After her well-received turn in the 2009 film Precious by the filmmaker Lee Daniels, Mariah Carey has signed on to the director's forthcoming star-studded White House movie The Butler, headlined by Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams, James Marsden, Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda. The film is based on Eugene Allen, who served as a butler in the White House for more than three decades. Daniels has tapped the musician Quincy Jones to write the film's score.
Lady Gaga to make big screen debut
Lady Gaga will make her first film appearance in the action movie Machete Kills, directed by Robert Rodriguez. The pop star took to Twitter to confirm the news. "Yes it's true, I will be making my debut as an actress in the amazing Machete Kills. I'm so excited! Filming was insane," she posted. Rodriguez told New York Magazine: "Holy smokes, I was blown away by her." Machete Kills, set for a 2013 release, also stars Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara and Jessica Alba.
Biel opens up about Timberlake engagement
Jessica Biel opened up for the first time about her engagement to Justin Timberlake in an interview on Friday with the Associated Press as she promoted her new film Total Recall. "It's wonderful. It's actually not anything I ever really thought was going to happen to me or that I really wanted," said the 30-year-old star. "And when it happened it just seemed - it just was right." Biel refused to comment on wedding plans. * AP
Hans Zimmer composes song for Aurora victims
The Dark Knight Rises composer Hans Zimmer has written a song dedicated to the Colorado shooting victims. He posted the track, Aurora, on his Facebook page on Friday. The eight-minute song is being sold for donations from US$0.10 to $2,500 (Dh0.4 to Dh9,200). All proceeds are being donated to a fund for the victims. Zimmer has scored all three films in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Visit www.facebook.com/hanszimmer. * AP
Jeremy Piven to star as Selfridges founder
The Entourage star Jeremy Piven will star in the new drama series Mr Selfridge, about the exuberant American Harry Gordon Selfridge, who founded the British department store Selfridges. The series' creator is the Emmy-winning writer Andrew Davies, whose TV credits include Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House. It is set to air in 2013. * AP