March 13, 2008

Wedding bells might soon ring for Paula Abdul. Rumor has it that her boyfriend restaurateur J.T. Torregiani is about to propose to her.

In Touch Weekly is reporting that Torregiani, co-owner of Hollywood hot spot Les Deux, is poised to pop the question, after he was seen scoping out engagement rings in the VIP room at Tiffany in Beverly Hills back on February 27. "JT was looking at big stones over six carats," an insider revealed. "He didn't seem to have a budget, but definitely wanted something that would impress Paula."

Foo Fighters have been named the international leading nominees in the 2008 MTV Australia Awards. Beside put under Live Performer category, the rock band are also vying for the coveted Music Video of the Year.

The Foos who embarked on an Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace Tour last year, will have to compete with four other acts to win the former gong. Those who become their competitions will be Pink (I'm Not Dead Tour) and Lupe Fiasco (Snow Jam) among some. Meanwhile, in latter nod, the Foos' video for "The Pretender" will have to compete against 50 Cent, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake's joint video "Ayo Technology" as well as Mika's "Happy Ending".

The man behind several James Bond films Martin Campbell has reportedly come on board the Universal Picture's remake thriller "The Birds". According to ShockTillYouDrop, the "The Legend of Zorro" helmer will be directing Australian actress Naomi Watts in the Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thriller remake.

Campbell will also team up with screenwriters Stiles White and Juliet Snowden as well as producers, that include Bradley Fuller, Michael Bay and Cathy Schulman. Aside from this film project, the director of "Casino Royale" and "Golden Eye" has been involved in the production of action movie starring Robert De Niro and George Clooney "36" as well as the 20th Century Fox's "Unstoppable".

Having high rising singing careers, Kanye West and P. Diddy are venturing into new business. Both music moguls however go into a very different direction.

As of West, he's teaming up with his father Ray West to open a cafe in Washington D.C. The cafe is called The Good Water Cafe and will serve drinks that are pure since its aim is to spur awareness of global clean water issues.

The Academy Award-winning actress for her role in "Monster" Charlize Theron is said to be remaking the final Park Chan-wook's dramatic thriller "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance". According to Boston.com, the 32-year-old former fashion model will be the film's producer as well as the actress.

Though reporting that the "North Country" star will be showcasing her acting talent in the drama thriller, it is still unclear which character she will be portraying. This filming project reportedly came following her other drama thriller project alongside Viggo Mortensen, "The Road".

Akon can now add author to his resume after signing a deal to write a book based on his life. The R&B star has signed a publishing deal with rapper-turned-publisher C-Murder to release a book to be titled "Thug Politics".

"Thug Politics" is due in stores April or May later this year. The book is the second title from C-Murder's TRU Publishing company following the February 2008 release of rapper Jacki-O's "Grown and Gangsta."

Showing her tribute to murdered homosexual Lawrence King, Portia de Rossi is following in the footstep of her same-sex partner Ellen DeGeneres who's been outspoken to stop hate towards gays by signing to star in a new public service announcement TV ad. The PSA came just days after Ellen tearfully honored the gay teen, claimed she was deeply affected by the murder of King during an emotional outburst on her TV show last month.

King, 15, was shot in the head at his Oxnard, California, junior high school back on February 12 reportedly for being a homosexual. Fellow classmate Brandon McInerney, 14, has been charged with the killing. Days before he was murdered, King had apparently asked McInerney to be his valentine.

Juelz Santana has been arrested on suspicion of weapons and drug possession outside his New Jersey home. The rap star was arrested last week near the entrance of his home in Teaneck's gated Glenpointe community.

New York's Daily News has reported that Santana, born LaRon Louis James, was pulled over in his Bentley by police last week for driving with a suspended license. The arresting officer claimed he smelled the odor of marijuana and allegedly saw a "green leafy substance", Dutch Masters and White Owl cigars on the car's center console.

The co-star of Seth Rogen in the acclaimed comedy film "Knocked Up" Jason Segel is reportedly set to develop a new "Muppet" movie "Untitled Muppet Project". Variety reported that the actor/screenwriter has been signed by Walt Disney Pictures to scribble the yet to be titled feature film project.

In penning the film, the "How I Met Your Mother" star will be aided by "Fun with Dick and Jane" scripter Nicholas Stoller, who has also been tapped to direct the project. The 28-year-old actor's character in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" makes a "Drakula" musical which is performed by and it eventually helped him to nail the deal following a meeting with Disney's executive Kristin Burr.

Earlier rumors claiming that the last "Harry Potter" series will be made into two films are indeed true. According to Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros. Pictures and the producers of the highly successful film series will be announcing about the splitting of the seventh Harry Potter book entitled "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" on Thursday, March 13.

L.A. Times reported further that the two final films will be simply named "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II". The two films will be directed by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" helmer David Yates and written by Steve Kloves. It is expected to hit the theaters in November 2010 and in May 2011 respectively.

Taylor Swift and Faith Hill are about to be turned into dolls. Both country music singers have signed agreements to lend their likeness for new line of dolls.

Toy company Jakks Pacific will make physical fashion dolls of Taylor that will feature her best known fashions and appropriate accessories, including a crystal guitar. "When I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a country music star and having my very own fashion doll line," Taylor commented. "Now it's come true! I can't wait to see little girls play with my doll and rock out with my crystal guitar."

