March 22, 2007

A fanciful and chilling story set against the backdrop of a fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain, "Pan's Labyrinth" gloriously came out as the big winner at this year's Ariel Awards ceremony, held Tuesday, March 20 at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts.

Nominated in twelve categories, the flick wonderfully scooped up nine honors altogether, notably the best picture and director for Guillermo del Toro. The rest were best actress trophy for Maribel Verdu, best cinematography, art direction, original score, makeup, costume design, and special effects.

Rap mogul Jermaine Dupri was overheard telling Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama at a party he was ready to marry girlfriend Janet Jackson. If Life & Style magazine is to be believed, the man "definitely" will marry the singer and "can't wait to make a baby with her".

"Barack told him he's a lucky man, and Jermaine replied, 'You have no idea! She takes good care of me...She writes me poems,'" a party guest, who overheard the chat, told the magazine.

Shies away from the spotlight to take seat behind the camera, Russell Crowe is on the way to make his feature directorial debut. Variety has learned that the Oscar-winning actor has signed on to helm a big screen project entitled "Bra Boys" for Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment.

A fact-based drama about a counterculture movement in a surf community in Australia, the picture will put its base on the documentary feature of the same title which concerns three brothers named Sunny, Koby and Jai Abberton who began the underground surfer movement in the inner-Sydney seaside suburb of Maroubra.

In the wake of her becoming single again in the eyes of the law following the finalize of her divorce with Dave Navarro, Carmen Electra has found a new love and ready to make it public during this year's annual Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs.

Rumor has it that Carmen is in love with bad girl rocker Joan Jett. Per Star, it has been reported that they have been looking very cozy in recent months, after meeting at last year's Dinah Shore Weekend. "They've been dating since before Thanksgiving," says a source. "They don't co-habitate, but they do spend a lot of time together."

The story of "Nancy Drew" is going to have another chapter for sure. Variety has reported that producer Jerry Weintraub and helmer Andrew Fleming are gearing up a sequel to the flick with Emma Roberts reprising her role as the titular character.

The first installment, set to hit theaters on June 15 this year, is based on characters created by Carolyn Keene and centers on a female teenager named Nancy who gets involved in the case of a beautiful actress' mysterious death when she accompanies her father to Los Angeles. Lined up in the cast are Max Thieriot, Tate Donovan, and Rachael Leigh Cook, to name few.

Jesse Metcalfe and his girlfriend Nadine Coyle are about to tie the knot. The actor, widely known for his acting in the hit TV series "Desperate Housewives", is said be ready to pop the question to the Girls Aloud beauty, after dating her for just over a year.

"They're completely in love. Their romance was sealed after Nadine spent time with Jesse in Los Angeles recently," a source close to the couple was quoted as saying. "They are so happy together, despite living on different sides of the world. They have learnt to deal with a transatlantic love affair very well. Marriage is the next step."

With the release of "Veteran" on March 20, Marques Houston is entering a new phase of his life. Displaying a more mature and personal side, he leaves behind the sexual and explicit records that he had made in the past two albums.

"This one is about relationships, love songs, break-ups - the mushy stuff. I'm 25 now. I'm just at a different place in my life, so I tried to put out music from my soul, something my fans would enjoy," the singer said in a statement to Billboard.com. In the track titled "Circle" for example he said that it tells on the relationship that he is going through. "You have a relationship where you're like, 'I wonder what's going to happen in the end.' You always wonder if it's going to come back. That's why the hook says, 'If you love something, let it go, and if it comes back, that's how you know.'"

Turns out the rumor does ring true. The Hollywood Reporter has delightfully brought in good news that Jet Li is holding negotiations with Universal Pictures to play the main villain in "The Mummy 3."

The third installment of "Mummy" franchise, the project has already had Rob Cohen on duty to direct based on script penned by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. While the likes of Sean Daniel, Stephen Sommers, and Bob Ducsay also Jim and James Jacks are all confirmed to produce, no deals come yet from stars of the two previous films, Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.

Finding more talents to get onboard "Starship Dave", the 20th Century Fox has submitted Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, and Ed Helms into the flick's cast, which has already had Eddie Murphy in to topline.

A fish-out-of-water comedy, the project revolves around a spaceship that takes the form of a human operated by one hundred human-looking tiny aliens who seek a way to save their planet. Murphy will play both the ship and its captain while Banks is billed as an Earth woman whom he falls for.

What's behind their perfect marriage? Us Weekly reveals all, the most part at least, about Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and their marriage.

In its upcoming issue, hits the newsstands this week, Us Weekly detailing on the actor's too controlling nature towards his actress wife and his aggressive attempt to get best pal, David Beckham and Victoria Adams, convert into Scientology.

