July 18, 2007

Engaging in musical flick "Hairspray" and opening a burger joint restaurant, Queen Latifah doesn't forget her root as a singer with the release of a new album. The rapper is launching her second album under Verve titled "Trav'lin' Light".

Still on the heels of "The Dana Owens Album" that sports jazz vibe, rapper-turned singer Latifah will cover songs associated with Peggy Lee, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughn, Mary Wells, Roberta Flack, Phoebe Snow and Etta James among others.

Six months of 2007 have already passed and it's time for Rotten Tomatoes, Fox Interactive Media's destination for both casual moviegoers and film aficionados, to roll out its "Mid-Year Report" which lists the best- and worst-reviewed movies thus far this year.

Encompasses a wide range of movies, from blockbusters to micro-budgeted independent films, the report puts Disney/Pixar's latest animated feature "Ratatouille" on the top spot of the best one, being 96 percent 'certified fresh' on rottentomatoes.com.

Post-grunge outfit Seether is making their return with a new album that will befall October 23. The South African based band will release "Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces", their first album in two years.

Frontman Shaun Morgan hinted that this piece would promise more variable sound although not much a departure from 2005's "Karma and Effect". Morgan said, "You won't pick this album up and hear German polka music. I think the point was to try and explore the poppier side of the band. Having said that, we explored the heavier side of the band too. It's an album of extremes, or oxymorons, in a way."

Looks like the road is not that rocky for George Lopez to walk on. Despite the cancellation of his eponymous TV series, the funnyman has delightfully signed on to star in drama comedy "Henry Poole Is Here", constructing a really busy schedule as he has also been cast in "Swing Vote" and "South of the Border."

Consisting starry cast of Luke Wilson, Adriana Barraza, Cheryl Hines, and Radha Mitchell, pic focuses on a man, played by Wilson, who learns that he only has six weeks to live. Wanting to spend his remaining days in seclusion, he then leaves his job, fiancee, and overbearing mother to settle in a suburbia to only discover that his plan to live out his days in quiet desperation gets disrupted, thanks to his quirky neighbors.

Football quarterback for the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons franchise, Michael Vick, was indicted Tuesday July 17th by a federal grand jury on charges related to illegal dogfighting. Vick and three other men; Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips, and Tony Taylor, were all charged with competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

The indictment alleged that Vick and the threesome began a dogfighting operation, named "Bad Newz Kennels," in early 2001 in which dogs fought to the death, or close. They had the dogs housed trained and fought at a Surry County, Va., property owned by Vick. Losing dogs were sometimes killed by electrocution, drowning, hanging or gunshots.

Going well in working on his path in Hollywood's film industry, young star Spencer Breslin has been cast to play the titular character in edgy teen comedy "Harold" opposite the already-announced Cuba Gooding Jr., The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

A joint production of City Lights Pictures and M.E.G.A. Films, the flick follows Breslin's character as he tries to adapt to a new high school he is sent to. Filming starts this month in New York under the direction of T. Sean Shannon with Gooding Jr. to portray the school's janitor who befriends the teased student.

Franz Ferdinand will move to a new direction for their upcoming album. The Scottish rock act have been putting "synth-led" materials as a demo within their raw album work.

Drummer Paul Thomson said, "Synth-led, we've gone crazy buying old synths... We played Nashville recently and all the synths short circuited in the heat, we had to play a greatest hits set instead. But everybody was still smiling."

Continue to expand the lineup of movies to be presented at the 32nd annual Toronto International Film Festival, the event's organizers have unveiled on Tuesday, July 17 other handfuls of film titles submitted into the list.

Previously considered to be included for the event, "Eastern Promises", "L'Age des tenebres" ("The Age of Ignorance"), and "Silk" finally are positive to join the lineup, the former two receiving Gala screenings alongside Jeremy Podeswa's "Fugitive Pieces" while the latter one being put into Special Presentation slot.

P. Diddy is facing financial problem, literally. The hip hop mogul is reported to be facing a $1.2 million childcare bill. His recent split from longterm girlfriend Kim Porter, according to celebrity divorce lawyer Raoul Felder, may cost him such amount per year in child support payment.

Diddy already giving a $30,000 child support a month to Misa Hylton-Brim who is the mother of his son Justin Combs. And "there is no reason that Ms. Porter shouldn't be able to get close to 100,000 dollars or more per month in child support," New York Post quoted Raoul as saying.

James Blunt's debut album "Back to Bedlam" has just passed Dido's "No Angel" to be the best selling U.K. album in the 21st Century. The CD has sold 3,020,490 copies, four thousand copies more than Dido's 1999 album sale.

As money keeps pouring in, James has been struck with a legal case following the multi-selling album's royalties. Producer Lukas Burton claimed that he has the right to the royalties after he penned six songs within the album. James is now suing back Burton by providing testimony that he was indeed the sole writer.

Realizing his intention to make "The Emperor's Children" his new directing stint, renowned filmmaker Ron Howard has finally laid his hands on the project which Universal Pictures has been developing since January, Variety has confirmed.

In carrying out the task, Howard thereby will work it on from the script penned by Oscar-nominated scribe Noah Baumbach, widely known for his writing effort in 2005's "The Squid and the Whale." "The Da Vinci Code" helmer, in the meantime, is also poised to handle producing matters alongside Imagine Entertainment's topper Brian Grazer.

James Blunt is in the headlines again. Not for his music nor for selling her sister on eBay. The singer has just had the piano he used to compose his hit "You're Beautiful" sold for a whopping £1,200 at an auction at London house Bonhams.

