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Hudgens, Wood for all-girl 'Sucker Punch'



Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Evan Rachel Wood and Emma Stone are in talks to join Amanda Seyfried in Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch.

Last week Watchmen helmer Snyder revealed that he was in talks with Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) to lead the all-girl cast.

Set in the 1950s, action fantasy Sucker Punch centres on institutionalised girl Babydoll (Seyfried) who slips into a fantasy world of dragons, B-52 bombers and brothels.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hudgens, Cornish, Wood and Stone are in talks to play mental institution residents Blondie, Sweet Pea, Rocket and Amber.

Snyder will direct Sucker Punch from a script he co-wrote with Steve Shibuya.

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Gondry: 'Bjork improved my directing'



Michel Gondry has said that his work with Icelandic musician Bjork has made him a better director.

The cult filmmaker told The Guardian that the singer did not care if she looked good or bad in the videos she made to promote her music.

Gondry said: "With her it's pure creativity. And sometimes I'm the one to tell her 'You can't show that on MTV, you can't reflect badly on you,' and she says 'I don't care'.

"She just thinks the video is an extension of the creativity she puts into her music, and she educated me to be a better director."

He added that the job of a music promo director is to find a way to make the video not look like a commercial.

Gondry was recently revealed as the new director of Seth Rogen's The Green Hornet.

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Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li

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'Slumdog' returns to UK BO top spot



Slumdog Milionaire has returned to the top of the UK box office over the weekend.

Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning drama climbs two places to knock Disney's Bolt from the number one spot, while Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino lands at number two.

Torino's £1.3 million weekend ticket sales makes it the most successful three-day UK haul for Eastwood. The drama has already made $138 million in the US, becoming the biggest box office hit of the legendary actor-director's five-decade career.

Elsewhere, the chart sees new entries from horror The Unborn (number three), action thriller The International (number six) and Renée Zellweger rom-com New In Town (number ten).

The UK top ten in full:

1. (3) Slumdog Millionaire - £1,676,508
2. (11) Gran Torino - £1,351,278
3. (-) The Unborn - £1,300,543
4. (1) Bolt - £1,299,199
5. (2) Confessions Of A Shopaholic - £1,290,595
6. (-) The International - £760,382
7. (4) Hotel For Dogs - £634,647
8. (6) He's Just Not That Into You - £522,381
9. (5) The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - £493,201
10. (-) New In Town - £438,979

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Boyle considers 'My Fair Lady' remake



Danny Boyle is reportedly in talks with Sony Pictures to helm the Emma Thompson-scripted My Fair Lady remake.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire director is pondering whether to next take on the musical or make teen-assassin movie Hanna, which he has been developing with writer Seth Lockhead.

Keira Knightley was in negotiations last year to star as Eliza Doolittle in the new version, although the actress' involvement in the project has not been confirmed.

My Fair Lady originated as a Broadway musical based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion. It was first adapted for the screen in 1964 - with Audrey Hepburn as the Cockney flower girl turned high society lady - and scooped eight Academy Awards.

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'Caspian' star Barnes tapped for 'Ophelia'



Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian star Ben Barnes has reportedly been cast in Ophelia, a new reworking of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the actor has been tapped to star as the Danish prince in the forthcoming drama, which will retell the story from the perspective of his girlfriend.

Atonement actress Juno Temple will play the title character, a woman who is "slowly driven insane" by her desire for Hamlet.

The independently-financed film will be produced by Skeleton Key's Daniel Bobker and Ehren Kruger, while music video director Dawn Shadforth will helm the project.

Production is slated to start in early summer.

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Danny Boyle rules out 'Bond 23'



Danny Boyle has ruled out directing the next James Bond adventure.

The Slumdog Millionaire filmmaker was linked with the director's chair for the 23rd instalment in the spy franchise earlier this week.

However, Boyle informed Entertainment Weekly that he has "no plans" to direct Daniel Craig's third 007 outing.

"I enjoy the Bond movies, always have and always will, but I have no plans to direct one," he said. "I don't know who came up with the story, but please tell them I'm very flattered to be thought of!"

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Into You' still top at Aussie box office



Jennifer Aniston's He's Just Not That Into You has retained its place at the top of the Australian box office.

The comedy's $1.5 million haul is enough for it to secure the top spot for the third week running ahead of Slumdog Millionaire.

Gran Torino holds its position at number three, followed by new release The Unborn at four and The International at five.

Elsewhere, Dustin Hoffman's Last Change Harvey debuts at number six.

