Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, RumorMonger, Comic/Superhero/Geek

The simple fact that former Buffy star Bailey Chase chose the Sunday Star Times in New Zealand to drop this particular bomb has me inclined to think it’s a long way from becoming fact. In a recent profile about his work on TNT’s Saving Grace with Holly Hunter when he told the reporter that he was in negotiations for a part in X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Hugh Jackman. According to Chase, “It’s very confidential and top-secret. I think they’re casting under alias names but for now, he’s called Mr Yellow.”

Chase had few details, but he was willing to say that the part is described as “about 30 years old, a charming southern guy on the surface but he’s got some ulterior motives going on underneath. By the end of the film, he’s probably not going to be such a nice guy”. Back in October, Variety had reported that the film was securing locations in Louisiana, which sparked tons of speculation that the film would be including Gambit. Throw in Chase’s comments about a “southern gentleman with ulterior motives” and the Gambit connection seems even more likely. Even with the little amount of knowledge that I have about the character of Gambit in the original X-Men series, I think it sounds like the infamous Remy LeBeau.

According to previous reports, the film is going to center on “the claw-wielding character Wolverine’s violent and romantic past, and his complex relationship with Victor Creed and the ominous Weapon X program, as well as his encounters with other mutants.” I guess we can chalk that up to be another piece of evidence that the Louisiana ‘card shark’ might be making an appearance. Stay tuned to Cinematical for the official word when and if it ever comes. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is set for release on May 9th, 2009.

[via Comics2Film.com]

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Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show

Here’s who’s sitting down on the couch on the late night shows.

• Charlie Rose: William F. Buckley Jr. and Naomi Klein
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Alec Baldwin and Shakira (repeat)
• Jay Leno: George Clooney, The Zimmers, and Rihanna (repeat)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Seann William Scott, Dan Fogler, and Gerry Phillips (repeat)
• Tavis Smiley: James Taylor (repeat)
• Late Night with Conan O’Brien: Matthew Broderick, Bonnie Hunt, and John Mayer (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Eric Bana, Julia Sweeney, and Fountains of Wayne (repeat)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Jimmy Smith, Doug Anderson, Dan Dunn, and Plain White T’s (repeat)

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Filed under: Grey’s Anatomy, In the Limelight, Celebrities, Private Practice

When you hear the name “Shonda Rhimes” what words come to mind? I’m pretty sure those words are “Grey’s” and “Anatomy.” But what you may not know is that before writing gripping TV series such as Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, Rhimes also put pen to paper for The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and — you’d better be sitting properly on your chair before reading this — Britney Spears’s Crossroads! Can you believe that the Emmy award winner wrote that terrible and rightfully Razzie-nominated Crossroads?!?

Continue reading Shonda Rhimes: In the Limelight

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Filed under: The Simpsons, Family Guy, Celebrities, Futurama

You remember the theme from The Beverly Hillbillies, don’t you? It tells the story of how poor mountain man Jed Clampett was out looking to shoot himself some dinner when he came upon some bubblin’ crude. Well, before you knew it Jed was a millionaire ($25 million, to be exact). Of course, that was back in 1962.

Today, old Jed is worth about $11 billion dollars! That’s according to Forbes‘ list of the 15 wealthiest fictional characters according to today’s real-world commodity and share markets. The Clampett patriarch is listed fifth on the list, between Futurama’s Mom ($15.7 billion) and The Simpsons’ C. Montgomery Burns ($8.4 billion). Number one of the list is Ducktales’ Scrooge McDuck, who is worth a whopping $29 billion! Man, what I wouldn’t do to be one of his nephews.

Continue reading Well the first thing you know ol’ Jed’s a billionaire

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The ‘heiress’ tag that comes with Paris Hilton may soon lose its weight, with the socialite’s grandfather having decided to give 97 per cent of his multibillion dollar fortune to charity.

Barron…

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Filed under: Late Night, TV Royalty, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show

Here’s who’s sitting down on the couch on the late night shows.

