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UA to make 'Dating For Teenage Girls'

United Artists will turn Pamela Wells's young-adult novel The Heartbreakers into a movie.

The studio is planning to retitle the project Rules Of Dating For Teenage Girls, and is in talks with Jennifer Ross to write the script, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story concerns four female friends who come up with a set of rules to get any man they want and prevent their relationships from falling apart. Wells released The Heartbreakers in 2007, then followed it up a year later with a sequel novel, Crushes.

The movie has been described as a girl power coming-of-age comedy aimed at the teen girl audience that made Twilight and Hannah Montana box office hits.

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Ulvaes: 'Mamma Mia!' sequel wouldn't work

Björn Ulvaes has insisted that he has no desire for a Mamma Mia! sequel to be made.

The former Abba star is resisting offers to begin a follow-up to the film adaptation of the hit stage musical, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Ulvaes, who co-wrote the songs used in the Abba-inspired musical, said that he does not believe a sequel would be feasible.

"It wouldn't work," he said.

However, other people involved with the 2008 production about a soon-to-be bride’s search for her real father have disagreed with his assessment.

Universal executives, screenwriter Catherine Johnson and star Meryl Streep have all admitted they would be on board for the proposed project.

"Oh, I'm up for it," Streep is quoted as saying.

Mamma Mia! made £403.35 million at the worldwide box office, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2008. It is also the highest-grossing movie musical ever.

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Working Title plans 'McMafia' movie

Working Title has secured the movie rights to Misha Glenny's epic crime book McMafia, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Released in 2008, the non-fiction McMafia: A Journey Through The Global Criminal Underworld chronicles the rise of organised crime in locations such as Mumbai, Johannesburg and Eastern Europe.

The activity, ranging from drug smuggling to human trafficking, is said to account for around one-fifth of the world's economy.

UK-based outfit Working Title will release thrillier State Of Play on April 22 and Robert Downey Jr/Jamie Foxx drama The Soloist later this year.

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Byrne, Diddy join Brand's 'Greek'

Rose Byrne, Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs and Elisabeth Moss have been added to the cast of Russell Brand's Get Him To The Greek.

The comedy, a spinoff from last year's Forgetting Sarah Marshall, centres on a record company intern's (Jonah Hill) battle to get Brand's rock star Aldous Snow ready for a comeback show in Los Angeles.

Byrne will portray Jackie Q, a controversial popstar and love interest to Brand's character. Emily Blunt was previously lined up for the role. Moss has been cast as the girlfriend of Hill's character, while Diddy will play a record company boss.

Nicholas Stoller will direct the film based on his own script, with Judd Apatow serving as producer.

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Isaacs recalls 'Potter' signing fiasco

Jason Isaacs has admitted that he "wanted to vomit" at a book signing for Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.

The British actor told DS that he was invited along to a signing for the sixth book in the series, only to discover later that his character Lucius Malfoy does not appear in the fantasy novel.

"I was filming in Rhode Island and someone asked me to come to a signing when number six was published at midnight," he explained. "I went to sign what I thought would be a few photographs, and there were 10,000 people there and I was signing millions of these things.

"I flicked through the book and realised I wasn't in it at all, so I had to keep smiling for the next five hours as I signed thousands of pictures when I really just wanted to vomit."

Isaacs, whose new film Good opens in UK cinemas this Friday, confirmed that he will reprise his role as Death Eater Malfoy in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

"I was so thrilled and blessed when Jo Rowling decided to put Lucius back in the picture in number seven," he said. "I can't wait to go and kick wizard arse!"

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Kristen Bell joins Disney's 'You Again'

Kristen Bell has joined the cast of upcoming Disney comedy You Again, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story revolves around a young woman (Bell) who discovers that her brother is planning to marry the girl who bullied her throughout high school, forcing her to try and prove the bride-to-be's true colours.

Race To Witch Mountain director Andy Fickman is helming the project, which is based on a screenplay by Moe Jelline.

Production is slated to begin in Los Angeles in late summer.

Bell recently wrapped production on another Disney comedy, When In Rome. She will also star in forthcoming manga adaptation Astro Boy and the Jon Favreau-scripted comedy Couples Retreat.

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LaBeouf: 'I'll never regain full use of hand'

Shia LaBeouf has admitted that he will never regain full use of his left hand, after it was seriously injured in a car crash last July.

The Transformers star has undergone two separate surgeries after a collision with another vehicle crushed his hand so badly he was left with no bone in one finger.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said: "I've had screws and plates put in. They put a screw in one of my knuckles. And they shaved a piece of bone off my hip and made a [bone for my] finger out of it.

"I'm on my third surgery. That's coming up in a week or two. My middle finger is still crooked as a f*****g noodle, so they've gotta straighten it out and put a screw in it. I imagine like two months and I'll be back on my feet."

