MADONNA TO TRADE ACTING FOR DIRECTING.

MADONNA has vowed never to act again - (pls don't!) because she would prefer to establish herself in Hollywood as a filmmaker. The star has repeatedly tried her hand at acting since launching her singing career in the 1980s, playing lead roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy and Evita, for which she won a Best Actress Golden Globe in 1997. But since directing the upcoming comedy Filth and Drama, the 49-year-old insists she has found her calling. When asked if she still dreams of an acting career, she responds: "Absolutely not, because now I've tasted directing. It's like Eve and the apple, I have to have a second bite. If you're an actress, it's not your vision.

"The director tells the story, you are the chess piece that is moved around. That doesn't suit my personality." And the Holiday hitmaker is so fond of filmmaking, she insists she even prefers it to making music: "You have more time to tell a story. You have an hour and half or two to save the world."

MEL B REJECTED SEX AND THE CITY FOR HER MUSIC!

SPICE GIRLS star MELANIE BROWN turned down a role in SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE to concentrate on making her new record. The singer insists although she would have loved to have acted in the big screen version of the hit U.S. TV show - she didn't want to interrupt work on her forthcoming album. She tells British newspaper The People, "They asked me to do the film, but I decided not to. I wanted to bring my music out all at once." Boy, I thought she liked anything that had to do with sex!

Ashanti to ditch music for movies in Hollywood!

R&B star ASHANTI is considering ditching music for movies to be a full-time movie star. The multi-talented 27-year-old has already starred in Resident Evil, John Tucker Must Die and Coach Carter - and she reveals she is so hooked on Hollywood she wants to work behind the camera as well as in front of it. Ashanti says, "I'm always reading scripts. I'm even looking to get into some behind-the-scenes work. Maybe do some co-producing. It's all about taking chances. You can't be afraid to try something different."

Madonna's handbag auctioned for half a million dollars! Also set to headline Michael Moore film fest.

MADONNA's Chanel handbag sold for almost half a million dollars at a charity auction at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday (22May08). The pop superstar handed over the black alligator-skin diamond bag she had taken to the amFar Cinema Against Aids benefit in the French resort, complete with most of its contents, including lip gloss "that actually touched my lips"; lip balm; a mirror and throat lozenges. This is ridiculous. Stars really have it good!

She removed her two cell phones, insisting, "I'm not going to give up my Blackberry and phone because that's too expensive for you." But it still sold to a mystery buyer for a staggering $471,000, proving more valuable than even a smooch with silver screen idol George Clooney - which sold for $300,000. Actress Sharon Stone was one of the night's biggest givers, handing over a $100,000 personal donation and then auctioning her own vintage Porsche 911 Targa for $810,00. The event raised more than $10 million for amfAR's life-saving Aids research programs.

Meanwhile, Documentary maker MICHAEL MOORE has landed a big boost for his Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan - MADONNA's coming home for it.The pop superstar's I am Because We Are documentary, about Aids orphans in Malawi, will headline the alternative film festival in August (08). And the Material Girl will be there in person. Thrilled Moore says, "Madonna will present the film, watch it with the audience and conduct a question-and-answer session afterwards.

"It's a huge coup for the Film Festival, and for Traverse City." And the hard-hitting documentarian, who has taken the U.S. medical profession and President George W. Bush to task in his films, has nothing but praise for Madonna's new release, which recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France. He adds, "She spent the past couple of years filming what the people go through, and the efforts to help them. I saw the film about a month ago. It's a fantastic, powerful movie." Madonna produced and narrated the documentary after travelling to Malawi, where she met toddler David Banda. She and husband Guy Ritchie are adopting the child.

UN"ESTABLISHED" Actors and Actresses all over Cannes???

Is it something in my hormones or are too many celebrities who can't act or simply are not in the movie business all over Cannes for networking and publicity crap? The ones that should be there have not showed up.......(Danzel, Cuba Gooding, Blair Underwood, Snoop Dogg, Wesley Snipes) AMAZING!

