April 17, 2007

Preparing to see his latest directing effort "American Gangster" make its way in theaters November this year, Ridley Scott has come onboard to direct Fox 2000 's new thriller "Child 44" with Scott Free to produce.

Based on Tom Rob Smith's upcoming debut novel of the same name, the picture is set in Stalinist Russia and centers on an officer in the secret police who is framed by a colleague for treason. On the run with his emotionally estranged wife, the man unexpectedly encounters a series of child killings which then prompts him to have his own rogue investigation, even though it means risking his own capture.

Modest Mouse with its newest member Johnny Marr is set to perform in Connect festival. The band will join the Scottish event that is held at Inveraray Castle in Argyll from August 31 to September 2.

Other lineups that have been announced before are Sons & Daughters, Rilo Kiley and Patrick Wolf, Bjork, Beastie Boys, Primal Scream, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Jarvis Cocker.

Poised to be one of the busiest directors working today, Shawn Levy is reportedly attached to both direct and produce a fantasy feature titled "The Seems" for the 20th Century Fox.

Based on John Hulme and Mike Wexler's upcoming novel "The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep", the project is set in a parallel world where everything that humans take for granted is manufactured and designed. When a glitch occurs, a young boy is drafted to correct it and save the world.

Parting ways with former band Bush and taking a break from current band Institute, Gavin Rossdale prepares for his solo album. In his first solo effort, he trusted Bob Rock to helm the project.

Posted in his official website is "We'll do half the record in LA and the other half in Hawaii, where he (Rock) lives on the north shore. So has you can imagine I'm pretty excited about that."

More good talents are coming for "Mamma Mia!." The Hollywood Reporter has brought in news informing that Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, and Christine Baranski have all been added into the cast of the flick, which has already had Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Amanda Seyfried in.

A joint production of Littlestar and Playtone, the musical romantic comedy is the adaptation of the popular ABBA musical which focuses on a bride-to-be (Seyfried) raised by a single mother (Streep) who locates three men who might be her father and invites them to her wedding. Firth and Skarsgard are said to portray two of the three possible fathers while Baranski plays a plastic surgery-loving party girl in her forties who is bossy and boozy.

Taking his third writing stint, Mark Poirier has been assigned to pen the script of the untitled Russian brides project that Warner Bros. Pictures is still setting up at its pit, Variety has learned.

Adapted from David Benioff's 2002 article "Goodbye to Romance", the picture centers on a group of American guys who travel through Russia to search for brides. Names to direct and star have not yet been revealed, but it is confirmed that Todd Phillips will produce via his eponymous production company with Benioff.

It keeps going the way it's going. Madonna arrived in Malawi Monday April 16th amid rumors she's planning for another adoption.

Not taking into account the persistent rumors, the pop singer jetted into one of the poorest countries in Africa and one of the worst hit by the AIDS pandemic. Came along with her is adopted son David Banda and daughter Lourdes.

Returning to the big screen after last being seen taking a film role in 2005, Isaiah Washington is poised to be the leadstar of an indie thriller titled "The Least of These", Variety has reported.

Here the "Grey's Anatomy" star will play a priest with a troubled past who gets transferred to a Catholic boarding school after the mysterious disappearance of one of the priests. Production is set to begin in L.A. June this year with Nathan Scoggins directing from the script he himself wrote.

While for many others music is everything, not for Lil' Romeo. The rapper, son of rap mogul Master P, has reportedly put the brake on his singing and acting career for several years and commit to playing basketball for the University of Southern California.

The 17-year-old, who is studying a degree in business administration at the University of Southern California, signed for the Trojans Friday April 13th and plans to play for the squad after he graduates next year.

Responding to the rumor saying he is in the running to helm "The Hobbit" following the public dispute between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema, famed filmmaker Sam Raimi for the first time revealed his thoughts about the matter to Entertainment Weekly in exclusive interview with the magazine's Steve Daly for its Summer Preview issue.

