January 11, 2007

Extending her credits as film producer, Sandra Bullock is set to serve as a producer in a big screen feature entitled "Kiss & Tango" alongside Denise Di Novi with an eye to also become the flick's leadstar, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

An adaptation of Marina Palmer's memoir of the same name, the project will be developed by Fox 2000 Pictures following its successful attempt to obtain the rights to the book. The studio is currently in talks with Nicole Perlman to adapt the work into a screenplay.

Oprah Winfrey is adding more into her have-to-do list as she's inked a deal with ABC to host her first pre-Oscar interview special, which surely will be different with that of "Barbara Walters' 25th annual Oscar Special".

With the talk show host set to host and executive produce the new project, there will be no chatting. Instead, the one-hour special will feature Academy Award winners Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Jamie Foxx doing one-on-one interviews with an Oscar-winning actor or actress they admire.

It turns out to take two for working on the script of "The Equalizer." Variety reports that the Weinstein Company, the studio producing the flick, has hired Michael Connelly and Terrill Lee Lankford to both take the duty with Paul McGuigan at helm.

Based on the popular 1980s TV series of the same title, the project is likely to follow the basic premise of the original material which sees a veteran covert operative who quits a CIA-like agency to seek redemption for his dark deeds. Seating as producers are Mace Neufeld, Tony Eldridge, and Michael Sloan.

The announcement has been made public on the finalists chosen to compete for the chance to help Justin Timberlake singing his hit single "Sexy Back" during a performance at this year's Grammys.

The finalists in the "My Grammy Moment" contest, vying for a special slot singing onstage with Timberlake at the 49th annual Grammy Awards, range in age from 18 to 30. The 10 women and 2 men hail from California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and New York.

Barely reported to have stage director Phyllida Lloyd in talks to direct its new musical project of "Mamma Mia!", Universal has successfully listed Meryl Streep in to take part in the movie, Variety has revealed.

Here Streep will be poised as the rebellious single mother of a bride-to-be who never met her father. Conflicts occur when the daughter invites three likely paternal candidates to her wedding.

Marcia Cross, one of the "Desperate Housewives", was ordered to rest in bed, the actress' publicist confirmed Wednesday January 10th.

Declined to provide other specifics on that matter, spokesperson Heidi Slan tells the Associated Press, "This is a precautionary measure only."

Both received huge praise from critics around, "Casino Royale" and "The Queen" finally came out as the RottenTomatoes.com's picks for best-reviewed movies of 2006.

The site, which is operated by Fox Interactive Media, called "Casino" the Best-Reviewed Wide-Release Film of the Year while naming "Queen" so for that of limited release, the former scoring positive rating of 95 percent while the latter a near-unanimous 98 percent rating.

The Billboard 200 sees the winning of the girls as the Sony soundtrack to the film "Dreamgirls" jumps from No. 3 to No. 1 this week to top the album charts on sales of 66,000 copies in the week ended Sunday January 7th. Though becoming a champ, that total is the lowest sales total for a No. 1 album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. What a pity.

Hold the No. 2 spot is Akon's "Konvicted" for a second week, taking in another 64,000 units. Following at No. 3 is DAUGHTRY's eponymous album, which bounces from No. 11 with another 56,000 units. Justin Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" jumps from No. 8 to No. 4, sold 52,000 units. Scoring the 5th spot is the 23rd volume of "NOW! That's What I Call Music" with 48,000 units more.

It is sad for us to announce that after five years together, Drew Barrymore and boyfriend, Fabrizio Moretti, the drummer for The Strokes, call it quit.

Per US Weekly, it is reported that sources close to the couple confirmed that the actress and the drummer have broken up. "Drew said they needed time off," a source close to the actress tells the publication.

Finally, she is in. Director Rob Zombie has confirmed on his MySpace blog that Danielle Harris is ultimately counted in for highlighting his project of "Halloween" after previously being reported to be engaged in talks to star in the movie.

With this inclusion, the flick therefore will be the third time Harris gets involved in the series after her appearance as Jamie Lloyd Carruthers in both "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" and "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers."

Rapper 50 Cent is bringing bling into the bedroom with his new idea of launching a line of condom.

"The kids become immune when you constantly beat them over the head, read a book, read a book," the rap star tells the New York Post. "We have to be a little more creative about it. It's the same with safe sex. As opposed to being part of a safe-sex campaign, I'm going to make condoms and donate a part of the proceeds to HIV awareness."

Russell Crowe is one among the selected celebrities to be awarded at Australia Week's signature event, Penfolds Icon Black Tie Gala, takes place at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza (2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles) this Sunday January 14th with red carpet arrivals starting at 6PM.

The gala is a red carpet event that honors high profile individuals for significant contributions in their respective industries and for excellence in promoting Australia in the United States. Also slated to receive an honor during the event is Naomi Watts who will be handed an Excellence in Film Award.

Shining extremely bright lately, no doubt due to the vast accolades he receives for his portrayal in "The Last King of Scotland", it seems that Forest Whitaker won't suffer a lack of roles in the coming years. Production Weekly has just reported that the prolific actor is currently involved in talks to take a leading part in a big screen feature titled "Afterwards."

If a deal is reached, Whitaker will likely to be billed as Nathan Del Amico, a brilliant New York lawyer who was once declared dead yet somehow managed to wake up after drowning in a lake during his childhood.

Fans of music legend The Beatles will have the chance to owe one of their possessions as the original handwritten lyrics of the band's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" are set to go under the hammer Monday January 15th.

