NEW IMAGE OF THE PERSIAN KING "XERXES" BY FRANK MILLER. JOSS WHEDON'S "THE AVENGERS" WILL HAVE TWO FEMALE SUPER HEROES?

Dark Horse Comics has released a new image from Frank Miller's graphic novel XERXES which still isn't finished. And why do we want it to be finished as soon as possible? Because it will be a foundation for the prequel film to epic blockbuster 300. The director of

300, Zack Snyder is waiting anxiously to make a new epic movie out of it. The story will cover 10 years and will follow the main character Themistocles, who became warlord of Greece and built their navy, we shall also see the Battle of Marathon, the fight between huge Greek and Persian naval fleets, and Persian king's Xerxes' efforts to become a God.
As you remember, in the first film, Persian ruler Xerxes was portrayed absolutely magnificently by stunning actor Rodrigo Santoro and I hope he will take the role in XERXES as well. Although the story will focus on Xerxes as he tries to conquer the world and goes up against the Athenians there will

apparently be a brief cameo by Leonidas himself as well, which means that Gerard Butler could appear in the prequel too.

Although it was said that Joss Whedon's super hero film THE AVENGERS will have only one female character and that Black Widow, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, will be the only lady keeping company to Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Hawkeye, according to new rumors the producers are thinking of putting another pretty female face in the film due to popular demand. It still isn't clear who would it be, but the most probable super heroine is Wasp (and it won't be Demi Lovato since that story was denied yesterday).

And HOLLYWOOD SPY would like to wish you all THE HAPPIEST NEW YEAR, may it be ten times better than any other so far! 

PATRICK WILSON AND ROSE BYRNE IN CREEPY HORROR "INSIDIOUS". DIANE KRUGER JOINS GERARD DEPARDIEU IN HISTORICAL DRAMA "FAREWELL, MY QUEEN"

If you love period films you will like FAREWELL, MU QUEEN, a film about the final days of Marie Antoinette (played by Diane

Kruger whom we have watched in TROY and INGLORIOUS BASTERDS and who will also be joined by French veteran Gerard Depardieu). The story will be told by a woman (Lea Seydoux) looking back 30 years, to when it was her job to read books aloud to Marie Antoinette. Her status as courtier makes her the best kind of narrator - both an insider and an observer of the royals. She describes the final days before revolution engulfs the palace with insight and surprising slices of humor. Some part will seem almost like satire, as the indulged inhabitants of Versailles cling to the privileges that have defined their now-threatened lives: royals are reluctant to leave the palace without proper traveling attire, courtiers try to flee while lugging heavy possessions.

Here's an unusual cast for a horror film: super talented Patrick Wilson and lovely Rose Byrne star in INSIDIOUS a film which will premiere next April and will center on a young family that makes the terrifying discovery that the body of their comatose boy has become a magnet for malevolent entities, while his consciousness lies trapped in the dark and insidious realm known as The Further. You can check out the creepy teaser bellow:
 

FIRST PICTURE FROM SF FILM "UPSIDE DOWN" WITH KIRSTEN DUNST & JIM STURGESS. SIMON "THE MENTALIST" BAKER GETS A NEW $30 MILLION DEAL WITH WARNER BROS. TV!

According to "MovieWeb" Lydia Hearst (model, heir to the Hearst publishing fortune and daughter of Patty Hearst) will join Joan Collins in DOGS IN POCKETBOOKS, a spoof on celebrity obsession,

about a bratty movie goddess in and out of rehab, in trouble with the law, and hounded by greedy agents, predatory paparazzi, off-the-wall stalkers and crazed media, a role obviously based on Lindsay Lohan.

