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Depp, Paradis 'to play literary lovers'

Vanessa Paradis has confirmed that she and long-term partner Johnny Depp are in talks to star together in a film about feminist writer Simone De Beauvoir.

The French singer and actress was rumoured to be in line for the role of De Beauvoir in My American Lover, and has now revealed that Depp is in negotiations to play her lover Nelson Algren.

Paradis told WENN: "They're still writing the script but the idea would be amazing because it's such a beautiful story. You only know when you're really actually shooting."

The couple were previously cast together in Terry Gilliam's Don Quixote, but the ill-fated project was never completed.

"We've had plenty of opportunities to work together," Paradis explained. "But I don't know that I could do it... It's something that we don't look for, otherwise it would've happened many times.

"My American Lover came along and it might happen just because the story is great and why not if we can, but we don't push things. Playing in front of one of the best actors in the world that we have and someone I know so well will be challenging.

"That's why we don't run after it. But I don't know... why not?"

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Natalie Portman offered 'Gravity' lead

Natalie Portman has been offered the lead role in Alfonso Cuaron's science fiction survival story Gravity, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The part - that of a female astronaut stranded in space after her crew is killed by debris - is one of the most sought after in Hollywood after Angelina Jolie dropped out of the running to star.

Actresses including Rachel Weisz, Sandra Bullock, Carey Mulligan, Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively were all linked to the picture last week.

Warner Bros gave Cuaron the green light to offer Portman the lead role following the rave festival reviews for her performance in Black Swan. The actress will read the script - by Children Of Men helmer Cuaron and his son Jonas - this week before making a decision.

Robert Downey Jr will also star in the movie, which is scheduled to begin shooting at the end of January.

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Martin Freeman 'turns down Hobbit role'

Martin Freeman has reportedly turned down a seven-figure offer to play Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit.

The actor turned down the role in the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's book because he had already committed to 20 weeks filming the second series of BBC's Sherlock, The Sun reports.

"It was one of the most difficult decisions of his career," a source told the paper. "MGM, who are making the film, only got a formal offer over in the last couple of weeks."

They continued: "It was too late for Martin because he had already signed up for another series of Sherlock. It was agonising but he had no other choice.

"All the actors had to read four pages of script to camera which is being shown to Peter Jackson."

They added: "He is looking for a hidden gem now Martin has ruled himself out of the job."

Freeman will return to his role as John Watson in the next three-part series of Sherlock.

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Liam Neeson cast in 'Battleship'

Liam Neeson is the latest actor to join the cast of Universal's maritime blockbuster Battleship.

The A-Team actor will appear opposite Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna in director Peter Berg's big-screen version of the Hasbro combat game.

Neeson has been cast as Admiral Shane, the father of Decker's character.

Battleship centres on a naval fleet that encounters an extra-terrestrial force at sea. The $200 million blockbuster will open on May 18, 2012.

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Michael Caine lines up 'Journey 2' role

Michael Caine is in negotiations to join the cast of Journey 2: The Mystery Island, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The Journey To The Center Of The Earth sequel will see Josh Hutcherson teaming up with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to track down his missing grandfather.

Caine will play the grandfather, although his part is said to be more than just a cameo, seeing his character involved in an action sequence with giant bees.

Brad Peyton is directing the film, which will shoot in Hawaii and North Carolina from October.

Caine is expected to follow Journey 2 with the sequel to The Dark Knight in April.

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Hilary Duff auditioning for 'Spider-Man'?

Hilary Duff is said to be in contention for a role in the new Spider-Man movie.

According to The Globe And Mail, the singer and actress has been reading a script titled 'Spiderman' with a character called 'Girl' highlighted in yellow.

Last month, it was revealed that Emma Roberts, Teresa Palmer, Ophelia Lovibond, Imogen Poots and Lily Collins were auditioning to play the love interest opposite Andrew Garfield's webslinger.

The female lead is reportedly not Mary Jane Watson, the character portrayed by Kirsten Dunst in the previous Spider-Man films.

Duff's movie credits include Cheaper By The Dozen, A Cinderella Story and War, Inc.

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Rick Moranis to return for 'Ghostbusters 3'?

