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DreamWorks eyes Reynolds for 'Motorcade'

DreamWorks has lined up Ryan Reynolds for the lead role in thriller Motorcade, according to Variety.

The Wolverine actor has been targeted to play a Secret Service agent who is "in the wrong place at the right time" when the president is kidnapped in New York. 24 director Jon Cassar will helm the project.

Director Len Wiseman and Tom Cruise were previously attached to the movie.

Reynolds, who has not yet signed a contract, is currently working on the Martin Campbell-directed Green Lantern movie.

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Groening: 'No plans for Simpsons sequel'

Matt Groening has admitted that there are no current plans to make a sequel to 2007's The Simpsons Movie, reports Variety.

Speaking to documentarian Morgan Spurlock at the Mipcom sales mart in Cannes, creator Groening said that the Simpsons team became "frustrated" over the time it took to make the first feature.

Groening said: "It took 18 years to get around to doing the movie. We got very frustrated. We thought it would take two years but it ended up taking four. Some day maybe we'll do another one - but don't hold your breath."

Discussing when the animated show, now in its 21st season, will finish, Groening remarked: "We cannot predict the end because we can't believe we are still here today."

Showrunner Al Jean added: "We are contracted to do two more seasons. I gave up predicting the end a long time ago."

Simpsons producer David Mirkin recently told DS that the show's creative team are still "in therapy" after going through the trauma of producing a movie.

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Samuel L. Jackson signs for 'Same Kind'

Samuel L. Jackson has signed up to star in the big screen adaptation of Same Kind of Different as Me, reports Variety.

Roderick and Bruce Taylor are penning the screenplay from Ron Hall and Denver Moore's bestselling memoir.

Jackson will play Moore, an ex-con who became close friends with wealthy Dallas art dealer Hall. The Pulp Fiction star will also executive produce the film.

His other upcoming projects include the HBO movie Sunset Limited and Will Ferrell comedy The Other Guys.

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RZA added to Downey Jr 'Due Date'

Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA has been added to the cast of Warner Bros comedy Due Date.

The hip-hop star joins a cast which includes Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx. Todd Phillips is signed up to direct.

Due Date follows the story of a high-strung father-to-be (Downey Jr) who is forced to ride with a college slacker (Galifianakis) to ensure that he makes the birth of his first child. Foxx will portray Downey Jr's oldest friend, who once secretly dated his wife (Monaghan). It has not been confirmed what part RZA will play.

RZA's acting credits include roles in Adam Sandler comedy Funny People and Ridley Scott's American Gangster.

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Gary Ross tapped for 'Venom' movie

Gary Ross will write and potentially direct Sony's Spider-Man spinoff Venom.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ross is taking over scripting duties from Zombieland pair Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and is eyeing the movie to direct.

Topher Grace portrayed Venom in Spider-Man 3 but it is unclear if he will return for the spinoff. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 in March 1988 as an alien parasite that takes over Peter Parker's Daily Bugle rival Eddie Brock.

Ross has previously worked with Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire on Seabiscuit and Pleasantville. He is also scripting Spider-Man 4 for Sony.

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Michael Sheen: 'I just love Aro'

Michael Sheen has said that he is looking forward to scaring people when he appears in Twilight sequel New Moon.

The actor told Parade that his daughter cried and kicked him out of frustration when she found out that he would feature in the movie.

Sheen said: "She was a bit overwhelmed. It was like when I was kid - if there was something I was really into, the last thing I wanted was my mom and dad to be into it as well.

"So, at first, Lily got upset and sort of cried when I told her. I think it was just like her fantasy imaginative world suddenly colliding with reality.

"There's so much expectation about the sequel. People who are hooked on the stories have very definite ideas about the character from the second book."

He added: "So it's a dilemma. You want to give them what they expect, what they want to see, but you also want to surprise them.

"My biggest concern has been that everyone would remember that I played a werewolf in Underworld. So it would be a stretch for me to become a vampire.

"But I just love Aro. I think he has a gentle side even though he's pretty scary. And I'm just very pleased to have a whole new generation of people I can scare."

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Wayans replaces Murphy in Pryor biopic

Marlon Wayans is in talks to play Richard Pryor in Sony's biopic of the legendary stand-up, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Eddie Murphy had been lined up to reunite with his Dreamgirls director Bill Condon in Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?, but dropped out after clashing with the project's previous backers Paramount.

Wayans allegedly won the role by recording a 13-minute screen test that impressed producers Chris Rock, Jennifer Lee Pryor, Mark Gordon and Adam Sandler.

Pryor, considered one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, died of a heart attack in 2005 at the age of 65.

