AP, MADRID: A Spanish photo agency says coveted shots of Shakira holding hands with Barcelona football player Gerard Pique that are circulating on the Internet had been stolen by a computer hacker.
The agency Gtres-Online and other agencies had been planning to sell these photos to Spanish and other publications as exclusives.
Gtres-Online sales director Manuel Montero told the AP Tuesday the photos taken by paparazzi were stolen by a hacker, probably from a temporary Internet file that agencies like his use.
Montero said the shots of the couple outside a Barcelona restaurant were then downloaded onto a Shakira fan website called Shakira Gallery.
Rumors that the Colombian singer and the member of Spain's World Cup winning team were an item surfaced during last year's tournament in South Africa.
Justin Bieber gets wax figure and cuts hair
Reuters, NEW YORK: Canadian teen pop idol Justin Bieber has become the latest celebrity to get his own wax figure, Madame Tussauds wax museum said on Tuesday, a day after the young pop star tweeted he had a new haircut.
The wax figure of the 16-year-old pop phenomenon, who was as famed for his former bowl-cut as his soulful voice, will debut in March at Madame Tussauds in New York, London and Amsterdam.
"To be immortalized in wax alongside some of my idols -- Michael Jackson, Prince, Beyonce and my mentor, Usher -- is incredibly exciting and very cool," Bieber said in a statement.
Bieber tweeted on Monday that he had a new haircut and would give the cut hair to charity.
Relying on Twitter and YouTube to spread his fame, he was the fourth best-selling albums artist in the United States last year, but missed out on a Grammy award last week.
The wax figure of the 16-year-old pop phenomenon, who was as famed for his former bowl-cut as his soulful voice, will debut in March at Madame Tussauds in New York, London and Amsterdam.
"To be immortalized in wax alongside some of my idols -- Michael Jackson, Prince, Beyonce and my mentor, Usher -- is incredibly exciting and very cool," Bieber said in a statement.
Bieber tweeted on Monday that he had a new haircut and would give the cut hair to charity.
Relying on Twitter and YouTube to spread his fame, he was the fourth best-selling albums artist in the United States last year, but missed out on a Grammy award last week.
Colo adventurer goes on game show, attends Oscars
AP, ASPEN, Colo: Aron Ralston, the Colorado adventurer who amputated his arm to escape from a remote canyon, is going Hollywood.
Ralston appears Wednesday on the NBC game show "Minute to Win It" and attends the Academy Awards on Sunday.
A movie about his ordeal, "127 Hours," has been nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Ralston cut off his right arm after it became pinned under a boulder in a Utah canyon in 2003. He feared he wouldn't be found and would die there if he didn't get free.
The Aspen Times reports Ralston is donating his winnings from the game show to the Wilderness Workshop, a Colorado conservation group.
Ralston's episode has already been taped, but he says he can't reveal how much he won until it airs.
Ralston appears Wednesday on the NBC game show "Minute to Win It" and attends the Academy Awards on Sunday.
A movie about his ordeal, "127 Hours," has been nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Ralston cut off his right arm after it became pinned under a boulder in a Utah canyon in 2003. He feared he wouldn't be found and would die there if he didn't get free.
The Aspen Times reports Ralston is donating his winnings from the game show to the Wilderness Workshop, a Colorado conservation group.
Ralston's episode has already been taped, but he says he can't reveal how much he won until it airs.
New Humphrey Bogart bio a superficial effort
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: Humphrey Bogart grew up a rich kid in Manhattan and spent his youth on Broadway, playing twits dressed in striped jackets and white ducks, "vigorously entering with a racket or a cocktail in hand."
Whether he actually said, "Tennis, anyone?" is a matter of debate. And so, as Stefan Kanfer recounts in his critical biography "Tough Without a Gun" (Knopf, 288 pages, $26.95), when Bogart was cast as gangster Duke Mantee in Robert Sherwood's pensive 1936 drama "The Petrified Forest," it was against type. It was also a triumph and his ticket to Hollywood -- where he had to spend five years doing time as hoods, gunned down in movie after movie, before John Huston offered him the role of Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" (after George Raft turned it down) and he became, indelibly, the Bogart we know. By then he was 42.
