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Photo: Anuja Joshi, Benjamin Hollingsworth

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Syd Wong

Airing as part of Hallmark’s beloved Countdown to Christmas 2024, Christmas With The Singhs causes cultural clashes.

Christmas is the time when many families meet for the first time and Hallmark’s holiday movie Christmas With The Singhs is one of those family meetings.

The movie stars Anuja Joshi and Benjamin Hollingsworth and will premiere during the network’s popular Countdown to Christmas 2024. Read on to find out more about the movie and its cast.

Christmas With The Singhs is all about families on Hallmark Channel Photo: Manoj Sood, Nimet Kanji

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Syd Wong

According to TV Insider, Asha Singh (Anuja Joshi) and Jake O’Brien (Benjamin Hollingsworth) are newly engaged and are looking forward to spending Christmas together. However, their relationship is tested when their families’ cultural and holiday traditions clash.

This year, the...

It’s a fairly packed month on Hulu this February thanks to the addition of some interesting TV shows from FX and ABC. While the streamer’s own original content is somewhat limited – Life + Beth is returning for season 2 – you can also catch the new series of Feud this month. The new installment in Ryan Murphy’s juicy anthology show is based on the bestseller Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer, and tells the story of Truman Capote’s betrayal and fall-out with New York’s most glamorous socialites. The cast is absolutely stacked, with Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny and Calista Flockhart all swearing delicious revenge on Tom Hollander’s Capote.

Also via Hulu in February comes the third season of Abbott Elementary, along with new episodes of The Connors, The Good Doctor, Will Trent,...

It feels just like last month we were complimenting Hulu on its true crime offerings. Well, with its list of new releases for February 2023, Hulu is staying in the true crime lane. Suppose that’ll happen when you push back the release date of a series or two.

February sees the arrival of three notable true crime series on Hulu. Taiwan Crime Stories premieres on Feb. 1 and presents four true tales from Taiwan’s criminal “dark underbelly.” That will be followed by ABC News Studios’ Killing County on Feb. 3. That three-episode series ponders the question “what happens when police kill?” The most interesting true crime offering premieres on Feb. 9. That’s when Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence College shares its four-episode saga of Larry Ray and the young college students he victimized.

As far as non true crime offerings go, the third and final season of Hulu...

The new year is continuing apace at Hulu. The streamer’s list of new releases for February 2022 is highlighted by one very interesting project.

Pam and Tommy is set to premiere on Feb. 2. Perhaps the Groundhog Day release date is intentional as the show will cover a particular moment of celebrity, sex, and exploitation from the early ’90s that seems to have repeated itself over and over. Sebastian Stan and Lily James star as Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson and the series follows the events and fallout of their homemade sex tape being stolen and unleashed on a nascent internet. If nothing else, getting the promo photos of Stan and James as the ’90s stars was worth it.

Read more Movies Willem Dafoe on Noir, Fate and Geeks in Nightmare Alley By David Crow Movies Matthew Vaughn on Finding The Man Who Would Be King’s Man By David Crow

Another Hulu original,...

The Magnificent Meyersons follows an ordinary but complicated New York City family as they discover on one extraordinary day that although life—and family—can sometimes shock you … it can also lead to miraculous new places. Here’s the trailer:

Premiering in New York City August 20 at the Marlene Meyerson Jcc Manhattan; and Los Angeles August 27 at the Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino. The film is also available virtually on the websites of all locations. Select screenings in theaters will offer open captioned showings (check theater websites for times).

Written and directed by Evan Oppenheimer (A Little Game; Alchemy; Justice; The Auteur Theory), The Magnificent Meyers features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Kate Mulgrew (the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy; Orange is the New Black; Star Trek: Voyager; Star Trek: Nemesis), Richard Kind (The Goldbergs; Inside Out; Argo; A Serious Man; A Bug’s Life), Shoshannah Stern (Supernatural; This Close; Weeds), Neal Huff...

This article contains spoilers for Saving Private Ryan.

Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) is known for a number of things: the gut-wrenching, visceral terror of its battle scenes (especially the opening landing at Omaha Beach), the shocking way in which bodies are torn to pieces during the course of those battles, the attention to period detail, and a powerful performance by Tom Hanks that rates as one of his finest.

