April 20, 2007

Uniting two of the finest thespians working today on one screen, filmmakers of "Doubt" have successfully enticed Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman to both star in the Miramax Film's drama project, an adaptation of the John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Set at a Bronx Catholic School in 1964, the picture revolves around the principal of the school, nun who is a strict disciplinarian, who confronts a popular priest upon suspecting him sexually harassing a black student. Streep will play the stern headmaster and Hoffman the priest while casting is still underway for the role of a young nun caught between them.

Mexican-American singer Paula DeAnda is giving her fans a taste of adventure and creativity. Posted in the singers' official website is a contest to help her making a music video for single "When It Was Me".

The basic concept of this contest is attaching any kind of image be it a footage, animation, graphics or photographs into the blank spaces that are 'placed strategically'. The challenge is to make a storyline to help Paula visualize the story of the song. Contestants are expected to be familiar with the lyrics first which can be heard here.

Ready to work as good onscreen team, Bill Pulman, Pell James, and Julia Ormond are all coming together to star in supernatural thriller "Surveillance", a Film Star Pictures and Lago Films production.

Already submitted Ryan Simpkins, French Stewart, and Cheri Oteri into the cast, the indie feature concerns an FBI agent who goes to a small town where everyone lies and no one is safe. Filming is slated to start later this month in Canada with Jennifer Lynch directing from the script she wrote alongside Kent Harper.

Entering its sixtieth celebration this year, the annually-held Cannes Film Festival has once again included a series of promising titles to get screened either in or out of competition this time, the event's organizers have announced.

Marking the opening of the world's biggest film fest on May 16 will be "My Blueberry Nights", the first English-language flick from veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai, which turns out to be among the twenty-two titles going for the Competition program.

Hit the big screen hard through his heroic performance in epic saga "300", Gerard Butler will be honored the title of the Action Movie Star of the Year at this year's Taurus World Stunt Awards.

Recognized for doing many of his own stunts in the film apart from his extensive training in preparing his role as King Leonidas, the actor will receive the prize during the World Stunt Foundation's Hollywood ceremony held on May 20 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California.

Chris Rock taking the paternity case seriously and he wants to end it as soon as possible. The comedian has filed papers seeking to settle the paternity dispute brought by journalist Kali Bowyer, who claims he is the father of her 13-year-old son Jordan.

In the papers filed by Rock's lawyer Monday April 16th in Bulloch County Superior Court, it is said that the star would like to take DNA test and "desires to contribute to the support, maintenance, and education" of the child if it is proved he is the father. What a cooperative citizen?

Recognized his abundant contribution in film industry, Film Independent, a non-profit membership organization supporting artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision, has delightfully named Clint Eastwood the honoree of its 2007 Spirit of Independence Award.

The veteran actor/filmmaker will be given the award at this year's Los Angeles Film Festival set to be held on June 28 with Tony Bennett presenting the honor. As part of the upcoming occasion, there will also be a presentation of documentary feature "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends" which Eastwood executive produces for Netflix.

Providing another sneak peek to the fans of the hit spy franchise, Universal Pictures has smoothly placed a new trailer of "The Bourne Ultimatum" on the web.

Available exclusively on Yahoo! Movies, the trailer can be viewed either in Windows Media or Quicktime format. Apart from it, fans can also take a look on a number of production photos featuring the flick's characters like Pamela Landry and Sam Ross besides Jason Bourne himself.

While the artist is working on her musical comeback, Elizabeth Arden gives an extraordinary offer to Britney Spears' fans: ten limited-edition 30-gigabyte video iPod's autographed by the singer.

It's not a free gift anyway. To win one you have to join the Tick-Tock Photo Diary Contest, a three-week competition launched on Thursday April 19th on BritneySpearsBeauty.

When the Spider-Man character is employed to Broadway, U2's Bono and The Edge quickly jumped in. Both of them are going to write songs for the musical version of Peter Parker's adventure.

The musicians' work will be featured in a soundtrack franchise that supports the Julie Taymor-directed play. The Tony award-winning director is currently seeking a young man with great pop-rock voice to play Peter Parker.

Moviegoers are likely to experience different look on the last portion of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" when they come to see the film on IMAX theaters this summer.

Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Corporation announced yesterday, April 19, that selected scenes at the end of the film originally presented in IMAX DMR (Digital Re-Mastering) will be digitally transformed into an IMAX 3D Experience. Approximately twenty minutes at the end of the movie are said to be converted using the latter company's proprietary 2D to 3D conversion technology to have the new look.

His body is rocking. Female fans will surely agree with that statement. Matthew McConaughey, in fact, just as sexy in wax.

The movie hunk, who has just been credited by Victoria's Secret for his beach body, is immortalized in wax and has his wax figure unveiled for public view in Madame Tussauds "Big Night" attraction in Las Vegas Thursday April 19th.

While the Live Earth lineups of UK and US have been announced last week, it is Australia's turn to show its version. The continent's very own bands Silverchair and Wolfmother have both said 'yes' to perform in the July 7 event.

