February 16, 2007

Sure it is a good start in going through the whole year of 2007 for Carrie-Anne Moss. The charming actress delightfully took home a prize as Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television held its Genie Awards Tuesday, February 13 at The Carlu in Toronto.

Moss nabbed Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her appearance in "Snow Cake", a dramatic feature directed by "Trauma" helmer Marc Evans. Her co-star Sigourney Weaver, who had received nomination in leading acting category, however, sadly failed to win as the honor went to Julie Le Breton of "The Rocket" instead.

It's over for Beyonce Knowles. The R&B recording artist is no longer No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" rises one to reign the top spot, thus marks her second No. 1 single following "Promiscuous," which reached the top six months ago. Beyonce's "Irreplaceable", meanwhile, slips one to the 2nd spot.

Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape" featuring Akon is at No.3, just one place ahead of Fall Out Boy's "This Ain't a Scene, It's An Arms Race" which slips one from last week position to No. 4. Elsewhere on the Hot 100, Ludacris' "Runaway Love" featuring Mary J. Blige, going up one to No. 5.

It's been eight years now that Timbaland brings to the surface details on his second solo album, a follow up to his debut "Tim's Bio" which was released in 1998.

The forthcoming album, titled "Timbaland Presents Shock Value", is scheduled for a March 28th release date and includes collaborations with Bjork, The Hives, Jay-Z, She Wants Revenge, Snoop Dogg, Fall Out Boy and Elton John.

Forming a high-profile cast, Forest Whitaker, Guy Pearce, Kate Beckinsale and Dakota Fanning are all positive to take part in an ensemble drama entitled "Winged Creatures", which Robert Salerno is set to produce via his Unruly Films.

Based on Roy Freirich's debut novel, the project focuses on the survivors of a brutal restaurant murder who are left to divine their own individual paths to understanding their mortality and connection to society. Production is expected to start on March 19 this year with Rowan Woods at helm.

Continues his steady effort in landing adult roles, Channing Tatum is poised to star as an undercover cop in an untitled action flick developed by New Line Cinema following its successful attempt in making a preemptive deal to the project.

Written by "Vivaldi" scribes T. J. Scott and Kevin Lund, the picture sees Tatum's character, a New York City cop, get assigned to infiltrate the underground world of free running, known as Parkour, to bust a seemingly unstoppable gang of bank robbers. No word yet on the director, but it is revealed that Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey will both produce.

The butterfly finally finds a place to see the light. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Lionsgate Releasing has obtained stateside distribution rights to R-rated crime thriller "Butterfly on a Wheel" from Icon Productions, which developed the movie alongside Infinity Features and Irish DreamTime.

Filmed in Vancouver and Chicago, the picture centers on a happy-seeming married couple whose daughter gets abducted by a mysterious stranger whose demands unexpectedly are not in the pursuit of a big cash payment. The title is derived from Alexander Pope's "An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot": "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?."

Ready to carry out his third directorial effort, Carter B. Smith has given positive sign to helm "The Ruins", a horror thriller feature set in the Yucatan jungles, which will be released under DreamWorks Pictures banner.

An adaptation of the Scott Smith novel, the flick revolves around four American friends vacationing in Cancun who find themselves lost in the jungle after joining a German tourist to help looking for his missing brother. Names attached to star have not yet been revealed.

Numbers of Hollywood celebrities, including the likes of Cameron Diaz and Pharrell Williams, are teaming up to combat climate crisis. Together with those stars, former vice president Al Gore, announced Thursday Feb 15th at the California Science Center in Los Angeles the launching of an international campaign to promote global warming awareness.

The so-called "Save Our Selves, The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis", founded by Live 8 Executive Producer Kevin Wall, is focused on Live Earth, a 24-hour concert to take place on seven continents on July 7 later this year. There will be more than 100 music acts scheduled to participate, including the likes of Pharrell, John Legend, Black Eyed Peas, Fall Out Boy and Kelly Clarkson.

Apparently doesn't mind at all to have such a hectic schedule ahead, Shawn Levy has added one more directing stint into his resume despite being already had three other big screen project to helm.

The prolific filmmaker has agreed to direct a comedic feature titled "Marley & Me" for Fox 2000 with Don Roos to work on the screenplay. The New York-born writer last penned 2005's "Happy Endings" which he also directed for Lionsgate Films.

