March 20, 2007

Cast of "Wanted (2008)" truly becomes much shinier by now with the coming of Angelina Jolie. Yes, the Oscar-winning actress has delightfully given positive sign to join the Universal Pictures' sci-fi action alongside James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman, Variety has revealed.

Based on Mark Millar's graphic novel series, the flick finds McAvoy as a young man who discovers that his long-lost father is actually an assassin. Following the death of the older man, the guy is recruited into a covert organization of killers to follow the footsteps of his father. Jolie is billed to portray an assassin who teaches the ropes to the wannabe killer.

Silverchair's fifth studio album that is not yet released has shown its early success. The first single titled "Straight Lines" from the album "Young Modern" sits at #1 in Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Top 100 chart in week 12. It has also scored at the ARIA digital chart after the digital release on February 2, two months ahead of the CD version.

With the position, the band becomes the 3rd Australian band to have three #1 singles after The Easybeats and The Seekers. Before "Straight Lines", the band has also topped the chart through 1995' "Tomorrow" and 1997's "Freak".

Already scored five nominations at this year's Saturn Awards, now it's chance for "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" to strive high in its own homeland as the gothic thriller successfully took most nominations for the 57th annual German Film Awards, colloquially known as the Lolas, set to take place at Palais am Funkturm in Berlin on May 4.

Scooping up eight nods together with prison drama "Four Minutes", the picture delightfully landed slot in top prize of Best Picture and Best Director slot for Tom Tykwer. The rest six nominations it garnered were in rather technical ones namely Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Set Design, Best Costume Design, Best Score, and Best Sound Design.

The 2007 Reading and Leeds Festival has recruited a new string of bands to perform in the event this summer. The headliners are the multiple Grammy award winning Red Hot Chili Peppers, the newly reunited rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and also half-English half-Swedish Indie pop band Razorlight.

The annual event which is also popular as Carling Weekend, will begin on August 24. The event's official website also informs that Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Fall Out Boy, Bloc Party and Nine Inch Nails are among some of the bands performing. These bands will have their gigs on the second round of the three-day weekend.

With Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint being positively signed for the final two installments of the "Harry Potter" franchise, the only big question left now is whether Emma Watson will also return as Hermione Granger in the projects.

Concerning to this matter, U.K's News of the World has shockingly brought in report that the actress has quitted the role and even told the producers she wouldn't change her mind even if they offered to double her pay to nearly $4 million.

Establishing his identity as a solo singer, Chris Cornell is conducting a tour to endorse the second solo album "Carry On". There will be 11 cities visited that starts from Las Vegas on April 6. He would then tour around US and Canada to reveal the tracks included in the new album.

Produced by Grammy award winning producer Steve Lilywhite, the album is expected to be larger that the previous solo album "Euphoria Morning" (1999) that went through a mild reception. This time Cornell gives personal touch to the album "The most exciting thing is to let yourself expose your true, vulnerable feelings, which is what resonates with people most," he explained.

Has Mischa Barton found her new love? If rumors on the street are to be believed, the actress is romancing Jamie Dornan.

Speculation on their romance sparked shortly after they were spotted together in London earlier this week, during which the actress was seen leaving an Arcade Fire gig in Brixton on Wednesday night March 14th with Dornan's companion.

She does know how to act, but does she know how to cook? Tara Reid, the movie beauty who is famous for her action in the hit movie "American Pie", is starting up her own fast-food joint.

She maybe doesn't know how to cook, but with the opening of the new restaurant, Reid surely knows how to run the business as her parents ran a bar in New Jersey. What do you think?

In response to the buzz surrounding "Shazam!" filmmakers' intention to have Jake Gyllenhaal played the role of Captain Marvel, the flick's scribe John August has posted a statement on his official blog denying such reports while stressing that what matters for now is just the film script.

"But the thing is, he's not considering," so he claimed of Gyllenhaal. "I can pretty much assure you he's never heard of the project. And we've never discussed him. We've never seriously discussed anyone."

