March 07, 2006

It really is "The Year of Yes" for Paramount Pictures as the studio has acquired feature film rights to Maria Dahvana Headley's novel tentatively titled "The Year of Yes: A Memoir."

The memoir follows the Idaho-born Headley who grew weary of making the dating rounds in Manhattan. Once thought that she was being too critical, she then improved her depressing dating life and decided to say yes to every man who asked her out.

Do you know what's coming? It's the comedy "Once and Future King". Universal Pictures has acquired the movie, which is about to be written by Scott Marshall Smith, and so is ready to start working on the project.

"Once and Future King" concerns the tumult felt in the British royal family after it's discovered that an Australian farmer is the rightful king of England. It is inspired by the true story of Mike Hastings, who now bears the title of the 14th Earl of Loudoun.

Musician Yanni was arrested early Friday March 3rd, 2006 at his home soon following an alleged domestic dispute with his girlfriend Silvia Barthes. In chain with the arrest, the man is facing a domestic battery charge.

According to police report, Yanni has on Thursday night asked Barthes to leave his beachfront home in Manalapan. But while the 33 year-old woman attempted to pack her clothing, the 51-year-old musician threw it on the ground. It was mentioned there in the report that he then grabbed her arms and shook her, throwing her on the bed, and jumped on top of her.

The "Used Guys" will be busier in the coming days as the film will start its production in June later this year in New Mexico.

Announced the Twentieth Century Fox film project was Jay Roach who has been tapped to direct the $75 million budgeted comedy.

The U.K. albums chart sees a newcomer on its list which at the same time becoming the chart topper as well. It's Corinne Bailey Rae. The English singer/songwriter comes in the U.K. albums chart at No. 1 with her self-titled debut set, pushing aside last week's champion Jack Johnson's "In Between Dreams" to No. 2.

Seat at No. 3 to No. 5 on the chart in succession are Arctic Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm", KT Tunstall's "Eye To The Telescope", and Kaiser Chiefs' "Employment", each of which falls one place from last week position. Meanwhile, at No. 6 is Neil Diamond's "12 Songs", one place ahead of Gorillaz' "Demon Days" at No. 7, both of which also slips one place from last week position.

U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks has on Monday March 6th, 2006 ordered Rod Stewart to pay Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest gambling company, more than $3 million for a cancelled show in December 2000.

The ruling stems from a finding by a jury late last year that Stewart should return the $2 million the Rio Hotel and Casino paid him to appear Dec. 30, 2000. As for everybody to know, the British singer bowed out before the gig, saying he was still recovering from throat surgery for thyroid cancer several months prior to the date.

New Line Cinema is reported to have acquired "Pan". It is a horror movie written by Ben Magid and is about to be produced by Brooklyn Weaver's Energy Entertainment production company.

The story of "Pan" actually is a backward take on J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" with supernatural elements in which the Pan character's a villain tracked by police captain named Hook.

Rock singer Bob Geldof has been awarded the "freedom of the city" Sunday March 6th, 2006 by his hometown Dublin, an honor in recognition of his humanitarian work.

A frequent campaigner alongside fellow Irish rocker Bono, Geldof also organized the landmark Live Aid concert in aid of famine relief in Ethiopia in 1985 and repeated the feat with the Live 8 concert last year in Scotland.

Three 6 Mafia, the Memphis rappers, also was an Oscar winner. The trio, Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard, was among the many Oscar recipients at the 78th annual Academy Awards held March 5th, 2006 in Los Angeles.

The threesome brought home Oscar for Best Original Song for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," performed by actor Terrence Howard in the hip-hop film "Hustle & Flow". Handed the award to them was Queen Latifah. Aside, Three 6 Mafia also made history as the first rap group to perform at the event.