March 15, 2007

Going futuristic, Warner Bros. Pictures is in progress to develop a sci-fi fantasy entitled "The Giver" with Red Wagon partners Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher producing, Variety has revealed.

An adaptation of Lois Lowry's novel of the same name, the picture follows a 12-year-old boy living in a futuristic, emotionally suppressed utopian society as he is selected to bear his community's emotional history which strikes him that living a pain-free life comes at a high cost.

The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards is back for its 20th round. A cluster of music nominees has been announced in four separate categories.

Lining up to win Favorite Song are Daniel Powter's "Bad Day", Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy", Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" featuring Wyclef Jean and also Beyonce Knowles' "Irreplaceable".

Stepping a little bit further into film industry, David Beckham is reportedly set to make a cameo appearance in Warner Independent Pictures' action drama feature "Truce" which tells about the World War I football game between the English and German armies.

Based on true events, the flick has already had "House of Sand and Fog" director Vadim Perelman onboard to helm from script penned by Stuart Beattie with Jennifer Klein producing. Here Beckham will be featured as a soldier competing in a football game between the English and German armies.

Already makes name with her roles in the big screen productions, Scarlett Johansson is on the move to invade Broadway. If the New York Post is to be believed, the movie beauty is in talks to star in a New York City production of "South Pacific."

She reportedly is one of the actresses being considered for the role of US Navy nurse Nellie Forbush in the project, which is about to open January next year at the Lincoln Center.

A taut drama is taking shape at New Line Cinema. Variety has reported that the studio is setting up a new big screen project entitled "The Black Path" at its pit and has tapped newcomer Henry Jones to pen the screenplay.

Based on the true story of the Incan treasure of Atahualpa, which has never been found but is believed to be cursed, the picture revolves around a brilliant but unemployed novelist who locates the legendary treasure while researching a magazine travel piece in Ecuador. To his horror, the people in his search party turn out to begin kill each other to stake their claim to the gold.

As an addition to I'm Not Dead tour, Pink will visit Auckland, NZ on May 31 according to New Zealand Herald. The gig that will be conducted in Auckland's Vector Arena is a one-off New Zealand date.

This tour is held to promote her most recent album which is under the same title, "I'm Not Dead". There is a promise that the tour will offer 'attitude and class' and includes flamenco, burlesque, stripper-grams and a bikini-clad daredevil stunt.

Landing their feet together in the same vehicle, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt, and Columbus Short have all reached deals to join Kate Beckinsale in the cast of action thriller "Whiteout", the first big screen production of Joel Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment.

Based on Greg Rucka's comic book miniseries, the picture focuses on a lone U.S. marshal assigned to Antarctica named Carrie Stetko who must solve a murder mystery before the sun set for six month there. While Skeritt and Short's roles are still unclear, it is revealed that Macht will play a U.N. operative who is also investigating the case.

While the star-studded lineup tapped to celebrate the forthcoming 20th annual Kids' Choice Awards, Saturday March 31st, has been unveiled, it is our part to bring you the nominees vie for the TV awards categories.

As for the Favorite TV Show award, the nominees are "American Idol", "Drake & Josh", "Fear Factor", and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody". Meanwhile, vying for the Favorite Television Actress nod are Miley Cyrus for "Hannah Montana", Emma Roberts for "Unfabulous", Jamie Lynn Spears for "Zoey 101", and Raven-Symone for "That's So Raven."

An award event in which winners are voted by the children who watch Nickelodeon cable channel, the Kids' Choice Awards has finally unveiled its lineup of nominees for film categories as it is held for the twentieth time this year.

Competing for the title of Favorite Male Movie Star are four well-known talents of Jack Black, Johnny Depp, Adam Sandler, and Will Smith while those like Halle Berry, Dakota Fanning, Keira Knightley, and Sarah Jessica Parker all scoring in the Female side.

On March 6, 2007, three days before the 10th anniversary of Notorious B.I.G.'s death, Bad Boy Records released the compilation of his best pieces, "Greatest Hits". One week later, it debuted at #1 on US Billboard 200 chart with 99,000 copies sold. This is his third No.1 peak since "Life After Death" (1997) and "Born Again" (1999).

