Cinema & Movie & celebrity News And Rumors

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Hugh Jackman had a very different career in mind when he was a child - the Hollywood star dreamed of becoming a minister.

The Australian actor was brought up in a religious family and considered taking the next step by dedicating his life to the Church.

But the X-Men star eventually realised his calling was to perform on an entirely different stage - and turned his hand to acting.

He says, "My father is very religious so I was brought up in the church. He was converted at a Billy Graham rally (crusade) and he used to take me to these rallies.

"And I do very vividly remember that about age 13 watching somebody on stage doing a talk and thinking, 'I have a very clear feeling that one day I was going to be up on that stage.'

"And for about a year, I thought I was maybe going to be a minister. And then as I got older, I thought, 'I think I just want to be up on that stage. Maybe not in that capacity but in some other capacity'." l

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British actress Tilda Swinton will take charge of affairs at next year's Berlin Film Festival, heading up a jury of movie industry experts.

The Michael Clayton Oscar winner was chosen because "her commanding screen presence has made an indelible impression in contemporary, innovative film making", festival director Dieter Kosslick reveals.

The festival will run from 5 - 15 February, kicking off the 2009 European film festival season.l

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Teen star Miley Cyrus has vowed to keep her lips locked about her love life, insisting she's "thrown away the key" when quizzed about boyfriend Justin Gaston.

The 15-year-old Hannah Montana star has admitted to dating Gaston, five years her senior, as their relationship has heated up in recent months.

But Cyrus insists she has had enough of the relentless rumours about her love life, since her romance with singer Nick Jonas reportedly sparked a love rivalry with fellow teen star Selena Gomez earlier this year.

When asked about her boyfriend on U.S. TV show Good Morning America, Cyrus hesitates: "Um, I'm going to keep that one zip-tight, locked and throw away the key." l

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Newlyweds Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds are planning a top secret second wedding in the U.S., according to reports.

The couple shocked Hollywood by marrying in a wilderness resort in Vancouver, Canada in September.

Many friends and family members couldn't attend - so they are staging another ceremony in the coming months for 150 guests.

A source tells Ok! magazine, "Scarlett wants something simple and classic. They've agreed on 150 guests."l

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Angelina Jolie has denied reports she's expecting her fourth biological child with partner Brad Pitt.

U.S. tabloid reports recently claimed the actress is pregnant again, just three months after she gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne.

But her spokesperson, Geyer Kosinski, has refuted the claims, telling Usmagazine.com, "This is not true."

In addition to the twins, the couple have three adopted children, Maddox, seven, Pax, four, and Zahara, three. They're also parents to two-year-old biological daughter Shiloh.l

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Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch has been sold to an investment firm whose bosses will rename the property in a joint venture with the pop star, according to new reports.

Jackson prevented a foreclosure sale of the California estate when New York-based private equity group Colony Capital agreed to take over his $24.5 million (GBP16.1million) debt on the property in May.

According to Santa Barbara records, the title to Neverland was transferred on Monday to a company called Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC.

Sycamore is a joint venture between Jackson and a division of Colony Capital - owner of numerous Las Vegas properties including Red Rock Country Club and the Las Vegas Hilton.

The sale has fuelled reports Jackson has signed on to perform his own headlining show in the city.

According to website TMZ.com, the property will be renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch in effort to revamp its image, tinged by the negative press surrounding Jackson's child molestation trial, which ended in his acquittal in 2005. l

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Director Ridley Scott will helm the bizarre big screen adaptation of popular boardgame Monopoly.

The Gladiator moviemaker has been signed by studio giant Universal to bring the long-running game to life.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Ridley will give the Monopoly movie a futuristic edge akin to his 1982 epic Blade Runner.

Corpse Bride screenwriter Pamela Pettler has also been drafted in to create a storyline for the film.

The unlikely subject matter is just one in a line of Hasbro games to get big screen makeovers as part of an exclusive pairing with Universal Studios.

Transformers filmmaker Michael Bay is producing a Ouija Board feature, while a film version of beloved classic Battleship is also in development. l

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Kevin Spacey will put Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett's abilities to the test later this month - the Pearl Harbor star has been roped in to perform at London's 24 Hour Plays Gala.

Spacey has assembled a stellar cast of stars to take part in the annual event, that sees celebrities tackle the task of rehearsing and performing six new plays in just 24 hours.

The gala will take place at London's Old Vic theatre - of which Spacey is the artistic director - and will be part of a fundraising event that kicks off on 30 November.

Hartnett - who is currently starring in the West End production of Rain Man - will team up with writers, directors and fellow performers to pen, cast and then rehearse the scenes before they take to the stage in front of an audience the very same day.

Other stars who will take part in the event include theatre actor Henry Goodman, Love Actually star Martin Freeman, and Bionic Woman actress Michelle Ryan.

Spacey, who will oversee the event, says, "This is adrenaline-fuelled theatre." l

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Paris Hilton is to add another movie role to her portfolio - she has been lined up for a new film by acclaimed director Todd Solondz.

The socialite will act alongside Allison Janney, Charlotte Rampling and Paul Reubens in the as-yet-untitled project about a group of dysfunctional characters.

The movie is described as "part-sequel, part variation" to Solondz's hit 1998 tale Happiness and filming is already underway in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Hilton's previous big screen experience includes the 2006 horror film House of Wax and more recently the rock opera musical Repo! The Genetic Opera, which is currently on limited release in the U.S. l

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Former Baywatch babe Carmen Electra is rolling back the years for a new Play*boy photoshoot.

Thirteen years after she first s*tripped for Hugh Hefner's popular publication, the 36 year old will feature in a new eight-page pictorial in the forthcoming 55th anniversary issue of Play*boy in January.

The edition will go on sale on 12 December.

Electra is currently engaged to former Korn rocker Rob Patterson. l