Here's the first photo from the film I'm really excited about - you've read about UPSIDE DOWN many times before at HOLLYWOOD SPY. This romantic sf film follows Adam (Jim Sturgess), a seemingly ordinary guy in a very extraordinary universe. He lives

humbly trying to make ends meet, but his romantic spirit holds on to the memory of a girl he met once upon a time from another world, an inverted affluent world with its own gravity, directly above but beyond reach... a girl named Eve (Kirsten Dunst). Their childhood flirtation becomes an impossible love. But when he catches a glimpse of grown up Eve on television, nothing will get in the way of getting her back... Not even the law or science! Look up towards the sky and rub your eyes because you

won't believe what you see: cities, forests, and oceans with their own inverted gravity, only an arm's length away, yet completely unreachable. Take a leap over

to this alternate reality, two worlds - one above, one below facing each other, and you'll land in the extraordinary world of UPSIDE DOWN.

This sounds quite crazy: according to "Deadline" Simon Baker,  the star of THE MENTALIST, the show about  a well-known psychic who helps FBI to solve crimes, has signed a new contract with Warner Bros. TV which will  bring him a shocking amount of more than $30 million, adding another year to his current six-year commitment to the show. He will also be credited as the producer from Season 5 and will also receive more money from the back end revenue.

"THE AVENGERS" TO BATTLE SKRULLS AND KREE ALIENS WITH DEMI LOVATO? FIRST PICTURES FROM "THE ALMIGHTY THOR" DVD FILM. GEMMA ARTERTON & ANDREW GARFIELD IN "CAPA" BIOPIC

There's a crazy rumor circling the Net that young Disney actress Demi Lovato might get a role in THE AVENGERS, the film which will gather all the big super heroes (IronMan, Captain America, Thor, Hulk) in one

place. It's still not known which role would go to Lovato who has just left a rehab where she has been for emotional and physical issues. Another fresh rumor on THE AVENGERS says that the super hero team might battle against the alien races Skrulls and Kree in the movie. To be directed by Joss Whedon, the film will start shooting next year. 

Two rising young stars, Gemma Arterton (CLASH OF THE TITANS, PRINCE OF PERSIA) and Andrew Garfield (SOCIAL NETWORK, SPIDERMAN) will star in CAPA, the biopic of the famous photographer to be directed by Michael Mann. The film will center on the relationship between a young German woman called Gerta Pohorylle and a young

Hungarian man called Endre Friedmann from when they met in Paris in 1935 until she died in the Spanish Civil war in 1937. Both communists, Jewish, exiled and photographers, they decided to change their names in order to sell better their works and so became Gerda Taro and Robert Capa. With these new identities, they arrived in Spain to inform about the Civil War.

"Beyond Hollywood" has published first pics for THE ALMIGHTY THOR, a film which will premiere before the more famous THOR with Chris Hemsworth, but it will go straight to DVD next May.

Starring young and stunning Cody Deal (check out his legs in the pic!!!) as Thor and almost forgotten Richard Grieco as Loki, the film will follow the young hero Thor who must  protect Earth from Armageddon when the demon god Loki destroys the fortress of Valhalla and steals the Hammer of Invincibility. The good news is that gorgeous Patricia Velasquez (mesmerizing Anck Su Namun from THE MUMMY) is taking the lead female role :)

ROMANTIC MONDAY: "JANE EYRE" WITH MICHAEL FASSBENDER, JUDI DENCH AND JAMIE BELL. "ONE DAY" WITH ANNE HATHAWAY AND JIM STURGESS

Here are two romantic films which are coming to cinemas next year for all of you who like a bit of love magic in your movies.
First there's the new adaptation of JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte. With the star studded cast including Michael Fassbender,  Judi Dench, Imogen Poots, Jamie Bell, Mia Wasikovska ... the film follows Jane Eyre who flees Thornfield

House, where she works as a governess for wealthy Edward Rochester. As she reflects upon the people and emotions that have defined her, it is clear that the isolated and imposing residence, and Mr. Rochester's coldness, have sorely tested the young woman's resilience, forged years earlier when she was orphaned. She must now act decisively to secure her own future and come to terms with the past that haunts her - and the terrible secret that Mr. Rochester is hiding and that she has uncovered... If you ask me, since Wasikovska lacks charisma, I think Imogen Poots would've been much much better as Jane. I will watch the film for Fassbender and my dear Judi Dench.