Following the publications of Bryan Singer to direct a WWII thriller as his next project, speculations began to arise that the picture will cause development on "Superman: The Man of Steel" get stalled. But fear not, folks, as it is unlikely to happen according to the videographer on "Superman Returns" Robert Meyer Burnett.

"...I'm ALREADY working on the sequel," so the man claimed in a statement during a BlueTights.net Q&A session. "Bryan, Brandon and the whole merry bunch will be coming back...and filming will probably begin March, 2008, as was always planned from the beginning. The WWII film Bryan plans to shoot over the summer will have NO EFFECT whatsoever on the Superman sequel schedule."

Now that she's getting close to another guy, Stavros Niarchos is just "too insecure and immature." That's the reason why Paris Hilton reportedly dumps the Greek shipping heir after dating him on and off for more than a year.

"Paris dumped Stavros. She's been getting tired of him for a while. She feels he's just too insecure and immature," Paris' friends are telling Life & Style magazine. It is said that the pair broke up for good at the weekend.

Just when new albums started entering the chart last week, they are replaced by a fresh batch of new ones this week. Also, the number 100,000 has been broken this week after four consecutive weeks selling under that. The breaker is brand new album "Luvanmusiq" by Musiq Soulchild that sells 149,000 copies. This is the R&B artist's second #1 album since "Juslisen" in 2002. In Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart meanwhile Musiq also score a place in the Top 5 through single "B.U.D.D.Y.".

Another fresh-from-the-oven, Lloyd's "Street Love" reigns the second runner of the chart thanks to a sale of 144,000. Rapper Rich Boy entails behind at #3 with his self-titled album that sells 112,000 units. At no. 4 self titled album from old topper DAUGHTRY goes through a decrease sale from 82,000 to 80,000.

She's back home to US with her son as soon as the adoption process is all completed. Angelina Jolie brings her newly adopted son Pax Thien to leave Vietnam Wednesday March 21st, en route to the boy's new home in the United States.

The mother and son left the country in a U.S.-bound private jet from Noi Bai airport. On the 3-year-old boy, it is widely believed that Jolie is planning to present him to the world just the way she did with Shiloh, which is via a photo spread in People magazine.

Another health problem for Nicole Richie. The socialite collapsed, yet again, while shooting episodes for the 5th season of "The Simple Life" last week, after suffering from "dehydration" on March 2nd. And now after lots of health related issues lately, the diagnosis is made public that Nicole is suffering from hypoglycemia.

"In her ongoing effort to focus on her well-being, Nicole has recently been diagnosed with hypoglycemia," her spokesperson confirmed. Okay then what is hypoglycemia? According to the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation's Website, "Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar) level drops too low to provide enough energy for your body's activities."

Fans of Sir Elton John can now enjoy a stomach full of his songs. Over 400 tracks will be made available for digital downloads in a service provided by Apple iTunes. The digital catalogue from Apple will be effective from March 26 until April 30 and then it will go to other download services. It is also reported that some of the tracks will be made cell phone ringtones.

The tracks included in the catalogue are taken ranging from the very beginning of his career including those which almost went unnoticed such as "Empty Sky" (1969) and the 1970's self titled album until the 1975's chart busters "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" and "Rock of the Westies". Melodies like "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" featuring Kiki Dee and Lady Di's tribute "Candle in the Wind" will also be accessible in the download system.

Slated to be a good onscreen companion to Anna Faris, Michelle Trachtenberg has signed on to take starring role in Universal Pictures' drama comedy "Kids in America (2007)", MTV has reported.

The latest acting talent to join in the cast lineup, the beauty has already begun shooting her scenes in Phoenix, Arizona last week, playing a dark-haired, fishnet-stocking-clad goth girl whose affection for The Cure and New Order clashes with A Flock of Seagulls mentality surrounding her. Also starring are Topher Grace, Teresa Palmer, Seth Gabel, and Dan Fogler, among others.

Roles seem to keep coming for Chris Brown following the recent success of his film debut "Stomp the Yard."

MTV has revealed that the R&B/Pop sensation is set to topline a basketball drama feature titled "Phenom", which is likely to be his next big screen project after family-friendly holiday flick "This Christmas."

Freedom approaches Britney Spears as she has completed her rehab treatment. The troubled bald pop singer was released on Tuesday March 20th by the Promises Malibu Treatment Center "after successfully completing their program," her manager Larry Rudolph said in a statement released by Jive Records.

"We ask that the media respects her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time," the statement said. Spears checked into the Promises Malibu Treatment Center Feb 21st after shaving her head bald following weeks of erratic public behavior that coincided with an escalating divorce battle.