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The Rock signs up for 'Holy Cow!'



The Rock has signed up for White Buffalo Media's CG-animated feature Holy Cow!.

The former WWE wrestler, real name Dwayne Johnson, will provide the voice of a "macho" Texas steer, according to Variety.

Holy Cow! is based on a Peter Kalmback and Teddy Grennan story, which follows a Texan bull who decides to move to India to avoid being killed for meat.

No writers or directors are currently attached to the project.

Johnson's other upcoming project include The Tooth Fairy and Disney's Race To Witch Mountain.

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Mark Wahlberg joins 'Prisoners'



Mark Wahlberg has signed up for Madhouse Entertainment's Prisoners, according to Variety.

The Aaron Guzikowski-penned script follows the story of a Boston man who turns vigilante after his daughter and best friend are kidnapped.

Endeavor, which represents Guzikowski and Wahlberg, is currently looking for a director before taking the project to studios.

Last month, Wahlberg signed up to co-star with Will Ferrell in Sony's action-comedy The B Team.

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Megatron confirmed for 'Transformers' return





Transformers director Michael Bay has confirmed that villain Megatron is returning for the robot sequel.

Bay had earlier denied the presence of the Decepticon leader in this summer's Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen.

However, Hugo Weaving, who voiced the character in the 2007 blockbuster, told Australian newspaper The Advertiser that he has already recorded his dialogue for the movie.

"[Michael is] over in LA and we were working on the video split sort of thing and I had this strange conversation where he seemed to imply it was all a big secret," Weaving explained. "So there you go - I've given you the secret scoop."

Bay has since acknowledged the appearance of Megatron, telling his Shoot For The Edit website: "Okay cat is out of the bag. Megatron is back - but you will only get to see him from the long lost past.

"We go way back in time as this movie explains the mythology of the Primes. He is not a tank like everyone suggests, but an alien vehicle. But sadly he does not have has much screen time."

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen is released in cinemas on June 26.

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'Slumdog' breaks $200m box office barrier





Slumdog Millionaire has taken more than $200 million (£140 million) at the worldwide box office.

Variety reports that the Oscar-winning movie has now reached the $217 million (£153 million) mark for cinema takings.

The rags to riches tale cost $15 million (£10.6 million) to make and distributors Fox Searchlight predict that the box office total will end up topping $250 million (£177 million).

Fox's Steve Gilula said: "It's extraordinary. Very, very few films get past $200 million worldwide."

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Paltrow: 'I did too much in my 20s'


Gwyneth Paltrow has said that she acted in too many films when she was in her 20s.

The Shakespeare In Love star told The Independent that she may have taken on too many roles in the early part of her career.

Paltrow said: "I do feel in my 20s I did way too much. I didn't realise I could say 'no'. It was like someone shot a gun and I just kept running and running... until I completely lost the desire to work.

"I felt like I had nothing to say. Then a lot of things happened in my life. My father died. I met my husband. I had a baby.

"I thought: 'There's actually a real life to be had here that has nothing to do with Hollywood and all of these people and all of this negativity.'"

She added that she was happy being a mother for three years and was not sure if "the fire" to act would ever return.

Paltrow stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Two Lovers, which opens in the UK on March 27.

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Depp, Jolie 'most desirable lead actors'



Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie have been voted the celebrities most people would like to cast in their own movie.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star and the Tomb Raider siren topped a survey by the National Lottery to find the country's most desirable leading actors.

According to Contact Music, nine out of ten British film fans would like to make their own movie if they had the funding. A quarter of those polled would opt for a thriller, while one in five would attempt a romantic comedy.

The average person would want to invest £10 million, hire Steven Spielberg as the director and shoot on location in London.

Will Smith was the most coveted supporting actor, while Depp's Pirates co-star Keira Knightley was the favourite supporting actress.

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Roberts shares key to rapport with Owen



Julia Roberts has revealed that being able to laugh with Duplicity co-star Clive Owen was behind their on-screen rapport.

The pair have already worked together on Closer, and Roberts told The Daily Telegraph that they were "excited" to come back together for the Tony Gilroy-helmed film.

"Either you have chemistry with someone or you don't. I love Clive, and I think we have chemistry because we have a similar spirit and energy.