The second film is ONE DAY with inescapable Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess which has a very interesting plot: the film charts an extraordinary relationship. Emma and Dexter meet on the night of their college graduation - July 15th, 1988. She is a working-class girl of principle and ambition who dreams of making

the world a better place. He is a wealthy charmer who dreams that the world will be his playground. For the next two decades, every July 15th reveals to us how "Em" and "Dex" are faring, as their friendship ebbs and flows with the passing of the years. Through love and loss, heartbreak and success, hopes fulfilled and dreams shattered, they experience the grandeur of life. Somewhere along their journey, these two people realize that what they are searching and hoping for has been there for them all along.

NEW POSTER AND TRAILER FOR HILARIOUS MEDIEVAL COMEDY "YOUR HIGHNESS" WITH JAMES FRANCO AND NATALIE PORTMAN

The first poster and a new trailer have been released this week for the hilarious comedy adventure YOUR HIGHNESS which comes out next April. Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave,

handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. Danny McBride and James Franco team up for this epic comedy adventure set in a fantastical world. As two princes on a daring mission to save their land, they must rescue the heir apparent's fiancée before their kingdom is destroyed.
Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure,

adoration and the throne, he's settled for a life of wizard's weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious' bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), gets kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king gives his deadbeat son an ultimatum: Man up and help rescue her or get cut off.
Half-assedly embarking upon his first quest, Thadeous joins Fabious to trek across the perilous outlands and free the princess. Joined by Isabel (Natalie Portman), an elusive warrior with a

dangerous agenda of her own-the brothers must vanquish horrific creatures and traitorous knights before they can reach Belladonna. If Thadeous can find his inner hero, he can help his brother prevent the destruction of his land. Stay a slacker, and not only does he die a coward, he gets front row seats to the dawn of an all-new Dark Ages. The film, full of all sorts of craziness, also stars Damian Lewis .

DAMIEN LEWIS AND CLAIRE DANES TO HEADLINE SHOWTIME'S NEW SERIES "HOMELAND". ADORABLE NEW PIC AND POSTER FOR "SMURFS"

One of my favourite British actors, talented Damien Lewis (THE FORSYTHE SAGA, DREAM CATCHER, BAND OF BROTHERS, LIFE) will get his new TV show. According to "Beyond Hollywood" he will take the lead role in Showtime's HOMELAND, which comes from

the producers of 24 and will see Lewis as a former prisoner of war who returns home after 8 years in captivity, only to be suspected by the CIA of being a possible terrorist sleeper agent waiting to go batty on the homeland. Claire Danes will join him as a CIA agent.

A new picture from next years crazy adventure SMURFS, in which those adorable blue gnomes will visit Central Park, is here and it shows all of them - Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters), Smurfette (Katy Perry), Gutsy Smurf (Alan Cumming), Clumsy Smurf (Anton Yelcin)... The film also stars Neil Patrick Harris, Sofia Vergara and Hank Azaria as Gargamel. In the film, the evil wizard Gargamel will chase the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village and they will tumble from their magical world into Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The film comes out next August and it will be in 3D!

Meanwhile, HOLLYWOOD SPY is wishing you a smurfilicious Christmas Eve tonight in the cozy atmosphere of your shroom-houses away from Gargamel :)

CHRISTIAN BALE IN EPIC DRAMA "NANJING HEROES". NEW CONCEPT ART FROM SF SAGA "RIDDICK". HEARTWARMING TRAILER FOR "WAITING FOR FOREVER"

 Christian Bale will star in NANJING HEROES,  a $90 million epic drama about about the Nanjing Massacre to be

directed by famous Yimou Zhang. The film will describe the horrors of the Nanjing Massacre, when Japanese troops killed thousands of Chinese citizens in what was then the nation's capital in 1937.  Many stories about this event often mention  John Rabe, a German businessman who helped save hundreds of Chinese refugees.  Bale will play the man who helps a great number of Chinese escape certain death.

