The Single Most Awkward Image From the Oscars' Red Carpet

I had vowed to get on with my life and leave the Academy Awards alone today. That all changed when a friend alerted me to an eye-popping moment on the Oscars red carpet that haunted my dreams and now demands reckoning. Dear readers, does anybody knows what the hell is going on here? Seriously, I need to know. Also: Top that, Sacha Baron Cohen. [Thanks to Justin for the heads-up.] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Harry Potter Author J.K. Rowling To Go To Adult With New Novel

The Harry Potter series made author J.K. Rowling among Britain’s richest people now the writer has the capacity to tread new literary territory along with her new book specific toward grownups. Publication for your new novel and extra particulars are increasingly being saved under systems until later this year, but Rowling mentioned using the book’s author Little, Brown and Company the brand new novel she's most most likely still writing is really a departure from Potter: Although Ive loved writing it as much, my next book can be very different towards the Harry Potter series, that's been launched so fantastically by Bloomsbury and my other entrepreneurs around the globe. The freedom to educate yourself regarding new territory can be a gift that Harry’s success features me, and understanding that new territory it made an appearance might progression to experience a new author. I am delighted to experience a second posting home in Little, Brown, together with a posting team which will be a great partner in this particular new phase of my writing existence.” Little, Brown author David Shelley will probably be Rowling’s editor and may publish the untitled novel in the uk, while Michael Pietsch, Executive V . P . of Little, Brown and Company, responsible for publication within the united states . States. “Tim Hely Hutchinson, Ursula Mackenzie which i, as well as the whole team at Little, Brown inside the Uk, along with our co-employees David Youthful and Michael Pietsch at Little, Brown within the u . s . states, are thrilled, honoured and proud being posting J.K. Rowlings new book,” Shelley mentioned in the statement with the Little, Brown Book Group site. “For me, essentially, it is a personal and professional dream be realized being coping with J.K. Rowling. She is probably the best storytellers in the world, and i am searching forward enormously to helping bring her new novel for grownups to her fans and enthusiasts, also to showing her conntacting new site visitors all over the world. Launched between 1997 and 2007, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter quantity of seven books offered over 450 million copies in 200 areas and 74 languages worldwide. J.K. Rowling was represented by Neil Blair in the Blair Partnership.

Durand, Haas take 'Dark' turn

Kevin Durand and Lukas Haas are starring in indie horror feature "Dark Was the Night" from Caliber Media Co., Sundial Pictures and Preferred Content. Shooting starts Sunday in Southampton, N.Y., with Jack Heller directing from Tyler Hisel's script, which appeared on the 2009 Black List under the title "The Trees." Story centers on an isolated town where a nearby logging company has disrupted the balance of the life in the woods. Evil emerges to threaten the local citizens, with their only hope the local sheriff and his deputy. Sabina Gadecki, Heath Freeman and Nick Damici are also starring. Heller is producing with his Caliber partner Dallas Sonnier and Sundial's Stefan Nowicki. Preferred Content's Kevin Iwashina and Ross Dinerstein will exec produce alongside Sundial's Joey Carey and The Molecule's Ted Markovic, who is handling VFX. Hisel and manager Alexander Robb are also exec producers. Iwashina will handle domestic sales. Caliber is in post on "Refuge," "3 Nights in the Desert" and "Static." Sundial exec produced "Pariah" and Preferred Content produced "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," "The Day," "The Divide" and "The Pact." Durand is repped by WME, Alchemy Entertainment, and attorney Dave Feldman. Haas is repped by Innovative, managers Chuck Pacheco and Rick Yorn, and attorneys PJ Shapiro and Julian Zajfen. Freeman is repped by Caliber. Gadecki is repped by Innovative. Damici is repped by Sweet 180 Management. Hisel is repped by Katie Cates of Kaplan-Stahler and Alexander Robb of Insignia Entertainment. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Person of Interest: Will Carter and Reese's New Partnership Last?

