January 16, 2008

Though often overshadowed by "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men" in many awards nominations, "Atonement" proved to be BAFTA's favorite film. In the announcement of 2008 BAFTA's film nominees on Wednesday, January 16, it was revealed that the postwar drama film gathered 14 nods from the prestigious British event leading over its two toughest contenders that got 9 nominations each.

The adaptation movie received film gongs for the categories of Best Film, Best British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Music, Best Cinematography and many others. Further, under the categories for the best artist, it landed its stars, James McAvoy, Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan, a nod each for Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Aside from recognition for its actress, the Focus Features' film garnered Best Director nomination for its director Joe Wright.

Hilary Duff has slammed back the false reports that said she did a lip-synch while serving a concert in Mexico last weekend. A rep admitted it was a technical fault but denied that Duff was merely mouthing her lyrics.

"She was not lip-synching," the rep explained. "It was faulty equipment. There was no sound coming out, but she was singing." The rep further explained that Duff was using the local sound equipment on that day rather than relying on her own gear.

EMI is going through a lot of changes this year. After announcing that they will cut about 2,000 staff, rumors are circling that the record label is seeking a new approach at handling the release of its artists' albums.

EMI will, reportedly, allow its 'remaining' artists like Kylie Minogue and Coldplay to seek sponsor from corporate companies. The movement is believed to help EMI in growing its revenue in the continuous competitive digital market.

Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio is pregnant.

Rumors are all around that the 26-years-old Victoria's Secret model is pregnant with her first child.

Nicole Kidman plans to have her parents deliver her first child with husband Keith Urban, it has been reported.

Rumors are mounting that the Aussie movie beauty wants her father Dr. Anthony David Kidman who's a clinical psychologist and her nursing instructor mother Janelle Annee Glenny to be midwives when she gives birth to her first child later this year.

Atlanta Hip-Hop group Dem Franchize Boyz (DFB) have released the music video of 'Talkin' Out Da Side of Ya Neck' which is the first single from their upcoming album, 'At the Point of No Return'.

The clip that was premiered on BET was directed by Juwan Lee, the same person who helmed Daz Dillinger's 'On Some Real Shit' and DFB's 'Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It'.

The helmer of drama romantic film "27 Dresses" has agreed to direct Touchstone Pictures' new romantic comedy "The Proposal". According to Hollywood Reporter, by joining the project, Anne Fletcher is expected to direct Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, who are said to be attached to the film.

About the movie, the "Step Up" director who is also a choreographer revealed, "'The Proposal' has great physical comedy, which I for one, and I think a lot of other people, love seeing Sandy in." She then expressed her excitement in working for the project stating, "Ryan has great physical comedy skills too, and I always thought, why isn't he doing romantic comedies? So I'm excited to get my fingers into this."

The professional tennis player predicate attached to Maria Sharapova has earned the tennis star another major profession which is the first global brand ambassador for Sony Ericsson.

Sharapova reportedly has just signed a four-years contract with the mobile communications firm to serve as its global brand ambassador which means she will take part in consumer campaigns and promote a range of products and accessories. She, additionally, will be working with the Sony Ericsson design team to possibly produce some to-be-named products and accessories.

Forest Whitaker is reportedly in talks with The Weinstein Company. According to Variety, the "The Last King of Scotland" star has been discussing about the possibility of him joining the studio's new drama project "Patriots" as the lead character.

If everything went well, the Academy Award-winning actor is going to depict Al Collins, the basketball coach for John Ehret High in Marrero, Louisiana. Additionally, if he joins the project, the 46-year-old actor will once again work with the studio and screenwriter Robert Eisele, who wrote "The Great Debaters".

While the work on her acting career keeps going on, Vanessa Hudgens is still going full throttle on her music project. The starlet who will reprise her role as Gabriella Montez in 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' is in the last stages of polishing her second album.

Hudgens reportedly is hitting a studio in Santa Monica on daily basis to finish the album. Although name of the album that follows the 2006 'V' is not yet unveiled, sources told E! News that release schedule has been set for this summer. "She is wrapping up in the recording studio right now," said a rep who added that the new album will be "definitely more grown-up than her first CD."

The Weinstein Company has signed a former porn star to join the cast of "Zack and Miri Make a Porno". According to Hollywood Reporter, Traci Lords has been cast in the comedy movie along with Craig Robinson, Ricky Mabe, Jeff Anderson and Katie Morgan.

Lords will also join the already confirmed cast members, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. Further, it wasn't known what part did the 39-year-old get. Her feature credits include "Novel Romance" and "Blade".

