MUSIC . . .

For Beyonce and T.I., No. 1 is followed by five —BET Awards nominations, that is. The two entertainers, who each who scored No. 1 hit songs and videos this year, lead BET Awards nominees with five each. Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Keri Hilson each have four nominations. Other multiple nominees include Jennifer Hudson, Jazmine Sullivan, Kanye West, Keyshia Cole and Jamie Foxx, who is set to host the show on June 28 at the Shrine Auditorium. (Daily Record)

Jay-Z has chutzpah. When the hip-hop czar played the University of Arizona for a paycheck of $750,000 last month, he demanded perks including a black Maybach with tinted windows, a 72-degree dressing room with Sapporo beer, vodka, tequila, two bottles of $300 champagne, "good quality" peanut butter and jelly, one martini shaker, 12 shot glasses and Marlboros, TheSmokingGun.com reports. But alas, the school nixed the booze, butts and car. (Page Six)

Holiday music fans may have to cover their ears if Iggy Pop has his way. "I am a real threat to cover 'White Christmas' this year," the grizzled godfather of punk rock tells next month's Relix magzine. "I'm warning you now: I'm ready, cocked and loaded." And there may be other standards coming from the 62-year-old Pop. "I've always wanted to beat up 'Willow Weep for Me.' [And] there's 'Only the Lonely' -- that's the title track of my favorite Sinatra album," he says. (Page Six)

Morrissey has been forced to cancel yet another show on doctor's orders to "ensure a complete recuperation." In addition to canceling Wednesday's show at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, the singer also cancelled a previous engagement at London's Royal Albert Hall, as well as the world tour's first four gigs in Florida. He also missed a television appearance. Customers are advised to hang onto their tickets as the dates may be rescheduled. (Perez Hilton)

Danny Gokey was sent home by "American Idol" viewers on Wednesday in an elimination that set the stage for next week's showdown between the last two singing contestants on America's most-watched television show. Gokey, 29, a widowed church music director from Wisconsin, had until this week been one of the leading vote-getters among viewers this season. He lost his wife to heart disease last July. Following his elimination, Gokey sang an encore of "You Are So Beautiful," the Joe Cocker-popularized ballad he had performed the night before to praise from the judges. Judge Kara DioGuardi sat with her hands clasped as she watched Gokey sing, while fellow panelist Paula Abdul appeared to fight back tears. Afterward, judge Simon Cowell said Gokey's elimination and the looming showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, who was considered an underdog, came as a surprise. "None of us would have predicted this, guys," Cowell said. "No disrespect, because you were brilliant last night, and just now by the way Danny, congratulations." Cowell then offered his view on how the final competition could shape up. "This could be what we call a big ding-dong coming up next week," he said. The winner of the show's eighth season will be announced during a live finale next Wednesday. Lambert, 27, a musical theater actor from California, has long been considered the presumed front-runner on the show, with the judges praising his vocal command and risk-taking. Allen, 23, is a college student from Arkansas known for his abilities on the acoustic guitar and the piano and for giving a new twist to songs with his earnest style. Other highlights of Wednesday's show included performances by 2007 "Idol" champion Jordin Sparks and "I Kissed a Girl" singer Katy Perry. This week's elimination round drew more than 88 million votes from viewers, with slightly more than 1 million votes separating Lambert and Allen, host Ryan Seacrest said. "American Idol" pits aspiring singers against one another in a series of competitions leading up to the finale, with the season champion winning a recording contract. The program has more than 25 million viewers per episode, and is broadcast by the Fox network, a unit of News Corp. Past winners, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, have enjoyed Grammy-winning careers, but even runners-up such as Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry have gone on to stardom. (Billboard)

Beyonce floats into the top 5, Jeremih scores the week's biggest digital and airplay gains and Daughtry debuts in the top 20 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart this week. Beyonce's "Halo" rises 8-5 in a top 10 led by the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" at No. 1, Lady GaGa's "Poker Face" at No. 2, Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain's "Blame It" at No. 3, Kid Cudi's "Day ‘N' Nite" at No. 4, and Flo Rida feat. Wynter's "Sugar" at No. 6. Rounding out the top 10 are Soulja Boy Tell'em feat. Sammie's "Kiss Me Thru The Phone" holding steady at No. 7, 3OH!3 climbing 9-8 with "Don't Trust Me" and Flo Rida's "Right Round" falling 6-9. Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" re-enters the top 10, rising 11-10 this week. Jeremih's "Birthday Sex" becomes the first song in several years outside the top 10 to simultaneously score the week's greatest airplay gain (an increase of 12 million audience impressions) and digital download gain (a jump of 11,000 downloads).  Daughtry debuts at No. 15 with "No Surprise," the week's highest debut on the Hot 100. Spurred by a May 6 "American Idol" performance and a subsequent download count of 106,000, it's Daughtry's best debut on the chart. Also new on this week's Hot 100 is Eminem feat. Dr. Dre's "Old Time's Sake," at No. 25; Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning" at No. 29; Paula Abdul's "I'm Just Here For the Music" at No. 87; Drake's "Best I Ever Had" at No. 92; Young Money's "Every Girl" at No. 96; and Fast Life Yungstaz' "Swag Surfin" at No. 99. Skirting the top 10 this week is Latin rapper Pitbull's bilingual hip-shaker "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," a re-working of dance hit "75 Brazil Street." Sugarland surges to its fifth No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, as the lyrically-playful "It Happens" hikes from No. 3 to No. 1. Re-entering the Hot 100 this week is Kanye West feat. Young Jeezy with "Amazing," at No. 81. (Billboard)

