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Nicolas Cage's Knowing jumped out to an early lead at the weekend box office, grossing $9 million on Friday. The sci-fi flick thus has the inside edge to win a frame that is living up to expectations as a closely fought contest between three big new releases. Of those competitors, the R-rated Paul Rudd-Jason Segel comedy I Love You, Man fared well, earning a solid $6.4 mil on Friday, while Julia Roberts' rom-thrill Duplicity was a bit soft, with $4.7 mil. Reigning champ Race to Witch Mountain, meanwhile, banked $3.8 mil and should rise in the box office rankings as families flock to their local multiplexes over the weekend. Friday's totals are below, and please check back here tomorrow for a full weekend recap in the Box Office Report.

1. Knowing -- $9 mil
2. I Love You, Man -- $6.4 mil
3. Duplicity -- $4.7 mil
4. Race to Witch Mountain -- $3.8 mil
5. Watchmen -- $2 mil

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The rumor mill regarding the cast of Sylvester Stallone's testosterone-charged mercenary actioner The Expendables has been working overtime this past week. While it has been firmed up that Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, and Eric Roberts will fill out Stallone's ragtag group of men who head to South America to overthrow a dictator, the role of Hale Caesar remains up for grabs. Initially, it was rumored that Forest Whitaker would play the role, but the Academy Award-winning actor never even entered discussions on it. Same goes for rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent, a.k.a. Curtis Jackson -- his name was also thrown around, but he never became a real possibility. Now, however, it seems as if former NFL player Terry Crews may take the part. Aint it Cool News posted this possibility first, but we've got confirmation that the big man, who will next be seen in this summer's Terminator Salvation, is in talks for the role.

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Saw producer Mark Burg has claimed that the franchise's sixth instalment will be the most violent yet.

Posting an update on the official Saw website, Burg said that Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell) survivor Amanda Young will return for part six, scheduled for release on October 23.

"Shawnee Smith is in Saw VI," said Burg. "There are several new characters. Also, this movie is a lot more violent than the previous five.

"Lastly, we have traps that pit victims against each other like the opening of Saw V. Could be the best script yet!"

Kevin Greutert will helm Saw VI from a script by Marcus Dunston and Patrick Melton.

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Jaws has been named as the best ever James Bond character in a poll of nearly 5,000 film fans.

The stainless-steel-mouthed villain was played by Richard Kiel in both The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. Q, played by Desmond Llewellyn and John Cleese, came second in the HMV and getcloser.com poll - which excluded James Bond himself.

A spokesman for the DVD retailer said: "We all have our favourite Bond characters, but you can see why so many of us go for Jaws. Aside from his incredible physical presence, he's got a great name and gimmick, and his stainless steel teeth are so wonderfully villainous.

"Ultimately, however, I think we like him because in the end he turns good guy."

Third place went to Harold Sakata's Oddjob, followed by M in fourth and M's personal assistant Miss Moneypenny in fifth.

In separate surveys, Sean Connery's portrayal of 007 was named as the best, while Paul McCartney and Wings's 'Live And Let Die' was voted the greatest Bond theme.

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Cameron Diaz has started talks to star in Paramount romantic comedy Swingles, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film will follow a man and a woman whose respective best friends fall in love, leaving them "without a wingman/woman for the first time in their adult lives". As a result, the two remaining singles dedicate themselves to finding each other a partner.

Paramount is currently searching for the male lead.

Scripted by Duncan Birmingham and Jeff Roda, the project is being overseen by Ben Cosgrove and Kevin Misher.

Diaz's current projects include thriller The Box, drama My Sister's Keeper and DreamWorks' Shrek Goes Fourth.

shinny

I have to agree with this. When I was younger, he frightened the life out of me. Actually, he still does, haha !!

spratt89

Zac Efron has dropped out of starring in Paramount's Footloose remake, says Entertainment Weekly.

The project had been fast-tracked by the studio following the success of High School Musical 3. However, Efron reportedly ditched the lead role fearing that he would become typecast as a musical star.

A statement from Paramount said: "Footloose is a project we've longed to see rebooted for a new generation. While Zac is no longer attached, we remain excited and committed to the collective brain trust of [director] Kenny Ortega [and producers] Neil Meron and Craig Zaden, who will reinvigorate the franchise.

