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Whitaker, Ferrera join Fox wedding

Forest Whitaker and America Ferrera have joined the cast of Fox Searchlight's untitled family wedding movie.

Comedian Carlos Mencia has also signed up for the project, which begins shooting in LA next month.

According to Variety, the film is a "clash-of-cultures comedy" which tells the story of two conflicting fathers (Whitaker, Mencia) who have to put their differences aside for the wedding of their son and daughter (Ferrera).

Brown Sugar's Rick Famuyiwa will direct.

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Cooper is 'Faceman' in 'A-Team' remake?

Bradley Cooper will reportedly star as Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck in Joe Carnahan's A-Team movie.

Cooper, who appears in upcoming comedy The Hangover, told IESB.net that he is stepping into Dirk Benedict's shoes to play Peck in 20th Century Fox's revival of the '80s TV show.

"It'll be cool," Cooper is quoted as saying. "[Joe Carnahan] will make a great movie out of it."

The A-Team, which ran for five season on ABC in the '80s, starred Benedict, George Peppard, Dwight Schultz and Mr. T as a group of former US Army Special Forces who become soldiers of fortune.

Star Trek's Chris Pine previously staked a claim for a role in the movie, saying that he would like to play helicopter pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock.

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'Mad Max 4' prepares for production

Director George Miller has announced that Mad Max 4 is to go into production.

The fourth instalment in the film franchise could begin shooting in Australia as early as this year, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Industry sources said that location scouting has taken place, while specialised technicians have been approached for the project.

Earlier reports suggested that Miller would revive the series as a 3-D anime, but the project now appears to be a live-action follow-up.

No casting has been announced. However, Miller said in a 2007 interview that it was doubtful Mel Gibson would reprise the titular role.

Miller’s latest project, Happy Feet 2, is currently in production in Sydney.

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Hudgens: 'I want to branch out from 'HSM''

Vanessa Hudgens has admitted that she wants to "branch out" following her success in the High School Musical franchise.

The actress, who played Gabriella Montez in the Disney series, told The AP that she was hoping to prove her versatility on screen by taking on a variety of different roles.

"It definitely is a love-hate thing, you know. Disney is incredible and High School Musical did wonders, and I could not be more thankful," she said.

"But at the same time, people see me as my character, Gabriella. And I’m just excited to kind of branch out of that and have people see me in a new light. You can put yourself in a hole in the ground if you continue to do the same thing."

Discussing her part in Zack Snyder's upcoming Sucker Punch, she said: "People, I think are going to be genuinely shocked. It’s about these girls in a mental institution that in their heads gets turned around to be a brothel. And in the meanwhile they are kicking serious ass.

"They’re killing people with machine guns. It’s crazy. But I’m a big fan of Zack Snyder’s. And I feel like everything he does is so beautiful and visual. And I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do with it."

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Johansson, Paltrow spar on 'Iron Man' set

Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow have not bonded with one another during the filming of upcoming action sequel Iron Man 2, it has been claimed.

According to The Sun, ill feelings between the pair have resulted in tension on the set of the movie.

A source told the newspaper: "Gwyneth has become very frustrated with Scarlett. They come from different worlds and have completely different styles.

"Gwyneth has found Scarlett very demanding of the attention of the crew. It's not a happy set."

They added: "Gwyneth and Scarlett have never been particularly close. Gwyneth was looking forward to working with Emily Blunt, who was originally in line for the part, but it ended up being Scarlett.

"Gwyneth's had to live with that and she has been very professional, but she and Scarlett haven't developed a friendship on the shoot, which is almost at the halfway point. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

Johansson recently rejected news reports that she was following Paltrow's diet plans to lose weight for her role.

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Stiller: 'Gervais better than nothing'

Ben Stiller has joked that working with Ricky Gervais on Night At The Museum was "much better" than working with nothing.

Speaking at the sequel's UK press conference, the actor recounted how "excited" he had been when Gervais first turned up on the set to film.

"It had been weeks and weeks of acting with nothing - running away from a dinosaur, but no dinosaur, and then running away from Attila The Hun, and nothing, no people to interact with, and then Ricky showed up," he explained.

His comments prompted Gervais to remark, "So, I was better than nothing?" to which Stiller replied: "Much better than nothing - it was almost too much! Ricky Gervais showing up after acting with no-one and we just laughed a lot!"

Discussing his experience, Gervais said: "All my scenes in both films are with Ben and it's basically just me trying to put him off! I went into the first movie a bit blind... [but this time] the characters got madder and madder to the point where Ben had to stop a take laughing and say that's ridiculous!"