Not only Rock and Roll stars get the chance to be inductees this year, the people behind popular hits will also be the inductees of Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF). Among the names mentioned as the nominees are Jackson Browne, Ray Davies, Merle Haggard and Lou Reed.

Conducted in respect for the works of composers and lyricists, this event will be held on June 7 at Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York. Performers and non-performers are two large categories in the nomination. The names above are those included as the performers. Meanwhile in the non-performer category, there are Don Black who has penned Michael Jackson's "Ben", Michael Masser who wrote "Touch Me in the Morning" for Diana Ross and also Albert Hammond who has co-written the hit "To All the Girls I've Loved Before".

The first black Miss America, Vanessa Williams was on Monday March 19th received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The actress, who plays a villainous magazine editor on the TV show "Ugly Betty", received the 2,331st star. Fellow cast members from the TV show, including co-star Rebecca Romijn, showed up to cheer for her at the ceremony took place in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Reaching the 6th decade of his life, Elton John has decided to celebrate the ripe age with a New York Concert. Slated to perform at New York's famous stage, the Madison Square Garden, he will break his own record.

Somehow a memorable place to him, Madison Square Garden has seen Elton as a regular there. A coincidence happens when the total number of times he performed at the venue is 59. Therefore, it is only proper that he will celebrate the 60th birthday with the 60th gig.

Counting down the release of "Ratatouille", Disney has set up Friday, March 23 date to launch a new trailer of the animated flick online on its official site Disney.com following its broadcast debut during the airing of "Cory in the House" on The Disney Channel.

Prior to the release, fans can get a "Ratatouille Viral Player" from the official site. It features a countdown clock and coding that allows those who make a visit to add the Player to their own website, social networking profile, or blog while also supplying them with additional video content leading up to the film's premiere.

After confirming that a new studio album is coming along the way, hard rock band Metallica announces that they are too planning for a summer tour dubbed "Sick of the Studio '07".

In relation to the name chosen for the tour, drummer Lars Ulrich explained, "Sometimes we get a little tired of staring at the same four walls of the recording studio, as well as the same faces that inhabit the studio day in and day out, and we need to get out and just play. This tour gives us a chance to stretch out a bit and jam in front of real fans."

A sprained knee ligament, fortunately, could not stop David Beckham from doing something. The soccer god who's been sidelined for a month, after hurting a knee ligament earlier this month during a Spanish league game, launches a new Website to provide a free coaching advice to teachers and pupils and improve their health, fitness and achievements.

The Website, called "School Zone", is an extension of Beckham's football academy in London which hosts free educational days. By now there are more than 12,000 children have passed through The David Beckham Academy in the UK. The academy also has a branch in Los Angeles.

Apparently there is more that "Pirates" fans can enjoy following the launching of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End" trailer on Monday, March 19 via ABC.

A new clip of the highly anticipated flick has delightfully been placed on Yahoo! Movies, featuring Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa fighting about who is the actual captain of the Black Pearl.

The beauty already finds the one. Kirsten Dunst is dating Johnny Borrell of English band Razorlight, it has been reported.

The twosome was spotted canoodling on Saturday March 17th at Texas music festival SXSW. "They were kissing by the stage. She was fluttering her eyelashes at him like a smitten teenager," a source was quoted as saying.

In its fourth cycle, Virgin College Mega Tour (VCMT) presents rapper Talib Kweli as the headliner of the festival. Besides Kweli, the power-pop band Sugarcult as well as Something Corporate's ex guitarist William Tell are also scheduled to perform on stage.

The reason Kweli is invited to perform this year is because the producer wants to have a hip-hop theme. "We've always wanted to mix it from a genre standpoint," said Marty Berman, the CEO of Integrate Marketing that produces this year's event. The event is formed as a result of co-sponsorship between Stride Gum and Major Baseball Properties. There will be 18 dates that begins on April 7 at House of Blues, Las Vegas and ends on May 5 at Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island. Within the dates, 12 venues are slated at press time.