Taraji P. Henson, Jim Caviezel Over the last few episodes, CBS' Person of Interest has done something rather, well, interesting.Get more scoop on your favorite shows in our Winter TV previewThe hit freshman procedural has taken Taraji P. Henson's Detective Carter - the cop who spent the first half of the season hot on the trail of vigilantes Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Finch (Michael Emerson) - and turned her into the high-tech duo's partner in vigilantism. Creator and executive producer Jonathan Nolan acknowledges that, at the request of CBS, the twist has happened faster than he originally intended, but he insists it was always in the back of his mind."The pitch from the very beginning with this character was that you'd start with a little bit of Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive, and you'd wind up with a character closer spiritually to Commissioner Gordon," Nolan tells TVGuide.com. "We didn't want these relationships to be ready-formed from the pilot. The network gave us a great deal of latitude in terms of earning this relationship. But the plan is still unfolding."Indeed, to this point, Carter only knows as much as Reese or Finch is willing to tell her about their little operation. Additionally, Carter has no idea that her fellow cop Fusco (Kevin Chapman) is also secretly feeding police information to Reese. Naturally, those types of secrets could quickly derail this new arrangement.Friday Night Lights' Matt Lauria becomes a Person of Interest"These relationships are not fixed," Nolan says. "There are no guarantees about any of these characters. Just because characters are allies now, doesn't mean they're going to remain allies."Unlike Reese and Finch, who were always operating outside the law, Carter is a sworn officer, which makes her side job all the more tricky, not to mention dangerous. This is especially true in Thursday's episode (9/8c, CBS), which features the return of CIA Agent Mark Snow (Michael Kelly), the operative who shot Reese after Carter put him on Reese's trail. This time around, Snow may have just as many questions about Carter as he does about Reese."One of the fun dilemmas of our show is you have these people doing the right thing, but in unorthodox terms and illegal terms," Nolan says. "There are influences within her office, or various other law enforcement agencies, that are going to start to inquire as to what she knows. What sort of position [does] that put her in?"Person of Interest airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

Benbihy embraces 'Berlin, I Love You'

The makers of a cinematic ode to the German capital, originally titled "Love Berlin -- How We Met," have reached an agreement with French producer Emmanuel Benbihy, the creative force behind the "Cities of Love" franchise that includes 2006's "Paris, je t'aime" and 2009's "NY, I Love You." Producers Steffen Aumueller and Claus Clausen of Munich-based the Very Useful Co. announced the Berlin project at the Berlinale two years ago as being unrelated to Benbihy's series. That has now changed, along with the title. The project will now move forward as "Berlin, I Love You," an episodic film that explores love in the German metropolis. Benbihy exec produces; Clausen and Aumueller produce alongside Josef Steinberger of Berlin-based Rheingold Films as well as Katharina Kowalewski and Edda Reiser. "After lots of discussions and work behind the scenes, we are glad this film will finally lift off as it would have been a shame to give up on such a wonderful project," Clausen said. "Berlin, I Love You" will be the third film in the franchise after the Paris and NY pics. The production will comprise 10 short love stories directed by established helmers, each set in a different neighborhood of the city with intermediate scenes telling an overarching story. Among the directors expected to participate in the project is Oren Moverman, who received the Silver Bear at the 2009 Berlinale. The project will also feature some 20 German and international thesps. "Each director will provide his own perspective and style, reflecting the richness and fascination of Berlin, its landscape and its people," Clausen said. "This blend of creative and cultural perspective will prove to be one of the film's most powerful resources." Added Benbihy: "I am thrilled that the city of Berlin will be one of our cities of love as I have always envisioned it. This is one of the most creative and lively cities in the world filled with diversity and a unique history that calls for love and reconciliation. It also has an incredible A-list film festival which defends film diversity in a big way." Benbihy's U.S.-based Ever So Close Inc. is working on planned Cities of Love projects in Shanghai, Rio and Jerusalem. Contact Ed Meza at ed.meza@mannaa.de