The music instrument, put on sale at the auction by buyers of the singer's Fulham flat where he previously lived with his sister, was sold to an unnamed bidder who wants to give it to his six-year-old daughter, who is said to be a big Blunt fan and is also learning to play the piano.

Australia's very own heavy metal band AC/DC is confirmed having their highly-anticipated album under way. The band whose latest effort was 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip" has begun crystallizing their materials into a record which will be followed by a tour.

"Malcom and Angus (Young) are in the studio," frontman Brian Johnson said at New Jersey's Classic Rock Cares gig. "There's an album in the works, and a tour, too, I think. The boys are working on something special. They don't want to do just another album."

Dave Chappelle was en-route to the hospital over the weekend. The famous comedian was hospitalized in a San Francisco emergency room Saturday July 14th and was released a few hours later, his publicist has confirmed.

Exhaustion and dehydration cited as the reasons for the hospitalization. No other details have been released but his publicist makes sure that Chappelle is fine, saying "It was exhaustion; he had been traveling. He's fine."

Indie rock act Editors have decided to pull title track as their second single from sophomore set "An End Has a Start". The British band will have it launched on both 7" vinyl CD and digital download on September 3.

The song "An End Has a Start" was originally prepared as the album's first single but then, "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" was released online on June 11 to give early impact. The album itself was released June 25 and had enjoyed #1 post in U.K. Album Chart for one week.

David Beckham left his US soccer debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy, supposed to happen Saturday July 21st, in doubt because of an injured left ankle Monday July 16th.

The soccer stud was unable to participate in an intrasquad scrimmage on Monday because his left ankle, which was injured early last month while playing for England in a Euro 2008 qualifying game, remained swollen and sore, thus leaving doubt on his weekend US debut.

Submitting another lauded behind-the-screen name into the project, The Weinstein Company has hired Oscar-nominated scribe Michael Tolkin to pen for "Nine", its big screen adaptation of the 1982 Broadway musical which turns out to be based on the Fellini film "8½."

"Michael's unique understanding of show business and the creative process will help create a clever and sexy film," The Weinstein Co.'s honcho Harvey Weinstein commented, praising Tolkin to be the perfect man for the stint.

No stranger to late night partying, Britney Spears is going to head back to Vegas as she's been booked to host the opening of LAX nightclub next month.

The club representative tells People Tuesday July 17th, "Britney Spears will host the grand opening" of the club, which is slated to take place August 31st in the Luxor Hotel. It is not yet clear if the troubled pop singer and mother of two will perform as well. But fear not for we'll be sure to let you know.

Arctic Monkeys is the predicted frontrunner of 2007 Nationwide Mercury Prize, an award that appreciates best 12 British records in the last 12 months. The only heavy competition running alongside the Sheffield band's "Favourite Worst Nightmare" is Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black".

Of all the 12 nominees, Arctic and Winehouse have been marked by William Hill as favorites to claim the prize, with odds of 4/1. Arctic was last year's winner through "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not" and if they are to win again this year then the band would be the first act to win the prize two times in a row.

Being open on what she will do next, starlet Anne Hathaway has informed Blackfilm while promoting her upcoming movie "Becoming Jane" that she is going to film a new big screen project titled "Dancing with Shiva" this fall under the direction of Baldwin-born filmmaker Jonathan Demme.

Last seen in theaters as Andy Sachs in the acclaimed "The Devil Wears Prada" last year, Hathaway further revealed that the flick will be a dark comedy and that fellow actress Debra Winger has already been cast to play his mother. As for her character, the beauty eagerly gave out useful tidbit saying she would portray an ex-model who has been in and out of rehab for ten years.

Hot on the heels of her joining rock band U2 for the music video of their upcoming song, Gisele Bundchen creates another media headline yet again as she's included in the list of Forbes magazine's Highest Paid Supermodels. With a total earning estimated at $33M per year at her 33-years age, the Brazilian hottie is considered as the highest paid, placed on the No.1 spot on the list.

Following her at the 2nd spot is troubled supermodel Kate Moss who's taking in $9M from her various contracts. German babe Heidi Klum comes in at 3rd spot with $8M, ahead of Adriana Lima at No. 4 and Alessandra Ambrosio at No. 5, both of whom earn $6M.

All crew members aboard, "Major Movie Star" has finally started its filming process in Shreveport, Louisiana, Family Room Entertainment Corporation, of which wholly owned subsidiary Emmett/Furla Films is providing producing services for the comedy, has officially announced.

Featuring Jessica Simpson in the lead role, pic follows the pop sensation's character, a pampered star, who concludes to enroll in the Marines in the hopes of winning approval from a producer and a studio who considers her unsuitable for an upcoming military-themed movie. Also cast is Jill Marie Jones who is playing the star's fellow recruit and close friend.

An actor who has had significant success in mainstream, indie and art house film, Ewan McGregor is giving hand to promote perfume. The hunk has signed a deal with Coty Inc. to front its latest male scent.

"Ewan McGregor is a natural choice. Not only is he one of the most talented actors of his generation, but he also has a charisma and an authenticity that will be very important for the new Davidoff fragrance," said Franoise Mariez of Coty Prestige in announcing their partnership Tuesday July 17th.

Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers is not in love with Forever 21, literally. The singer, on behalf of her clothing line L.A.M.B., is suing popular retail outlet Forever 21 for trademark infringement, claiming the clothing chain allegedly stole designs from the Harajuku Lovers line, one of the clothing lines under her L.A.M.B.

In the papers filed in Los Angeles Federal Court on June 14th, representatives for Gwen's Harajuku Lovers claimed Forever 21 is marketing, promoting and selling products featuring a design "virtually indistinguishable" from Harajuku's signature heart/box logo.