After earlier this month cleared from the copyright issue regarding her hit single 'Girlfriend', Avril Lavigne received an exoneration statement. The Rubinoos have cleared Lavigne and the song's co-writer Dr. Luke from the accusation.

Lavigne was sued for plagiarism in July 2007 when Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer aka. The Rubinoos claimed 'Girlfriend' sounds too much like their 1979 single 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend'. Her songwriting partner Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald was also named in the lawsuit. However, the case was settled between the two parties on January 10, although the details are not yet disclosed.

The Harris Poll's annual lists of America's Favorite Movie Stars and America's Favorite TV Personalities are out and Denzel Washington and Ellen DeGeneres are the two big winners.

Is a two-time Academy Award- winning actor, Denzel is the first pick on the Favorite Movie Stars list, making it his second year in a row to score the first spot on the poll. As of Ellen, her being picked as the number one Favorite TV Personality marks her first time ever to dethrone the chat-show icon Oprah Winfrey who always tops the popularity chart in the past years.

In a press release, Janet Jackson's camp have unveiled new details regarding her highly-anticipated album, 'Discipline'. Titles to four tracks apart from the first single, 'Feedback', have been revealed.

Ne-Yo is known to have produced two songs which are the title track, 'Discipline' and another one called 'Can't Be Good'. Rodney Jerkins takes on the track 'Roller Coaster' while Jackson's producer boyfriend Jermaine Dupri helmed 'Letchu Go'. The latest song was co-written by Johnta Austin.

Universal Pictures has released the first trailer of the thriller film "Doomsday". The trailer promised an action-packed film as it starts with someone yelling "This is the end of the world!" within the first two seconds.

Then, the narrator began saying, "It was an epidemic unlike any other..." explaining the spreading virus epidemic in 2008 causing authorities to brutally quarantine a country as it succumbs to fear and chaos when the virus strikes. Fast-forwarding to 2033, the contained virus resurfaces in a major city and spreading as expressed in a blood red digital map of London.

HollywoodChicago.com has got "Star Trek" teaser trailer description from their trusted source. According to the site, the source posted the information of J.J. Abrams' teaser on the HollywoodChicago message boards.

The description starts with words stating "Slow Paramount logo. Bad Robot logo. Black, suddenly some sparks (very saturated, Michael Bay looking cinematography). We hear an old NASA radio countdown: '30 sec and counting.'" Further, it was described that in the teaser a shot showing people all over the 'U.S.S. Enterprise' and a huge industrialize city or shipyard in the background. Then, Leonard Nimoy's line "Space, the final frontier" can be heard followed by the familiar "Star Trek" theme horns. Still, it seems that the video footage doesn't give out hint about the actors and actresses playing in the film. The complete description of the teaser can be read at hollywoodchicago.com.

The latest video from Timbaland's 'Timbaland Presents Shock Value' has been premiered on Yahoo! Music on Tuesday, January 15. The clip is for fourth single 'Scream' which features Nicole Scherzinger and Keri Hilson.

The clip that was shot in mid December shows the three acts in attempt of robbery. After this single, Tim is expected to release two more singles, speculated to be 'Release' and 'One and Only', before putting 'Shock Value II' in the market.

Casey Affleck is a father for the second time. The actor and his wife Summer Phoenix welcomed their second child into the world, a son, it has been reported.

A representative for Casey did confirm the news, yet no other details on the newborn baby being made public.

Annette Bening will be honored with the American Society of Cinematographers Board of Governors Award at the 22nd annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards. She is to be presented with the kudo at the ASC gala held on January 26 in the Hollywood and Highland Ballroom.

The actress that has won multiple awards, including Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award, is given the prize since she is considered to be one of the individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the global art of filmmaking. Her film credits include "Bugsy", "American Beauty", "Being Julia" and "Running with Scissors". In the meantime, the previous awards recipients include Jodie Foster, Francis Ford Coppola and Bening's husband Warren Beatty.

Behind her constantly-exposed personal life, Amy Winehouse has been gearing the work on her actual career, a singer. Producer Mark Ronson who has worked with her a couple of times, revealed that they had been in talks and will hit the studio soon.

To RollingStone.com Ronson revealed, "She's writing songs, and we talked about getting a studio. I have to finish a few other things first, but I imagine we'll go into the studio this year." Even more surprising, there is a possibility that Winehouse will release a holiday album where Christmas classics are at one side and Hanukkah songs featured on the other.