Vin Diesel has just released a new concept art picture for  RIDDICK, the new chapter in the popular sf saga about Riddick, who, betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and

dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick unleashes a vicious attack of vengeance before returning to his home planet of Furya to save it from destruction. Vin Diesel has also revealed that David Twohy, the director, wants three different body looks for Riddick in the new sequel - the DiNorscio type, the Dom type, and the lean Furyan type.

Ah, here's one of those heartwarming films which fill you with hope and love after they throw you into tears. Coming out next February WAITING FOR FOREVER is a lovely romantic drama about Emma (Rachel Bilson)  and Will (Tom Sturridge) who play long lost best friends-or so Emma thinks. When her mediocre TV show is canceled and news of her father's illness spreads, Emma's forced back to her hometown, where she meets a new set of unexpected struggles that challenge her to redefine the meaning of family, love and how we live our lives.

JOHN CENA TO LEAD "TRUE LIES" TV SHOW? A FUTURISTIC 19TH CENTURY IN TERRY GILLIAM'S SF FIM "1884". "THE WEDDING BAND" TV SHOW ON TBS!

Beside NIKITA another action flick is coming to TV in the form of remake: action blockbuster TRUE LIES will be made into a TV show and it seems that famous wrestler John Cena could get the role which Arnold Schwarzeneger played in the movie.

As you remember the original film was about a dangerous government agent with a license to do just about anything, who pretends to be a dull computer salesman at home in front of his wife and family.

Now here's an absolutely unusual film: Terry Gilliam will produce 1884, which will bring a futuristic look of history in which year 1884 will have flying cars powered by steam and a man who has landed on the moon. In this tale of imperialistic espionage we shall see a mix of animation

with live-action puppetry and CGI. The background imagery will be a blend of period photography, miniatures and graphics.


Following the new trend of musical TV shows, TBS is preparing a pilot of THE WEDDING BAND a comedy that follows a group of guys who try to escape the stress and craziness of their lives by performing in a wedding band. Anchored by lifelong best friends - one a perennial bachelor (Brian Austin Green) and the other a married father of two (Harold Perrineau) - the band will stop at nothing to make every wedding, birthday or bar mitzvah a concert to remember.

CATHERINE ZETA JONES AND RACHEL WEISZ SHOULD BE THE NEW CATWOMAN! NEW POLL: WHO SHOULD BE THE NEXT JAMES BOND?

My gorgeous ladies and my dashing gentlemen we have a tie: two actresses have won the same number of votes in WHO SHOULD BE THE NEXT CATWOMAN poll. Both Catherine Zeta Jones and Rachel Weisz have won 30% of your votes each, while lovely Emily Blunt got amazing 14%. This means that Zeta Jones and Weisz will now join our previous winner Nicole Scherzinger in the list of HOLLYWOOD SPY's candidates for the new Catwoman.

Catherine Zeta Jones is the magical creature of the kind which hasn't been seen in Hollywood for decades: classic movie diva like those famous actresses from the Golden age of Tinseltown. If you ask me, Catherine is the most beautiful woman on Earth: not only does she have the spellbinding physical beauty, but she has something that only a few other modern actresses have - the deeply profound charisma and aura which simply radiate and glow from her magical presence. She always gives intelligent and highly expressive performances. I personally loved her touching and stunningly skilled acting in NO RESERVATIONS, her witty playfulness in CHICAGO, her glamour in THE MASK OF ZORRO, her mesmerizing charisma and warmth in TITANIC (TV series), her grandeur in CATHERINE THE GREAT, and her innocent loveliness in the role which made her popular THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY.

