August 10, 2006

Director Brett Ratner is getting busier. Already put "Josiah's Canon" and "Rush Hour 3" plus an untitled project in his resume, the Miami Beach native now has one more work to carry out as New Line Cinema has picked him up to helm "The Boys from Brazil", a remake of the 1978 movie of the same title.

Also seating as producer alongside Rob Green and Jay Stern, Ratner will make a contemporized version of the original based on scripts penned by Richard Potter and Matthew Stravitz. Adapted from the Ira Levin's novel, pic follows the story of a man who unveils a diabolical plot by Nazis in South America to revive the Third Reich through the use of cloning.

The seat of "Bond 22" director is not taken yet. Roger Michell, who was in talks to helm the project, turns out to pull back his intention on the directing stint. It has been reported that the negotiations he was involved in have fallen through because of creative differences and so, making the position is still open for other directors to take in.

A follow-up of the events occurred in "Casino Royale" which sets to be released on November 17 this year, "Bond 22" still features Daniel Craig as 007 with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli coming back to produce.

Fresh off the reports carried on Kevin Federline's admission that his marriage to Britney Spears does "need work", the pop singer reportedly is willing to renew their marriage vows.

Per In Touch Weekly, Britney is preparing to renew her vows to hubby K-Fed, which is about to take place after the birth of their second child in October later this year.

Giving a nod to Universal's offer, Lasse Hallstrom has just been confirmed to helm the company's new big screen project of "A Christmas Carol" after it successfully purchased a pitch from Todd Komarnicki, so Variety has reported. Hallstrom is set to make the movie based on Komarnicki's adaptation of Charles Dickens' book of the same title.

While there's still no word on the cast, the movie will be a co-production between the LaHa and Guy Walks Into a Bar with Komarnicki, Leslie Holleran, Jon Berg, plus Karen Tenkhoff lining up as producers. For both Berg and Komarnicki, "Carol" thereby marks their return to a Christmas-themed feature after their collaboration in "Elf" three years ago.

Demetri Martin gets double jobs this time. Satisfyingly sold his comedy pitch of "Moon People" to Columbia Pictures, he is not only tapped to write the scripts but also to use the movie as his starring vehicle, Variety has revealed.

Featuring James Bobin at helm, pic takes center in a group of people who come back to Earth to assimilate after they were sent to colonize the moon for years. Jimmy Miller is set to produce.

He bears the number 007 in the highly anticipated and long awaited "Casino Royale". But in real life the actor, Daniel Craig, has been labeled the No. 1 Best-Dressed Man, at least by Esquire magazine which has just conducted its third annual poll on that field.

Come in 2nd place is musician John Legend, followed after by Terrence Howard and Jake Gyllenhaal who both secure the 3rd and 4th place respectively. Next on the poll is musician Nick Cave who is at No. 5.

The multitalented figure Aimee Mann is done with the recording of her holiday album "One More Drifter in the Snow," which is scheduled to marry the street on Halloween via her own SuperEgo Records label.

As of this new set, Aimee seems to keep the arrangements and song selections fairly classic, taking cues from her favorite Christmas album, Johnny Mathis' "Merry Christmas."

Hip hop isn't the one and only thing Jay-Z thinks of. The rap mogul announced Wednesday August 9th that he has joined forces with the United Nations and MTV to film a documentary about the lack of accessible fresh water around the world.

The documentary, titled "The Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life", is slated to air November 24 later this year on more than 150 MTV channels and 50 local programming stations in 179 countries. It will show the difficulty faced by more than 1 billion people around the globe in obtaining the life-sustaining liquid.

Underlining the beginning of new force in film industry, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium now possibly is more than just a fantasy flick then. Yes, the picture will be the first big screen feature to be released under the new banner formed by Fox Filmed Entertainment and Walden Media. The two film companies have confirmed on Wednesday 9 that they have joined forces to both market and release G-rated or PG-rated films together for the family audience.

With this mutual pact, Fox thus will contribute a number of current and newly developed projects to the joint venture while Walden sets to bring in its future motion picture development slate as well. "We look forward to this new alliance with Walden Media, an industry leader and innovator in reaching family audiences," Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman have remarked in a statement. "It's a great business to be in - and this venture is a great fit between our two companies."

