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John Malkovich has been cast as the villain in Warner Bros comic book movie Jonah Hex.

According to Variety, the Changeling star will portray a Southern plantation owner who blames gunslinger Hex for the death of his son in the Civil War.

Josh Brolin has already been cast as the eponymous character, while Jimmy Harward (Horton Hears A Who!) has agreed to direct. The script is from Crank pair Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who quit as directors in November citing creative differences.

Jonah Hex is scheduled to begin production later this year.

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Stephen Seagal wants Costa Rica to become a major centre in the movie industry, reports the BBC.

The 56-year-old actor held "positive" talks with the state's president Oscar Arias, offering to use his Hollywood connections to help establish the project.

"Costa Rica has everything, both rain forest and dry climate. What it lacks is an infrastructure to make movies," Seagal said.

The country is rarely used as a filming location, despite its varied landscapes and low crime. No financial details of the project were given by the Urban Justice star.

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Electronic Arts (EA) has delayed the release date of forthcoming gangster epic Godfather II.

Originally slated for launch on February 27, the game will now be available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on April 7 in North America and April 10 in Europe.

Based on events from Francis Ford Coppola's celebrated movie, the open-world action game involves players building up their own crime family over three American cities: Miami, Havana and New York City.

By using the Don's View, as well as recruiting a bloodthirsty crew of gangsters, players will fully explore the stylised Godfather universe.

EA has also pushed back release dates for The Sims 3 and Dragon's Age: Origin, which will now be launched on June 2 and in Q4 respectively.

The publisher has not given an official reason for the delays, but it is widely thought to be a reaction to the slowdown of the global economy.

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Dimension Films will make a horror thriller based around a teen social networking website.

The untitled movie is based on an idea from Less Than Perfect actress Sara Rue and her producing partner Robert Green. A tight lid is being kept on the storyline, though it is set at a high school and takes inspiration from Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians.

Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of Dimension's parent firm The Weinstein Company, said: "Online social networking is a widespread phenomenon that interests me greatly. Combining it with a suspense thriller is a new and fresh way to explore this new trend."

T.S. Faull, who has been commissioned to write the script, added: "Social networking is alluring but one always takes a risk when engaging on these sites. Online identities can be deceptive and the script will centre on a social networking situation with truly dangerous consequences."

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Michael Moore has asked Wall Street workers for help with his new film about the banking crisis.

In a message on his official website, the documentary filmmaker promised that he would protect the confidentiality of staff if they assist him with his follow-up to Fahrenheit 9/11.

Moore said: "You have information that the American people need to hear.

"I am humbly asking you for a moment of courage, to be a hero and help me expose the biggest swindle in American history.

"The important thing here is for you to step up as an American and do your duty of shedding some light on this financial collapse."

The Roger & Me director added that some people have already come forward to share what they know and urged others with information to speak to him.

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Mel Gibson has ruled out a return to the Lethal Weapon franchise.

The actor, who starred as cop Martin Riggs in the first four instalments of the action series, told MTV that he has little interest in reprising the role.

"I couldn't imagine going back there to try to revive that one," he said. "I think we got everything we could out of it."

Interest in a new Lethal Weapon was sparked last year when original writer Shane Black penned an outline for a fifth movie, attracting producer Joel Silver. However, according to series director Richard Donner, the film collapsed when Gibson snubbed an offer to return.

"Of course these things always come around," Gibson continued. "Five though? Five?! Please."

Gibson will return to the big screen in November after a six-year absence to star in Martin Campbell's Edge Of Darkness.

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Gwyneth Paltrow has admitted that she does not know anything about the forthcoming Iron Man sequel.

The actress, who has confirmed that she will reprise her role as Pepper Potts, told MTV that she had been left in the dark about the highly-anticipated follow-up.

Speaking at the premiere of her latest film Two Lovers, she said: "They haven't even given me a script yet. They don't tell me anything.

"I could be a costume assistant in it. I know nothing."

