June 21, 2007

Setting up what seems to be an ambitious film project, DreamWorks SKG and Universal Pictures have joined forces to work together in bringing up "Cowboys & Aliens", a live-version adaptation of an Image Comics' graphic novel of the same name.

Mixing Western and science fiction genres, the original is set in 1800s Arizona and focuses on the sudden arrival of a space ship in the middle of a skirmish between cowboys and Apaches. The alien commander plans to tame the Old West and enslave everyone, but the cowboys and Native Americans turn their six-guns against the alien invaders.

Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, 50 Cent and his G-Unit members are included in the list of rappers with 'inappropriate' language. A Chicago based church set up 10 billboards across the city saying that the rappers' lyrics "demean women and perpetuate violence."

"If we are going to end the violence and the disrespect of women, we must fight every form of negativity, including the music industry," Rev. Michael Pfleger said in reference to the campaign.

Counting in names to highlight the flick, filmmakers of "Two: Thirteen" have comprised a lineup consisting of Teri Polo, Dwight Yoakam, Mark Pellegrino, Mark Thompson, and Kevin Pollak in the movie's cast list.

Here Polo will play a detective overseeing the investigation of a serial killer with a love of Shakespeare while Thompson is billed as a police profiler who has returned from psychiatric leave and gets drawn into the case. Pellegrino, in the meantime, portrays a target of the killer with Yoakam and Pollak becoming a colorful club owner and the psychiatrist who treats Thompson's character, respectively.

Paris Hilton won't be a free woman until Monday next week June 25th, but many profitable offers have come approaching her. Staying behind bars does make the heiress hotter than ever. And it's true that Playboy boss Hugh Hefner has invited her to pose for the magazine.

Hefner would like to have Paris posing for Playboy by the time she's released from prison. He reportedly has offered the socialite a large sum of money to bare all for the adult magazine. However, her mother Kathy Richards has turned down the offer.

Before stepping to London for his "21 shows", Prince will first give a chain of exclusive concerts in Los Angeles. The singer is set to stay in Hollywood Roosevelt hotel for 7 days starting from June 23 and give intimate gigs.

The Verizon Wireless-sponsored event will allow only 200 people to attend per show. Prince will deliver new materials from his soon to be released album "Planet Earth" and play impromptu sets with his jazz band.

Never ceases to spark comedic projects at its pit, Universal Pictures is working hand in hand with Imagine Entertainment to develop a film feature of the kind entitled "Coma Boy", The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

While plot details are being kept under wraps for now, it is learned that pic will be made based on a pitch by CAA assistant Ben Dey. Meanwhile, Imagine honcho Brian Grazer is onboard to produce with "License to Wed" scribe Kim Barker still holding negotiations to pen the screenplay.

Uma Thurman has double happiness now that she lands a new TV project and finds new love. The actress has been tapped to star in "My Zinc Bed," which is an HBO adaptation of the play by acclaimed playwright David Hare.

Being in the same scene with her will be Paddy Considine and Jonathan Pryce. On the story, "My Zinc Bed" centers on a young idealist alcoholic (Considine), his wealthy boss (Pryce) and the boss' formerly cocaine addict young wife (Thurman), with whom he has an affair.

NASCAR's four-time champion Jeff Gordon became a father for the first time Wednesday June 20th as his wife, model-actress Ingrid Vandebosch, gave birth to their first child together.

The baby, a girl named Ella Sofia Gordon, was born at 9:09 a.m. in New York and weighed 7 lbs, 1 oz, it has been confirmed.

Granting the guy wider access into directing field, DreamWorks Pictures has assigned visual effects maven Thor Freudenthal to helm its comedic feature "Hotel for Dogs."

Formerly worked as a CG artist on the "Stuart Little" movies, Freudenthal thereby replaces "Agent Cody Banks" helmer Harald Zwart who was originally appointed for the position back in January. It is unclear whether the Norwegian filmmaker's departure has anything to do with his directing stint in "The Pink Panther 2."

Is in talks to play the lead role in a thriller being produced by Sony BMG, Avril Lavigne surely gets even busier with her another new project with Stardoll, the world's largest online entertainment destination for girls aged 10-17 focused on fun, fashion and friends.

The punk-pop sensation is teaming up with Stardoll to launch the site's first "Real Celebrity" page. Avril's management company, Nettwerk Management, of the pioneering Canadian firm Nettwerk Music Group, and Stardoll confirmed their partnership Wednesday June 20th.

Recognized to be an accomplished actress who simultaneously supports the work of other women, Renee Zellweger was honored this year's Crystal Award for excellence in film by Woman In Film organization last Thursday, June 14, 2007.

The prize was presented to the Oscar-winning star at the 2007 Crystal+Lucy Awards gala dinner held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California. Along with the beauty, a handful of female figures also took home the event's trophies, including fellow actress Emily Blunt who was handed The MaxMara "Face of the Future" Award and "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes as the recipient of the Lucy Award for excellence in television.

Done with Spanish album, Jennifer Lopez is gearing her first English album since 2005's "Rebirth". For that, she will be back to Pop-R&B vibe and handle it with Swizz Beatz.

On contrary to the more melancholic Spanish album "Como Ama Una Mujer" (2007), J. Lo wants this one to have the danceable tune. She said, "This album is more of what people and my fans are used to - you know, just kind of a dance, funk, R&B, hip-hop, all that stuff, all mixed up together to make some great pop music."

