August 29, 2006

Britney Spears wants the very best, or maybe the very expensive, for her soon-to-born baby. The superstar reportedly has spent $1,200 for a chandelier for her new baby's room.

What's more, the singer also has registered online for thousands of dollars worth of baby gifts at Petit Tresor, the swank L.A. kiddie store favored by celebrities.

Coming up with a new project, Firm Films and Davids Canton Productions are set to develop a dramatic feature entitled "The Other Side of the Story" after recently obtaining the film rights to Marian Keyes' 2004 novel of the same title.

Aside from the acquisition, there is no word yet about the film crew and production schedule. As for the premise, pic will likely to follow closely the story of the original version which revolves around the intersecting professional also personal lives of a literary agent and her two clients who are best friends.

Hollywood young famous figure Ashton Kutcher is now taking thriller project. The man is set to star in a new thriller called "The Engineer".

Mike Finch is in hand to write the script while Jason Goldberg, Kutcher's partner in Katalyst Productions, has been slated to produce.

Following the inclusion of Hayden Christensen in "Jumper", another young talent has delightfully been added to the cast of the project. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that teenage actor Max Thieriot has been selected to play the younger version of the "Awake" star's character.

Being so, Thieriot then will come under the direction of Doug Liman together with other cast members like Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, and Teresa Palmer among others. About to turn 18 years old by October 14 this year, he is last seen appearing alongside Vin Diesel in Disney's action comedy flick of "The Pacifier" which earned $30 million in its opening weekend after being released on March 4, 2005.

Allison Janney is joining John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden, Zac Efron and Nikki Blonsky to star in the big screen version of the musical "Hairspray".

Per Variey, the actress has been slated to play Prudy Pingleton, the overbearing mother of Penny (Bynes) who believes that dancing and having fun is sinful.

Eddie Hawrysch, keyboardist for rock band The Black Crowes has been fired, the band's publicist confirmed Monday August 28th.

Unspecified "personal issues" become the reason of the firing, while further details remain undisclosed.

Barely obtained film rights to make "Choke" based on the Chuck Palahniuk's novel, Universal has quickly added one more potential film project to develop. According to Variety, the giant company has just acquired Matthew Sand's spec script "American by Blood" for Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall to produce through their Kennedy/Marshall Company banner.

Adapted from Andrew Huebner's novel of the same title, pic will follow three U.S. Army scouts as they become the first from their troop to arrive at the horrifying aftermath of the battle of Little Bighorn and are assigned to track down the Sioux leader, Crazy Horse. No word yet on the names of film crew, including director and cast members.

Aside from the many rumors claiming he's dating Kate Hudson, his co-star in "You, Me and Dupree", Owen Wilson insisting he's still single.

"I'm single despite what people say. I think hopefully that I'll meet someone that I'll want to have a family with, that's what I would like", so the actor said.

The newly divorcee Jessica Simpson has been struck down with "throat trouble," and is currently seeking help from a voice specialist. This of course is an unfortunate for the songstress for these days she has to face a very hectic schedule to promote her new album, "A Public Affair".

As reported Monday August 28th by In Touch Weekly, Simpson has been ordered by doctors not to use her voice or else face losing it, saying that she should refrain from talking while she gives her pipes time to rest. Due to such fact, "She's on total vocal rest and some of her appearances have been delayed," Simpson's rep, Rob Shuter, confirmed.

Complained by test audience to have a lack of action, "Spider-Man 3" will undertake re-shoots with principal cast members like Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco returning to the set of the film.

The tidbit was unveiled by Franco upon being interviewed by MTV on what he would shoot next. "Re-shoots on 'Spider-Man,'" so he answered solemnly. "Probably next month. Director Sam Raimi wants more action." Franco himself is reprising his role as Harry Osborn whose storyline, according to Raimi, will be concluded in this film.

Since they spend most of their time in NY City, the Olsen twins, Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen, decided to put their Los Angeles house up for sale.

The siblings reportedly bought the house for $4 million in 2004 and now put it on the market for $4.4m.

