Move over Jim Carrey - Eddie Murphy has been tapped to play the role of the Joker in the next Batman film after seasoned actor Johnny Depp turned down the role.
The film, set for a 2010 release, will also include Transformers star Shia LaBeouf, 22, playing Robin. Christian Bale will return as Bruce Wayne, while Michael Caine will play Alfred.
British actress Rachel Weisz has been cast in the Catwoman role.
Director Chris Nolan had been unsure about the future of the Batman films after the January death of Heath Ledger who is set to receive a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker in Batman Returns.
Murphy is enjoying somewhat of a comeback these days after several years out of the movie making business. He has just completed "NowhereLand" due next June about a financial executive who can't stop his career spiral and is invited into his daughter's imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.
Also due in 2010 is "Shrek Goes Fourth" with funnyman Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas about the further adventures of the giant green ogre, Shrek, living in the land of Far, Far Away.
Currently in production is "The Incredible Shrinking Man" also due in 2010, an updated version of the best-selling novel and blockbuster movie, it tells the story of Scott Carey who shrinks to an incredible small size and must face the danger that he runs into. _
The much-anticipated "Arrested Development" movie finally got the green light last week.
The sardonic FOX television show, which jump-started the Hollywood career of "Superbad" star Michael Cera, showed us that Jason Bateman was actually a great actor, and featured highly skilled actors Will Arnett and Jeffrey Tambor, is making progress toward the big screen.
Michael Hurwitz, the creator and executive producer of the award winning series, has signed on to develop the script and direct the film. Joining Hurwitz will be director Ron Howard, the producer and narrative voice of the show. The two are still in the process of finalizing deals with Imagine Entertainment and Fox Searchlight.
Other cast members will include Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Funke, David Cross as Tobias and Liza Minnelli as Lucille Austero. The film will continue to follow the dysfunctional Bluth family as they try to move on with life after their father is sent to jail.
Michael Bluth, a widower with a 13-year-old son, named George-Michael (Cera), is forced to keep his large family together after his father is arrested for illegal accounting practices at the family-owned conglomerate and the Bluth family assets are frozen, making each member of the eccentric family panic.
Michael's stuck-up mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), finds herself living alone in a penthouse without the financial means to maintain it, while Michael's two brothers, GOB (Arnett) and Buster (Tony Hale), and his sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) with her husband Tobias and her daughter Mae also find themselves having to scale back their lifestyles to fit their new financial status.
Howard told reporters, "We still don't have a script, but it seems that the studio, and the original cast all want to do it. I'm there for it. So, I'm really hoping it happens."
No release date has been set, and we can't wait to get a first glimpse at the trailer. We suspect this film could be the smash hit of the season if done well. With Ron Howard attached we don't see how they can go wrong.
Ashlee Simpson and her Fall Out Boy rock music husband Pete Wentz have become parents for the first time.
Simpson-Wentz, 24, gave birth to a boy, named Bronx Mowgli Wentz, on Thursday, and everyone is doing well. Reports leaked on Thursday that Simpson was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The singer, the younger sister of celebrity Jessica Simpson, has released three albums, and is famous for lip-syncing to a prerecorded soundtrack that broke down on "Saturday Night Live" in 2004. She married Pete Wentz this last spring.
Wentz is the bass player and front man for the pop band Fall Out Boy, which topped the United States music charts last year with its album, "Infinity on High." _
Christopher Lloyd's California house has burned to the ground and completely destroyed by the wild fires running rampant in California.
The 70-year-old actor, who played Doc Brown in the "Back To The Future" franchise with Michael J. Fox, was filming his latest movie in Canada when the fire reached his home north of L.A.
The $7 million estate was one of about 125 properties threatened by the fire in the area, which started in the San Fernando Valley last week.
Actor Rob Lowe fled his home earlier with his children as fire took over the area with flames shooting 200 feet into the air from 75 mph winds.
The two are among a long list of Hollywood celebrities who have homes in the isolated foothill area. Other celebrities include Jeff Bridges, Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey.
It was reported earlier that Winfrey sheltered her pet dogs at a nearby Four Seasons as she rode out the fire in another of her mansions.
Lloyd has just completed filming on the family adventure "Jack And The Beanstalk" due later this year. The film is a live-action take on the legendary tale of Jack and his magic beans, which sprouts a large vine that stretches up to the clouds where he stumbles upon a giant and a goose the lays golden eggs.
Joining Lloyd on the project is Katey Sagal as Jack's mother, James Earl Jones as the Giant and Chevy Chase. _
Just when things were starting to look up for poor Britney Spears, it seems she has had to rush her young son to the hospital.
Spears' youngest son, Jayden James, is fine after an overnight hospital stay for an allergic reaction to food he ate.
Britney had taken her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James, home to Kentwood, Louisiana, for a visit for the first time since her custody battle with Kevin Federline, when 2-year-old Jayden broke out into hives and became unresponsive.
The family took him to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb, about twenty miles from Kentwood, for emergency care Sunday evening.
Britney's brother, Bryan, was seen outside the hospital entrance, delivering food and taking care of 3-year-old Sean. _
On Monday's "Morning Joe", host Joe Scarborough accidentally dropped the F-bomb without realizing it. It seems to have started some kind of scandal.
