The Insider: Contributed by SexiSigNoriTa

VALKYRIE GETS DUMPED

SexiSigNoriTa — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:39:35 GMT

Bryan Singer's directorial career may be still off the rails, at least if the latest move by MGM and United Artists is any indication: his next film, Valkyrie, is being moved from a potential Oscar berth in October to the dumping grounds of February, where it will compete with Friday the 13th. Ouch. Buzz on the film, which stars Tom Cruise with an apparently dismal German accent, has been negative, but I couldn't tell how much of that was just the general noise that surrounds Cruise these days. Apparently that buzz has some meaning and the studio doesn't think this film stands a chance in the awards race, even with a pretty damn decent cast besides Lord Xenu's biggest enemy. Looking back at Cruise's filmography, Valkyrie is his first movie to get such a dumping... and it's his own company! Listen to this spin by UA's Dennis Rice, President of Worldwide Marketing and Publicity. "We're delighted that MGM has agreed to hold the release until the very strong holiday weekend." Yeah, because President's Day is the next big holiday after October. There's just no way to read this except that the film is not strong enough to be an end of year contender. By the way - this is Valkyrie's second move. The film was originally slated for this summer.

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DENZEL FRANCHISING MATARESE?

SexiSigNoriTa — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:37:45 GMT

It's odd that Denzel Washington would wait until he's well into his fifties to try shouldering a franchise again, but given the sad failure of Devil with a Blue Dress (a terrific film that should've spawned a whole gang of Easy Rawlins pictures), perhaps he was reticent to stake his $20 million asking price on anything less than a sure thing. While I'm not sure that Robert Ludlum's The Matarese Circle qualifies as a "sure thing", the success of the Bourne series suggests that his convoluted, Cold War thrillers can absolutely translate in the post-Arms Race era. At present, Washington is only rumored as the man to play Brandon Scofield, a CIA agent forced to team up with a rival KGB operative in order to take down an independently affiliated group of assassins (the Matarese). MGM shelled out $3 million to the Ludlum estate for the rights to the novel (beating out several other studios, including Universal), but they held off on purchasing the second entry in the series, The Matarese Countdown; according to Variety, if the first film is a hit, MGM would prefer to develop a wholly original sequel. For now, screenwriting duties have been handed off (for seven figures) to the 3:10 to Yuma team of Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. I wasn't a huge fan of Yuma, but they're solid craftsmen; I'd much rather see them getting more work than, say, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Since MGM is a little light in the franchise department (there's Bond and the evil that is The Pink Panther), I imagine they'll fast-track this film. And if Denzel's not immediately available when they're ready to start principal photography (with someone like Martin Campbell at the helm), I wouldn't be surprised if they look elsewhere for a cheaper, younger alternative (Derek Luke, perhaps?).

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'Smallville' creators call it quits

SexiSigNoriTa — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:20:56 GMT

Smallville creators/executive producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are leaving the young-Superman drama after seven seasons, though the CW will keep its longest-running and highest-rated drama on its viewership-challenged schedule next year. "We look back at 152 episodes," Gough and Millar wrote in an open letter sent to media outlets this morning. "We look back knowing that the show will continue into season 8 without us. After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on." Here's to hoping it goes better than the net's Amy Sherman-Palladino-less final season of Gilmore Girls.

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Pamela Anderson won't act with a dog

SexiSigNoriTa — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:15:11 GMT

Pamela Anderson stormed off the sets of her new comedy Superhero Movie – because she was against working with a dog in the film. The Baywatch babe is a supporter of People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and thinks that training dogs to work on films is wrong. "Pamela left the set and went for a walk. She needed a time out. She was that upset," theage.com.au quoted a movie insider, as saying. In the scene, the actress" 'Invisible Girl' character had to call for her Invisible pooch, which turns visible the moment it is picked up by the busty blonde. In order to calm down the actress director Craig Mazin reportedly edited shots of Anderson and a dog to make it look like the pooch belonged to her character, but later all scenes featuring the pet were cut from the finished film. The Motion Picture Association of America's Ratings Board were against a bestiality joke in the scene, which suggested the dog had been sexually satisfying a superhero professor.

