January 08, 2011

Elijah Wood is officially heading back to the Middle Earth. Following wide reports suggesting that he may reprise his "Lord of the Rings" role as Frodo in "The Hobbit", his publicist has confirmed that the actor indeed joins the cast of the upcoming Peter Jackson's film.

While some people initially doubted his character would appear in "The Hobbit" since Frodo has not been born yet in the story, TheOneRing.net claims to know how he might be featured in the film. [SPOILER ALERT!] Frodo will appear in the opening sequence of both 'Hobbit' films, as part of a narrative framing device.

Big Time Rush's never-before-released music video for their track "Stuck" has gone viral. "This is one of a series of three music videos I directed for BTR, all of them in one day. This particular one never aired, but I liked it and the song better than any of them," director Marcus Wagner said.

"Stuck" is an iTunes bonus track of Big Time Rush's eponymous debut album "B.T.R." which came out October 2010. The record debuted at No. 3 on Billboard Hot 200 and broke the Top 10 list of iTunes chart by the end of the year.

A new "The Green Hornet" featurette has made its way out via Apple to expose Christoph Waltz's Benjamin Chudnofsky, a wicked businessman who is slowly becoming a super villain in the movie but will still look funny sometimes. He wants to get rid of his enemies including The Green Hornet and in some of his actions he is seen as a cold-blooded killer.

Over at another site, Digital Spy, a new clip from "The Green Hornet" is also debuted online. It features heroic duo, Seth Rogen's Britt Reid and Jay Chou's Kato, fighting with a number of guys. Their car, The Black Beauty, once again becomes their ultimate weapon with the bullet-proof glasses.

Official remix of Wiz Khalifa's chart-busting single "Black and Yellow" has got an accompanying music video. It features the Pittsburgh rapper throwing his verses to the camera alongside fellow rappers Snoop Dogg, T-Pain and Three 6 Mafia's Juicy J.

The original version of "Black and Yellow" peaked at No. 6 on Hot 100 and climbed to No. 9 and 3 on Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rap Songs charts respectively. It serves as the lead single from Khalifa's upcoming studio album which is expected to arrive later this year.

"There is only one way to become a champion ... don't lose," Dustin Clare's Gannicus says in the second and final trailer of "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena". The new video contains more words from the perspective of the gladiators, the ludus owner and the powerful woman behind the bloody business.

A prequel to "Spartacus: Blood and Sand", "Gods of the Arena" tells the story of the original Champion of the House of Batiatus: Gannicus in a more ruthless time before Spartacus' arrival where honor was just finding it's way into the arena. The six-episode prequel will begin January 21 on Starz with the episode "Past Transgressions".

Hollywood veteran Zsa Zsa Gabor is one step closer to losing her leg - her husband has confirmed he has signed paperwork allowing doctors to amputate. Prince Frederic von Anhalt took the actress to hospital last Sunday, January 2 after medics told him they could no longer delay treatment on Gabor's leg, which had become gangrenous.

They held off on amputating the limb, hoping that a course of strong antibiotics might give them options, but von Anhalt told TMZ.com on Thursday, January 6 he had been given 24 hours to decide whether or not to give doctors the go ahead to perform a life-threatening operation on the 93-year-old TV star.

Relativity Media is planning to turn biblical story, David versus Goliath, into a movie under the title "Goliath". The studio and producers apparently will give a dark touch to the film as The Hollywood Reporter says they "give it a modern vibe that harkens to the spirit of films such as '300' and 'The Bourne Identity'."

According to the site, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" director Scott Derrickson has been hired to serve as a helmer for "Goliath". He last directed 2008 "The Day the Earth Stood Still" starring Keanu Reeves, and is attached to direct sci-fi family movie "The Substitute".

Czech model Petra Nemcova is set to wed British actor Jamie Belman after just eight months of dating. The couple met last year after being introduced by mutual friends and the stars spent the holidays together with both of their families.

British Vogue magazine now reports the pair is set to become husband and wife after Belman recently proposed. In the past, Nemcova, 31, has been romantically linked to Oscar winner Sean Penn and singer James Blunt. She lost her previous fiance, Simon Atlee, in December 2004 when he was killed in the catastrophic Asian tsunami. The model was a survivor of the disaster.