But one thing that the film may not be as widely recognized for is the lineup of young actors who played members of Capt. John Miller’s (Hanks) squad, or soldiers they met along the way as they searched throughout Normandy for the missing Pvt. James Francis Ryan. From Matt Damon to Vin Diesel, Spielberg recruited relatively new faces who were all, in one way or another, either launching their careers outright or just starting to make their mark on Hollywood.

New Original Programming:

“Meet the Donors” (8/1)

“Dios, Inc.” - Season 1 Finale (8/5)

“Hitchcock/Truffaut” (8/8)

“Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the La Rams” (8/10)

“El Negocio” - Season 3 Premiere (8/12)

IndieWire Pick: “The Night Of” (Series Finale) (8/28)

HBO’s well-received limited series “The Night Of” will wrap up its eight-part whodunnit in late August. Steve Zaillian’s gritty drama, which examines a man’s fate after he wakes up charged with the murder of a relative stranger, debuted to rave reviews from critics and audiences. IndieWire’s Ben Travers writes, “By actively engaging on personal and political levels, Zaillian sucks the viewer into a nightmare scenario wholly dependent on two verdicts: first, whether or not Naz is found guilty, but also if he really did it.” Here’s hoping the series can maintain its slow burn thrills all the way to the end.

Read More: Review: ‘The Night Of’ ‘Serial’-izes ‘Law & Order,...

Angelina Jolie celebrates her 39th birthday today! The A-list actress made her silver screen debut at the early age of seven, when she appeared alongside her father, Jon Voight, in the film “Lookin’ to Get Out.” At the age of sixteen, Angelina began to seriously pursue acting and landed her first leading role in the straight-to-video film “Cyborg 2.” Jolie quickly rose to prominence as an actress and went on to win three Golden Globe Awards – the first was given for her performance in the TV movie “George Wallace,” she received a second Golden Globe for portraying the titular character in the HBO film “Gia,” and won a third for her breakout role as Lisa Rowe in “Girl, Interrupted.” Although she experienced success earl y on in her career, the starlet’s fame reached new heights when she was cast as the title role in the film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,...

Along with announcing "The Shop," which we told you about earlier today, TNT has rebranded itself as "TNT Drama - Boom," picked up "Proof" as a new series, and has a few more in development.

You can see the trailer for "Proof" below, and per Deadline, here are the horror and horror-ish projects the network currently has in development:

"Breed" - Producers: Invention Film Co, Nicky Weinstock, Scott Winant ("True Blood"), John Scott Shepherd ("Save Me," "Life or Something Like It"); Writer: John Scott Shepherd

This atmospheric, supernatural drama centers on a volatile race of creatures who are committing brutal murders in the Pacific Northwest and the reluctant FBI investigator who pairs with a female assassin to track them. "Breed" mixes suspense, excitement, and humor to create an exhilarating ride full of unexpected moments and unforgettable characters.

"Fix-It Men" - Producers: Mark Gordon ("Criminal Minds," "Grey’s Anatomy"), Nick Pepper,...

A Stephen King-inspired series is headed to TNT. The cable network is developing The Shop, a sequel to King’s 1980 bestseller Firestarter.

The drama centers on the insidious agency responsible for kidnapping and attempting to exploit the psychokinetic powers of a young girl named Charlie McGee in the original story. Now it’s 20 years later and Charlie has been tracked down by one of The Shop’s former members, Henry Talbot, who introduces her to a group of people with their own unique abilities. From the announcement: “It turns out The Shop is very much alive, bigger and badder than ever,...

Birthday dame Angelina Jolie is divinely over the top in movies. Let’s reinspect.

Angelina Jolie turns 38 today, and though the woman has had a devastating (and bravely self-disclosed) year of health scares, let’s remember one way in which she’s always managed to heal us: extremely bizarre fashions on film. Here are her five most over-the-top film fashions.

5. Changeling

It was a close tie between The Tourist, Life or Something Like It, and Changeling for fifth place, but I’m happy to give the spot to Clint Eastwood‘s baby mixup drama. For being such a distinct-looking actress, it’s kind of shocking how much Jolie’s appearance can transform. If I didn’t tell you, you might think that was Norah Jones, Marion Cotillard, or Natalie Imbruglia. Admit it. That hat, though — some Little Edie cred going on up in here.

4. Alexander

I’ll be so bold...