Indie rock band Arcade Fire that just entered the chart this week soars to #2 with the album "Neon Bible" at 92,000 copies. The chart topper last week, DAUGHTRY with self-titled album sold only 82,000 copies and therefore falls to #3. Akon's "Konvicted" then is down to No. 4 with total sales of 76,000.

A photographer was hospitalized in encounter with Lindsay Lohan. The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning March 13th in New York after she left Club Butter at around 3am.

If the New York Post is to be believed, Lindsay told cops she was driving friends in her mom, Dina Sullivan's 2004 BMW when they pulled up to Manhattan's trendy Hotel Gansevoort at about 3 a.m. to dodge paparazzi, who swarmed her in the valet lane. One photographer, identified as Giovanni Arnold, even jumped on the hood of her car, the actress told police.

Came under fire this year for using an anti-gay slur, Isaiah Washington is out with good deed. The actor makes good with his wealth, making $25,000 donation to a computer animation project that aims to detail the Atlantic slave trade.

The project, focuses on Bunce Island, an 18th century slave-trading castle that sent African captives to North America, as it appeared in 1805, is being directed by Joseph Opala and Gary Chatelain, who both professors at James Madison University in Virginia.

One apparently is not enough for an acclaimed artist like Clint Eastwood. Previously partnering with Netflix, Inc.'s division Red Envelope Entertainment to executive produce "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends", a documentary about the prominent recording singer, the man now is reported to make another about U.S. jazz pianist Dave Brubeck.

Eastwood is said to serve as producer on the feature, tentatively titled "Dave Brubeck -- In His Own Sweet Way" alongside Bruce Ricker who will also direct. The twosome previously teamed up to bring a documentary about fellow jazz artist Thelonious Monk titled "Thelonious Monk, Straight No Chaser" in 1988.

The persistent rumors are not true. Nicole Kidman is not going to make cameo appearance in the hit TV drama "Nip/Tuck".

Contrary to her denial, Kidman who is said be a huge fan of the hit reportedly asked the program's creator Ryan Murphy for a small part.

We'll probably hear the wedding bell rings soon in the near future as Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are reportedly getting married this summer.

"Portia demanded that Ellen marry her. After lots of talk and plenty of hints, Portia finally confronted Ellen right after the Oscars about making a commitment," the National Enquirer quoted a source as saying.

Stevie Wonder was not only the guest of honor in American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) American Troubadour Award, but he also claimed the top award in the event. The award is presented to Wonder for his contribution as a songwriter that has brought a positive influence both inside and outside the industry.

In the award's "Songwriter Night" that was held in Capitol Hill on March 13, a line of stars saluted Wonder by singing his classics. Among the them are India.Arie, Tony Bennett, Wyclef Jean, Wynonna Judd, Chaka Khan, Brian McKnight, Smokey Robinson and Joan Osborne.

Adding the hype surrounding "Bond 22", Australian magazine New Idea has brought in an interesting tidbit that native actress Abbie Cornish is being considered as "the top of a shortlist of contenders" to become the next Bond girl in the project and is expected to fly to Singapore to meet with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to have talks about it.

"Abbie is perfect because she is not familiar to film audiences, but at the same time people have become intrigued by her," a source told the magazine, citing an unnamed insider at Bond studio MGM. "She may not have enjoyed being caught up in a scandal at the time but it certainly helped her profile."

She is famous, thanks to her role in the hit TV series "Sex and the City". Lucky that Sarah Jessica Parker does know how to take advantage of her popularity by launching her own fashion line.

Her new design range, called "Bitten", was launched Monday March 12th during a private lunch at New York restaurant Indochine. The collection, includes swimwear, costume jewelry, handbags, belts, sunglasses and shoes, will be sold exclusively in American retail chain Steve & Barry's.

Scottish band Franz Ferdinand is reported entering the studio for third album recording. The band claims that they do not want to play the same old stuff for any British festivals and would like to come out with something new and exciting.