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'Pirates 4' inspired by 'Tides' novel

The fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie will be based on Tim Powers's 1988 fantasy novel On Stranger Tides.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Disney optioned Powers's book three years ago so that it could use elements from his story for its next Pirates instalment.

"I've watched all the [Pirates] movies several times and I think the clear thing they would use is the trip to the Fountain of Youth," said Powers. "My main character doesn't overlap with Jack Sparrow at all.

"I suppose they might overlap the Geoffrey Rush character Barbossa and Blackbeard. The only thing I feel certain they will hold on to is the Fountain of Youth since they telegraphed that at the end of the last movie."

Screenwriter Terry Rossio confirmed that the filmmakers will "draw material and expertise" from Powers's work, using it as a springboard for a story about Blackbeard's search for the mythical Fountain of Youth.

"I don't know if it's proper to say it's based on it but there are enough common elements to think that the book had to be optioned to us to reasonably proceed along that storyline," Empire quotes Rossio as saying.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will open in July 2011.

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Selena Gomez: 'I'm on Team Jacob'

Selena Gomez has revealed that she would prefer Taylor Lautner's character in Twilight over that of his co-star Robert Pattinson.

The Wizards Of Waverly Place star, who was linked to Lautner over the summer, told MTV News that she would choose werewolf Jacob Black (Lautner) over vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson).

"This question is so hard. I don't know, I like them both," she said.

"I have to choose one of them? I don't know, I guess Team Jacob, because I want to be a good friend.

"To be honest, I really wasn't [into the Twilight franchise]. I never read the books, I never saw the movie. And then, I got the wonderful opportunity of meeting Taylor, and we became friends."

She added: "I watched it because I love to support my friends and I ended up loving it. My mum and I were like, 'OK, this movie is pretty awesome'. We're going to the [New Moon] premiere."

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Gerard Butler: 'Nice to show butt'

Law Abiding Citizen star Gerard Butler has discussed his on-screen nudity at the film's Hollywood premiere.

The 39-year-old actor said that the scene was justified and not "gratuitous".

He told entertainment show Extra: "It's always nice to show a bit of butt.

"I don't think it was gratuitous. I think there is a good reason for my nakedness in this movie."

On the same subject, Butler's co-star Jamie Foxx said: "He has to do his whole thing for the ladies, which is great. But that's when we men go to the concession stands."

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Holmes: 'I even like vampire films'

Katie Holmes has said that she is a fan of vampire movies as long as they are done well.

The Batman Begins star was quizzed by US Elle as to which type of films she preferred.

Holmes said: "It can be any genre. I even like vampire movies - they just have to be well done.

"I want to believe in the characters. The minute it starts to feel not real, I'm not interested."

There have been a number of successful vampire-related movies and TV series in recent years, including Let The Right One In, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries and the Twilight series.

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Hardin, Big Show sign for 'Knucklehead'

Melora Hardin and WWE star Paul 'Big Show' Wight have signed up for wrestling comedy Knucklehead.

Mark Feuerstein, Rebecca Creskoff (Hung), Lester Speight (Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay) and Bobb'e J Thompson (Role Models) are also among the cast. Michael Watkins is directing the movie for WWE Studios.

The film follows the story of a fighting promoter (Feuerstein) who finds himself in debt to a rival. When he discovers a 450-pound church handyman (Wight), he persuades him to take up wrestling to help raise some much-needed funds.

Hardin (17 Again, The Office) runs the orphanage that has looked after Wight's character all his life.

Shooting started earlier this week in New Orleans.

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Sheen: 'Alice had a huge impact on me'

Michael Sheen has said that Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland was one of the first stories he loved as a child.

The New Moon star told Parade that he was delighted to be cast in Tim Burton's upcoming movie adaptation of the literary classic.

Sheen said: "I'm doing the White Rabbit in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Everyone has an inner white fluffy animal, it's just a question of finding it before it's too late.

"The White Rabbit is such an iconic character that I didn't feel like I should break the mould too much, so I just sort of went with it."

He added: "Alice In Wonderland was one of the first stories I truly loved when I was growing up.

"It had a huge impact on me and it's stayed with me ever since, so to be part of Tim Burton's version is just like a dream come true."

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Mazeau: 'Flash still moving forward'

Screenwriter Dan Mazeau has refuted reports that comic book adaptation Flash has been put on hold.

It was previously reported that the production was in jeopardy due to the restructuring of DC Entertainment. These rumours intensified when the project's previous scribe Charles Roven told IGN that internal changes within the company had forced the movie to a halt.