Video: Rapper Will Smith - Hancock, Homeless SuperHero Trailer.

BIG ACTOR: WEEZY to star in two top movies!

Rapper LIL WAYNE has his sights set on a speedy new film role - he's in negotiations to land a role in the next FAST & THE FURIOUS movie. Fast & Furious 4 will be released on DVD in 2009 and will star Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Michelle Rodriguez is also reportedly heading back for the fourth film in the movie franchise. Lil Wayne will also star in Forest Whitaker's new film Patriots.

Rapper Will Smith to star in the movie about the world's most expensive bottle of wine!

WILL SMITH has bottled up a new movie project after optioning the film rights to wine saga THE BILLIONAIRE'S VINEGAR: THE MYSTERY OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF WINE. Bosses at the movie star's production company were won over by Benjamin Wallace's chronicle of the auction house fight for a 1787 bottle of Chateau Lafite, which was rumoured to have belonged to U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. Wallace claimed that Jefferson was duped into thinking the wine was a rare vintage and as such the son of billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes bought doctored cheap wine for $156,000 the world record for a single bottle.

Rapper COMMON to be in the next "Terminator" movie.

Rapper COMMON has landed a high-profile role in the fourth instatement of THE TERMINATOR movie franchise. Common - real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn - will star Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins alongside Christian Bale. The movie, slated for a 2009 release, will be the first in the series to go ahead without original star Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's governor now....

Ludacris' 'Theater Of The Mind' Pushed Back after one track leaked already!

Speaking of Ludacris' upcoming sixth solo album, Theater of The Mind, has been pushed back. Remember DJ Toomp was working on that album with him in a studio here in Toronto.

The album was slated for release this summer but Ludacris recently revealed to Reuters that the set will be hitting shelves in September. The Atlanta rapper described the album as “a collection of his experiences up to this point” and called it “film worthy”.

Luda plans to drop its first official single in June or July. One track from the album, “Let's Stay Together”, has already leaked. Who are the jerks that leak these things? More movies for Luda who will be gracing the big screen in the crime drama RocknRolla this October. The flick, directed by Guy Ritchie, is based on the Russian mob’s invasion of Europe. Luda is currently here in Toronto filming the big-screen adaptation of the popular video game Max Payne. The flick's cast includes Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis .

LIKE TUPAC: Working so hard and getting into trouble--Amy to record Bond track!

Troubled singer AMY WINEHOUSE is working on a theme song for the forthcoming JAMES BOND film, according to super producer MARK RONSON. Last month March 2008, the Back To Black star's spokesman refuted claims she was secretly writing the title track for the movie.

But Ronson insists the pair has recorded a song and hopes it will be used for the upcoming blockbuster, Quantum Of Solace. He says, "They asked Amy, and I think Amy said that if she did it, she'd want to do it with me. So hopefully something will come of it.

"The demo sounds like a James Bond theme, hopefully. But I don't know if it'll get used." "I'm sure there are loads more really famous people that probably we're competing with and we don't know about. But hopefully I'll still be alive for at least 12 more Bond themes. If we don't get this one maybe we'll get another one."

SMOOCHES: Mimi gets a kiss from DeNiro at Tribeca!

Actor Robert De Niro kisses singer Mariah Carey hello at the premiere of 'Tennessee' at the BMCC\PPAC Theatre during the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on April 26, 2008. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic)

BOX OFFICE JITTERS: Mimi to re-ignite her movie career.

MARIAH CAREY leaped at the chance to reignite her movie career in Independent film TENNESSEE - so she could exorcise the demons of 2001 flop GLITTER. The movie was a critical and commercial failure, and acting offers dried up for Carey. Seven years on the star returns to the big screen, playing a waitress in Tennessee, after producer Lee Daniels offered to help her find her way back in Hollywood.

She says, "It was cool for Lee Daniels to take a chance on me because obviously, you know, not everybody was going to do that." The film - about two men on a journey to find their estranged father, in a bid to save their younger brother from leukemia - will premiere on Saturday (26Apr08) at New York's Tribeca Film Festival.

