August 03, 2006

"She is out of Dallas", Leslie Sloane Zelnick a representative for Jennifer Lopez confirmed to American publication Star. The actress, who has been slated to star opposite John Travolta in the big screen remake of classic 1970s show as JR Ewing alcoholic wife Sue Ellen, has abruptly quit the project.

J.Lo's dropped out from the project isn't the only case occurs regarding the production of the much-anticipated "Dallas". Prior to her, director Robert Luketic dropped the project, citing "creative differences" and was reportedly unhappy with casting choices.

James Cameron's much-anticipated and innovative new motion picture "Avatar" will get a special treatment from Joe Letteri and Weta Digital as both parties have signed on to create visual effects, creatures and digital environments for the action sci-fi thriller flick.

"Weta has proven themselves a leader in visionary effects, especially in the area of performance capture based character animation, which is a big part of my new film," says Cameron who serves as either writer or director for the film. That's one of the reasons why Joe Letteri and Weta Digital being signed on.

Sony Pictures and MGM break their silence, confirming to public worldwide that they are about to work on the sequel to this year's "The Pink Panther". The studios even have hired Scott Neustadter and Michael M. Weber to write the script.

While the plot for the sequel remains undisclosed, it is highly reported that the flick is that of high concept.

Who's "The Leading Man"? It has yet confirmed by the Universal Pictures who will play the lead role, but it is obvious that the studio has acquired the rights to turn the comic book into big screen feature.

Acquired the rights from Oni Press, Universal has booked Marc Platt and Eric Gitter to produce the flick.

"Sex and Breakfast" will surely keep Macaulay Culkin busy in the coming days. The actor has been slated to star in the comedy genre which has just started shooting.

As of the story, "Sex and Breakfast" follows a couple with problems in the bedroom who seek solace from a therapist. The shrink espouses group sex as a cure-all.

"Die Hard" fans, mark your calendar on June 29, 2007. 20th Century Fox has set up the date to open the fourth installment of the franchise, now titled "Live Free or Die Hard", so Variety has reported. Being so, the movie therefore will face Disney/Pixar's "Ratatouille" which is also slated to be opened on the same day.

Directed by Len Wiseman of "Underworld" fame, the picture still sees Bruce Willis playing the New York cop John McClane who this time has to stop techno-terrorist from shutting down the nation's computer systems on the Fourth of July.

Previously prepared to open on theatres alongside the likes of "Pulse", "Step Up", and "Zoom", "Accepted" has to give up the plan indeed. Universal Pictures as the film's distributor has postponed its release to one week later on August 18, placing the flick to face off against camp thriller "Snakes on a Plane" in turn.

Concerning this sudden decision, Universal spokesman Paul Pflug reasoned that early survey showed that the movie would result better with its target audience with the later opening, and so it prompted the company to push back the release date as consequence.

Being the winner of the Audience Award at Edinburgh's Dead by Dawn horror festival, "Blood Trails" has successfully planted deep impression on Lions Gate for sure. The company has been reported to have acquired both U.S and U.K distribution rights of the film and is set to release it in the States by September at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

A German-produced feature, "Blood Trails" follows the story of a bike messenger whose life becomes a living hell after a one-night stand with a mysterious stranger. Robert Krause seats as both director and writer with Oliver Simon producing. Cast include Ben Price, Rebecca Palmer, Tom Frederic, Christian Heiner Wolf, and J.J. Straub.

For artist or musician fans holds an important part for their career. In the case of Janet Jackson, her fans, mainly those who participated in an album cover design contest the R&B superstar is holding on Yahoo! Music, have influenced her in changing the title of her upcoming album.

The design competition called "Design Me", launched on July 17th, makes it possible for Janet's fans to download and "remix" images of the singer to come up with their own album covers. And so several fans submitted designs with covers that read "20 Y.O." instead of "20 Years Old."

Adding his resume, "Sex and the City" star Chris Noth has successfully joined the cast of "Frame of Mind" following the trail of actor/filmmaker Carl T. Evans. As the film revolves around a New Jersey police detective (Evans) who unveils a government conspiracy, Noth is billed to play a college professor skeptical of the detective's discovery.

While further details about the picture have not yet been revealed, production of the film is scheduled to start filming by October in the Garden State with Evans also to direct.

This is another new scandal Naveen Andrews created after the some others he did in the past. The actor, who is dating Barbara Hershey, was spotted Saturday July 29th on Manhattan Beach with an unidentified date, a mystery blonde.

Being asked about that matter, a representative of him tells People "I have no comment," while claiming "Naveen and Barbara are still together."

Oscar-winning director and actor Mel Gibson has been charged with misdemeanor drunken driving Wednesday August 2nd, five days after he was stopped on Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway for speeding and made anti-Semitic comments that have stained his public image.

In a statement issued by Deputy District Attorney Ralph Shapiro, the deputy in charge of the Malibu office, it is stated that Gibson "was charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence and driving while having a .08 percent or higher blood alcohol content".

The old team is back. Yes, Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson once again join forces to work together in making "The Darjeeling Limited", so Production Weekly has revealed. The two are eyeing December to start the production of the film.

In this project, Anderson will not only direct but also write the scripts with the companion of Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman while Wilson is set to play one of three brothers who journey through India.

