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Meryl Streep has spoken out about ageism and sexism in the film industry.

The Oscar-winning actress told the Daily Mail that she has come up against both types of discrimination during her career.

Streep, who was speaking at the opening of her new film Doubt, said: "Of course there is ageism in the film industry. There's discrimination in every profession.

"Look around the room. There are a lot of young women here who are journalists, but do you see any women my age? No.

"And if you look into the corporate corners of your company, there aren't a lot of women there either. But we're fighting that and we're making inroads against discrimination."

Streep, who is up against Kate Winslet for best actress in the BAFTAs, was reluctant to comment on the awards race. However, she said she would be at the ceremony and would have to "scrounge something nice to wear" for the occasion.

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Producer James Schamus has claimed that Heath Ledger was treated like an "alienated prop" on the set of Brokeback Mountain and had a miserable time.

In an Entertainment Weekly special tribute, Schamus and filmmaker Terry Gilliam recalled how hard the movie was for the late star, who died on January 22 last year from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Gilliam said: "He felt alone and isolated. I think it was his sense of not getting the kind of warm support we gave him on Grimm. Whatever it did, it produced an extraordinary performance."

Schamus added that director Ang Lee has a tough on-set mentality. "During casting, rehearsals, and pre-production, Ang (Lee) is like the warm, wise, cuddly daddy bear. The minute he yells 'Action' on the first shot, the actors become alienated props he kind of puts up with... It's tough on actors.

"He doesn't yell at people or humiliate them, but it's a very tough space. Heath had very difficult days. You could really feel the pain he was going through," he said.

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Chris Noth has claimed that a Sex And The City sequel is more than likely because studio bosses want to cash in on the first film's success.

The actor told Hollyscoop.com that building on the massive amount of money the franchise produces is too tempting for chiefs to turn down.

Co-star Cynthia Nixon recently insisted that nothing is certain until the cast has signed to a second film, despite assurances from Sarah Jessica Parker that a follow-up is in the pipeline. However, Noth is convinced it is too good a money-earner to miss, adding: "I bet there will be another one. Too many executives want too much money."

The first movie, which followed the long-running US TV series, grossed more than £275 million last summer.

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Rupert Grint has admitted that he will be nervous when he films kissing scenes with his Harry Potter co-star Emma Watson.

The 20-year-old actor has been told that his first kiss with Watson, who plays Hermione Granger, will be filmed next month on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"As I've known Emma for so long, I reckon it will be 10 times worse," Grint, best known for his role as Ron Weasley in the films, told The Daily Telegraph. "I really love the seventh book, but there is no way it will be tame with the Hermione stuff."

Grint has made headlines recently after it emerged that he filmed a sex scene with Welsh actress Kimberley Nixon for his role in new indie movie CherryBomb.

The star has now insisted that he expects the film to cause less of a stir than Daniel Radcliffe's nude scenes onstage in Equus.

"I don't think it's quite up there with Dan's Equus, but it was quite a surreal experience, especially as we were sharing the bed with half a dozen camera crew," he explained. "But, yeah, I was quite nervous, I think we both were.

"It was a new thing for the two of us - though, weirdly, I remember Kim and I doing a crossword in between takes. That definitely took our minds off the deed."

Speaking about his plans for the Potter scenes, he added: "I'll have a stack of crosswords at the ready."

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J. K. Simmons has confirmed that he will be returning for the upcoming Spider-Man 4.

Speaking to MTV, the Juno star revealed that he would be reprising his role as Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson.

However, the actor dismissed speculation that his character could have a bigger part to play in the forthcoming sequel.

"We've definitely brainstormed ideas for Triple-J, but I have no desire to make Triple-J more of the focus of those movies," he said.

"The amount that I did in 1, 2 and 3 is just exactly right. Like be the wolf. Come in, blow in, do a week, blow out, be the comic relief, and hit the road. And let Tobey [Maguire] and everybody else do the heavy lifting."