If Oprah Winfrey still has her talk show running, she would have sent her team to invite Ted Williams immediately. The multi-millionaire entrepreneur is "fascinated" by the story of Williams who went from a homeless man to a celebrity overnight because of his golden voice and the story behind his fall.

With that in mind, Oprah is looking forward to hire the 53-year-old man. "I would like to see him be part of OWN," Winfrey told Inside Edition in an interview airing Friday, January 7. "It would be fantastic to hear him say, 'The Oprah Winfrey Network'."

The bosses of actress Eva Longoria's Las Vegas restaurant and nightclub have filed for bankruptcy after racking up debts of almost $5.7 million. The "Desperate Housewives" star launched the Sin City branch of Beso with business partner Todd English in December, 2009 - a year after opening her flagship Hollywood restaurant of the same name.

But the newest addition to Longoria's business empire has encountered financial difficulty and lawyers for Beso LLC filed legal papers in a Vegas court on Thursday, January 6. In the documents, lawyers stated the company was expected to rack up losses of more than $76,000 a month, while Beso executives owed nearly $1.8 million in lease payments.

"30 Rock" star Jane Krakowski is pregnant with her first child. The former "Ally McBeal" regular is currently planning a wedding to the baby's father, British clothing designer Robert Godley, after the couple became engaged last year.

A representative for the 42-year-old actress has confirmed the baby news, telling UsMagazine.com Krakowski "could not be happier". The parents-to-be are currently vacationing in the Caribbean.

Looking flawless, Rihanna is a stunning beauty in a newly-revealed ad to promote her first signature fragrance Reb'l Fleur. Wearing sheer clothes and matching high heels, the Bajan red-haired songstress holds a pink rose and lies on her stomach on a couch.

"Daring, sexy and truly memorable, Reb'l Fleur is as much in tune with Barbados-born Rihanna's roots as it is with the glamour of her present life in New York City. Reb'l Fleur is joyous yet intense, sophisticated yet marvelously surprising," so Parlux introduces the scent.

Some people were lucky enough to see "Scream 4" at an early test screening in Pittsburgh on January 6. First impressions of the movie have since appeared online and it can be concluded that they are pleased with what they saw.

DanielleRocks from scream-trilogy.net says the fourth film is "the bloodiest" and "the best" of other "Scream" films, gushing that "the opening scene was hilarious and brutal." He/she adds, "The ending was insanity."

AMC announced through TCA press tour on Friday, January 7 that "The Walking Dead" season 2 will be longer than the first one. The network still has no premiere date but it confirms that the new season will consist of 13 episodes which is more than a double of the first.

Regarding what to expect, AMC President Charlie Collier said, "Frank Darabont, Gale Ann Hurd, Robert Kikman, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, and the rest of the crew [are] figuring out where to take the zombie apocalypse from here. We lost a few along the way as sometimes happens in 'The Walking Dead,' but a few surprises in there as well. Shane, Jon Bernthal, lives for season two so we're going to keep it fresh and it'll be back and better than ever."

Having collaborated with a number of top-notched artists ranging from Kanye West, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj still has some names she desires to do a duet. She mentions two fellow female artists Lady GaGa and Taylor Swift who are currently the hottest acts in the music game.

When asked by E! Online about a possible collaboration with GaGa, Minaj said, "A lot of people say that to me! I'd definitely be open to it, yeah... I mean, GaGa is badass. Being compared to greats can never bother me." Revealing that she listens to Swift's music, the femcee is also open to the idea about working with the country music singer.

Walt Disney Pictures has released a new video and images for "Cars 2" to tease fans before the film's release in June. Debuted via Yahoo! Movies, the video sees Lightning McQueen from 360 degree view. At some points, the red racecar shows off its roar.

The new promo images, meanwhile, feature the familiar characters, including Luigi, Guido, Sarge, and Mack. They, along with several other cars, are seen slightly gussied up for their next outing in second "Cars" film.

Starz network was doing Television Critics Association Winter 2011 Session on Friday, January 7 and with it came the confirmation that Andy Whitfield will not return to "Spartacus: Blood and Sand". The news has actually been shared late last year as the network conducted a search for a replacement.

