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Heath Ledger's family have revealed that they are "proud and excited" by his Oscar nomination.

The actor has been named in the best supporting actor category for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

In a statement, his sister Ashleigh said: "Although we would love to have him here with us, we are so proud and so excited on his behalf.

"In Heath's words, he had 'the time of his life', portraying the Joker and said that 'it was the most fun he'd ever had making a film'.

"On Heath's behalf we thank the Motion Picture Academy for recognising his work."

However, his sister Kate admitted that the celebration was bittersweet, as it also marked the first anniversary of the star's death, following an accidental drug overdose.

"To us it seems like merely yesterday and we are still all nursing broken hearts," she said.

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Shawn Levy has been hired to develop Twentieth Century Fox's How To Talk To Girls.

According to Variety, the Night At The Museum director will develop the project as a potential directing vehicle.

"The intention is to make a warmhearted comedy, with a tone reminiscent of Big," he said.

How To Talk To Girls is based on an advice guide written by nine-year-old Alec Greven. The pamphlet, which aimed to help his classmates understand the opposite sex, sparked three sequels and has since been published by Harper Collins.

No production dates or casting announcements have been made yet.

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Kristen Stewart has revealed that she is "really excited" about beginning work on New Moon.

The actress, who will reprise the role of Bella Swan in the Twilight sequel later this year, told MTV that she was amazed by how much of a phenomenon the movie had become.

"It's such a machine now. All of a sudden, this movie has become [something bigger]," she said.

"With all the expectations - usually, you make a movie and think, 'If it touches people, great; if it doesn't, then you move on to the next one, and no one's personally affected by it.' [But] everyone's really sensitive with any changes right now."

When asked about new director Chris Weitz, she said: "Chris is - on top of him being a really sweet guy - he is entirely devoted. And he's very clearly not doing the movie just because it's the next big thing. He really likes it a lot."

The 18-year-old added that she was pleased to see Taylor Lautner returning as Jacob Black, following speculation that he had been axed, saying: "I'm so glad they didn't have to find somebody else; we already had him.

"I didn't understand all the deliberation on [whether to bring him back]. But now that it's set, we can all rest."

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Lindsay Lohan has been linked to the role of Snow White in a Disney adaptation of the novel The Stepsister Scheme.

The Jim Hines story tells of a princess and her two stepsisters and has been described as a fairytale-meets-Charlie's Angels tale.

"There is a lot of interest in adapting this book, especially off the back of the huge success of Twilight and Harry Potter," an insider told The Sun.

"Talks are already underway, with the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus and Megan Fox in the reckoning for lead roles."

Lohan recently distanced herself from her former partying days, claiming they only lasted six months and that she has "learned her lesson".

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Sir David Frost has claimed that Frost/Nixon deserves an Oscar.

During an interview with BBC Breakfast, the journalist and presenter heaped praise on the film, which has received nominations for Best Director (Ron Howard), Best Picture, Best Actor (Frank Langella), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

The movie, adapted from the play of the same name, is based on Sir David's interviews with the former US President over the Watergate scandal.

Frost said that the movie is "about 10% fiction" and praised Howard for bringing it together.

Speaking of Langella's performance, he said: "I really hope he wins the Oscar for that fantastic performance sustained right through. He started on stage and he said he was so tense that instead of talking to someone when he was off stage for ten minutes, he'd go to the back of the stage, somewhere dark, so he kept in character.

"And then when the stage manager came over to him, he had to say: 'Mr President, you're required on stage.'"

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Kiefer Sutherland has revealed that the proposed 24 movie could be set in London.

Speaking on BBC Radio 1's Chris Moyles Show, the star, who plays federal agent Jack Bauer, also credited the worldwide success of 24 to its initial popularity in the UK.

"We didn't have a really strong audience, it took us a long time to build in the States, whereas the show took off here right away," he said. "It was the success of the show here in England that allowed us to continue working in the States, until we built up an audience.

"When we have talked about doing a film, which will take place after the series has finished, England has always been a part of that discussion."

24 is currently in its seventh season. The eighth and final season is scheduled to begin filming later this year with a slated 2010 air date.

Earlier this week, Sutherland hinted that fans should not expect the show to have a happy ending, telling The Mirror: "I see Jack as a really human figure and there is something innately tragic about people. I think there is no winning."

