New Chatter

Now that their reunion tour is well over, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell goes back to her writing as she signed copies of her new book ‘Ugenia Lavender’ at WH Smiths in London, England on Sunday. The book is a series of children’s novels following the life of 9-year old Ugenia who is said to be loosely based on the writer formerly known as Ginger. Geri has also mentioned that several characters are based on some very famous people including Gordon Ramsay, George Michael, Vincent van Gogh, Wayne Rooney, Marilyn Monroe and Justin Suarez from the TV series ‘Ugly Betty’. That’s certainly an interesting group of characters that children all over can read about.

Now that their reunion tour is well over, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell goes back to her writing as she signed copies of her new book ‘Ugenia Lavender’ at WH Smiths in London, England on Sunday. The book is a series of children’s novels following the life of 9-year old Ugenia who is said to be loosely based on the writer formerly known as Ginger. Geri has also mentioned that several characters are based on some very famous people including Gordon Ramsay, George Michael, Vincent van Gogh, Wayne Rooney, Marilyn Monroe and Justin Suarez from the TV series ‘Ugly Betty’. That’s certainly an interesting group of characters that children all over can read about.

Everyone but his ex-wife that is. He may come across as Mr. Nice Guy but his ex-wife is telling a different story for the world to know.

Tony Bennett’s former wife, Sandra Grant Bennett who is also the mother of two of his kids, is currently at work on a tell-all book about the legendary singer. Sandra was quoted in saying “The Tony I knew is not the same smiley Mr. Nice Guy the world knows.”

Among her revelations on the darker side of Tony are drug use, a nearly fatal cocaine overdose and his financial troubles. Let’s just hope that he’s stopped with all the white stuff because of the age he’s at.

The executive producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bob Shaye is insistent that Peter Jackson will be involved in the making of the prequel. This comes after a series of declarations that Jackson would never work on The Hobbit. The two had a high profile public falling out over the profits generated by the famous trilogy. However, Shaye is now changing his tune and saying that Jackson should have an input on The Hobbit after all. I’m guessing it’s because he’s realized how much of the trilogy’s success is owed to Jackson and he wants to ensure the same for the prequel. Shaye says that he has a great respect for Peter and wants to see him involved in the creative process. Spiderman director Sam Raimi is supposed to directing the film. We all know that a huge part of Lord of the Rings was what Jackson brought to it. It’s not surprising that they would do whatever they can to ensure he is a part of this. I think it would be in the best interest of the film itself and the movie goers that Jackson be involved as well.

Jennifer Connelly is to star in He’s just Not That In to You, a comedy about modern-day relationships in the U S, which will also feature Drew Barrymore, Entourage’s Kevin Connolly and Alias’s Bradley Cooper.

Connelly will portray a woman stuck in a tired marriage with Cooper, while Barrymore, who is also the film’s producer, is cast as a woman perpetually confused by dating.

The movie is based on the best selling book by the same name written by Grag Behrendt and Liz Tucillo.

The book was originally based on a conversation that occurred while Tuccillo and Behrendt were writing for HBO’s hit series Sex and the City and eventually evolved into an episode on the show.

The plot line for the film will revolve around a woman who hosts a talk show and a man she becomes involved with after he guests on the show. Filming begins in early September.

Famous Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has lost a court battle in London’s high court to ban publication of a photo of her son. Her twenty month old son David had been photographed with her in Scotland and published by British newspaper the “Sunday Express”. Her claim is that the child’s right to privacy had been infringed and that any child at such a young age shouldn’t have to be subjected to the press. The Judge ruled that children didn’t get special treatment just because of what their parents decide to do for a career, including gaining fame from that career. Rowling and her husband do not agree with the ruling and have made plans to appeal. I think it’s all a bunch of bull. She should know by now that she is going to have pictures taken of her when she is out and about. If it’s really that big of a deal to her then perhaps she should take a hint from Michael Jackson and put blankets over her kids head. Otherwise, just deal with it.

With just a hint of Hollywood, famed U.S. environment warrior Erin Brockovich has joined Australian anti-mine activists in what they believe may be the fight of their lives.

Brockovich, who in the 1990s took on California power company Pacific Gas in a struggle turned into a Hollywood film starring Julia Roberts, added her weight this week to a possible class action suit against mining giant Alcoa in Western Australia state.

History, Brockovich said, might be repeating itself in the tiny town of Yarloop, south of Perth, where local residents have complained of health problems they blame on emissions from the nearby Alcoa bauxite refinery.