Rachel Weisz could be Catherine's twin sister - she has the exact same charisma, magnetic aura, profound sensuality, intelligent approach to roles, playful wittiness, spellbinding presence and velvety voice. She made us laugh in THE MUMMY and THE MUMMY RETURNS, she made us cry in THE FOUNTAIN, she made us angry in THE CONSTANT GARDENER, she made us shake

in AGORA, she made us dream in ERAGON, she made us care in ENEMY AT THE GATES. Just like Catherine, she too carries the magic of the Golden age of Hollywood when divas were born and not made.
I shall talk to Hollywood and I will try to convince them to put twin Catwomen in one of the upcoming superhero movies with Rachel and Catherine in the cast :)

Now, let us move to the new poll. Since a new sequel in the 007 franchise will start with the production next year, what do you think WHO SHOULD BE THE NEW JAMES BOND instead of Daniel Craig? The first part of the poll includes the following dashing candidates: British action star Jason Statham, Scottish hunk Gerard Butler, handsome Londoner Rupert Penry Jones, Australian charmer Julian McMahon, British TV star Richard Armitage, American TV actor Jeffrey Donovan, Irish hunk Colin Farrell and the naughty Englishman Clive Owen. You can vote as much as you like next two weeks!

HUGH JACKMAN, JON HAMM, VIGGO MORTENSEN COULD TAKE THE LEAD ROLE IN SF SAGA "DARK TOWER". 1ST PIC FROM "ICE AGE4: CONTINENTAL DRIFT". CHRISTINA HENDRICKS & OLIVIA MUNN IN "I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT"

As you know one of the biggest future projects will be Ron Howard's adaptation of Stephen King's famous sf saga DARK TOWER which will be made both into films and TV show (3 films with a season of show between each). The story follows a Gunslinger Roland Deshain as he travels across a desolate and vaguely post-apocalyptic landscape in his quest for a black tower.

Portals along the way eventually allow contact with our own modern world. Howard spoke last week about the project and he has confirmed (kinda) that the actors who are being considered for the lead role include Hugh Jackman, Jon Hamm, Daniel Craig and Viggo Mortensen.

Here's a film for my ladies and pics for my boys :) Spicy girls Christina Hendricks and Olivia Munn have just joined I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT,  a movie adaptation of the same book written by Allison Pearson. The comedy will have Sarah Jessica Parker as a high-powered finance type who's also the mother of two young children and trying to balance the many competing elements in her life. Christina and Olivia will play her friends. Male roles will go to Pierce Brosnan and Kelsey Grammer.

Ah, here's the first picture from the fourth part of HOLLYWOOD SPY's favourite animated saga of all times ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT. Following the amazing success of previous sequel  DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS which earned almost $1 billion in cinemas, CONTINENTAL DRIFT will hit cinemas in summer 2012. The first image shows the most beloved animated character ever Scrat, the sabretooth squirrel, and his infamous, constantly evasive, nut!

ERIC BANA IS "ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER"! CLEANING AFTER MONSTERS AND ALIENS IN "MAINTENANCE". ALEX PETTYFER AS FORMULA ONE CHAMPION IN "THE STORY OF JAMES HUNT"!

It seems the rumors have been true: according to "MovieWeb"  Australian/Croatian actor Eric Bana is apparently the main candidate for the lead role in ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, Timur Bekmambetov's film adaptation of Seth Grahame Smith's book. Mixing vampires, history and politics, the film will see Eric Bana as the inglorious American president battling the undead in this retelling of Lincoln's secret diaries, which recount his mission to eradicate the world of vampires.

Dreamworks is planning another charming animated project: they will adapt comic book MAINTENANCE which brings a crazy story about two janitors who work at TerroMax, an evil scientist think tank. Their daily duties

include time machine repair and cleaning up after toxic spills and monsters while dealing with mad scientists, jet-packed cavemen, aliens and an attractive receptionist.