However, Mazeau - who replaced Roven on the venture - dismissed such speculation, insisting that the film is still under way.

"Everything is moving forward as planned," he explained. "I'm still writing the script. Geoff Johns is still consulting. Flash fans have no cause for concern, and - in my opinion - lots to be excited about."

Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert in 1940, Flash tells the story of a man who acquires super speed after being struck by a bolt of lightning. The film adaptation is expected to arrive in theatres in 2011.

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Swank 'studying flying for Amelia role'

Hilary Swank has said that she is studying to become a pilot as part of her preparation for her role as famed aviator Amelia Earhart.

According to Contactmusic, the Oscar winner admitted that she is anxious about the solo flight she must take in order to earn her credentials.

She revealed: "I am [studying to become a pilot]. I don't sweat a lot, but when I fly my whole back is drenched. The concentration, the focus."

The star went on to say that the challenge has given her a greater sense of freedom, adding: "It is so wonderful. I just picked up my boyfriend in Las Vegas! He had a business meeting there, and I flew with my instructor and picked him up."

Fellow celebrities John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are also qualified pilots.

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Whitaker wants to star alongside 50 Cent

Forest Whitaker has revealed that he wants an on-screen "father-son relationship" with 50 Cent.

The Last King Of Scotland actor, who is in talks to star alongside 50 Cent in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, said that he wants to do the film because he will get the opportunity to play out a father-son relationship with the rapper.

Whitaker told MTV News: "We're still figuring out what we're going to do, if I am going to be doing that or not. If I end up doing it, I would be playing Jekyll and he would be playing Hyde.

He continued: "It's a father-son kind of relationship. It's also an interesting script because we are dealing with similar things. Jekyll has a lot of issues and problems personally. Hidden passions, hidden perversions - and it is acted out by 50."

The storyline, based on the book by Robert Louis Stevenson, tells the story of a doctor who drinks a chemical potion and produces a younger and crueller side.

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Kristen Bell joins 'Burlesque' cast

Kristen Bell has reportedly been added to the cast of musical drama Burlesque.

The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star will play a rival of Christina Aguilera's character at the cabaret club, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cher and Stanley Tucci are also on board to star in the film, playing the club owner and the coach who turns Aguilera's dancer into the main attraction, respectively.

Steve Antin will direct the film for a November 2010 release.

Bell can currently be seen in Universal comedy Couples Retreat.

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'Privileged' star 'auditioned for Twilight'

Privileged star Lucy Hale has revealed that she once auditioned for the Twilight franchise.

The actress, who played Rose Baker in the CW drama, told Popeater that she read for the character of vampire Alice Cullen.

"I auditioned for Twilight, for Ashley Greene's part," she explained.

"I didn't even have any idea what Twilight was then."

She also admitted that she is "obsessed" with HBO vampire series True Blood, adding: "It's so good. I'm so sad that we have to wait such a long time for the third season."

Hale can next be seen in the Lifetime original movie Sorority Wars, which premieres on October 17.

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Reitman 'on board' for new 'Ghostbusters'

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 director Ivan Reitman has agreed to work on the third movie in the franchise, reports suggest.

According to horror fansite Bloody Disgusting, Reitman has not yet decided whether he will direct the project but has indicated that he will be on board to produce.

It is thought that the forthcoming sequel will see the team of paranormal experts resurrecting their ghost-capturing business after it has been closed for years.

Meanwhile, there are also rumours that the film's writing duo Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg have now turned in a script.

The original Ghostbusters movie was released in 1984, while the second followed five years later. News of the latest instalment first emerged in July 2008.

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Abrams 'wants Graves for MI:4'

J.J. Abrams has revealed that he would like Peter Graves to star in the next Mission: Impossible instalment.

The Star Trek filmmaker, who directed the third movie in the franchise, recently confirmed that he will produce the sequel along with series star Tom Cruise.

Abrams told Sci-Fi Wire that he received a phone call from Graves's representative who said that the actor is interested in taking part in the follow-up. The 83-year-old portrayed Jim Phelps, the head of an elite group of agents, on the original series from 1967 to 1973 and reprised the role for a short-lived late '80s TV show.

"I just got a call that Peter Graves is in great shape, which would be a very bizarre bend in the space-time continuum, for obvious reasons," Abrams said.

The Lost creator also stated that he is open to feature original Mission: Impossible actors in the cinematic version. Trek's resident Vulcan Leonard Nimoy played Paris for 49 episodes on the TV programme, before starring in Abrams's recent blockbuster reboot.

He added: "Whether it's Nimoy, who I have an incredible affinity for, or Graves, or anyone, we'll see."

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