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Anderson, Hoffman reteam for period drama

Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson is to write and direct a period drama starring Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The unnamed project follows "the Master", a charismatic and intelligent man (Hoffman) who leads a popular faith-based organisation in America in 1952, reports Variety.

The film will examine the relationship between Hoffman's character and a 20-something drifter named Freddie, who finds himself questioning the Master's belief system.

Anderson, who was nominated for a 'Best Director' Oscar for 2008's There Will Be Blood, has collaborated with Hoffman on a number of films, including Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love and Magnolia.

The new project is awaiting a greenlight from Universal.

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Damon praises 'Invictus' director Eastwood

Matt Damon has praised director Clint Eastwood for providing him with a gratifying work experience on the set of Invictus.

In Eastwood's forthcoming film, Damon plays a South African rugby player who helps Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) bring African citizens together through the 1995 Rugby World Cup, after the fall of Apartheid.

"I felt completely fulfilled creatively," said Damon at Tuesday's Museum of the Moving Image gala in New York City honouring Eastwood.

Damon revealed that the helmer's work style also kept his wife happy.

"I have come to judge good jobs and good directors by how my wife feels about them. And my wife loves Clint Eastwood."

He added: "Not only because her husband was happy everyday when he came home, but because I got to do what I wanted to do and the way I wanted to do it."

Eastwood's quick filming schedule reportedly allowed Damon to spend a lot of time with his family during the shoot.

Invictus opens December 11 in US cinemas.

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DiCaprio to voice animated Jack Frost

Leonardo DiCaprio has signed up for his first animated movie DreamWorks' The Guardians.

The Titanic star will voice Jack Frost in the the Peter Ramsey-helmed project.

David Lindsay-Abaire will adapt the script from William Joyce's (Shrek) upcoming series of novels The Guardians Of Childhood.

The plot centres on an evil spirit called Pitch, who wants to inspire fear in the hearts of kids around the world. Jack Frost (DiCaprio), Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman join together to bring down the villainous spirit and protect the world.

No other cast members have been revealed yet. The film is scheduled for release in November 2012.

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Taylor Lautner for 'Max Steel' film

New Moon star Taylor Lautner is linked to Paramount's Max Steel movie plans.

According to the LA Times, Lautner is in the running to take the lead role in the teenage superhero film.

The 17-year-old, who plays Jacob in the Twilight franchise, has no other projects lined up after finishing filming rom-com Valentine's Day.

Steel is a Mattel toy, which was was first sold in 2001, bringing in $100 million in it's first year. Paramount are hoping the project will match the box office success of similar toy adaptations Transformers and G.I. Joe.

Lautner would star as extreme sports athlete Josh McGrath, who is exposed to the powers of nanotechnological machines. He develops increased strength, near-invulnerability and the power to change his appearance.

J.P. Lavin and Chad Damiani are penning the script.

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'Twilight' plagiarism case dismissed

A plagiarism case brought against Twilight author Stephenie Meyer has been dismissed by a California judge, according to the New York Times.

Writer Jordan Scott had alleged that Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the vampire franchise, had a similar plot to her own novel The Nocturne.

Scott had reportedly used the likeness to accuse Meyer of copying her work.

Judge Otis D. Wright II read both Breaking Dawn and The Nocturne before ruling that the novels were "not substantially similar as a matter of law", pointing to the different styles of writing as an example.

He reportedly also criticised Scott for her "deceptive presentation of the alleged similarities".

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Hannigan attacks 'Buffy' movie plans

Alyson Hannigan has criticised plans for a Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie remake.

The 35-year-old actress, who played Willow Rosenberg in the acclaimed supernatural drama, told Cinemablend that she cannot understand why franchise owner Fran Rubel Kuzui is bringing back the character without the involvement of creator Joss Whedon.

Hannigan commented: "[It's] a very big mistake in my opinion. I mean, if Joss isn't involved, it's only the title."

Asked if she would consider getting involved with the project, she replied: "Not without Joss. Joss is the only reason that we would go back. I mean, it's just ridiculous to think of that TV show without Joss. That's just silly to me. And all the fans know that, too, so I don't know what they're thinking."

Whedon wrote the script for the original 1992 Buffy The Vampire Slayer film. He then went on to relaunch the story for the cult series of the same name.

Anthony Head, who starred as Buffy's mentor Rupert Giles on the programme, has previously warned that the new movie could be "a bit like watching a car wreck".

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Cowell "embarrassed" by 'Scary Movie'

Simon Cowell has reportedly admitted that he felt "embarrassed" watching himself on screen in Scary Movie 3.

The X Factor and American Idol judge appeared as himself in the horror spoof, in a sequence about an amateur rapping contest.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said: "I'll never forget going to that premiere and dying in my seat when the movie came on.

"I've never felt so embarrassed in my life. Lesson learned. Don't believe that you're good at other things. I might be okay as a judge, but I'm a lousy actor."

Cowell was recently voted one of the magazine's top 15 entertainers of the decade.

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Tarantino: 'I turned down Green Lantern'

Quentin Tarantino has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to direct comic book adaptation Green Lantern.