In an unchanged top three on European Top 100 Albums, "Sounds of the Universe" (Mute/EMI) starts a third week on top for Depeche Mode, ahead of Bob Dylan's "Together Through Life" (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment). Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" (Interscope/Universal) racks up a 12th week atop European Hot 100 Singles. The Depeche Mode album spends a third week at the top of the German, Swiss and Hungarian charts and adds a No. 1 debut in Greece, but is down 1-5 in Sweden, 1-2 in Italy and 12-22 in the United Kingdom. It's up 4-2 in France and holds at No. 2 in Austria and the Belgian region of Wallony. That collective performance keeps "Universe" ahead of the Dylan set, which tops the U.K. bestsellers for a second week (with 28,000 sales for a two-week total of 70,000) and moves 2-1 in Sweden. It's down 1-3 in Denmark, 1-5 in Austria, 2-3 in Norway, 2-4 in Switzerland, 2-6 in Germany, 3-5 in Flanders and 6-9 in Italy, but holds at No. 2 in Ireland. Lady Gaga is at No. 3 on the aggregate chart again with "The Fame," after moving 3-2 in the United Kingdom and Switzerland, 4-3 in Germany, 5-4 in Austria and holding at No. 3 in Ireland. Pink's "Funhouse" (LaFace/Sony Music Entertainment) continues its robust European run, climbing 6-4 in its 28th week on Top 100 Albums. It makes that same move in the United Kingdom, adding another 20,000 sales, and holds at No. 4 in Ireland. U2 and Beyoncé are each down another rung, with "No Line on the Horizon" (Mercury/Universal)" at No. 5 and "I Am... Sasha Fierce" (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) at No. 6. U2's best move of the week is 8-7 in Portugal and Beyoncé stays at No. 4 in Norway. The single "Halo" holds at No. 5 on the European Hot 100. The highest new entry on the pan-European album chart is Michael Hirte's "Der Mann Mit Der Mundharmonika 2" (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) at No. 7. The harmonica-playing graduate of German TV's "Das Supertalent" last year is new at No. 1 in Austria and No. 2 in Germany with the swift follow-up to his first album from the turn of the year. Lily Allen's "It's Not You It's Me" (Regal/Parlophone/EMI) is back in the Europe-wide top ten, climbing 13-8 as it improves 5-3 in the United Kingdom. The sophomore set debuted at No. 2 overall in February and spent its first three weeks in the collective top ten. It's also up 6-5 in Ireland this week and Allen is charting around Europe with no fewer than three singles: "Not Fair" is up 9-8 in the United Kingdom, where the former No. 1 "The Fear" is down 29-31, as "F*** You" holds at No. 4 in Finland and falls 2-5 in Holland. Yusuf Islam enjoys a pan-European top ten debut - at No. 9 - with "Roadsinger (To Warm You Through The Night)," which marks the former Cat Stevens' return to Universal's Island label. It's new at No. 10 in the United Kingdom on sales of 12,000, compared to the opening 22,000 for its 2006 predecessor "An Other Cup," although that only debuted at No. 20. The new set also arrives at No. 9 in Germany. Finally in the composite top ten, Kings of Leon's "Only By The Night" (Hand Me Down/Sony Music Entertainment) is down 9-10, despite a 10-5 climb in Greece. It's at No. 8 again in the United Kingdom. (Billboard)