"We are looking at potential actors to play Spartacus," executive producer Rob Tapert told reporters in Pasadena, Calif. The second season was green lit without Whitfield in the picture because the actor is battling Hodkin lymphoma. "They've committed to going forward with Season 2, [and] that Andy Whitfield, who is unable to play Spartacus, will be recast," Tapert added.

For the second time, Taylor Swift becomes top-selling and most-played artist by Billboard. The country music singer was previously named top-selling artist in 2008, and titled most-played artist the following year during which her 2008 album "Fearless" scored U.S. biggest-selling CD of the year.

Swift is now named top-selling artist with over 4.4 million albums sold in 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Speak Now" which finished third on the 2010 U.S. highest-selling albums contributes to the sale number with 2.96 million copies. In becoming the most-played artist of the year meanwhile, the 21-year-old cutie tops Billboard's annual all-genre Artist Airplay chart with more than 1.128 million airplay throughout 2010.

Will Smith's pre-teen pop sensation daughter Willow Smith is keeping the collaborators for her debut album close to home - she's working with her father's former hip-hop partner DJ Jazzy Jeff. Willow Smith set the charts alight last year with her single "Whip My Hair" and she's currently recording tracks for her as-yet-untitled debut album after signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label.

And she's taking her family's entertainment business full circle by teaming up with the DJ/producer - 25 years after he launched DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince with Will. Rapper Skillz has been recruited to write lyrics to Jeff's beats and he reveals he has his own history with Smith Sr.

Lady GaGa was the star of a very different kind of show on Thursday, January 6 when she unveiled her new instant camera collection for Polaroid at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The "Paparazzi" hitmaker, who dominated awards ceremonies throughout 2010, stole the spotlight on the opening day of the annual gadget exhibition when she stepped onstage to unveil three new products she helped to design for the Polaroid Grey Label.

Giving live demonstrations of the items, she showed off a pair of sunglasses which doubles as a digital camera, allowing users to discreetly snap photos and save or display them on the lenses. She revealed the idea was inspired by an old tour accessory - dark glasses she fashioned out of iPod screens early on in her career.

Billy Joel is reportedly set to celebrate his speedy recovery from double hip replacement surgery by joining his pal Sir Elton John onstage in March when the Brit plays New York's fabled Madison Square Garden. The 61-year-old singer had the operation in November 2010, but was already back on his feet and hobbling around with the help of two canes within two weeks of the surgery.

And, according to the New York Post's Page Six column, the Piano Man is preparing to make his live comeback by performing alongside the Rocket Man for a special appearance at one of his upcoming gigs in the Big Apple.

Michael Jackson was dead an hour before his body arrived at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in June, 2009, according to testimony from emergency room doctor Richelle Cooper. The doctor took the stand at an ongoing preliminary hearing which will dictate whether or not Jackson's physician Dr. Conrad Murray will stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges relating to the King of Pop's death.

Cooper revealed she gave paramedics who raced to the singer's rented Holmby Hills, Los Angeles home the authorization to pronounce the "Thriller" singer dead. However, Murray - who found the star's lifeless body in his bedroom - insisted they try to resuscitate the King of Pop for almost an hour. Cooper told the court on Thursday, January 6 she authorized paramedics to pronounce Jackson dead at 12.57 P.M. on 25 June, 2009, but they declined at Murray's request - and because of the singer's celebrity.

Tom Hanks' actor son's action comedy series "The Good Guys" has officially been canceled. Colin Hanks' show premiered on America's Fox network in May 2010 and co-starred "The West Wing" regular Bradley Whitford as a washed-up Dallas, Texas cop.

The program garnered positive reviews, but The Good Guys failed to attract viewers. Show regular RonReaco Lee, who played unlucky snitch Julius Grant on the show, confirms the series has been canned, "The people who liked it really liked it. But there weren't enough of you."

Amanda Seyfried and Ryan Phillippe have lifted the lid off their secret romance after putting on their first public display of affection on the set of the actress' new movie "Now". Seyfried, who previously dated her "Mamma Mia!" co-star Dominic Cooper, was first linked to Reese Witherspoon's ex-husband in October 2010 after they met at Kate Hudson's Halloween party.