According to Simmons, who met with the film's director Sam Raimi over Christmas, production on the blockbuster is scheduled to begin in March 2010.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is penning the script, while original stars Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are both expected to return.

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Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas has confirmed that he is working on a movie adaptation of the cult show.

The series, which starred Kristen Bell as a student who moonlights as a private investigator, ran from 2004 until 2007.

Thomas told iFMagazine that a Veronica movie would be his "next project" and hinted that The Matrix producer Joel Silver had already expressed an interest in greenlighting the project.

"My writing the movie is half the battle. Someone else has to pay for it," he said. "Joel Silver does have a certain pile of money. He called on me saying 'Can we do this now?' Kristen wants to do it. Joel wants to do it and I want to do it. For me, that’s the next project."

When pressed about a possible plot, Thomas admitted that it was "70% broken in my head", but refused to divulge any details, saying: "I’m feeling like I’m on the right track now. But I don’t want to give that away yet."

However, he did reveal what fans should not expect to see: "I know we did that F.B.I. 'what if' thing, but we would not go to that place. I think it would open just days before the Hearst College Graduation. So Veronica would be sort of at the end of her college career."

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Pop singer Cher and Jackass's Johnny Knoxville have signed up for new comedy The Drop-Out, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cher recently spoke about her enthusiasm for the project during a TV interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Written by Ricky Blitt, who worked with Knoxville on 2005's The Ringer, the project follows the story of a 35-year-old student who is finally kicked out of his parents' house.

Determined to maintain his daily routine of "food, couch and TV", he decides to move in with his 62-year-old neighbour (Cher). However, the woman's son is looking for a father figure and doesn't mind if they are the same age as him.

Blitt, who is also directing, is currently casting for the son role.

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Roland Emmerich is to helm a movie adaptation of author Isaac Asimov's sci-fi adventure series Foundation.

Originally published as a series of short stories, Foundation revolves around humans that are scattered across the universe and live under the rule of the Galactic Empire.

The series introduced Asimov's concept of "psychohistory", a means of predicting the future on a large scale. The story charts a psychohistorian's discovery that the empire is about to collapse and his subsequent attempts to preserve the knowledge of mankind.

Foundation was initially being developed by Fox, then New Line, before the latter was taken over by Warner.

According to Variety, the recent legal issues between Fox and Warner over the forthcoming Watchmen allowed Columbia to swoop in and buy the rights, after Warner allowed them to lapse.

10,000 B.C. director Emmerich will produce alongside Michael Wimer.

No production dates or further details have been announced yet, but it is expected that the project will be developed as a trilogy.

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Kate Winslet has revealed that she will be preparing a speech for the upcoming BAFTA Awards, following her teary acceptance at the Golden Globes.

The actress, who has been nominated twice at next month's ceremony, joked with reporters that she wants to avoid a repeat of her gushing double Globe win.

"Well, clearly, I should prepare a speech because I didn't think that was going to happen at the Golden Globes," she said. "Some people apparently haven't been very nice about it, but luckily I've been in America where they've said very nice things."

Winslet picked up the best drama actress award for Revolutionary Road and the best supporting actress gong for The Reader at the January 11 ceremony.

Speaking at last night's London premiere of Revolutionary Road, she said that she was still "genuinely overwhelmed and shocked", but was looking forward to the BAFTAs.

"I'm just so excited to be included this year, I mean, I really am. It's been a remarkable two years, I think, for films in general and there's some absolutely stunning performances out there so to be up there with those heavyweights is really amazing."

The BAFTAs take place on February 8 at London's Royal Opera House.

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Robbie Williams is considering rejoining Take That to make a movie about the band, according to the Daily Star.

The singer, who now lives in Los Angeles, reportedly discussed the possibility of a biopic with Gary Barlow when the pair met last month.

"Robbie spends most of his time these days playing football or relaxing in his LA mansion," revealed a friend.