Exclusive: Relativity has acquired Jump, a spec script by John Scott Shepherd that Sheldon Turner and Jennifer Klein will produce through their Vendetta Entertainment. It is a romantic dramedy in the vein of Jerry Maguire, with a strong male role at the center. Shepherd recently created and executive produces NBC’s midseason comedy series Save Me, and he also created the ABC summer series The Days. Shepherd’s feature credits include Life Or Something Like It and Joe Somebody for Fox; his books include Henry’s List Of Wrongs, which originally sold to New Line in a seven-figure deal. Relativity will go right out to directors and actors. This is the first feature sale for Shepherd since he returned to Paradigm.

John Scott Shepherd has signed with Paradigm. This marks Shepherd’s return to the agency after a stint at CAA. Shepherd recently created and executive produces NBC’s midseason comedy series Save Me, which has not been scheduled yet. He also created the ABC summer series The Days. Shepherd’s feature credits include Life Or Something Like It and Joe Somebody for Fox; his books include Henry’s List Of Wrongs, which Paradigm originally sold to New Line in a seven-figure deal.

If I were to ask you what the movies Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead and The Mighty Ducks have in common, you might.quite understandably.guess that they were a ubiquitous and cherished part of childhood for those who grew up in the late '80s/early '90s. That's certainly true. But did you know they were all directed by the same man? Stephen Herek cornered the market on kooky kid movies for a while, but in the 2000s got lost amid lackluster fare like Mark Wahlberg's Rock Star and the Angelina Jolie rom-com Life or Something Like It. But news out of the European Film Market suggests Herek is returning to his forte, as he's set to direct an adaptation of Katherine Paterson's celebrated children's novel The Great Gilly Hopkins. Deadline reports Kathy Bates and Danny Glover are attached to star.

IMDb has been the go-to source for movie information on the Internet since 'Nam, and it (obviously) takes its work seriously. So it's rare that you'll find a synopsis for a well-known movie that's anything but diligent and professional.

That's what makes those moments when you do find a bad IMDb synopsis special. But what makes a "bad" IMDb synopsis, exactly? In this case, we measured it by two things: undertones of laziness, or undertones of snark — and in some cases, both.

We found 10 in a hopeless place.

1. 'Friends with Benefits' (2011)

Analysis: To be fair, the plot of this movie should really just be "Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake take you on a first class trip to Poundtown," as that's the reason the movie exists and sold tickets. But context aside, the above synopsis would have definitely had a Microsoft Word green squiggly underline underneath it signifying the...

You know how I always warn you West Coasters not to look at this Walking Dead recap until after you’ve seen this week’s episode? This time, I really mean it. No, seriously, West Coasters. Do. Not. Read. This. The rest of you, of course, can. Once you’ve composed yourselves, that is…

When you tune in to The Walking Dead, you expect blood and guts. But this week’s episode — “Killer Within” — delivers an additional (and quite possibly scarier) bodily fluid: tears. Once your eyes are dry enough to focus, read on:

Related | Walking Dead Post Mortem:...

The Nicholas Sparks adaptation factory keeps on chugging. Word arrived last year that Lasse Hallstrom, who just delivered Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, had signed on to direct Safe Haven based on the author’s book. He’s reached the casting stage and Variety reports that Josh Duhamel will be getting romantic for the movie.Life Or Something Like It writer Dana Stevens has punched out the script, which finds a mysterious young woman arriving in a small North Carolina town and having difficulty settling into the tight knit community. Whispers and rumours spring up about her past, but things begin to change when she kicks off a relationship with a widowed storeowner (Duhamel), who has been busy looking after his two young children. Given the author's previous form, we're taking guesses now about a) which character previously served in the military and b) who dies at the end.Carey Mulligan...

Jeff Kwatinetz’s Prospect Park has sold 3 more series projects to USA, Fox and ABC Family. That brings the total number of shows the company has set up this year to 18. Prospect Parks’ latest projects, which have received scripted commitments, are all produced by Universal Cable Prods., extending the two companies’ existing relationship as co-producers of USA’s hit series Royal Pains. To complete the reunion, Prospect Park/Ucp’ ABC Family project, a father-daughter drama set in the Governor’s office, is executive produced by Royal Pains co-creator/exec producer Andrew Lenchewski who has an overall deal with Ucp. Prospect Park’s project for USA is an untitled action procedural from John Scott Shepherd (Life Or Something Like It). At Fox, the company has Home Court, a half-hour comedy from Frasier alum Saladin Patterson, who serves as a co-executive producer on Ucp’s dramedy for USA Psych. This is Ucp...