"Peter Jackson might be the best filmmaker on the planet right now. But, um, I don't know what's going to happen next for me right now," the man remarked. "First and foremost, those are Peter Jackson and Bob Shaye's films. If Peter didn't want to do it, and Bob wanted me to do it-and they were both ok with me picking up the reigns-that would be great. I love the book. It's maybe a more kid-friendly story than the others."

Before coming up with the highly anticipated seventh album, Radiohead will re-release "Com Lag (2Plus2IsFive)". The compilation that consists of 11 tracks is the band's rare record that was not released in US.

It was in March 2004 that the album hit Japan and Australian stores in EP mode. Canada's release follows after in April 2004 whereby the circulation went through Copy Control protection in some regions.

Allowing fans and moviegoers to have another look on its highly anticipated flick "Ocean's Thirteen", Warner Bros. Pictures has fully set the official site for the movie on the web in the wait for it to hit theaters on June 8 this year.

Those who visit the website can view a number of new photos from the picture while getting able to download some buddy icons, wallpapers, poster, and screensaver as well as using the film's MySpace page link. More to come are info about cast and filmmakers, showtimes & ticket section, also those of partners and promotion.

Just days after they were reported planning a double engagement party and wedding ceremony for later this year, comes a new report that suggests Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams have ended their romance.

Talk is heating up that Ryan was overheard telling a friend that he and Rachel have split up. The Daily News is reporting, at Los Angeles premiere of "Fracture" on Wednesday April 11th a friend asked the actor, "Where's Rachel tonight?"

To celebrate 30 years enrollment as a singer, Spanish singer Miguel Bose released an album titled "Papito". In a large-scale, Bose tapped several artists such as Shakira, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Julieta Venegas, and even R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe to record duets with him.

The album that contains the remakes of his previous songs has been released in Spain and America last month. It peaked at #6 in Billboard's Latin chart and still continues ruling the top 20. Stipe who stood out among the Latinos assisted Bose in the song "Lo que hay es lo que ves".

Jesse Metcalfe? No, he isn't the one. Contrary to previous report, the hunk won't replace Daniel Radcliffe in the West End play "Equus." But Jamie Bell will.

Bell, the child star of Billy Elliot, is reported to be the next young actor to get his kit off in the controversial show. "Jamie is really excited about taking over and isn't at all daunted about stripping off," a source was quoted as saying.

Lily Allen has caused confusion over her on and off performances across US. After calling off the show in New York City on April 12 and appearing the next day in The Today Show, the British singer now cancels most of her US tour.

She will still appear at Coachella festival on April 29 but leaves the tightly scheduled dates partly hollow in the next. In her May schedule, Allen has only confirmed the gigs on May 13 in Seattle and on May 15 in Los Angeles. She does not keep the May 24 night at First Avenue, Minneapolis according to the club's manager who also announced that tickets are subject to refund. Meanwhile the next month, Allen will be back for June 1 and 12 shows before finally make it to Bonarroo Festival on June 15.

The up-market Roppongi Hills area in Tokyo, Japan was filled with hysteria yesterday, Monday, April 16, as stars of "Spider-Man 3" and director Sam Raimi walked down the red carpet in the drizzling rain to attend world premiere of the superhero flick.

Joined by a handful of local celebrities, leading stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst were greeted with screams of "kawaii" (cute) by hundreds of young Japanese fans at an open-air event before the screening, where a stuntman dressed as the web-slinger descended on a rope from above.

After announcing the release date of "The Cartel: The Big Boss", Daddy Yankee does what most musicians would also do, touring to support the album. He will visit 40 cities all over US and in of course, Latin America.

The reggaeton will start hitting the stage on August 31 in Chicago and visit other cities such as Miami, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Fresno and Dallas before wrapping up in Houston on October 31. Before this leg of tour, the singer will have two warm-up concerts in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic which dates have not been announced. After the US leg, there will be more than 20 dates across Mexico, and South America that run through early December.

