February 01, 2007

Aiming to spark another potential feature following the success of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", Philip Anschutz's Walden Media is teaming up with Ralph Winter Productions to set up "The Screwtape Letters" for the big screen.

Based on C.S. Lewis' 1942 book of the same name, the project thus will be the company's second adaptation of the author's work after "Narnia" series. It is about to be produced under Walden's Bristol Bay Productions banner for a 2008 release. Names to either write or direct have not yet been attached.

It works. The federal lawsuit, brought by Paris Hilton against the operators of Parisexposed.com, proves effective that the site was shut down Tuesday Jan 30th, just one day after the hotel heiress filed the suit.

Parisexposed.com, launched on January 23, displays personal photos, videos, diaries, and other belongings of Paris once kept at a storage facility. The site promises visitors who pay a fee of $39.97 access to the socialite's passport, medical records and other legal documents.

Looking forward to reunite with "13 Going On 30" producers Susan Arnold and Donna Roth, Jennifer Garner has signed on to be the leadstar in rom-com feature "Christmas in Connecticut", a remake of a 1945 screwball comedy of the same title.

The original version, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, centers on a food writer who is believed to be living on a cozy farm in Connecticut with her husband and baby whereas in fact she is a single woman living on her own in New York.

Poised to meet each other onscreen again after their collaboration in "Unfaithful", Richard Gere and Diane Lane have both agreed to take part in "Nights in Rodanthe", a romantic drama project coming from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures.

Here Gere will portray a doctor who checks into an inn in a North Carolina beach town during his trip to reconcile with his estranged son. There he unexpectedly encounters a life-changing romance with a woman who is under consideration whether to stay in her unhappy marriage or simply give it up.

Former American Idol third season finalist, Jennifer Hudson, has landed an Oscar gig. The "Dreamgirls" star has been tapped to sing at the forthcoming Academy Awards, which is about to take place February 25th.

Hudson told Oprah Winfrey during the Tuesday's edition of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," she would be singing "Love You I Do," which is one of three Oscar-nominated songs from the critically acclaimed film.

$25 million is nothing for Kevin Federline compared to his two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, with estranged wife Britney Spears. Thus, the failed rapper refused the $25 million divorce settlement offered by the pop star.

"Kevin says that Britney offered him $10 million to walk away from their marriage and to relinquish custody of their kids, but he just laughed," a source told Star magazine while adding, "Then she came back with $20 million, which he turned down, too. Now he says she's offering a whopping $25 million and that's her final offer. He told her to take a hike!"

Seemingly searching for alternatives in developing the long-gestating project of "Wonder Woman", Warner Bros. Pictures and Silver Pictures are quietly in the process of buying a script for the flick from writing duo Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The trade, however, pointed out that the purchase is actually a pre-emptive measure undertaken to take the spec script off the market in order to protect itself against the possibility that any similarities between the scripts could be fodder for future legal action.

Scarlett Johansson has become a hot commodity in Hollywood following her split with boyfriend Josh Hartnett. The movie darling, who previously was reported dating Justin Timberlake after making an appearance on his music video, has reportedly been spotted having a private lunch with Mark Wahlberg.

Rumors on the street say Scarlett had a cozy lunch with the actor in a Beverly Hills restaurant on Friday Jan 26th.

Numbers of famous celebrities, including the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, The Killers, Josh Hartnett, KT Tunstall, Pink, and Razorlight, are all teaming up launching a campaign to fight global warming.

The environmental campaign, called "Global Cool" project, was launched Tuesday Jan 30th and is aimed to get one billion people to reduce the carbon emissions they release into the atmosphere.

Already completed his rehab stint, fully recovered Keith Urban is preparing for his first U.S. TV appearance.

The country recording star announced on his Web site Tuesday Jan 30th he will make an appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" February 10th.

Openly discussing about what project she will next jump into, Kristen Stewart, known for her role as Jodie Foster's daughter in "Panic Room", has told MTV that she is slated to film a big screen feature entitled "The Yellow Handkerchief."

Also stating that William Hurt and Maria Bello are both joining her in the cast, the starlet said that the project is about two "amazing love stories" which follow "three very unlikely characters who come together ... out of need."