Rick Moranis will allegedly come out of retirement for Ghostbusters 3.

The actor - who stepped away from Hollywood to raise his children following the death of his wife in 1991 - has been tempted back to the franchise, reports Bloody Disgusting.

The Honey, I Shrunk The Kids star played Louis Tully in the two '80s comedy films, becoming villain "The Keymaster" in the first then an honorary Ghostbuster in the second.

The site's inside source also confirmed that Dana Barrett's (Sigourney Weaver) son Oscar will be part of the new, younger spook-catching team and is in fact the love child of Bill Murray's Peter Venkman.

Screenwriters Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky's story allegedly centres on original Ghostbusters Venkman, Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) handing over the reins to fresh recruits.

Bill Murray recently claimed that plans for a third Ghostbusters had "vapourised".

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Eastwood 'turned down 007, Superman roles

Clint Eastwood has revealed that turned down two iconic film roles early in his career.

The actor told The Daily Telegraph that he declined offers to play both James Bond and Superman because he was unwilling to step into already established franchises.

Eastwood claimed that he was first approached for the role of 007 after Sean Connery left the film series following 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.

"I was offered pretty good money to do James Bond if I would take on the role," he said. "But to me, well, that was somebody else's gig. That's Sean's deal. It didn't feel right for me to be doing it."

The Oscar winner also said that he was movie studio Warner Bros's first choice to play Superman, a role that eventually went to Christopher Reeves.

"I can remember, and this was many years ago, when [Warner's President] Frank Wells came to me about doing Superman. So it could have happened," he explained.

"This was when they first started to think about making it. I was like, 'Superman? Nah, nah, that's not for me'. Not that there's anything wrong with it. It's for somebody, but not me."

Eastwood's latest film Hereafter will premiere in US cinemas in October.

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Joel McHale joining 'Spy Kids 4'?

Joel McHale has reportedly opened talks to join the cast of the upcoming Spy Kids 4.

According to Variety, the Community star is in final negotiations to appear in the sequel directed by Robert Rodriguez.

McHale is eyeing the role of a spy-hunting reporter who is married to Jessica Alba's character. Alba plays the stepmother of the reporter's children.

Spy Kids 4 is expected to arrive in US cinemas on August 10, 2011.

McHale, who hosts The Soup on E!, is also starring in the forthcoming feature films What's Your Number? and The Big Year.

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More 'Judge Dredd' details emerge

Production studio IM Global has revealed further details of the upcoming Judge Dredd adaptation.

According to the firm's website, the movie has been renamed Dredd and will draw heavily from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra's comic books.

"Dredd takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilisation on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot - if necessary," read a synopsis.

"The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Peter Travis bring Dredd to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film that returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra's revered comic strip."

Filming on Dredd is expected to commence soon. The movie is slated for release in 2012.

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Martin Freeman reconsidering 'Hobbit' role?

Martin Freeman could be back in the running to star as Bilbo Baggins in the forthcoming Hobbit movies.

It was earlier reported that Freeman turned down the role in the adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's book because he had already committed to filming the second series of BBC One's Sherlock.

However, Entertainment Weekly says that New Line and MGM have now contacted Freeman with a new filming schedule that would allow him to star in The Hobbit and Sherlock.

The studios and the actor are currently negotiating the new deal.

Ian Holm played Bilbo in director Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.

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Renner, Rapace for 'Hansel and Gretel'

Jeremy Renner has revealed that he is to star alongside Noomi Rapace in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

The Hurt Locker actor told Norwegian site Dagsavisen that he and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo actress Rapace will play the title roles in Tommy Wirkola's horror comedy.

The film follows the famous fairytale siblings 15 years after their escape from the witch's house of sweet treats, during which time they have become professional witch hunters.

The movie was picked up last year by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company Gary Sanchez.

Renner and Rapace have both been linked with roles in Mission: Impossible IV, while it is also rumoured that the two actors are in line to appear in James McTeigue's The Raven.

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King's 'Dark Tower' to be film, TV series

Stephen King's epic Dark Tower saga will be turned into a movie and TV series by Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment.

