Catherine Zeta-Jones

As we anxiously await the release of Steven Soderbergh's Che--the four-hour epic begins a limited one week engagement at the IFC Center starting on December 12th before coming back around in January--isn't it time we got an update on the craziest/awesomest project that the talented director has ever come up with? Of course we're talking about Cleo, the 3-D musical that Mr. Soderbergh is planning about Cleopatra, featuring songs by Guided by Voices and hopefully starring Catherine Zeta-Jones in the title role and Hugh Jackman as Marc Antony. Thanks to MTV, we've gotten more details than ever about the film, which Mr. Soderbergh says he's "totally psyched" to do.

For starters, he's actually going to make Cleo--shooting is scheduled to start sometime in April. In the world of Hollywood, where directors like Martin Scorsese pile up projects without ever actually getting to them, this is actually a bit of good news.  read more »

Our brain is simply spinning with the news that Steven Soderbergh is planning on making a 3-D rock musical about Egyptian sexpot ruler Cleopatra. First, the casting: Variety reports today that Mr. Soderbergh is sniffing around Catherine Zeta-Jones to take on the role, previously held by both Claudette Colbert (in 1934) and Elizabeth Taylor (1963) with Hugh Jackman stepping into the gladiator sandals, once filled by Richard Burton, to play Marc Anthony. We can sort of see Ms. Zeta-Jones rocking the eyeliner, can't you? But then, there's the music, which will be provided by Guided by Voices. Guided by Voices! Could this be as exciting as when Shudder to Think wrote all those songs for  read more »

Monday: Beverly Hills, 90210 Marathon
We regularly tune in to SoapNet—yes, if you didn't know, there is a cable channel devoted to soaps—on weekend mornings for reruns of Beverly Hills, 90210, that life-lesson-teaching teen drama that accompanied us through high school and college. This has us uniquely prepared for the CW remake (see Tuesday), which will pick up the story lines of at least a few of the original cast members. If you need a refresher course, today is your lucky day: SoapNet's got a 24-hour-marathon going on. Try to tune in for the one when Brandon gets drunk and totals his car.  read more »

The Weinstein Bros. are in talks with a slate of Hollywood song-and-dance types to star in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Nine.

According to Variety, The Weinstein Company is negotiating with Penelope Cruz, Catherine Zeta Jones, Sophia Loren, Javier Bardem and newcomer Marion Cotillard (who recently played Edith Piaf in the highly-praised biopic, La Vie En Rose) to appear in the adaptation.

Bardem follows Raul Julia in the role--Julia played director Guido Contini, who, in the musical inspired by Fellini's 8 1/2, must juggle his many lovers and his career; Antonio Banderas played the role in the revival.

Loren would play Contini's mother, who appears in the musical as a ghost.

Michael Tolkin is writing the screenplay; Rob Marshall will choreograph; and Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston, who did the original book and music and lyrics respectively, are executive producers.

• Variety

Forget the bad food metaphors: The most remarkable thing about the romantic comedy No Reservations is actor Aaron Eckhart’s hair, which even manages to upstage the long, flowing dark locks of his gorgeous co-star, Catherine Zeta-Jones. “It was a mop,” said Mr. Eckhart of the multitoned and layered coif, at a lunch in honor of the movie at Le Cirque on Thursday, July 26 (Ms.  read more »

Laurel Touby has sold her Web site/media brothel, Mediabistro, for $23 million, and tonight she’ll be at Michael’s for a party wishing famous TVNewser editor Brian Stelter good luck at The New York Times.  read more »

No Reservations is an unnecessary but somewhat charming remake of Mostly Martha, the delicious 2001 German film about food, love and family values.  read more »