Had at first committed to retire from pop songwriting following his 1993 album "River of Dreams," Billy Joel has put that plan on hold as he's been planning to release a new single.

Titled "All My Life", the single which the singer wrote as an anniversary present for his present wife Katie Lee Joel, is produced by Phil Ramone.

Updating news about the possibility of a sequel to "The Departed", The Hollywood Reporter has pointed out that a script for the project is indeed being worked on by "Departed" scribe William Monahan.

Trade says that the script would bring back temperamental foul-mouthed cop Dignam, played by Mark Wahlberg, while introducing a new character envisioned for Robert De Niro to play as Wahlberg previously indicated last month.

California's classic rock group, Eagles, is about to release a new album.

Per Las Vegas Review-Journal, it is reported that founding member Don Henley said during a private concert Saturday Jan 27th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, that the band was nearing completion on an album of all-new material.

In another major week for new releases, Pretty Ricky reaches the best achievement in the US album chart for the week ended Sunday January 28th. The hip-hop boy band has ended the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack's reign at the top of the Billboard 200 with their LP, "Late Night Special", sold 132,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The group's new album beats "Wincing the Night Away" by cult indie act The Shins who comes in 2nd with 118,000 copies sold. In the 3rd spot on the album chart is DAUGHTRY's self-titled RCA debut, which held the No. 1 spot the previous week, sold another 80,000 copies. Following at No. 4 is the new release "2007 Grammy Nominees," a collection of 23 tracks from this year's award contenders, which sold 77,000 copies.

More action-thriller will come from Warner Bros. Pictures for sure. Variety has revealed that the studio is about to develop a big screen feature of the genre entitled "Invaders" in collaboration with Basil Iwanyk's Thunder Road and Pierce/Williams Entertainment.

Written by Jayson Rothwell, the project revolves around a group of thieves who are forced by a rogue U.S. government agent to retrieve a video showing the affair between the president and the wife of an Arab sheik. No word yet on production date, but it is said that filming will take place in the U.S., Canada, France, and South Africa.

Following its victorious attempt to secure to rights to hotly-pursued spec script of "Nottingham" written by "Sleeper Cell" scribes Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, Universal Pictures has reportedly picked up Russell Crowe to topline the project, which it will develop alongside Imagine Entertainment.

With the inclusion, Crowe therefore once again finds himself work under Imagine after crime drama "American Gangster" which is set to open this year on November 2. Prior to this Ridley Scott-directed flick, the Oscar-winning actor played the title character in another Imagine's production "Cinderella Man" back in 2005.

No, Courtney Love is not going to replace Paula Abdul as a judge on "American Idol."

Both Love's publicist and "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe have denied the Us Weekly report yesterday January 31st that Lythgoe called her office last week to ask whether she was interested in appearing on the show.

Acting used to be everything for Uma Thurman. But not again when the actress is planning to quit the high-rising career of her with the intention to devote herself to her children.

Uma, who has two children with ex-hubby Ethan Hawke; Maya Ray Thurman-Hawke and Levon Roan, revealed that even though she loves acting, she was still thinking about quitting to become a hands-on mom.

Looking on producer Dino De Laurentiis' optimism toward the potentiality of his upcoming producing work "Hannibal Rising" to create big buzz among moviegoers, it should be no great surprise to learn that there will be more "Hannibal" films coming to the big screen as the man has suggested.

"I presume that we created a success with this new franchise about young Hannibal Lecter, and I want to start to think about going ahead with the story," he told MTV.

She bangs, at least she's trying to. Britney Spears is working hard these days as she's longing for a hot career comeback. The pop singer has reportedly collaborated with Pet Shop Boys on her upcoming LP.

After months making headlines with various controversies, Britney is focusing on finishing her album, working it on with the British electro pop duo Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant. "She heard the remixes they did for Madonna and was blown away. She hopes they can weave some of their magic on her tracks too," a source was quoted as saying.

Forget about Angelina Jolie. This time around Jordana Brewster rules. The actress, who's been starred in such films as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" and "The Fast and the Furious", has landed the role of Mrs. Smith in ABC's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" pilot.

The feature, based on the hit movie "Mr and Mrs Smith" made famous by Jolie and partner Brad Pitt, is being targeted for a fall 2007 premiere with filming is expected to start in March.