The music video they appear in is the Hype Williams-directed "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx, who is now firmly at the "Waiting for Tonight" phase of his Jennifer Lopez-emulating career (and now you know why he was so determined to appear on In Living Color). Sure, we can understand the cameos from Forest Whitaker, Samuel L. Jackson, and even the dapper Gyllenhaal. But Ron Howard, raising a glass of champers amidst video hos? Somewhere at Imagine, a jealous Brian Grazer is frantically dialing Lil' Wayne while assuring Howard, "No, it's OK. I got next." The clip is below.

• Jamie Foxx (Feat. T-Pain) - Blame It [World Star Hip-Hop]

Several tipsters sent us the following casting notice, which just went out over the wires:

"THE ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
FEATURE FILM" SAG
PROD CO: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT PRODS
SHOOT: 1ST WEEK OF MAY
LOCATION: NYC

SEEKING:

[GOLDSTONE] An appealing Caucasian man in his late 20s to early 30s. Goldstone is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama who is frustrated with his stalled acting career and desperate to get it onto the fast track. He meets life head on with fearless determination. He is an optimist, a problem solver and a go-getter. Goldstone is intelligent and charming, well bred, reliable and good at heart. He is in a long-term relationship and is very committed and faithful. But, he has a dark side - he can be almost ruthless in his ambition to succeed, self-centered and brutally hard on others as well as himself. Willing to pay SAG Low Budget Rates for this role.

As visions of a Manhattan-set romp danced in our heads (with a brand-new supporting character that surely would befriend struggling actor Tobias), we did a little more digging and discovered that the project was set to be directed by unknown Stephen Marro, not Mitch Hurwitz or Ron Howard as previously rumored. And what's the last credit on Marro's IMDb resume? A short film entitled (yup) Arrested Development, with Jonathon Schaech as "Goldstone." Now, when Marro's feature-length adaptation of his short corrals a very confused Jeffrey Tambor, we'll know exactly what went wrong.

We've got video above where Howard tells the hosts of Morning Joe that the film isn't quite greenlit yet and will need a completed script first— a comment which reminded us that creator Mitchell Hurwitz said he can't write the script until he knows which actors are on board. If only there were some sort of shared (three-season-long) history between Hurwitz and Cera to instill faith in the erstwhile George Michael.

In other news, it's been pointed out that we missed this little tidbit from TCA, which necessitates a Film Tracker update:

Count Portia de Rossi in for an Arrested Development movie: Despite calling her new character in ABC's Better Off Ted her all-time favorite, she'd be up for reprising Lindsay Bluth on the big screen. "I would love to do a movie for Arrested," she said — before adding to the confusion surrounding the project by saying "the cast are all on board." If that gets off the ground, she'd be a busy lady: She also wants to start a vegan shoe line.

And with that, the Film Tracker is complete: each and every actor, director, and trade paper has weighed in, and Cera is the lone holdout (lacking even a powerful excuse like the demands of a hemp-derived shoe company on his time). Come on!

• Ron Howard Defends "Punk" Michael Cera, Talks "Arrested Development" Movie [HuffPo]

The "Arrested Development" feature has moved closer to reality, with Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard reportedly closing deals for the long-gestating project from Imagine and Fox Searchlight. [...]

Hurwitz, who created and exec produced the Emmy-winning series, is on board to write the film as well as direct with help from Howard.

Will Howard's "help" extend to a co-directing slot? We had always figured Hurwitz was a no-brainer to direct , but then we realized that he never actually helmed any episodes of his series (to be fair, he still show-ran the hell out of it). We'll say one thing: Howard might seem a little too middlebrow to actually sit in a director's chair for the Arrested Development movie, but a speedo-clad Tom Hanks feels a lot more in tune with the AD sensibility than it does with the Da Vinci Code sequel.

