours” as a hiker who severs  his own arm after an accident. Ms. Hathaway is more of a longshot in the best  actress race but still part of the conversation for playing an early-onset  Parkinson’s victim in “Love and Other Drugs.”