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Ledger's former lover declines 'secret love child'

SexiSigNoriTa — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:11:00 GMT

Heath Ledger's former lover has denied reports that she gave birth to the late actor's love child. The buzz started off after Ledger's uncle revealed that the Brokeback Mountain star might have secretly fathered a love child. He claimed that Heath was 17 when he had an affair with a 25-year-old woman, who is believed to have discovered her pregnancy after the affair ended. However, the woman in question and her husband have broken their silence, dismissing all the alleged reports. "I'm not answering anything," Usmagazine quoted the woman, as telling Britain"s Daily Mail. "I think it's very, very rude that I'm being posed all of this. I really do. I can't talk about anything. You have no proof, there's no background, there's no grounds, there's no nothing," she added. Supporting the woman's assertions, her husband said "The whole thing with [Ledger being the father] is no. No way. No can be." "We knew it would flare up and that is the point of my talking and the simple thing is we will do a DNA test. "I'm the step-dad, but there's nothing to hide... and if I asked [the mother] I'm sure that she wouldn't mind [to have a DNA test]," he added.

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Clooney held at gunpoint in Sudan

SexiSigNoriTa — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:02:26 GMT

George Clooney feared for his life on his recent United Nations trip to war-torn Sudan - after he was held at gunpoint and mugged by child soldiers. The 46-year-old described his terrifying experience when muggers attacked him while he was passing through a checkpoint. "There were all these young kids with AK47s," Usmagazine.com quoted Clooney, as telling British men's magazine Zoo Weekly. "They pointed guns at us and stole what they could. It happens all the time," he added.The incident didn't seem like a personal attack on the star, as the actor claimed that the assailants didn"t recognize him, later joking, "They don't have great TV out there!"

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Angelina Jolie's 16-Year-Old Teen Model Pictures

SexiSigNoriTa — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:59:29 GMT

Who knew that Angelina Jolie was a teen-model? Now we all do thanks to In Touch. The magazine just released a photo-shoot and video of Jolie when she was the ripe age of 16-years-old. The pictures are of a young Jolie modeling various outfits and the video features her in "a gold bikini talking about fencing, boxing and her desire to have a weapons room." So all of you perverts searching for new "teen models" head on over to In Touch's Exclusive: Angelina's sexy teen photos, I would say there is really nothing exciting about the pictures, but I am sure there are a lot of you out there who may disagree. Also props to the first person to tell us what music is playing in the background of he video The pictures were taken by photographer Sean McCall.

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Gibson Wants No 'Passion' Disclosure

SexiSigNoriTa — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:58:04 GMT

Mel Gibson, who's being sued by a writer over payment for the "The Passion of the Christ" screenplay, wants to keep financial information about the blockbuster movie out of the public eye. Benedict Fitzgerald claimed in his February lawsuit that Gibson misled him into accepting a small payment for writing the script by saying the movie would cost between $4 million and $7 million. Fitzgerald, who shared screenwriting credits with Gibson, claimed he agreed to "a salary substantially less than what he would have taken had he known the true budget for the film," which the lawsuit claimed was $25 million to $50 million. The lawsuit claims fraud, breach of contract and unjust enrichment, and seeks unspecified damages. In court filings Tuesday, attorneys for Gibson and his production company asked the court to seal the movie's financial records and only allow Fitzgerald's lawyers access to them. The information details the movie's domestic and foreign box office receipts, production costs and distribution expenses. The defense is also seeking to dismiss some of Fitzgerald's claims, including fraud, which if proven would allow Fitzgerald to seek punitive damages.

