December 22, 2006

Carefully selecting stints to be added to his already diverse and impressive repertoire, Robert De Niro has eagerly signed on to star in a drama comedy feature entitled "What Just Happened?" set to be developed under 2929 Entertainment banner, Production Weekly has revealed.

Based on Art Linson's memoir about his experiences as a Hollywood producer, the project will see De Niro as Ben, a Linson-like producer who is experiencing two weeks of hell as he tries to get a picture made while trying to maintain his dignity in his effort to survive the mounting humiliations of Hollywood.

Not content to rest on her singing and acting laurels, Madonna is now set to flourish a new career in show business as a director. Hollywood.com has reported that the pop diva has been attached to helm a big screen feature entitled "Blade to the Heat", which is currently in development.

Intended to be loosely based on the boxing feud between Emile Griffith and Benny "Kid" Paret in 1959, the project will likely to take focus on the match between the two where Paret received a barrage of punches that sent him into a coma after an alleged slurs toward Griffith's sexuality.

CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" earns Britney Spears a new predicate after all. It's the "Most Controversial" Celebrity of 2006.

Needless to say that the pop singer has been all over the news lately, making headlines with her divorce report, hard partying habit, being spotted sans panty, and romance with music producer J.R. Rotem.

With Kevin Federline threatening to write a tell all book detailing his estranged wife's alleged drug use, her wild partying, and the rumor of her lesbian tendencies in order to earn a buck, Britney Spears has her own version of money-project, a tell all interview.

The pop singer, who is working on her musical comeback, is reportedly plotting to tell all about her disastrous marriage to the aspiring rapper, in an explosive interview with Vanity Fair magazine. Rumors are swirling that Spears wishes to do a Jennifer Aniston type interview. She allegedly wishes to do a post K-Fed "expose" before her comeback.

Adding the hype surrounding their upcoming superhero flick "Iron Man", Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios have smoothly brought up the official website for the movie, set to come to the theaters on May 2, 2008.

Located at http://www.ironmanmovie.com/, the site gives the visitors a first look at the logo for the comic book adaptation. The flick itself will start production in February 2007 with Jon Favreau at helm and Avi Arad plus Kevin Feige producing.

A brand-new and semi-traditional theatrical trailer for "Grindhouse" has arrived on the web. Dimension Films as the studio where the flick is produced has confirmed that the trailer is available exclusively on Yahoo! Movies at http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/grindhouse.html in Windows Media and QuickTime Player as well as in HD version.

Furthermore, the studio has also launched the official site for the film with URL address http://www.grindhousemovie.net/ which features information on character/crew and the synopsis besides photo gallery and downloads.

The paternity battle is still going on between Melanie Brown and Eddie Murphy. It seems that things are getting tougher for the former couple. The Scary Spice reportedly has hired a top Hollywood lawyer Don Engel to help her taking the comedian "to the cleaners".

A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, "Mel is refusing to lie down and let Eddie walk all over her - and this is reflected in her choice of lawyer. She wants to hit him where it hurt the most - in the pocket. They don't come much better than Don."

Finally the title role is filled. It has been reported that casting crew of "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" has cast an actor to play the eponymous young monarch in the second installment of the "Narnia" franchise. Though so, there are no clues at all so far to the either name or identity of the star-to-be, leading to a speculation that he is very likely an unknown at this point.

Confirming the end of the search, casting director Pippa Hall, as reported by NarniaFans.com, has recently sent an email thanking the participants in the audition.

After a short-cut performance at Panic! At the Disco tour, Bloc Party is heading into the studio, preparing for their second album.

Titled "A Weekend in the City", the LP is scheduled to touch the market by Feb 6th next year. It, moreover, is said to deal with kinds of issues, like youth being co-opted by corporations, the loss of identity in the modern world, and the loneliness of life in a megapolis.