• 'Arrested Development' film gets closer [THR]

Inaugurating the AD Film Tracker is Ron Howard, who said this during his junket duties for Frost/Nixon:

“I think it’s looking very promising,” said Howard. “We’re still just lacking that one thing we need: a script.” He also confirmed that Mitchell Hurwitz, who created the Emmy-winning series, would direct the movie.

That adds both Howard and Hurwitz to the "yea" column already populated by Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman, and David Cross, leaving only Michael Cera as the film's lone holdout thus far. Superbad, it's time to get with the program. We don't want to do this, but we can always replace you with Annyong.

• Update: Ron Howard confirms Arrested Development movie [Paste]

• Ron Howard's Call to Action [Funny or Die]

• Old-Time Celebs Launch Ads For Obama [HuffPo]

· "It’s difficult to think of a director less-suited to take on the intricate, minutiae-obsessed writing of Peter Morgan than Howard — a director who, even in his finest films, has always been interested in the big picture first, with characters serving history rather than the other way round. [...] Leading with his impressive, booming approximation of the Nixon voice, Langella is allowed to actively chew scenery and the performance becomes increasingly detached from the overall work." — Guy Lodge, InContention [via Patrick Goldstein]

· "Sheen's impersonation of Frost starts with the classic tics: the head waggle, the nasal droning, the tiny soupçon of Brucie - but he soon sounds like ... well ... Tony Blair. [...] Nixon is a juicy part and Langella extracts every tasty drop.But the performance has no room to grow. Frost and Nixon have no 'real-world' encounters: it is like a boxing movie about two combatants who never meet outside the ring." — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

· "Although it all pays off in a potent and revelatory final act rife with insights into the psychology and calculations of power players, the initial stretch is rather dry and prosaic. Perhaps needlessly adopting a cinematic equivalent of the play's direct-to-audience address, Howard 'interviews' several of the characters, witness-style, about the events, which only serves to make the film feel somewhat choppy, half like a documentary at first. [...] It might even be that the film could have done without the talking heads altogether." — Todd McCarthy, Variety

All right, all right — fine. Let Grazer write this one off to Gigi and let's just move on to '09, already.

The scene will now be shot on a soundstage after the diocese of Rome closed its doors against the producers. Father Marco Fibbi, a spokesman, said: "Usually we read the script but in this case it wasn't necessary. Just the name [of source novelist] Dan Brown was enough."

He added that most films are given permission, as long as they respect the "traditions of the Church." Father Fibbi said: "Angels and Demons peddles a type of fantasy that damages our common religious beliefs, just like The Da Vinci Code did."

A publicist in a priest's collar is still a publicist, so pardon our reach as we get our grain of salt. An absolutely nuclear protest, however, was logged by Jesus of Nazareth director Franco Zeffirelli, who told the Telegraph: "Dan Brown is a rapscallion." Well, we never!! Franco Zeffirelli — still alive! There's the shocker; we knew we'd find news in here somewhere.

[Photo Credit: INF]

• Vatican bans 'godless' Da Vinci Code sequel... [The Telegraph]

"It's always the same," Hanks grimaced. "It's like Audrey Tautou's English."

"But Tohm," they cried. "What ees eet?"

"Ask Ron," he said, gesturing his throbbing hand to his director across the way. "That fucker knows. Since Splash! The same fucking finger! Splash, asshole!" Shooting resumed painfully within the hour.

• Tom Hanks stops filming on set [Daily Mail]

boomp3.com



While rehearsing a scene on the set of Angels & Demons, Tom Hanks made a discovery; he found his Bosom Buddy Peter Scolari. Hanks told the film's director Ron Howard that he was completely surprised to see Scolari and asked Howard if he could cameo in the film. Howard told Hanks that's up to Scolari if he wanted to do a cameo, but Howard seemed worry that the film would be too cameo heavy with Howard's brother, Clint, scheduled to film a scene next week. Hanks happily asked Scolari if he wanted to appear in the film, but Scolari said that he was on vacation with his family and didn't want to take away from their trip with "dad's dumb acting stuff." Hanks asked if he was sure about his decision and Scolari nodded and continued sightseeing.