Young Alex Pettyfer, who is getting more and more popular and whom we will be watching as the modern beast in BEASTLY and as an alien on the run in I AM NUMBER FOUR, has just scored another role: he will play in another Dreamworks' project SHUNT: THE STORY OF JAMES HUNT, the film adaptation of the same novel, about the British race-car driver who took first place in the 1976 Formula One World Championships.

And I must announce the winners of HOLLYWOOD SPY's weekend giveaway: two copies of Brian Leaf's cool new book NAME THAT MOVIE!: A PAINLESS VOCABULARY BUILDER will go to our dear Vics and to our dear Jamie. Congrats to both of them, hope you will enjoy this lovely gift and thanks to everybody who participated!

ABC AND MARVEL MAKING SHOW ON SUPER-HEROINE "AKA JESSICA JONES". LYNN COLLINS AND ROSARIO DAWSON JOIN SEXY CAST OF "TEN YEAR". STUNNING NEW POSTER FOR SEAN BEAN'S "BLACK DEATH"

With the upcoming TV shows on RAVEN, WONDER WOMAN, HULK and BATMAN it really seems super heroes are moving to the small screens.  According to "MovieWeb" ABC is planning a TV show based on Marvel comic book AKA JESSICA JONES. The story will center on a superhero dubbed "Jewel" who decides to put away the costume and try for a normal life after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She starts up her own private detective firm, but realizes she still wants to help people and ends up coming to the aide of other superheroes. The bad news is that it will be adapted by the TWILIGHT screenwriter :(

You must check out the absolutely sensational new poster for Sean Bean's new medieval epic BLACK DEATH which will hopefully come to USA as well. The terrifying epic is set in the plague-ridden medieval England: Bodies lie scattered in their hundreds, the country is in turmoil. One hope remains, rumours of a village that is unaffected by the deadly disease. As Gods ambassador, young monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) is tasked in leading the fearsome knight Ulrich (Sean Bean) and his group of mercenaries to the remote village. Their quest is to hunt down a necromancer - someone able to bring the dead back to life. Their journey is treacherous and filled with danger, encountering deadly bandits and vicious witch-burnings that will put their faith to the ultimate test. Though its upon entering the village that their true horror begins... You can check out the trailer in one of HOLLYWOOD SPY's old posts.

The cast of the ensemble drama TEN YEAR is getting more and more star studded: two gorgeous girls Lynn Collins and Rosario Dawson have just joined the incredibly sexy cast which includes Jenna Dewan and her husband Channing Tatum, Anna Faris, Justin Long, Kate Mara, Chris Pine, John Krasinski, Brian Geraghty, Chris Pratt, Scott Porter and other perfect examples of human gorgeousness :) The film will center on a group of friends which reunite a decade after their high school graduation.

GEORGE CLOONEY GOES SF WITH SANDRA BULLOCK IN "GRAVITY". ERIC BANA AND OLIVIA WILDE ON THE RUN IN "KIN". SARAH BOLGER JOINS SPOOKY SHOW "LOCKE & KEY"

Gorgeous Sarah Bolger, whom we absolutely adored as princess Mary in the cult TV series THE TUDORS, will join Miranda Otto in Fox' new TV show LOCKE AND KEY,  about a family which moves

to a mysterious New England mansion, with fantastic and transformative keys hidden inside its walls that are also being sought by a hate-filled and relentless creature with ties to the Locke family's past who will stop at nothing to accomplish his sinister goals.

Ah, it seems the problematic sf project GRAVITY has finally found its cast. After being rejected by many young actresses the female role had been given to Sandra Bullock, but it wasn't the end for GRAVITY's problem since Robert Downey Jr left the cast after that. But Sandra will finally get her partner in the film - George Clooney! Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, the film will follow a female astronaut who becomes trapped in space after debris wipes out her space station. George Clooney will play the captain of the ship who has a pivotal role in the story.

Here's an interesting cast for a less interesting film: according to "Variety", two gorgeous people, Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde might star in KIN, as two desperate sibling fugitives on the run who collide with the holiday homecoming of a troubled ex-boxer (Charlie Hunnam).