Speculation is mounting in Hollywood that Tom Cruise and fiancee Katie Holmes are planning to tie the knot this week. While people are busy questioning on whether or not the wedding will take place, what is going on the Scientology Celebrity Centre, in California seems to confirm everything.

A source is quoted by website MollyGood.com as saying: "I live in Beachwood Canyon, right up the hill from the Scientology Celebrity Centre, and there is most definitely something going on soon. I know that Tom and Katie have been there twice in the last week and now the center is covered in tents and outdoor chandeliers. Huge planters are in the street to prevent anyone driving too close."

Now that it's been six months since she split with fiance Lance Armstrong back in February early this year, Sheryl Crow has for now on found a new love.

"It is good news, you know." So the singer said in an interview with CNN's Larry King as saying she's found someone she likes.

Two more great stars are enlisted in "One Missed Call" cast. Fangoria has reported that Ed Harris and Gabriel Byrne have reached deals to join the line-up already filled by Edward Burns and Shannyn Sossamon, making the picture a really high-profile project in turn.

Currently filming in Atlanta, the film is an English-language remake of the Japanese supernatural horror hit, "Chakushin ari", which has seen its sequel being released last year. Eric Valette is attached to direct based on the screenplay adapted by Andrew Klavan.

Roxanne Romero, a publicist for Aaron Carter, confirmed Wednesday August 2nd that the young singer had "a minor surfing accident" in San Diego earlier this week.

While there are no further details on the incident, the pop star is said "recovering nicely at home" in Los Angeles. "Although hospitalized, he has been released and is recovering nicely at home," said the statement from Carter's camp.

It's another big screen adaptation project for Wayne Wang. "The Joy Luck Club" director has been tapped to helm "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers", a screen version of Yiyun Li's award-winning novel of the same title, Production Weekly has reported.

Slated to begin the production by this October in Spokane, Washington, the film version will be made based on a screenplay that centers on a Chinese man who travels to the Pacific Northwest to mend his relationship with his recently-divorced daughter. Upon landing his feet in U.S, he unexpectedly bumps into an older, Farsi-speaking Iranian woman, and though they face the inability to communicate with a common language, a bond begins to take form between them.

Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles are good in making movie and the cover of magazine. Besides becoming a good partner in the upcoming movie "Dreamgirls", the twosome also is suit one another on the cover of "Fashion Rocks", a new style/music magazine hitting stores Tuesday August 8th.

It is said that the newly established magazine is the work of the creative team behind Vogue magazine, including Editor in Chief Anna Wintour.

It's been six years since her departure from famous girl group Destiny's Child and LeToya Luckett proves she really is good in music industry. The young singer took the No. 1 slot on the U.S. pop album charts with her self-titled debut selling 165,000 copies in the week ended July 30th. What's more, the set also tops the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, thanks to unauthorized sales before the official July 25 release date, while its first single "Torn" has already spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The multi-artist compilation "Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 22", in the meantime, slipped to No. 2 sold 151,000 copies after two week reigning the top spot. Pharell Williams' "In My Mind" followed behind with another 142,000 copies sold. Tom Petty's "Highway Companion" sold 112,000 copies to secure the 4th spot, ahead of Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere" at No. 5 taking in 54,000 units. Disney's "High School Musical" soundtrack slipped one to No. 6 with 47,000, while Rihanna's "A Girl Like Me" went up one to the 7th spot with 46,000.

Updating the news on highly anticipated "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", Helena Bonham Carter has finally been confirmed to be the latest screen star included as one of the several new names listed in this hugely successful franchise.

Lining up together with Imelda Staunton and George Harris in the additional cast, Carter will play Bellatrix Lestrange, the cousin of Sirius Black who is also a Death Eater, known as the devoted follower of Lord Voldemort.

Another novel-based movie is about to hit Hollywood as video director Adam Levite has teamed up with "The Hebrew Hammer" writer-director Jon Kesselman to make a big screen version of a Glenn Gaslin's novel, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

Entitled "Beemer" like the book's title, the project is likely to stay true to the novel's story which takes focus on Beemer Minutia, a young man with big ideas who is pushed to join an ad agency by his girlfriend to then enter the "real life." Within short time, he discovers life to be stranger than he imagined as he bumps into various, strange groups of domestic terrorists, a boy band comprised of eunuchs, and a crafty teen nemesis.

As Fox 2000 prepares to bring up "Carousel", a remake of the 1956 musical feature of the same title, onto the big screen, Hugh Jackman has finally been chosen to play the lead role of the project, so Variety has reported.

Last seen reprising his role as Wolverine in "X-Men: The Last Stand", the actor is billed to portray Billy Bigelow, a carnival barker whose temper unfortunately puts him in the middle of a botched robbery which leads to his death. The film then will see him being given one day to return and settle on the problems he left behind that take form in a teenager who possesses a lot of his rebellious traits.

After Nicole Kidman, here comes another big name to bring more highlight to "The Golden Compass." The New Line Cinema's project has added Eva Green in the cast list to portray Serafina Pekula, the witch who guides the main character, Lyra Belacqua, as she travels into a parallel universe.

Though the project is the first installment of a trilogy based on Phillip Pullman's work of "His Dark Materials" series, Green has been reported to only sign a deal for one film. However, there could still be an option for two more if the company fixes on the plan to complete the trilogy.