May 04, 2007

While many artists saying yes to commemorate Princess Diana in her memorial concert, Madonna said otherwise. She had to let go the chance to perform due to commitment in Live Earth.

Composer expert Andrew Lloyd Webber tried to talk her into joining the concert by reprising her role as Evita Peron. She immediately rejected it since she realized it would consume her rehearsal time for Live Earth.

Being ambitious in making the project as a real high-profile feature, filmmakers of "Burn After Reading" is holding negotiations with John Malkovich to get him joined the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Frances McDormand in the dark screwball comedy.

If both sides finally reach an agreement, Malkovich will likely assume the lead role of Ozzie Cox, a former CIA agent who loses the disc of the memoir he is writing. As for McDormand and Clooney, the two have already been billed to portray Cox's philandering wife and an assassin, respectively, while what role Pitt will play is still unclear.

Australian singer Keith Urban has to postpone the date in Manchester, England after his throat was making trouble. Doctor diagnosed him as having a throat infection and quickly ordered him to rest in bed.

The country star was supposed to hold a show in Manchester on April 28. According to a note posted in his official website, he will make up the date when he visit the city again in October for a concert.

Undaunted by the critics' negative reviews in her latest starring vehicle of "Employee of the Month", Jessica Simpson is landing her next acting stint in a comedic feature entitled "Major Movie Star."

Representative of the beauty told PEOPLE that the pop sensation would topline the project as the titular character, a down-on-her-luck actress who enlists in the Marines.

Appears to be tireless in putting more big screen titles into her Type A Films, Reese Witherspoon is reportedly on the move to produce a film feature based on real events titled "Under the Bridge" with "Thirteen" director Catherine Hardwicke being in talks to direct.

Based on Rebecca Godfrey's true-crime account of a brutal high school murder, the project will chronicle the 1997 killing of a student named Reena Virk in a small British Columbia town also the ensuing investigation and prosecution of the case. It is still not clear yet whether Witherspoon will also star in.

Set to raise the degree of laughter that "Baby Mama" is aiming to deliver, Dax Shepard has landed deals to co-star in the Universal Pictures comedy, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

Featuring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as the leadstars, the flick finds Fey as a single working woman whose desire to have a child and keep her career leads her to hire a surrogate, played by Poehler. Shepard is said to portray Carl, the philandering husband of Poehler's character, who unintentionally brings the two women together when he tries to scam the surrogate.

Ready to show his dramatic side this time, Morris Chestnut has given his positive sign to topline faith-themed drama "Not Easily Broken" that Screen Gems is now developing for Sony Pictures Entertainment to distribute.

An adaptation of a book by T.D. Jakes, the picture centers on a couple whose strength and faith are tested after the wife is injured in a car crash and the husband becomes attracted to another woman. Assigned to pen the screenplay is Brian Bird, who last penned "The Last Sin Eater" for 20th Century Fox.

Folks, please welcome the new Betty Ross in the gang as filmmakers of "The Incredible Hulk" finally have cast their choice on Liv Tyler to assume the role, previously played by Jennifer Connelly in the flick's predecessor "Hulk" back in 2003.

The longtime love interest of Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Ross is his fellow scientist and an ally in his quest to find way in getting rid of his lurking monster deep inside. Reports said that "Incredible Hulk" in the beginning would see her get estranged from Banner but later being swept back into his life after the pursuit of the Hulk heats up while finding the man is on the run trying to cure his condition.

Still eager to shed time for acting despite her hectic schedule following the release of new album "The Best Damn Thing", Avril Lavigne is taking a starring role in thriller drama "Twist of Fate", the beauty herself has confirmed.

Calling the project "a dark kind of drama, sort of indie, kind of, but not too indie" that lets her do "a lot of freaking out and crying", Lavigne further revealed that she will be the lead and begin filming the picture this winter.

Not only his heavy exercise earns Matthew McConaughey rippling muscles, but also the prestigious title of the "Most AB-ilicious Star." His hard work is paid off, indeed, that the actor is now having toned stomach, besting his many other fellow celebrities.

Chosen to secure the No. 1 spot in Life & Style's new list of celebrities with toned stomachs, the movie hunk besting David Beckham who is 3rd and Rupert Friend who is 5th. Making the list at 2nd spot is Jessica Biel thanks to her many hobbies that include ballet, soccer, running, yoga and hiking.

As "Spider-Man 3" is gracing theaters all around the world this week, now the buzz and hype are surely shifting to its sequel, "Spider-Man 4", which has already been confirmed to be made at Columbia Pictures for sure.