Seems quite comfortable playing in thriller genre lately, Clive Owen has reportedly nabbed another leading role in an action thriller flick entitled "The International" set to be developed under Columbia Pictures banner.

Scheduled to start filming September this year, the picture is said to concern an Interpol agent who investigates corruption at powerful banking institutions. German filmmaker Tom Tykwer, fresh from helming "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer", is on duty to direct from script written by Eric Singer.

In the wake of the release date of his upcoming record, Marilyn Manson comes clean about his relationship with new girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood. Hollywood's most kept-secret is no longer an unconfirmed speculation when the rocker spills the bean on his romance with the just 19-years-old actress, telling France's Le Parisien newspaper they started having an affair while he was still married to Dita Von Teese.

Justifying his being in love with his much junior, Manson who is 38, tells the newspaper, "I've found my double, my twin, with my new girlfriend, Evan Rachel Wood. She's 19 and certainly that's very young, but that's not a problem for me. She likes the same things as me. She understands I like to get up when night falls and go to sleep at dawn."

With reunions of band running up and down this year, Guns N' Roses intends to snatch its former members back from Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots. Slash, one of the 1980s members revealed that reunion is a possible matter.

Sick of playing Guns N' Roses' songs while he was in Velvet Revolver, Slash would like to eliminate them from his band's song list. He had also announced the removal of songs by Stone Temple Pilots. The only chance remaining for Slash to play Guns N' Roses' hits is by reuniting with his ex band mates.

More jobs swamp Victoria Adams. The former Spice Girl who is about to move to LA has been offered a spot on US hit talent show "Dancing with the Stars."

Rumors are swirling producers are keen to sign Posh Spice for the next season of the dancing show, with Victoria herself reportedly is taking the offer "very seriously."

All ready to jump into Western genre, five talents namely Armand Assante, Eric Braeden, George Kennedy, Sean Young, and Billy Zane have given their nods to get submitted into the cast of an indie feature of the kind titled "The Man Who Came Back."

Slated to enter production later this month in Texas, the project tells the tale of revenge in 1870 against the backdrop of a violent labor strike. Other cast members include Carol Alt, Peter Jason, Jennifer O'Dell, and James Patrick Stewart.

In the event that appreciates the audiovisual aspect, 2007 Country Music Television Awards sure does show its fairness. Winners are ranging from fresh blood such as Taylor Swift, up to the connoisseurs like Kris Kristofferson.

Swift as a newcomer seized the Breakthrough Video of the Year through her appealing "Tim McGraw" video. McGraw may not present in the video to help absorbing the number of votes, but the video about two people falling in love, broke up but always be reminded of each other whenever they hear the song, was one video that captures the 'rising factor' of Swift.

Forest Whitaker is adding more into his award collection as he on Monday April 16th earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The actor, who has just won an Oscar as well as Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild trophies this year for his role as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland," secured the Walk's 2,335th star.

Kylie Minogue is the next after Madonna and Stella McCartney. The Australian pop singer is the latest star to join with Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz, inspiring a limited swimwear line which will go on sale worldwide beginning in mid-May.

Instead of designing the beachwear line, Minogue will only give contribution to ideas while also appear in ads for the line, to be called "H&M loves Kylie."

This is the second time in within this month that Marc Anthony dealing with the law. The singer-songwriter, who has just agreed to pay $2.5 million in back taxes, interest and penalties, and his wife Jennifer Lopez are suing the National Enquirer in European courts over the tabloid's claims they were linked to a drug scandal.

The publication claims in its March 12 British and Irish editions, Lopez and Anthony were "caught up in a heroin scandal" while at the same time also reprinted a 2004 picture of Anthony standing beside photographer Michael Star, who is facing charges of heroin possession and child pornography in the U.S. To make matter worse, the article too quoted an alleged friend of Star as saying Star and Anthony were friends.