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S GIVEAWAY: WIN FREE COPIES OF COOL NEW BOOK "NAME THAT MOVIE! A PAINLESS VOCABULARY BUILDER"

Here's something nice: your HOLLYWOOD SPY is hosting a giveaway this weekend. The free gift is a great new book NAME THAT MOVIE!: A PAINLESS VOCABULARY BUILDER by Brian Leaf. His books are both educational and entertaining,

so I'm sure many of you would enjoy them, especially my dear writers. So, leave a comment on this post, and after the weekend I will randomly choose two of you, who will get a free copy of the book!

Can students really learn the high-level vocabulary words umbrage, imperious, innocuous, categorical, and mawkish from the HARRY POTTER movies? Did Captain Jack Sparrow use the words macabre, belligerent, and superfluous in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies? The answer is “Yes!”
In his new NAME THAT MOVIE! books (Wiley, December 2010, $9.99), test-prep author Brian Leaf merges his readers' passion for movies with their need to learn standardized-test vocabulary words.

The two books (one a comedy/action edition and the other, a romantic comedy/drama edition) provide quotes from popular movies. Readers attempt to name the movies and define the boldfaced vocabulary words in each quote.
The books are half movie trivia and half vocabulary instruction, with 1,000 vocabulary words in each. Words are taken from "Harry Potter", "Step Brothers", "Juno", "Knocked Up", "300", "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", "Iron Man", "Mean Girls", "The Notebook", "Wedding Crashers", "Pride & Prejudice", "Miss Congeniality", "Shrek" and more.
The books hit the stores this week, just in time for Christmas. Learn more about NAME THAT MOVIE! and check out a free sample chapter at www.BrianLeaf.com.

AMC MAKING POST-CIVIL WAR TV SHOW "HELL ON WHEELS". GWYNETH PALTROW TO ROCK WITH TOM CRUISE IN "ROCK OF AGES"? SARAH JESSICA PARKER JOINS "NEW YEAR'S EVE" CAST!

Well, if you love historical shows, you will certainly like this one: AMC has ordered a full season TV series HELL ON WHEELS which will tell the epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on a Confederate soldier (Anson Mount) who sets out to exact

revenge on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife. His journey takes him west to Hell on Wheels, a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time. The series examines the railroad's institutionalized greed and corruption, the immigrant experience, and the plight of the newly emancipated African-Americans during reconstruction. The show will depict how uncivilized the business of civilization can be.

I'm not sure why Hollywood likes Gwyneth Paltrow's singing, but she has been offered an unknown role in ROCK OF AGES, which will be full of music and dance numbers and will center on two young people who meet at the Sunset Strip club Rock of Ages, fall in love and try to stay together amid '80s rock anthems. The film is supposed to star Tom Cruise as a villainous singer (yep, it's not me trying to freak you out, it's really true) and Mary J. Blige as the club owner.

The romantic film NEW YEAR'S EVE, a follow up to VALENTINE'S DAY, has added yet another star to its cast list:  Sarah Jessica Parker will join Robert De Niro, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vergara, Lea Michele, Zac Efron, Halle Berry, Topher Grace in this festive love story which will follow several different characters as they make their way through the year-end holiday in New York City. The film is being directed by famous Garry Marshall (THE PRINCESS DIARIES, PRETTY WOMAN).

HOLLYWOOD SPY WINS BEST GOSSIP BLOG AND GOLD BLOG OF 2010 AWARD!!!