Speaking to MTV, the Inglourious Basterds helmer said that he declined the offer to bring the DC superhero to the big screen because he has "outgrown" such projects.

"I was offered the Green Lantern," he said. "Not since it's been a script, but just like, 'Hey we own the Green Lantern, would you like it?'

"So there's a little part of me that's like, 'Wow, if I was in my 20s, this would be the genre I'd want to specialise in'," he continued. "But they weren't making them then, or at least not the right ones. But there also is an aspect where I've kind of outgrown that a little bit."

Tarantino added that he is still open to the idea of directing a superhero movie, but would prefer to create an original character rather than adapt an established comic property. "It wouldn't be an existing comic book character," he said.

"I'm a writer. I'd want to use my imagination and not have to fight with geeks' memories of how this character should be and, 'Oh, I cast an actor as opposed to a bodybuilder', or, 'It's not as good as the way [DC Comics artist] Neal Adams drew him'. If I were to do something like that, I would want the fun of coming up with the superhero myself."

Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell, will arrive in cinemas on June 17, 2011.

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Johnny Depp to star as Pancho Villa?

Johnny Depp is in advancing negotiations to take on the title role in a Pancho Villa biopic.

According to Total Film, the film is to stay true to its Mexican roots and will be shot entirely in Spanish south of the border.

The movie, based on the book The Friends of Pancho Villa, is titled Seven Friends of Pancho Villa and the Woman with Six Fingers and is scheduled to begin production in 2011.

Salma Hayek is also in talks to co-star with Depp once again, as the pair worked together in Blow and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Director Emir Kusturica is to helm the project once he has completed his next movie Cool Water, a black comedy featuring a Palestinian stripper.

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Steven Spielberg quits 'Harvey'?

Steven Spielberg has left Harvey after spending half a year working on it for a reorganised DreamWorks.

According to Variety, the director handed in his notice to 20th Century Fox, who had already started booking soundstages for the 2010 production start. A spokesman confirmed Spielberg's departure, but remained silent on a specific reason.

The film is a remake of the 1950 classic starring James Stewart as a man who befriends a six and a half-foot tall invisible rabbit. Spielberg's first choice for the lead was frequent collaborator Tom Hanks, but the actor apparently wanted no part in following Stewart's performance.

The helmer then moved on to Robert Downey Jr. However, Spielberg and the Sherlock Holmes star were never in creative sync, forcing the filmmaker to allegedly squash his participation in the project.

Fox and DreamWorks are said to be continuing with the production.

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Matt Damon talks fourth 'Bourne' film

Matt Damon has said that he would not return to the Bourne franchise without director Paul Greengrass.

Greengrass, who helmed the last two Bourne pictures, walked away from the fourth instalment last week.

However, despite Greengrass's exit, Damon said that he is confident the film will eventually happen with the helmer on board.

"I feel like someday it's going to happen," he told Entertainment Weekly. "Paul's got to go to work, you know? He's ready to do another job, and it wasn't the right job now. I get it. I wouldn't do it without him but I don't feel like he's done with it totally."

He added: "I think he'd change his mind if a good script came along. If there was a great Bourne idea, he would love to do it. It's a big part of his life, too. We're still going to keep working together - and hopefully on another Bourne movie, too."

Damon stars in the Greengrass-directed thriller Green Zone, due out in March 2010.

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'Bad Lieutenant' producers option 'Gun'

The producers of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans have optioned the film rights to Jonathan Lethem's Gun, With Occasional Music.

Gabe and Alan Polsky are looking to make a film based on Lethem's cult sci-fi noir novel, reports Variety.

Gun is written in the style of pulp writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. The story centres on a private detective who is hired by a man who claims that he has been framed for murder.

The book features bizarre concepts such as erotic nerve swapping and a menacing kangaroo with mob ties.

Several of Lethem's books have been optioned by Hollywood producers, including The Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn.

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'Terminator' rights to go up for auction

The rights to the Terminator franchise will go on the auction block on February 1 as part of Halcyon Holding Group's bankruptcy proceedings, reports Variety.

The sci-fi series and all of its properties - including DVDs, TV shows, merchandise and future films - are worth more than $375m (£225m), according to reports.

"Over the past few weeks, Halcyon and its professionals have engaged in in-depth discussions and negotiations with numerous serious potential buyers, including several major movie studios," Halcyon said.

Halcyon purchased the rights in 2007 for around $25m (£15m).

The short-lived Fox series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and recent feature Terminator Salvation, starring Christian Bale, were produced under the Halcyon banner.

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Vaughn: 'Kick-Ass will be very violent'

Director Matthew Vaughn has revealed what to expect from the film adaptation of Kick-Ass.

Based on Mark Millar and John Romita Jr's ongoing series, Kick-Ass tells the story of American comic book nerd Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), who decides to fight crime by becoming a real-life superhero.

Vaughn told CraveOnline: "It's 11-year-old girls slicing and dicing people, and getting shot.

"I mean, I'm very bored of the way most of the big movies shoot action, all this shaky camera, handheld, close cutting, quick cutting. So I've tried to put a narrative story into every action sequence."

The Stardust director also promised that his film would not shy away from the comic's bloody action sequences.