"It takes a lot to get him excited, but the thought of having his years in Take That made into a movie has done just that."

However, film bosses reportedly want the biopic to focus on the 2005 reunion of Barlow, Jason Orange, Howard Donald and Mark Owen, which led to their successful comeback.

Last month, Barlow sparked speculation that Williams would eventually rejoin the band when he told The Guardian: "As long as we're alive people are going to ask if we're going to get back together and I do believe we will one day, I just don't know when."

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Comedian Kevin James's new movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop has topped the US box office chart.

The King Of Queens star's latest vehicle pushes Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino into second spot, taking $33.8 million in its opening weekend.

Meanwhile, thriller My Bloody Valentine enters at three, hip-hop biopic Notorious debuts at four, while family comedy House Of Dogs charts at five.

Elsewhere, Daniel Craig's war movie Defiance climbs 27 places to reach number eight.

The US box office top ten in full:

1. (-) Paul Blart: Mall Cop $33,800,000
2. (1) Gran Torino - $22,235,000
3. (-) My Bloody Valentine - $21,900,000
4. (-) Notorious - $21,500,000
5. (-) Hotel For Dogs - $17,707,000
6. (2) Bride Wars - $11,750,000
7. (3) The Unborn - $9,848,825
8. (35) Defiance - $9,206,000
9. (4) Marley & Me - $6,325,000
10. (11) Slumdog Millionaire - $5,900,000

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Tom Cruise is "too small" to play Claus von Stauffenberg in Valkyrie, according to the officer's family.

In an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, the colonel's great nephew Franz von Stauffenberg claimed that the Top Gun star was miscast.

Discussing his performance, Stauffenberg said: "[He] seems terribly cautious, almost as if he were afraid of playing the role. He tries to seem elegant but comes across as extremely stiff.

"He seems not at all decisive in the role and above all not charismatic enough. On the whole he just seems too small.

"From what I've learned about Claus von Stauffenberg from the literature, history books and family stories, he is meant to have been a charismatic man. Someone who inspired people with his smile, his humour and charm."

Von Stauffenberg was the man behind the 1944 attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler by placing a bomb in a briefcase.

Earlier this month, Cruise claimed that he was unfazed by the criticism surrounding Valkyrie, saying: "I knew it would be controversial... But I couldn’t ignore it because the story is so compelling."

Valkyrie opens in the UK on February 23.

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Kate Winslet has admitted that Leonardo DiCaprio feels like her husband.

The actress claimed that she has spent so much time with DiCaprio recently that they are like a married couple.

"He feels more like my husband than my real husband, I have to say," she told GMTV. "I'm talking about him so much!"

She added: "We had a great time working together. I thought there might be some difficult moments but there really weren't - we got through it, we got through it."

Winslet recently revealed that she nearly cried after reuniting with DiCaprio for new movie Revolutionary Road.

DiCaprio later described his co-star as "the generation's best".

Revolutionary Road is released in cinemas on January 30.

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Chris Evans has joined the cast of Edgar Wright's comic book adaptation Scott Pilgrim Vs The World.

Evans, whose credits include Sunshine and Fantastic Four, will play skateboarder-turned-actor Lucas Lee, according to Ain't It Cool.

The film follows the story of Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), who has to overcome seven evil ex-boyfriends to win the heart of his dream girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

Kieran Culkin was last week confirmed for the role of Pilgrim's gay roommate Wallace Wells.

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Eliza Dushku has announced that she is developing a biopic of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

The Dollhouse star told E! News that she had won the rights to co-produce the movie following lengthy negotiations with the Mapplethorpe estate.

Mapplethorpe began his photography career in the 1970s and later sparked international controversy with the homosexual eroticism of some of his work.

Dushku revealed that her older brother Nate has already been cast as Mapplethorpe, explaining that he "physically has an uncanny resemblance to Robert... some pictures are really eerie".