Stiller added: "He just went off on some crazy tangent about what my character was probably thinking and saying, and doing a weird cowboy character that was supposed to be me. It was so far from reality and there was no motivation for it so I had to say something!"

Night At The Museum 2 opens in the UK on May 20.

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Clooney is 'A Very Private Gentleman'

George Clooney has been lined up to star in the adaptation of A Very Private Gentleman.

According to Variety, 28 Weeks Later writer Rowan Joffe is penning the script, while Anton Corbijn will direct.

The original Martin Booth novel told the story of an assassin who hides out in an idyllic Italian town by posing as an artist. Normally anti-social, he relents and becomes friends with the locals, which causes complications for his last mission.

Clooney's other upcoming projects include Jason Reitman's Up In The Air and war comedy Men Who Stare At Goats.

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Bale 'hesitant' to work with McG

Christian Bale has admitted that he was initially hesitant to work with McG.

The actor revealed that he had to be convinced to work on the latest Terminator instalment because of the director’s nickname, according to Contact Music.

He said: "There's a hurdle for starters, working with somebody called McG. And listen, he's the first to admit that. He's a great man who's happy to call himself McG."

Bale said that he was reticent to take McG, real name Joseph McGinty Nichol, seriously on name value alone until he researched his body of work.

The star's involvement in the sci-fi franchise’s reboot led to major rewrites to the script because he was sceptical about furthering the Terminator storyline.

He added: "I was a real sceptic. I just felt like there was no need for any more chapters in this anthology, but he had some great ideas.

"[McG] asked me to take a leap of faith... and I think he's managed to pull it off."

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

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Hiddleston cast as 'Thor' villain Loki

British stage and TV star Tom Hiddleston will play villain Loki in Thor, Marvel has announced.

The movie will see the comic book superhero sent to live on Earth by his father as punishment for reigniting a war on Asgard. He becomes a guardian for his adopted homeland and later goes on to join the Avengers hero team comprised of Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America.

Hiddleston has previously worked with Thor director Kenneth Branagh on the London production of Chekhov's Ivanov and BBC series Wallander. In Thor, he will face off against Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, who secured the title role earlier this week.

Thor will debut in cinemas on May 20, 2011.

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BBC Films announces 'East Is East' sequel

BBC Films has announced plans to make a sequel to the 1999 movie East Is East, which will be entitled West Is West

The follow-up to the Bafta-winning film will feature much of the same cast, with Om Puri and Linda Bassett returning to play George and Ella Khan in a script written by original screenwriter Ayub Khan-Din, the Daily Telegraph reports.

BBC Films managing director Jane Wright said: "People remember East Is East as an absolutely charming, funny but poignant piece and this film will be the same.

"It's a very natural follow-up but it feels completely fresh, telling a story from a different perspective."

The film will focus on youngest son Sajid who is sent to Pakistan in an attempt to make him a "good Muslim".

Wright added: "It is another wonderful tale about living between two cultures. I can't think of a film that has told this side of the story before.

"I can't think of anything more relevant or timely, as the idea of cultural identity has become hugely important."

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Dushku, Milano wanted for 'Ghostbusters 3'

Dan Aykroyd has revealed his casting wishes for the new Ghostbusters movie.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, the co-writer and star of the first two films disclosed that the sequel will feature a five-person team of new Ghostbusters with several female members.

He divulged that Alyssa Milano, who lends her voice to the new Ghostbusters video game, and Eliza Dushku are his choices for girl ghost catchers. "I think they're amazing. And I'm excited about the whole idea of getting this done," he said.

Original cast members Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver will return for the third instalment, which Aykroyd described as a "passing-of-the-torch movie. Let's revisit the old characters briefly and happily and have them there as family but let's pass it on to a new generation".

The Office duo Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky have penned the script for Ghostbusters 3, which is expected to go into production this winter.

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'Monsters Vs. Aliens' gets TV series

Nickelodeon has ordered a pilot of DreamWorks movie Monsters Vs. Aliens, according to Variety.

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg revealed the news at the 37th Annual J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom Conference yesterday.

The announcement follows last week's agreement between DreamWorks and Nickelodeon to produce a Kung Fu Panda series. The two companies are also working on a Shrek TV movie and Panda special for NBC.

Monsters Vs. Aliens, which featured the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Kiefer Sutherland and Seth Rogen, reached number one at the UK box office earlier this year.

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Pattinson confirms fourth 'Twilight'

Robert Pattinson has confirmed that he has signed on for the fourth instalment in the Twilight saga.

The actor, who plays vampire Edward Cullen in the franchise, told The Hollywood Reporter that he had committed to starring in Breaking Dawn but was unsure when production would begin.