Scarborough let the f-word fly on live television as he told a story of how Barack Obama's chosen Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, might need change his ways now that he is part of the President's team.
The mishap happened as Scarborough described Obama's circle of supporters as "steady men who don't go around flipping people off or screaming, 'F--- you' at the top of their lungs."
Meredith Vieira put her foot in her mouth Monday morning on the Today show by asking about Matt Lauer's marriage. It seems Lauer has a hard time staying married, and the subject is supposed to be "off limits" while on air.
Introducing a segment on the "right age to get married," Vieira said, "I got married in my 30s, when did you get married?"
Lauer, who married TV producer Nancy Alspaugh when he was in his early twenties, was divorced seven years later. Lauer stumbled, fumbled for words, and then laughed, as an embarrassed Vieira erupted into laughter and producers made comments from the sidelines.
Lauer's current marriage to Dutch model Annette Roque is also in trouble, and has been the source of tabloid gossip for some time. The couple has been married for 7 years and has three children.
Rogue originally filed for divorce in September 2006, but changed her mind and withdrew the papers a month later. If the two divorce, Matt would be forced to share his estimated $50 million fortune.
Ben Affleck visited his friends at Saturday Night Live last night, and in addition to a killer open with John McCain and Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, managed to pull of a great Keith Olbermann skit.
Affleck lambasted current president George Bush for being a racist and bigot, and did a spoof of Olbermann's "Worst Person In The World" segment.
In his "Special Comment" section, Affleck goes after the coop manager of his apartment complex, after he is evicted for having a pet in a no pet apartment.
The result was controversial, with the host going off on Japanese internment camps, equal rights, justice, and fairness.
John McCain visited the set of Saturday Night Live last night for a last ditch effort to connect with voters.
Now famous Tina Fey, acting as Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, joined the candidate in one of the funniest opening skits ever.
The sketch, a jab at the thirty-minute infomercial Barack Obama purchased last week, was intended to give the candidates some final remarks on the campaign. Unfortunately, the only airtime they could afford was on the QVC shopping network.
While the two gave their final wisdom, they also hawked Joe the plumber dolls, and Obama town hall commemorative plates - that were blank. The best product was a set of "Pork Knives" guaranteed to cut the pork from anything.
There was also a cameo by McCain's wife Cindy, who introduced expensive QVC jewelry. Sarah Palin (Tina Fey) also went rouge when she tried to sell Palin In 2012 shirts.
Also, on the Weekend Update section, McCain explained his last ditch efforts and "Radical Ideas" he may use if things don't go his way.
Later in the show, Affleck mocked Keith Olbermann in a controversial segment that drew grasps from the audience.
While director Michael Bay and actors Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox finish up work on "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", Universal Studios has been working behind the scenes on its latest attraction.
The movie themed park is developing a new, hi-tech and special effects intense attraction based on the popular "Transformers" movie franchise. To date, the films have grossed over $700 million dollars around the world - not including the latest sequel.
The high-tech ride is being developed by a core group of uber partners including Universal Parks and Resorts, Hasbro and DreamWorks. The new ride will combine 3-D, High Definition HD, space-age robotics and the usual Universal magic, in an adventure ride that "will transform perceptions of theme park experiences," according to park executives.
Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Rainn Wilson have been busy completing "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" in time for its June 2009 release, where the battle for Earth has ended but the battle for the universe has just begun. _
Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are capitalizing on the success of "The Da Vinci Code", the thriller novel by Dan Brown, with the movie "Angels & Demons". This was the reclusive author's third novel after he gave up his job as an English teacher.
Based on the book "Angels and Demons", the movie follows notorious Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who is called to a Swiss research facility (CERN) to analyze a mysterious symbol burned into the chest of a murdered physicist. Langdon finds evidence of the unthinkable - the revival of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the "Illuminati", the most powerful underground secret organization ever to exist.
Clues lead Langdon all over Rome and the Vatican, including the four alters of science, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, while an Assassin working for the Illuminati has kidnapped four Roman Catholic cardinals, and is murdering them one by one. At the same time, Langdon and Vittoria (Ayelet Zurer) are also searching for a new, and very destructive weapon that could kill millions of people and destroy Vatican City.
The movie is being filmed at a number of Roman locations found in the book, including the Pantheon, the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, and the Piazza Navona with its Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Castel Sant'Angelo and the centuries-old Biblioteca Angelica. However, Vatican officials made it clear from the beginning that there would be NO filming in or around the sacred city. The Vatican scenes were recreated on soundstages in Los Angeles to the last detail.
In fact, the official word from the Vatican is they abhor the very idea of the movie, and have called for a boycott upon its release. But then again, what would you expect their position to be? In the movie, as in the book, a look inside the Vatican library reveals a book by Galileo that holds the clues to where the four cardinals will be murdered. These clues are hidden in what's called 'The Path of Illumination,' a complicated kind of map that leads to the secret meeting place of The Illuminati.
The film stars Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Ayelet Zurer as Vittoria Vetra, and Ewan McGregor as Carlo Ventresca, who in the book plays the carmelegro of the Vatican Church and is in a powerful position after the Pope dies. This helps Langdon, as Carlo is the voice of understanding and is the one whom pleads for the search of the anti-matter. But Carlo has a dark secret and a sad past, and might not be what you expect him to be.