Enjoy some bite-sized pieces of TV news, including a very early pickup for a cable series and some notes on the pilot front.

- "America's Next Top Model" is going through another judge shakeup. Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley will leave the show after this cycle and be replaced by Kelly Cutrone ("The Hills," "Kell on Earth"), who runs the fashion publicity/marketing firm People's Revolution. "I had a great ride and will always consider my experience with 'Top Model' one of the best moments of my life," Talley says. [People]

- "FlashForward" star and "Lost" star-crossed lover Sonya Walger will head to USA for her next series project. She's joined the cable channel's "Common Law," about two cops (Michael Ealy and Warren Kole) whose constant conflict lands them in couples therapy -- with Walger as their therapist. [EW]

- Starz has given a second-season order to its drama "Boss" -- even...

Exclusive: I’ve learned that NBC is finalizing a deal for an off-cycle pilot order to single-camera comedy Save Me. The order to the project, from writer John Scott Shepherd, Sony Pictures TV and Neal Morirz’s studio-based Original Films banner, is cast-contingent. Save Me centers on a woman who, after an accident, starts to believe that she is channeling God. The project was originally developed at Showtime. Shepherd is executive producing with Original Films’ Moritz and Vivian Cannon as well as Scott Winant (Californication). Shepherd, whose credits include the features Joe Somebody and Life or Something Like It and the ABC series The Days, wrote the 2009 ABC drama pilot See Kate Run. This is the second project to get a pilot order by NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt after being originally developed at Showtime. The first was Smash, which Greenblatt first shepherded at the pay cable network during his stint there.

Us Weekly is reporting that the two actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are getting married later this summer.  You may remember Pitt from such films as Meet Joe Black and The Mexican.  Jolie was in Hackers and Life or Something Like It.  The two have been dating for some time now, unbeknownst to me.*

*This was written by someone who has been living in a hole for the past 15 years.

They were supposed to get married in January

read more...

Ghost House Pictures has set Dana Stevens to write The Au Pair, a thriller adaptation of The Sitter, a 2003 novel by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. A young woman flees a troubled relationship for a great summer job as a family nanny in a Hamptons beachfront vacation home. That dream job becomes a nightmare. The picture is being produced by Sean Furst and Bryan Furst, with Ghost House principals Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. Stevens, Nathan Kahane, Yvonne Bernard and Beth Elise Hawk are exec producers. Stevens and Raimi previously collaborated on For the Love of the Game, which Stevens wrote and Raimi directed for Universal. Stevens's other scripts include Life or Something Like it, City of Angels and Blink. UTA reps her.

Sam Raimi's production company, Ghost House Pictures, has announced their plans to adapt the 2003 R.L. Stine novel The Sitter into a feature thriller entitled The Au Pair (which is noted to be a working title). Longtime Raimi collaborator Dana Stevens will both write and executive produce. The film is said to, "follow a young woman who runs from a troubled relationship by spending a fun-filled, romantic summer as a nanny in a posh Hamptons beach house. The dream job then takes a frightening turn when she uncovers a dark secret that haunts her and the kids she's sworn to protect." Stevens' film credits include Life or Something Like it , City of Angels and Blink . She has worked with Raimi since his 1999 For the Love of the Game .

In what seems like a bit of a stretch, The Daily Mail online is reporting that Angelina Jolie and George Clooney will star as Marilyn Monroe and Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, in a new film about the Hollywood bombshell.

The 35-year-old actress is set to play Monroe in an adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s The Life And Opinions Of Maf The Dog, And Of His Friend Marilyn Monroe, the author revealed at the Edinburgh Book Festival yesterday. And George Clooney has been lined up to play Monroe’s close friend Frank Sinatra, O’Hagan confirmed, adding that production on the film would begin soon. While Scarlett Johansson and Christina Hendricks had previously been in line for the role, it was eventually decided Jolie would be the best choice to play Monroe in the new film. The story will take place during the last two years of Monroe’s life.