Discussing her character's relationship with Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), she said: "I have no idea what it is. [Director] Jon Favreau said it would be good, so I believe him."

Last week, Downey dismissed speculation that Mickey Rourke had been cast in the superhero movie, saying: "I can neither confirm nor deny that. Or maybe it’s some semblance of both."

Iron Man 2 is scheduled for release in 2010.

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Bill Paterson has discussed his role in Terry Gilliam's revival of his abandoned movie The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.

The Scottish actor was slated to begin filming alongside Johnny Depp in November 2000, but production was cancelled after just one week when star Jean Rochefort was seriously injured.

Speaking to DS about whether he will appear in the revived film, he said: "I think Terry is doing it again but the call hasn't come! I'm not sure what Terry's up to.

"It's been several years and actors get older. There's a new bunch of people."

However, Paterson praised the director for being a "great man", adding: "I see him quite often because we're quite close neighbours, although he's a busy man so he's always away."

Paterson can be seen in ITV1's Law & Order: UK from February 23.

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Harriet Walter has admitted that she "fell in love" with British actor Rupert Friend while making upcoming film The Young Victoria.

The Law & Order: UK star plays Queen Adelaide in the period movie, which documents the budding romance between Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt) and Prince Albert (Rupert Friend).

Speaking to DS, she said: "It's going to be so romantic. I fell in love. I wished I'd been 20 years younger and Rupert Friend was a possibility!"

Discussing the monarch's relationship, she said: "It's very earnest, full of young love and beauty, but it also has a sincere meeting of minds.

"It was just a wonderful coincidence that it was an arranged marriage, but one they fell into with 100% passion."

The Young Victoria will be released in the UK on March 6.

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Lisa Kudrow has denied claims that there are plans to make a movie spinoff of Friends.

Kudrow played Phoebe Buffay for ten years on the hit show from 1994.

The actress told the Metro that rumours of a film version of the programme are untrue.

Kudrow said: "You're kidding. That's a falsehood. It's made up.

"Sure if it could be done right and all of that, but it would be tricky to pull off. I don't know that our creators are desperate to do anything like that."

She added that if the show were to return, it would have to be helmed by its original creators.

Earlier this week, Jennifer Aniston also rejected the idea of Friends: The Movie, but said she would be happy to return for a one-off television episode.

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King Of Queens star Kevin James has signed up for new comedy The Zookeeper.

James will play a zookeeper who quits his job to find a girlfriend, prompting a bunch of animals to intervene in his love life. MGM paid $2 million for Jay Scherick and David Ronn's script last April.

The project, which comes from Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company, will be helmed by Click director Frank Coraci.

James's first solo feature Paul Blart: Mall Cop debuted at number one on the
US box office chart last month.

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Curtis Hanson is in talks to direct Jerry Bruckheimer's latest action movie Gemini Man, says Variety.

The project, which first surfaced a decade ago from a script by Darren Lemke, centres on a secret agent who becomes an assassination target. It later transpires that his would-be-killer is a younger clone of himself.

In the past, Gemini Man has attracted interest from A-listers such as Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and Mel Gibson.

David Benioff penned the latest version of the script.

Hanson is the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind LA Confidential, Wonder Boys and In Her Shoes.

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Universal has bought the the rights to Jonah Hill's latest project The Adventurer's Handbook, according to Variety.

Hill and Jason Schwartzman will both star in the movie, which follows the adventures of four friends going on an unbelievable journey around the world. It is based on a book of real life explorers' stories by Mick Confrey.

The script was penned by Hill, Matt Spicer and Henry Winkler's son Max, while Hot Rod's Akiva Schaffer is signed up to direct.

Hill's other new projects include Get Him To The Greek, which co-stars Russell Brand and Jason Segel, while Schwartzman is currently working on HBO's Bored To Death and Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr Fox.

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Producers have shelved early plans to base the next Jason Bourne movie on one of Robert Ludlum's spy novels.

Last year, Universal secured the exclusive rights to the Jason Bourne character and other titles from creator Ludlum's back catalogue.