"Angels & Demons" was the first big screen casualty of the Hollywood writer's strike in 2007, because Akiva Goldsman's script still needed work, and was on strike with the Writers Guild of America, causing production of the movie to be delayed.
We suspect "Angels & Demons" will be just as big as "The DaVinci Code" was, and we can't wait to see the final big-screen version. It will be a huge hit, and the award buzz will probably start the day it opens in theaters.
Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found murdered Friday - both the victims of gun shot wounds.
They were found at their Chicago home, and police are searching for Hudson's missing nephew who was at the house at the time of the murders.
An Amber Alert was issued Friday evening for the missing boy.
William Balfour, a suspect in the case, is in custody and being questioned by police. As of Saturday morning he had not been charged with any crime. A police spokeswoman said detectives were talking to "a number of people in custody".
Police say Balfour is a prime suspect in the double murders of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29.
Hudson's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, confirmed the deaths:
"We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation concerning the deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson. No further comment will be made and the family has asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time."
Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, was featured in the recent "Sex and the City" movie, and is currently starring in the film "The Secret Life of Bees."
Lorne Michaels and the gang at Saturday Night Live once again put together a Thursday Night mini-version that nailed it.
The opening sketch included a visit from our friend Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, and a surprise visit by ex SNL veteran Will Ferrell as George W. Bush.
The president used a prime time television appearance to publicly give the republican presidential ticket his person endorsement. It was a classic, and good to see Ferrell back in the role of Bush.
The weekend update portion once again featured financial consultant Oscar Rodgers giving his now famous advice on the worldwide financial crisis - FIX IT! And Fred Armisen had fun playing with his new mega pixel touch screen election map.
After last Saturdays disappointing showing it was good to see things back on track. However, the Adam Samberg digital short - while funny, grew old after the fifth time he threw up on a stranger. Puke and comedy can only go so far together.
Truth. Honor. Loyalty. Family. What are you willing to sacrifice?
"Pride And Glory" opens this week; a narrative centered around one families generation of New York City Police officers. The Tierney family literally lives and breathes for the New York City Police Department. Former police chief Francis (Jon Voight) heads a family of three cops: his sons Ray (Ed Norton) and Francis Jr. (Noah Emmerich), and his son-in-law Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell).
The family's moral ethics are put to the test when Ray Tierney investigates a case that reveals a massive police corruption scandal involving his own brother-in-law. For Ray, learning the truth threatens to destroy not only the Tierney family legacy, but also the entire NYPD.
With the holidays approaching, the entire family is hit with calamity when four police officers are killed in a brutal shooting. Anxious to find out what went wrong and why, a task force is put together to investigate the deaths, and Ray finds himself thrown into the middle of the chaos.
When Ray's investigation uncovers police corruption, his whole life is destroyed and the good name of the Tierney family is swiftly shadowed by suspicion.
The new word on the street is that actor Will Smith is gay, and has used the expensive escort services of a well-known Hollywood Madame to provide him with young male prostitutes.
The un-named Madame, who is now working out of New York, says Smith was a good client for many years.
She asserts that she had to work extra-hard to convince Smith that her operation was exclusive, and that she could "guarantee discretion."
"Once I convinced him the business could be discrete, he placed his order. It was for a male prostitute. I had fourteen good-looking women working for me - and two guys. You'd be shocked at how many Hollywood celebrities request the services of the men".
Rumors that Smith is gay have been around for several years, but until more definitive proof shows up, we don't believe it. The so-called Hollywood Madame is unknown, and only anonymous quotes have been attributed to her without any substantiation.
Besides, Smith is married to hottie Jada Pinkett Smith, who we are pretty sure would not put up with such extravagant extra-curricular activity. So for now, we have to say this is just a rumor, and a bad one at that.
For his part, Will Smith is currently wrapping work on the drama "Seven Pounds", due this December. The film tells the emotional story of Ben (Will Smith), an IRS agent who is depressed and guilt-ridden about mistakes from his past. He sets out to make amends by helping seven strangers.
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart is losing another fake news correspondent.
Fake military Analyst Rob Riggle is set to follow the likes of Steve Carell, Rob Corddry, Ed Helms and Stephen Colbert, and is leaving the show to develop, and star in his own new half-hour sitcom on the CBS television network.
According to Variety magazine, Riggle is considering several options for his new show, one of which would be based on his years as a Major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Riggle, 38, has spent time in Iraq as part of a USO tour for the troops, and filmed various "Daily Show" spots while there. He is best known as the sometimes-angry "Military Correspondent" on the show.
A lot of people don't realize it, but Riggle appeared as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" during the 2004 season before joining Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. His spot on the show helped fill the void of departing Steven Colbert who left to start his now popular show "The Colbert Report"
Riggle was also part of the cult comedy series ""Upright Citizens Brigade", which also included Amy Poehler, Rob Corddry and Horatio Sanz. He has also made guest appearances on "The Office" and "Arrested Development", and played the role of Jack Telmont in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.
Just this year, Riggle appeared in another Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly comedy "Step Brothers" as Randy, in the story of two spoiled guys who become competitive stepbrothers after their single parents get married.