None of this is news. Kanfer is fine at lifting material from other sources, but he's not a deep digger. We learn that at the star's funeral, in 1957, he was remembered as a brain who "could recite from memory whole swaths of Plato, Pope, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Shakespeare." Really? Kanfer gives no indication earlier that he was a thinker or, in fact, had any extracurricular interests other than sailing, cigarettes and booze. His marriage to Lauren Bacall was a happy one (after failures with Helen Menken and Mary Philips, then a real humdinger with Mayo Methot, an alcoholic harpy who threw tantrums, threw bottles and at one point literally stabbed him in the back), but Kanfer doesn't try to fathom how Bacall, barely beyond girlhood, put up with her depressive, hard-drinking, middle-aged and, apparently, philandering mate.
Late in the book, Kanfer maintains, rather prissily, that Bogart "would be dismayed by the present-day Hollywood products, by the headline-grabbing stars who trash hotel rooms"; he appears to have forgotten his own account of the actor and his third wife, dead drunk, firing pistols into the ceiling of their room in Naples. ("The crashes of plaster were almost as loud as the shots.") He heralds (twice) the American Film Institute's citation of Bogart as "the greatest male legend in cinema history" and a similar recognition from Entertainment Weekly. He's so wanton in pursuit of random praise that he even quotes a post office functionary at the unveiling of a Bogart stamp.
Why this desperation to pump up his subject? Nobody's challenging Bogie's status as an icon. But, as Kanfer acknowledges, he was never a strong performer without a strong director: He appeared in a handful of treasures and a whole bunch of duds. Nor was he brave offscreen, as his dealings with the House Un-American Activities Committee sadly demonstrate. Once established, he wasn't daring in his choice of material. When Helen Hayes suggested, late in his life, that Bogart return to the stage, he cringed: "Those bastards would all go out in the lobby and say, 'So that's what's come to us as a big, big star -- a big important actor.' ... No, I couldn't do that."
The book's subtitle promises an examination of "The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of Humphrey Bogart." The extraordinary afterlife consists of one 20-page chapter in which Kanfer declares that Bogart strongly influenced the characters played by Jean-Paul Belmondo in "Breathless" and Charles Aznavour in "Shoot the Piano Player"; quotes some lines from Woody Allen's "Play It Again, Sam"; and takes note of Bogart festivals and "Bogart-themed bistros, taverns and bars," including a pizzeria in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Insanely, he also discusses the many, many books that have been written about his subject, raising the unavoidable question: Why another one?
Whether he actually said, "Tennis, anyone?" is a matter of debate. And so, as Stefan Kanfer recounts in his critical biography "Tough Without a Gun" (Knopf, 288 pages, $26.95), when Bogart was cast as gangster Duke Mantee in Robert Sherwood's pensive 1936 drama "The Petrified Forest," it was against type. It was also a triumph and his ticket to Hollywood -- where he had to spend five years doing time as hoods, gunned down in movie after movie, before John Huston offered him the role of Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" (after George Raft turned it down) and he became, indelibly, the Bogart we know. By then he was 42.
None of this is news. Kanfer is fine at lifting material from other sources, but he's not a deep digger. We learn that at the star's funeral, in 1957, he was remembered as a brain who "could recite from memory whole swaths of Plato, Pope, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Shakespeare." Really? Kanfer gives no indication earlier that he was a thinker or, in fact, had any extracurricular interests other than sailing, cigarettes and booze. His marriage to Lauren Bacall was a happy one (after failures with Helen Menken and Mary Philips, then a real humdinger with Mayo Methot, an alcoholic harpy who threw tantrums, threw bottles and at one point literally stabbed him in the back), but Kanfer doesn't try to fathom how Bacall, barely beyond girlhood, put up with her depressive, hard-drinking, middle-aged and, apparently, philandering mate.
