Two-Time Oscar Winner Expected to Star as Infamous Crook in HBO Movie

A two-time Oscar winner is expected to play convicted Ponzi scheme operator Bernie Madoff in an HBO original movie, reports The New York Times' Media Decoder blog.The actor is Robert De Niro. HBO has acquired the rights to the book about the Madoff case "The Wizard of Lies," written by New York Times reporter Diana B. Henriques, the story notes.HBO has been acquiring rights to popular nonfiction titles to turn into movies, with "Too Big to Fail," based on a bestseller by New York Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin, set to debut May 23."The Wizard of Lies" was published this month, the piece notes.De Niro won Oscars for “The Godfather: Part II” and “Raging Bull.”


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Britney Spears Is New Comic Book Star – Photo

Is it Wonder Woman? Could it be Batwoman? What about Supergirl? Nope its just pop superstar Britney Spears the latest celebrity to be immortalized in a comic book.

The Toxic hitmaker’s rise to stardom and highly publicized private life has been turned into a series of illustrations at Bluewater Productions Inc., who recently turned Lindsay Lohan’s woes into a story.

Other stars who have been given the comic book treatment by the firm include Twilight’s Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, as well as Lady Gaga.

Writer Patrick McCray says, “She is far more complicated than most people realise. No matter what preconceptions you have about her, there will always be more layers and surprises. Beyond the performer, there is a real human being there, struggling for a real life, struggling to connect with her art, and struggling to be understood.”

The 32-page comic is due for release today.

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Kiefer Sutherland To Star In ‘Sleight of Hand’

Kiefer Sutherland has joined the cast of the heist thriller Sleight of Hand.   The film revolves around a robbery undertaken by a gang of minor crooks who accidentally get hold of a priceless coin that belongs to a dangerous French gang leader.

Gerard Depardieu, Eric Carpenter, Johnny Hallyday Thomas Jane, Jon Lovitz and Til Schweiger are already signed up for the film to be directed by Brad Mirman.

Mirman previously directed Sutherland in the crime drama series The Confession.

Kiefer said this week that a feature film adaptation of his hit series ’24′ will be released in 2012 although he and director Ron Howard are still looking for the “perfect script.”

Sutherland will next be seen in Cannes co-starring with Kirsten Dunst in Lars von Trier’s ‘Melancholia.’

Image credit to Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com

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Nick at Nite Readying Sitcom From 'Happy Days' Star

One of the stars of the hit 1970s sitcom “Happy Days” is working with Nick at Nite to develop a half-hour comedy, Deadline.com reports.The show, “Daddy’s Home,” was created by former “Happy Days” star Scott Baio, who will star in the show as a stay-at-home dad.Baio plays a character who has been America's favorite "TV Dad" but is unprepared to stay at home with his three kids when his wife, a soap opera star, returns to her career, the story notes.

Emmy-Winning Star of 'Family' Dies

An Emmy-winning star of the 1970s television show "Family," also known for her stage career and the winner of a Tony Award, has died, reports The New York Times. Sada Thompson died of lung disease, according to her daughter. She was listed in various reports as either 81 or 83.Thompson made her reputation in Off Broadway and regional theater productions as well as on Broadway, where she won a Tony in 1972 for playing four roles in "Twigs," the story says.On television, she played matriarch Kate Lawrence in "Family," which ran from 1976 to 1980 and focused on the strains and issues in families, such as marital problems. Thompson was nominated four times for an Emmy during the show's five seasons, and won in 1978.Thompson also performed in feature films, including “Pollock" in 2000.

Jackie Cooper, Child Star in 'Our Gang' Comedies and Emmy-Winning TV Director, Dead at 88

Jackie Cooper, who became a child star during the Depression and thrived as an adult working both behind and in front of the camera on television and in film, has died, reports The New York Times. He was 88. Cooper won two Emmys for directing, for the series "M*A*S*H" in 1974 and for the pilot for "The White Shadow" in 1979. He also directed episodes of "Quincy," "The Rockford Files" and other TV shows. Cooper started in show business at 3 years old when his grandmother dragged him to the studio gates for a chance to earn $2 as an extra. He acted in 15 "Our Gang" comedies, including "School's Out" and "Teacher's Pet" in 1930. The following year, when he was 9, he starred in "Skippy," a Paramount film about a boy and his dog, which was directed by his uncle, the story says. His uncle, Norman Taurog, got Cooper to cry by having his dog dragged off the set and simulating shooting the animal, the piece notes. "Please Don't Shoot My Dog" became the title of Cooper's 1981 best-selling memoir. For his work in the film, he became the youngest Oscar nominee for best actor, a record that still stands, the story says. As an adult, Cooper got involved in television, appearing on shows such as "The United States Steel Hour" and starring from 1955 to 1958 in "The People's Choice," in which he played a politician with a basset hound that thinks funny thoughts, the story says. He starred as Navy doctor Lt. Charles “Chick” Hennesey from 1959-1962 in “Hennesey,” a role that dovetailed with his active peacetime involvement with the Navy after his service during World War II. He eventually achieved the rank of captain in the Navy. Cooper became a production executive for Screen Gems, the TV unit of Columbia Pictures, from 1964 to 1969, working on sitcoms such as "Bewitched" and "The Donna Reed Show."