Well aware of this, Cinema Blend has obtained from its inside sources some surprising tidbits regarding the project, particularly about its prospect to get developed and the possibility of it to have a totally new cast lineup.

The late "Godfather of Soul" James Brown was commemorated on May 3, the day of what would have been his 74th birthday. Family members including son Daryl Brown vowed to continue the legend's legacy in music industry.

Daryl in particular is eager to tour with The Soul Generals, a band that backed his father for 2 decades. Playing guitar and taking the role as the frontman, he made the May 3 event the first show that the group does. The band also plans to play at New York's Apollo Theatre that marked James' first success in music back in 1956.

Singer Moby spreads his wing by forming another band that is still anonymous. The new band is still searching for a proper name while giving first taste of their music in several US stages.

"We were 'the Little Death' until we realized that there are about five other Little Deaths out there and, as we live in a litigatious culture, we opted to avoid lawsuits and, thus, refrained from naming ourselves 'the Little Death,'" Moby revealed. The band has played its show in a fundraising event in New York and will launch their career further in a number of June shows.

Aside from her celebrity status, Oprah Winfrey is eyeing a new job, which is a social one. The talk show host is planning to become child-predators fighter.

In an interview with chat show king Larry King, aired Tuesday May 1st, Oprah revealed her intention to quit her hit daily show by the time its contract ends in 2012 so that she can put full concentration on putting child predators behind bars.

Maroon 5 appears that they shouldn't be worried to be caught in sophomore syndrome. Just when the album "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" about to come out on May 22, the single "Makes Me Wonder" has given enough gasoline by placing itself to #1 slot in Billboard's Hot 100.

The single that was released March 27 in US has entered the chart for four consecutive weeks and been climbing the ladder steadily. The climb goes fast this week after leaping 63 places, thanks to 243,500 digital downloads and #1 debut on Hot Digital Songs. The jump was recorded as the largest leap in the chart's history.

Peeling more skins on its big-budgeted movie "Evan Almighty", Universal Pictures has posted online a new international trailer for the movie, which is going to hit North American theaters this summer on June 22.

The trailer is available exclusively on Yahoo! UK & Ireland Movies and runs exactly two minutes twenty-two seconds. In the meantime, fans can also take a look at a few production photos on the site, mostly picturing the titular character with long white hair and beard.

Now that she's single again in the eye of the law, Heather Locklear has become a hot commodity in Hollywood with her being reported to get close with former "Melrose Place" costar Jack Wagner.

The twosome was reported dating back in March. But, friends said at the time that they were not dating. As time goes by, talk is heating up that they are a hot new hookup after they were spotted getting cozy during the Celebrity Classic golf tournament on April 24th.

Ending the long-circulated question about who's in charge to helm "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" helmer David Yates has revealed to SCI FI Wire that he will return to the mega-hit franchise for the second time to direct the project.

"I am doing Half-Blood Prince, and I'm doing it because I love the world, I love the characters," the man confirmed. "I think I have more business with this world and these characters."

Is she pregnant? Halle Berry has provoked such question after she was spotted buying baby clothes worth at about $1000.

Rumors on the street say the actress spent an hour browsing at trendy Los Angeles baby boutique Bel-Bambini before purchasing a selection of items for a baby girl. She was then seen leaving the shop with a pink, organic romper-suit, a kimono tee made from soybean fibres, a cute butterfly backpack and a Swarovski crystal-encrusted hotlips pacifier.

Busta Rhymes was arrested on a drunken driving charge early Thursday May 3rd, but was released on $7,500 bail.

Police said the rapper was stopped at about 12:40 a.m. on 51st Street and 11th Avenue in Manhattan because the sport utility vehicle he was driving had overly tinted windows. Unfortunately for the star that officers then smelled alcohol on his breath.

An entertainment mogul, record producer, actor and rapper, P. Diddy can never have enough of a career. He thus is adding one into his career resume, which is TV producer.

"When I do something, it's got to be the biggest and the best. I'm really proud to be one of TV's leading producers right now and am working hard toward achieving a television legacy like Aaron Spelling," the star said in a statement.

Among the newsmakers on Time magazine's list of 100 people who shape the world, there are some celebrities who make the cut. Leonardo DiCaprio is the one entertainment newsmaker included in the magazine's annual list of 100 Most Influential.

Besides the hunk, there are also the likes of Rosie O'Donnell, Sacha Baron Cohen, Martin Scorsese, Kate Moss, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Tyra Banks, Cate Blanchett, and America Ferrera. The list, which includes 71 men and 29 women from 27 countries, also naming Tina Fey, John Mayer, Brian Williams, and Michael J. Fox among others.