Late in the book, Kanfer maintains, rather prissily, that Bogart "would be dismayed by the present-day Hollywood products, by the headline-grabbing stars who trash hotel rooms"; he appears to have forgotten his own account of the actor and his third wife, dead drunk, firing pistols into the ceiling of their room in Naples. ("The crashes of plaster were almost as loud as the shots.") He heralds (twice) the American Film Institute's citation of Bogart as "the greatest male legend in cinema history" and a similar recognition from Entertainment Weekly. He's so wanton in pursuit of random praise that he even quotes a post office functionary at the unveiling of a Bogart stamp.
Why this desperation to pump up his subject? Nobody's challenging Bogie's status as an icon. But, as Kanfer acknowledges, he was never a strong performer without a strong director: He appeared in a handful of treasures and a whole bunch of duds. Nor was he brave offscreen, as his dealings with the House Un-American Activities Committee sadly demonstrate. Once established, he wasn't daring in his choice of material. When Helen Hayes suggested, late in his life, that Bogart return to the stage, he cringed: "Those bastards would all go out in the lobby and say, 'So that's what's come to us as a big, big star -- a big important actor.' ... No, I couldn't do that."
The book's subtitle promises an examination of "The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of Humphrey Bogart." The extraordinary afterlife consists of one 20-page chapter in which Kanfer declares that Bogart strongly influenced the characters played by Jean-Paul Belmondo in "Breathless" and Charles Aznavour in "Shoot the Piano Player"; quotes some lines from Woody Allen's "Play It Again, Sam"; and takes note of Bogart festivals and "Bogart-themed bistros, taverns and bars," including a pizzeria in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Insanely, he also discusses the many, many books that have been written about his subject, raising the unavoidable question: Why another one?
Oscar fashion goes bold. Thank Lady Gaga!
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: Taking a tip from music stars Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, Hollywood's A-list actresses are expected to turn up on Oscar's red carpet in many bold, futuristic designs, fashion experts predict.
The eye toward the future marks a turnaround from recent years in which styles at Hollywood's biggest awards shows have featured vintage gowns, subdued designs and colors, and less jewelry in a nod to the world's economic woes.
But with consumer confidence up, Hollywood's top female actresses will be wearing distinctive gowns highlighted by draping and accented shoulders and sleeves. Expect a wide array of colors, from pale shades and skin tones to bold purples, oranges, midnight blues and classic black.
Designer Marc Bouwer said this year's futuristic fashions are influenced by some of the "out-there" costumes of pop music superstars like Lady Gaga, Minaj and now Britney Spears as seen in her latest video, "Hold It Against Me."
"Artists are starting to dress much more crazy, more out there and it has a ripple effect on fashion," said Bouwer. "While you won't see a Lady Gaga outfit necessarily on the Oscar red carpet, you will see more architectural styles -- an expanded shoulder, a pronounced sleeve. The stronger power woman has emerged, and you cannot ignore that trend."
Styles on the red carpet ahead of the world's top film honors are expected to be similar to those debuting last month at Hollywood's Golden Globe Awards.
At that show, "Glee" star Lea Michelle dazzled fashionistas in a pink asymmetrical Oscar de la Renta gown, and other actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams and Scarlet Johansson turned up in skin tones and pale shades of rose.
JEWELRY IS BACK
This year Bouwer, who famously dressed Angelina Jolie in a white satin halter dress for the 2007 Oscars, is working with nominees including "The Fighter" star Melissa Leo on the trend he calls, "futuristic architectural minimalism."
It is a look that he and others said not only takes into consideration the dress, but accessories that come with it.
"We're going to see statement pieces," said Greg Kwiat of Kwiat Diamonds. His jewels previously were worn at the Oscars by past nominees such as Anna Kendrick and Natalie Portman.