Summit Entertainment had previously played down reports that the movie had been given the green light, with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg admitting that she was only in the "thinking" stage of scripting.

Twilight has grossed over $370 million worldwide since its release last year. Sequel New Moon is scheduled for release this November, with third instalment Eclipse arriving in cinemas in summer 2010.

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'Angels' beats 'Trek' at UK box office

Angels & Demons has overtaken Star Trek as the UK's number one film.

Tom Hanks's Da Vinci Code sequel pulls in £6 million, nearly double Trek's second week take, to secure the top spot.

Coraline, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Hannah Montana slip a place, while Channing Tatum's Fighting enters at number six.

The UK box office top ten in full:

1. (-) Angels & Demons - £6,054,627

2. (1) Star Trek - £3,467,009

3. (2) Coraline - £1,372,528

4. (3) X-Men Origins: Wolverine - £1,211,104

5. (4) Hannah Montana: The Movie - £1,000,834

6. (-) Fighting - £991,180

7. (5) Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past - £478,376

8. (6) State Of Play - £281,365

9. (8) Monsters Vs. Aliens - £255,435

10. (7) 17 Again - £138,388

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DiCaprio 'has singing lessons for Sinatra'

Leonardo DiCaprio has started having singing lessons to help win the part of Frank Sinatra in an upcoming biopic of the star, it has been claimed.

According to The Sun, the Titanic actor is top of director Martin Scorsese's list to take the lead role.

A source said: "Leo has hired a top vocal coach to get him sounding like Sinatra. He is a massive fan of the singer and has always wanted to play him.

"He would be sick to miss out on the leading role because his singing wasn't up to scratch. He is now in intensive vocal coaching lessons to replicate Sinatra's distinctive style."

DiCaprio has previously worked with Scorsese in The Aviator, Gangs Of New York and Oscar winner The Departed.

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Melissa Leo cast in 'The Fighter'

Melissa Leo is in final talks to join the cast of The Fighter, reports Variety.

The Oscar-nominated actress will play the mother of Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg's characters. David O. Russell is directing the movie, which is inspired by the true story of Boston boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) and his journey to become the world lightweight champion aided by his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Bale).

Wahlberg told Digital Spy last November that he has been "training for two years" to prepare for The Fighter.

"It's more than a passion project," he said. "It's always been a dream of mine, a childhood fantasy to play a great champion."

Production is scheduled to begin on The Fighter this summer.

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Miley Cyrus linked to 'Footloose' role

Miley Cyrus is the latest actress to be linked to a part in Paramount's remake of Footloose.

According to E! Online, the Hannah Montana star is among the choices being considered for the role of Ariel Moore, a small town girl who falls for rebellious dancer Ren McCormack (Chace Crawford).

"They've expressed interest in Miley for the part," said an unnamed friend, while a production insider added that the 16-year-old is "definitely in the mix".

Other names to have reportedly auditioned for the role include Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, Hairspray actress Amanda Bynes and Dancing With The Stars professional Julianne Hough.

Cyrus is scheduled to begin production on Disney's The Last Song next month.

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Jolie ruled out of 'Tomb Raider 3'

Tomb Raider 3 producer Dan Lin has ruled out the possibility of Angelina Jolie reprising her role as Lara Croft.

Speaking to About.com at the US premiere of Terminator Salvation, Lin confirmed that the latest instalment will be a prequel featuring a "younger Lara Croft".

He said: "We're rebooting Lara Croft. It's a great origin story that we're going to tell. Very character-oriented [and] I would say more realistic than the past movies."

Lin explained that he wanted to make the new Tomb Raider "character-driven".

"I think for me the Lara Croft games and movies have gone a little too action-oriented," he commented. "I wanted to have action, but with character."

Warner Bros announced earlier this year that it is reviving the blockbuster franchise. Megan Fox was initially rumoured for the lead role but the talk was subsequently denied.

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Hopkins 'not reprising Lecter role'

Universal has denied that Sir Anthony Hopkins is to reprise his role as Hannibal Lecter in a fourth movie.

It had been rumoured that the Oscar-winning actor and director Ridley Scott were on board for a new sequel to The Silence Of The Lambs.

However, Moviehole claims that the report was an old item mistakenly reposted regarding the making of 2001 film Hannibal.

A Universal rep said: "The New York Post website probably reposted a few archived articles, and unfortunately Google has picked this one up, believing it's re-posted date to be the same day the story was written.

"They even quote a Variety article in there - you're going to be hard-pressed to find such an article at Variety after 2001. Bottom Line: It's the old pre-Hannibal story getting another-run again. There's no new movie."

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