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Drew Barrymore is ready to kick some ass again.
Ms. Barrymore just told me she's hot to make a third installment of her supersuccessful Charlie's Angels movie franchise.
"I'm so into it," Barrymore said while promoting her new star-filled romantic comedy, He's Just Not That Into You. "I’m so into it—Charlie's Angels III!"
Barrymore kicked off an updated retelling of the 1970s television series nine years ago with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. Three years later, they returned with Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
"It's percolating up," said Nancy Juvonen, Barrymore's Flower Films producing partner. "It's rising to the surface."
Barrymore added, "They're hard movies to make, but they're fun." And lucrative! The franchise grossed $544 million worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com.
Ideas are being kicked around, including the possible introduction of a fourth Angel. It happened in the original Aaron Spelling series when Cheryl Ladd joined the cast in 1977 as Kris Munroe, sister of Farrah Fawcett's iconic Jill.
Let's not forget about a villain. Sam Rockwell and Crispin Glover were among the baddies the first time around. Demi Moore appeared in Full Throttle as Madison Lee, a former Angel turned vamped-up villainess. For the next flick, they say they'll probably go with another guy.
So they're looking for a fourth angel and a bad boy...Let the casting suggestions begin.

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Drew Barrymore has revealed that she wants to move away from romantic comedies in favour of more serious acting roles.

The 33-year-old said that it was an air hostess who forced her to realise that she has become pigeon-holed as a female romantic lead.

Barrymore told The Sun: "I remember one stewardess on a plane saying, 'What do you have coming out?'

"And I said, 'Oh, I'm doing this romantic comedy'.

"She said, 'Another one!' Part of me felt like saying, 'Listen, b***h'. But the other part of me felt like, 'You know what? You are absolutely f***ing right. I need to change. I need to do other things'."

Barrymore, who shot to fame as a child in ET, has starred in rom-coms including The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed, Fever Pitch, 50 First Dates and Music And Lyrics.

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Meryl Streep has claimed that women have been "discouraged" from visiting the cinema in recent years.

In an interview with The Independent, the 59-year-old actress said that more movies like Sex and the City and Mamma Mia! are needed to avoid alienating female film fans.

"Well, they would always go [to the cinema]. They've just been discouraged," Streep told the newspaper. "So many of the decisions are made by people who are not necessarily going to be entertained themselves by something like Mamma Mia!.

"The fellas usually make those decisions based on what they want to see, or what they wanted to see when they were 14."

She added: "Isn't everything an old boy's network? The film industry. The Senate. The House of Representatives. The top echelons of business. What isn't?"

Streep recently admitted that she believes ageism still exists in the movie industry.

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If you're an unapologetic fan of noisy, neck-snapping '80s action movies like me, the slow dribble of plot tidbits and casting crumbs for 2010's The Expendables has no doubt whet your appetite for what's shaping up to be quite possibly the greatest flick of all time. If you're late to the red-meat, rat-a-tat, Reagan-era party, here's what all the excitement is about:
Sylvester Stallone has written and, starting next month, will be directing a throw-back action extravaganza about a lethal posse of ruthless mercenaries who are hired on the sly by the CIA to topple a South American dictator. So far, so good, right? I know what you're thinking: this guy should have retired years ago—some time around Cop Land. But if you coughed up ten bucks to see last year's Rambo (and guessing from its disappointing haul at the box office, I was only one of about a dozen people who did), then you know that Sly can still exterminate with extreme prejudice.
But what really has my inner-13 year old really geeked up is the cast. According to Variety, Stallone will topline the band of not-so-merry he-men along with Jet Li, Jason Statham, UFC goon Randy Couture, and freshly minted Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke. Other possible names being knocked around include Ben Kingsley, who, anyone who's seen Sexy Beast will recall, can play a hair-trigger psycho. Not drooling yet? Ok, here's five more reasons why I'm counting down till The Expendables.

1. Stallone looks scary...in a good way. There are already pre-production photos of Sly floating around the Internet. And he looks totally yoked, covered in tattoos. Yes, the dude may be 62, but in these pics he looks like he could snap Rambo's neck like a dry twig.

2. Statham Unleashed. Has there been a better Cockney tough guy since the Get Carter-era Michael Caine? Granted, his Transporter movies are a little too PG-13 for my sweet tooth, but if you've seen Crank, Death Race, or Snatch, you know there's more mature-audience mayhem simmering inside of him just dying to get out. Hopefully, this is the venue for letting that particular genie out of the bottle.