For a band named after time wasted in a cannabis fog, Green Day sure is lame at vegging out. "We worked (hard) on this album," says singer, guitarist and lyricist Billie Joe Armstrong of the band's new 21st CenturyBreakdown, out Friday. "If we're one of the biggest bands, it's not because we got lucky or are the most talented. The hard work is what I'm most proud of. Nothing comes easy for us." If so, it's hard to tell. Breakdown follows 2004's critically lauded American Idiot, which will open as a musical at the Berkeley (Calif.) Repertory Theatre in September. If Idiot was largely an angry critique of the former president's effect on the nation, the new album whisks listeners through a bleak but not hopeless landscape with an epic sonic palette. Echoes of The Who (21st Century Breakdown), The Clash (Know Your Enemy) and even The Beatles (Last Night on Earth) reverberate through an aural triptych that screams "concept album." Not that Armstrong knew he was headed into that pre-iTunes territory when he was conjuring words. "I wasn't thinking of this grand scheme or anything, but I come from an era when records were an event," he says. "Today's kids are sold short. They want something meaningful." Drummer Tre Cool, who along with bassist Mike Dirnt rounds out the trio, says the band shot for "a fun ride, from headbanging to quieter moments."  But for the three Bay Area friends, who bonded 20 years ago in their teens, there was also a sense of destiny. "We did for a moment wonder, 'Should we kick (butt)? Or phone it in and do Kerplunkpart two?' " Cool says. "In the end, we thought, 'If this is our time, let's seize the day.' " Breakdown was born when the band gathered in a Costa Mesa, Calif., studio with veteran producer Butch Vig (Nirvana's Nevermind) and sifted through dozens of songs until a theme emerged. Two characters, Christian and Gloria, quickly took center stage in a journey that reflects on a post-Bush America that, in the words of the album's coda, See the Light, needs to cross "the desert, reaching higher ground." The bandmates are unabashed fans of President Obama. But don't confuse that for relief. "It took eight years to get into this mess, and it's going to take more than 130 days to get out of it," Dirnt says. Green Day hopes to lend a hand with its pop-punk, emphasis on the latter's roots in prodding authority. While much of Breakdown revels in three-chord simplicity, its authors are complex. "These guys are all very well-read," says Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke, who spent time with the band in the studio. "Whether it's their social views or their music, they take everything in and compact that into ambitious rock 'n' roll. They love bands like The Ramones, The Doors, and they're just trying to be as good as their heroes." Where many groups get caught up in personality and business clashes over time, Green Day's bond translates into musical unity, Fricke says. "They don't think the same, but they act as one." Helping carry the band's political message is a loyal fan base. "In the beginning, they'd sing about alienation through romance," says Robert "Eggplant" Burnett, a longtime volunteer at Berkeley's famed all-ages club, 924 Gilman Street, where he saw the band debut as Sweet Children. "Now, they're singing about alienation through politics. There's a progression, and we (fans) happily go along with it." One question always shadows an underground band thriving in the mainstream: Are they still punk? "Punk means questioning the mold society shoves us into," says Ross Haenfler, sociologist at the University of Mississippi and author of Straight Edge: Clean Living Youth, Hardcore Punk and Social Change. "So Green Day might be at awards shows and on TV, but they have always fit that definition." For Armstrong, the pressure that accompanies success is just channeled back into the music. "We use all that to push us harder," says Armstrong, who taught himself piano for Breakdown so he could expand the number of keys he could compose in. "If we have an Achilles' heel, it's patience. But we knew we had to lay back a bit and let it all come together." (Daily Record)


MOVIE . . .

If you're trying to woo Jennifer Aniston, make your move behind closed doors. "I broke up with a guy and he tried to get back together with me by bringing his mother to a restaurant I worked at and getting down on one knee in the middle of the restaurant. The whole restaurant started applauding and I was like, 'Get up!' It was horrible," Aniston says with a laugh, recalling the ill-fated maneuver during her pre-fame years of waiting tables. Fittingly enough, romance gone awry plays a pivotal role in Aniston's latest movie, Management, opening Friday. Aniston's aloof, guarded saleswoman, Sue, is doggedly pursued by Steve Zahn's Mike, who meets her at his family's motel in Arizona and decides to follow her across the country. Aniston and Zahn play opposites in the film: She's a driven, focused career woman, while he's impetuous and impulsive, refusing to accept that, initially, she's just not that into him. "I loved that it was a really fresh and unique way to tell a love story," Aniston says. She and Zahn were acquaintances before they shot the movie, which is their third collaboration. Zahn, 41, played Phoebe's figure-skating husband, Duncan, in a 1995 episode of Aniston's eternally popular sitcom, Friends, and co-starred with Aniston, 40, in 1998 romantic comedy The Object of My Affection. "Our paths have crossed and it wasn't until this — this was what we were meant to do. Reading romantic comedy after romantic comedy, you get sort of numb to the whole story of falling in love, and this was just such a unique, sweet, oddball, misfit love story," Aniston says during a joint interview with Zahn at the Regency Hotel.  (Daily Record)

Lindsay Lohan done gone and got herself job. We're shocked too! Lindsay is set to star in an independent fantasy comedy called The Other Side, in which Lindsay plays a grad student (Ha!) who must spend her summer doing scientific work (Hahah!) on a remote island. While there, she discovers an underground community hiding a secret about a long ago tragedy. The cast also includes Woody Harrelson, Giovanni Ribisi, Dave Matthews and Alanis Morissette. According to director David Michaels, "Lindsay's very aware of people's perceptions of her. She's really committed to doing what she has to in order to change that." Not exactly Oscar material, but it's a step in the right direction! (Perez Hilton)