Taking the same pick as two other film critics organizations, NYFCC and WAFCA, the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) delightfully labeled the 9/11 gripping drama "United 93" the Best Film of 2006 as the 35 online, broadcast, and print members unveiled the winners of its DFWFCA Awards on Monday, December 18, 2006.

For other film categories, the association willingly named "Letters from Iwo Jima" as the Best Foreign Language Film and "An Inconvenient Truth" as the Best Documentary with "Happy Feet" being deemed the Best Animated Film and "Half Nelson" getting mentioned as the Russell Smith Award recipient in its recognition for best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

Jessica Simpson has asked for removal. The pop singer was unhappy with her second try at paying tribute to Dolly Parton for the "Kennedy Center Honors" on December 2nd and hence wants for a removal.

Simpson, performing at the Kennedy Center Honors, was attempting to sing Parton's classic hit "9 to 5." Unfortunately, she flubbed the words during a taping of the annual show causing her to walk out the stage in tears. Lucky for her that the show producers gave her a second chance which, sad to say, didn't go much better.

The cast of the television hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy", including Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, and Katherine Heigl just to name a few, should be proud as they are all chosen as the Top Entertainers of 2006 by the U.S. magazine Entertainment Weekly. Not only the Emmy-Award winning medical drama has successfully generated more than 20 million weekly viewers, but also it has a cultural impact to them, that's why they deserve the title.

"'Grey's' isn't just a show, it's a phenomenon," said Entertainment Weekly Executive Editor Lori Majewski. "Back in May when last season's final show aired, every place in New York City was empty. You could get a table at the best restaurants," she said. YouTube, the wildly popular Web site where people post videos of anything from themselves singing to comedian Michael Richards shouting racial epithets, also makes the list because it too has a cultural impact beyond its cyberspace borders.

Hilary Duff goes real as a doll. The singer-actress is the latest Hollywood star to take on 12-inch proportions as the world's most popular fashion doll, joining the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Beyonce Knowles and Lucille Ball among others.

The collection of Duff doll, dubbed "The Red Carpet Glam Hilary Duff Doll", shows Duff's likeness in a polka-dot dress with a red satin sash and is scheduled to hit stores this month.

A professional organization of over forty film journalists in the print media representing the Southeastern section of the United States, the Southeastern Film Critics Association solemnly bestowed its honors of SEFCA Awards to a number of noted film titles and individuals Tuesday, December 19, 2006.

The top honor of Best Picture was given to "The Departed" which also won Best Adapted Screenplay category while the title of Best Foreign Language Film went to Guillermo del Toro's fantasy horror drama "Pan's Labyrinth" with "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Cars" being deemed Best Documentary and Best Animated Feature, respectively.

Kylie Minogue is in bad mood these days. The Aussie singer reportedly skipped out on her end of tour celebration party, immediately flew to France to confront her partner Olivier Martinez after he was pictured with model Sarai Givati in Paris.

The singer is said to have boarded a plane soon after her final Melbourne show of her Showgirl Tour, instead of attending the post-concert party. On that encounter a source revealed, "There was supposed to be a huge party...everyone was invited, from her business associates to her parents, to the nurses who cared for her. But Kylie left the concert straight away and went home to pack."

It comes two for P. Diddy and girlfriend Kim Porter who on Thursday morning Dec 21st welcomed the arrival of their twin daughters.

"Diddy received an early Christmas gift! It gives us great joy to announce the arrival of Diddy's twin girls. The beautiful, healthy baby girls were born this morning with Diddy by mother Kim Porter's side," the rapper's representative Robert Zimmerman has confirmed.

This holiday season apparently breezes good spirit to Katherine Heigl and fiance Josh Kelley as they have just announced a wedding plan. The pair reportedly is wanting a winter wonderland theme for their upcoming nuptial.

Josh approved of the winter theme, telling American publication, "It was Katherine's first idea. Once she started talking about it and what it would look like, I was set." Then the bride-to-be went on adding, "Maybe some horses, sleigh bells. My sister is getting married this coming October, so we're doing that one first and planning hers. I get to kind of learn that way!"