Indie rock act Modest Mouse will play for two-days special as the headliner of Treasure Island Music Festival. Their appearance will be preceded by duo Thievery Corporation that recently took part in Lollapaloza.

Thievery will headline the first day on September 15 with supporting acts mainly comprised of electronic outfits such as DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Gotan Project, M.I.A., Ghostland Observatory and Zion I. The next day Modest Mouse will lead with the help from Spoon, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Built to Spill, M. Ward and Earlimart.

Paris Hilton answering her fans' letter. It's not happen everyday. In fact, the heiress does do it whilst in prison.

Has nothing to do behind bars, Paris makes use most of her free time there reaching out to her fans by answering their letter. In one of her letters to an unidentified fan obtained by E! Online the socialite wrote, "I read your letter and just wanted to thank you for your kind words of love and support. The fact that you took time out of your day to write me truly means the world. Especially at such a difficult and scary time in my life."

Ready to once again exhibit her charms in romantic comedy genre, Kate Hudson has come onboard to star opposite Dane Cook in "Bachelor No. 2", a Lionsgate Films production in association with Management 360, Terra Firma, and Superfinger Entertainment.

Already cast Cook in the lead role, the flick depicts his character as a man known for being hired to take girls out on absolutely terrible dates so that they will crawl back to the boyfriends they have dumped. Trouble, however, arises when he is asked to take out the ex-girlfriend of his best pal.

If only tabloid reports are to be believed, Christina Aguilera does carrying a bun in the oven. The singer-songwriter reportedly was overheard telling friends she's three months pregnant with husband Jordan Bratman's child.

"The rumors about her are definitely true. She's been telling friends. She has to be three months now, because she's announcing it," a source told America's New York Post newspaper.

Nicely planned, Hilary Duff's "Dignity" that has been preceded by "Play with Fire" and chart topping "With Love" will be promoted through a summer tour.

The tour kicks off August 6 at Everett Events Center, Seattle and she will be touring mostly in that month before winding down Sept 1 at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, N.Y. Tickets for public will go on sale on June 23 while for her fanclub members, pre-sale tickets have been sold since June 20 for some venues.

No, he didn't check into rehab. He just did detox. Richie Sambora set the record straight on the report he's stayed at a treatment facility in Los Angeles, where he reportedly checked in last week.

"I didn't check into rehab. I did detox," the Bon Jovi drummer told The Today Show on Tuesday June 19th. "Instead of me heading into a place - I was just drinking too much and I needed to get my life together. I'm still in therapy and stuff like that, but it's good. I'm great. I feel fine," he went on saying.

Britney Spears can now all smile that the radio station's billboards featured her bald photos have been taken down, less than 24 hours after the troubled pop singer issued a legal threat.

Confirming the billboards removal, Clear Channel Communications, which owns the radio station, released a statement through its spokeswoman Tuesday June 19th, saying "We have confirmed that the billboards are down."

Not only one, but two British most popular acts this year will roam through North America in a joint tour. "Rehab" singer Amy Winehouse has teamed up with "Last Request" crooner Paolo Nutini to give a fall worth spending.

The jaunt will begin Sept 21 at Central Park Summerstage, New York and will visit other 6 cities before heading to Chicago for a wrap up on Sept 29. Winehouse will promote her latest effort "Back to Black" that is still within Top 20 list of Billboard Hot 200 while Nutini will come out with materials from his debut album "These Streets".

Katherine Heigl knows best how to cash in while she's hot. The actress, who earned a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of intern Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens in the hit TV series "Grey's Anatomy", is branching out. She's about to launch her own line of hospital gear.

Heigl is teaming up with a healthcare-clothing company to launch the Katherine Heigl Collection. "I have tremendous respect for women in the healthcare industry and I know that it is often a difficult and thankless job," the actress said.

Seems the ninth collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro has already been struck through "The Winter of Frankie Machine", that's according to DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com.

The site claimed to have earned a scoop from a good source informing that the Oscar-winning filmmaker "is set to direct it for Paramount under his deal there" and will immediately work on the thriller drama after finishing "Shine a Light", his career-spanning documentary on The Rolling Stones.

Reaping success in the music industry, Avril Lavigne is desperate to give hand at acting. She reportedly is in talks to do a movie.

Talk is heating up Avril is considering to play the lead role in a thriller, being produced by Sony BMG. "(She will be) playing kind of a white-trash girl," the New York Post quoted a source as saying.

Maintaining good collaboration with Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films, DreamWorks is teaming up with the studio once again to develop "In Deep", a new comedic feature intended for Stiller to star in.

Story chronicles the nightmarish tale of a man who fights a parking ticket and becomes increasingly enmeshed in criminal allegations. Script was originally penned by George Beckerman but will undergo a Page One rewrite in the hands of Steve Conrad, who recently penned "The Pursuit of Happyness" for Columbia Pictures.

A hip hop musician and founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am has been tapped by Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos to design a new uniform collection exclusively for Hard Rock Hotels property.

"Designing clothes for Hard Rock Hotels was an exciting and challenging proposition that, given my background and own line, I was eager to accept," will.i.am said on the project. "My goal was to create a look that exudes upscale rock 'n roll, leveraging the essence of the brand while contemporizing the staff's wardrobe to provide a more stylistic and fashion-forward appearance."