3. Will Mickey Rourke's comeback continue? Who doesn't want to see what he does next? After destroying his career—and his once-handsome face— his resurrection in The Wrestler has made Rourke one of the most compelling figures in Hollywood. What will he do with his new-found capital? I, for one, think this kind of movie is exactly what he should be doing. I'd rather see him bust some skulls than make a movie with Kate Winslet or Dame Judi Dench.

4. The long-awaited Rocky IV rematch. Stallone and Dolph Lundgren together again! I've been waiting years to write that sentence. Say what you want about Lundgren's direct-to-DVD resume of late (I'm not ashamed to admit that I've kept up with these low-budget cheapies and some of them are surprisingly good), the one-time onscreen knuckle-bruiser and Italian Stallion foe, Ivan Drago, deserves to be the next Mickey Rourke-style reclamation project.

5. The return of the buddy action flick. As Quentin Tarantino cobbles together his intentionally misspelled WWII guys-on-a-mission homage-a-palooza, Inglourious Basterds, Stallone's entry has the benefit of being the stealthy bottom-half of a Dirty Dozen-style double feature. As much as I love watching Jason Bourne taking on the world single-handedly, there's nothing like watching a brawny band of brothers getting their hands covered in blood (think Schwarzenegger's Predator). The world is a dangerous place these days. Maybe, just maybe, it takes a ragtag village of expendable badasses to sort it out.

We'll keep you posted as more news Expendables news comes out, but until then, what do you think? Will this thing rock or what?

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Josh Brolin thought he had been omitted from this year's Oscar nominations because he reportedly slept through the awards announcement.

The 40-year-old had been at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah when the list was unveiled on Thursday in California.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, Brolin forgot about the interstate time difference and assumed that he had been left out of the running.

He said: "When I woke up, looked at the clock and read 5:55am, I figured I hadn't been nominated for anything. I went back to sleep and then got a call about 40 minutes later and learned I got it.''

Brolin was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in Milk, facing Robert Downey Jr., Philip Seymour Hoffman, Heath Ledger and Michael Shannon in the category.

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Slumdog Millionaire has scored the top film prize from the Producers Guild Of America.

Christian Colson was honoured with the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer Of The Year award at the annual ceremony, held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

The rags-to-riches movie, helmed by Danny Boyle, beat competition from fellow nominees Milk, The Dark Knight, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon to scoop the gong.

The Producers Guild award is widely seen as an important signpost to Academy Award success, with the Mumbai-based tale nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture.

The movie, which won four Golden Globes earlier this month, has also proved popular at the box office and broke the UK record for the most successful second weekend to date.

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Kate Winslet has emerged as an early bookies' favourite to take home the Best Actress gong at this year's Oscars.

The 33-year-old gained the Academy Award nod for her role as a former concentration camp guard in The Reader, going on to describe her "extreme happiness" at the nomination.

Ladbrokes have moved her odds from 5/4 to even money as backers have flooded in, while odds for Anne Hathaway are at 6/4 and Meryl Streep at 5/1, reports PA. Also in the running for the gong are outsiders Angelina Jolie at 12/1 and Melissa Leo at 14/1.

Spokesman Robin Hutchison said: "We have seen bits and bobs for Hathaway and Jolie but Winslet is the one they all want to be with at the moment. Patriotic plunges on Oscar night can be bad news for the bookies and this looks like it could be a disaster."

The ceremony will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on February 22.

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Director Uwe Boll, known for his reviled game adaptations, is to be handed a lifetime dishonour at this year's Golden Raspberry Awards.

The German filmmaker, who was behind the big screen adaptations of Alone In The Dark and House Of The Dead, has also received nominations in five other categories, including Worst Picture for In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.

"I never won a razzie… but this year I’m sure that there is no way around Uwe Boll so that finally I get the award I deserve," said the director on website BollBashers.

The Worst Career Achievement award has not been handed out since it was won by Bruce the rubber shark from the Jaws series in 1987.

The Razzies will take place on February 21.

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An American women's campaigner has urged Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle to share his Oscar nomination with his female co-director.

Jan Lisa Huttner of Audience Supporting Women Artists Now (ASWAN) has launched an online protest in the hope that Loveleen Tandan's contribution to the film will be recognised, reports WENN.

While Boyle has been nominated in the Best Director category for the Mumbai-based movie, Huttner claims that Tandan's non-appearance on the Academy Awards list demonstrates a wider gender divide in Hollywood. She went on to suggest that Boyle could choose to jointly accept the nomination honour.

Tandan said that she believes the nomination is fair as it stands. "My credit is not 'Directed by'. It is 'Co-Director (India)'. I am greatly honoured by the credit I have been accorded," she said.