Don't get confused for Kenny Chesney has set all the record straight. The country music recording artist turns down gay rumors which first sparked when her estranged wife Renee Zellweger cited "fraud" as the reason for annulling their brief 2005 marriage.

In an interview to air Sunday Feb 18th on CBS' "60 Minutes," Chesney said, "It's not true. Period. Maybe I should have come out and said, `No, I'm not (gay),' but I didn't want to draw any more attention to it. I didn't have to prove to anybody that I wasn't (gay). I didn't feel like I really did."

Being crowned Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, Scarlett Johansson received the traditional "Pudding Pot" following a parade through Cambridge with Harvard men dressed in drag Thursday Feb 15th.

"Thank you so much for this fabulous golden pot. It's been such a wonderful day. This is the closest I'll ever get to a Harvard degree for sure," Johansson commented. "It's a real honor and I can't wait till later tonight when we party."

More and more names are filling up the list of presenters for the 79th Academy Awards ceremony. Producer Laura Ziskin confirmed yesterday, February 15 that four more actors namely Tom Cruise, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, and Ben Affleck have all taken the duty following the previously announced nine names.

Honoring best achievements in filmmaking of 2006, this year's event will take place at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday, February 25 and be aired live by ABC at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour red carpet arrivals segment, "The Road to the Oscars."

Chris Cornell, the lead singer of alternative rock supergroup Audioslave, has quit the music act, citing "irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences".

Announcing his leaving the group, Cornell said Thursday February 15th, "Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band Audioslave. I wish the other three members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavors."

The Two Face search is likely to come to an end. Confirming the heavy rumors on who will play the villain in "The Dark Knight", Warner Bros. Pictures is reportedly holding final negotiations with Aaron Eckhart for the role, which has been a burning topic among moviegoers and superhero fans lately.

If everything is settled, Eckhart thus will be the next actor to portray the character after Tommy Lee Jones in 1995's "Batman Forever." In Batman lore, Two Face aka Harvey Dent is originally the district attorney of Gotham City and an ally of Batman before he becomes the insane crime boss who brings problems to the hero.

The spirit of Valentine's Day brought the family whole again. Denise Richards and estranged husband, Charlie Sheen, reunited with their daughters, Sam J. and Lola Rose, for the day of love.

When it comes to their little girls, the couple who once went through a tough divorce, wants to make it good. Denise and Charlie, spotted with a daughter in each arm, were seen strolling past the Agoura Animal Clinic on Wednesday Feb 14th.

No, not flower nor chocolate. Keri Russell received neither one on Valentine's Day, but she's very happy during that day. Wondering why? Because she got a wedding ring from boyfriend, Shane Deary.

Russell, who starred in TV's "Felicity," tied the knot with her longtime contractor boyfriend, Shane in an intimate ceremony in snowy New York on Valentine's Day attended by a handful of friends, the actress representative, Jill Fritzo, confirmed to E! News Thursday.

Contrary to tabloid and Internet reports, America Ferrera is not engaged. Not for now at least.

In response to the engagement report, Ferrera's rep, Carrie Byalick, sent an e-mail to The ShowBuzz Thursday Feb 15th, read Ferrera "is not engaged."

Anna Nicole Smith and Charlize Theron are two different persons. But when it comes to resemblance, Theron surely is the first choice to play the late star in a film about her life.

Rumor has it that Theron is movie bosses' first choice to star as the Playboy Playmate who married an 89-year-old oil billionaire and died February 8, 2007 at 39.

Wanna know what's new from Britney Spears? In an attempt to promote her latest fragrance, "Midnight Fantasy," which was launched in December 2006, Elizabeth Arden, a global prestige beauty products company, will make it possible for fans to send personalized "Midnight Fantasy" phone calls from Britney on midnightfantasybritneyspears.com.

Using the Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) technology, fans nationwide will be able to send a personalized voice message from Britney to a friend's phone or e-mail address. Senders provide the receiver's name and personality to create a personalized "MIDNIGHT fantasy" message from Britney selected just for them.

Long that we haven't heard about her, now Celine Dion is back on track. The Canadian singer is putting the finishing touches on a new French-language album which is planned for May 22, 2007 release date.

The music effort, titled "D'Elles", according to the singer's record label is a celebration of womanhood featuring songs by famous female writers from Quebec and France, including Francoise Dorin, Christine Orban, Nina Bouraoui, Marie Laberge, Lise Payette, Denise Bombardier, Nathalie Nechtschein, Jovette Bernier and Janette Bertrand.