Is a Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy-nominated actor, Charlie Sheen is lending his face to help sell Hanes underwear. Has signed on to be the new face of Hanes, he will be featured alongside basketball star Michael Jordan in an upcoming advertising campaign for the brand.

No further details being disclosed on the advertising campaign just yet. Nor does it is mentioned on when the ads will marry the street.

New details on Muse's upcoming album have been outed by frontman Matt Bellamy. The rock band who are recording their fifth effort will pick dancey kind of materials that pretty much are inspired by their 2006 release "Black Holes & Revelations".

"I think on the next album I'd like to do at least one 15-minute space-rock solo," Bellamy told NME. "Apart from that, 'Supermassive Black Hole' (their 2006 single) opened up a new area for us of dancing, grooving, rhythm section-dominated songs. I'd love to do more stuff like that really."

Having her love life becomes the subject of intensive media publication would not keep Carmen Electra away from dating scene. The glamour model, television personality, dancer, singer, actress and sex symbol is single no more with her being reported to be dating Korn rocker Rob Patterson.

Electra and Patterson reportedly have been quietly dating for months. No official verification nor denial from both parties about the dating report.

There have been rumors swirling around that the reunited Rage Against the Machine will also appear at Lollapalooza. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, the rock band will join other rumored acts like Wilco, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails at the festival taking place on August 1 to 3 in Grant Park, Chicago.

The official line-up of the music festival will only be announced next month, but should the four bands really are on the bill, then this would be one of the biggest and most-anticipated events of the year. C3, the Texas-based company that is behind the festival will not confirm any of the act, stating that they cannot confirm or deny anything at the moment.

Win a "Sex and the City experience" with Kristin Davis. The Golden Globe and Emmy award-nominated actress best known for the role of Charlotte York on HBO's "Sex and the City" is auctioning off two VIP tickets to the "Sex and the City" movie premiere in New York City in a bid to raise money for charity.

Davis is offering a pair of tickets to the May 2008 premiere of the comedy romance flick in an online sale on auction Website eBay. All funds raised from the sale will go to charity Oxfam America, which is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.

Rapper B.G. aka Baby Gangsta is now done with his album release, to be titled "Too Hood 2 B Hollywood" that he has been working on since September last year. This will be his first release under Atlantic Records.

The first single lifted from the album would be "Ya Heard Me" that is produced by Cool & Dre and features three renown rappers, Lil Wayne, Juvenile and Trey Songz. The single is set to take impact this Spring while the album will hit the stores in July via Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records.

Never to shy away from putting her name on any product possible, Heidi Montag is following in the footstep of her "The Hills" rival Lauren Conrad by launching her own budget fashion line. Heidi's fashion line will go under the name of "Heidiwood."

The collection is designed for girls between the ages of 16 and 21. It will include brightly colored cotton jersey dresses, graphic tees, oversize handbags, evening clutches and gold, silver and zebra print jewelry.

The first trailer of the much anticipated action movie "The Incredible Hulk" has come out online. The high definition video footage from the film starring Edward Norton and Liv Tyler runs for about 2 minutes.

The compilation of the film's clips starts with the night shot of a house while in the background, it can be heard Norton's character Bruce Banner explaining to Doc Samson, Banner's friend and psychologist that he has a problem with controlling his personality. "I've got a problem," he begins, "There are aspects of my personality that I can't control." Then, the shot changes to a scene showing Norton's eyes becoming emerald green and the chaos began.

Mariah Carey is doing a favor for fellow Def Jam artist Janet Jackson by replacing the sick singer on "Saturday Night Live". Jackson pulls out of the gig that supposes to take place this weekend after being admitted to a Los Angeles hospital on Monday (March 10) for what was described as shortness of breath.

Organizers confirmed that Carey will appear on the Saturday show which will be guest hosted by Jonah Hill. This would be the first time Carey would appear on the show in nearly a decade for the last time she was on the show was on November 1997. According to Carey's official site, she will perform "Migrate" and "Touch My Body", songs from her upcoming album, "E=MC²".

Melissa Joan Hart is a mother again. The actress and director gave birth to a son, her second one with husband Mark Wilkerson, Wednesday, March 12.

Confirming the news, a representative for the couple detailed to People that the newborn baby was named Braydon Hart Wilkerson. He was born at 3 P.M. in Los Angeles after 10 hours of labor, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz.

The new music video from Britney Spears that was previewed yesterday, has been premiered in full length. This would be the animated version of the pop singer for the video of "Break the Ice", the third single off her 2007 album "Blackout".

The Sun held the exclusive right to some frames from the video that revealed for the first time the concept of the video. The site reported that the idea of having Britney in animated character came from the singer herself. She is portrayed as a superheroine in blue suit who broke in a party to confront the enemy.

With NBC is in the final stages of renewing the medical drama "ER" for its fifteenth and final season, producers of the show reportedly are looking forward to bring back its original cast members in a bid to give the series a proper send-off. And among the stars the producers want include George Clooney and Julianna Margulies.

"We want to revisit characters that have existed on the show over the years and say where they are now," producer David Zabel said in a statement. "We'd love to get them all back in some way, but that doesn't mean we're going to. But we're gonna try."