December 04, 2007

Britney Spears is at it again. The failed to come back pop singer who's been media darling with her many antics, including shaved her head bald, attacked a photographer's car with an umbrella, checked to rehab, fought with ex-husband Kevin Federline over the custody of their two sons, and released her first album in four years, has topped Yahoo's annual list of the Most-Searched Names on the Internet.

Spears, who until these days keeps drawing media attention, has topped the annual list of Yahoo for six of the past seven years, only losing out once, in 2004, to fellow partygoer Paris Hilton who's slipping in the search list until May when she was sentenced to 45 days in jail after violating her probation. The hotel heiress ends up at No. 3 on the list from No. 5 last year.

The fate of Walt Disney Pictures' "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" now positively lies in the hands of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" Mike Newell. Confirmation on the British filmmaker's involvement in the project came from producer Jerry Bruckheimer's mouth during a "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" junket held on Monday, December 3, 2007.

"We hired a very interesting director - Mike Newell - who did one of the Harry Potter's and also did Donnie Brasco and he's a very inventive, ingenious director and I think he's going to bring something really special to it," so Bruckheimer told Collider.com. "We have a screenplay, we're just starting to develop the look of it. It'll be unique and fresh."

Teen sensation Miley Cyrus is off the single market. The actress, singer and songwriter has officially confirmed she's dating touring partner Nick Jonas of the pop band Jonas Brothers.

The "Hannah Montana" star reveals that she and the youngest Jonas have been dating since the start of their current sold-out US tour. On her romance, she said that her country singer father Billy Ray Cyrus approves it.

Not loosening the marketing campaign on its latest big-budgeted feature "The Golden Compass", New Line Cinema has surprisingly brought up online the first five-minute preview from the fantasy adventure, opening this Friday, December 7, 2007.

Written and directed by Chris Weitz, pic is based on the first book in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, which follows the coming of age of its two main characters, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry. Weitz at one time resigned from handling the film, but finally returned in 2006 after his replacement Anand Tucker quit the project over creative disagreements with New Line.

Making a novel promotional campaign for its upcoming biopic parody "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story", Columbia Pictures is going to send leading star John C. Reilly to go on tour across the U.S. in character as the fictional rock 'n' roll icon Dewey Cox.

The concert series, labeled "Cox Across America Tour", kicks off Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and finds Reilly's Cox performing live with his band, The Hard Walkers. Songs performed will be from the movie's soundtrack album of the same name which is now available in stores and online.

Rumor has it that Queen Latifah is about to confirm her sexual orientation and is now engaged to be married to her unnamed girlfriend.

Gossip blogger Perez Hilton runs a short claim, based on The New York Post report ran Monday December 3rd about a non-disclosed actress preparing to come out, that said he thinks the star is Latifah.

Avril Lavigne angered her fans for arriving late at the outdoor venue of her concert. The audience at Burnaby's Best Buy store, Canada wouldn't be so mad had it not snowed heavily, leaving them freezing cold.

The singer was due to perform at the opening of the electronic store chain's new branch for free at 1 P.M. However, a fan wrote that Avril was a no show 40 minutes later while an organizer decided to kill the time by telling the history of Avril's music career and assuring them that she is "on the way".

Assumed to be single since the breakdown of his six-year marriage to actress Uma Thurman in 2004, Ethan Hawke is reported to have been secretly dating his children's former nanny.

The movie hunk, famous for portraying the role of Jake in "Training Day" (2001), is said to have been dating the woman, simply identified as Ryan, for two years by now. On their romance Ethan's friend was quoted by New York Daily News as saying, "Yes, they've been keeping a lid on this for some time."

Displayed on an 80-foot-tall IMAX screen and introduced by its director Christopher Nolan, the first six minutes of the highly-anticipated "The Dark Knight" was finally shown to a small crowd in New York on Sunday night (Dec. 2).

MTV reported that the extended preview began with a shot on a gleaming and bright Gotham City before shifting to a group of clown-masked robbers who are about to seize a bank while wondering about the man hiring them, the Joker.

After saying that their next studio album post 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' would be experimental, U2's frontman Bono has further revealed that the sound will actually surprise people. He even said that they have materials enough for two albums.

"It's not like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either," Bono unveiled in an interview with The Independent, before also adding, "We have enough material for two albums but it has to be extraordinary. And I think we've got that."

Ashley Tisdale has confirmed that she already underwent a rhinoplasty procedure.

The "High School Musical" star has confirmed to People she got a nose job on Friday November 30th in Los Angeles for health reason.

Although the extended reunion show for Led Zeppelin is not yet proven true, words are circulating that the band will play in U.S. as the headliner of Bonaroo Festival next year. An e-mail published by Bob Lefsetz's newsletter also hinted the presence of Metallica in the festival.