Riggle, who was born April 21, 1970 in Overland Park Kansas, says he'll remain with The Daily Show through the end of this season.
The announcement of Riggle's departure comes after another blow to the show was announced last week - the news that fellow correspondents Samantha Bee and Jason Jones have also signed a development deal with CBS and will be leaving the show. Most viewers are unaware that Bee and Jones are married to each other in real life. _
After almost six months behind bars, Nick Hogan (Bollea) has been released from jail.
His sentence, resulting from a car accident that left his passenger in a vegetative state for life, was cut short by three months for good behavior.
Young Nick, however, may be walking out of one nightmare and into another.
Since his time in prison, his parents Hulk (real name Terry Bollea) and Linda have filed for divorce while involved in a very public dispute over houses and money. And his sister Brooke Hogan can't seem to shake a bad Hollywood reputation as an airhead.
Nick Hogan was released from Pinellas County Jail just after midnight Tuesday morning. Nick copped a no contest to a felony charge of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury last spring. He was sentenced to eight months in jail.
Nick may be getting out early for good behavior, but he still has 500 hours of community service, five years probation and a three-year license suspension to look forward to.
His best friend and passenger in the car, John Graziano, remains hospitalized and will require medical care the rest of his life. _
Cameron Diaz has certainly been around the block a few times with some of Hollywood's biggest names, but the actress recently told OK Magazine that she is still in love with Matt Dillon.
Diaz told the magazine that even though the couple broke up more than ten years ago, she never really recovered from their breakup - and that Dillon was her first true love.
Cameron, 36, is currently involved with model Paul Sculfor, but friends say that her attraction to Dillon could be causing problems with her current relationship.
One friend told the tabloid, "I'm sure she still thinks about him all the time, Cameron looks bored to tears with Paul. He must not do much for her. I honestly don't think they'll stay together much longer."
Matt Dillon, 44, has also said publicly he still loves Diaz. Two years ago he told Parade Magazine that he "fell in love" with Cameron after he met her in 1995. The pair started dating that year, but ended their relationship three years later.
Diaz is currently filming the animated family adventure "Shrek Goes Fourth", the further adventures of the giant green ogre, Shrek (Mike Myers), living in the land of Far, Far Away. The film is not due until 2010, and also stars Eddie Murphy as The Donkey and Antonio Banderas as Puss In Boots. Diaz of course, plays the role of Princess Fiona.
Matt Dillon is currently filming the action crime drama "Bone Deep", starring Hayden Christensen and Dillon, about a group of bank robbers who find their $20 million plan interrupted by a hard-nosed detective.
The autumn blockbuster movie season is heating up and last weekend seemed to jump start the action films. Just released - "Max Payne", starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges and Chris O'Donnell.
Coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City are a DEA agent (Mark Wahlberg), whose family was killed as part of a conspiracy, and an assassin (Mila Kunis), who is out to avenge her sister's death. The police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation hunt the pair.
Demons, in the shape of winged serpents, disturb Max, but nothing real or imagined will get in the way of his mission. Complicating things is Max Payne's guru B.B. (Beau Bridges), an ex-cop who is involved with security for a large pharmaceutical company, which may hold the key to the mystery.
Forces, both real and hidden, are hard at work to keep Max, who is clearly fighting his inner demons, from reaching his goal.
"Max Payne" delivered a strong performance at the box office Friday with $7.2 million pushing it to the number one spot. The adaptation of the popular video game had the widest release at 3,376 locations this weekend, gaining an early lead in what could transform into a solid box office weekend.
Ever since David Alan Grier left "In Living Color", he has been looking for a comedy vehicle that would let him put a unique spin on parody - an African American spin, with perspective.
He may have struck gold and found a new home with "Chocolate News". It's not that Viacom is trying to compete with Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show", but Comedy Central has needed a good sketch comedy show ever since "The Chappelle Show" ended.
David Alan Grier produces and stars in this weekly, funny half-hour comedy, portraying everyone from poet Maya Angelou finishing her Barack Obama and John McCain benediction poems, to a music rapper who creates vulgar public service announcements for the "No Child Left Behind" act.
Call it a cross between In Living Color, Saturday Night Live and the Colbert Report - throw in a little Carlos Mencia and you have a show.
The program is so new you can tell they have not had a chance to polish the edges. It needs a little work, but could turn out to be a big hit. "Chocolate News" is funny - now it just needs time to find a following.
Mark Wahlberg visited the set of Saturday Night Live last night to settle the score with Andy Samberg. Last week, Samberg made fun of Wahlberg in a sketch called "Mark Wahlberg Talks With Animals".
Last night, Mark confronted Samberg backstage to settle the score.
The show was hosted by Josh Brolin who is currently appearing in the Oliver Stone film "W". Tina Fey joined to lampoon Alaskan Governor and Vice President candidate Sarah Palin, and Alec Baldwin made a special guest appearance to kick things off.
You have to believe that Lorne Michaels is loving this last few weeks, as Fey had left the show last year to focus on her own television show "30 Rock". It's nice to see her visit her old stomping grounds to help a guy out when he needs it.
Alaskan governor and VP presidential candidate Sarah Palin made history Saturday night.
She made a special guest appearance on the long running hit sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" on October 18.
