June 18, 2007

If Paul McCartney has had his sparkle this year, his ex-band mate in The Beatles Ringo Starr would also like his. The 66 years old singer sealed a deal with Capitol/EMI to release his catalogue online.

His classics from albums "Beacoups of Blues" (1970) and "Ringo" (1973) will be made available for downloading starting from August 28. Also available online is "Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr", a compilation containing his best hits like "It Don't Come Easy" and "Sentimental Journey". The album will also be released in a CD format and CD/DVD package featuring a film and video clips bonuses.

No doubt will add up the degree of laughs for the project, Owen Wilson and Nick Nolte have both signed on to DreamWorks' comedy "Tropic Thunder", Variety has revealed.

Toplined by Ben Stiller, the flick follows a group of actors as they go on location to shoot a war movie only to find that reality replicates their plot. Also submitted into the cast lineup are Brandon Jackson, Steve Coogan, Danny McBride, Matt Levin, and Andrea De Oliveira.

It's been 20 years since her last Broadway performance and now Annette Bening is about to return to the stage, starring in "The Female of the Species," a new play by the Australian writer Joanna Murray-Smith.

The six-character play reportedly will see Benning plays the character of "Margot Mason, a feminist literary giant suffering an extreme case of writer's block as deadline after deadline comes and goes on her next book. When a young fan arrives unexpectedly at her country home, Margot's world slowly and comically begins to unravel as family and friends show up and debate the virtues of her best-sellers, her inconsistent world view, and her decidedly un-motherly touch."

After reigning for three weeks, time has come now for the Pirates to retreat and leaves the throne for the green ogre to claim.

Manages to rack up a superb tally of $46 million from 3,693 screens in 36 markets, "Shrek the Third" triumphantly goes past "Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End" to take over the top position on weekend international box office ended June 17, 2007 after the seafaring tale proves to fare lower with $32.6 million it has garnered from 17,500 screens in 103 territories.

Naomi Campbell does learn her lesson. Being sentenced to five days community service after pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless assault against her maid Ana Scolavino on January 16, 2007, apparently, has taught the British supermodel the best lesson of life. Maybe won't involve in worse legal wrangling, Naomi decided to make good with her former secretary, Amanda Brack, who accused her of physical and verbal assault.

The settlement of the lawsuit brought by Amanda became final Thursday June 14th, when Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Emily Jane Goodman officially issued an order to dismiss the case. Details of the settlement were being kept under wrap, and neither party give any comments concerning that encounter.

Strike a reunion following the success of "Bridge to Terabithia", director Gabor Csupo and child actress AnnaSophia Robb are joining forces to work together in "The White Giraffe", a new film feature Walden Media is developing for Fox-Walden to distribute.

Based on Lauren St. John children's novel of the same name, the project centers on a young British orphan who is sent to live under her grandfather's care on a South African wild preserve. Her life is changed forever when she sets out to discover the truth about a fabled and mysterious white giraffe.

Giving attention to working girl theme, Columbia Pictures is about to spark a new feature concerning such topic from the script written by Pierce Gardner of which rights it has satisfyingly obtained.

Intended to be a comedy movie, the project concerns a divorced mother who is lost at her new job until she realizes that her experience dealing with spoiled toddlers gives her exactly the tools she needs to deal with spoiled executives. Names to helm and star have not yet been revealed, but it is informed that Neal H. Moritz will serve as the producer.

With a chart-topping album coming out few months before 2007 MuchMusic Awards, Avril Lavigne became an expected winner in the event. Her winning of two categories however, is toned down with a bigger number from Billy Talent.

The rock band snatched three trophies mainly for their video "Fallen Leaves". Both Best Video and MuchLOUD Best Rock Video were taken home along with obviously, people choice's of Favorite Canadian Group.

Previously attached to "Watchmen" back when Paul Greengrass was set to direct, British actor Paddy Considine has brought in a surprising scoop regarding the flick's cast on his official fansite, paddyconsidine.co.uk .

The "Hot Fuzz" star pointed out that Warner Bros Pictures has given Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley a slot to play masked vigilante Rorschach in the movie, a character originally intended for him to portray. Haley, a native of Northridge, California, recently won a handful of critics' awards for his role in "Little Children" and has already been picked to take part in "Winged Creatures" and "Semi-Pro" for 2008 releases.

Actress Kristy Swanson got herself into trouble when she involved in an altercation with the ex-wife of her companion and former skating partner, Lloyd Eisler, which then resulted in her arrest on late Saturday night June 16th.

Kristy was being escorted by police officers into the police station in Kingston, Ontario, after Eisler's ex, Marcia O'Brien, filed a complaint against her. Confirming the unfortunate to People, the "Skating with Celebrities" star said, "I had to go the police station where I had an appointment at 9 p.m. to begin the process of being arrested".