If you're trying to woo Jennifer Aniston, make your move behind closed doors. "I broke up with a guy and he tried to get back together with me by bringing his mother to a restaurant I worked at and getting down on one knee in the middle of the restaurant. The whole restaurant started applauding and I was like, 'Get up!' It was horrible," Aniston says with a laugh, recalling the ill-fated maneuver during her pre-fame years of waiting tables. Fittingly enough, romance gone awry plays a pivotal role in Aniston's latest movie, Management, opening Friday. Aniston's aloof, guarded saleswoman, Sue, is doggedly pursued by Steve Zahn's Mike, who meets her at his family's motel in Arizona and decides to follow her across the country. Aniston and Zahn play opposites in the film: She's a driven, focused career woman, while he's impetuous and impulsive, refusing to accept that, initially, she's just not that into him.  "I loved that it was a really fresh and unique way to tell a love story," Aniston says.  She and Zahn were acquaintances before they shot the movie, which is their third collaboration. Zahn, 41, played Phoebe's figure-skating husband, Duncan, in a 1995 episode of Aniston's eternally popular sitcom, Friends, and co-starred with Aniston, 40, in 1998 romantic comedy The Object of My Affection.  "Our paths have crossed and it wasn't until this — this was what we were meant to do. Reading romantic comedy after romantic comedy, you get sort of numb to the whole story of falling in love, and this was just such a unique, sweet, oddball, misfit love story," Aniston says during a joint interview with Zahn at the Regency Hotel.  Would she be Sue for a day?  Aniston's personal life — which includes her 2005 divorce from Brad Pitt and relationships with Vince Vaughn and John Mayer— remains off-limits. Surely, given the cameras that follow her nearly everywhere, Aniston would love to be Sue for a day, and be able to get in her car and drive anywhere she wanted without being recognized? "Would I love a level of anonymity? Sure, there are times I'd love to take a moment. But that's lonely," Aniston says. "It seems like a lonely existence that (Sue) has made and convinced herself that it's comfortable. " The affable and chatty Zahn, meanwhile, gets bashful when asked if he has ever fallen as hard for someone as Mike does for Sue. "Yeah, I think so," he replies, without going into further detail. "Where it's all you think about, where it's all that drives you — it's such a great, great thing." It's because of Zahn's sweet, shaggy nature that Mike comes across as cute, not creepy and stalker-like. Take the opening scenes, when he goes to Sue's room unbidden with a bottle of wine. "It was never weird that she let him in," Aniston says. "Because she never felt threatened," Zahn concludes.  Aniston's character dreams of quitting her sales gig and opening a soup kitchen. As for the actress, she can't see herself ditching her career yet for a different endeavor — or could she?  "That's such a tough question. I would say, probably something in the health industry. It's too late to go to medical school. I'd travel. I'd go back to the years that I never did what I'd wish I'd done, which was travel Europe and backpack. That sounds slightly romantic," says Aniston, pausing to ponder the question some more. "What I would do? I don't know. Maybe become a chef. There's so much more to do. It's almost overwhelming. I've gotten to a great place in my career. " Zahn sees more similarities with his character than Aniston does with hers.  "I'm not like Sue at all," Aniston says. "You have to find a healthy balance. You don't want to become Sue. You can easily become her. It's so easy to do. It's finding the balance of not shutting down and hibernating."  "I'm probably a little more like Mike," Zahn says. "Sue is the opposite of her in a lot of ways. She's hard and guarded." Says Aniston, playfully touching Zahn's arm: "I'm soft tissue."  Zahn brings out a warmer, more open side of the rather inscrutable Aniston. She remains something of an enigma in person: one of the world's most famous and photographed women, yet a master of deflection and gifted at revealing very little. In person, she's tiny, with flawless skin and perfectly coiffed hair, which she twirls between her fingers. She and Zahn, both animal lovers, commiserate over the loss of his two pooches, both of whom he had to put down because of illness and old age. He calls it one of the most wrenching things he has ever experienced.  "God, I'm sorry," sighs Aniston, the owner of canines Dolly, 3, and Norman, 13. "It's so hard. Man."  The two get to talking about tobacco, which is grown in Kentucky, where Zahn lives on a farm with his wife, Robyn, and their son and daughter.  "It's a beautiful crop, with beautiful flowering leaves. They stake it and they cut it," Zahn says. "It's hard work." "And I just smoke it!" jokes Aniston. "Are you still doing, what's it called — dipping?" "Yeah," Zahn says. Aniston reveals another of Zahn's hidden talents, involving wood and a knife. "He whittles," she says. "He's great at it." Says Zahn: "I whittle my (expletive) off." Behind the scenes Their bond, which Zahn calls "a true connection," extended beyond the Portland, Ore., set. "We really wanted to go to work every day," Aniston says. "We were lucky to finish work and be all at the same hotel. We'd finish a day of work and go have a beer." Says Zahn: "It's great when you want to keep hanging out." And even though she produced Management, Aniston says that she's "not the boss. Everything we did was collaborative. God, it feels like yesterday, in that rehearsal room." Aniston has had a spotty transition into films since the 2004 end of Friends, the NBC series that turned Aniston into America's golden-haired sweetheart. There's last year's holiday smash Marley & Me and the 2006 relationship comedy The Break-Up, but also flops such as 2005's Derailed and Rumor Has It.  Aniston's response? To take control of her options. She started her own production company, called Echo Films, and is working behind the scenes on The Baster, a comedy currently shooting in Manhattan. Also in development: Getting Rid of Matthew, based on the novel by Jane Fallon about an unrepentant cheater who finds himself unwanted by both of the women in his life.  "(Fallon) wrote the script. That's the great thing about starting a production company. You go, 'I'm going to read the same damn script over and over again.' You want to take control of your creativity, and you have to get in there," says Aniston, who gets visibly animated when discussing her producing work. "There are other things to do behind the scenes and be a part of the project from its beginning. That's been really fun. It's important. Otherwise you just fizzle, I think." To make sure that doesn't happen, Aniston says, she has become more selective about her workload. "It's so much of our time. It's all you're doing. You go home, go to bed, learn your lines, go to bed, wake up, go do the movie. You really hope that you're going to love everybody," Aniston says. "Better love it, because you're going to be there a lot." Before, she might have signed on to a film after being told that "it will be a big one. I don't see myself doing that (anymore)," Aniston says. "I don't care." It's all about quality of life  The priority for her? Creative fulfillment and personal satisfaction. "This is now my quality-of-life issue here," she says.  What does it take to get Aniston out of her newly renovated Beverly Hills home these days to shoot a movie in, say, Vancouver or Mexico? "Not much to go to Mexico," jokes Aniston, swine flu dangers notwithstanding. "I'd even suffer through that and put a mask on." But in all seriousness, she muses, "You've got to really love the project. I just left home after I built up my house for 2½ years. I moved in for a month and now I'm here. I don't want to do the same thing over and over. It's not about, 'Oh, it's going to be a big hit.' I don't want to do that." (Daily Record)