Producer Frank Marshall later told ComingSoon that he was considering adapting Ludlum's The Parsifal Mosaic for the fourth Bourne film.

According to Variety, Universal has now entered talks to make Mosaic and Bourne 4 as two separate films. The former centres on a US spy who falls in love with a double agent, while director Paul Greengrass and star Matt Damon will return for an original storyline in the new Bourne instalment.

The last movie in the Matt Damon espionage series, 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum, pulled in more than $400 million at the worldwide box office.

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Ed Solomon has been hired to write Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller's updated take on The Hardy Boys.

The Men In Black and Bill & Ted screenwriter will script comedy The Hardy Men for the pair, which explores the lives of amateur detectives Frank and Joe Hardy as they reunite as adults to solve a mystery, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Stiller's Night At The Museum director Shawn Levy is attached to helm, while the latest writer to pen a draft of the script is Simon Kinberg.

The Hardy Boys books began in 1927 and were published by Grosset & Dunlap with authors often writing under the pseudynom Franklin W. Dixon. The Hardy adventures continue today in a series of stories titled The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers.

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Fans of late actor Heath Ledger have started a petition calling for the Joker to be retired from the Batman movies.

The producers of The Ultimate Joker website have argued that Ledger's BAFTA-winning portrayal of the supervillain was so perfect that no attempt should be made to replace him.

They said: "It's impossible to imagine, impossible to draw or dub much less repeat the performance.

"That's why efforts to find one should simply cease. The Joker must die now and forever.

"Now is the time for him to rest in peace as Ledger has ennobled the honourable villain."

They added that the "ultimate Joker" deserves the homage of having the character retired from future films.

Director Terry Gilliam recently described Ledger as a "genius" and the best actor of his generation.

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Hugh Grant movies Love Actually and Four Weddings And A Funeral have reportedly headed a list of films that men secretly enjoy watching.

The Lovefilm survey saw Titanic take third place, with the fourth spot going to Pretty Woman.

Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast At Tiffany's was next, with Dirty Dancing, Ghost and Bridget Jones' Diary also making the top ten.

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Steve Martin has defended new film The Pink Panther 2, claiming that comedies are always up against "critical snobbery".

While presenting the movie at the Berlin Film Festival, the 63-year-old actor revealed that he has received bad reviews throughout his career, reports Reuters.

He said: "The Jerk, one of my most enduring comedy films, was universally panned in America. And comedies always have to overcome critical snobbery.

"It's just the way it is. And so you go, 'Oh, well, okay. Why are these movies that you've criticised so archly still around ten years later, 15 years later, 20 years later'. It's because comedy is not a critics' medium. It just isn't."

The film, directed by Harald Zwart, also features Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and John Cleese.

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Isla Fisher has admitted that she ignored the wishes of Wedding Crashers' director David Dobkin.

The actress decided to approach the role of unhinged Gloria Cleary in her own way after disagreeing with Dobkin on the 2005 movie's set.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz, Fisher explained: "David wanted me to play it like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct and I said: 'No - you mean Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction'.

"We were on different pages so I'd nod my head whenever he spoke and go and do my own thing. But he was a great director and he was great at letting me improvise."

Fisher added that PJ Hogan, who directed her latest film Confessions Of A Shopaholic, also embraced her independent nature.

She said: "He was totally into it. The way I work is to do it the way it's written and then once I'm in character I like to play around and say whatever I think is funny."

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Lindsay Lohan has denied reports that she will star in Samuel Bayer's remake of horror movie A Nightmare On Elm Street.

Rumours were swirling that the Mean Girls star had signed to appear in the "reimagining" of the 1984 classic, which starred Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.

Lohan's representative has now denied the claims, telling E!: "It's not true. We don't know where this all came from, but there's nothing there."

Horror movie veterans Brad Fuller and Andrew Form confirmed in December that the New Line remake had been given the green light.

Englund, 62, has ruled out a return to the Krueger role and producers are yet to cast a new Freddy.