Yep, you already heard it: the glamorous THE MOVIE 411 BLOG AWARDS 2010 have been announced today at Dempsey's glamorous ceremony, and your HOLLYWOOD SPY is the big winner of the evening with two awards: BEST GOSSIP BLOG AWARD and the most prestigious one GOLD MOVIE BLOG AWARD. I'm especially stunned with the second one since 237 blogs competed in that category!
I would like to thank Sanders Academy for the amazing organization, above all Dempsey Sanders, the dashing

president and the owner of the Academy :) and his right hand Chris who counted hundreds and hundreds of votes.
I would mostly like to thank all you gorgeous little freaks for voting for your HOLLYWOOD SPY in past few weeks. You know Dezzy loves you and there's nothing you can do about it!
Big congrats to our dear Alex J. Cavanaugh who won THE BEST SF BLOG award, as we knew he would!

DOROTHY GOES WILD IN "OZ WARS". CHARMING TRAILER FOR 80'S COMEDY "TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT"

According to "Variety" Mike Johnson, who worked with Tim Burton on CORPSE BRIDE, is going to direct OZ WARS, a new CGI/stop-motion film.  In the dark version of famous THE WIZARD OF OZ,  poor Dorothy will fight against warrior witches, black magic, martial artists and monsters in her journey set in contemporary times.

Ah, since it's boring Thursday in the news department, I have nothing else interesting to offer you today except the first entertaining trailer for TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT,  a charming comedy which will bring us a lot of 80's vibes, fashion and music next March telling us the story from the summer of 1988 about three friends on the verge of adulthood who attend an out-of-control party in celebration of their last night of unbridled youth. Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old confounds family and friends by taking a part-time job behind the counter of a video store. But Matt's silent protest against maturity comes to a screeching halt once his unrequited high school crush, Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer), walks into the store. When she invites him to an epic, end-of-summer party, Matt thinks he finally might have a chance with the girl of his dreams. With his cynical twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris) and best friend Barry (Dan Fogler), Matt embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime evening. From stealing a car to a marriage proposal to an indescribable, no-holds-barred dance-off, these friends share experiences that will change the course of their lives on one unforgettable night in the Go-Go '80s.
So, what's your favourite 80's song?

JAMES MCAVOY IS MR. DARCY IN "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES". COLIN FIRTH AS BURGLAR IN "GAMBIT". JOSH HARTNETT TO TAKE DUAL ROLES IN EPIC DRAMA "SINGULARITY". JULIA ROBERTS AND CHARLIZE THERON AS EVIL QUEENS IN SNOW WHITE PROJECTS

Ah, here she is again. Anne Hathaway might join James McAvoy in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES according to "MovieWeb". Anne would play Elizabeth Bennett and McAvoy would be Mister Darcy :) As you know, the film will be based on the book by Seth Grahame Smith who wrote a new version of  Jane Austen's famous classic, pitting Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy against the living dead in the mix of romance, horror and comedy.

Here's an interesting project with not so interesting cast: Josh Hartnett will star in SINGULARITY,  an epic drama set between the years 1778 and 2015, and he will play two characters, a present-day archeologist who slips into a coma and a British captain stationed in colonial India. Neve Campbell will play his modern-day wife, and also an archeologist who is trapped in a sunken ship while trying to retrieve a ring. The project is said to revolve around the ring and the intertwining souls who are connected to it.

Colin Firth, who is currently enjoying critical acclaim for his role in THE KING'S SPEECH, is going action in the future. He will star in GAMBIT playing a cat burglar who is trying to steal a millionaire's statue. He brings on a waitress, who bears a striking resemblance to the millionaire's dead wife, to help pull off the caper. The film will be a remake of the 60's film with Michael Caine and Shirley McLaine.

HOLLYWOOD SPY has informed you before that both Relativity Media and Universal are preparing their own SNOW WHITE projects.

It seems they have both found their Evil Queens. Visual genius Tarsem Singh who is directing THE BROTHERS GRIMM: SNOW WHITE, which will stick more closely to the fairy tale, apparently wants Julia Roberts as the evil stepmother. On the other side, Universal wants Charlize Theron in their SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN in which the Huntsman, sent by the Evil Queen to kill Snow White, decides not to do it and becomes her mentor, as they train to get revenge on the Queen.