When asked how much use he would recover in his hand, he replied: "Probably about 80-something percent. I'll be able to make a fist again. There's a knuckle I'll never be able to move again, but that's probably the only permanent damage, other than the scarring."

LaBeouf's injury was eventually written into the script for Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, which is released on June 24.

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Chris Pine lobbying for 'A-Team' role

Chris Pine has admitted that he would love to land a role in Joe Carnahan's upcoming A-Team remake.

The actor, who stars as Captain Kirk in next month's Star Trek, told MTV News that he would jump at the chance to reteam with his Smokin' Aces director for the military movie.

"In 1972 an elite command of forces escaped from a maximum security…I can go on and on. It's embarrassing that I know that, but I love that show, and I think that Joe is the perfect person to bring that to life.

"We’ve talked about something happening but I don’t think the script is quite done yet or something. But who knows?"

Pine brushed off suggestions that he would be well-fitted to the role of Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, insisting that his dream character would be helicopter pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock.

The original series followed four Vietnam vets who escape from prison and become do-gooder mercenaries. Carnahan has revealed that the Middle East will replace Vietnam in the movie but that the premise will remain the same.

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Spielberg: 'Transformers 2' is awesome

Michael Bay has claimed that Steven Spielberg called Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen his best film ever.

Posting on his Shoot For The Edit forums, Bay said that executive producer Spielberg praised the forthcoming robot blockbuster following a private screening.

"Steven Spielberg sat next to me in a big 100 person theatre at Sony," Bay wrote. "There were 98 empty seats. The lights came up after we just watched my cut of Revenge Of The Fallen. He turned to me and said, 'It's awesome.'

"He felt this movie was better then the first - and probably my best, who knows - at this point in a movie you start to lose your objectivity. I just hope the fans like it. I'm going to start putting it in front of audiences in a few weeks - no you are not invited, yet."

The movie is released in the UK and US on June 24

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Producer confirms new 'X-Men' storyline

Producer Lauren Shuler Donner has confirmed that the X-Men: First Class film will be a prequel to the Marvel movie series.

Speaking to Comics Continuum, Donner explained that the project will focus on the formation of Professor Xavier's school for mutants and some of its early residents.

"It is the first class of Xavier's school, way back when, so it's young Scott, young Jean, young Beast and that'll be really fun," she said. "I think [the plan] is to follow some of the characters into their own stories, and weave them back into the X-Men world."

She added: "And hopefully First Class will become its own franchise and we can follow them as they grow up."

Gossip Girl and The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz has been commissioned to write the script for the movie, which will continue Fox's $1.2 billion franchise.

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Bond duo take 'Remote Control'

James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have signed up to produce Remote Control, Sony Pictures has announced.

The pair, who steered Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace with the studio, will oversee production on the thriller.

Based on Mark Burnell's novel, the story centres on a war correspondent-turned-intelligence analyst who becomes part of a Western conspiracy to derail the Chinese economy.

"Our collaboration with Michael and Barbara on Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace was extraordinary and special and we all wanted to find another way to work together," said Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrand. "Mark Burnell's new novel is an exciting thriller and it's precisely the kind of material that Michael and Barbara will be able to adapt so well."

Wilson and Broccoli are also working on a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remake.

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Tara Reid drops out of latest 'American Pie'?

Tara Reid has reportedly dropped out of the latest instalment of the successful American Pie franchise.

The actress, who played Vicki Lathum in the first two movies, was reported to have agreed to reprise the role for the straight-to-DVD American Pie Presents Book Of Love.

Speaking to Moviehole, an unnamed source said: "'Her deal couldn't be completed in time...[It was] expected to close on Friday but it couldn't be done."

Based on a screenplay by American Pie 2 scribe David H. Steinberg, Book Of Love is thought to revolve around a group of teenagers discovering the 'sex book' made famous in the 1999 original.

Scrubs director John Putch has been tapped to helm the project, while Reid's co-star Eugene Levy (Mr Levenstein) is rumoured to be in talks to return. Former EastEnders actress Louisa Lytton has also been linked to the film.

Earlier this year, it was reported that a fourth cinematic instalment of the series, focusing on the marriage of Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), had been proposed.

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Rampling, Hawkins join Knightley film

Charlotte Rampling and Sally Hawkins have joined the cast of Keira Knightley's new movie.

Both actresses have signed on to co-star in Never Let Me Go, according to Variety.

Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Natalie Richard and Andrea Riseborough will also appear in the film, which is directed by Mark Romanek.

Shooting on the movie, based on the 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, began on Tuesday in the UK.

Hawkins received critical praise for her comedic performance in the Mike Leigh film Happy-Go-Lucky, while Rampling recently starred with Knightley in The Duchess.

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Potter' release date pushed back in US

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince will be released in US cinemas on Wednesday, July 15, two days earlier than expected, Warner Brothers has announced.