Well, this no doubt will be real great news for the game lovers out there.

Legendary Pictures has put on its official website a list of titles in development which surprisingly includes "Diablo", a project that is likely to be a big screen adaptation of Blizzard Entertainment's popular videogame of the same name.

Reconciliation is on its way for the father-daughter. Angelina Jolie has, in an interview with the U.K.'s Evening Standard newspaper, revealed her willingness to reconcile with her much-estranged father, actor Jon Voight.

"I am hoping my relationship with my father will be more private in the future," Jolie told the newspaper. "At the end of the day we both wish the best for each other and we'll try to start communicating in some way."

One of the most anticipated music festivals this year has wrapped up its program that contains more than 100 acts. The 2007 Bonnaroo Festival ends Saturday night (June 17) with The White Stripes giving a nice closure.

The White siblings turned the stage flaming red and performed the usual minimalist set. Opening the show with "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", they mixed their classics with the new "Icky Thump" series. For the last piece, the duo decided to do the Grammy winning song "Seven Nation Army" that further invited roars from audience. Jack White then said goodbye by saying "My sister thanks you and I thank you. God bless you Bonnaroo and God Bless you Tennessee."

With the continuous flow of movie sequels hitting the theaters, sure it is rather unsurprising to see one taking over after another for the top place on the box office battle, and coming out as the latest in the band is "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", the 20th Century Fox's follow-up to its 2005 "Fantastic Four."

Debuting at $58.1 million in ticket sales, the superhero flick triumphantly soars to secure the No. 1 title in the competition as the number proves far bigger than the $19.7 million booty that last week's champ "Ocean's Thirteen" has garnered, thereby forcing it to go one notch to the second position this time.

Talk is heating up that Nicole Richie is pregnant with boyfriend Joel Madden's baby. And while the skinny socialite refused to confirm or deny the pregnancy speculation, comes a new report that suggests she's engaged to the Good Charlotte's rocker.

The New York Post gossip section is reporting that Nicole and Joel were spotted at the YSL Pool Party to benefit Center Dance Arts at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday night June 14th, during which she was seen wearing what is claimed as "a huge diamond engagement ring."

The latest artists added to The Beatles' cover album are none other than The Libertines ex-band mates, Pete Doherty and Carl Barat. The two will perform a duet for the song "A Day in the Life".

On taking the project Doherty said, "I heard about it and thought this would be a great thing to do with Carl, so I called him - you know, let bygones, auld lang syne and everything. He thought it was a great idea, so here we are. Sgt Pepper is one of my favorite albums. Some things strike you down dead when you first hear them and this album is one of those things. It just sucked me in and I decided I wanted to be in The Beatles."

Pocketing two full-length albums and two EPs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs prefers to go with the latter again. The NYC band will release a five-song record titled "Is Is" on July 24 via Fontana Interscope.

The five songs that made the cut were written during the tour for "Fever to Tell" (2003). The record will also include a short film footage featuring the band's two late-night shows at Grasslands Gallery in Brooklyn on May 7. The enhanced section will also include a live video for "Down Boy," as well as a video for the recorded version.

Rod Stewart and model girlfriend Penny Lancaster made it official for them as husband and wife Saturday June 16th in a low-key wedding ceremony took place in a villa on the Italian Riviera.

The British rock star and Lancaster invited only a few friends and family, with Lancaster's parents served as witnesses. "It was just a family thing," one of Stewart's bodyguards confirmed.

Paris Hilton is hot, but she's hotter in prison than as a free woman. Despite the fact that she's just been dropped by her talent agency, there's at least one new project awaiting her. It's an animated series for MTV.

Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee, responsible for superheroes such as Spiderman and the X-Men, is developing an animated series for MTV starring the heiress. Per New York Daily News, Lee's office already confirmed that the artist was approached by MTV to develop an animated series starring Paris, and that he had accepted the offer.

The saga between Oasis and The Beatles continues as the former was accused as a copycat of the latter. And then in defense of Oasis came Ozzy Osbourne who said that English rockers' music is quite original.

The ex-Black Sabbath vocalist told London's Time Out magazine, "Everybody says they rip them off, but I don't think so. It's dead easy to start a forest fire in this game. You say, 'Ozzy's got a false nose.' All of a sudden, everyone looks the same. Same thing with Oasis. Everyone just kept saying it and it stuck."

Ashley Judd is jumping on the fashion bandwagon. The movie actress is teaming up with clothing retailer Goody's Family Clothing Inc., lending her name and fashion line to a new line of women's clothing to debut this fall.

Goody's, a Knoxville-based company, confirmed their partnership Wednesday June 13th. The three new labels, called AJ, Ashley Judd and Love, Ashley will among others include sweaters, denim, knit tees and casual career outfits.