March 30, 2007

Manages to stay busy throughout, Hilary Swank is developing a new film feature titled "Intimate Strangers" for Paramount Pictures with an eye to both star in and produce, Variety has learned.

A remake of the 2004 French flick "Confidences trop intimes", the project is likely to closely follow the original's plot which tells about the story of a woman who believes she is going to visit her new shrink but really ends up baring her soul to an accountant.

Still having spare time to look around for another stint despite going busy preparing "The H-Man Cometh", David O. Russell has signed on to both write and direct a Washington-set comedy titled "Sammy's Hill", The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

A joint production between Columbia Pictures and Red Wagon, the picture is a big screen adaptation of a novel by Kristin Gore, the daughter of former Vice President Al Gore. The story follows a young woman as she tries to balance a job as a congressional aide on Capitol Hill while searching for the right guy.

In his wait to see "Resurrecting the Champ", director Rod Lurie has satisfyingly landed deals to helm thriller picture "Straw Dogs", a remake of the 1971 feature of the same title, at Screen Gems.

Though already hired TV writer Reed Steiner to pen the script with Marc Frydman producing, Screen Gems turns out to still be in the process of obtaining the rights to the original, which initially was produced by ABC Pictures Corp.

Keeps circling around comedy genre, Raja Gosnell now finds himself getting attached to helm a rom-com feature entitled "The Book Club" for The Weinstein Company.

The flick is said to present a story that focuses on a man who discovers the dirty secrets of an all-female book club. He then enlists help from the members to get his estranged girlfriend back in return for not ratting them out to the men in their lives.

Aware of giving more than just an entertainment to moviegoers, Paramount Pictures is about to develop a gritty film feature entitled "The Rules of Deception" with Lorenzo di Bonaventura seating as the producer.

An adaptation of Christopher Reich's book of the same title, the project concerns a physician for Doctors Without Borders whose wife falls into an inaccessible ravine during a hiking in the Swiss Alps. In his grief, he later finds a letter addressed to her of which content unexpectedly brings him to stand in center of a conspiracy that could result in nuclear war in the Middle East.

Shifting attention to male cast, Capitol Films have successfully got both Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys onboard to join the list of its romantic drama "The Best Time of Our Lives¹", Variety has reported.

Already included starlets Lindsay Lohan and Keira Knightley in the lineup, the project centers on Welsh poet and the relationship formed between he and his wife Caitlin also his childhood friend Vera Phillips and her eventual husband William Killick. Murphy will play the latter one with Rhys, Lohan, and Knightley play Thomas, Caitlin, and Phillips, respectively.

Making a follow-up to the teaser clip it posted on AOL's Moviefone, Warner Bros. Pictures has smoothly launched a new trailer for "Ocean's Thirteen" on the web.

Available exclusively at Yahoo! Movies, the trailer can be via both Windows Media and Quicktime format in High Definition. In addition, fans can also accessed the teaser trailer on the site as well as a series of production photos of the movie.

Receiving the same treatment as its predecessor had before, "Spider-Man 3" delightfully will also have a simultaneous release in conventional and IMAX theaters as it opens in the U.S. on May 4 this year, IMAX Corporation and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced.

"The simultaneous IMAX release of Spider-Man 3 allows us to celebrate one of the most anticipated motion picture events of the year in an exciting event format," Sony's President of Domestic Distribution Rory Bruer stated. "Spider-Man 3: The IMAX Experience will give fans of Spider-Man an opportunity to experience the next exhilarating installment of the series in an unforgettably unique and immersive way."

There could be another major female character to appear in "The Dark Knight" besides Rachel Dawes if all are proven to be true.

Words are now circulating heavily that Sarah Michelle Gellar may join the highly anticipated flick's cast following a posting on Whedon.info hinting that the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star is likely to be cast in.

Gerard Butler and Naomi Campbell. What do they have in common? Can you please find one? If not then here I tell you what. They have the same feeling toward each other.

Speculation is mounting that Butler and Campbell are couple. Completed her five days of community service as a result of throwing a cell phone at a former employee, the supermodel returned to New York where she has been spotted out and about with Butler several times.

Straying into thriller-horror genre, "Deja Vu" star Paula Patton has reportedly taken a role in supernatural flick "Mirrors" which "The Hills Have Eyes" helmer Alexandre Aja is set to direct with Kiefer Sutherland toplining.

A remake of the 2003 Korean feature "Geoul sokeuro", the picture finds Sutherland as a cop-turned-mall-security-guard who tries to discover the origin of the evil upon finding something awry in the mirrors of a department store he works at. Patton is said to portray his fiance who does not believe all his sayings about the mirrors.

Talk is heating up that Michael Jackson has been hospitalized. While report on that matter remains speculative, a spokeswoman for the star set the record straight Thursday March 29th, saying Michael is "a little bit under the weather," but has not sought hospital treatment.

"He was a little under the weather when he returned from Europe. He probably had a bad cold or the flu. But he was never hospitalized," Raymone Bain said, claiming Michael was in Las Vegas recording music for a new project after attending to "personal business" in Europe.