Frank Sinatra is finally getting his biopic, directed by no less a celebrity profiler than Martin Scorsese. Universal Pictures has acquired "Sinatra," a script by "Field of Dreams" screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson with Scorsese attached to helm. Mandalay Pictures' Peter Guber and Cathy Schulman are producing along with Scorsese and his Sikelia Prods.  The deal comes after years of negotiations with Frank Sinatra Enterprises, a joint venture of the crooner's estate and Warner Music Group. Internal politics of the estate, where family members had to form a consensus as to how to tell the story and, more importantly, just how much of the story to tell -- was a hurdle that had to be overcome.  "The obstacles were ones of comfort and trust," Schulman said. "Everybody that was in control of the rights had to unanimously agree to do this. And having Marty at the head of this was the thing that ultimately cracked the code, so to speak." There were also complicated rights issues, with the entire venture at one point getting bogged down over apparel merchandising rights, which the studio and the family were haggling over. That issue appears to be resolved. Scorsese has taken on a host of historical figures throughout his career, most notably boxer Jake La Motta, billionaire recluse Howard Hughes and Jesus. "Sinatra" not only will allow Scorsese to tackle the life of a fellow Italian-American with enormous cultural impact, it will also give him a chance to paint a portrait of Sinatra's pal, Dean Martin. The filmmaker has for more than a decade been developing a biopic on Martin titled "Dino," working with a script by his "Casino" and "Goodfellas" writer Nicholas Pileggi based on the Nick Tosches biography, "Dino: Livin' High in the Dirty Business of Dreams." "Dino" has been dormant for quite some time, though the research done for that project will likely inform "Sinatra" to an extent. Speaking of research, Robinson, who was nominated for an Oscar for writing 1989's "Field of Dreams," had amassed 30,000 pages of it for "Sinatra," according to Schulman. And distilling it into a feature film has led the creative team to shun a traditional, linear storytelling approach in favor of a more unconventional one.  "It'll be almost like a collage," Schulman said. "In the way one of his records captures different rhythms and moods, this will have collective scenes and moments that form the overall story as opposed to a conventional timeline. It's about capturing moments as opposed to trying to tell the entire story in too little time."  A comparison could be made to Todd Haynes' 2007 Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There," which sketched out impressions of Dylan's life and work using six different actors, though only one actor is expected to play the Chairman of the Board. With the artistic and social life he led, Sinatra's personal history is perfectly tailored for dramatic storytelling. Born in Hoboken, N.J., and raised during the Depression, he built a singing career that weathered many changes in popular culture, all the while racking up 31 gold records and countless other honors. He also had a successful career as an actor, proving naysayers wrong by earning an Oscar for 1953's "From Here to Eternity."  His personal life was just as eventful. He suffered from depression, was alleged to have connections to organized crime and was married four times; two of his wives were Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow.  No one has yet been cast in "Sinatra." The icon, who died 11 years ago Thursday, was portrayed on the small screen by Philip Casnoff in a 1992 TV movie and by Ray Liotta in HBO's 1998 movie "The Rat Pack." Robinson recently signed with Endeavor. Scorsese is also repped by Endeavor. (Hollywood Reporter)

Peter Webber has signed to direct the long-gestating big screen version of "Wuthering Heights" with Gemma Arterton and Ed Westwick taking on the roles of young lovers Cathy and Heathcliff. This time last year John Maybury was to direct the project with Michael Fassbender attached for the lead role of Heathcliff. Arterton steps in after Natalie Portman pulled out of the headline role of Cathy. British production and finance label Ecosse Films principals Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae will produce the tragic love story with sales and financier HanWay Films selling the project here.  Webber will direct from a script by Olivia Hetreed which reunites the team behind the Oscar nominated "Girl With a Pearl Earring." Having a fresh cast and a director on board should mean the project finally begins shooting later this year. Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights," written in the first half of the 19th century has never been out of print and is currently enjoying a minor revival after fans picked up on repeated reference to it in the bestselling Twilight vampire novels by Stephenie Meyer.  Webber describes the source material as a "powerful, moving and dangerous love story that cries out to be told on the big screen." For the latest adaptation, Ecosse said it plans to focus on the story of Heathcliff and Cathy, steering away from "stuffy costume drama." Previous Ecosse movies include John Madden's "Mrs. Brown" and a brace of Julian Jarrold directed projects "Becoming Jane" and "Brideshead Revisited." (Hollywood Reporter)

