February 14, 2007

Appears to be keen in expanding her acting resume, Meg Ryan has reportedly signed on to star opposite William H. Macy in "The Deal (2008)", which is said to be a passion project for Macy who has spent the last two years raising the almost $8 million budget with all non-Hollywood investors.

Here Ryan replaces Lisa Kudrow who is no longer included in the cast, repeating the same step she made in "Homeland Security" which saw her take over the role left by Annette Bening. Filming is slated to start on March 26 in Cape Town, South Africa, not in Bucharest, Romania as previously reported back in August 2006.

The Grammys brought good luck for Houston native Robyn Troup as she was chosen the winner of the "My Grammy Moment" contest, thus made it possible for her to take the stage alongside pop star Justin Timberlake.

Jennifer Hudson, one of the "Dreamgirls", crowned Robyn the winner, with the most votes from online and text-message voting, during the live broadcast Sunday night Feb 11th. Then rushed onstage to perform with Timberlake, the duo covered the Bill Withers' hit "Ain't No Sunshine" and Timberlake's hit "My Love."

Completing the main cast in "The Brothers Bloom", Mark Ruffalo has reached agreement to take starring part in the flick as the older brother in a veteran conman team who becomes the center of the film's story.

Playing the younger one is Adrien Brody while Rachel Weisz and Rinko Kikuchi will portray a mysterious millionaire and the brothers' secretive accomplice, respectively. Production starts on March 19 this year around twelve countries in Asia and Europe with Rian Johnson directing as well as penning the script.

This just in. Sienna Miller was spotted kissing Burberry model, Isaac Ferry.

Sienna was spotted with Isaac, the son of music legend Bryan Ferry, at a post-BAFTA's party at Boujis in London. "Sienna was really hot for new man. They were holding hands and he was whispering in her ear. There was a lot of chemistry between them," a source told the Mirror.

Encountering the same experience as "Goya's Ghosts" did, rom-com flick "2 Days in Paris" has also been picked up to be distributed in North America region. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Samuel Goldwyn Films and Netflix's Red Envelope Entertainment have satisfyingly obtained the rights to bring it to theaters this summer.

Set over a 48-hour period in Paris, the movie concerns a neurotic couple whose two-year relationship is put in test when the girl takes along her boyfriend to her home in Paris, France where he has unexpected encounters with her ex-boyfriends and unfriendly parents.

One of the "Dreamgirls" hit hard this time, very hard indeed. Beyonce Knowles has been billed as the 2007 cover girl for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

The Swimsuit Edition shows Beyonce posed on a Florida beach in a yellow-and-pink bikini by House of Dereon and carrying in it the actress-singer's photos.

The two striking hunks from "The Departed" are back, only they are brothers now.

Yes, Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon are both positive to highlight a biopic titled "The Fighter" as boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward and his trainer brother Dick Eklund, respectively.

As of this year, the Bonnaroo Music Festival is scheduled to take place June 14-17 on a 700-acre farm in rural Manchester, Tenn., 60 miles south of Nashville. And among the 75 acts slated to perform at the music festival, there are the likes of The Police, The White Stripes, Tool and Wilco.

The complete lineup, to be announced Wednesday Feb 14th, includes planned performances by Widespread Panic, The Roots, Franz Ferdinand, and The Flaming Lips. Also slated to perform among others are The Decemberists, The Hold Steady, Regina Spektor and many more.

The Queen is keen to adopt. Queen Latifah is the latest celebrity who is planning to adopt.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres Monday Feb 12th, the actress-singer said she would love to have about 18 babies. Biological or adopt? Being asked so, the star told DeGeneres "I want to have and adopt. I always have, ever since I was 18 I wanted a baby and I wanted to have and adopt because there are a lot of kids."

Soon "Goya's Ghosts" will haunt every theater in North America. The Milos Forman-directed drama has already been poised to come out this summer under Samuel Goldwyn Films banner following the company's acquisition to the film's distribution rights.

"'Ghosts' is a love story and a violent political story and a wonderful woman's story about a fascinating period in history and the effect of the Inquisition's lives as seen through the eyes of Goya," Samuel Goldwyn Jr., CEO of Samuel Goldwyn Films, remarked. "I wish every film we had was as good as this."

Many thanks to the success of "Dreamgirls" that Jennifer Hudson, who previously known as one of the finalists on the third season of the FOX talent-search television series American Idol, could earn more success. Not only the success of the hit movie brings her an Academy Award nomination, but also it earns her prestigious offers, naming one is appearing on the cover of fashion magazine Vogue.

Hudson will appear on the cover of the magazine's annual Power Issue next month, thus becoming the first African-American singer and the third black woman to appear on the cover of the publication, following in the footsteps of Oprah Winfrey and Halle Berry.