"A bracelet, a necklace. There will be everything from classic diamonds to lots of colors like yellow gold or aquamarine," Kwiat said.
If the dresses and jewels are bold, then the hair has to be simple and "not so overly complicated" according to celebrity hair stylist Anthony Morrison.
"Whether the hair is up or down, it's more about having a finished look, not frizzy or disheveled," he said. "We've been using a lot of smoothing products to make sure hair is glossy, shiny and polished."
Hair color is also expected to be big and bold this year.
"The color is going to look amazing," Morrison said. "Rich brunettes, gorgeous reds and perfect blondes. Everybody will enhance whatever color they have."
Color enhancement is likely to be seen in many gowns, as well, along with classic black and ivory found at black-tie events. Allen B. Schwartz, creative director of A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz said to expect bold greens, purples, corrals, oranges and midnight navy.
"Color is usually about positive energy," he said. "We all know what's gone on with people struggling because of the economy. Everyone has started off the year with a renewed energy for a better time (and) color is about being happy."
The eye toward the future marks a turnaround from recent years in which styles at Hollywood's biggest awards shows have featured vintage gowns, subdued designs and colors, and less jewelry in a nod to the world's economic woes.
But with consumer confidence up, Hollywood's top female actresses will be wearing distinctive gowns highlighted by draping and accented shoulders and sleeves. Expect a wide array of colors, from pale shades and skin tones to bold purples, oranges, midnight blues and classic black.
Designer Marc Bouwer said this year's futuristic fashions are influenced by some of the "out-there" costumes of pop music superstars like Lady Gaga, Minaj and now Britney Spears as seen in her latest video, "Hold It Against Me."
"Artists are starting to dress much more crazy, more out there and it has a ripple effect on fashion," said Bouwer. "While you won't see a Lady Gaga outfit necessarily on the Oscar red carpet, you will see more architectural styles -- an expanded shoulder, a pronounced sleeve. The stronger power woman has emerged, and you cannot ignore that trend."
Styles on the red carpet ahead of the world's top film honors are expected to be similar to those debuting last month at Hollywood's Golden Globe Awards.
At that show, "Glee" star Lea Michelle dazzled fashionistas in a pink asymmetrical Oscar de la Renta gown, and other actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams and Scarlet Johansson turned up in skin tones and pale shades of rose.
JEWELRY IS BACK
This year Bouwer, who famously dressed Angelina Jolie in a white satin halter dress for the 2007 Oscars, is working with nominees including "The Fighter" star Melissa Leo on the trend he calls, "futuristic architectural minimalism."
It is a look that he and others said not only takes into consideration the dress, but accessories that come with it.
"We're going to see statement pieces," said Greg Kwiat of Kwiat Diamonds. His jewels previously were worn at the Oscars by past nominees such as Anna Kendrick and Natalie Portman.
"A bracelet, a necklace. There will be everything from classic diamonds to lots of colors like yellow gold or aquamarine," Kwiat said.
If the dresses and jewels are bold, then the hair has to be simple and "not so overly complicated" according to celebrity hair stylist Anthony Morrison.
"Whether the hair is up or down, it's more about having a finished look, not frizzy or disheveled," he said. "We've been using a lot of smoothing products to make sure hair is glossy, shiny and polished."
Hair color is also expected to be big and bold this year.
"The color is going to look amazing," Morrison said. "Rich brunettes, gorgeous reds and perfect blondes. Everybody will enhance whatever color they have."
Color enhancement is likely to be seen in many gowns, as well, along with classic black and ivory found at black-tie events. Allen B. Schwartz, creative director of A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz said to expect bold greens, purples, corrals, oranges and midnight navy.
"Color is usually about positive energy," he said. "We all know what's gone on with people struggling because of the economy. Everyone has started off the year with a renewed energy for a better time (and) color is about being happy."
'127 Hours' adventurer goes to game show, Oscars
AP, ASPEN, Colo: A Colorado adventurer is going Hollywood after his story about amputating his arm to escape from a remote canyon inspired a movie.