Girls cry in bed for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it's out of loneliness, sometimes out of fear. Sometimes, it's because they just feel like it. Girls are weird like that.

If you've ever made a girl cry because she was overwhelmed with the joyous revelation of amazing sex, good on you, killer. I once had a girl cry in bed, but Sophie's Choice was on in the background, so I'm not sure what was going on. Sex is confusing.

There may be no crying in baseball, but there does seem to be some crying in softball – more than one of the girls report shedding a tear. Ok, actually, it's only Nikki and Jill. Nikki cried the first time, because it was such an emotional experience, and Jill cries with regularity, because she has a "sensitivity chip." Rose and Mikey both claim they've made one or two ladies cry. Clearly,...

Subject: Angelina Jolie Voight, 35-year-old American actress

Date of Assessment: July 23, 2010

Positive Buzzwords: Action, focus, intensity

Negative Buzzwords: Tabloids, drama, Aniston

The Case: Well, I do believe that -- at least according to the "women have always been the worst enforcers of misogyny" school of thought -- I'm supposed to hate Angelina Jolie, although I'm not entirely sure why. Supposedly, she's a freakishly beautiful, husband-stealing, Oscar-baiting, brother-kissing, vial-of-blood-wearing voodoo priestess and do-gooding humanitarian who's adopted a veritable rainbow of children, not to mention -- let's face it -- one strange cat. Unfortunately for those of you rubbing your hands together in gleeful anticipation, I actually love Angelina Jolie.

At least, I adore the action-movie Jolie incarnation, which is where she's truly needed in Hollywood. Although, it is slightly bizarre how Jolie has become an unparalleled go-to-girl for action leads and a rather peerless one at that. Sure, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hamilton,...

Leonardo DiCaprio will be starring in another mystery entitled The Deep Blue Goodbye for 20th Century Fox. The film is an adaptation of the John D. MacDonald 21-volume mystery novel series.

DiCaprio will play Travis McGee, a self-described “beach bum who keeps home on 52-foot houseboat called the Busted Flush.” He alleviates his cash-flow problems by getting work as a “salvage consultant.” He finds things that his clients have lost. In the process he takes a percentage of what he finds like one of those scurvy door-to-door eBay hucksters.

Producing the project are Peter Chernin, DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran with an adapted script from Dana Stevens (City of Angels, Life or Something Like It).

DiCaprio recently completed work on Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island which was recently moved from an October release to a mid-February 2010 debut.

Related posts:Check out pics of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page in ‘Inception’Trailers...

The Total Recall remake (which we first told you about back in February) is moving forward.

The Hollywood Reporter states that Kurt Wimmer (Street Kings, Ultraviolet) has joined the production to pen the new screenplay

Neal H. Moritz and his Original Films banner producing "a contemporary version of the film" for Columbia Pictures.

The original film was directed by Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Hollow Man, Starship Troopers), and starred Schwarzenegger as a man on a horrifying sci-fi journey to Mars after a visit to Rekall, Inc., a company specializing in virtual tours and memory implantation.

Toby Jaffe (Rock Star, Life Or Something Like It) is overseeing on behalf of Original Film. Matt Tolmach (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) and Sam Dickerman (The Basketball Diaries) are overseeing for Columbia.

Fact: Total Recall appeared on the cover of Fangoria several times, including Fango #95 (pictured) in a feature on it's "Eye-Popping FX!"...

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news late last night that the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Total Recall is the latest film on-deck for a remake treatment. Neal H. Moritz and his Original Films banner are in final stages of negotiations to develop and produce "a contemporary version of the film" for Columbia Pictures.

The original film was directed by Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Hollow Man, Starship Troopers), and starred Schwarzenegger as a man on a horrifying sci-fi journey to Mars after a visit to Rekall, Inc., a company specializing in virtual tours and memory implantation.

"Moritz said he hoped the advancements in technology and state-of-the-art visual effects can help tell the "Recall" story in a fresh way."

Toby Jaffe (Rock Star, Life Or Something Like It) is overseeing on behalf of Original Film. Matt Tolmach (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) and Sam Dickerman (The Basketball Diaries) will oversee for Columbia.

Fact: Total Recall...