Plans for the 2008 Bonaroo that takes place at Manchester, Tenn annually is not yet mapped out and a spokesperson for the event has not responded to the e-mail, but Zeppelin is said to be in talks to play for one more show, which is in Stateside. The festival is usually held sometime in mid June.

Shared their baby joy and as part of their just-launched non-profit organization the Richie-Madden Children's Foundation, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have on Monday December 3rd treated dozens of expectant mothers in need with a surprise baby shower.

The expectant parents hosted a surprise baby shower for 100 expectant and new moms at the Los Angeles Free Clinic in Hollywood, where they handed out more than $200,000 worth of gifts. Among the items given including cribs, strollers, toys, bottles and clothing from Baby Bjorn and Fisher-Price.

Patrick Dempsey, who's familiar among TV viewers for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd (Dr. McDreamy) on the medical drama "Grey's Anatomy", has been signed as the new face of fashion house Versace.

The actor will front the company's 2008 men's spring/summer line. He was photographed for the ad campaign in November by renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino.

Russell Crowe has agreed to join the cast of "State of Play". Variety reported that after being left by their leading actor, Brad Pitt, citing on script issues, Universal Picture has approached and signed a deal with the "American Gangster" star to replace Pitt in their new political thriller movie.

In this movie, Crowe will portray a politic consultant who turned to be a journalist and motivated the murder investigation of a politician's wife involving a fast-rising statesman, portrayed by Edward Norton. Though becoming the motivator of the investigation, Crowe's character was faced with a conflicting problem since he once ran campaigns for the Norton's character and was the pol's friend, but on the other side he also had an affair with his wife.

Christmas celebration in Washington will have a good mixture of music, thanks to its star-studded line-ups that cover various aspects of music genre. Among the confirmed acts are Ne-Yo, Vanessa Hudgens, Alan Jackson and Andrea Bocelli.

The annual event which is hosted by Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw is a charity concert to raise fund for National Children's Medical center. The U.S. President and the First Lady as well as White House's important people will also be in attendance as usual.

Did appear in Fishkill Town Court Monday morning December 3rd for a hearing on his so famous fan-tossing incident, Akon was released on his own recognition as he's been pleaded not guilty to charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment.

The R&B icon was released without bail following his brief court appearance and was ordered to return to court on January 16th next year. A town justice told Akon that he does not have to appear at future court appearances and could instead have his lawyer stands in for him.

A short clip for Jennifer Lopez's new video has been leaked online. The footage which runs one minute is for 'Hold It, Don't Drop It', her second single from album 'Brave'.

Reports said that it was directed by Melina who also recently released a work for Snoop Dogg's retro video It was shot in New York City few weeks ago while the singer had announced her pregnancy, involving a giant disco ball and male back up dancers.

Pete Doherty who is frequently associated to fellow troubled singer Amy Winehouse, confirmed that he and his band, Babyshambles, are making a collaboration with her entitled 'You Hurt the Ones You Love'.

"Who would I most like to collaborate with? Amy Winehouse," Doherty told NME.com. "We were working on something last night, actually. It's called 'You Hurt the Ones You Love.'"

The ever-genius-culinary rat spreads his charm once more as "Ratatouille" managed to dominate the nominations of 2008 Annie Awards. On the official announcement made by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood on Monday (Dec. 3), the Pixar production animation movie snagged 13 nomination, including for Best Animated Feature.

Aside from being nominated for the best animated movie, Ratatouille's director Brad Bird is nominated for Directing in an Animated Feature Production, and its voice actress and actors, Janeane Garofalo, Ian Holm and Patton Oswalt, are also nominated for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production. The rodent tale also manages to get nominated for its character animation, animated effects, production design, storyboarding and music.

Vivica A. Fox has, on Monday morning December 3rd, been ordered by a judge to get herself booked by December 11th, due to her DUI arrest back in March, otherwise a warrant will be issued for her arrest.

The film and TV actress didn't attend her DUI hearing in Los Angeles, but a judge told her lawyer to make sure the star has her fingerprints and mugshot taken before December 11th. A bench warrant will be issued for her arrest should she not comply with the order.

In relatively the same time after announcing that 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place' will be made the first single off of 'In Rainbows', Radiohead premiered the music video. The clip was posted on their YouTube account under heading 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place (thumbs down version)'.

It was originally footage that was aired on the band's webcast back on November 9. It's a black and white clip where the band members wear bicycle helmets.

As expected, Kid Rock brings his 2007 album 'Rock N Roll Jesus' out for a tour that is dubbed 'Rock and Roll Revival'. The rapper will kick it off January 25 and visit some casinos which date will be determined further.

Along the way Kid will be supported by a number of his entourage, but the only announced act so far is Reverend Run from Run-DMC.

While his third single from 'The Real Testament' is yet to be determined, Plies out of spite released a music video for his track 'Runnin' My Momma Crazy'.

The clip was shot back on November 20, and runs through a three days course. AllHipHop.com reported that the shooting took place in Tampa, Fla.