Aron Ralston appears Wednesday on the NBC game show "Minute to Win It" and plans to attend the Academy Awards on Sunday.
The movie about his ordeal, "127 Hours," has been nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Ralston cut off his right arm after it became pinned under a boulder in a Utah canyon in 2003. He feared he wouldn't be found and would die there if he didn't get free.
The Aspen Times reports Ralston is donating his winnings from the game show to the Colorado conservation group Wilderness Workshop.
Aron Ralston appears Wednesday on the NBC game show "Minute to Win It" and plans to attend the Academy Awards on Sunday.
The movie about his ordeal, "127 Hours," has been nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Ralston cut off his right arm after it became pinned under a boulder in a Utah canyon in 2003. He feared he wouldn't be found and would die there if he didn't get free.
The Aspen Times reports Ralston is donating his winnings from the game show to the Colorado conservation group Wilderness Workshop.
Steve Carell to play grieving husband in drama
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: Steve Carell is taking a turn for the serious, agreeing to star in a drama described as a tragic story of love and loss.
"Dogs of Babel," a Mandate Pictures project based on a novel by Carolyn Parkhurt, centers on a linguistics professor (Carell), who returns home one day to find his wife dead in their backyard. Though police rule her death an accident, the professor is not quite sure. With the only witness to the death being the couple's dog, the grief-stricken man endeavors to teach it to talk in the hopes that he can uncover what really happened.
Carell will also serve as a producer. No director is attached yet. The adaptation of the 2003 novel was initially set up at Focus where Todd Phillips ("The Hangover") was attached to direct and produce. John Crowley ("Boy A") was also previously attached to direct it when it migrated to Mandate.
Recent releases from Mandate include "The Switch" and "Whip It." Carell was in theaters last years with "Dinner for Schmucks."
"Dogs of Babel," a Mandate Pictures project based on a novel by Carolyn Parkhurt, centers on a linguistics professor (Carell), who returns home one day to find his wife dead in their backyard. Though police rule her death an accident, the professor is not quite sure. With the only witness to the death being the couple's dog, the grief-stricken man endeavors to teach it to talk in the hopes that he can uncover what really happened.
Carell will also serve as a producer. No director is attached yet. The adaptation of the 2003 novel was initially set up at Focus where Todd Phillips ("The Hangover") was attached to direct and produce. John Crowley ("Boy A") was also previously attached to direct it when it migrated to Mandate.
Recent releases from Mandate include "The Switch" and "Whip It." Carell was in theaters last years with "Dinner for Schmucks."
Kiefer Sutherland to star in supernatural TV drama
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: Kiefer Sutherland, who starred for eight seasons on "24," will star in a drama pilot from the creator of "Heroes."
"Touch" centers on a father who discovers that his autistic, mute son can predict events before they happen. Sutherland will also serve as an executive producer of the Fox project, which comes from Tim Kring.
Because of Sutherland's duties on Broadway where he currently stars in a revival of the Jason Miller's "That Championship Season," "Touch" is expected start production in late May-early June. That would make "Touch" a contender for midseason where "24" was a long-time staple.
"Touch" centers on a father who discovers that his autistic, mute son can predict events before they happen. Sutherland will also serve as an executive producer of the Fox project, which comes from Tim Kring.
Because of Sutherland's duties on Broadway where he currently stars in a revival of the Jason Miller's "That Championship Season," "Touch" is expected start production in late May-early June. That would make "Touch" a contender for midseason where "24" was a long-time staple.
Larry King launches one-man comedy show
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: Larry King is getting his turn to do the talking.
The veteran TV interviewer, who left his "Larry King Live" CNN show after 25 years in December, is launching a series of one man comedy shows in April about his life and work called "Larry King: Standing Up," producers said on Tuesday.