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Cindy Crawford Denies Gig on The View

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:37:36 GMT

There have been recent rumors that supermodel turned trophy wife Cindy Crawford would be joining ABC morning show “The View” as another co-host. Hollyscoop hit the Leatherheads movie premiere last night where we asked Cindy if there were any truth to these rumors to which she replied, “not true.” Rumors began making their rounds when gossip columnist Liz Smith ran a bit in her column saying, “ABC is hot on Cindy Crawford. They want her as a regular on "Good Morning America" and "The View." She did a great job last week on ABC and nobody can believe this beauty has turned 42. Well, 40 is now the new... 25.” Well folks, there you have it. Guess we wont be seeing Cindy strut her stuff on the set of “The View” anytime soon.

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Cameron's Single and Loving It!

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:34:54 GMT

Calling all potential hookups, Cameron Diaz is single and ready to mingle! Cam, who is single for the first time in over a decade, says she's happy living the single life. She tells Britain's GQ magazine, "I like boys - a lot. I'm boy crazy. That hasn't changed since I was very young...When I'm in a relationship I'm very loyal and committed. I give a lot. "But it's been nice not having a boyfriend for the past year. In fact, it's the first time I haven't had one in 10 years and I'm enjoying what I'm getting out of this moment. I could be in a relationship if I wanted to be, but I haven't finished doing what I'm doing." Who do you think Cam would be a great item with? We never liked her with JT, but her and Jude Law seemed great together.

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No Twins for Brangelina

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:32:14 GMT

There have been reports on the internet for months now that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are expecting twins, but Hollyscoop has learned that it is nothing more than just a rumor. A close family friend of Jolie tells Hollyscoop EXCLUSIVELY that she is "not having twins." The source added, "Twins don't even run in her family." Brangelina is expecting their 5th child this summer. They're half way to their goal of having a soccer team.

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Johnny Depp Offered $10M to Become 'Face' of Trojan Condoms

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:29:43 GMT

Johnny Depp has been offered $10 million to become the “face” of Trojan condoms, the U.K.'s Daily Star reported. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, 44, would be expected to appear in a series of offbeat TV commercials for the company’s new Magnum range, according to the Star. One slogan the ad executives are playing with is: “Stand up with Johnny for safer sex," according to the Star. The heartthrob actor has felt strongly about sex education since starring in TV’s teen crime series "21 Jump Street" in the '80s. He said then: “This show teaches kids about drugs and safe sex, which is why I agreed to do it.” A spokeswoman for California’s Safer Sex Awareness Campaign told the Star: “We’d welcome seeing a major Hollywood star helping to promote the cause. And there’s no one bigger than Johnny.” Depp is currently filming "Public Enemies," in which he plays gangster John Dillinger.

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Keanu Reeves Says He Turned Down Watchmen And Speed Racer Roles

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:27:11 GMT

Clearly Keanu Reeves has become perhaps THE go-to guy for cool sci-fi/genre properties in recent years (funny how a mega-blockbuster trilogy like “The Matrix” will help something like that). By the end of the year Keanu is going to add Klaatu to his roster of iconic roles in “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, but there could have been even more on his geek-friendly resume. Just the other day he admitted to MTV News that there were two other high-profile roles he recently turned down, in the form of Dr. Manhattan AND Racer X! Yes, Reeves confirmed the long whispered of rumors that he’d been offered the role of Dr. Manahattan in Zack Snyder’s eagerly anticipated adaptation of “Watchmen.” Saying he was absolutely interested in the role but had to pass because it simply “didn’t work out,” Reeves still expressed his enthusiasm for the “Watchmen” project. “I went to the set,” he recalled. “They were shooting in Vancouver while we were filming so I went over to the set to say, ‘hi.’ They showed me some stuff and it looks amazing! I can’t wait. It’s going to be so killer, man!” As for re-teaming with the Wachowskis on “Speed Racer,” Reeves said they had indeed tried to get him for Racer X. “I wish [it had worked out],” Reeves said of the role that Matthew Fox filled, before affecting the voice of the character himself: “Speed, I’m not your brother!”