Fox is adding a sci-fi flavor to its drama development slate with put pilot commitments to Amy After Dark, from writer John Scott Shepherd and Emmy-winning director Todd Holland, and an untitled drama from writer Christian Taylor. Dark, from 20th Century Fox TV, centers on a young female attorney in New York who joins the undead after she is bitten by a vampire. Shepherd will write the script, and 20th TV-based Holland is set to direct the pilot. Both are executive producing. Shepherd, who created the ABC series The Days, also penned the features Joe Somebody and Life or Something Like It.

For Love of the Game scribe Dana Stevens has signed on to adapt The Dive for James Cameron and 20th Century Fox. Cameron is expected to direct the feature, which is based on the true-life love story between free divers Francisco "Pipin" Ferreras and his wife, Audrey Mestre. Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment acquired Ferreras' life rights, along with a cover story from Sports Illustrated on the diver. Cameron is producing with his Lightstorm partners Jon Landau and Rae Sanchini. "Our intention is that James will be directing another feature next year," Landau said. "'The Dive' will hopefully be the follow-up project to that." Another project in the works at Lightstorm is Battle Angel, based on the manga comic Battle Angel Alita. Stevens' other credits include Blink, City of Angels and Life or Something Like It. She is repped by UTA and attorney Sam Fisher.

ABC is freshening up its summer schedule with The Days, a drama series from advertising agency MindShare North America and Tollin/Robbins Prods. The network has ordered six episodes of the family show created by feature writer/author John Scott Shepherd (Life or Something Like It). MindShare's client, consumer giant Unilever, is on board to sponsor the show. Days, set to premiere in July, marks the first project under the programming partnership between ABC and MindShare launched in December (HR 12/2). "We set out to establish a model to help deliver more compelling, cost-effective scripted programming to our viewers and couldn't ask for a better partner than MindShare," ABC entertainment president Susan Lyne said. "It's exciting to have John Smart's and true take on the modern American family as the first fruits of this new collaboration."...

Regency Enterprises' Mr. and Mrs. Smith looks as if it is headed back to the altar. The studio and reps for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are trying to work out dates to get the project going by year's end with the duo in the starring roles, sources said. Close to two weeks ago, Smith looked to be unraveling with Pitt nearing an exit after a leading lady couldn't be found in the absence of his original co-star, Nicole Kidman, who had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts. However, Regency went back to Jolie to gauge her interest. Jolie, who most recently teamed with the company on Life or Something Like It, read the script and liked it and agreed to sign on if dates can be worked out.

Universal Pictures has picked up the original comedy pitch One Nation Under Bob, which screenwriter John Scott Shepherd will write as a vehicle for Tom Shadyac to direct. Shadyac's studio-based company Shady Acres Entertainment will produce the project with Shutt-Jones Prods. Bob, an original idea developed at Shady Acres and Shutt-Jones, is a high-concept comedy centering on an average man who inherits a plot of land only to discover that it is a country unto itself and he is now the owner of a sovereign nation. The intent is to develop the project for a major comedic star. Shady Acres' Michael Bostick is producing the project with Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones. Shady Acres executive Amanda Morgan Palmer will oversee the project with Universal's Holly Bario and Scott Stuber. Shepherd has written such projects as Joe Somebody and Life or Something Like It. Shadyac next directs the Universal/Shady Acres comedy Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman.

Variety reports that director Stephen Herek (Rock Star, Life Or Something Like It) is in final negotiations to direct the action comedy Cheer Up, with Tommy Lee Jones in the lead. The Bel-Air Entertainment film revolves around a hardened FBI veteran (Jones) who must co-exist with a group of dysfunctional cheerleaders from Eastern Connecticut College who witness a murder following one of their competitions. Warner Bros. will distribute the film.

Screen beauty Angelina Jolie has dismissed the media fascination with her buxom breasts. Jolie, who has just adopted a baby boy Maddox with husband Billy Bob Thornton, flashed her breasts in the TV movie Gia and got naked for last year's flop Original Sin. Angelina says, "I only do what the movie requires. Everybody seems to remember me as naked in Gia, but I said, 'No frontal below the waist,' and anything from behind is only going to be from a distance. My nudity in Gia was really just my breasts. And I don't see them as being that f**king stunning. I never think of myself as a pin-up when I take my clothes off." And Angelina was pleased to keep her clothes on in her latest movie Life Or Something Like It. She adds, "It's a comedy. I don't think we needed to show any graphic sexuality."...