King, 77, will give fans "a hilarious and insightful look" at his life both behind and in front of the cameras. The one-night-only shows will cover his life growing up as a street-smart kid in Brooklyn to tales from his career as the man who interviewed presidents, generals and celebrities.
"Larry King's style and wit will give audiences an evening to remember," producers Base Entertainment and Karl Engemann said in a statement.
Audiences will also get the chance to ask King some questions of their own on the tour, which starts April 14 in Torrington, Connecticut and will play venues in Atlantic City and Las Vegas with more dates to be announced later.
King stepped down from his nightly CNN show amid falling ratings, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
His time slot on CNN was taken by brash Briton Piers Morgan, who will interview King in a show to be broadcast later this week.
King told the BBC last week that he thought Morgan was "good but not that dangerous".
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
The veteran TV interviewer, who left his "Larry King Live" CNN show after 25 years in December, is launching a series of one man comedy shows in April about his life and work called "Larry King: Standing Up," producers said on Tuesday.
King, 77, will give fans "a hilarious and insightful look" at his life both behind and in front of the cameras. The one-night-only shows will cover his life growing up as a street-smart kid in Brooklyn to tales from his career as the man who interviewed presidents, generals and celebrities.
"Larry King's style and wit will give audiences an evening to remember," producers Base Entertainment and Karl Engemann said in a statement.
Audiences will also get the chance to ask King some questions of their own on the tour, which starts April 14 in Torrington, Connecticut and will play venues in Atlantic City and Las Vegas with more dates to be announced later.
King stepped down from his nightly CNN show amid falling ratings, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
His time slot on CNN was taken by brash Briton Piers Morgan, who will interview King in a show to be broadcast later this week.
King told the BBC last week that he thought Morgan was "good but not that dangerous".
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Oscar telecast nixing montages, elaborate tributes
Reuters, LOS ANGELES: As preparations for next Sunday's Academy Awards move into high gear, the show's producers have booted a number of familiar elements.
Gone will be the movie montages -- like last year's salute to horror movies -- that often contribute to the broadcast's unwieldy running time. While there will be film clips from the ten best picture nominees and brief filmed introductions to different segments of the show, "Within the body of the show, we are not doing any film montage sequences," said Bruce Cohen, who will produce with Don Mischer.
Gone too will be the relatively new tradition, established just two years ago, of using five presenters to offer tribute testimonials about each of the best actor and actress nominees. "We're not going to do that this year," Cohen told the Hollywood Reporter. "What we did love about it was that it was a moment where each of the nominees really gets their due. (But) we found a version of that, without using the five people on stage, from the 1970 Oscars, and we stole it."
The producers also have enlisted the nominees' mothers to participate in promotion and pre-show activities, and some of them will be in the audience for the telecast.
This year's producing team is restoring individual performances of the four nominated songs, which were eliminated last year. Producers were upset that Cher, a major audience draw, was not nominated for her Burlesque ballad, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me."
"We were surprised, and we were disappointed," Cohen says when of the song, which won its composer Diane Warren a Golden Globe but failed to earn an Academy nomination.
They have lined up most of the other names associated with the songs that were nominated, though: Oscar perennial Randy Newman will perform his "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"; Mandy Moore and Zachary Levy, who sang the duet "I See The Light" on the "Tangled" soundtrack will reteam with composer Alan Menken; and Gwyneth Paltrow, who sings "Coming Home" in "Country Strong" will reprise that tune on the broadcast.
Because English pop singer Dido, who was nominated along with Rollo Armstrong and A.R. Rahman for the song "If I Rise," from "127 Hours" was not available, the producers have drafted Florence Welch from Grammy-nominated act Florence + the Machine to appear with Rahman.
"We feel we really lucked out, and this is a good year to bring the best song performances back," Cohen says.
Gone will be the movie montages -- like last year's salute to horror movies -- that often contribute to the broadcast's unwieldy running time. While there will be film clips from the ten best picture nominees and brief filmed introductions to different segments of the show, "Within the body of the show, we are not doing any film montage sequences," said Bruce Cohen, who will produce with Don Mischer.