The George Harrison's handwritten lyrics are to be auctioned alongside George Martins' orchestral score, specially composed to accompany a demo of the track in the 2006 the Beatles' remix album "Love".

The voice cast of Exodus Film Group's animated project "Igor" has got more lights on as Jay Leno and Jennifer Coolidge have both struck deal to join the list. Joining the likes of Christian Slater, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Jeremy Piven, and Molly Shannon, the two will voice Malaria's Machiavellian ruler King Malbert and the village vixen Sybill, respectively, with Slater as the title character.

"Jay and Jennifer each have unique voices and brilliant comedic timing, both of which are ideal for the film," the flick's director Tony Leondis commented. "We're thrilled to have them join an already stellar voice cast."

New rumors surface by the hour that Marilyn Manson is dating teenage actress Evan Rachel Wood. If only the rumors are proven true, is it safe for us to say that the 19-year-old actress is the one behind the rocker's divorce? We leave it all to you.

It was that quick. Just days after it was reported that Manson's wife Dita Von Teese filed for divorce, sources say the star is romantically linked to the young lady and that probably is the cause that prompted Von Teese to end their one year marriage.

Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox are "Friends" forever. Both actresses, who are famous from the hit TV show "Friends", will team up on TV again, in Cox's hit new drama "Dirt."

On their being together on TV again, Cox revealed, "We talk about it all the time, what kind of character she should play. Should she play herself or should we write some great thing for her?"

Developing what looks like to be the equal competitor to "Fishing on the Edge", Lionsgate is about to make a big screen feature titled "The Bass Master" from a spec script it has successfully purchased, Variety has learned.

Intended to be a comedy set in the world of competitive bass fishing, the project has already had Tab Murphy and Devin Maurer to both pen the script with Todd Garner seating as the producer. No words yet on either cast lineup or production details so far.

She never stops. Yes, nothing can stop Madonna from working in the studio. Hit by many speculations surrounding her adoption, the pop queen is readying her next music effort, planned to be launched on January 30th.

The singer's producer Stuart Price has revealed the pair is currently working on a new record and has promised fans it will herald a "new sound" for Madonna. "We have been working with some of the top producers that are in fashion right now," the man said.

Snatching up a handful of notable names in acting field, Focus Features has listed Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, and Jeremie Renier as the cast members for its new project "In Bruges."

Scheduled to start filming next month in Bruges, Belgium, pic is a darkly comic tale of two hitmen, played by Farrell and Gleeson, whose views on life and death get skewed when they become entangled with locals, tourists and a film shoot in the city.

The new mannequin of pop singer Kylie Minogue has been unveiled Wednesday January 10th at Madame Tussauds in London. This is the fourth time that the Aussie star has her figure immortalized in waxwork, makes her the most modeled icon at the museum behind the Queen.

The likeness of Kylie, shows her in a long red dress and sat on a sparkling crescent moon, is based on part of her recent Showgirl Homecoming Tour. The waxwork comes after Kylie became the latest star to unveil a cast of her handprints on London's new Square of Fame, outside Wembley Arena.

Reuniting on the big screen after their latest appearances in "Jackass: Number Two", Chris Pontius, Steve Glover aka Steve-O, Preston Lacy, and Jason Acuna are all poised to star in "Hosed", a new comedy project which marks the collaboration between Madonna's Maverick Films and HBO Films.

Currently in development under Picturehouse, the flick revolves around an over-enthusiastic volunteer firefighter who is finally assigned to a firehouse where he has to deal with a band of misfit firefighters from the wrong side of the tracks. Pontius, Glover, Lacy, and Acuna are billed to play the misfits with the former becoming the troupe's leader.

Set to shift from theater to film industry, stage director Phyllida Lloyd is engaged in negotiations to helm "Mamma Mia!", an adaptation of the popular ABBA musical created by Judy Craymer and Catherine Johnson, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

A joint production between Universal Pictures and Tom Hanks' production company Playtone, the project will likely stay true to its original material which follows a bride-to-be as she locates three men who might be her father and invites them to her wedding.

Back to the film industry after her last uncredited appearance in Steve Rash's 1987 effort "Can't Buy Me Love", Paula Abdul has agreed to both star in and executive produce "Bratz: The Movie" as well as to consult on the flick's casting, music, dancing and fashion, Variety has reported.

The beauty, who said she was drawn to the film's message, will become a key part in discovering talent for the picture. The movie itself tells about four teenage girls from different economic and social backgrounds who bond together over the ups and downs of adolescent life at Lewis & Clark High School.

Honoring Canada's best in the film and television industries, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television has unveiled on Tuesday, January 9, in Toronto the list of titles and names nominated for its Genie Awards.

For the top prize of Best Motion Picture, the organization lined up four Quebecois films namely "Bon Cop, Bad Cop", "Un Dimanche A Kigali" aka "A Sunday in Kigali", "Maurice Richard" aka "The Rocket", and "Guide De La Petite Vengeance" aka "The Little Book of Revenge", to face off against the English-language flick "Trailer Park Boys: The Movie."

Showing respect to young actress or actor who has displayed exceptional on-screen talent with great promise for the future, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has named the nominees for its Orange Rising Star Award. Debuted at last year's BAFTA Awards, the honor is set up in honor of the late Mary Selway, a lauded BAFTA Award-winning casting director.

Announced by "The Last King of Scotland" star James McAvoy, who won the prize last year, the finalists were "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" star Cillian Murphy, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" star Ben Whisaw, "Casino Royale" star Eva Green, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" star Naomie Harris, and "The Devil Wears Prada" star Emily Blunt.