The cross-platform deal, which took months to complete, will see A Beautiful Mind director Ron Howard helm the first movie and the first season of the TV series. Howard's Imagine Entertainment team are spearheading the venture with Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman producing alongside King.

The TV series will arrive soon after the first movie, a second feature will then be produced followed by another season on TV, focusing on central character Roland Deschain as a younger man.

Speaking to Deadline, Howard likened his ambitious undertaking to Peter Jackson filming the Lord Of The Rings trilogy back-to-back.

He said: “What Peter did was a feat, cinematic history. The approach we’re taking also stands on its own, but it’s driven by the material. I love both, and like what’s going on in TV. With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material.

"The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television.

"We’ve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. It’s fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.”

The team behind Lost - J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse - picked up the Dark Tower rights from King in 2007 for $19 but returned them when they were unable to condense the dense plot into something workable for film.

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Christina Hendricks joins 'Drive' cast

Christina Hendricks has signed up to appear in action-thriller Drive.

The Mad Men star will appear alongside Ryan Gosling, Albert Brooks, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Oscar Isaacs in Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's first Hollywood film.

Gosling is heading the cast as a movie stuntman-turned-getaway driver who gets involved in a botched bank heist.

Hendricks's next movie role is in comedy Life As We Know It, which opens in US and UK cinemas on October 8.

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Keanu Reeves joins indie 'Generation Um'

Keanu Reeves has agreed to star in forthcoming indie film Generation Um.

The movie also features Bojana Novakovic and Adelaide Clemens, reports Deadline.

The plot follows a man named John (Reeves) and his two female companions as they are wracked with indecision and indulge in sex and drugs.

Nicolas Chartier, chief of studio Voltage Pictures, is expected to shop the movie at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.

Production on the film is now under way.

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Ghost Rider 2' plot details emerge

Plot details for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance have emerged.

According to Io9, the comic book sequel takes place several years after the original and finds Johnny Blaze in self-imposed exile.

The report went on to say that the protagonist encounters a monk named Moreau, who sends him on a mission to find a woman named Nadaya and her son Danny to protect them from the evil Roarke.

Based on a script by David S. Goyer, the film is directed by Crank duo Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Nicolas Cage will reprise his role as the title character.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance will begin filming in Romania later this year. It has been slated for a 2011 release.

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Malin Akerman joins 'The Numbers Station'

Malin Akerman has agreed to appear in forthcoming thriller The Numbers Station.

According to Variety, the Watchmen star joins Ethan Hawke in the film.

The movie centres on a fallen black ops agent (Hawke) and a young woman (Akerman) who he has to protect in the middle of the Nevada desert.

Kasper Barfoed is directing the project from a script by F. Scott Frazier.

Production is scheduled to begin in 2011.

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Rapace lands role in 'Sherlock Holmes 2'

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace has officially landed her first English-speaking role in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes 2.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Swedish actress will play a French gypsy in the sequel, which will see Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law resume their roles from the 2009 original.

The follow-up's plot details have yet to be revealed, although the story will follow Holmes as he faces off against his nemesis Professor Moriarty.

Filming for Sherlock Holmes 2 is expected to begin later this year for a December 16, 2011 release.

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Mickey Rourke to star in 'Ice Man'

Mickey Rourke will star in the upcoming movie Ice Man: Confessions Of A Mafia Contract Killer, it has been revealed.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will follow the true story of Richard 'The Ice Man' Kuklinski, a killer who led a double life as a professional assassin and a family man in suburban New Jersey.

Based on the book by Philip Carlo, the screenplay will be written by Blow scribe David McKenna.

"This is a role Mickey Rourke was born to play,” said the project’s producer Matty Beckerman. “As a huge fan of David McKenna's work, I am thrilled to have him on board.”

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McConaughey, Hirsch for 'Killer Joe'

Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch have signed on to appear in black comedy Killer Joe.

The Voltage Pictures movie tells the story of a brother and sister who hire a contract killer to bump off their mother in order to get their hands on the insurance money.

Hirsch is to play the scheming brother, while McConaughey will star in the title role of "Killer Joe" Cooper, who doubles as a police officer during the day, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

William Friedkin will direct the picture, and Tracy Letts has penned the script. Filming is due to start in New Orleans in November.

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