Oscar statuettes on display. Oscars organizers on Thursday unveiled an all-star cast of presenters for the 80th Academy Awards as preparations for the extravaganza forged ahead following the end of the Hollywood writers strike.

Oscars organizers on Thursday unveiled an all-star cast of presenters for the 80th Academy Awards as preparations for the extravaganza forged ahead following the end of the Hollywood writers strike.

Until recently, Oscars officials were preparing contingency plans for a February 24 show featuring no star names, fearing a repeat of the actors boycott that scuppered last month's Golden Globes ceremony.

But with the crippling writers strike formally declared over on Tuesday, officials from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were able to reveal a cast of presenting talent that reads like a who's who of Hollywood.

Presenters at the Kodak Theatre will include all four of last year's winners in the acting categories -- Alan Arkin, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker.

Several stars up for awards have also joined the roster of presenters, most notably Australian icon Cate Blanchett, nominated in both supporting and best actress categories and heart-throb George Clooney, a best actor nominee.

Hollywood icons Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Nicole Kidman and Denzel Washington will also take to the stage.

Other presenters named are Amy Adams, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Steve Carell, Penelope Cruz, Miley Cyrus, Patrick Dempsey, Cameron Diaz, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl, Jonah Hill, Dwayne Johnson, James McAvoy, Queen Latifah, Seth Rogen, Martin Scorsese, Hilary Swank, John Travolta and Renee Zellweger.
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(CRI/Agencies February 15, 2008)