It is the second change of release date for the sixth film in the series, which was originally planned for autumn before shifting to a summer premiere.

"Every day the kids are out of school in summer is just like an extra Saturday," Warner Brothers head of distribution Dan Fellman told The AP.

Previous instalment Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix also opened on a Wednesday in the US. It went on to make $62.5 million over its first two days and $139.5 million in the first five days, MTV News reports.

Warner Brothers has also set dates for the last two movies in the franchise, with the two-part Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows reaching cinemas on November 19, 2010 and July 15, 2011.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince opens in the UK on July 17 as planned.

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Megan Fox to make 'The Crossing'

Transformers star Megan Fox has joined the cast of Screen Gems thriller The Crossing.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox will play one half of a couple who are carjacked on their way home from a holiday in Mexico. Her husband is kidnapped by the criminals and Fox's character is forced to smuggle drugs across the border to guarantee his safe release.

The project is scripted by Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi and the film is expected to begin shooting in July. Screen Gems are currently searching for a director.

Fox's other upcoming projects include Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, the Diablo Cody scripted Jennifer's Body and Jonah Hex.

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McG: I have two more 'Terminators' planned

Terminator Salvation director McG has revealed that he has already planned a further two sequels in the sci-fi franchise.

Speaking to MTV Movies, the helmer suggested that the fate of the follow-ups will depend on how well the upcoming fourth instalment performs at the box office.

"I would never presume there would be another picture - that is up to the audience. But if the audience jumps up and likes it and wants another one, Christian [Bale] and I have been talking about it and we’ll see what happens," he explained.

"You have to see how the film is received and that’s in the hands of the fans."

However, he admitted that the ending of Terminator Salvation had been left open so as to complement a possible sequel.

"There’s an arc of story [in the new sequels]. This arc will be left open with the ending of Salvation, which will point to a Terminator 5 film. The ending is indeed elliptical and it challenges the audience," he said.

"It’s not a happy little bow of an ending at all. The ending is tough and requires reflection, and in some degrees it bifurcates the audience. You walk back to the car and one person thinks it means this, and the other person thinks it means that."

Terminator Salvation opens in the US on May 21 and the UK on June 3.

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Cartoon Network to update King Arthur

The Cartoon Network has begun developing a live-action version of the legend of King Arthur, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The project, tentatively titled Reborn and inspired by the legend of Merlin, will give the story a modern twist, with the original characters being transported to the present day.

Wright will also executive produce alongside Alli Shearmur, the president of motion picture production at Lionsgate.

No cast or production dates have been revealed.

Reborn sees the Network continuing its push towards investing in more live-action features. Over half of the new series and movies announced for this year have represented a departure from animation.

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Roth planning 'insane' sci-fi blockbuster

Hostel director Eli Roth has revealed that his next project will be a sci-fi blockbuster.

Speaking to MTV Movies, Roth admitted that his first big-budget film has been inspired by Transformers and Cloverfield, hinting that fans can expect "lots of chaos and mass destruction".

"I don’t want to say what [the monster is] yet. Once it gets set up, I will let everyone know. It is not aliens or robots or a virus - it’s a little more grounded. But when people hear it they are going to be like 'That is going to be insane!'" he explained.

Roth added that he is also hoping to finally shoot a low-budget, full-length version of the Thanksgiving trailer that appeared before his 2007 offering Grindhouse.

"[It will be] the sickest, bloodiest, most violent slasher movie," he promised. "I want to make the highest body count slasher film I can."

Production on the sci-fi movie is expected to begin later this year. Roth can next be seen starring in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, which hits cinemas on August 21.

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Fox makes 'Father Knows Best' movie

20th Century Fox and New Regency are adapting 1950s TV classic Father Knows Best for the big screen.

The TV series starred Robert Young and ran from 1954 to 1960. It originated from a NBC radio show, which first aired in 1949.

According to Variety, the updated movie will follow a dad whose "modern-day parenting displeases his more traditional father".

Universal previously attempted to make a movie out of the show in 1994 with Brokeback Mountain writers Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana. In 2003, Paramount also attempted to adapt the series with Tim Allen in the lead role.

Fox, Regency and producer Gary Foster have spent the last eight months negotiating a deal with Robert Young's estate and the TV show's creators and producers

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Elisabeth Shue to star in 'Piranha 3D'

Elisabeth Shue is to star in Piranha 3D.

The Oscar-winning actress has signed on to play the town sheriff in the horror movie remake.

The update of the 1978 low-budget film, directed by Joe Dante, will be helmed by Alexandre Aja, Variety reports.

The Dimension Films production will feature Shue trying to save her town and family after a tremour causes the floor of Lake Havasu to open, unleashing the killer fish.

Production will begin in May for a March 19, 2010 release.

Aja previously directed the remake of The Hills Have Eyes.

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