"That's something we share, and having done Closer, we have a great understanding of each other. So we were excited to come back together in this movie. We had to be all serious and sexy, but after the director said "Cut", we would just be laughing at ourselves because it's just so silly and funny."

Duplicity, which is due for release on March 20, tells the story of a couple of competing spies who team up to pull off the ultimate con.

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Stallone Injured Rehearsing Fight Scenes

Movie tough-guy Sylvester Stallone is nursing an injured hand - he damaged his thumb practising fight scenes for his new action film The Expendables.

Stallone has recruited an all-star cast of Hollywood hardmen - including Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham - to star in the upcoming project, about a group of mercenaries who set out to overthrow a dictator.

But the 62-year-old, who will also direct the movie, is already suffering after rehearsing his dangerous stunts - but insists the injury will not delay filming.

A spokesperson for the star tells WENN, "Mr. Stallone injured his hand practising realistic fighting for his upcoming film The Expendables. The injury was to his thumb (but) the production will be on location in Brazil later this month and then New Orleans.

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Terminator Producers In $160 Million Lawsuit

Christian Bale's eagerly anticipated Terminator Salvation movie has been thrown into turmoil after its three main producers became embroiled in a $160 million (£114 million) lawsuit.

Moritz Borman filed suit against his fellow producers Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek at Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, accusing the pair of fraud and breach of contract.

Borman claims he help arrange for Anderson and Kubicek to acquire the rights to the Terminator franchise for their company Halcyon Co. in 2007.

It gave the pair full rights over the production of Terminator Salvation and any future sequels, plus merchandise and licensing.

Borman alleges financial backing for the movie was secured through investment fund Pacificor LLC in exchange for approval rights over the movie, involvement in all creative decisions, and a $5 million (£3.4 million) producing fee.

However, in the lawsuit, he claims the pair failed to honour their initial agreement, "hijacking" the production in July 2008 and refusing to pay him the $2.5 million (£1.7 million) fee he was due.

The legal document reads, "Notwithstanding the fact that defendants obtained the substantial franchise rights and assets through Borman, Anderson and Kubicek failed to honor their assurances, representations and contractual obligations to Borman. Defendants' egregious fraud, bad faith conduct and refusal to abide by their contracts has led to the filing of this lawsuit.

"It also came to light that Anderson and Kubicek did not have the means to finance the picture, had defaulted on numerous loans and owed over $1 million to creditors on the picture."

Now, Borman is seeking $160 million (£114 million) in damages through the L.A. courts.

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'Slumdog' star: 'Success hasn't sunk in'



Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto has admitted that she is stunned by the film's success.

The 24-year-old actress, who played the role of Latika, revealed that the movie's cast and crew feel overwhelmed after receiving recognition at the Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

"It's been six months and nothing has sunk in yet," Pinto told the News Of The World.

"I'm still the same sensitive and simple girl who always dreamed about becoming an actress. The only thing that's changed is that the girl walking around in jeans and tees has now taken to wearing designer dresses.

"Even after the Golden Globes, I remember calling up my co-star Dev Patel the next morning and saying: 'Did we actually win four Golden Globes or am I dreaming?'"

Pinto also confessed that she shares a close bond with Patel (Jamal Malik), but stopped short of confirming rumours that they are an item.

"Working with Dev was, I think, the best thing that could happen to me," she explained.

"He and I shared this unselfish territory where we would give and take and both of us would help each other. We were in the same situation, our first film with director Danny Boyle, and we could really relate to each other."

The star was recently recruited for a new Woody Allen project, which will also feature Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins.

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Wilson 'found it easy to cry' in 'Marley & Me'



Owen Wilson has confessed that he found it easy to cry when shooting an emotional scene from forthcoming film Marley & Me.

Speaking at the movie's UK press conference, the actor revealed that he was surprised by his response because he sometimes found it difficult to cry on cue.

"They had this really old dog called Cooper, who played Marley, and he came on set and it was hard not to get emotional because he's a really old dog," he said. "Your heart goes out to him and I felt like, yeah, I can do this because it's a believable situation."

