April 11, 2007

Continues to stay in his expertise of writing family fare, Karey Kirkpatrick has given his commitment to pen a screenplay for an action comedy flick entitled "Captain Abdul's Pirate School" while being attached to also direct, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The project marks the first of the collaboration Kirkpatrick has struck with Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films through his newly-established Blue Shirt Productions as he recently inked a two-year, first-look production deal with both companies to provide live-action family fare for them.

Finally the pieces of The White Stripes' new album are coming together with the release dates announced and the cover available for viewing.

"Icky Thump" will hit UK stores on June 18 via XL Records. The next day, US' portion will be released via Warner Bros Records. Japan's and East Asia's circulation will begin the same day as US'. The cover of this album can be previewed here.

Following the first single "High Maintenance Woman" that holds strong in Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, singer Toby Keith will release the album "Big Dog Daddy" on June 12.

Keith has all his sweat on this piece as he wrote most of the tracks except for two. Some of the tracks that have been revealed apart from "High Maintenance Woman" are "Love Me if You Can," "Get My Drink On" and "White Rose." His longtime contributor Scotty Emerick and Greg Wiseman again gave him assistance while Canadian songwriter wrote "White Rose" for him.

Seemingly gliding rather velvety through her acting path this year, Leslie Bibb has delightfully secured not only one but two big screen stints following her inclusion in "Midnight Meat Train."

The Hollywood Reporter has came up with news informing that the beauty has landed deals to star in both "Iron Man" and "The Bachelorette Party." Bibb, widely known for her role in The WB's teenage dramedy "Popular", last seen on the silver screen in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby", which has grossed over $148 million in U.S. only.

Talks on "Superman: The Man of Steel" seem endless since reports of it being set to be made came to the surface in October last year.

After rumors speculating it would likely get stalled due to director Bryan Singer's WWII thriller of "Valkyrie" and Warner Bros.' consideration to place Superman in "Justice League of America", now comes words saying that Orlando Bloom may be up for a starring part in this sequel to "Superman Returns"

New York's Central Park SummerStage has several names on the bill to headline. The festival that will start June 8 has announced early lineup such as Common, The Decemberists, Television, Neko Case and Cassandra Wilson.

Rapper Common, soul singer Joss Stone and Ryan Shaw will perform June 8. Jazz singer Cassandra Wilson will be the opening act on June 15 night while Television plays the next day along with Dragons Of Zynth. The New Pornographer's Neko Case will get her slot on July 20.

Yes, Robert Langdon will still be the same man you saw onscreen in "The Da Vinci Code" when he is back in "Angels & Demons" next year, that's according to CinemaBlend.com.

The site has revealed that Tom Hanks "has been officially locked up" to once again play the character in that "Da Vinci Code" follow-up, first announced almost a year ago. A source to the site even claimed that Sony Pictures would give Hanks the "biggest salary ever paid to an actor in the history of Hollywood" for the project.

The Roberts junior is adding another job to her resume. Emma Roberts, the niece of senior movie actress Julia Roberts, has been tapped to front a new line of handbags.

Fronting the new line of Dooney & Bourke handbags, Emma will have the accessories named after her hit stores in America next month. In addition to fronting the line, the teen actress also is giving hand at designing.

This just in. Jesse Metcalfe is set to do a Daniel Radcliffe, stripping off on stage. The hunk is said to be the next to go naked for West End play "Equus."

Claimed as a strong contender for the lead in the play, Metcalfe is believed to have been tipped to replace Radcliffe by the time his run comes to an end.

The success of "Ghost Rider" in collecting a respectable income of $114.8 million so far gets tainted as the studios producing the superhero flick now has to face a legal action from Gary Friedrich, creator of the comic book series the film is based on.

The Missouri-born writer was reported to place a lawsuit on April 4, 2007 in an Illinois federal court against Marvel Enterprises, Sony Pictures, and several other entities he deems responsible for ripping off his copyright on their way in making the movie. Considering the film to be a "joint venture and conspiracy to exploit, profit from and utilize", the man alleges that twenty-one violations were made during its production and marketing.

Further details have come up in Chemical Brothers' sixth album "We Are the Night". The release date is announced and the contributors are revealed.

London's very own band Klaxons, American rock band Midlake, folk singer Willy Mason, hip-hop musician Fatlip and singer Ali Love are in the bill of this album.

Is Jennifer Lopez considering another career? The singer-actress, following the flop of her latest Spanish music album, is about to produce a new Spanish-language TV miniseries.

Lopez has agreed to be the executive producer of a five-hour musical drama on Univision, the Spanish-language network in California. Besides executive producing, she will also provide soundtrack for the miniseries.

Plans to make a biopic about Anna Nicole Smith have been circulated around for some time and seems it will soon take shape as the project's filmmakers have delightfully found the right one to portray the Playboy playmate.

Variety has brought in hot news that dancer-singer Willa Ford has been picked up to assume the part under the direction of Keoni Waxman. Production on the movie, now titled "Anna Nicole", is said to start next week with Jack and Joseph Nasser producing and Elie Samaha executive producing.

The hottest disc jockey in town Adam Goldstein aka DJ AM will visit The Music Lounge this Thursday, April 12 at 4 - 5 PM PT/ 7 - 8 ET. He will raise the heat in the virtual club by chatting, dancing, mixing, strutting and also judging.

The Music Lounge is a virtual nightclub where music fans can hang out, listen to music, make friends, dance, and chat. DJ AM who is known for his high profile relationship with Nicole Richie, will perform his skills, entertain and judge a one hour dance competition. He will award the top 4 contestants of the dance competition that is made up of virtual characters, personally.