They were caught Christmas shopping together in Hollywood before the holidays in December 2010 and now the new couple has been snapped in a loving embracing during a break on the Los Angeles set of the upcoming sci-fi film. The photo, taken earlier this week and published on Usmagazine.com, shows the stars smiling and cuddling with Seyfried still in costume, donning a cropped red wig for her role opposite co-star Justin Timberlake.

Hotly-tipped Oscars contenders "The King's Speech" and "Black Swan" look set to dominate the 2011 British Academy Film Awards after earning 15 nominations apiece in the event's longlist. Both films will compete in the Best Film and Best Director categories, while Colin Firth ("The King's Speech") and Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") are hot favorites to land the Best Actor and Best Actress awards.

Leonardo DiCaprio's mind-bending thriller "Inception" and British drama "Made in Dagenham" followed with 14 entries each, while "The Social Network" garnered 13.

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo are engaged on- and off-screen. The couple has been invited to guest star on CBS' new hit drama "Hawaii Five-0" as none other than an engaged couple in a February episode.

CBS which announced the casting did not give away other details but People heard from a source that Minnillo will play a woman named Susan who is engaged to Lachey's character named Tyler. Susan works as a deckhand on a cruise boat that is taken hostage by pirates.

Miley Cyrus is reportedly going to hook up with Nick Jonas again for a studio project. The "Hannah Montana" actress previously collaborated with him and his Jonas Brothers bandmate in 2009 song "Before the Storm" which appears among "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" materials.

"Returning to the studio w/ Miley Cyrus & Nick Jonas on 1/14," tweeted Shakur Green who once worked with Miley in her "The Time of Our Lives [Walmart EP]". He additionally wrote, "Can't release any additional information about the project other then it's going to be one of the top albums of 2011."

Madonna has sparked reports she is planning to expand her business empire by launching a chain of nightclubs and bars after she was spotted meeting with a Malaysian business mogul in London. The pop superstar reportedly held talks with multi-millionaire entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, the founder of the AirAsia airline and team principal of the Lotus Racing Team, at his nightclub Aura in the British capital on Thursday, January 6 night.

The meeting has prompted speculation the Material Girl is making plans to expand into the world of luxury entertainment and launch a number of bars, restaurants and clubs with Fernandes, who is director of the exclusive London hotspot. A source tells Britain's Evening Standard newspaper, "Madonna has visited the club a number of times over the last few months, and now it is apparent why."

Y&T rocker Phil Kennemore has died at the age of 57 after losing his battle with lung cancer. The bassist passed away in the early hours of Friday, January 7 morning at Stanford Hospital in California. The sad news was confirmed by Kennemore's Y&T bandmate Dave Meniketti, who paid tribute to his longtime pal in a post on the group's website.

He writes, "It is with profound sadness and disbelief that I tell you that my best buddy for 37 years passed away this morning... Bravely and steadfastly battling the horrible spectacle of lung cancer, at the end he was surrounded by his family members, and the Y&T family up until his final breath..."

Natalie Portman has debuted her engagement ring from fiance Benjamin Millepied. After attending 2011 People's Choice Awards on January 5, the "Black Swan" star was willing to give a clear view of the huge diamond to certain photographers in L.A.'s Beachwood Canyon neighborhood while holding her beloved puppy, Whiz.

That night, Natalie made her first public appearance as an expecting mom, too. However, her belly was hidden under a blue Jason Wu shift dress which she paired with Dior pumps. She appeared on the stage of the Wednesday's prize-giving event along with her "No Strings Attached" co-star Ashton Kutcher to present of Best Picture prize which went to "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse".

Police in California have reportedly revived the investigation into the murder of rap legend Notorious B.I.G., 13 years after he was gunned down in Los Angeles. The hip-hop star, real name Christopher Wallace, was shot dead in L.A. in March, 1997. An investigation was launched immediately after the fatal shooting but the matter remains unsolved.