• Charlie Rose: Sally Bedell Smith, Thomas DeFrank, and Jim Calhoun
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Howard Stern and Gwen Stefani (repeat)
• Jay Leno: Hugh Laurie, Sherri Shepherd, and The Editors (repeat)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kelly Ripa and Sara Bareilles (repeat)
• Tavis Smiley: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds (repeat)
• Late Night with Conan O’Brien: Johnny Knoxville, Tony Bennett, and Tucker Carlson (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Jennifer Hudson, Gerard Butler, and Anberlin (repeat)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Karolina Kurkova and Plain White T’s (repeat)

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Filed under: Action, Casting, RumorMonger, Games and Game Movies

Well if nothing else, at least the legendary Chun Li is not going to be played by Jessica Biel. ComingSoon.net is reporting that Smallville’s Kristin Kreuk has signed to star in the new Street Fighter film. There has been no official word on which role she is going to play, but the smart money is on her taking over where Ming-Na Wen left off in the 1994 incarnation of Capcom’s classic game. News of the film first surfaced back in October, 2006 and back in July there had been an early review of Justin Marks‘ script. Early word had the plot centering on Li as she searches for those responsible for her father’s murder all while taking down the Shadoloo organization. There has been very little mention of any of the other Street Fighter characters making an appearance, so I would expect that not much has changed in Marks original ideas of the film’s direction. The flick is expected to start production this spring and will film on location in Thailand in March 2008.

This is Kreuk’s third feature film, having already starred in Partition with Neve Campbell and a slightly less dignified role in the teen comedy, Eurotrip. Andrzej Bartkowiak has already signed to direct. For those of you out there worried that Street Fighter will degenerate into another cheese-fest, I can’t say I blame you. Of course the worse news is that Bartkowiak’s resume highlights include Cradle 2 the Grave and Romeo Must Die, so I can’t be the only one thinking that this film might be destined for direct to DVD obscurity.

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Filed under: Drama, Awards, Casting, New Releases, The Weinstein Co., Interviews, Oscar Watch

The Great Debaters is inspired by the true story of how professor Melvin B. Tolson (played by Denzel Washington) formed the first debate team at Wiley College — a black liberal arts institution — in the 1930’s Jim Crow south. The film was just nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Picture of the Year, and it co-stars Forest Whitaker. Debaters is Washington’s second film as a director (his first was Antwone Fisher). Cinematical attended a press junket earlier this month with Washington and the film’s young debaters: Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, and Denzel Whitaker. Yes, the co-star of a movie with Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker is named Denzel Whitaker! To avoid confusion, we’ll refer to them as they refer to themselves — Big Denzel (Washington) and Little Denzel (Whitaker).

What did you guys to do prepare for this film?

BIG DENZEL: We set up a camp for the kids. I met Dr. Freeman, who is the debating coach at Texas Southern, which is one of the top debating schools in the country. I interviewed him and put him on film and asked if we could set up a little mini-camp for the young actors and he put them through their paces.

NP: We arrived and learned all about parliamentary and impromptu debate. Denzel was very adamant about us researching and knowing what we were talking about, and being well versed in the process of debate. So we got the Texas Southern University team, and they took us through it and gave us a class course. They told us we should be more persuasive, being that we’re actors! So the first day we learned about debate, the second day we broke into teams and we debated. And the morning of, we were watching CNN and MSNBC and reading the Wall Street Journal. You should have seen us, we took it very serious, and we defeated their freshman and sophomore team.

Continue reading Junket Report: The Great Debaters

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Filed under: Late Night, TV Royalty, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show

Here’s who’s sitting down on the couch on the late night shows.

• Charlie Rose: Paul Krugman and Randall Robinson
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Will Smith and Evanescence (repeat)
• Jay Leno: Russell Crowe, Jenna Bush, and Carrie Underwood (repeat)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Sarah Silverman, Balthazar Getty, and Wayne Newton (repeat)
• Tavis Smiley: Shaggy and Col. Stephen Twitty (repeat)
• Late Night with Conan O’Brien: Jim Carrey and Isaac Hayes (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Poppy Montgomery, Jeremy Roenick, and Paul Morrissey (repeat)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Ali Landry and Gym Class Heroes (repeat)

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Filed under: Celebrities, Obituaries

Each year in our “Top TV Stories” posts we look back at the number of celebrities and behind the scenes people that have passed away during the year. This is always a hard list to put together, so if I’ve missed anyone, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.

This year we also lost someone very close to us.

Merv Griffin
Tom Snyder
Joel Siegel
Anna Nicole Smith
Robert Goulet
Joey Bishop

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Continue reading Top TV Stories of 2007: People we’ve lost

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