The box office top ten in full (figures in Australian dollars):

1. (1) He's Just Not That Into You - $1,571,324
2. (4) Slumdog Millionaire - $1,411,879
3. (3) Gran Torino - $955,953
4. (-) The Unborn - $855,964
5. (2) The International - $688,348
6. (-) Last Chance Harvey - $605,479
7. (7) The Reader - $518,366
8. (5) Ghost Town - $472,499
9. (6) Zack And Miri Make A Porno - $406,293
10. (8) Changeling - $270,374

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John Z. DeLorean biopic in the works



A movie based on the life of controversial automobile executive John Z. DeLorean is in the works.

According to Variety, producers David Permut (Face/Off) and Steve Lee Jones have acquired the life rights to DeLorean, creator of the sports car made famous by the Back To The Future movies and owner of the short-lived DeLorean Motor Company (DMC).

DeLorean was arrested in 1982 accused of trafficking drugs in an attempt to raise money to save his failing company. He was freed two years later after proving that he was part of an entrapment plot devised by federal agents.

In 1999, DeLorean was declared bankrupt. He had fought more than 40 legal cases since the collapse of DMC in 1982.

DeLorean passed away from a stroke in 2005 at the age of 80.

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Johansson ponders 'Amazon' role



Scarlett Johansson has expressed concerns about her suitability for a part in upcoming movie The Amazon Warrior.

The actress told the Daily Telegraph that she is not sure if she is right for the lead role in the film, which is set in 200 BC.

Johansson said: "I think I'm supposed to be a gladiatrix. These film guys are crazy about gladiatrixes. But do I fit into the Amazon mould? I'm a Danish/Jewish girl from New York.

"I've done weapons-training. I've fired all kinds of guns: 9mm semi-automatics, machine-guns, shotguns. I've jumped off a 60ft building.

"I learnt to ride for The Horse Whisperer. But I've never done a full-on action role."

She added that she is still waiting for her "Cirque du Soleil moment".

Johansson is also said to be in discussions with Marvel to take on the part of leather-clad Russian spy the Black Widow in Iron Man 2.

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Molina to battle Cage's 'Apprentice'



Alfred Molina will battle Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel in The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

The Spider-Man 2 star has signed up to play evil magician Horvath in Disney's upcoming blockbuster, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Taking place in modern-day New York, Sorcerer's Apprentice revolves around Baruchel's college student as he is trained by Balthazar Blake (Cage) in the ways of science and magic.

Cage is reuniting with his National Treasure director Jon Turteltaub and Jerry Bruckheimer for the fantasy film. He has also worked with renowned action producer Bruckheimer in The Rock, Con Air and Gone In 60 Seconds.

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Rourke, Braga courted for '11 Minutes'



Mickey Rourke, Alice Braga and Vincent Cassel will star in erotic drama 11 Minutes for director Hany Abu-Assad.

Based on Paulo Coehlo's sexually-charged novel, the story centres on a girl (Braga) who becomes an expensive call girl after being betrayed by her first lover. She takes up work at a gentlemen's club in Geneva, throwing her into the lives of the club owner (Rourke) and a music executive (Cassel) who indulges in S&M.

Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio is also in talks to join the cast.

Abu-Assad, who directed the Oscar-nominated Paradise Now, has reworked the script from an earlier adaptation by Marcos Bernstein.

11 Minutes will begin filming this June in Brazil and Geneva, says Variety.

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Smith seeks 'Karate' advice from Macchio



Will Smith has called upon original Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio to advise his young son about starring in the remake.

Ten-year-old Jaden Smith has been confirmed to reprise Macchio's role of a young boy who learns to stand up to bullies in Columbia's reworking of the 1984 movie.

Speaking to E! News, Macchio said: "It was very cool. He called and said, 'Would you mind getting on the phone with my son?' I felt like Yoda to young Skywalker."

Discussing his previous remarks that the martial arts movie should not be remade, he admitted that he may have "spoken too candidly about that at first".

However, he reiterated his belief that the forthcoming reboot should forge its own identity, saying: "I really think for the sake of the connection to those films and certainly the original film, I think that they're going to want to create their own version of it that is its own thing."

He added that he would not be filming a cameo appearance but if he was offered "a character, a written role" then he "would not turn away looking at that. I support them making their own hit franchise."

Macchio starred in the first three Karate Kid movies before Hilary Swank took over the lead role in the fourth instalment.