Rapper Foxy Brown was on Monday August 28th pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a fight with salon workers over a manicure. The star was pleaded guilty to assaulting the two women in August 2004 by hitting and kicking them in a dispute over payment for a manicure Brown said she never received.

Yet, to everyone's surprise Brown returned to the Manhattan Criminal Court room a short time after her case had been heard to tell Judge Melissa Jackson that she wanted to change her plea. "I'm innocent in this case," so the star said.

The road seems smooth enough for "Miami Vice" to pass through as it crosses to China. Despite its content that includes steamy love scenes between Colin Farrell and Chinese actress Gong Li, the movie has surprisingly been granted green light to enter the country, which is known to be very strict in importing foreign films.

Based on the report compiled by The Beijing News on Sunday, August 27, "Miami" director Michael Mann has revealed that the flick has cleared censors in China to be screened in the theaters all over the country. Though so, it was unclear whether censors asked that the film be edited in any way.

What is Caprice Bourret doing after she has her driving license being suspended for a year by British authorities for drink-driving? It looks like the California-born model wants to erase the bad memory from her life and thus placed her Mercedes SLK sports car up for sale on eBay.

The car, Caprice used during the drunken driving incident, was up for sale on the auction Web site this week for nearly $57,000, just days after the beauty received a 12-month driving ban.

To bring into life the plan to supply music for Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas", which Disney about to bring to the big screen following its success after being released on VHS in 1994, numbers of musician have been tapped to do its soundtrack.

The likes of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Marilyn Manson, Fiona Apple and She Wants Revenge have all been booked to appear on a special two-disc edition of the "Nightmare" soundtrack, contributing cover versions of songs featured in the film. The double-disc set will hit stores October 24.

Still eager to add more book-based film projects under its wing, Universal Pictures has been reported to develop a new one entitled "Choke" following its success in securing the film rights to Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same title.

There is no word yet on either the helmer or cast, despite the previous rumor of the inclusion of Susan Sarandon, Heath Ledger, and Ryan Gosling in the lineup, but it is confirmed that "Hollywoodland" screenwriter Paul Bernbaum has been hired to adapt the film's script.

MTV announced Monday August 28th that My Chemical Romance and Stacy Ferguson of the Black Eyed Peas will perform during the "2006 MTV Video Music Awards" pre-show "Red Carpet On The Rock" on Thursday, August 31st at 6:30pm-8:00 pm.

It is reported further that Fergie will open "Red Carpet on the Rock" with a performance of her No. 1 single "London Bridge" from her upcoming album "The Dutchess", in stores September 19th later this year.

Bruce Springsteen has his own way to deny rumors that he and wife Patti Scialfa are splitting up. The veteran musician makes use his official Web site, http://www.brucespringsteen.net, to post a confirmation on rumors that a split between the two of them was imminent.

In a statement posted on his Website the New Jersey-born rocker writes, "I hesitate to use this website for anything personal believing it should remain a place where fans of my music can come free of the distractions that occasionally arise with the rest of my job. However, due to the unfounded and ugly rumors that have appeared in the papers over the last few days, I felt they shouldn't pass without comment."

Seemingly running smoothly on its way, Picturehouse's "Gracie" has begun its principal photography on Monday, August 28 with taking locations around New Jersey. Spots include the high schools in Englewood, New Jersey and Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Another directorial work of "An Inconvenient Truth" helmer Davis Guggenheim, the movie is inspired by real life events in the Shue family. Set in 1978, it revolves around a 16-year-old girl who struggles to obtain the rights for girls everywhere to play competitive team soccer. Guggenheim's wife, actress Elisabeth Shue has been billed to star together with Dermot Mulroney, Carly Schroeder, plus her own brother Andrew Shue.

Pop star Britney Spears sold her Manhattan, New York apartment for $4 million, $1 million more than she paid, the Wall Street Journal reported. The three-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom condominium was on the market two years and the singer's original asking price was $6 million.

Spears owned the condo before her marriage to Kevin Federline and the birth of their son, Sean Preston. It is said that the posh pad also boasts a media room, library and terrace.