After Angelina Jolie exited Alfonso Cuarón's 3D sci-fi thriller Gravity, the search for a replacement began. Last week, Latino Review learned that the producers behind the project were "interest[ed] in meeting Rachel Weisz for the role." However, Deadline found out that Weisz was just one of the many names on the producer's list of actresses they've talked to or screen tested: Sandra Bullock, Natalie Portman, Naomi Watts, Marion Cotillard, Carey Mulligan, Sienna Miller, Abbie Cornish, Rebecca Hall, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively. Now Risky Business has learned that Natalie Portman has been offered the role, as the studio approved the actress without requiring a screen test in the wake of the early Black Swan reviews. According to the report, Portman is expected to read the latest version of the script this week and make her decision shortly. The project is written by his 28-year-old son, Jonás (The Shock Doctrine).  Co-starring ...

With Will Forte's recent announcement that he will be leaving Saturday Night Live after 8 seasons and reports that NBC's late-night sketch show may be adding as many as 4 new cast members, the question is who else might be exiting when SNL returns for a 36th season later this month. I hear Abby Elliott, daughter of Chris Elliott and the first second-generation SNL cast member, was in serious jeopardy but now appears safe to come back, while rumor is that Jenny Slate might not be returning. Slate, who joined as a featured player along with Nasim Pedrag last fall made headlines with her SNL debut. On the show's season premiere last September, in her first appearance during a sketch titled Biker Chick Chat Slate uttered the word "fuckin'" on live television. As for the new players joining SNL, rumored new additions include MadTV alum Taran Killam, Chicago-based Paul Brittain and Venessa Bayer as well as impressionist Jay Pharoah. The last time a quartet new featured players joined the show, that group gave us Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers.

NBC is bringing to primetime new adventures from the DreamWorks Animation blockbusters "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda."

George Soros, the billionaire investor and philanthropist, plans to announce on Tuesday that he is giving $100 million to Human Rights Watch to expand the organization's work globally. It is the largest gift he has made, the largest gift by far that Human Rights Watch has ever received, and only the second gift of $100 [...]

New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez had a sacrifice fly to right field in the sixth inning Monday – putting him into the history books in the process. The fly ball scored Nick Swisher from third and gave Rodriguez 100 RBIs for the 14th time, giving him more seasons of 100 RBIs than anyone [...]

The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, an annual Labor Day tradition in the United States, says they have contributions and pledges totaling almost $59 million – slightly down from last year’s $60.5 million. The telethon supports research to find treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy and related diseases. Telethon officials are happy with the number, considering [...]

ABC News president David Westin is stepping down at the end of the year after 13 years. The move comes after tough 12 months for Westin that included appointing new anchors on all ABC News programs and dealing with severe staff cuts. The personnel changes he oversaw included naming Diane Sawyer as the anchor of World News, George Stephanopoulos as her replacement on Good Morning America, CNN veteran Christiane Amanpour as host of This Week, transitioning Chris Cuomo from GMA to 20/20 and Bill Weir from GMA to Nightline to replace Martin Bashir. Here are the memos from Disney-ABC TV Group president Anne Sweeney and Westin. Sweeney: For the past 13 years, David proved himself a tireless advocate for ABC News, effectively guiding the group through some of the most seismic industry, and divisional, changes imaginable  During that time, he helped reinvent our News organization, and positioned us for great success going forward.  While it will be sad to see David leave, his desire to pursue other professional endeavors is understandable, and commendable, and I know you'll join me in wishing him nothing but the best.   I'll be announcing a new leader for ABC News in the near future. Westin: A month ago I told Bob Iger and Anne Sweeney that the time has come for me to step down as President of ABC News.  Leading you has been a great ... Read More »

ABC News president David Westin is expected to step down from his position at year's end, the New York Times reported Monday.

ABC news president David Westinannounced he was stepping down today after over thirteen years. His full memo to staff is below.

MORE TO COME...

From: Westin, David L.
To: [REDACTED]
Sent: Mon Sep 06 20:46:37 2010
Subject: Transition

Dear Colleague,

North America's fall festival season is in full swing in the Rockies, which means the moment of truth has arrived for many of the fall movies that are hoping to stir up some awards buzz.

The Toronto International Film Festival doesn't kick off until Thursday, but the Telluride Film Festival finished its four-day run on Monday, with sneak previews of a number of films that will soon make their way to Canada.

A judge in the Bahamas on Monday dismissed charges against two people accused of trying to extort money from John Travolta.

Venture behind the scenes of the latest Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2010 advertising campaign featuring models Christy Turlington, Natalia Vodianova and Karen Elson. Related Posts:August 4, 2010 -- Behind the Scenes of the Louis Vuitton 2010 Fall/Winter CampaignJuly 27, 2010 -- Where Does Cameron Diaz Shop in Paris?July 11, 2010 -- LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault Is [...]

Jackson Pollock painted much throughout his lifetime and his works are celebrated and criticized by many. While some believe that his technique was avant-garde and brilliant, others see his work as childish and lacking any real talent. Nevertheless, there are art aficionados out there who can say that one of the first names that come [...]

With the lone exception of Speed, the critical appreciation for Jan de Bont's directorial efforts (Twister, The Haunting, Lara Craft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Speed 2: Cruise Control) has never come close to the success that he's found at the worldwide box office—but now he may be aiming to change that. With years having gone by since his last film, his return to cinema looks to be a departure from the Hollywood genre pics he's done throughout his career. Find out all there is to know about the film, including who's set to star, after the break. De Bont is tackling Mulan, a live-action retelling of the popular Chinese folk tale about a young heroine who joins an all-male army, best known in American culture by the 1998 animated Disney film of the same name. The film seeks to combine drama, romance, and action. The Hollywood Reporter says the film is ...

A first look at Rooney Mara as Lisabeth Salander (and as Rooney Mara)

The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it's the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley run down some of their favorite movies of the year so far, discuss when a film is worth remaking, and touch upon the metaphors in The Mist. You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call ...

The out-of-competition world premiere of "I'm Still Here," the directorial debut from actor Casey Affleck, and the presentation of the Glory to the Filmmaker prize to Indian director Mani Ratnam were among the highlights at the Venice Film Festival on Monday.

Financing has collapsed forTerry Gilliam's "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," the director said at the Deauville American Film Festival.

"I shouldn't be here," Gilliam said, according to Variety. "The plan was to be shooting 'Quixote' right now."

I feel for Terry Gilliam. He just can't seem to catch a break, no matter the project. And in the case of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, the film's history has been more storied than most. He's been trying to get the movie made for over ten years, and even got as far as filming the thing (with Johnny Depp in the lead role, no less), when the entire production went to hell and was forced into cancellation. These mishaps were captured in detail in the depressing 2002 documentary Lost in La Mancha, and I've been wary about Gilliam's attempts to return to the project ever since. And for good reason, it seems. A month ago, Gilliam admitted that there had been some financial complications with the movie, but wrote it off as "a little hiccup". Well, either that "little hiccup" expanded pretty rapidly, or he was seriously downplaying the severity ...