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'21' Beats The Odds To Take Box-Office #1, As 'Horton' Crosses $100 Million Mark

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:24:14 GMT

The Box-Office Top Five #1 "21" ($23.7 million) #2 "Horton Hears a Who!" ($17.4 million) #3 "Superhero Movie" ($9.5 million) #4 "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" ($7.8 million) #5 "Drillbit Taylor" ($5.8 million) The card-counting blackjack geniuses who served as inspiration for "21" wouldn't be happy with a 23, but for Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey and the rest of the cast and crew, that was the magic number this weekend, as "21" brought down the house — and the box office — with a $23.7 million haul. The Robert Luketic flick follows a group of M.I.T. students who use a complicated numerical system to beat Vegas at its own game, but it doesn't take a math genius to count all those tickets. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for the movie that teaches us how to win at roulette. In second place, Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who!" added $17.4 million to its already impressive tally, now a jumbo-size $117 million. More surprising, though, than finding a whole society on a speck of dust? It's almost April and "Horton" is the first 2008 release to cross the ever-important $100 million plateau. By this time last year, "300," "Wild Hogs" and "Ghost Rider" had already hit the mark. Disappointing in third place was the comic book spoof "Superhero Movie," which made $9.5 million — or about half of what "Meet the Spartans" opened with in January. After 15 years of increasing returns, could the spoof genre be deflated? God, we hope so. "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns," with $7.8 million, and "Drillbit Taylor," with $5.8 million, rounded out the top five. Their two-week totals stand at $32.8 million and $20.6 million, respectively. Among other new releases, "Stop-Loss" performed dismally, managing only $4.5 million and an eighth-place finish. Despite the fact that it was the best-reviewed film of the weekend, Kimberly Peirce's project about a soldier told he has to return to active duty is the latest Iraq-war drama to be ignored by audiences. Also opening, Simon Pegg and David Schwimmer's "Run, Fatboy, Run" managed only $2.4 million for a finish well outside the top 10.

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George Clooney: I did try to adopt Britney Spears

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:19:58 GMT

George Clooney says he once thought about adopting Britney Spears — so that she could look after him in later life. The ‘Michael Clayton’ star, 46, told Britain’s Marie Claire magazine: “I did try to adopt Britney Spears – you know, somebody with some cash to take care of me in my old age. She wasn’t having it.” Clooney also hinted he may be settling down with his new girlfriend Sarah Larson, a former cocktail waitress. He said he thinks about marriage “every other day”, and that, “[marriage] is something that’s a sort of endgame for people.” The Hollywood star is currently promoting his new film Leather-heads with co-star Renée Zellweger.

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Christian Bale and Brandon Routh Sign for 'Justice League!!!

SexiSigNoriTa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:18:39 GMT

Holy "Where the hell did this one come from" Batman! In a last ditch effort to win back fans, Warner Bros. has apparently convinced both Christian Bale and Brandon Routh to reprise the roles of Batman and Superman for their upcoming live-action Justice League of America film (currently titled Justice League Mortal). A press release just sent to Cinematical comes with this hilarious quote from a studio rep: "Brandon wasn't too hard to convince; he half-jokingly told us he's dreamt about this opportunity every night for the past several months." Both men have signed a three-picture deal, which means Warners has plans to extend Justice League beyond the initial film, due out in 2009. Currently, there's no word on whether Armie Hammer (the actor supposed to play Batman) will still appear in some capacity, be it as a younger version of Batman or as a random extra in a background shot. On why he ultimately decided to take the role when there's a good chance it could confuse fans and screw up Nolan's franchise, Bale said, "I don't see me taking on this role getting in the way of anything, aside from someone else's paycheck. The script is awesome. Batman is awesome. Brendon and I look forward to taking this one to the next level." Sounds like the studio is finally getting serious about this film, bringing on two actors with established fanbases -- guys they know will bolster the flick's box office. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, like what happens to Bryan Singer's The Man of Steel now and will Chris Nolan even go ahead with a third Batman film with Bale doing JLA? Well, one thing is for sure: This whole project just got a lot more interesting ...

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