High in demand after his stellar performance in "The Departed", Mark Wahlberg has delightfully been picked up to topline 20th Century Fox's paranoia thriller "The Happening", the studio has announced.

Co-financed by India's UTV, the project revolves around a family who is on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. Onboard to direct is "The Village" helmer M. Night Shyamalan who penned the flick's original script and successfully sold it to Fox.

The heiress' life will not be that simple anymore as she is facing jail term for violating her probation. Paris Hilton is facing a 90 days in jail sentence after being accused of violating the terms of her probation by driving without a license, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office announced Thursday March 29th.

The decision to revoke Paris' probation is taken following a Feb 27th incident during which she was stopped for speeding down Sunset Boulevard without her headlines on. The officers who pulled her over impounded her 2007 Bentley Continental GTC Convertible upon discovering her license had been suspended.

Like it or not, Jamie Foxx had to cancel the date on March 28 in Washington. It was triggered by his doctor's command to lie resting his voice in order to heal his bronchial problem.

At least the doctor's order was only valid for a day. Foxx publicist said, "His current North American tour is still going strong and Foxx is scheduled to perform in Atlanta Mar. 30-Apr. 1". That also means that he is fit enough to perform the concerts after Atlanta's Fox Theater tonight.

The considerable popularity of "Star Wars" franchise apparently has brought an inspiration to the U.S. Postal Service to make a move that sure will delight all fans around the country.

Yes, the company has got the series' characters printed as stamps which it proudly unveiled Wednesday, March 28 at Grauman's Chinese theater in Hollywood, where the "Star Wars" movie come up the surface thirty years ago.

The wedding bell will ring sooner than ever for Leonardo DiCaprio and his model girlfriend Bar Refaeli. The lovers are reportedly planning to walk down the aisle June later this year.

Rumor has it that the actor has popped the question to his lady and they are already planning their big day. "Although it may be a bit of a rush, they're thinking about getting married this June. That's when Bar turns 22," a source told the National Enquirer magazine.

Rumors circulating on Radiohead signing to Starbucks is proven wrong by the band. A spokesman said on behalf of the band that their next album is coming in the way but they are not signing any deal with anyone.

Though saying during an interview in 2006 that it is terrifying to not have a contract, the band later said that they do not plan to permanently re-sign to one label for more than 1 record. They haven't even discussed on how they album will be released and is still juggling between releasing a LP or an album.

Courtney Love rocks. For women at her age it's amazing that she still has the body curve. The rocker, who's been photographed wearing a skimpy bikini in Hawaii showing off her sleek toned body, opens up about weight loss.

Courtney, in a posting on her Website, said she's already lost 44 pounds and intends to lose "6 more maybe 11."

After announcing the engagement to longtime girlfriend Tameka Foster, Usher is gonna make another headline with the release of next album. Yes, he is all back on music track and is currently baking the talked about album in the studio.

Aimed to hit the stores by November this year, Usher is still confused upon what suitable name can be given to the fifth studio album. In the middle of the recording with Jermaine Dupri in So So Def studio he simply said, "We're still trying to find the title."

After the announcement of Snow Patrol's involvement in Spider-Man 3 soundtracks, rock bands The Flaming Lips, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Jet are joining the excitement of providing songs for Peter Parker's new venture.

The CD will be out on May 1 via Record Collection, just three days prior the movie's premiere. Snow Patrol's ballad "Signal Fire" has been confirmed to be the first single released.

Aiming to get back to his expertise in drawing big laughs from audience, Jim Carrey is currently engaged in talks to become the male lead in comedy flick "Me Time", Variety has reported.

A 20th Century Fox production, the movie concerns a writer who has to take care of the house and his child when his pregnant wife has to go on bed rest. His confidence in carrying out the tasks, however, is shaken after he reads his ancestor's diary in which she describes raising a family, plowing the fields, and taming the wild environs.

Set to reunite with Adam Sandler after their last collaboration in the upcoming "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry", Dennis Duigan has given agreement to direct the star's vehicle of "You Don't Mess with the Zohan", which is currently being set up at Columbia Pictures.

Originally developed under Revolution Studios banner, the picture finds Sandler as a Mossad agent who fakes his death so he can move to New York and become a hairstylist. Also starring is Rob Schneider who will play an East Yistannen cab driver with Sandler, Judd Apatow, and Robert Smigel working on the script.

Getting inclined to ignite moviegoers' laughs, Dimension Films is on the move to make a comedic feature titled "Tough Love" with Ice Cube being attached to topline.

Inspired by the life of former New England Patriots defensive back Tebucky Jones, the flick will focus on an NFL player who discovers that his kids have become spoiled brats. Inhis effort to toughen them up, he surprisingly comes to a realization that he too might have some things to learn.

Enhancing the high-profile status of the picture, Willem Dafoe, Hayden Panettiere, Shannon Lucio, Ioan Gruffudd, and George Newbern have all come onboard to take part in drama flick "Fireflies in the Garden", The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

Marking the feature directorial debut of Dennis Lee, who also wrote the screenplay, the project is loosely based on his life as it explores the complexities of love and commitment in a family torn apart when faced with an unexpected tragedy.

