March 21, 2007

March 19, 2007 could be a historical day in Oak Lawn, Illinois High School. Grammy Award winning singer Kanye West appeared at the school for a surprise performance. To top it off, the Oscar winning actress Jennifer Hudson also appeared in the event to introduce Kanye.

These stars popped up in the high school because there has been a rally in the school that has plans for a new gym. The alumnae of the school, basketball star Dwayne Wade funds the remodeling and also give a $5,000 scholarship through Wade's World Foundation and T-Mobile Sidekick.

On December 4, 2006 Emma Bunton's "Life in Mono" was released and immediately entered the UK Album chart at #65. Though it sold 13,000 copies in its first week, the single "All I Need to Know" on the other hand received a mild reception. Based on that Bunton decides to leave her music career.

There has been no live statement from the artist yet regarding this issue. However, a source told The People, "(Emma) is looking on the bright side and happy to concentrate on motherhood." Furthermore, it is reported that it is a joint decision between the singer and her label, the Universal.

In support of VH1's Save The Music Foundation is John Mayer. The singer will hold a concert on September 20 at Lincoln Center, New York to celebrate the foundation's 10th anniversary.

In that case Mayer will help the foundation to raise money as well as awareness on the importance of music education. Most of the money will go to schools that need the support in providing musical instruments. So far, the foundation has been able to aid 1,400 public schools in 80 communities with more $34 million fund.

Come now to the magical world of "Stardust", folks, as Paramount Pictures has delightfully pushed the "on" button on the official site for the film in the anticipation of its theatrical release on August 10 this year.

There the visitors are provided with the information about the film, including the synopsis, filmmakers, and cast while can download the wallpapers as well as view a number of images from the movie.

Stepping into the similar shoes of fellow actress Helen Mirren when she assumed a royal role in "The Queen", Emily Blunt has been appointed to portray the titular character in "The Young Victoria", a period biopic of the 19th century monarch produced by Initial Entertainment Group's Graham King and Oscar-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

King was quoted to laud "The Devil Wears Prada" star as the one who is "perfect to play this feisty, passionate young woman who went on to have nine children with the love of her life, Prince Albert." Meanwhile, the film itself will center on the turbulent early years of Queen Victoria's reign and her marriage to the prince, who turns out to be her first cousin.

Following the rumor that Lonestar has parted ways with its label BNA Music, it is now announced that the lead singer Richie McDonald will leave the band.

There have been no reports on why he leaves the band but it is known that he will pursuit a solo career. The remaining members meanwhile are seeking the replacement of Richie in preparation for a new record deal. Apparently, they have not found a new label since their departure from BA Music in early 2007.

Walking his feet to Hollywood, Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Lozano is on duty to helm a drag-racing movie entitled "Live Bet" which will be developed under Universal Pictures banner.

Set in the world of underground clubs and illegal car racing, the project also gets Lozano assigned to join forces with Tony Dalton in making a rewrite to the script, originally penned by writing duo Charley and Vlas Parlapanides. It is said that the flick will be a starring vehicle for rapper Curtis Jackson, popularly known as 50 Cent.

Seemingly excited for the reunion, The Police manages to slip in two more gigs in between the tight schedule. Apart from the additional European Tour dates that have just been announced, the band will also perform at Wrigley Field, Chicago on July 5 and at Churchill Downs, Louisville on July 14 as part of the North American Tour.

It has also been made official that British act Fiction Plane will support the band in the tour. Other names such as Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, The Fratellis, and Sloan are also mentioned to appear alongside The Police in a smaller scale.

Five great talents have come onboard to bring highlight to ensemble drama "Multiple Sarcasms." Variety has reported that Timothy Hutton, Mira Sorvino, Dana Delany, Stockard Channing, and Mario Van Peebles are all set to star together in the $2.5 million project financed by Seattle-area investors.

Set in New York City circa 1979, the flick concerns a man stumbling through a series of midlife missteps who decides to write a play based on his relationships with the women in his life. However, just as the play becomes wildly successful, he unexpectedly finds his real life getting collapsed.

As the newly appointed president of Island Record, Jermaine Dupri's first task is to sign new deals with urban artists. Completing the task immediately, he has some promising names under the records' wings.

Among his choice is R&B group Jagged Edge which he had worked with nearly 10 years ago under So So Def label. Under the new recording house, the group's new album is predicted to be out in the end of this year. It will contain some imprints from the previous label and will also be the follow up of the 2006 self-titled album.

Previously agreed to put Bryan Singer's untitled WWII thriller at United Artists that he now is running with Paula Wagner, Tom Cruise appears to have something else in mind on the project.

The megastar turns out to have signed on to topline the flick, the second feature coming from the company after "Lions for Lambs" which he also stars in. Apart from these two, the hunk is also attached to play a role opposite Ben Stiller in 20th Century Fox's comedy "The Hardy Men" under the direction of "Night at the Museum" helmer Shawn Levy.

Angelina Jolie can take a sigh now that the adoption of Pax Thien has been finalized. The actress has completed the adoption process of her fourth child Tuesday March 20th as she secured the approval of both the Vietnamese government and the US Embassy to take Pax Thien Jolie back to US with her.