Mapplethorpe died of complications from AIDS in 1989, aged 42.

Nate Dushku has previously appeared alongside his sister in The Alphabet Killer and Tru Calling.

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The farmhouse featured in Withnail And I is going under the hammer with a guide price of offers over £145, 000.

According to PA, the remote Sleddale Hall in Cumbria is being sold by water company United Utilities and has been marketed as a "piece of film history".

The property featured in the 1987 cult comedy, which followed actors Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann) on a trip from Camden Town to Uncle Monty's (Richard Griffiths) countryside cottage.

Director Bruce Robinson used the 18th century stone farmhouse mainly for exterior shots in the movie.

Savills director Paul Mooney said: "Withnail is an iconic film and there may be a few eccentrics out there who would be interested in owning a piece of film history. Sleddale Hall will certainly garner a bit more public interest than a house of this type normally would."

The sale is due to take place at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, on February 16.

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Dominic Monaghan has revealed that producers of The Hobbit want him and his fellow halflings to return for the Lord Of The Rings prequels.

The actor told MTV that although his character Merry and friends such as Pippin are not in JRR Tolkien's book, bosses want to thank loyal fans by bringing them back.

He said: "They really want us to come back, and I think there's a really strong chance that we might be back.

"We're not in The Hobbit, no, but I think the idea in [the producers'] heads is that the trilogy of the Lord Of The Rings films was so beloved by the fans that they're really keen to try to say thank you for the support that they gave to the Lord Of The Rings movies and possibly bring back some of those characters that they know and love."

Director Guillermo del Toro recently dismissed rumours that The Hobbit has been delayed until 2012, insisting that filming of the adaptation is still on track to get underway in New Zealand in the coming months.

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Heath Ledger watched the first six minutes of The Dark Knight, according to the movie's producer.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly as part of a special tribute, Charles Roven revealed that the actor had been "thrilled" by the footage.

"I showed Heath the first six minutes of The Dark Knight, the bank heist sequence, on an IMAX screen in London," he said.

"I said, 'You have to see this. You haven't seen yourself be the Joker!' He watched it, and it just blew his mind. He was so thrilled, he was just laughing.

"He said, 'I want to see it again!' It's not an easy thing to rethread an IMAX, so it took about 15 minutes but we showed it to him again. That was the last time I saw him."

Ledger passed away on January 22 last year, following an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Earlier this month, he was awarded a posthumous supporting actor Golden Globe for his work in the film.

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Katie Holmes and Kevin Kline have signed on to star in forthcoming comedy The Extra Man, reports Variety.

Based on a novel by Jonathan Ames, the story follows a failed playwright (Kline) who works as an escort for rich widows in New York and strikes up a friendship with a wannabe writer.

There Will Be Blood's Paul Dano and Step Brothers actor John C. Reilly will also star.

"This is a film for our times, these hilarious characters living on the edge of enormous wealth, scrapping for small pieces of the pie. I suspect a lot of people will be able to identify nowadays," said producer Anthony Bregman.

The Nanny Diaries' Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini will direct.

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Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson's Bride Wars has debuted at number one at the Australian box office.

The comedy beat Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd's Role Models, which entered at two. Last week's number one, Jim Carrey's Yes Man, falls to third.

Elsewhere, Slumdog Millionaire climbs to fifth on the back of its Golden Globes success, while family comedy Hotel For Dogs charts at eight.

The top ten in full:

1. (-) Bride Wars - $3,129,086
2. (-) Role Models - $1,793,814
3. (1) Yes Man - $1,261,148
4. (3) Bolt - $1,885,138
5. (10) Slumdog Millionaire - 1,173,047
6. (2) Seven Pounds - $1,093,903
7. (5) Bedtime Stories - $1,068,451
8. (-) Hotel For Dogs - $1,055,162
9. (6) The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - $1,028,113
10. (4) Marley & Me - $944,539