“We think we live in a big world but it’s really smaller than you think,” Brockovich told local media on Monday.

“Somebody from the area that was sick, from what they believe to be Alcoa, e-mailed me. I was intrigued with her illnesses and concerned at what she was suffering through.”

Alcoa said the company’s Wagerup refinery had been tested independently and found to be safe.

“Wagerup refinery meets the most stringent health and environmental standards in the world,” the company said in a statement, offering to brief Brockovich “on any matters that may be of interest to her.”

“Alcoa has nothing to hide and will continue to take a transparent and responsible approach to the public release of scientific information about the refinery,” the company said.

Brockovich won a U.S.-record $333 million from Pacific Gas after uncovering a scheme to conceal contamination of groundwater in the town of Hinkley. The saga was turned into the film Erin Brockovich, for which Roberts won an Oscar.

Yarloop residents told Brockovich they believed the Alcoa mine was causing breathing problems, skin irritation, chronic fatigue, mental problems, nosebleeds and even cancer over an 11-year period.

An Australian legal firm, Shine Lawyers, based in Queensland state on Australia’s east coast has offered to fight the case on behalf of 160 Yarloop residents on a no-win, no-cost basis.

“It’s far too early to start talking dollars. What we do know is, something has gone terribly wrong. In terms of how much money would compensate these people for what has happened, the short answer is as many dollars as it takes,” Shine Lawyers Partner Simon Morrison told Australian Associated Press.

“What we are about is not about shutting Alcoa down. It’s about accountability and for them to take full responsibility for what they’ve done,” Yarloop resident and Community Alliance for Positive Solutions action group chairman Vince Puccio said.

Harry Potter fans are finally finding out their hero’s fate, after the seventh and final book in the popular series went on sale.
The first copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were snapped up across the world.

UK book chain Waterstones said more than 250,000 fans turned up at midnight to its shops across the UK.
Author JK Rowling had admitted to “excitement, nerves and relief” as the launch approached.

WH Smith said it had sold a total of 15 of the books per second at 400 of its shops since they opened just after midnight on Saturday.
And supermarket chain Asda said it had sold 250,000 copies between midnight and 0900 BST, half of its entire Deathly Hallows stock.

The anticipation of the final instalment has been growing for months.
JK Rowling held a moonlight reading of the book at midnight
“All the secrets I have been carrying around for so long will be yours, too,” she wrote to fans on her website.

“Within hours you will know what happens to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest in their final adventure.
“Those who guessed correctly will be vindicated, and those who guessed wrongly will not, I hope, be too disappointed!”
Speed reader and Potter fan Anne Jones was one of the first to finish the book, reading more than 4,000 words a minute

Australian director Bruce Beresford is set to direct the screen adaptation of Li Cunxin’s best-selling memoir, Mao’s Last Dancer. An worldwide publishing sensation, Mao’s Last Dancer won the Book of the Year Award in Australia and was short-listed for several other prestigious literacy awards. The book tells the inspirational true story of Li Cunxin who, as a small boy in the wake of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, was chosen to leave his peasant family and sent on an amazing journey - as it turned out towards freedom and personal triumph.The book is now in its 32nd reprint, has been translated into several languages and sold in more than 20 countries worldwide. Hollywood doesn’t have original ideas therefore they wanna feed their amibitions with novels and books that already have made an impact with readers, I won’t ever like to see a movie adaptation of a book because the producers can never enact the movie as said by the author. They is a clear lack of idea crisis that’s plauged Hollywood and they wanna win at the box office with sequels of previous hits.

Actress Keira Knightley has been tipped to play Princess Diana in a movie biopic based on a recent book.
Bidding for the rights to Diana and the Paparazzi has been fierce, but Hollywood is apparently united on the possible star of any Diana production.
Quinton Reynolds, a film producer, is reported to have told the Sun: “Already the word in Hollywood is ‘get Knightley’. It’s a story that has everything: pathos, tragedy, comedy, adventure and Princess Diana.”
The Queen, starring Helen Mirren and released last year, told the story of the aftermath of Diana’s death from the view of the royal family. It was a huge success, both at the box office and with the critics, scooping a number of academy awards and Baftas. But the feeling in Hollywood is that any film focusing in Diana would do even better, especially at the box office.
“For every pound The Queen makes, a film about Diana will make ten”, the film producer said.
Dealings related to the movie were reportedly underway at Cannes film festival while Knightley was enjoying box office success with her latest film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
Her next movie will be Atonement, which is based on Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name and also stars James McAvoy.