Madonna won't stop make the gossip pages everyday. The pop superstar who has just provoked protests from Rome's Catholic, Muslim and Jewish leaders concerning her concert crucifixion, again causing controversy in Italy.

Fresh off her controversial mock-crucifixion performance in Rome, the diva draws another ire from another group of Catholics as her H&M clothing advertisement appears on the side of the world's largest gothic cathedral Duomo.

Comedian and Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams enters alcohol treatment. On this matter the star's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said Wednesday August 9th, that "After 20 years of sobriety, Robin Williams found himself drinking again and has decided to take proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the well-being of his family".

Prior to the announcement of the actor entering alcohol rehab, a National Enquirer story claimed Williams recently checked into a rehab facility in Oregon run by the famed Hazelden program. Buxbaum, however, declined to elaborate beyond the statement, while adding "He asks that you respect his and his family's privacy during this time. He looks forward to returning to work this fall to support his upcoming film releases."

This could be the greatest leap that rappers have made in film industry so far. T.I. and Common have satisfyingly landed deal to star together with Oscar-winning thespians Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington in "American Gangster", the latest big screen project coming from Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott. T.I. then will play Washington's nephew while Common is going to portray the actor's brother.

Putting his music career temporarily on hold to concentrate filming the picture for the next three months, T.I. is really pumped to be working alongside so many superb talents in the film. "It's like I'm going to school and learning from the best in the business," so he remarked. "I'm looking forward to (American Gangster), and I'm honored."

Dominated the album chart at No. 1 spot for five straight weeks isn't a guarantee that DMX will be the ever after chart-topper. The rapper has to, unfortunately, have his latest set "Year of the Dog... Again" slips one to 2nd place with another 126,000 copies, such amount that becomes the lowest opening week of him.

And who's the No. 1 on the chart? It's "Now That's What I Call Music! 22" which taking in another 127,000 copies to score a third week on top. Following at number three on the Billboard 200 is Kidz Bop's "Kidz Bop 10" with more than 116,000 in sales. Stone Sour, in the meantime, debuts at No. 4 with their sophomore release, "Come What(ever) May", sold 81,000 copies. Last week's leader, LeToya Luckett's "LeToya" drops four to No. 5 with 65,000 copies.

The now rising actress in Hollywood film industry, Bryce Dallas Howard, is an expectant mother. Her spokeswoman, Erica Gray, has on Wednesday August 9th confirmed the report to The Associated Press, saying the beauty is expecting her first child with husband Seth Gabel.

Howard, daughter of Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, spills the good news Tuesday August 8th at the British premiere of M. Night Shyamalan's new movie "Lady in the Water" in which she stars. She was quoted as saying "I can't talk about the pregnancy too much. I'm a little superstitious."

The clouds surrounding "Halo" are finally cleared. The film's producer finally has found the right man to bring the project up to the surface in Neil Blomkamp. Previously handled visual effects on some TV programs like "Smallville" and "Dark Angel", Blomkamp therefore is making his directorial debut on the picture, which is based on the popular video game of the same title.

Hailed from South Africa, Blomkamp has also been known for his works in TV commercials as well as short films. One of the featured artists at the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase at Cannes in 2004, he received three Clio Awards and a Visual Effects Society Award last year through Citroen-Alive with Technology TV ads.

What is about Jennifer Aniston that's so hot? Her engagement to Vince Vaughn. US Weekly's latest cover carried the headline read "Vince Proposes! Jen Says Yes!". On the other hand, Aniston's spokesman Stephen Huvane insists, they're not engaged, telling ABCNEWS.com "It's just not true. Their report is erroneous. They are not engaged."

The two contradiction explanation prompted speculation among people, some saying that US will have to back down from its cover story, while others say they've been engaged for months, and the relationship is actually in trouble. Despite all, a spokeswoman for US Weekly, in fact, insists "We stand by our report".

Baby Suri, the daughter of celebrity couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, has become a hot commodity in Hollywood. Yesterday it was reported that the newly mom-and-dad promised to release the photos of their elusive infant "shortly", and new rumors surface by the hour that Vanity Fair magazine has landed the first photos of Suri Cruise.

The New York Post reported Wednesday August 9th that the pictures were taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz and will be published this fall. The question is can we trust the publication? We leave it all to you.