Warner Bros. Calls Off Aniston-Jolie Face-Off
Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston’s box-office face-off has been called off.
The big-screen showdown (and de facto blogger field day) was originally set for Oct. 24, the day both Changeling, starring Jolie, and He’s Just Not That Into You, starring Aniston and a host of other A-listers, were set to open.
Which means Brad Pitt will remain the only person forced to choose between the two.
Warner Bros. confirmed today that it has bumped the release date of Aniston’s vehicle back several months, to Feb. 6, 2009.
No reason was given for the delay, the film’s second overall, though it wouldn’t have been much of a battle to begin with.
Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood, is only scheduled to open in limited release, while the bonanza that will be He’s Just Not That Into You will no doubt be theatrically unavoidable.
Rachel Bilson Gets Her Shopping Fix
Rachel Bilson Gets Her Shopping Fix
Getting a much-needed shopping fix, Rachel Bilson was spotted in the Meatpacking district of New York City on Tuesday morning (June 17).
Accompanied by a guy pal, the former OC babe combed the racks at shops including Alexander McQueen, Butik and Jeffery before taking a break for a bite to eat.
In related news, Rachel’s box office hit “Jumper” just came out on DVD a week ago - and she’s been busily interviewing as part of her press duties.
Recently chatting with the AP, Rachel revealed that she felt a little uncomfortable filming love scenes with co-star-turned-boyfriend Hayden Christensen in the sci-fi thriller.
“It’s always awkward and hard to film love scenes, it’s so unnatural, and it’s mechanical,” she said. “Actually Doug [Liman, director] made it very free and we went with it - and a shot of alcohol always helps ease the nerves.”
Despite the uneasiness, Rachel added that she had a wonderful time making the film with Hayden, Jamie Bell and Samuel L Jackson.
“It was so fantastic, the whole experience,” she said. “We all became close friends, but I also respect all of them as actors so I got to learn things from them. I was very fortunate.”
Jennifer Hudson: Call Me, Barack!
Attention, Barack Obama!
Jennifer Hudson would love to hear from you. The Oscar-winning actress and singer from Chicago (yes, she still lives there) says she’s ready to do what she can to get her senator elected president.
“I sang for Obama after I did Idol,” Hudson says. “I’m so proud and excited for him. I haven’t gotten a call from them yet, but he does have my support.”
I was on the phone with Hudson, 26, the day after she shot her first music video for “Spotlight,” her just-released single from her upcoming debut album. She’s a bit sleepy because the shoot lasted nearly 24 hours.
“I guess God gives me the strength,” Hudson said of her almost nonstop schedule since becoming the breakout star of Dreamgirls two years ago. “In this field you just sleep when you can.”
Well, life isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Ms. Hudson still has to finish the album, which is set to be released in September. “I still have a few more songs to go before it’s complete, but I think we’re kind of halfway there,” she said.
Hudson is anxious to hit the road with her music. “I want to tour,” she exclaimed. “I want to get out there. I’m looking forward to that.”
Of course, music isn’t the only thing Hudson is working on. She appears in this summer’s box-office hit Sex and the City, is part of the star-studded ensemble in the upcoming Winged Creatures, and she most recently wrapped The Secret Life of Bees opposite Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Dakota Fanning.
“Queen Latifah is like a big sister to me,” Hudson said of the friendship that developed on the North Carolina set. “I honestly feel that. I just saw her and I feel like, God, I’m with my big sister and I got to make sure I’m on my best behavior.”
Although there’s no official word on a Sex and the City sequel, that doesn’t mean Hudson isn’t thinking about it. She would hope her character, Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant, Louise, would make a return. “I think she’d be married with a family,” Hudson says. “And she’d probably move next door to Ms. Bradshaw.”
One thing you won’t find her doing in an SATC follow-up is one of its signature sex scenes. “I only have one answer for that question,” she says when asked if she’d ever bare as much as Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall did in the flick, “and that is, ’Nope!’”
But that doesn’t mean she’s not proud of her body. In fact, she’s not bothered by the media attention that’s been given to her ample bosom, like the story in the New York Post that was headlined “Put ’Em Away Jennifer Hudson!”
“Hey, mine are real,” Hudson declared. “People pay to get them like this and then let them hang out. They pay for what I got naturally. Why can’t I flaunt the real ones? They’re the real deal.”
Connery: Memoirs Are Forever
From Sean Connery with love comes a memoir that will leave fans of the legendary actor shaken and stirred.
The original James Bond plans to unveil his long-awaited memoirs Aug. 25the day of his 78th birthdaywhich also conveniently happens to be the final day of the Edinburgh International Book Festival in his native Scotland.
Connery, who was born in Edinburgh and once worked as a milkman and a model there before becoming a movie star, will be on hand for the launch of Being a Scot, a chronicle of his life before, during and after 007 in a film career that spanned more than 50 years.
The Oscar-winning thesp cowrote the autobiography with a little help from Scottish writer and filmmaker Murray Grigor. The title is also a nod to his deep devotion to supporting his country’s independence movement.
“In this special year, it was obviously essential to bring Sir Sean back to the city of his birth, on the day of his birthday, for a world-exclusive launch of his first book,” said festival director Catherine Lockerbie.
The Book Fair kicks off Aug. 9 and is considered one of the publishing world’s biggest events. More than 800 authors will participate in 750 events, among them Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood.
But having Connery on hand is extra special because it’s also the centennial of James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s birth. A new adventure featuring the superspy, entitled Devil May Care and penned by Sebastian Faulks, just hit book stores last month to commemorate the occasion.
The Untouchables star quietly retired from the big screen after 2003’s box office dud The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Connery subsequently turned down an offer by director Steven Spielberg to reprise his role as Indy’s father in a cameo in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, saying he found retirement “just too damned much fun.”