Various conspiracy theories have linked his death to the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry involving former Death Row Records mogul Marion Suge Knight and his top artist Tupac Shakur, who was shot and killed less than a year before Biggie's death.

Actress Amy Adams wants her wedding to be a laid back, barefoot affair - she is planning a bohemian ceremony with guests sat on picnic rugs in a meadow. The "Doubt" star became engaged to her boyfriend of 10 years, Darren Le Gallo, in 2008, but the pair put off planning their big day after the actress landed a number of high-profile movie roles and later fell pregnant with daughter Aviana, who was born in May.

But Adams has finally started thinking about her wedding - and she's eyeing an idyllic summer theme. She tells Britain's Marie Claire magazine, "For my wedding, I want everybody to be on picnic blankets and barefoot. I would love for blankets to be spread out on a big meadow and everybody sitting down. I think if you're going to invest time and money, you want it to be right. Plus, I know my future self will be really mad at me if I just elope and don't do something."

Amy Winehouse spent New Year's Eve rekindling her romance with ex-boyfriend Reg Traviss, according to a U.K. report. The "Back to Black" hitmaker moved on from her failed marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil by dating British director Traviss last year.

Despite hailing the filmmaker as her new love, the romance came to an end in August after he was snapped hand-in-hand with his former partner, burlesque dancer Raven Isis Holt. But Winehouse now appears to be making efforts to revive the relationship - she missed her father Mitch's gig in London over the New Year to spend time with Traviss, according to Britain's The Sun.

A judge has granted Nas' request to have his child support payments to ex-wife Kelis reduced by half. The hip-hop supercouple split in April, 2009 after four years of marriage, with divorce papers filed just months before the singer gave birth to the pair's son Knight.

The divorce was granted in May, but they continued to thrash out the details of the settlement. Shortly before the union was officially dissolved, the rapper filed a request asking for his $10,000-a-month child support payments to be reduced, and a judge at Los Angeles County Superior Court has now granted his wish.

Those waiting in anticipation for the Spring premiere of "The Kennedys" on History Channel will be disappointed. The miniseries has been canned after A&E Television Networks made a surprising move to cancel the plans to broadcast it because it is "not a fit for the History brand".

"Upon completion of the production of 'The Kennedys', History has decided not to air the 8-part miniseries on the network," a rep for the network tells THR in a statement. "While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."

Former British boxing champion Gary Mason has died after a cycling accident on Thursday, January 6. He was 48 years old. The retired fighter was riding his bicycle in south London when he collided with a van. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.

The London-born heavyweight was crowned British champion in 1989 and was only defeated once in his 38-fight career - by future world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in 1991. He enjoyed a brief foray into the world of rugby, playing three professional games, and also appeared in a celebrity edition of U.K. TV hit Gladiators.

Soon after it was announced that the last "Twilight" film will be split into two parts, there have been many speculations about the split point. Now, producer Wyck Godfrey has clearly addressed the issue, giving some clues to what people can expect to be seen in "The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Part I" as well as "The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Part II".

"We basically want to take the audience through the emotional part of Bella's journey as she becomes a vampire. The first part will cover the wedding, the honeymoon and the birth," he says in an interview with USA Today. In fact, [SPOILER ALERT!] the film will end just before Bella embarks on her supernatural transformation.

Snoop Dogg has made a steamy music video for his new song "Wet" and just debuted it online. The clip mostly features the rapper surrounded by scantily-clad ladies who are writhing suggestively in the pool and a Vegas hotel room. He also gets a lap dance from one of them in a desert-set scene.

"Wet" is a song specially recorded by Snoop for Prince Wiliam's bachelor party soon after the British royal announced his engagement to Kate Middleton last month. Two dapper men apparently portraying the Prince and his royal brother join his Vegas party in the video.

Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr have welcomed a baby boy, if X17 got it right. A photographer from the entertainment website overheard the actor bragging about "his son" after the report came out that Kerr was in labor in Los Angeles. No other details have been released about the new arrival.

It was understood that the Victoria's Secret model went into labor on Thursday, January 6 morning. Kerr's parents, Therese and John Kerr, who flew in from Australia to be with their daughter, were allegedly seen visiting the hospital on the same day at 8 P.M. local time.