"Their fresh take on the film will undoubtedly be filled with the same kind of breakout performances that we've come to expect from them."

The 1984 original starred Kevin Bacon as a teenager who arrives in a small town where dancing has been outlawed. The actor earlier expressed an interest in appearing in the Footloose remake to "hand over" the baton to Efron.

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Alex Proyas has admitted that he finds the idea of remaking his cult film The Crow "ridiculous".

Late last year it was announced that Stephen Norrington will direct the reinvention after Relativity Media picked up the rights to James O'Barr's original comic story.

The Crow star Brandon Lee died tragically during filming when he was shot by a blank bullet. Proyas completed the movie after the accident as a tribute to Lee.

Speaking to DS, Proyas expressed his dislike for the planned movie: "I have nothing to do with the remake of The Crow. That's other people involved with that and I wouldn't even dream of remaking the movie, because as far as I'm concerned that's Brandon Lee's movie and that's why I finished the movie - in memory of Brandon. That's the only reason I finished it actually.

"So the whole notion of remaking it, to me, is just ridiculous and I'd have nothing to do with it, as I've had nothing to do with any of the sequels or the TV show or any of that stuff."

Proyas's new movie Knowing is released in cinemas tomorrow.

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Jim Carrey black comedy I Love You Phillip Morris may not get a US cinema release because it contains an explicit gay sex scene.

Despite securing distribution deals in the UK and Europe, US firms are uneasy with a love scene between Carrey and Ewan McGregor's character Phillip Morris, reports The Times.

"The depiction of the sexual activity was far more than I've ever seen in a mainstream film with a mainstream celebrity," said Lewis Tice, director of publicity and marketing for TLA Releasing. "There's a graphic sex scene in the first 10 minutes that I was surprised to see."

Filmmakers are re-cutting the movie for US distribution companies in an attempt to secure a theatrical release. If no agreement is reached, the movie will go straight to DVD.

"Mostly straight, multiplex-going audiences don't want to see a romantic comedy in which two dudes get it on; unless it is meant as a joke," commented Scott Stiffler, author of Why Hollywood Avoids Gay Movies.

I Love You Phillip Morris focuses on real-life con artist Steven Marshall (Carrey), who falls in love with his cellmate (McGregor).

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Jackie Chan has admitted that he is not a fan of his own Rush Hour movies, despite their success at the box office.

The martial arts expert told The Mirror that he hopes to progress as an actor and play less typecast roles in the future.

Chan said: "I don't like the Rush Hour films but the fact is they generated hundreds and hundreds of millions and they're paying us really well.

"The thing is, I can't just make Rush Hour one, two and three and Drunken Master one and two and Police Story one to six. I know I have to change.

"I've wanted to do it for the last few years and I hope people can accept it. I want to play a good guy and a bad guy and would love to be the Asian Robert De Niro or Dustin Hoffman."

He added that his new film, Shinjuku Incident, would be a "big surprise" for viewers who "expect me only to be running around breaking people's arms and fingers".

Chan explained that he makes his "American films for American audiences and Asian films for Asian audiences".

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Director Andy Fickman and Paramount will team to make a movie adaptation of Sarah Mylnowski's forthcoming novel Gimme A Call.

The book, to be published in May 2010, centres on an unhappy high school senior who drops her mobile phone in a fountain. When she picks it out, the only person she can call is herself at the age of 14.

"This reminded me of a mix between the John Hughes movies and Back To The Future, and who wouldn't want to call their earlier selves, even if just to remind them their yearbook photo will be making people laugh for the rest of their lives, and they should get a haircut or at least spend five minutes making sure they look good," Fickman told Variety.

Fickman's new movie Race To Witch Mountain arrives in cinemas on April 10. Also on his slate is comic adaptation Monster Attack Network and a stage musical version of '80s black comedy Heathers.

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Anne Hathaway has signed up for Weinstein Co's Judy Garland biopic Get Happy.

The project, which currently has no writer or director, is based on Gerald Clarke's biography of the actress and singer. The book detailed Garland's battles with personal and financial problems up to her death in 1969 at the age of 47.

Garland's famous movie credits included The Wizard Of Oz, Meet Me In St Louis and A Star Is Born.