Has just launched her channel on YouTube official, Oprah Winfrey is now invading the cable network television, teaming up with Discovery Networks to launch "OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network."

In a deal announced Tuesday, January 15 it was stated that both the Discovery Communications and the talk show queen will share 50/50 ownership of the new venture with the Discovery Health network will be handed over to Oprah by late 2009 and renamed OWN which stands for the Oprah Winfrey Network. In return for that, Oprah gives half ownership of her Website oprah.com to Discovery.

Disney Channel is going full speed in making use of their production hit High School Musical. The company will broadcast a special version of the High School Musical 2 songs, in multiple languages, that will be broadcast in a special programming on Friday, January 18 at 8 P.M. ET.

Seventeen songs will be performed by recording artists from around the world during the two hours show. The famous 'What Time Is It?' will be sung by Argentinian artists, 'I Don't Dance' by a duo from Portugal, 'Bet on It' by a singer from Taiwan, and 'Every Day' by a singing group from Hong Kong. The music videos have been airing on each country's local Disney Channel.

The Afghanistan Ministry of Information and Culture has quietly banned the import and exhibition of "The Kite Runner" in the country. According to reports, the banning decision was taken in fear that the film based on Khaled Hosseini's best selling novel about childhood betrayal, ethnic tension and sexual predation in Afghanistan might create dangerous tensions between religious sects.

On Monday, January 14, to Reuters, the director of the state-run company Afghan Film, Latif Ahmadi said "On the basis of the instruction of the Information and Culture Ministry, the 'Kite Runner' film's depiction and import has been banned." In his statement, Ahmadi also noted that the ministry had formally given out the restriction notification to Afghanistan theater owners three months ago.

Matthew McConaughey is the next Hollywood celebrity who will soon become a father for the first time.

The movie hunk made an announcement on his Website Tuesday, January 15 that his model girlfriend Camila Alves is three months pregnant with their first child together.

With the premiere date coming out around the corner, Making the Band 4 season 2 has begun its promotion by releasing a trailer. P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the label which the season 1 winners, Danity Kane and Donnie are under, has posted a clip that summarizes what audience will see in the second cycle.

In the new season, all the three acts are put together to live under the same roof in Miami. While personal issues will come under the spotlight, there will be scenes where they are in studio, working on each album. Making the band 4 winner and the solo act Donnie will record their respective debuts while Danity Kane, who is Making the Band 3 winner, will record their sophomore set.

The Rolling Stones concert film "Shine A Light" will open the 2008 Berlin Film Festival on February 7. On Tuesday, January 15, the organizers of the 58th Berlinale announced that the documentary picture made by the Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese is going to be the opening film and the veteran British rock band is expected to attend the screening.

On picking the film as the opening movie, the festival director Dieter Kosslick commented, "We are extremely excited to have the World Premiere of this magnificent film as our opening gala." Meanwhile, on the movie itself, Kosslick stated, "Martin Scorsese has captured the pure essence of an iconic band on the big screen."

Actor Brad Renfro is dead.

The 25-years-old film star was found dead at a Los Angeles apartment on Tuesday morning, January 15 where he spent the night before with friends.

Gwyneth Paltrow was in and then out of a hospital. The actress was admitted to New York's Mount Sinai Hospital Monday afternoon, January 14 for reasons unknown.

The mother of two was accompanied by her husband, Coldplay's Chris Martin, and the couple checked out the following day Tuesday, January 15.

The Writers Guild of America ongoing strike is in great possibility to take effect at 50th Grammy Awards ceremony which is due February 10. The latest development regarding this issue is a waiver sent by the event's producers for the president of WGA, Patric Verrone.

In a statement, Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy that owns the awards said, "Today the producers of the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards requested an interim agreement from the WGA for the telecast on February 10. The Recording Academy remains hopeful that there will be a quick and positive response."

Expected to hit theaters on April 4, "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay" will be previewed sooner as the comedy film is heading to South by Southwest film festival. According to reports, the film directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg has joined the line-up of film to be screened at SXSW Film 2008.

The sequel of "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" is among other films showing on the festival scheduled for March 7 to 11. Among the films are a documentary about the Texas town where President Bush has his ranch "Crawford", a film about a Michael Jackson impersonator who befriends a Marilyn Monroe impersonator "Mister Lonely", and a look at the 1999 WTO demonstrations in Seattle through a variety of perspectives "Battle in Seattle".

Zac Efron was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tuesday, January 15, it has been reported.

The High School Musical star was taken to the LA hospital to undergo an emergency appendectomy.