He said: "It's got a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour, so it's not gratuitous. But it is violent. Very violent."

Kick-Ass, also starring Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage, will be released on April 16, 2010.

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Cast to gather for 'Thor' rehearsals

Kyle XY star Jaimie Alexander has revealed that Thor cast members are to start rehearsals in a matter of days.

The news indicates that the Kenneth Branagh-directed film is on track to begin shooting in early January.

Posting on Twitter, Alexander, who will play Sif, said: "Excited to start rehearsals next week!"

Thor's cast includes Chris Hemsworth in the title role, Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Kat Dennings (Darcy), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Idris Elba (Heimdall) and Stellan Skarsgård.

According to Production Weekly, Marvel has chosen to give the movie the shooting name of Manhattan.

Thor is due to be released on May 20, 2011.

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Portman: 'Black Swan role is a challenge'

Natalie Portman has claimed that her latest film role has proven to be a challenge.

The Oscar-nominated actress, who plays a ballerina in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, has admitted that she hasn't retained any of the dancing skills that she learned as a child.

The 28-year-old told Parade: "I'm in full ballet mode right now playing a ballerina in Black Swan. I danced until I was like 13, but I definitely remember being better than I am. I was like, 'Wow, I was pretty good as a kid'. Then I went into ballet class, and I was like, 'I'm not good at all. I really suck'. So it's been challenging."

Portman also reveals that she has had a difficult time reading the script to her other new movie Thor due to tight security measures.

She added: "I think everyone has gotten more secretive just because of the preponderance of technology that can scam just about anything. It's like you don't get a script anymore that doesn't have watermarks that would identify you if you ever tried to leak anything. The Thor script is hard to read because it's on some weird coloured paper and they have your name in huge letters across every page.

"And any time you get a phone call from Marvel, it doesn't come up as a normal number, it's like a five-digit code. I've never seen that before. I've had phone calls from people in the government and they don't have that. Marvel's like some like crazy underground world."

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SJP 'torn between 'SATC 2', motherhood'

Sarah Jessica Parker has apparently revealed that she is struggling to balance being a new mum with the hectic Sex And The City 2 filming schedule.

The actress admitted that she has "enormous regrets" about agreeing to be in the sequel just two months after twins Tabitha and Marion were born to a surrogate.

"It's been amazing but complicated because of my current work schedule, which I have enormous regrets about. One [twin] would prefer to be held 24 hours a day, and the other is already suffering from type-A [demanding personality] issues," Parker told Glamour.

"It is the eternal conflict of every working woman. I've done this to myself. I have a wonderful, wonderful nanny who allows me to be a working person. The great challenge for me is to be all things to all people - I want to be a great mother, and I want to feel good when I'm at work. But it is hard."

The 44-year-old, who also has a 7-year-old son James with her husband Matthew Broderick, added that she can't complain about her busy life. "We didn't plan on having two, but were doubly blessed, and it's been just wonderful," she said.

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Downey Jr 'praises director Guy Ritchie'

Robert Downey Jr has reportedly praised filmmaker Guy Ritchie.

The actor, who plays the fictional detective in Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, has commended the director's confidence on set and revealed that he felt comfortable working with his shooting style, STV reports.

The 44-year-old Oscar-nominated actor said: "We're in the hands of a really smart bad-ass.

"The best word to describe Guy is confident. Confident in a way that you can't pretend to be, because you only see it in the moment when it's crunch time."

Sherlock Holmes arrives in US cinemas on December 25 and in the UK on December 26.

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Penelope Cruz: "Singing was terrifying"

Penelope Cruz has admitted that she was terrified to sing in her new movie musical Nine.

The Oscar-winning actress, who recently revealed that she had to use muscles she hadn't used since she was a teenager for the role, has admitted that she felt nervous singing.

The 35-year-old told Bang Showbiz: "Singing was terrifying because it was new and because it was my first time. It was like doing theatre, but I only did theatre as a student in Spain."

Cruz, who plays seductress Carla Albanese in the Rob Marshall film, also noted that her provocative look came courtesy of fine costume designers.

She added: "The woman who designed the costumes for every one of us, I think she really must be one of the most amazing artists."

Nine is to be released in the UK on December 18 and in the US on December 25.

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Gyllenhaal 'covers junk' for nude scenes

Jake Gyllenhaal has said that he was "pretty much naked" when filming for a new movie.

The actor, who stars in Love And Other Drugs alongside Anne Hathaway, told Jimmy Kimmel that he had enjoyed the scenes.

"[I'm] making a movie with Anne Hathaway, and we've been having a lot of love scenes in that movie," he explained. "And we've been baring almost all of us... So, that's not been that bad, either. We were pretty much naked but for a merkin."

When asked what a merkin was, he described it as a "cover for your junk", adding that it is what "prostitutes used to wear when they shaved their pubic hair in the 16th century... because they thought they had crabs".

However, he refused to say how Hathaway had protected her modesty.

"Out of respect to Anne, I'm going to have to leave that up to her when she comes on the show," he said. "It's a similar sort of thing, but it has other functions."

Gyllenhaal's latest film Brothers is out in the US now and in the UK on January 22.

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