It's just about a week ago that we learned that Elizabeth Banks has joined the "Starship Dave" cast and now she already has newer project to get involved in.

Variety has reported that the lovely actress is about to star in also produce a rom-com feature entitled "What About Barb" for Universal Pictures. Based on the story of the same name by Jill Bernheimer and Keetgi Kogan, pic centers on a socialite who must allow her uncouth cousin to be the maid of honor so that her nouveau riche uncle will pay for the wedding.

More good news is coming for "Phenom." Following tidbit on Chris Brown taking the lead in the flick, Screen Gems has delightfully obtained rights to set it up under its banner with Bob Teitel and George Tillman Jr. to produce.

Scripted by Charles Murray, the picture sees Brown portray standout high school basketball player who goes into professional league when the press discovers he is the illegitimate son of an aging NBA star. These two men of different generations then find themselves head for a collision course as their teams meet in the NBA playoffs.

Still in the mood for comedic genre, MTV Films is about to set up one more flick of the kind at its pit. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the studio is teaming up with Escape Artists to make "I Want to ___ Your Sister" based on lawyer-turned-screenwriter Melissa Stack's spec script it preemptively purchased for a $300,000 advance.

Intended to be a high-concept comedy, the project concerns a big brother who will go to any lengths to protect his sister from guys just like him. While there is no word yet on either director or cast, Escape's Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch have all been confirmed to produce with Aaron Kaplan and Sean Perrone executive producing.

Seemingly not satisfied enough with a bunch of film roles he has landed, Tom Cruise is now reported by IGN to have fixed his gaze on a comedic feature entitled "Men", which is set to take shape under Warner Bros. Pictures banner.

An initial source to the site previously claimed that the megastar might squeeze the film in before he goes into production on Bryan Singer's fact-based WWII thriller currently known as "Valkyrie" yet the others have disputed that.

The massive success "300" has gained so far appears to give inspiration to Universal Pictures to also put a Greece-set epic into its future movie slate. Reports are now heavy about the company's plan to develop "God of War", a film adaptation of the SCEA action-adventure game loosely based on Greek mythology.

Set in an ancient Greece full of mythical beings and deities, the original tells a bloody story of vengeance centering on a Spartan warrior named Kratos who receives missions from the gods on Olympus to prevent Ares from destroying the city of Athens. For the big screen version, it has been confirmed that famed producer Charles Roven will produce via his Mosaic Group shingle.

Now that Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have reached a settlement in their long divorce battle, it only takes a judge to approve the settlement for the divorce to become final.

The estranged couple reached a settlement in their divorce Thursday March 29th and have finally signed "a global settlement on all issues of their marriage," Michael Sands, a spokesman for Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, said.

Finally, a name has been picked up for Bryan Singer's untitled WWII thriller feature. British paper The Guardian has came up with an interesting scoop that the project from now on is referred as "Valkyrie", a title derived from the code name of the plot to assassinate Nazi leader Adolf Hitler which its story deals with.

Intended to be a multi-character ensemble piece, the flick revolves around real-life Nazi officer Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg who, together with several others, conducted an assassination attempt on Hitler at the height of WWII also a military coup against the German Fuhrer. Both were failed, leading Stauffenberg to be executed by firing squad on July 21, 1944.

Bono adding a more prestigious title to that of rock star. The U2 frontman was named a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Thursday March 29th.

The honor, given in an informal, laugh-filled ceremony in the Dublin home of British Ambassador David Reddaway, is given in recognition of Bono's services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work.

Rihanna is picking up her pace in the new album's release date and she is also taking a level higher in songs choice. "Umbrella", the first single from the album "Good Girl Gone Bad" was released on March 29 and featured the more serious and edgier version of Rihanna.

"'Umbrella' is a serious song, a relationship song. ... It's different, and that's what I love about it. People are not going to expect a song like that from me," Rihanna said upon the surprises that fans may get. "My sound has changed. It's a lot edgier than the rest of the stuff that anyone has heard from me before. I'm singing about different things, it's a lot sexier," she continued.

She's an Oscar winning actress. She is famous and rich. So what? Despite all her good luck Halle Berry is just a human being, who like many of us, has to face the ups and downs in life. The movie beauty once experienced broken heart that she nearly killed herself.

In an interview with , Berry says she was so depressed after her 1997 breakup with ex-husband and baseball star David Justice that she contemplated suicide. "I was sitting in my car, and I knew the gas was coming when I had an image of my mother finding me," she tells this coming Sunday's issue of Parade magazine.

Judging from the way she lives her life in recent days, Britney Spears deserves the title, I guess. The pop star has been voted the Most Unhealthy Celeb according to the poll by healthy living brand, LIME.

It is said that Spears is the one most needs to "live the change and take steps towards striving for a healthier and more balanced lifestyle." She got of the vote. Fellow rehab celeb Lindsay Lohan comes in 2nd with