Beyond Borders : According to The Hollywood Reporter, Catherine Zeta-Jones has dropped out of the upcoming Oliver Stone film Beyond Borders. The film will concern an American doctor and a British relief worker, and is set against the backdrop of U.N. relief efforts around the world. Kevin Costner has already committed to star as the doctor and now the female role has apparently been offered to Julia Roberts. Shooting begins in May.

Update : January 13th ,2000

Passengers : Variety reports that David Fincher's next project may be a sci-fi drama called Passengers. The movie will be about non-physical alien beings that invade the human body and take control of the brain. For two or three days, the person doesn't show up to work and engages in wild debauchery, acting out the sexual, violent urges they normally suppress so that aliens can experience emotions like sex, anger, fear. Plans are for Fincher to co-produce with Michael London. Based on a Robert Silverberg short story, it is adapted by Greg Pruss with input by Fincher.

Long Lost : According to Hollywood Reporter, Steve Martin is attached to star in the comedy pitch Long Lost from scribes Patty Marx and Sarah Paley. Griffin Dunne is attached to direct. Martin and Paley have known each other since the scribe's days as a writer for Saturday Night Live, which Martin frequently hosted. Martin would play a fictitious 1970s cultural icon, a Barry Manilow-type singer whose songs "make the whole world cry."

Titus : The film stars Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Laura Fraser and Angus MacFayden. The director is Julie Taymor. You can check the trailer by clicking the link below.

"Titus" Trailer (11Mb, MOV)

Update : January 12th ,2000

People's Choice Awards : The 26th annual People's Choice Awards named The Sixth Sense as the public's favorite movie and favorite dramatic movie of 1999. The poll also named Bruce Willis favorite motion picture star in a dramatic film. Willis told "This is my favorite award. This is not about politics, it's not about commerce, it's just about what movie actors and TV shows the people like" The Sixth Sense has earned nearly $300 million at the box office, which is nearly as much as three Die Hard movies combined.

Burnt Sienna : Pierce Brosnan will star in and produce Burnt Sienna. In the film Brosnan will play a former Marine pilot who leaves the service to become an artist in Mexico. When he turns down a commission to paint the portrait of the wife of a top arms dealer, the painter finds his quiet life turned upside down by the scorned dealer. The movie will be based on the upcoming novel from David Morrell who also wrote Rambo.

The Next Best Thing : The trailer for the upcoming Madonna - Rupert Everett starrer is released. In the movie Madonna plays a single woman who convinces her best friend, a gay man (Everett), to father and raise her child.

"The Next Best Thing" Trailer (3Mb, MOV)

"The Next Best Thing" Trailer (11Mb, MOV)

Dust : Jan De Bont is set to direct and produce the ecological disaster project Dust. Having directed Twister and Speed, Bont is familiar with disaster movies. The movie is based on a novel by author-scientist Charles Pellegrino, who created the dinosaur-cloning theory that inspired Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park book.

Waking Up in Reno : According to Hollywood Reporter, Patrick Swayze and Natasha Richardson are in final negotiations to star against Billy Bob Thornton and Charlize Theron in Waking Up in Reno. The film tells the story of two redneck couples who take a vacation to see a monster truck show but en route discover infidelity among them. Thornton and Richardson would play one couple, while Swayze and Theron would play the other. 

 Update : January 11th ,2000

Hannibal : After Jodie Foster passed on to star in Hannibal there are now five strong candidates to star in the movie. Over the weekend Entertainment Weekly ran a poll asking who would star in the film and Gillian Anderson took 80% of the votes. The other candidates are Helen Hunt, Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett and Calista Flockhart.

Erin Brockovich : Julia Roberts, Aaron Eckhart and Albert Finney plays in the movie which is directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film centers on a research assistant (Roberts) that helps an attorney (Finney) in a lawsuit against a large utility company blamed for causing an outbreak of cancer and other illnesses in a small community. You can check out the trailer on Universal Pictures' Erin Brockovich page.

 Update : January 10th ,2000

Weekend Box Office : Stuart Little once again led the box office challenge with $11.5 million in its fourth weekend of play. Matt Damon starrer The Talented Mr. Ripley climbed into second position with The Green Mile close behind. Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday and Galaxy Quest were fourth and fifth.

#	Title	This Weekend	Last Weekend	Theaters	Weeks	Total
1	Stuart Little	$ 11,500,000	$ 16,022,757	2,979	4	$ 95,600,000
2	The Talented Mr. Ripley	9,800,000	12,387,523	2,316	3	54,664,000
3	The Green Mile	9,700,000	11,775,891	2,678	5	91,267,000
4	Any Given Sunday	9,015,000	11,658,852	2,505	3	59,453,000
5	Galaxy Quest	8,300,000	9,705,901	2,450	3	38,800,000
6	Toy Story 2	7,500,000	12,424,539	2,752	8	220,073,000
7	Magnolia	6,575,000	158,148	1,034	4	7,490,000
8	Bicentennial Man	5,200,000	8,282,585	2,612	4	47,120,000
9	Deuce Bigalow	5,000,000	5,749,165	2,066	5	54,042,000
10	Snow Falling on Cedars	4,000,000	48,860	1,150	3	4,200,000