With equity and bank loans melting away, producers from Burbank to Berlin are discovering that the bedrock of indie film financing is soft money.  Just ask Oscar winner Roman Polanski, who this week picked up nearly $6 million in subsidy cash from Germany for his in-production thriller "The Ghost" starring Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan. Or, on the other end of budgetary and taste spectrum, pulpy Finnish sci-fi feature "Iron Sky," which is getting almost half its $5.4 million budget from soft money sources in Finland (Finnish Film Fund) and Germany (Hessen Film Invest). And this year's Cannes Competition lineup -- the one regarded as a vintage selection -- is jam-packed with features that would have been impossible to make without European state subsidies: from the $11 million in German soft money backing Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," to the U.K. Film Council cash and tax rebates that helped Jane Campion's "Bright Star" and Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" to the finish line. The multi-territory subsidy structure of Lars von Trier's "Antichrist" and Ken Loach's "Looking For Eric" resemble a mini European Union. Loach told THR that the long list of backers from across Europe was "almost comical" but said he left that side of it to his long-term producer Rebecca O'Brien to wade through. The importance of state subsidies depends a lot on what side of the pond you're on. While the indie world in the U.S. has been relying on soft money from local state governments for some time, producers caution that it will never single handedly enable a U.S.-based production. "Soft money will let you push your budget up by 15% or 20%, which is nice," one U.S. producer said. "But even with all the soft money in the world, without equity and mezzanine and more primary forms of financing, you're never going to get a movie made." That contrasts with Europe, where producers often get 50% or more of their budget from soft money sources. By structuring multiterritory co-productions and dipping into several national subsidy pots, experienced Euro producers such as Denmark's Zentropa, the Kasander Film Co. in the Netherlands or Germany's Egoli Tossell have been able to back projects with significant budgets and A-level casts. "For the really big budget projects, European subsidies will never be enough to replace equity or bank gap financing, but for projects from $20 million up to maybe $50 million, it can be interesting," said Kirsten Niehuus, head of film subsidies at the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, which backed Cannes Competition entries "The White Ribbon" and "Inglourious Basterds." Added Niehuss: "We are getting a lot of American producers knocking at our door these days. Because U.S. financing relies so much on banking and other equity models, getting any sort of budget together these days is really hard. European soft money suddenly looks like a much safer bet." (Hollywood Reporter)

Apparently, the quality of movies based on Dan Brown's best sellers correlates directly with the style of Tom Hanks' hair. Angels & Demons is better, though not by much, than 2006's Da Vinci Code. The story, however, is less interesting and even more far-fetched. Hanks is likable and credible reprising his role as irreverent, code-cracking Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. But director Ron Howard focuses more on spec- tacular shots, particularly during a climactic scene involving a helicopter ride above the Vatican, than on tension and excitement. The story, with its arcane riddles and preposterous twists, does not translate well to the screen. It fails as an action thriller, relying on wordy exposition. And the array of clues and riddles unearthed by Langdon are as improbable as the notion of a secret cult of vengeful scientists. Still, for an academic, Langdon has some impressive action-hero moves. And he needs them: He's up against a one-man terrorist brigade. The ubiquitous bad guy is an assassin, acting in the name of the "Illuminati," an ancient brotherhood of scientists. It's hard to get too worked up about villains made up of astronomers, philosophers and physicists. The clock is ticking as a bomb is aimed at St. Peter's in Rome. Langdon joins forces with an Italian scientist alliteratively named Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer). The two spend too much time poring over ancient texts to make pulses race. It's a meeting of minds, not lips. The movie posits that Langdon, a man of science, may have a shred of faith he doesn't acknowledge. But it deals heavy-handedly with the faith vs. science debate. The dialogue tries to be portentous, but it reeks of cliché. "We're in God's hands now," intones papal representative Father Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor). Meanwhile, Langdon lectures and pontificates, even as he races to unearth a bomb. Angels doesn't know when to quit: Just when you think it's over, it continues, like the franchise based on Brown's books. (Daily Record)


TV . . .