Like Garland, Hathaway began her acting career at a young age in The Princess Diaries franchise. More recently, she was nominated for a best actress Oscar for her role in Rachel Getting Married.

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A movie about the life of late reality star Jade Goody may be directed by Nick Love, according to The Times.

The filmmaker, whose work includes The Football Factory, The Business and Outlaw, is allegedly the favoured choice of Goody's estate to make a biopic about the ex-Big Brother contestant.

"Her story lends itself to a biographical film," said Goody's friend and trustee Danny Hayward. "She's captured the mood of the nation. We're talking about it, and we welcome approaches. We want it to tap into raising awareness of cervical cancer."

Love's company Vertigo Films (Bronson) said that the director is "very flattered" about the proposal, but may have to decline an offer as he is currently working on completing his new movie The Firm.

Goody passed away on Sunday morning after losing her battle with cervical cancer

gyki98

are u kidding me.thats whack.she sat in a house and died(RIP) now shes gona have a movie

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Tom Selleck has joined the cast of Robert Luketic's action comedy Five Killers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Magnum P.I. actor joins Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl in the project. Other additions to the cast include Catherine O'Hara and Martin Mull.

Five Killers tells the story of a hitman (Kutcher), who goes into retirement after falling in love with a computer technician (Heigl). Years later, the pair are forced to go on the run when he finds out that someone has a hit out on him.

Selleck and O'Hara will play Heigl's overprotective parents. Mull is cast as Kutcher's handler.

Shooting starts in France and Atlanta later this month, with a June 2010 release scheduled.

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Reese Witherspoon had an unlikely tutor for her role in new animated movie Monsters Vs. Aliens - action star Bruce Willis.

The blonde beauty is the voice of a female giant in the new 3D family film, which hits cinemas this weekend, and Witherspoon admits she had to study-up on the Die Hard hero's action classics after producers told her they wanted her to sound like Willis' John McClane.

She says, "They wanted to make me sound more like an action hero, like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone... They had to take me out of the (sound) booth and show me Bruce Willis movies."

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Dennis Quaid will star as Bill Clinton in Peter Morgan's third Tony Blair film The Special Relationship, reports Variety.

Michael Sheen is reprising his role as Blair in the HBO movie, with Julianne Moore and Helen McCrory (The Queen) also joining the cast as Hilary Clinton and Cherie Blair respectively.

The movie will centre on the political relationship Blair forged with Clinton during his early years as Prime Minister.

Morgan, whose new film The Damned United opens this Friday, is making his directorial debut with The Special Relationship.

HBO is in discussions with the BBC to board the project as a co-producer.

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Tom Hanks has been lined up to star in Universal's live-action feature Major Matt Mason, according to Variety.

Speed and Band Of Brothers writer Graham Yost is scripting the project, based on the popular vintage Mattel action figure.

The Matt Mason toy line originated in 1966, with the character leading a team of astronauts on a space station based on the moon. The toy proved popular in the run up the first moon landing but was pulled from shops in the 1970s.

Hanks and Gary Goetzman's Playtone will produce the picture.

Universal's upcoming toy-based movies include Monopoly, Stretch Armstrong and Candy Land.

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Zac Efron is in negotiations to star in The Death And Life Of Charlie St. Cloud, reports Variety.

The adaptation of Ben Sherwood's novel, will be directed by Efron's 17 Again director Burr Steers.

Charlie St. Cloud told the story of a caretaker who manages to have weekly meetings with a younger sibling whose accidental deal he feels was his responsibility.

Steers is finishing a script, based on drafts from Craig Pearce, James Schamus and Lewis Colick.

The film is expected to be Efron's next project after he finishes promoting 17 Again, which is released on April 10.

The High School Musical actor pulled out of Paramount's Footloose remake earlier this week, allegedly over fears that he may he typecast as a musical actor.

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Mad Men star Jon Hamm has joined the cast of indie project Howl, according to Variety.

The project is based on the obscenity trial surrounding Allen Ginsberg's famed poem. Hamm will play defence attorney Jake Ehrlich, who was the inspiration for TV crime drama Perry Mason.

James Franco, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn and Jeff Daniels are also signed up for the cast.

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman scripted the project and will direct.