Are Jackman-Jilted Oscars Leaning Toward Multiple Hosts?

While lauding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for its coup-like recruitment of Ricky Gervais to host the upcoming Golden Globes, the LAT's Patrick Goldstein buried a response from Academy president Tom Sherak halfway down the piece. In doing so, he smothered a pair of delicious rumors about the Oscars' own potential hosting strategy. Let's exhume them!

Goldstein doesn't go out on much of a limb suggesting Hugh Jackman as a "no-go" for the 82nd annual ceremony; since Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman were announced last week as that telecast's producers, the odds of an already-unlikely Jackman encore have slimmed to nearly invisible levels. Yet while passing along Sherak's deferral of this year's host-hiring duties to the new producers, Goldstein attributes to "sources" the rumor that "Oscar producers are leaning toward a multiple-host format, which would team a pair of hosts who would have different strengths and a different generational appeal. The rough plan would be to look for hosts who have a strong comedy background as well as Hollywood credibility."

Again, merely gossip. Nevertheless, it's a possibility Movieline accounted for last month in our own Oscar-host racing sheet, and with the deadline fast approaching -- and actual producers installed in actual power -- it sounds as credible an option as any proposed to date. Honestly, I'd just give it to Tyler Perry and Madea Simmons and watch the ratings soar (What? I mean it, and stop calling Perry an outsider, already -- his name's on this year's Best Picture front-runner), but I don't get a vote. Call your shots below.

· The Golden Globes steal the Oscars' thunder [LAT]