Nine weeks ago, Paula Abdul predicted that this season's American Idol finale would come down to a showdown between Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert. She was only half right: When Adam performs next week, he'll be squaring off against Kris Allen, not Danny. Despite never having been among the bottom-three vote-getters this season, Danny wound up on the short end of 88 million votes Wednesday night, which eliminated him from the competition. With only a million votes separating Kris and Adam this week, Danny's sizable voting bloc could still influence the outcome. Will his supporters throw their weight behind dark-horse-turned-contender Kris? Or will they stay away from the phones? The answer to that question could determine your next American Idol. (Daily Record)

Farrah Fawcett is "solid and brave" emotionally, but "physically, she's a wreck," partner Ryan O'Neal said in a phone interview Wednesday. "She's hit a point, and she's in a holding pattern," he says. Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006 and went into remission, but the disease returned in 2007. O'Neal was diagnosed with leukemia in 2001. In September, he was arrested on drug charges with son Redmond, 24, who remains in jail for court-ordered drug treatment. Farrah's Story, airing Friday on NBC (9 p.m. ET/PT), chronicles the couple's ups and downs and Fawcett's battle with cancer. The film, which was shot by Fawcett's best friend, Alana Stewart, offers an intimate glimpse into doctor visits, hospital stays and her trips to Germany for alternative treatments. Filming was "excruciatingly painful," Stewart says. "But (Fawcett) was strong and I had to be strong, and that's how we went through it." With the film, Fawcett hoped to give others battling cancer a reason to keep fighting, O'Neal says. "We sure did open our door, didn't we? She gave the camera to Alana and just said, 'Film this, film this, film this,' and that was two years ago. And the camera never went off. I don't know how Alana did it, frankly. I used to think it was on a tripod and that Alana had left the room, but she said, 'No, I just lean against the wall.' " Stewart says her dedication to filming is a testament to their friendship but also a response to Fawcett's determination to tell her story. "If she had gotten cancer, she felt there was a reason for it, and that maybe she could help other people that were struggling with cancer with hope and faith and strength. I think that's what you'll see in the film, that that's her message," Stewart says. "It will be another groundbreaking moment for Farrah, and I think it's her gift to the world." Stewart remains optimistic about Fawcett's recovery, but O'Neal is reluctant to declare that the worst is over. "Alana says she has forever. I'm a little more skeptical," he says. As for his own health, he has "put my leukemia in a drawer." "I don't think about mortality in my own case. I'll go with her," O'Neal says, his voice shaky. "They said this drug I was on was good for five (years), and I've gone eight, so I'm on borrowed time. But I know someone will be waiting for me." (Daily Record)

Paulina Porizkova says America's Next Top Model gave her a pink slip. The model and actress says she was fired from her post as a judge on the CW network's catwalk competition. Porizkova broke the news Tuesday night on CBS' The Late Late Show. She told host Craig Ferguson "it seemed that America's Next Top Model had gotten too fat and they needed to cut some fat — and the fat was me." According to Porizkova, the firing happened over the phone and on her 44th birthday, which was April 9. Show representatives did not comment beyond confirming Porizkova's departure. She joined the popular show last year. (Daily Record)

John Schneider holds some bitterness over "The Dukes of Hazzard," the 1970s series that made him a TV sensation. "They still sell 'Dukes' merchandise at Target, and none of us see a cent of that, of course," said Schneider, star of the Hallmark Channel's "Come Dance at My Wedding," debuting June 6. "We were supposed to get a piece of it, of the tape and DVD sales. We made millions for people we never even met and will continue to into perpetuity. Would I like a piece of that for my kids after I'm gone? You bet. But that's the way it goes." (Page Six)

Thought "Reaper" was dead? Well, think again. Like some of the undead creatures on it, the quirky CW dramedy with a rabid fan base is refusing to die. Sources said show producer ABC Studios is in talks with CW affiliate stations about continuing "Reaper" as a syndicated series for Sunday night. The law-rated "Reaper" has been pretty much canceled at the CW. But most stations are said to love the series starring Brett Harrison as the Devil's bounty hunter. So when the network recently decided to give Sunday night back to its affiliates, they started preliminary conversations with ABC Studios about possibly continuing the show with original episodes. Sources said that ABC Studios also is exploring a possible afterlife for the cult series on cable. Both scenarios are considered a longshot.  First, there is the economics issue as a syndicated series is generally produced on a lower budget than a network series. Secondly, "Reaper" creators/executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters have moved on, recently inking an overall deal with 20th TV. And then there's Tyler Labine, the actor who plays Herrison's sidekick. He is set to star in the newly picked up Fox comedy series "Sons of Tucson." There are conflicting takes on whether Labine would be contractually obligated to "Reaper" if it changes formats from a network to a syndicated show.  But even if he is still tied to "Reaper," Labine headlines a new series, and if he is brought back to his old show against his will, that would be unfortunate for him and a big blow to "Tucson." Since its midseason return for a second season, "Reaper" has averaged about a 1.0 rating in 18-49, ranking as the network's lowest-rated drama. But with the network's current programming on Sundays consisting of "Jericho" returns and MGM library movies, averaging below a 0.5 in recent weeks, "Reaper" could potentially improve the slot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central is ramping up its animation slate, including a series order for a new show from former "Simpsons" writer David Stern. The new half-hour series, tentatively titled "Ugly Americans," is set in an alternate-universe New York City where fantasy and sci-fi creatures live among us as ordinary citizens. The show centers on a human social worker for the Department of Immigration who helps newcomers, both human and otherwise, adjust to life in the city. The seven-episode order is based on an original idea by illustrator Devin Clark, who will serve as a producer, and is set to premiere early next year. "During these tough economic times our viewers need a good laugh now more than ever," said Lauren Corrao, president, original programming and development. "With the pick-up of 'Ugly Americans,' our viewers will be able to escape into a fantasy world like they've never seen before." The network is also developing a Jamie Foxx workplace comedy based on his Sirius/SM satellite radio program, "The Foxxhole;" "Gypsy Cab," starring "30 Rock's" Judah Friedlander as a cab driver; and "The Invadersteins," the story of a family of aliens who stayed behind after an alien invasion of Earth failed from Dan Vebber (producer roles on "Futurama," "American Dad"). The network also announced premiere dates for previously announced new series "Tosh.0" (June 4 at 10 p.m.), "Michael & Michael Have Issues" (July 15 at 10:30 p.m.) and "Secret Girlfriend" (Oct. 14 at 10:30 p.m.). Comedy Central also ordered pilots for an untitled Ron White show featuring in-studio and man-on-the-street segments; a sports comedy show from the Sklar brothers (executive produced by Michael Eisner) that centers around two brothers who are the heirs to a major sports conglomerate; a sketch-variety show from Andy Dick; "The Life," which follows a one-hit wonder music star (executive produced and written by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh in their first project together since the hit film "Friday"); "Ghosts/Aliens," about two friends' quest to expose the truth about the existence of ghosts and aliens (executive produced by Scott Aversano and Phil Johnston); and "Midwest Teen Sex Show," an "instructional" sex sketch show (executive produced by Principato-Young and Double Features). (Hollywood Reporter)