In what can only be a result of the recent Tina Fey impersonations, and continual campaign gaffs, Palin took the opportunity to lampoon her shortcomings, and show the country she has a sense of humor.
Joined by Fey and Alec Baldwin, the two lampooned a Palin press conference. But SNL really missed an opportunity here, we thought the skit was somewhat lame and still think they should have done a "30 Rock" parody with Palin playing Fey's role - especially since they had Alec Baldwin there.
Where is Joe the plumber and Katie Couric when you need them? At least Mark Wahlberg stopped by to set the record straight with Andy Samberg about his "talking to animals" problem.
According to the a "No on Prop. 8" spokesperson, Ellen's cash will go to fund a media advertising campaign targeted at encouraging those in California to vote NO on the ballot initiative, which looks to define marriage in the California Constitution as "A union between a man and a woman".
Ellen's ad campaign will take her public plea, which she released Tuesday on the "Ellen" web site, to television stations in California where she will try to convince people to vote down the proposition.
Ellen married her long time lesbian partner Portia de Rossi earlier this year just months after California began allowing same sex marriage. Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have vowed to tie the knot by Christmas. Related:Sam Ronson And Lindsay Lohan To Get Married
While the "No on Prop. 8" staff would not provide details about the dollar amount Ellen donated, a spokesman for GLAAD said she gave $100,000, the same amount as Brad Pitt who was the first Hollywood celebrity to contribute.
Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, also gave $100,000. Pete Wentz and the rock band "Fall Out Boy" has donated $50,000, as did T.R. Knight. _
Tina Fey tells David Letterman that this whole Sarah Palin thing "Is the strangest thing that ever happened to me".
Fey told Dave how the Palin impersonation came about and how she ended up on Saturday Night Live. "You drop the G's and use a lot of R's and add a little Reese Witherspoon. Fey says Palin got "Lost in the corn maze…" during the Katie Couric interview.
Fey does not believe that her skits are helping or hurting the election process, but that some people think it is a bit racist. Tina also shared with Letterman that it was Palin who contacted SNL in an attempt to book a guest appearance. That show is scheduled to air tonight.
Tina Falin, the new nickname given to Fey by friends, has also just started her new season on "30 Rock". She has announced an all-star group of friends and celebrities she has booked for the new season including Oprah and Steve Martin.
Not only is our young "High School Musical" star turning 21 this weekend, but it has also been announced that Zac Efron will be joining the cast of Johnny Depp's new "Pirates Of The Caribbean 4" movie.
Disney will be paying Efron an estimated $10 million for his role, almost twice as much as he pulled in singing and dancing with his fellow Wildcats.
A source tells us that Depp was not initially interested in another run as Jack Sparrow, and that Disney approached Efron to take over the helm.
After some intense negations, Depp agreed to return for another film for an enormous $55 million paycheck. This may be the highest salary every paid to an actor for a movie role.
But it is not like either one has to worry about losing their job.
Johnny Depp has six projects in the works. The first to hit the big screen will be "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus", starring Depp, the late Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, in a story about a traveling theater company that gives its audience much more than they were expecting.
Depp is currently filming the animated family adventure 'Alice In Wonderland", a live-action and CGI version of the classic "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" story.
For his part, Efron will be seen later this month in the teen hit "High School Musical 3 - Senior Year", where as seniors in high school, Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.
Zac has also just complete work on the comedy "17 Again", due next April and starring Efron and Matthew Perry, about a guy whose life does not quite turn out the way he wanted, and wishes he could go back to high school and change it. He wakes up one day and is seventeen again and gets the chance to rewrite his life. _
Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will make a guest appearance on this week's "Saturday Night Live" - the sketch show helmed by Lorne Michaels that has been featuring a parody of the governor by former cast member Tina Fey.
Palin will appear this Saturday night along with host Josh Brolin, who plays President George Bush in Oliver Stone's new movie, "W."
With less then 20 days left in the campaign, it has been rumored that Palin would make an appearance on either the Saturday night, or Thursday night mini version of the show. Some speculate that Palin will impersonate Tina Fey and her character from the smash hit sitcom "30 Rock", and that long time SNL veteran host Alec Baldwin will make a cameo.
Fey has been pulling double duty this last month with her work on "30 Rock", as well as visiting her old stomping grounds to impersonate Palin on SNL. On top of that, Fey is also writing a new musical comedy film titled "Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill", due in theaters next year, about an eccentric punk-rocker who forms a band with a unruly young Hasidic Jew.
On top of that she has just finished work on the Rickey Gervais comedy "This Side Of Truth", with Fey, Gervais, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Patrick Stewart, Rob Lowe and Jeffrey Tambor - a comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.
And just in case she needs work next year, Fey is rumored to be starring alongside Robert Downey Jr. in the animated family movie "Master Mind", a satirical take on superhero movies in which a notorious villain loses his vigor after he accidentally kills his nemesis. _
John McCain and Barack Obama traded jokes last night at the Al Smith white tie memorial dinner. It was a breath of fresh air to actually hear the two presidential candidates breath a little humor into the campaign.
Both McCain and Obama did a comedic monolog that was actually funny.
These are must see videos with deep inside humor and sharp jabs, at not only each other, but also the Clintons, Joe the plumber, MSNBC, and Keith Olbermann among others.