Comparing his experiences, Wilson recounted his inability to access his emotions when filming a sequence for 2003's widely-panned comedy I, Spy.

"I was supposed to cry but I wasn't able too so they had to bring out these fake tears," he explained. "They blow a spearmint thing in your eyes but because the situation was so implausible, it didn't make any sense to [be crying]."

He joked: "I'm thinking this isn't going to save the movie, having me squeeze out a few tears here!"

Marley & Me opens in the UK on March 11.

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'Watchmen' takes lead at US box office



Watchmen has topped the US box office on its first weekend on release.

Zack Snyder's superhero movie, based on the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons graphic novel, secures first place with a $55.7 million three-day haul. It is the third highest opening for a March release behind 300 ($70.9 million) and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown ($68 million).

Last week's number one Madea Goes To Jail slips to second place, while Taken, Slumdog Millionaire and Paul Blart: Mall Cop round out the top five.

Elsewhere, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience falls seven places from last week's runners-up spot with a 77% drop in ticket sales.

The US box office top ten:

1. (-) Watchmen - $55,655,000
2. (1) Madea Goes To Jail - $8,800,000
3. (4) Taken - $7,450,000
4. (3) Slumdog Millionaire - $6,925,000
5. (6) Paul Blart: Mall Cop - $4,200,000
6. (5) He's Just Not That Into You - $4,020,000
7. (7) Coraline - $3,313,000
8. (9) Confessions Of A Shopaholic - $3,121,000
9. (2) Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience - $2,785,000
10. (10) Fired Up - $2,600,000

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Dakota Fanning confirmed for 'New Moon'



Dakota Fanning has been confirmed to star in the forthcoming film New Moon, the second instalment in the Twilight saga.

Summit Entertainment has confirmed that the 15-year-old will star as Jane, a member of the Volturi vampire clan, which Edward (Robert Pattinson) encounters in Italy.

Fanning, who was first linked to the role in January, previously told Access Hollywood that it "would be wonderful" to a land a part in the movie.

Production on New Moon, which is being directed by Chris Weitz, is scheduled to begin later this month, with a slated November release date. Eclipse, the third film in the franchise, has been handed a summer 2010 release.

Speaking to People, co-star Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale) said: "We did just get a script. We're shooting the rest of the films back to back. Chris Weitz is amazing and I think it's going to be wonderful."

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Blunt: 'Movie crime scenes made me gag'



Emily Blunt has revealed that some of the sets in new movie Sunshine Cleaning were so realistic that they made her "heave".

The Young Victoria actress appears in the independent black comedy as a crime scene cleaner alongside former Charlie Wilson's War co-star Amy Adams.

Of the sets, Blunt told NY Daily News: "Oh, they were [realistic]. Particularly the trailer park one - that was gag-making. We walked on set and I felt myself heave, as it really did smell.

"And we had a fly wrangler on set. He breathes smoke on them, and they get a bit hazy and are not quite so sprightly - I don't know how he does it."

She added that she and Adams were "obsessed" with crime shows, but that it "didn't really help when it came to the gore and dealing with the decomposition".

Young Victoria opened in UK cinemas last weekend while Sunshine Cleaning will have a limited US release from March 13.

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Akerman, Phillippe join 'Bang Bang Club'



Malin Akerman and Ryan Phillippe have joined the cast of indie drama The Bang Bang Club, reports Variety.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine actor Taylor Kitsch is also confirmed for the project.

The movie, which is based on the memoirs of Greg Marinovich, is based in apartheid-era South Africa.

It will tell the story of Kevin Carter (Kitsch), Ken Oosterbroek, Marinovich (Phillippe) and Joao Silver, four combat photographers who became famous for their graphic depictions of the last days of apartheid. Akerman will play the photo editor of the club.

Marinovich and Silva are the only two still alive. Oosterbroek was killed by friendly fire in 1994, while Carter famously committed suicide shortly after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.

Shooting is expected to start next month in Johannesburg. Documentary-maker Steven Silver is writing and directing.

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Spielberg hands Jackson 'Tintin' reigns



Steven Spielberg has handed his Tintin film over to Peter Jackson, says Variety.