Jay Leno's last guest on "Tonight Show" will be the man who's taking over for him -- Conan O'Brien. Leno wraps up his 17-year-run as host of NBC's late-night show on May 29. The network says that O'Brien will be Leno's final guest. Then O'Brien steps in as "Tonight" host June 1. The big names making the cut for Leno's final week of shows include Mel Gibson, Prince and Billy Crystal -- who was Leno's first guest when he took "Tonight" over from Johnny Carson in 1992. Carson's final guests were Bette Midler and Robin Williams, who appeared on Carson's next-to-last show. He hosted his final "Tonight" broadcast without guests. This fall, Leno will begin a daily prime-time show for NBC. (Hollywood Reporter)

It's down to the wire for the pilots vying for a slot on the broadcast networks' schedule for next season. At ABC, in addition to the already picked-up drama "Flash Forward" and comedy "Modern Family," dramas "The Forgotten," "Happy Town" and "Eastwick" are going very strong, with "Empire State" and "Inside the Box" in contention. "V" remains a possibility for midseason. On the comedy side, "Cougar Town" and the Cedric the Entertainer starrer "The Law," which is staffing unofficially, look solid, with "The Middle" and "Romantically Challenged" in the mix. At Fox -- which also already picked up a new drama and comedy series, "Human Target" and "Sons of Tucson," respectively -- the comedy "Brothers" is hot, with support for drama "Past Life" said to be split among the network's top echelon. Meanwhile, comedy "Ab Fab" has been passed on, joining "Two Dollar Beer" and "Eva Adams." At the CW, "Melrose Place" and "Vampire Diaries" are considered a lock, with modeling drama "Beautiful Life," "Life Unexpected" (formerly "Light Years") and bubble freshman "Privileged" battling it out for the third slot. The "Gossip Girl" spinoff in consideration for midseason. At CBS, always the hardest to read because of its imposed cone of silence, comedies "Accidentally on Purpose" and "Waiting to Die" supposedly are still going strong, with the status of another comedy, "Happiness Isn't Everything," constantly changing but now looking at a possible midseason berth. The "NCIS" spinoff is as a sure thing as they come, with "The Good Wife" looking good and "Three Rivers" in the running with star Alex O'Loughlin. (Hollywood Reporter)

A very familiar face will be coming to The Hills this fall: Laguna Beach alum Kristin Cavallari will be replacing the outgoing Lauren Conrad on the MTV series when the show returns for season 6.  “It’s a TV show,” Cavallari tells EW, which first confirmed the casting. “I’m not going into it like, ‘I’m going to make great friendships with these people.’ It’s work! And drama sells. I think that’s why they’re bringing me in, because I know what works.” And though the rivalry between Cavallari and Conrad is old news, Cavallari isn’t above taking a swipe at her former Laguna castmate. “I’m a completely different person than Lauren,” she says of how the Hills will be different with her as the new lead. “I have a lot more energy. I’m more outgoing. I’m a little more spontaneous.” Cavallari’s first appearance will be on the May 31 season finale, where she catches the bouquet at Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s wedding.  Come fall when the series returns, the 22-year-old bad girl says she will be more than game to stir the Hills pot — all in the interest of making good television.  When asked if MTV producers are plotting a potential relationship with Justin Bobby, the blonde bombshell laughed. “I have no idea…but they might try and set up situations,” she says. “I’m totally cool with that. Again, it’s a TV show and they need to make it entertaining.” (People)