After canceling an earlier appearance, Senator John McCain finally visited the David Letterman show Thursday night.
At times it was uncomfortable.
David wondered if McCain cancelled because the host was not important enough and asked, "What Happened?" McCain replied, "I screwed up".
After a drilling on why McCain cancelled his last appearance, the two had a discussion about comments made on the campaign trail. The big topic was William Ayres and G. Gordon Liddy. It seems that McCain is pals with Gordon Liddy and has attended a fundraiser hosted by the Watergate felon, and Letterman drilled him about it.
Letterman did a great job of trying to ask McCain about accusations hurled at Barack Obama, but the presidential hopeful sidestepped most of the innuendo.
SNL nailed it again with their Thursday Night Live mini-episode. And we learned more about the infamous "Joe the plumber" than we ever wanted to know.
Following SNL tradition, the show started with a skit about the third Presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. Most of the debate however, revolved around the much talked about "Joe the plumber", and his magical plunger - a reference to a citizen Obama talked about at a rally speech last week.
When asked about their cabinet staff appointments, McCain mentioned he would start an executive level office of plumbing and hire, you guessed it - Joe the plumber.
The weekend update section featured a new sketch called "We Liked It", where Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler talked about the good aspects of the debate. There was also a visit from the McCain rally crazy lady, Jessie Jackson and a spoof about McCain running advertisement inside MRI machines.
The show was another winner, but leaves little time for the much anticipated guest appearance of real life Sarah Palin. It is rumored we will see her this Saturday.
Madonna looked exhausted and frazzled as she returned to her New York apartment last night - as friends and media reports asserted she and Guy Ritchie would be divorced by the holidays.
After almost six months of rumor, the Hollywood power couple is expected to terminate their eight-year marriage.
According to reports, the couple will be issuing a statement within the next two days, after a series of "shouting matches" spoiled their current attempts at reconciliation.
A crafty divorce settlement could pocket director Guy Ritchie close to $50 million, and the couple does not have a pre-nuptial agreement.
Reports suggest that Madonna has already hired Fiona Shackleton, the lawyer who helped Paul McCartney in his courtroom encounter with Heather Mills, and who helped him lower her take on his $600 million to only $20 million.
A declaration by Ritchie for a portion of Madonna's wealth would be based on their 10-year marriage, his support of her career and the fact that they have two children together, Rocco, eight, and David Banda, two.
Madonna's resolve to adopt a second child from Africa is rumored to be one of the major reasons for the divorce. Ritchie aggressively disagrees with the idea of adding more children to the family by adopting third world children, and their marriage was placed under tremendous strain several years ago when they adopted David from Malawi.
It is not clear where Madonna's daughter Lourdes, 12, Rocco and David will live after the divorce.
The two were married at Skibo Castle in Scotland in December 2000, just five months after the singer gave birth to their son Rocco. Madonna is also mother to Lourdes, 12, from a previous relationship to Carlos Leon.
Madonna is currently on the road performing with her world concert tour, and Guy Ritchie is currently directing the adventure mystery film "Sherlock Holmes", due next year and starring Robert Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams and Jude Law.
The film is an adaptation of the famous detective series where Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England. _
Guillaume Depardieu, the troubled son of famous French movie star Gerard Depardieu, died Monday. Guillaume was only 37.
Guillaume Depardieu died at Raymond-Poincare hospital in Garches, near Paris, of complications from pneumonia, the hospitals spokesman said.
Depardieu had entered the hospital on Sunday, and a family spokesman said the artist flew to France on Sunday from Romania, where he picked up a lung infection while filming his latest movie.
He had been filming "L'Enfance d'Icare" in Bucharest, Romania when he suddenly fell ill. He was taken to the hospital but died early Monday.
A spokesperson for Gerard Depardieu said, "He caught a virus which gave him a very severe case of pneumonia."
Guillaume Depardieu starred in a number of movies, including "Tous les matins du monde" (1991), "Cible emouvante" (1993), "Pola X" (1999), and 2007's "Ne touchez pas la hache".
As a teenager and young adult, Guillaume Depardieu faced the evils of drugs, alcohol and violence that led to legal troubles, and convictions for traffic violations, verbal abuse and narcotics use.
Depardieu had a public falling-out with his dad, and had his right leg amputated in 2003 due to a bacterial infection following a motorcycle accident.
Guillaume had also started work on the Jane Spencer directed comedy "Men Don't Lie" starring Michael Madsen, about a young, idealistic woman who falls in love with an American expatriate living in Paris, France. No word yet on how the actors death will effect the project. _
It turns out that John F. Kennedy was just like the rest of us. He feared losing his presidential campaign, and he feared having to start over at age 45.
A new series of audiotapes has been uncovered showing JFK as just another guy, sitting around the fire smoking cigars and drinking cocktails with friends and family.
The audio recording was made on January 5, 1960.
On the tape, an un-guarded JFK can clearly be heard just months before becoming President, and just 3-years before his assassination. He talks candidly about his life, politics and his own health. Kennedy is asked why he decided to get into politics, and what he would do if he had to get out if he lost the election. It is a truly stunning series of recordings.