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"Conspiracy" brought Williams to 'Wendy'



Michelle Williams has said that a "conspiracy" brought her to work on Kelly Reichardt's low-budget drama Wendy And Lucy.

Speaking to Australia's Sunday Telegraph, Williams revealed that mutual friends she shares with Reichardt - among them director Todd Haynes and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon - insisted the pair work together.

"I didn't know Kelly before we went to make the film, but there were all these friends trying to get me to do the movie," Williams explained.

"The casting director lives a few blocks from me in Brooklyn. We go to the same coffee shop and she would just sort of poke me every now and then and say, 'I really think you should see [Kelly's] movie, Old Joy... And Kim Gordon... was always saying, 'You and Kelly would really get along, she's really cool'.

"And then the script arrived. It was first sent to me in short story form, with a little note from Todd Haynes saying, 'Take a look. She's a dear friend. You guys should work together.'''

Reichardt praised her leading lady, adding: "Michelle has this amazing stillness. There's stuff going on inside. You can see it in her eyes.''

Wendy And Lucy, which centres on a woman driving to Alaska who breaks down in Oregon with only her dog for company, is released in cinemas this Friday.

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Von Donnersmarck eyes '28th Amendment'



Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is in talks to direct The 28th Amendment for Warner Bros.

The German filmmaker, whose last movie was the Oscar-winning Lives Of Others, is nearing an agreement with the studio to helm the political drama, according to Variety.

Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington have been circling the project, which centres on a US President who discovers that a secret cabal is running the government and plans to assassinate him.

Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Transformers) are writing the script for producers Basil Iwanyk and Richard Donner

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Anchorman' duo confirmed for 'Schmucks'



Anchorman duo Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd have been confirmed for comedy Dinner For Schmucks, reports Variety.

The comic duo were first linked to Jay Roach's project last month. Spyglass Entertainment, DreamWorks and Paramount have now given the greenlight to the project.

Sacha Baron Cohen was originally signed for the remake of Francis Veber's French movie Le Diner de Cons, but dropped out due to scheduling problems.

The movie is scheduled to begin shooting in October, which allows Carrell to keep his NBC Office commitments and gives Rudd the option of starring in an upcoming James L. Brooks comedy.

Schmucks will be Roach's first big screen outing since 2004's Meet The Fockers.

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Dakota Fanning joins 'The Runaways'



Dakota Fanning has been tapped to play Cheri Currie in The Runaways, a biopic of the '70s girl band who launched the career of Joan Jett.

Twilight's Kristen Stewart has already been cast as Jett in Floria Sigismondi's movie, which will begin production this spring, says Variety.

Currie became the Runaways's lead singer at the age of 15 but fell victim to the hard-partying rock 'n' roll lifestyle.

The Runaways, whose popular tracks include 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Queens Of Noise', parted ways in 1979. Jett went on to form the Blackhearts and notch up hits with 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' and 'Bad Reputation'.

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Carell producing testosterone comedy 'Hi-T'



Steve Carell has signed up to produce Hi-T, a comedy about a man who starts taking testosterone injections.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carell will oversee the Kim Barker-penned film through his Carousel production company. The Office star is also eyeing the lead role in the Warner Bros project.

Hi-T revolves around a man who boosts his masculinity with testosterone after an injury leaves him unable to produce the chemical.

Carell recently agreed to star opposite Paul Rudd in Dinner With Schmucks and is expected to reprise his role as Maxwell Smart in a Get Smart sequel.

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Theron: 'I want to try comedy or musical'



Charlize Theron has admitted that she would love to try her hand at a comedy or musical.

The actress, who won an Oscar for her role in Monster, told Richard & Judy's New Position that she wants the opportunity to break away from her "gloomy" typecasting.

"I'm starting to figure that if there's a woman in a 'doom and gloom' scenario, my name comes up," she claimed. "The next one has to be a comedy."

She added: "I've always let it be known that I would love to do a musical. I love going to ballet, it's very cathartic."

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Heard, Yustman join Brit remake 'Darkness'



Amber Heard and Odette Yustman will lead the cast of And Soon The Darkness, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on the 1970 British thriller, Darkness follows two American girls bike-riding through Argentina. When one goes missing, the other must race to find her before night falls. The remake relocates the action to South America from the original's French setting.

Commercials director Marcos Efron will make his feature debut on the movie, with Heard serving as co-producer. The in-demand actress recently won a starring role opposite Johnny Depp in The Rum Diary and will top the cast of John Carpenter's Ward 19.

Cloverfield star Yustman can currently be seen in horror film The Unborn.

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