[Photo Credit: Bauer-Griffin]

· Smelling Oscar, Jamie Foxx will star in DreamWorks' adaptation of the book The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness and Civil Rights, playing one of "trailblazing black detectives who set out to solve a series of racially motivated serial killings that rocked San Francisco in the fall and winter of 1973-74." It's a serial killer flick! It's a socially conscious civil rights tale! Academy voters are already fantasizing about checking off Foxx's name on their ballots. [Variety]
· The Red Sox's World Series-opening rout of the Rockies gives Fox nearly as big a Nieslen win over its network rivals. Also: Bionic Woman (see above for fun behind-the-scenes news!) dropped off 23 percent from its previous averages. [THR]
· Demonstrating that Hollywood Cares About The Wildfires, Disney kicks in $2 million in relief. [Variety]
· Michael Mann is making plans to butch up a gone-too-soft Robert De Niro. [Variety]

In today's episode: Leonardo DiCaprio and Paula Abdul; Will Smith; Keanu Reeves; Lindsay Lohan; Ron Howard; Green Day; John Lithgow and Maura Tierney; Giovanni Ribisi; Donald Faison; Johnny Knoxville; Jamie Bamber; Gary Dourdan; Joey Fatone and Nick Carter; Dash Mihok and Roma Maffia; and Tracy Nelson.

· (Thurs 5.11) At Teddy's, Leo brushes through the crowd to scoot out the front door long before closing time (1AM ish), preceded by his diesel bodyguard. Knew it was him instantly because of the dark baseball hat pulled down low. He wears it , and is photographed in it so much, it has become a calling card instead of disguise. We recognized him without seeing his face (well that, and the bodyguard). Amongst alot of other typical faces there, Paula Abdul had 2 males protecting her (less formal bodyguard types than Leo), sandwiching her as she walked. Unlike Leo, when she brushed by, I got a bird's eye view of her arid scalp. It looked like the desert floor on the drive to vegas. Under her hairspray'd crinkly bunches, I swear I saw male pattern baldness developing/thinning at the front sides of her forehead. Disclaimer: I was liquored extensively during the scalp exam.

· 5/10...8 am this morning out for a walk with my husband and our daughter in a stroller in South Pas. Every morning we take the same route and walk by a house that is constantly getting things filmed at it. This morning there were a bunch of "movie-types" blocking the sidewalk and I was slightly irritated that no one was moving to let us by. We walked out into the street and I saw a black Maybach parked near the curb. Just as I was walking next to the car, the driver's door opens nearly hitting me. I say "Oh my God!" probably a bit dramatically as my husband politely smiles to the guy who almost hit me, and as we get a little further, he says, "That was Will Smith," and I peeked back around, and it was. I wish he had hit me!

· Undefeated on La Brea 5/5 @ 5:30 I was halfway through the store when a gentleman in jeans, sportscoat and hiking boots with a patchy, scruffy beard walked in. The store employee greeted him as if he was a regular and asked if this guy was "in to buy more gifts." The gentleman said he was in to buy some shoes for a friend in from Paris. No big deal so far. I hit the back of the store and realize this gentleman is now standing right next to me. He's shorter, his face is slightly pudgy, and his voice is semi-recognizable. I glanced and out of the corner of my eye I see.... Keanu Reeves.

· I hit the Privacy Watch Bonanza when I encountered Lindsay Lohan entering a showbiz credit union in Toluca Lake this morn (5-8)-not one paparazzi(did they catch BirdFlu?) & accompanied by an agenty looking woman w/a frog neck & leathery skin LL was wearing shorts, some emo-ironic t-shirt, suspenders & a big red bow. Couldn't figure out if she was going for Madonna-bee throwback or Minnie Mouse-the girl is Irish pale & boy do those freckles stand out in person. I didn't follow her in, so I can't say if she used the ATM or teller window to drain her Coogan Account

· Here's my weekly Hermitage, BH sighting: This morning (5-10) I saw Ron Howard pacing in front of the hotel. He was wearing a baseball cap. I was so excited I almost fell off my bike. But I couldn't think of anything smart/interesting to ask him so I went on my way. But James Woods wasn't there.

