Vulture is pleased to bring you, for perhaps the first time in world history, news about something James Franco isn’t doing: Backstage at last night’s 2011 Nightlife Awards at Town Hall, we ran into Bruce Vilanch, who this year will write jokes for the Academy Awards for the 22nd time. We badgered him for hints on what we could expect during February 27’s Oscar ceremony, and though he couldn’t spoil any of the bits we will see, he did tell us about one that won’t make the cut: “We had a great bit where James Franco was going to come on as Cher and be interrupted by [the real] Cher,” he told us. “But the song [“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,” from Burlesque] wasn’t nominated, and so she’s not coming.” So telecast producers will find other ways to fill the space. 127 Hours star Franco and co-host Anne Hathaway will “sing and dance … together and separately. And maybe even with other people,” says Vilanch. “I’m trying to find something James Franco is bad at. And he does it all with one arm — he really is Method. He actually got rid of his arm.”