She's pregnant already, but no wedding plans have been set. Not in the near future at least. Concerning the persistent rumors on her going to marry rugby-star boyfriend Gavin Henson next month in a castle near her home in Cardiff, Wales, a representative for Charlotte Church said the wedding reports "are definitely not true."

Charlotte, who is now 12 weeks pregnant, revealed she is pregnant with Henson's baby earlier this month. The pair has been dating for 18 months and lives together.

Being an Oscar nominee sure has smoothened Jackie Earle Haley's path in film industry as he is now being signed up for not only one but two big screen projects in turn.

The first is an appearance in basketball comedy "Semi-Pro" in which the actor becomes a fan who wins a basketball-throwing contest. Already submitted into the cast lineup are Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, and Andre Benjamin with Kent Alterman directing for New Line Cinema.

The war is over. Now the formerly estranged couple, Travis Barker and wife Shanna Moakler are together again.

Does confirm their reunion, Moakler nevertheless denies rumors she is pregnant with their another child, saying "While I hope one day to have more children with Travis, I am not pregnant. But yes, I'm madly in love with my husband."

Two years have passed since the success of Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day" (2005). For what has become a tradition, the new album "Lost Highway" will invite questions whether it will reprise the platinum trademark.

Following the success of country piece "Who Says You Can't Go Home" from the album "Have a Nice Day", the band is back with a thicker country vibe in the new album. The band was seen recording at country singer Reba McEntire's studio. First single "(You Want To) Make a Memory" was out in the radios on March 20 and will be performed live in CMT Awards on April 16, American Idol on May 2, and "Today" on June 19.

Able to make a balance between her small and big screen stints, Katherine Heigl has landed deal to topline a romantic comedy flick entitled "27 Dresses", Variety has reported.

Here the "Grey's Anatomy" star will portray a single woman serving as a bridesmaid for twenty-seventh times who once again takes the job for her sister who is about to marry the man she is madly in love with.

Becoming a first time mommy according to Tori Spelling is "rocks." The actress who has just given birth to first child with hubby Dean McDermott, Liam Aaron McDermott, Tuesday March 13th, posted an entry on her official blog Sunday March 18th, speaking on motherhood.

On her myspace.com, Tori says, "He is my little angel baby and I had no idea you could love someone you've only known for 4 days this much. But, my heart is jumping out of my chest with love. Mommihood ROCKS!"

The battle turns out to still have the same victor as "300" once again makes a successful strive to beat all its opponents in weekend domestic box office ended Sunday, March 18, 2007.

Selling $32.8 million worth of tickets, the epic feature for the second time bests its rival "Wild Hogs" which remains as the runner-up following its good attempt to add another $19 million into its pocket in its third round in the competition.

She really is moving so fast. Angelina Jolie is one step closer to bringing her newly adopted son, Pax Thien Jolie, from Vietnam to his new home in the United States as she arrived Monday March 19th in Hanoi to get the little boy's visa.

Flew to Hanoi that day Jolie was about to complete the final procedures necessary to bring the 3-year-old boy into the United States, while is scheduled to meet with U.S. Embassy officials Tuesday March 20th, to deal with the visa application for Pax.

For what is considered the most conceptual album of rapper T.I., it really does receive a lot of back ups from reputable artists. The fifth studio album which is dubbed "T.I. vs. T.I.P." will be released in July and feature two of the Grammy award winning singer's musical personas.

Via phone from Atlanta, T.I. spilled out some hints on the new album. As the backbone for this album, he has invited the controversial rapper, Eminem to jot in, "We got a real hot concept that we spoke about over the phone. It's gonna be on some real creative sh**." He has also slated Justin Timberlake to contribute a song in the LP. He said, "We're just waiting on the proper song to get him on my album as well."

Uma Thurman and her longtime boyfriend Andre Balazs have split. The on-off couple ended their three-year romance less than a week after tabloid reports had the couple planning a summer wedding in the Caribbean.

"I confirm that they are no longer a couple," Thurman's New York-based publicist Robert Garlock confirmed Monday March 19th, while revealing further that that is all the couple wants to share with the public.