Will Hilary Duff See Dead People on 'Ghost Whisperer'?

The former "Lizzie McGuire" star Hilary Duff returns to TV.

Hilary will guest star in an upcoming episode called "Thrilled to Death," playing a beautiful woman of mystery who may be involved in the death of a man who fell victim -- literally -- to a freak accident. Shooting begins on Friday, January 23.

Also on Friday, "Ghost Whisperer" airs the "Body of Water" episode in which Melinda (Jennifer Love Hewitt) gets a serious scare when her romantic rival, Nikki Peck (guest star Teri Polo), shows up in Granville to claim the engagement ring that Sam/Jim (David Conrad) bought for her.

The "Body of Water" episode airs at 8 p.m. on CBS -- and was directed by Jennifer.
source

Kristin Stewart Glad That Taylor Lautner Is Staying For "New Moon"

"I'm so glad they didn't have to find somebody else; we already had him!" she says to MTVNews. "I didn't understand all the deliberation on [whether to bring him back]. But now that it's set, we can all rest."

Lautner, 16, was worried he wouldn't be rehired because his character, Jacob Black, is totally different in New Moon: He's a foot taller and is supposed to look 25.

So he's packed on about 26 pounds of muscle.

"He's really buff!" Stewart says. "He definitely is. It took him a lot of time."

She says she is "really excited" to shoot New Moon later this year. "It's such a machine now. All of a sudden, this movie has become [something bigger]," she says. "With all the expectations — usually, you make a movie and think, 'If it touches people, great; if it doesn't, then you move on to the next one, and no one's personally affected by it.' [But] everyone's really sensitive with any changes right now.

"Everyone needs to be on the same page to make the same movie [as the original Twilight was]," she goes on. "Or else it will be a very disoriented project."

She has faith in new director Chris Weitz. "Chris is — on top of him being a really sweet guy — he is entirely devoted," Stewart says. "And he's very clearly not doing the movie just because it's the next big thing. He really likes it a lot."
source

Taylor Lautner, of Twilight, Is Definitely Getting Bigger!

He's been working out!

Twilight star Taylor Lautner, who will again play Jacob Black in the upcoming New Moon, arrives at his Los Angeles home after a day out Tuesday.

source

Heath Ledger Is Nominated For An Oscar On the Anniversary Of His Death

On Thursday, while comic book fans (and movie fans in general) across the globe celebrated Heath Ledger's Best Supporting Actor nomination for the Dark Knight, January 22 also holds a more somber place in film history.

One year before, to the day, news broke that Heath Ledger had died of what would later be deemed as an accidental prescription-drug overdose.

After a posthumous win at this year's Golden Globes, Ledger now stands as the arguable frontrunner to take home the Oscar.

And it's nearly impossible to find a story about the record-breaking, critically acclaimed "Dark Knight" in which Ledger's name isn't mentioned as the stand-out feature of the film.

"Heath has given an incredible performance, a real definition of the character that I think will be incredibly memorable for years to come," co-star Christian Bale of Ledger's work as the Joker. "I want to do nothing but celebrate his work."

Granted, all of the Oscar nominees deserve praise for their efforts in their given categories, but it's clear that Hollywood — and the film world in general — will be buzzing about Ledger in the weeks leading up to the February 22 ceremony. Win or lose — a gifted actor with years of potential still ahead of him was taken from us far too early.
source

Academy Award Nominations Announced--"Benjamin Button" Receives Most Nominations

The nominations for the 81st Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning (January 22). Leading the pack was "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" with an impressive 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Director and two acting nods (one for Brad Pitt, one for Taraji P. Henson).

The awards will be handed out February 22 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles.

The nominations are:

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor"
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn in "Milk"
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"


Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Josh Brolin in "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt"
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight"
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road"


Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling"
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep in "Doubt"
Kate Winslet in "The Reader"


Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams in "Doubt"
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis in "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler"


Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"WALL-E"


Best Motion Picture of the Year

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
source

Will Dakota Fanning Star In "Twilight" Sequel?

According to reports, Dakota Fanning is currently in talks to play Jane, opposite Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in the "Twilight" sequel 'New Moon".

"There were no auditions," a source revealed. (Reps for the actress could not be reached at press time.) "They just offered it to her outright, and now they're in negotiations. They've been going back and forth."

In the book, Jane is a vampire with dangerous mental powers who serves as a guard for the Italian sect known as the Volturi. In a casting notice that went out earlier this month, Jane is described as a "petite blonde with a ... Botticelli angel-like face ... [and] crimson irises," E! reported. The notice also said that "fellow Volturi guards Demetri and Felix ... are three times the size of her, [and] they are terrified of her."

"Twilight" fans have already shown their support for the casting. A petition sent to Summit Entertainment, the studio producing the films, says the 14-year-old would be "perfect" as Jane.

"Dakota is a brilliant actress, fits the role perfectly, and she's just the right age to play Jane," reads the petition, which currently has 128 signatures. "We believe she would be the perfect addition and would really bring the character of Jane to life."
source

The Cast of Survivor: Tocantins — The Brazilian Highlands

Sixteen castaways will compete on the 18th installment of the series when Survivor: Tocantins — The Brazilian Highlands premieres Thursday Feb. 12 (CBS, 8 pm ET).

“Left stranded in the majestic interior of Brazil for 39 days,” a press release reads, “these castaways will battle scorching temperatures, torrential downpours, and dangerous wildlife all in an effort to outwit, outplay, and outlast one another in order to win the title of Sole Survivor.”

Contestants, who will be divided into two tribes — Jalapao and Timbira — from the beginning, include Stephen FIshbach, a corporate consultant from New York; James ‘JT’ Thomas Jr., a cattle rancher from Samson, Ala.; Spencer Duhm, a 19-year-old student; Sandy Burgin, a 53-year-old bus driver; two models, Sierra Reed and Sydney Wheeler, and former pop star Taj Johnson-George from the girl group SWV.
source