Brian Williams summed it up best:
"I've listened to all of it -- and it is chilling, haunting and fascinating at the same time. Having read just about every book extant on the Kennedy family and his presidency, I already know there is material here that will be in the next printing of various textbooks".
A snippet was played Monday evening on William's NBC Nightly News broadcast, and below is an extended version of the entire audio tape. It is an amazing listen.
Look out Zac Efron; your High School Musical puppy love may be threatened. In fact, if photos are any proof, we'd say you have a problem.
Teen actress Vanessa Ann Hudgens was photographed making out with Bobby Bones last week!
Bones is currently working with Vanessa playing Gordy in the just completed music comedy "Bandslam", starring Hudgens and Lisa Kudrow with an appearance by David Bowie.
"Bandslam" tells the story of a high school outcast's bond with a popular girl over their shared love of music, and as a result create a rock band that tries to win their school's upcoming battle of the bands competition.
Hudgens has already completed work on "High School Musical 3: Senior Year", and just appeared on Jay Leno's Tonight Show to show off one of the hit musical singles "A Night To Remember".
Zac Efron is putting the final touches on his teen comedy "17 Again" due next April, and starring Efron, Matthew Perry and Michelle Trachtenberg. The movie is about a guy whose life doesn't quite turn out the way he wanted it to and wishes he could go back to high school and change it. He wakes up one day and is seventeen again and gets the chance to rewrite his life.
It seems when the cat is away; the mice come out and play! _
Now that Tina Fey has jump-started the SNL fury with her impersonation of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, it seems natural the Palin would want to return the favor by making an appearance. Right?
The rumor mill is running wild with speculation that Palin will make a guest appearance either on the normal Saturday night version, or one of the Thursday Night Live mini-episodes.
Both Lorne Michaels and Seth Meyers have confirmed that Tina Fey will again return in a guest role to parody the Presidential VP hopeful, and both hint that Palin is all but booked.
Lorne Michaels told reporters, "All in good time, there are three more live shows left before the election. Saturday's is a rerun."
But now news is leaking out that a deal has already been made, and the scripts are being written as we speak. We don't mean Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin, we mean Palin doing Palin. Or maybe Palin doing Tina Fey? Now there is an idea…
Sources close to the show say Sarah will be seen on "SNL" Saturday night, October 25, and that dress rehearsal time has already been scheduled for Friday the 24th. We can't wait.
Tina Fey left SNL two tears ago to create, write and star in the hit NBC series "30 Rock" with Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin. Since then, her celebrity status has shot through the roof, making her Palin parodies even more tantalizing.
In fact, NBC just announced an A-list group of celebs that will be guest appearing with Fey when "30 Rock" begins its new season later this month.
Vanessa Ann Hudgens stopped by to see Jay Leno on the Tonight Show last night, and the "High School Musical" singer and dancer showed a clip from HSM 3 - a musical number where the Wildcats, and Zac Efron, sing about going to the prom in a song titled "A Night To Remember".
"High School Musical 3: Senior Year" is the third installment of the popular teen franchise, and this time around the students deal with graduation, moving away, growing up and going to college.
In addition to her HSM duties, Hudgens has just completed work on the dramatic musical comedy "Bandslam" due next April. The film tells the story of a high school outcast's bond with a well-liked girl over their common love of music, which results in the two assembling a rock band that tries to win their school's approaching battle of the bands contest.
Tim Robbins, known for writing and directing "Dead Man Walking", and his award winning roles in such films as "Mystic River", "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Hudsucker Proxy", received his coveted star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame last week.
Robbins told reporters, "I used to take the bus from here to Burbank to go to work," he recalled. "When the bus was late, I would walk up and down and throw my cigarettes down. Now I have the honor of having this done to my star."
Attending the ceremony with Tim was his longtime life-partner Susan Sarandon, who picked up a Best Actress Academy Award for her role in "Dead Man Walking".
Robbins is currently directing and producing the made-for-television movie "Possible Side Effects", a TV drama that revolves around a family that runs a pharmaceutical company.
The actor can also be seen in the just released family adventure fantasy "City Of Ember" with Bill Murray. The film tells the story about the people of the underground 'City of Ember', who have prospered in a wonderful world of glittering lights. But the city's once mighty generator is failing, and the enormous lamps that light up the city are starting to fade.
"30 Rock" is setting itself up for a great new season starting October 30, and Tina Fey is calling in years of favors by getting an all-star cast of famous celebs to appear as guests.
It has been announced that Oprah Winfrey will appear as herself on the award winning "30 Rock", and that Jennifer Aniston will appear to play a "free-spirited, Fatal Attraction-like" stalker obsessed with Alec Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy.
Plus, earlier this week, it was confirmed that Salma Hayek would also be making an appearance on the hit series, with NBC announcing that Hayek will take on the recurring role of Elisa, Jack Donaghy's new romantic love interest.
Tina Fey asked Hayek to guest on the sitcom as "a character, not as herself" for two episodes, according to a report in the New York Post. We also hear that any of these guest roles may turn into returning characters if things go well.
Hayek joins a growing list of A-list celebrities booked by Fey for "30 Rock", and reports are rampant that there will also be appearances from Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin and Al Gore. We can't wait.
