December 18, 2006

The dust on "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" finally is cleared. Paramount Pictures has decided to bring back the project to development and appointed "Bruce Almighty" scribe Steve Oedekerk to make a re-writing of the project's script previously penned by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.

Eyeing a winter 2008 production start in China for a 2009 release, the flick delightfully still sees Jim Carrey and Tim Burton remain in place as the lead star and the director, respectively, with Kenneth Atchity, Jim Jacks, Sean Daniel, and Richard D. Zanuck producing.

Despite her hectic film schedule, it appears that Brittany Murphy still spares a room for another challenging role for her to take. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Sin City" star is currently engaged in talks to topline a dramatic feature entitled "The White Hotel", a long-in-the-works adaptation of D.M. Thomas' acclaimed novel of the same title.

If a deal is reached, Murphy will likely be billed as an opera singer who becomes Sigmund Freud's famous case study Anna G upon seeking his services to reveal the mystery behind her hallucinatory dreams about a white hotel. With the man's help, she then unlocks the key to figure out her memories and her premonitions of the future, which include the Holocaust.

Opts to take a contrasting acting stint as his next big screen performance after that in Abel Ferrara's comedy "Go Go Tales", Willem Dafoe has signed on to join Jeff Goldblum in Holocaust drama "Adam Resurrected."

A Bleiberg Entertainment production, the project is an adaptation of Yoram Kaniuk's novel of the same title which tells about a former circus entertainer who becomes the leader at an asylum populated by Holocaust survivors after being spared the gas chamber by the Nazi.

Making a burgeoning list of cast, a number of stars namely Brooke Shields, Dennis Farina, Richard Kind, Lisa Darr, Bruce Altman, Paul Campbell, Marika Dominczyk, Robert Hoffman, Josh Dean, Nick Lashaway, Wesley Jonathan, and Larry Miller have all come onboard to highlight "National Lampoon's Bag Boy", a comedy set in the world of competitive grocery bagging.

Also a production of Conundrum Entertainment owned by the Farrelly Brothers, the flick concerns an underdog teen who discovers that he has the talent to excel in the world of competitive grocery bagging. Mort Nathan has already been assigned to both write and direct with Zen Gesner, Rob Moran, and Jefferson Richard producing.

Turns out the dragon has made its way to fly high overseas, too. Already made a satisfying debut as the runner-up on weekend domestic box office, youth-slanted fantasy adventure "Eragon" now proudly claims the top spot of weekend foreign box office of the same period for sure.

Selling $30.1 million worth of tickets in 76 territories, the flick thereby ends the four-week reign of "Casino Royale" which has to go down slightly to number two after taking up a handful of $20.7 million from 64 markets. However, the amount appears to be more than enough to finally break the $271 million Bond film record set by "Die Another Day" as this latest installment of 007 series has garnered $280 million internationally in its total.

One of the five sections of The Critics' Circle started in 1913 as an association for working British critics, the London Film Critics' Circle has revealed the list of film titles and names competing for its ALFS Awards, which will be presented on February 8, 2007 at the Dorchester Hotel, London.

As many have expected, Miramax's acclaimed British royal family drama "The Queen" became the most-nominated feature for the event, scoring down seven nods that included top honor Best Film of the Year alongside four other lauded features namely "United 93", "Little Miss Sunshine", "The Departed" and "Volver."

Three pictures made their debuts last Friday, December 15 and all amazingly have created such hard blow to smoothly secure the top three of weekend box office ended December 17.

Leading the chart is Columbia Pictures' fact-based drama "The Pursuit of Happyness" as the inspiring rags-to-riches tale successfully pulls $26.5 million during its three-day run followed by fantasy-adventure flick "Eragon" and Paramount's enjoyable children's story "Charlotte's Web" which score $23.2 million and $11.4 million, respectively.

In a new poll to find Hollywood's most elegant man, US news show Access Hollywood finds out that it is Brad Pitt who deserves the title.

The actor has been named the Best Dressed Man of 2006, beating Jamie Foxx who comes 2nd and Leonardo Dicaprio who is at 3rd.

Paris Hilton to wed. The hotel heiress does confirm that she's going to tie the knot with on-again off-again boyfriend Stavros Niarchos.

"It's true. I am going to get married," Paris told the British newspaper Daily Star. The hotel heiress, moreover, also wants best pal Britney Spears serves as her maid of honor, saying "I want a fairytale wedding and Britney's going to be my matron of honor. She can advise me," she added.