Simon Cowell Says He Fought To Keep Paula Abdul On ‘The X Factor’

A few weeks ago we learned that host Steve Jones and judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul (in that order) were unceremoniously fired from season 2 of The X Factor here in the US. Shortly after news broke of the firings, Simon Cowell issued a short statement expressing his regret over the way things went down. Today we are hearing from Simon again in new comments he made to Extra. According to Cowell, he really wanted to keep Paula as an X Factor judge but he says he was overruled by higher ups. HMMM. Read on to find out what else he has to say about the X Factor casting drama.

Simon Cowell blames himself for the big shakeup at The X Factor, saying he set unreasonable expectations for the show, and was forced to let Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger go when it underperformed. “I would’ve liked to have kept [Paula],” Cowell, 52, tells Extra. “She was very gracious, and I said that to her. She understands it’s business; it’s never personal.” Of Scherzinger, he added: “I don’t think she’s mad. I think she’s disappointed.” Why the big changes? “It’s only because I opened my big (Read more...)

Vince Vaughn And Owen Wilson Together Again In A New Film

Oh, I love these two together! Wedding Crasher fans take note – we are going to be seeing a re-pairing of the venerable duo, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. The movie is Interns, a script Vaughn has written. Read below for the details about this new movie and the return of the Owen and Vince.

They have been apart for a while busy with their own projects and now both actors are able to work together so Fox quickly scooped them up. They’re perfect for the roles, if not because it sounds like something they’ve done before. They play 40-something men who get laid off from their jobs and resolve to become interns at a new dotcom company and end up competing against 20 year olds for the jobs and promotions.

While this story probably will lend itself for great comic timing the two are so well known for, I worry the premise itself isn’t as good as Wedding Crashers and the repairing wont advance them much further. Still, having said that, I am so excited to see these two together again if not just because I loved them in Wedding Crashers. They just make the sweetest odd (Read more...)

Ryan Murphy Confirms Jessica Lange Will Return For ‘American Horror Story’ Season 2

American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy confirmed last night on the late night TV talk show Watch What Happens Live that the absolutely AMAZING Jessica Lange will return for the second season of American Horror Story. As you may recall, it was previously reported that an entirely new cast of actors will appear in AHS season 2 in an entirely new setting with only a select few actors from season 1 returning as well. The overwhelming majority of people were hoping that Lange would be one of the returning actors … and now we have confirmation. Click below to read more deets and watch video of Ryan Murphy confirming Jessica‘s American Horror Story return.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Murphy stopped by the Bravo clubhouse Monday night and played Plead the Fifth on “Watch What Happens Live” (Weeknights, 11 p.m. EST on Bravo). Host Andy Cohen couldn’t resist asking Gellar about her allegedly ongoing feud with her former “All My Children” co-star Susan Lucci. When asked to characterize their on-set relationship, Gellar laughed and said, “Probably not the most ideal but, you know … better than the ‘Housewives’ reunion!” Hoping for some juicy “Glee” scoop, Cohen dipped his (Read more...)

Katherine Heigl In Talks To Do Puppet Murder Story

It isn’t a typical Katherine Heigl story but apparently she is in negotiations to sign onto a new film project called The Happytime Murders. It is coming to us from the guy that did A Muppets Christmas Carol and Kung Fu Panda 2. The plot and style is a far cry from what we have come to expect from Ms Heigl, so maybe she is branching out in 2012. Read on for more info about the film…

The project is going to be directed by Brian Henson who did A Muppets Christmas Carol and written by Todd Berger from Kung Fu Panda 2. The story is set in a fictionalized universe where puppets and humans co-exist, but the puppets are seen as “second-class citizens”. A disgraced detective puppet is called on When the cast of a popular 80′s kids show gets murdered by a serial killer one at a time.

The role that Katherine is reported to be in talks about is the private eye. This is obviously a very different role to the typical things she has done in the past, mostly in the realm of relationship comedies. Think Knocked Up… It is great to see her branching (Read more...)

First Look: Sarah Jessica Parker As Gloria Steinem On The Set Of ‘Lovelace’

After a bit of confusion, we learned last week that Sarah Jessica Parker was cast in the cameo role of Gloria Steinem in the upcoming biopic Lovelace currently in filming production here in SoCal. As you may recall, actress Demi Moore was originally cast to play Steinem but she had to pull out of the production because of her current stint in rehab. Today we get our first look at SJP on the set of Lovelace in character as Gloria Steinem. Click below to see her in action.

Demi Moore only pulled out the film last week after she was rushed to hospital after binging on nitrous oxide. But Sarah Jessica Parker has already jumped to the rescue and appeared on the set of Lovelace earlier today. The actress, 46, appeared almost unrecognisable in the brassy blonde wig as she takes on the role of feminist icon Gloria Steinem. As well as the bright blonde wig, Sarah also appeared to be sporting dark contacts as she shot scenes in LA. Steinem famously went undercover as a Playboy Bunny at the New York Playboy Club while on an assignment for a magazine. The article featured a photo (Read more...)

