The Oscar-winning director Sofia Coppola has signed the Harry Potter star Emma Watson to feature in her next film, The Bling Ring.
Watson will play a member of a group of celebrity-obsessed teenage thieves who gain notoriety for breaking into the homes of the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. The story is based on true events that took place in Beverly Hills.
"I'm excited about the young cast we're assembling," Coppola told The Hollywood Reporter.
"She wants to reveal a sobering view of our modern culture," the film's producer, Coppola's brother Roman, said in a statement.
Shooting on the movie will begin next month in Los Angeles.
Watson is currently attached to two other film projects: a Beauty and the Beast adaptation directed by Guillermo del Toro and the David Yates drama Your Voice in My Head - the same Yates who directed the final four films in the Harry Potter series.
Kardashian faces lawsuit, plans return to Middle East
Kim Kardashian and two of her sisters have been hit with a US$5 million (Dh18.4m) class-action lawsuit, alleging they and the makers of QuickTrim diet pills falsely touted the product's effectiveness for weight loss.
This is not the first time the reality stars have been at the centre of litigation over their marketing endorsements. Early last year, the three Kardashian sisters and their mother Kris Jenner successfully fended off a US$75m lawsuit from a credit card company after they walked away from a debit card endorsement, Kardashian Kard, amid complaints about high consumer fees.
These endorsements account for a substantial chunk of the family's net worth, last estimated at US$65m in 2010 by The Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, Kim posted on her official website that she is returning to the Middle East, following her Dubai appearance last October to promote Millions of Milkshakes.
"I had a fun meeting with Sheeraz! We're planning our next trip to Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai and the Middle East!" she wrote, referring to the publicist Sheeraz Hussain.
Kardashian didn't say whether she'll be visiting for a Millions of Milkshakes promotions or for a different endorsement.
* Reuters
Amy Jackson debuts at Mumbai runway
Bollywood's latest leading lady, Amy Jackson, made her debut Saturday at Lakme Fashion Week, Mumbai's most prestigious fashion event.
"I had butterflies in my stomach before walking the ramp. I was a little nervous but once I walked, I felt like a princess," Jackson told the Indo Asian News Service.
The former British beauty queen walked for the designer Bhairavi Jaikishan, wearing a colourful sari embellished with sequins and crystals.
"Amy is a beautiful girl. She carries an Indian dress so beautifully. She represents the woman I design for," said Jaikishan.
Jackson recently starred in her debut Bollywood film, Ekk Deewana Tha.
Janet Jackson refuses X Factor
The singer Janet Jackson has declined an invitation to join the judging panel of The X Factor.
"I'm very flattered they let me know that I was being considered for next season, but it just wouldn't be possible," Jackson told E! Online, referring to scheduling conflicts.
She told MTV News that taking on the gig would be "unrealistic".
Jackson is currently preparing for her forthcoming Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour, as well as a role in a Tyler Perry movie.
Harvey Weinstein awarded France's Legion d'Honneur
A week after The Artist won big at the Oscars, its producer Harvey Weinstein was awarded France's highest distinction, the Legion d'Honneur.
A statement released by The Weinstein Company said that Weinstein was nominated personally by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. He will receive the award in a ceremony to take place in Paris.
"I am still the young boy who walked two miles to The Mayfair movie theatre in Flushing, NY, to see films by the greats, Lelouch, Godard, Renoir and my personal favourite, Francois Truffaut," Weinstein remarked to New York magazine after hearing the news.
Previous Hollywood recipients of the Legion d'Honneur include Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Charlie Chaplin.
Nigeria music legend makes comeback - at 85
Fatai Rolling Dollar, an 85-year-old musician, known for the "highlife" dance music that once dominated West Africa, has mounted a surprising comeback five decades after his heyday.
The octogenarian, who saw his fame and money dwindle when highlife's popularity faded, is again playing his upbeat sound on guitar to packed venues.
Although the rise of hip-hop has changed the music scene in Africa's most populous nation, Fatai is trying to ensure that highlife doesn't disappear completely. He also remains unimpressed at the surging popularity of hip-hop in Nigeria and questions the musical credentials of the genre's artists.
"Hip-hop has its own time, when this time will pass, everything will close up, but highlife will be there - it is the root of the music that we have in Nigeria today," he said.
* AFP
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