Gone too will be the relatively new tradition, established just two years ago, of using five presenters to offer tribute testimonials about each of the best actor and actress nominees. "We're not going to do that this year," Cohen told the Hollywood Reporter. "What we did love about it was that it was a moment where each of the nominees really gets their due. (But) we found a version of that, without using the five people on stage, from the 1970 Oscars, and we stole it."
The producers also have enlisted the nominees' mothers to participate in promotion and pre-show activities, and some of them will be in the audience for the telecast.
This year's producing team is restoring individual performances of the four nominated songs, which were eliminated last year. Producers were upset that Cher, a major audience draw, was not nominated for her Burlesque ballad, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me."
"We were surprised, and we were disappointed," Cohen says when of the song, which won its composer Diane Warren a Golden Globe but failed to earn an Academy nomination.
They have lined up most of the other names associated with the songs that were nominated, though: Oscar perennial Randy Newman will perform his "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"; Mandy Moore and Zachary Levy, who sang the duet "I See The Light" on the "Tangled" soundtrack will reteam with composer Alan Menken; and Gwyneth Paltrow, who sings "Coming Home" in "Country Strong" will reprise that tune on the broadcast.
Because English pop singer Dido, who was nominated along with Rollo Armstrong and A.R. Rahman for the song "If I Rise," from "127 Hours" was not available, the producers have drafted Florence Welch from Grammy-nominated act Florence + the Machine to appear with Rahman.
"We feel we really lucked out, and this is a good year to bring the best song performances back," Cohen says.
Sarah Palin Aide Frank Bailey Alleges Rival Author Leaked His Book
JUNEAU, Alaska — The writers of a former Sarah Palin aide's unpublished memoir are alleging the author of a rival book helped leak copies of their manuscript, destroying its marketability.
In a letter to author Joe McGinniss, attorney Dean Steinbeck said the matter "appears to be no more than that of a jealous author sabotaging a competitor via unlawful and unscrupulous means."
Efforts to reach McGinniss were not immediately successful Monday. An e-mail sent to an account he kept while working on his own book on Palin wasn't immediately returned.
Steinbeck's letter, on behalf of Ken Morris, Jeanne Devon and Frank Bailey and posted on Devon's blog, states the writers are reviewing their legal options, "and I can assure this is not the last time you will hear from them."
The letter alleges McGinniss received an "unlawfully distributed version of the Work" between Feb. 16 and Feb. 18 and distributed it.
"As an author, you are well aware that your actions have significantly impaired the Copyright Owners ability to market the book," he wrote.
Morris, in a blog post, said a similar letter was also being sent to those "we have identified as also unlawfully reproducing portions of our work."
"I guess you can say we are not rolling over, and for those who ignore law and morality, we are not going away."
Bailey was an aide to Palin when she was governor of Alaska. Devon, a blogger, is a frequent Palin critic.
A draft of the unpublished manuscript leaked to news outlets and political circles late last week, with stories about it and its contents making national news. The Anchorage Daily News reported that it received copies of the manuscript from multiple sources, including McGinniss. McGinniss, a best-selling author who also wrote a magazine expose on Palin and her natural gas pipeline plan, last year lived next door to the Palins in Wasilla, Alaska, for about three months while researching a book on Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee. The move garnered headlines and complaints from Palin, who had a fence between the two properties extended. Last year, activist Andree McLeod asked the attorney general to look into what she alleged was a violation of state ethics rules for Bailey's access to – and possession of – e-mails from Palin's time as governor. The executive ethics act bars current or former public officials from using information gained during the course of their work for personal gain if the information hasn't been publicly disseminated. Morris last week said that Bailey had thousands of e-mails from the Palins. The state is currently reviewing Palin's e-mails for an expected spring release in response to public records requests, including from news organizations and McLeod. Read the original story on huffingtonpost.com
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