ThatNewish has photos off the set of the Notorius BIG movie!

One of our sponsored links Thatnewish.Com has full movie set pictures of Jamal Woolard playing Biggie on the set of this upcoming Christopher Wallace movie. Doesn't she make a good Faith Evans? Check them out here.

Mos Def to play Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records.

US rapper and actor Mos Def is to play Chuck Berry in a new film about the legendary record label Chess Records. Cadillac Records, written and directed by Darnell Martin, is set in the 1950s and will follow the lives of Leonard Chess, the man who founded Chess Records, and some of its famous artists. This is the same movie Beyonce plays Etta James in.

This is how JAMAL WOOLARD is going to portray Biggie Smalls!

Hot! Isn't it? Here is his first look as he will portray Notorius B.I.G in the upcoming movie.

Willow and Jaden Smith to Stretch, Play Adorable Siblings Onscreen.

Siblings Willow and Jaden Smith, kids of Rapper/Actor Will Smith will appear together in Warners' Amulet, based on Kazu Kibuishi's excellent all-ages graphic novel. Should the adaptation work a scene in which the Smiths appear on screen with otters holding hands into the original's story of kids rescuing their mom from an underground monster, physicists warn that a cuteness event horizon might swallow the galaxy. [Variety] Here's an excerpt of what it will be like. I remember when these 2 were born! Time flies.

Diddy's movie roles are already pouring in! SEX and the CITY?

Sarah Jessica Parker has confirmed there are plans to make a SEX + THE CITY movie sequel - and it could feature SEAN `DIDDY' COMBS. The first film is expected to be one of the year's big hits when it blasts onto cinema screens this summer (08) and the actress admits she's already in negotiations for a second movie. The 42-year-old says, "People are talking to me about it." And Parker is thrilled that rap mogul and designer Combs' name is being linked to the stylish sequel. She adds, "Who's more perfect than that?"

Brooklyn Rapper Jamak Woolard who was shot outside Hot 97 FM to play Notorius B.I.G in movie!

New York rapper Jamal Woolard will get his "B.I.G." break, as he will star as Notorious B.I.G. in "Notorious" on the big screen. Woolard, a Brooklyn-based rapper, has been tapped to play late rap icon Biggie Smalls. According to Hip-Hop Elements, two years ago, the budding MC made headlines after he did a radio interview at New York hip-hop station Hot 97 moments after he was shot outside of the building.

I think this is the same one shot when L'il Scrappy and 50 were in the building too and I was back in ATL with Mama Dee, Scrappy's mom when she freaked out and TOLD ME, not ask me--TOLD ME to put on my site that if anybody hurts her son in that whole shooting bit, she will personally_____them! You fill in the blank. a. Smoke b. Kill c. melt. Mama Dee is a very powerful strong woman who raised Scrappy and his sister alone and very well too. She does not play that shooting outside/inside NY radio stations thing. (L'il Kim, Shyne, Busta etc.) Scrappy and 50 took off at the back entrance and he called her to say he was okay and got on the next plane to Atlanta. They had nothing to do with all that outside mess but had to fear for their own safety! There's Mama Dee up there with me at the TuPac Oscar red carpet party which I hosted. and I put whatever she wants on this website ON!

These are not family secrets, these are thing we all have to know. That woman told me some rough stories of survival raising her kids. It's called news and please leave the damn guns alone!

Beyonce cast in new movie called Obsessed.

Beyoncé Knowles, Ali Larter and Idris Elba have been cast in the Screen Gems thriller Obsessed. The film centres on a businessman (Elba) who has a beautiful wife (Knowles) and successful career until he starts being stalked by a temp worker (Larter). Knowles recently signed up to play blues icon Etta James in Cadillac Records. Larter is know for her role in NBC's hit show Heroes. Elba was last seen in Ridley Scott's American Gangster. British TV helmer Steve Shill will direct Obsessed from a script by David Loughery.