New rumors surface by the hour that Rosario Dawson is dating Eli Roth.

The actress and movie director reportedly hit it off while promoting their new film project, "Grindhouse."

Already had several big screen projects to do on his plate, Scott Derrickson appears to still have enough space to add one more into the list. The Hollywood North Report has revealed that "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" director is taking the helming duties in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" for the 20th Century Fox.

A remake of Robert Wise's 1951 sci-fi classic, the project will likely to follow closely the story presented in the original, which tells about a humanoid alien named Klaatu who comes to Earth to warn its leaders not to take their conflicts into space or they will face lethal consequences. Derrickson is reportedly prepping for a shoot in Vancouver, Canada where he will film the flick until November this year.

A dedicated environmentalist, Orlando Bloom wears his true color, green, in Elle Magazine's May 2007 "Green Issue." This month's Elle Man spills the bean on his career and more personal sides in the upcoming issue of the publication.

The actor, shot to stardom for his action in the hit trilogy of "Pirates," said he's not doing any more trilogies, claiming "going back-to-back without time to digest the process and immerse yourself in the next [was] a challenge."

M.I.A.'s stay in the studio since early 2006 has brought a result in an album titled "Kala". The third studio album will be released by the rapper on June 26 via XL/Interscope Records.

Just like the 2005's "Arular", this piece is produced by various musicians that include Mr. Bangladesh, Danja Handz, Diplo, Three 6 Mafia, Timbaland and many more. The first single "Bird Flu" is already available for listening in her MySpace blog, so do the tracks "XR2" and "Talk About Moi"

Radiohead who is currently without label, posted a video featuring possible materials for new album.

The short video shows the group hanging out in studio while playing music. Thom Yorke is seen dancing and DJing while the rest come along. A soundtrack can be heard in the background which is comprised of medley and dialogue. The music is new to the ear and thought to be the material for new album which suppose to be out this year.

Britney Spears falls in love, again. The singer, who has just reached divorce settlement with estranged husband Kevin Federline, is dating L.A. Lakers forward Luke Walton, it has been reported.

It is said that Spears was spotted going to L.A. Lakers games and has been showing her support courtside. She screamed Luke's name with the rest of his fans during the game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday April 8th.

Heading to the opposite side of his usual fare about male relationship, "Reign Over Me" writer/director Mike Binder has given his agreement to pen for Universal Pictures' female-centered drama "The Friday Night Knitting Club", The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

An adaptation of Kathleen Jacobs' novel of the same title, the movie revolves around Georgia Walker, a single mother who pulls all her strengths to balance the demands of running a Manhattan knitting store with raising her spunky teen daughter. Her regular customers usually meet once a week to work on their latest projects and chat, but a tragedy later brings them all to look at their knitting club in a new light.

Set to work together as a dream team, Hollywood's household names of Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, and Alan Alda have all come onboard to highlight a comedy about family and memory loss entitled "Diminished Capacity" for New York-based Plum Pictures.

Here Broderick will portray a man who experiences memory loss after being hit on the head while Alda is billed as his Alzheimer's-addled uncle and Madsen his high school sweetheart. Story will revolve around the threesome as they take a trip to a memorabilia show in order to sell a rare baseball card.

Following the reunion of bands such as Take That and The Smashing Pumpkins, there are now rumors that Wham! would do the same. Speaking on behalf of the duo, George Michael laughed this off.

Michael thinks the reformation of Wham! would be one foolish step. He said, "We were at an age where how you were developing as a person was just as important as the songs you were writing. It all made sense then but at this point, a Wham! reunion doesn't make any sense."

He has great respect for ex-girlfriend Cameron Diaz and told the world not to diss the actress. But that's all that is going on between Justin Timberlake and the actress, no more. Back on the market following their break up, the pop singer is now back on the dating saddle again. He reportedly has rekindled his romance with Jessica Biel.

Report on their rekindle romance was first made public by Us Weekly. The publication reported, "On April 6, Justin Timberlake arrived at a friend's birthday party in Malibu, California, holding hands with Biel! Things got a tad more PG-13 from there." "If Jessica was talking to a group of girls, Justin would come over, kiss her neck and start making out with her," the publication quoted a source as saying.

Held on July 7, 2007 across 7 continents, Live Earth Concerts self-declares that it is an event that is worth it. Lineups for both UK and US have been announced and they are the ones who will attract billions of audience and promote the fight against global warming.

Performing at London's Wembley Stadium are Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Bloc Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Damien Rice, David Gray, Duran Duran, Foo Fighters, Genesis, James Blunt, John Legend, Keane, Madonna, Paolo Nutini, Razorlight, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snow Patrol.

She's only second to Jessica Biel who tops the poll on Sexiest Women conducted by men magazine Stuff. Yet, Scarlett Johansson wins her companion's heart as she is voted the No. 1 in a poll on World's Sexiest Bodies by women magazine Glamour. Biel, sad to say, is nowhere on the list.

Glamour magazine, asked 5,000 women to vote for which female celebrity they thought had the sexiest figure, praises ScarJo's curvy body, saying "With curves to rival Marilyn Monroe's, Scarlett embraces old-school Hollywood style." Actress Jessica Alba is second, just one place ahead of Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen at the 3rd spot.

It's official, Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby daughter, Dannielynn. The decision was made public Tuesday April 10th, thus ending the saga concerning the mystery of the baby's biological father.

Birkhead, a celebrity photographer, emerged triumphantly onto the steps of a court-house in the Bahamas to declare that paternity tests had revealed he was "99.9999" percent certain to be the biological father of seven-month old Dannielynn.