Fey's popularity has skyrocketed since she developed "30 Rock", and later began playing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. She has appeared in several SNL skits as Palin, and is rumored to be returning again for SNL's Thursday Night Live mini-episodes.
Fey will also be appearing in the Ricky Gervais comedy "This Side Of Truth" starring Fey, Gervais, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Rob Lowe, Patrick Stewart and Jeffrey Tambor. The film is a comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain. The film is due sometime next year. _
After three years of being labeled "troubled", stints in rehab, failed marriages, cutting off all her hair and botched MTV appearances, Britney Spears is trying to tell the world she is back.
And these days, Britney Spears is in the spotlight for all the right reasons. The singer earned three MTV Video Music Awards, appeared on awards show looking fit and trim, and gained attention for her guest appearances on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother."
And on Friday night's edition of 20/20, the young singer tried to explain to the world just what has been happening to her over the last few years. She also premiered her new music video "Womanizer", a sizzling video with flashes of Spears naked in a sauna, and teasing men at every turn.
She has also teamed with MTV for a 90-minute documentary about her return to the pop-music spotlight. Originally titled "For the Record," the special is set to air on November 30 at 10 p.m. on MTV, two days before her new album Circus is released on December 2.
Spears told reporters:
"So much has gone on over the last couple of years and there's a lot that people don't know about me that I want them to know. I wanted to make this film because I started to feel like I wasn't being seen in the light that I wanted to be seen in. This is an opportunity to set the record straight and talk about what I've been through and where I'm headed."
After keeping such a low profile since the birth of her new twins, Angelina Jolie is rushing back into the Hollywood spotlight.
Reports had surfaced recently that Jolie was suffering from a bad case of depression after her birth, but the A-list actress was seen in public for a screening of her latest movie "The Changeling".
Angelina is also the cover story feature in "W" Magazine's November issue, complete with a cover picture of her breastfeeding on of her children.
Jolie is photographed breastfeeding one of the new twins, either Knox Leon or Vivienne Marcheline, who covers Angelina's left breast with its tiny hand. Brad Pitt took the photos while the two were recovering at the Chateau Miraval in the French Riviera, and is only one of many taken by Pitt.
Pitt and Jolie have already received $14 million dollars for the first baby pictures, and we're sure "W" is also paying handsomely. Besides Shiloh and the twins, Pitt and Jolie also are parents to three adopted children: Maddox, 7, from Cambodia; Pax, 4, from Vietnam; Zahara, 3, from Ethiopia.
Angelina Jolie can be seen later this month in the crime drama "The Changeling", where a mother's prayer for her kidnapped son to return home is answered, though it doesn't take long for her to suspect the boy who comes back is not hers.
Brad Pitt is currently being seen with George Clooney and Tilda Swinton in the comedy adventure "Burn After Reading", and has just completed work on the long anticipated fantasy "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" about a man who ages backwards.
It is official - Carol Alt will expose herself on the cover of Playboy magazine, and appear in a photo pictorial that leaves very little to the imagination.
The 47-year-old super model, who was recently seen on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" earlier this year, will pose nude for Playboy magazine's December edition.
Alt, who at 47 is still a stunning beauty, contributes her great shape to her organic diet, and says that she chose to do the naked photo shoot to draw attention to her healthy eating program. Alt told reporters:
"I've done a lot of soul-searching about this and have spoken extensively with Playboy about it. They have been amazing to work with and are embracing this message that I want to get across, which is eat healthy, look healthy and be healthy.
It doesn't matter what age you are. You can look sexy and feel great, and that doesn't have to be a gift only for the young. It can be a gift for any age, even the old - whatever that is nowadays".
Alt gained attention as a super model during the 1980's, and has been profiled on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But her Playboy Bunny job will be her first nude pictorial - not that the model has anything against being seen naked.
Carol has authored several books highlighting the benefits of eating raw and organic foods, and said it was her diet that kept her looking Playboy positive. She simply wants the world to see what a healthy eating program can do for your body.
In addition to her appearance in Playboy, Alt just completed work on the Western movie drama "The Man Who Came Back", based on one of the bloodiest labor strikes in the history of the United States - the film is a story of murder, conspiracy and one man's revenge. _
Saturday Night Life introduced their first Thursday Night Live half hour prime time show with a political spoof of the presidential debate.
And they nailed it. The skit welcomed back Chris Parnell as Tom Brokaw playing the moderator.
SNL is really getting good at this, and there was even a cameo by SNL alum Bill Murray during the Obama and McCain debate skit.
We missed not seeing Tina Fey as Sarah Palin but suspect she will return again - head writer Seth Myers admitted in an interview about the new Thursday format that Fey would likely return.
The remaining segment included an expanded version of the popular SNL Weekend Update with Seth Myers and Amy Poehler. The highlight was the "Really?" skit.
It highlighted much of the absurd events of the last week, and took a particularly hard jab at the insurance company AIG, who just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at a spa immediately following their government bailout.
We think by taking out the musical guest, and reducing the number of "not so funny" skits, and focusing on the issues in the news, Lorne Michaels and his group at Saturday Night Live have a smash hit on their hands.
Move over Jim Carrey - Eddie Murphy has been tapped to play the role of the Joker in the next Batman film after seasoned actor Johnny Depp turned down the role.