"The Vietnamese authorities had already cleared the adoption, and the U.S. Embassy approved the adoption on Tuesday," said spokeswoman Laura Feragen on behalf of Philadelphia-based nonprofit agency Adoptions From the Heart. "They will pick up Pax's visa on Wednesday, and they are free to go home," she added.

Two venues in Japan will not see Red Hot Chili Peppers performing on the scheduled dates. The band has postponed the three gigs in Osaka and Tokyo due to vocalist Anthony Kiedis' recovery term from bronchial pneumonia.

The band's official website announced on March 17 that the lead singer is under doctor's command to lay down for 10 days. The concerts are initially intended at Osaka's Kyocera Dome on March 19 and at the Tokyo Dome on March 22 and 23. Besides apologizing for the inconvenience, the website also said that rescheduling will be announced soon and the make up dates are aimed approximately this fall.

While words on Zac Efron being considered for the title role in "Speed Racer" are still going around, The Hollywood Reporter has delightfully given a dot of light on who may possibly land the role, revealing that it is "Alpha Dog" star Emile Hirsch who is currently involved in talks for the role instead.

The live-action version of the classic '60s animated series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, "Racer" tells about the adventures of young race car driver Speed in his gadget-equipped race car, the Mach 5. It has been confirmed that other characters from the show like Speed's family and his mysterious archrival, Racer X, will also be featured in the movie.

American Greetings Corporation has signed a licensing agreement with Ellen DeGeneres to develop a line of greeting cards that will feature illustrations of the comedian along with her quirky observations.

Entitled the "ellen collection", the set will include 32 specially designed cards featuring illustrations of the talk-show host cracking wise about birthdays, anniversaries and holidays; offering words of friendship and encouragement and many others, all of which has made her project "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" such a hit.

The Rolling Stones will step on the UK festival stage for the first time since 1976. The British band will headline the Isle of Wight Festival on June 10. It is expected that the frontman Mick Jagger will give a live Webcast on March 22 in the website. The talk will concern this involvement, other European concert dates as well as the make-up concerts for 2006 cancelled dates.

The festival that absorbs a growing number of audiences each year will be held on June 8 until June 10. Snow Patrol and The Feeling will headline the first day and on the next day Muse and Kasabian will replace them as the headliner. Finally on the last date, The Rolling Stone will headline it alongside Keane.

Pamela Anderson set the record straight on her love life. The busty blonde writes in a new posting on her online diary, she intends to remain a single mom for the sake of her two sons.

"I've tried to remarry - move on - like any other single mom. I've tried to create a healthy example for my kids always. That's why I realized early on that we are better off on our own right now," says Anderson.

Fully realizing the star powers behind an animated feature, Focus Features CEO James Schamus proudly announced on Tuesday, March 20, that the studio's animated epic "9" is featuring an all-star voice cast consisting of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer, and John C. Reilly.

"This exciting and thought-provoking story has already drawn a strong filmmaking team together to work with Shane in bringing his visionary fantasy world to life," Schamus claimed. "These splendid actors will provide compelling characterizations to go with the visual brilliance."

The release date of Maroon 5's new album "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" is coming nearer. To anticipate that, first single release as well as its video has been prepared by the band. They are reported to have shot the video of "Makes Me Wonder" at the California Department of Transportation building and Los Angeles International Airport.

Goes according to plan, "Makes Me Wonder" is agreed to be the first single released from the sophomore album. Initially this single did not come out due to the demand for tracks to be included in the album. It was written out of distraction. "It was actually great because we were distracted just enough that we didn't think about it too much, and then we wrote this part that wound up being the chorus," said the frontman, Adam Levine.

The videogame-based movie era appears to still run steadily as New Line Cinema has come to a decision to set up "Gears of War", an adaptation of the tactical third-person shooter game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios, at its pit.

In bringing the project to life, the studio has already appointed "Derailed" scribe Stuart Beattie to work on the screenplay with Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey producing via their Temple Hill. No words yet on either director or cast lineup so far.

It is reported that singer Robin Thicke is in talks to write the score of "This Wednesday". It might be a coincidence but his wife Paula Patton is the star in the urban drama.

Under the direction of Christine Crokos, Paula Patton will play the main female role named Wednesday. The drama is adopted from a true story that tells about a female pimp trying to survive in the crime-crammed streets of Philadelphia. The shoot is reported to start in the end of 2007.

Hold your breath, Angelina Jolie is going public with her new adopted son, Pax Thien. The actress decided to show her boy to the world in the upcoming issue of Hello! magazine.

Readers of the publication will thus have the chance to catch an exclusive and intimate glimpse of Jolie as she arrived in Vietnam to pick up Pax Thien last week. Photos included inside the magazine also those show Pax playing and napping with his new siblings Maddox, 5, and Zahara, 2.

It's time for the classic crime-fighting hero to get a big screen treatment. Columbia Pictures, through its presidents of production Matt Tolmach and Doug Belgrad, has announced on March 20 that it will transform the masked man's tale into a film feature.