Britney Spears Wants To Guest Star On ‘Modern Family’

It’s been a little bit since our dear Britney Spears made a guest appearance on TV … as you may recall, in recent years Brit Brit made appearances on Glee and How I Met Your Mother. It would seem that Britney has got the itch to act again because she seems very interested in making a guest appearance on the ABC comedy series Modern Family. Britney innocently (on purpose?) tweeted her love for the show … and that love has inspired a grassroots campaign to try and get her to appear on the show! Read on to learn more.

Britney Spears’ television resume may contain at least one glaringly painful reality TV entry (“Britney & Kevin: Chaotic”), but she’s also appeared on a couple of comedies, “Glee” and “How I Met Your Mother,” playing herself in the first and a receptionist at a doctor’s office in the second. So what show does the recently engaged pop next want to appear on? The awards-darling comedy “Modern Family” of course. It all started with a simple tweet from the princess of pop. “I know everybody is excited about the Super Bowl, but I personally can’t wait to see the (Read more...)

The CW Casts Stephen Amell As The New Green ‘Arrow’

Earlier this month we learned that The CW is planning to develop a superhero TV series based on the DC Comics hero Green Arrow. Today we learn that The CW has not only decided to rename the series The Arrow but they have also found their leading man. Actor Stephen Arnell, who starred on the last season of the Showtime series Hung, has been cast as The Green Arrow (and presumably his secret identity Oliver Queen). Click below to learn a bit more about Arnell (ahem, check out his abs) and read more deets about his casting as the lead in The Arrow.

The CW has found its Green Arrow. Hung’s Stephen Amell has been cast as the character made famous by the long-running DC Comics series, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Amell, whose credits also include episodes of Private Practice and the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, will play the playboy by day — who, like Batman — secretly saves the city by night with his enhanced arrows. Amell becomes the latest actor to play the part on the network, with Justin Hartley playing the character on the CW’s Smallville. The CW ordered Arrow to (Read more...)

The CW Casts Stephen Amell As The New Green ‘Arrow’

Earlier this month we learned that The CW is planning to develop a superhero TV series based on the DC Comics hero Green Arrow. Today we learn that The CW has not only decided to rename the series The Arrow but they have also found their leading man. Actor Stephen Arnell, who starred on the last season of the Showtime series Hung, has been cast as The Green Arrow (and presumably his secret identity Oliver Queen). Click below to learn a bit more about Arnell (ahem, check out his abs) and read more deets about his casting as the lead in The Arrow.

The CW has found its Green Arrow. Hung’s Stephen Amell has been cast as the character made famous by the long-running DC Comics series, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Amell, whose credits also include episodes of Private Practice and the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, will play the playboy by day — who, like Batman — secretly saves the city by night with his enhanced arrows. Amell becomes the latest actor to play the part on the network, with Justin Hartley playing the character on the CW’s Smallville. The CW ordered Arrow to (Read more...)

Taylor Lautner Will NOT Star As Stretch Armstrong

Back in February of 2010, we first heard that Twilight star Taylor Lautner would be starring in the big screen adaptation of Stretch Armstrong … a film based on the toy of the same name. Since that time, we really haven’t heard much about the film … not the storyline, not other casting … pretty much nothing. Well, today we get an update … it turns out that Stretch Armstrong the movie has been passed by Universal Studios to Relativity productions … and Taylor Lautner is no longer attached to the film. I mean, I gotta say … this is GREAT news for Lautner‘s film career. Read on for more deets.

Stretch Armstrong has found a new home at Relativity. The movie project, based on the classic Hasbro toy, had been set up at Universal with Taylor Lautner to star but has now found itself at Relativity. Lautner is no longer involved, and neither are director Rob Letterman or Imagine Entertainment as producers. But without those elements, Relativity is moving full steam ahead, setting an April 11, 2014, release date for what it is calling a live-action tentpole. Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh, Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Bennet Schnier are (Read more...)

Simon Cowell Releases A Statement About The ‘X Factor’ Bloodbath

Earlier today we learned that Simon Cowell made the executive decision to fire Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones from The X Factor and right now we get to read his just released official statement on the firings. Simon‘s statement is short but is full of thank yous and love … but no sign of apologies. Simon maintains that he plans on working again with Paula Abdul on a new project in the future. Paula, for her part, has been very magnanimous about her very public axing from The X Factor. Click below to read the full text of Simon Cowell‘s statement and read what Paula has to say on her official Twitter profile.

“I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of the ‘X Factor’ last year. You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future.”

If memory serves, Simon say the same thing about working with Paula in the future back when she got fired from American (Read more...)