The pair had agreed to each direct a movie based on Hergé's cartoon creation, though plans for a trilogy have reportedly been sidelined for now in favour of completing the first outing.

Spielberg has finished 32 days' work on the motion-capture blockbuster in Los Angeles and will allow producer Jackson to complete work on the film. It is believed that Spielberg will retain a sole director credit.

"It's hard to delineate between directing and producing on films like this," an insider said.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy added that the creative switch is not problematic, saying: "They are amazingly collaborative, even more so than Steven and George [Lucas were on the Indiana Jones films]."

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn, starring Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, is scheduled for release in 2011.

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Moss joins SJP comedy 'Morgans'



Mad Men actress Elisabeth Moss has joined Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant in the cast of Did You Hear About The Morgans?, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The Marc Lawrence-directed rom-com will centre on a high-powered New York couple who are relocated to Wyoming after witnessing a murder. Moss will play the obsessive-compulsive assistant to Parker's character.

Moss, who was nominated for a SAG Award this year for her portrayal of Peggy Olson in Mad Men, has previously starred in Girl, Interrupted and The Missing.

Did You Hear About The Morgans? begins production in New York in May.

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Obama gives Brown 25 classic US films



Barack Obama has renewed the US's special relationship with the UK by giving Prime Minister Gordon Brown 25 classic American films on DVD.

On a recent visit to Washington, Brown handed Obama a pen holder made of wood from the HMS Gannet, an anti-slave ship that was a sister vessel to HMS Resolute. Wood from the Resolute was later used to construct the desk in the Oval Office.

According to the Daily Mail, Obama's gift was a collection of 25 movies prepared by the American Film Institute. The titles include Citizen Kane, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Graduate, The Godfather and Casablanca. The latter two are listed as favourite films of Obama on his Facebook page.

The movies Obama reportedly presented to Brown are:

1. Citizen Kane
2. The Godfather
3. Casablanca
4. Raging Bull
5. Singing In The Rain
6. Gone With The Wind
7. Lawrence Of Arabia
8. Schindler's List
9. Vertigo
10. The Wizard Of Oz
11. City Lights
12. The Searchers
13. Star Wars: Episode IV
14. Psycho
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey
16. Sunset Boulevard
17. The Graduate
18. The General
19. On The Waterfront
20. It's A Wonderful Life
21. Chinatown
22. Some Like It Hot
23. The Grapes Of Wrath
24. ET: The Extra Terrestrial
25. To Kill A Mockingbird

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Dre, Ice Cube start work on N.W.A. biopic



New Line has started development on Straight Outta Compton, a biopic of hip-hop group N.W.A.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the movie will chart the career of the trailblazing rap group, formed in 1986 by Eazy-E, Dr Dre, Ice Cube and MC Ren.

Despite being banned from radio air play thanks to controversial songs such as 'F**k The Police', the band have sold more than 9 million albums in the US. Active between 1986 and 1991, they briefly reunited in 1999 to work on a comeback album, Not These Niggaz Again, that was never released. Eazy-E, real name Eric Wright, died of AIDS in 1995.

Ice Cube, Dr Dre and Tomica Wright (Eazy-E's widow) will produce Compton and are reportedly eager to recruit a director in the mould of Curtis Hanson, who steered Eminem's 8 Mile to success despite not being an obvious match for the material.

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Aniston: 'Recession has affected Hollywood'



Jennifer Aniston has admitted that the current economic climate has impacted on Hollywood.

Speaking at the UK press conference for Marley & Me, the actress dismissed speculation that the movie industry has been unaffected by the recession.

"They're not making as many movies," she said. "At film festivals, studios that would be buying six or eight movies are now buying two. It's really a lot harder for independent films especially. It's the same thing with jobs - studio positions are being dropped, they're all cutting back."

However, she suggested that dramedies such as Marley & Me have struck a chord with audience members who are seeking a more realistic look at the world.

"The fact that it did as well as it did [in the US] at a time when some really high-concept, beautiful movies were out was a sign of what people are really hungry for," she said.

"To see a real portrayal of marriage was very refreshing. It's such an accessible story and people were ready for that. They wanted to laugh really hard or cry really hard and just feel something."

Marley & Me opens in the UK on March 11.

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