Already reaps success in music industry, Christina Aguilera is now eyeing acting career, claiming she's looking for another challenge.

The pop singer revealed backstage at the Grammy Awards Sunday Feb 11th, informed Reuters, she will be looking into moving into film and television. Moreover, she will be reading scripts while she is on the road promoting her latest album "Back to Basics."

Ending the mystery on the release of the last film of Anna Nicole Smith, "Illegal Aliens", Edgewood Productions and MTI Home Video finally have picked up May as the right time to launch the movie on DVD, a representative for MTI announced yesterday, February 13.

According to the spokesman, both companies actually had settled on the date before Smith's untimely passing last week with MTI having submitted the film to retailers for sale this coming spring about a week and a half before the actress' death. Smith was even said to have plan to take part in a publicity campaign for the flick.

Bad news. The Hollywood Hills home of country music stars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw was robbed over the weekend.

According to Los Angeles police the home was broken in between Friday afternoon Feb 9th and Monday Feb 12th when no one was home. A person arriving at the house Monday morning discovered the crime and called police, said police Sgt. Lee Sands.

The Hiltons are no stranger to controversy. This time on, trouble comes to Nicky Hilton. The hotel heiress is being sued by a Chicago development group for breach of contract over a hotel renovation project in her name.

In the lawsuit, filed Monday Feb 12th, Robert Falor Investments and Grand USA Hotel Supply & Restaurant alleged that Nicky hasn't kept up her end of an April 2006 agreement in which she promised to promote the redevelopment project known as Nicky O's Chicago, a Nicky Hilton Hotel.

Partnering with Netflix, Inc.'s division Red Envelope Entertainment, Clint Eastwood has eagerly signed himself to executive produce a documentary exploring and celebrating the life and career of the legendary recording artist and concert performer, Tony Bennett, Netflix itself has officially announced.

"The coming together of Tony Bennett and Clint Eastwood -- two enduring and iconic figures in the world of American entertainment -- is a cultural flashpoint," Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos commented. "Netflix spearheading this prestigious project showcases our abilities to bring unique content to our subscribers and, in this case, a global audience."

Robbie Williams spent his Valentine and birthday, all at once, in rehab clinic. The British pop star, who turned 33 on Tuesday Feb 13th, has been admitted to a rehabilitation center in the United States where he will undergo treatment for prescription drug addiction, his agent confirmed.

"Robbie Williams has today been admitted into a treatment center in America for his dependency on prescription drugs," his public relations agent in London said Tuesday. "There will be no further comment on this matter."

Back in business with Warner Bros. Pictures after toplining its "Blood Diamond" and "The Departed", Leonardo DiCaprio is set to be the leadstar in the studio's new project "Conspiracy of Fools", an adaptation of the Kurt Eichenwald book.

Warner is currently finalizing a rights deal on the book, which tells about the collapse of Enron Corporation from the author's view. Meanwhile, "The Longest Yard" scribe Sheldon Turner has been appointed to work on the screenplay.

She takes off her warrior predicate just to become an ordinary woman. Lucy Lawless, the former "Xena: Warrior Princess" star, has secured a new role on the new ABC pilot drama, "Football Wives."

"Football Wives" is an adaptation of the British soap about wives and girlfriends of professional soccer players. The US version will substitute American football for soccer.

Taking a deeper move in producing field, Jennifer Garner is onboard to produce a comedy flick titled "Devil in the Junior League" that may also be a possible starring vehicle for her.

Based on Linda Francis Lee's novel of the same name, the project focuses on a Southern socialite who has to get her lawyer's less-than-appropriate wife into the Junior League in exchange for his service to help her retrieving her fortune her husband has taken when running off with another woman.

Lynda Carter, the actress who played the DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman in the 1970s TV series, is going to "Smallville".

"Smallville" here is the American television series that follows the adventures of a young Clark Kent as a teenager living in Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman.

Finding his next directing vehicle after "Notes on a Scandal", British filmmaker Richard Eyre has landed deals to helm a film feature entitled "The Other Man" which currently in the early stages of development, The Hollywood Reporter learns.

Not only directs, Eyre is also on duty to pen the script, adapted from a short story by renowned German author Bernard Schlink, alongside frequent collaborator Charles Wood. Filming is slated to start this fall in Berlin, Germany with HBO Films being involved in the development.

Eyeing to assume double job like she often performs, Gurinder Chadha is engaged in negotiations to helm a teen comedy titled "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging", a collaborative production of Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures International.

Chadha has already been tapped to write the film's script alongside her "Bend It Like Beckham" scribe Paul Mayeda Berges. The two previously also teamed up in penning for "Bride & Prejudice" and "Mistress of Spices."