Besides the two, pop-rock band Crowded House has made the concert even merrier since it will be one of their reunion performances. Surfer and singer Jack Johnson who shot to fame after debut album "Brushfire Fairytales" (2001) was actually the first to confirm his participation in the concert. Upon choosing Australia leg, the Hawaii native said, "New Jersey and Australia are about the same distance for me, but Australia's waves are a lot bigger, so that made the decision easier for me."

Becoming the bassist of music group Fall Out Boy and dating stylish famous pop singer Ashlee Simpson has forced Pete Wentz to be up to date in fashion. Besides making music the man admits to love making clothes as well. Bringing into life his love for fashion Wentz is teaming with DKNY Jeans.

Started his own clothing line "Clandestine" last year, Wentz is having the capsule collection he's working on with the fashion giant hit the market August later this year.

With anticipation running up and down for Kelly Clarkson's "My December", the artist added it by finishing the video for first single "Never Again". Featured in the new single is an angry young woman who fortifies the 'wilder' side of Kelly.

The shooting of "Never Again" was finished in three days between April 11-13 and takes place primarily in an airport where she 'haunts' an ex. In the lyrics meanwhile, Kelly shouts out to the ex who left her to marry another woman by saying "I hope the ring you gave her turns her finger green/ I hope when you're in bed with her, you think of me."

Still hot from his role in epic saga "300", Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro has signed on to star opposite Rose McGowan in "Black Oasis", which will depict the life story of tragic B-movie staple Susan Cabot, appearing as her husband.

Based on a Premiere magazine article written by John H. Richardson, the picture is said to chronicle Cabot's rise on the B-circuit, in which she was a favorite of director Roger Corman, up to her death at the hands of son Timothy, who bludgeoned her with a weightlifting bar when she was fifty-nine years old.

Continuously being showered with acting offers, Bruce Willis has given his commitment to take a supporting role in a big screen feature entitled "Assassination of a High School President", which appears to concern about a bullied high school journalist who is investigating the theft of the school's SAT exams.

The Los Angeles Times revealed that the actor will play a Desert Storm veteran-turned-Catholic school principal - the kind of guy who refers to his students as "filth" in the project, which it described as "a riff on JFK, All the President's Men and Robert Towne's neo-noir classic [Chinatown]."

Taking the same decision she has done before to "A Woman of No Importance", Lindsay Lohan has surprisingly given up her role in "The Best Time of Our Lives¹", which she was supposed to start work on this weekend, Life & Style magazine has reported.

Expected to appear alongside Keira Knightley whom she was rumored to have a steamy threesome in the film with, the actress is said to depart the project after failing to work out an agreeable contract with the producers.

Flock to construct a seemingly solid cast, Laurence Fishburne, Wilmer Valderrama, Amber Valletta, Kurupt, Slim Thug, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have all signed on to star together in urban gang thriller "Days of Wrath", which Foxy Films is developing under its banner.

Also lining up names like Lupe Ontiveros, Jesse Garcia, Ana Claudia Talancon, David Banner, and Rick Ross, the project focuses on a wide group of interconnected Los Angelenos who struggle to survive as a war between a Latino and black gang ravages the city.

Undoubtedly will evoke sci-fi fans' excitement, Universal Pictures is joining forces with Imagine Entertainment to set up a remake of sci-fi saga "Colossus: The Forbin Project", which Joseph Sargent directed for the studio back in 1970.

Simply titled "Colossus", the new version has already had Jason Rothenberg written its screenplay while is intended to be a potential directing vehicle for "The Da Vinci Code" helmer Ron Howard. Names to star have not yet been revealed, but Brian Grazer reportedly is onboard to produce.

When it comes to sexy lingerie, Victoria's Secret knows what is best. And when it comes to the term "What is Sexy," yes it's still Victoria's Secret knows best. The retail marketer of women's clothing and beauty products, most recognizable as a marketer of lingerie, has on Thursday April 19th released its list of sexy entertainers and athletes.

The so-called "What is Sexy?" list, compiled by a team of Victoria's Secret executives, designers and supermodel spokeswomen, including Heidi Klum and Karolina Kurkova, has Jessica Alba chosen as the Sexiest Actress. Pop singer Justin Timberlake is named the Sexiest Male Musician, while soccer god David Beckham is the Sexiest Dad.

The seventh doll will be selected soon as the show comes nearer to the end. The final three have been chosen in The Pussycat Dolls Present: Search for the Next Doll and they who 'survived' are Asia Nittolano, Melissa Reyes and Chelsea Korka.

This week's show has separated Melissa Smith from the troupe since she failed to impress the judge in the entire rounds. First of all, Melissa S. who covered Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why" can't keep the 'oomph' that was present in Asia who covered JoJo's "Too Little, Too Late", Melissa R. who sang Mary J. Blige's "I'm Going Down" and Chelsea who nailed Christina Aguilera's "What a Girl Wants".

Jude Law is back on the dating saddle again. The actor is moving on from his break up from Sienna Miller and has found new love again. The star, who split from Miller six month ago, is now dating magazine editor and socialite Kim Hersov.

For you who are curious to know who the lady actually is, here we let you know. Kim Hersov is the editor-at-large for Britain's Harper's Bazaar. She is a divorcee and has two children from previous marriage to Robert Hersov, while Law himself has three kids from his marriage to former wife, actress Sadie Frost.