Criminal Conversation : According to British Popcorn magazine, Nicole Kidman has committed to star in an adaptation of Evan Hunter's best-selling novel Criminal Conversation, which Tom Cruise will produce. British director Iain Softley, (The Wings of the Dove), is reportedly on tap to direct. Kidman will play an English teacher who winds up in an affair with a hunky fella who, unbeknownst to his bookish mistress, is a mob muckety-muck.

Rush Hour 2 : Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are in negotiations to reteam in the sequel to Rush Hour. A $5 million deal with Rush Hour helmer Brett Ratner to direct the sequel was finalized earlier this year. Chan, who took home a $5 million payday for the first installment, is poised to triple his take for the sequel.

Titan A.E : Matt Damon, Bill Pullman, Drew Barrymore and Nathan Lane are lending their voices to the animation film. Titan A.E. In the far future after Earth was destroyed by an attack (in 3028) by an alien race called the Drej, a human teenager named Cale (Damon) uses a map given him by his father that shows the way to a mysterious "earthship" called The Titan that may hold the key to saving mankind from a collective fate as nomads and refugees.

"Titan A.E" Teaser Trailer (5.5Mb, MOV)

 Update : December 16th ,1999

The Score : Michael Fleming reports that Ben Affleck has abruptly dropped out of the film he was scheduled to costar in with Robert De Niro for director Frank Oz. Sources said an offer was quickly put out to Brad Pitt, who is available and looking to work in a commercial picture. Affleck had no definitive replacement project, but several strong possibles. One is Cinderella Man, about a depression-era boxer, is taking shape with Billy Bob Thornton a possible director.

Pay It Forward : Helen Hunt will star opposite Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment in Pay It Forward. The movie is about a young student who takes up a challenge from his cynical and scarred teacher: make the world a better place. The' system in which a person does a good turn for a stranger. That person doesn't pay him back, but rather pays forward by doing a good deed for another stranger, who continues the cycle. Mimi Leder (Deep Impact) will direct.

The Sixth Day : Tony Goldwyn is set to star against Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Sixth Day. Director Roger Spottiswoode has begun shooting the $80 million-budgeted action film in Vancouver. Action-thriller is the story of a man who discovers a clone has replaced him.

 Update : December 15th ,1999

Billy Crystal - Oscars : Billy Crystal will return from a one-year absence to host for the 72nd Academy Awards on March 26, the Academy confirmed Monday. It'll be the seventh Oscar stint for the actor-comedian. ABC will broadcast the Oscars live from L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium.

Shallow Hal : Gwyneth Paltrow is in talks to star in the Farrelly brothers' next film Shallow Hal which is expected to begin shooting in late spring or early summer. Also written by Peter and Bobby Farrelly,(There's Something About Mary) the film is about a man who falls in love with an an unattractive woman, despite his father's death bed admonition years earlier to spend life with only the youngest, prettiest girls.

Lord Of The Rings : A set of new pictures are released by theonering.net. You can check out the pictures by clicking here.

 Update : December 14th ,1999

Fade to Black : Kenneth Branagh is in negotiations to star in the indie movie Fade to Black for director Oliver Parker (An Ideal Husband). Set in post-World War II Rome, the film centers on the character of Orson Welles, who, while filming at Cinecitta Studios, is plunged into a murder investigation after a series of deaths occur on and around his film set. John Sayles (Limbo) adapted the screenplay, based on Davide Ferrario's novel.

The Wedding Planner : Matthew McConaughey is in negotiations to play with Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy The Wedding Planner. The movie centers on Lopez as a workaholic wedding planner whose dedication to her profession keeps her from finding the man of her dreams. When she finally meets her Mr. Right (McConaughey), he turns out to be engaged to one of her clients. The budget is $35 million.

Simpatico : The film is based on Sam Shepard's play and stars Nick Nolte, Sharon Stone, Jeff Bridges and Catherine Keener.

"Simpatico" Trailer (3.9Mb, MOV)

"Simpatico" Trailer (1.8Mb, MOV)

 Update : December 13th ,1999

Weekend Box Office : According to studio estimates animated Toy Story 2 beat the Tom Hanks starrer Green Mile and remained top at the box office again this weekend. But final figures will be announced tomorrow. The new Rob Schneider comedy Deuce Bigelow also took $13 million respectively. It is expected that Green Mile will go for a long while. Warner Bros. distribution head Dan Fellman said "These are the best exit polls we've ever had for any release".

	Film	This Weekend	Last Weekend	Theaters	Weeks	Total
1	Toy Story 2	$ 18,700,000	27,760,276	3,257	4	$ 140,800,000
2	The Green Mile	18,570,000		2,875	1	18,570,000
3	Deuce Bigalow	13,000,000		2,151	1	13,000,000
4	The World Is Not Enough	6,200,000	10,650,145	3,063	4	99,452,000
5	End of Days	4,700,000	9,642,415	2,652	3	53,223,000
6	Sleepy Hollow	4,600,000	8,868,259	3,065	4	81,245,000
7	The Bone Collector	1,700,000	3,197,860	2,031	6	60,827,000
8	Dogma	1,200,000	2,122,307	1,159	5	26,407,000
9	Pokémon	1,110,000	2,343,365	2,426	5	82,295,000
10	Being John Malkovich	957,000	1,363,626	630	7	15,284,000

The Perfect Storm : The trailer for the upcoming George Clooney - Mark Wahlberg starrer The Perfect Storm is released. The film is based on Sebastian Junger's best-selling story of a fishing boat cought in one of the worst storms in history, and the efforts to send out a rescue mission when the boat went under.

"The Perfect Storm" Trailer (4Mb, MOV)

"The Perfect Storm" Trailer (2Mb, MOV)

 Update : December 11th ,1999

Spider Man : The two final candidates for directing the long awaited Spider-Man movie are David Fincher (Fight Club) and Chris Columbus (Stepmom). Fincher's meetings with Sony brass were supposedly long and extremely positive. It is reported that Sony will decide whom to give the project before Christmas.

The Mummy II : Variety reports that John Hannah has signed a $1 million deal to reprise his role of Jonathan Carnahan in The Mummy II. The rest of the original cast is also expected to return. Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel are finishing a script with writer/director Stephen Sommers for a 2000 shoot.