To keep the sound fresh, the band would like to distinguish their musical tunes to those of Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight. They replace the electric guitars piece with synthesizer because according to guitarist Nick McCarthy, "There too many guitar bands out there now."

Already moved on from his failed relationship with ex-fiancee Sheryl Crow, Lance Armstrong has found a new love. The cyclist was reported to get cozy with N.Y.C. fashion designer Tory Burch.

Talk is heating up that Armstrong has been dating Tory for four months after he contacted her soon as he read her profile in Vanity Fair. "They are very much a couple," R. Couri Hay, a friend of the designer's said.

Not yet reached one year old, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt has already followed the trail of her parents in film industry. Yes, this baby girl of Brad Pitt has reportedly made a cameo appearance in the hunk's latest big screen project, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which was shot in New Orleans, Louisiana where he has been settling in for couple of months.

A source revealed to National Enquirer magazine that Shiloh's inclusion in the movie was actually accidental after the twin sisters hired to take turns playing the daughter of Cate Blanchett's character "wouldn't settle down." Upon learning this situation, Pitt quickly came to an idea to put Shiloh in as replacement.

A case of label dumping for a new one has occurred among Paul McCartney, Starbucks Record and Capitol Records. McCartney who has stayed under Capitol Records' wing for 43 years left the recording house for brand new Starbucks Record.

As a former member of The Beatles, McCartney has recorded songs with his band for Capitol since 1964. Though he stopped recording for the label momentarily in early '80s, he eventually returned to Capitol. It is reported that the Capitol party is overwhelmed by this incident yet is quite prepared. "They knew it was coming. They did nothing for the Chaos album, and they were reminded that McCartney's entire contract was ending," a source told.

She moves fast. Angelina Jolie arrived in Vietnam on late Wednesday night March 14th, less than 24 hours after it is reported that her adoption application is being processed quickly and she could pick up her new son within a few weeks.

The actress was photographed with son Maddox on their arrival at Ho Chi Minh City, where she is expected to attend an adoption ceremony with Vietnamese officials the next day. And if all goes smoothly, Jolie could bring the child home by the weekend, officials said.

The beautiful duo from the upcoming "The Tourist" is back for more. Yes, Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams have reportedly been picked up to topline "Incendiary", a contemporary drama about the emotional aftermath of a suicide bombing in London, with Matthew Macfadyen co-starring.

Based on a novel of the same name by British author Chris Cleave, the picture revolves around a woman whose world turns upside down after her husband and baby boy both are killed in a suicide bombing at a soccer match while she herself was cheating on him at the time. Billed as the devastated woman is Williams while McGregor and Macfayden will play the man whom she has an affair with and her deceased husband's former superintendent, respectively.

Amid his Latin America tour, Ricky Martin extends his tour to visit North America and Canada. Dubbed "Black & White" tour, 17 cities have been announced in the artist's official website.

The tour will start on April 17 and temporarily run through May 20 since more dates are yet to be announced. First city that Ricky will visit is San Jose, California and then he will stop by in major cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Toronto, Miami, Orlando, etc.

Is Angelina Jolie that inspiring? We leave it all to you to answer. The actress who is famous for her child adoption, apparently, has become a very big influence for other Hollywood celebrities to have adoption. And after the many others, Jessica Simpson could be the next.

Rumor has it that Jessica's maternal instincts have been aroused. She wants to be a mother and since she has yet married, adoption might be the best solution. Per NY Post it is reported that what's getting her ready for motherhood are her dogs. They're putting her into the maternal care giving mode.

Probably this could be the dream team moviegoers often imagine of. Production Weekly has learned that Charlize Theron, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, and Willem Dafoe are joining forces to highlight an Iraq-set action drama entitled "The Hurt Locker."

Set to enter production later this spring, the project centers on an elite Army bomb disposal unit who get forced to play a risky game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war and have to come together in a city where every person is a potential enemy.

It really is a blessing in disguise for Britney Spears. The troubled pop singer who is in rehab has already found new love, it has been reported.

Britney is said to have fallen for Jason Filyaw, the 33-year-old lead guitarist of rock band Riva, whom she met at her Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.