Titled "The Green Hornet" just like the character's name, the picture will be produced by Original Film and Neal H. Moritz from whom Columbia optioned the film rights, which he had obtained from Green Hornet Inc. Meanwhile, Original's Ori Marmur will oversee development of the project on behalf of Moritz's production company.

Keanu Reeves hits a photographer. The actor was leaving a parking space in the residential area of Avenida Tranquila near Los Verdes Golf Course in Southern California on Monday night March 19th when the alleged incident occurred.

"The paparazzo was standing in the street in front of Mr. Reeves' 1996 Porsche when he was grazed by the car," the Sheriff's Department explained. "The man fell to the ground. Paramedics were summoned and treated the man at the scene. He was then transported via ambulance to a local hospital for further treatment."

The collaboration between Girls Aloud and Sugababes has shown a good result. Dubbed "Girls Aloud vs. Sugababes", they cover Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" that immediately goes #1 in UK Singles chart in the first week. It becomes Girls Aloud's third British #1 and the band's 15th successive top ten single.

At No. 2 Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape" featuring Akon still maintains its last week's position. Following behind is another newcomer in the chart and the official song for Comic Relief 2007, "(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles" by the Scottish band The Proclaimers that collaborates with comedians Peter Kay and Matt Lucas.

After two failed marriages, Halle Berry vows to never get married again, not to anyone. "I will never, never get married again," the Oscar-winning actress told the April issue of InStyle.

"I've come to a place where I think two people can share their lives without the ring, without the piece of paper," Berry went on saying.

Britney Spears is ready to suck in fresh air. The troubled bald singer will leave rehab this week, it has been reported.

About to complete series of treatment at the Promises treatment center in Malibu, California, where she checked in last month, sources claim Spears has made one of the most amazing comebacks in rehab history. Counselors, moreover, said she's "ready to take on the world again."

Recognizing his superb work in "The Last King of Scotland", Universal Pictures has tapped Kevin Macdonald to direct its crime thriller drama "State of Play" from script written by "The Kingdom" scribe Matthew Michael Carnahan.

The Americanized version of the acclaimed British miniseries, the picture follows a team of investigative reporters as they secretly work with a police detective to solve a murder case of a congressman's mistress. Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt has already been attached to play the head of the investigation.

Continues to give special attention to Nicholas Sparks' works, New Line Cinema is on the move to develop "Dear John", a big screen adaptation of another bestseller novel of the author which was published in October last year.

Set to be a touching drama feature, the project revolves around a soldier who falls hard for a gorgeous but conservative college student yet later sadly finds out that time and distance have taken a toll on their commitment to each other. No word yet on who will write or direct, but it is learned that Channing Tatum has been attached to star in.

Making worthy additions to the cast, Catherine Keener and Robin Wright Penn have both landed deals to take starring part in "What Just Happened?", a comedy feature of 2929 Entertainment production.

Already had the likes of Robert De Niro, Stanley Tucci, and Kristen Stewart in the cast, pic concerns on a desperate movie producer, played by De Niro, who is trying to survive the treachery of Hollywood and a broken second marriage. Keener is plotted to be the head of the studio he is courting while Wright Penn will portray his former wife.

In the wake of the success scored by "The Queen", Pathe Pictures International, one of the financiers of the award-winning film, is joining forces with BBC Films to make a biopic about former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who took the position from 1979 to 1990.

Said to center on the seventeen days before the 1982 Falklands War, the project has already had Brian Fillis onboard to pen the script with Damian Jones serving as the producer. Jones previously devised the concept with Fillis, who made his screenwriting debut last year through BBC TV biopic "Fear of Fanny."

Currently busy filming "The Pineapple Express" for Columbia Pictures, David Gordon Green turns out to still have an eye for doing another project. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the filmmaker is engaged in final talks to both write and direct "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town" for Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) and Smoke House.

An adaptation of John Grisham's nonfiction book of the same name, the picture depicts the true story of a man named Ron Williamson who was wrongly convicted of murder and had to spend more than ten years on death row in Oklahoma. WIP and Smoke House previously purchased the film rights to the book December last year.

Still eager to evoke more laughs in theaters, Warner Bros. Pictures is aiming to develop an untitled comedic feature following its preemptive successful venture in obtaining the film's rights from writing duo Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger.

Set in the world of wild animal training, the project focuses on the rivalry between the world's greatest animal trainer and his embittered former assistant. Names attached to star and direct have not yet been revealed, but it is said that Lisbe and Reger will also serve as the flick's executive producers.

Here comes another casting buzz on "Star Trek" following reports on Matt Damon, Adrien Brody, and Gary Sinise being involved in talks to highlight the project. Star Magazine via TrekMovie has stated that Jennifer Garner may as well show up in the film to play a love interest for Mr. Spock.

Though called its report "exclusive scoop", the magazine, on the other hand, goes on to speculate that Garner would be a perfect fit since the flick's director J.J. Abrams is known to cast names he is very familiar with and previously worked with her in hit TV series "Alias."