"It would be a great injustice if the credit I have should have the effect of diminishing Danny Boyle's magnificent achievement."

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Slumdog Millionaire and Kate Winslet were among the winners at last night's 15th annual Screen Actors Guild awards.

British movie Slumdog scooped the coveted best cast in a motion picture honour, while Winslet picked up the best supporting actress award for her role in holocaust drama The Reader.

Accepting Slumdog's award, star Anil Kapoor said: "It was overwhelming enough to be nominated. But to win this is unbelievable... It is historic where India is concerned."

Best actor went to Sean Penn for his role as a gay rights activist in Milk, while Meryl Streep was named best actress for her portrayal of a vindictive nun in Doubt.

Heath Ledger was honoured with a posthumous supporting actor prize for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Accepting the award on his behalf, co-star Gary Oldman said: "I'm quite emotional. He was an extraordinary young man, with an extraordinary talent and it is wonderful that you have acknowledged and honoured that talent tonight."

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, which was recently nominated for 13 Oscars, came away empty-handed, as did the critically acclaimed Frost/Nixon.

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Dakota Fanning has admitted that being cast in New Moon would be "wonderful".

Speaking to Access Hollywood, the actress revealed that she would love to appear in the forthcoming Twilight sequel because she was big fan of the books.

"I think it’s too soon to tell if I’ll for sure be doing it, but it’s so great,” she said. "I'm a really big fan of that series and the first film and all the actors in it, so it would be wonderful... Pretty much all my friends are pretty big fans, so it would be great."

A representative for Summit Entertainment confirmed that the 14-year-old was in talks to play Volturi vampire Jane, saying: "We are considering all actors that have the unique requirements for the look of Jane — Dakota being one of them."

In a casting call for the film, Jane is described as a petite blonde with a "Botticelli angel-like face".

When asked if she could cope with the makeup required to play a vampire, Fanning joked: "I don’t think they’ll have to put a lot of makeup on me. I’m pretty white already."

New Moon, which is directed by Chris Weitz, is scheduled to begin production in March.

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop has retained the number one spot at the US box office.

The Kevin James comedy holds off competition from latest Underworld instalment Rise Of The Lycans to lead the chart in its second week at cinemas.

New release Inkheart, starring Brendan Fraser as a man who can bring characters from books to life, enters at number seven.

Meanwhile, interest in Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button has been revived thanks to last week's Oscar nominations. Slumdog climbs five places to number five while Button re-enters the top ten at number nine.

The US box office top ten in full:

1. (1) Paul Blart: Mall Cop - $21,500,000
2. (-) Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans - $20,700,000
3. (2) Gran Torino - $16,000,000
4. (5) Hotel For Dogs - $12,360,000
5. (10) Slumdog Millionaire - $10,550,000
6. (3) My Bloody Valentine 3D - $10,050,000
7. (-) Inkheart - $7,725,000
8. (6) Bride Wars - $7,000,000
9. (11) The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - $6,000,000
10. (4) Notorious - $5,700,000

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Charlie's Angels producer Nancy Juvonen has hinted that Rihanna may star as a new Angel in the third movie in the series.

Juvonen, who oversaw the first two films with producing partner Drew Barrymore, told Sci Fi Wire that she has already considered adding the popstar to the franchise's crimefighting team.

"I'm having a Rihanna fixation myself," she said. "What are you going to do?"

Juvonen added of the potential sequel: "We'd have to do it with (director) McG. I don't think we could do it without McG and I think that the Angels all at least need to be there. Right?"

Barrymore, who starred in the action franchise opposite Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, earlier told E! Online that she is "so into" the idea of a Charlie's Angels 3.

"It's percolating up," said Juvonen. "It's rising to the surface."

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The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke has hinted that he could wrestle for real at an upcoming WWE event.

Speaking to Access Hollywood at last night's SAG awards, the actor revealed that he had been asked to participate at the forthcoming Wrestlemania 25 pay-per-view.

"The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it," he said. "I said, ‘I want to.’ I’m talking with [WWE legend] Rowdy Roddy Piper about it.

"Chris Jericho, you better get in shape... Because I’m coming after your ass!"

Rourke, who has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a fading pro-wrestler, added that he was honoured that the wrestling world had welcomed the film.

"The nicest thing has been the whole wrestling community embracing us. The movie was about their world."

Wrestlemania 25 will be broadcast live from the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on April 5.