· Saw all of Green Day (and what I'm assuming were their managers, A&R guys, etc.) at Table 8 on Saturday. Not the most traditional place to get your Cinco De Mayo partying started, but that didn't stop them from tipping a few back and getting loud at dinner. Chef Govind Armstrong even came out to meet them, but to his credit then made the rounds and chatted up the regular (Billie) Joes as well. Rock n' Roll!

· We were eating an early dinner at Mozza Pizzeria (seems like you can only eat very early or very late at this place) and we get two sightings: Maura Tierney sitting at the bar with friends and John Lithgow and someone I can only assume was Mrs. Lithgow at their own table.

· Someone in our party walked to the bathroom past Maura Tierney and he heard her friend say "So, you've worked with Richard Gere and David Fincher..." I guess they were playing Six Degrees of Maura Tierney or something. Nothing's better than talkin' about yo'self!

· Okay, so this might be a little late to post, but I saw Giovanni Ribisi at the Arclight on Sunday 5/6. Didn't recognize the people he was with, looked like they just got out of a movie. Thing is, I was going in to see Spiderman 3 at 6pm, at 8:30 when the movie let out he and his friends WERE STILL HANGING OUT at the entrance to the theater. ??? Smoking and loitering. As if trying to recapture the whole "ill spent youth" thing. I think they really needed a mall to hang out at.

· At the 12:41 screening of Spiderman 3 on Thursday night at the Arclight, spotted Donald Faison. He tried to blend in, which didn't work because he wore a yellow hoodie. It looked like he was alone... I felt bad for him.

· Johnny Knoxville wearing a "WILLIE" shire getting take-out at the 101 Cafe on Sunday morning. Despite the newspaper in front of his face while waiting, he was hard to miss.

· Last night, Tuesday May 8 - Aqualung @ The Henry Fonda - was scanning the crowd and totally saw Jamie Bamber. It goes without saying that he was looking great; sadly, he was fully clothed. He appeared to be there with his wife, who looked nice but not thrilled. They walked right past me as they headed backstage at the end of the night. At least, I hope it was him! If not I just leered at some poor innocent hottie for far too long. Aqualung put on a tremendous show, by the way.

· Thursday, May 10, 8:00 p.m.: A very handsome Gary Dourdan (Warrick on "CSI") dining solo at Swingers on Beverly. The guy oozes testosterone. When finished, he suited up and sped away on his very hot, very expensive Ducati. The guy's sex on a stick.

· sunday night (05/06) - at kado restaurant at the farmer's market/grove - joey fatone of nsync and his dancing with the stars partner at one teppan table, AND nick carter from the backstreet boys sitting at a directly diagonal table! boyband mania! awesome! i was hoping they'd have a dance-off, but unfortunately they didn't seem to acknowledge each other's presence.

· * Sat. 5/5, Dash Mihok and two pals in a black convertible at corner of La Brea and Hollywood
* Tues. 5/8, Roma Maffia and friend lunching at Miracle Mile Koo Koo Roo

· Does this count? Today (5-9) at Studio City Pinkberry as I was leaving I saw Tracy Nelson (of 80's TV and Ricky Nelson fame). She was with her young son and chatting with some model-type mom (couldn't place her) about model-type's cute baby. Would've placed her as typical suburban mom if not for the very blue eyes and kind of strange voice. Seemed very nice, though.

• Grazer to produce 'Colossus' [Variety]

With a starting bid of a more than reasonable 99 cents, we'd argue that you can't afford not to make your best offer on the very sectional-seating which very possibly once propped superproducing Man of Ideas Brian Grazer as he pleaded with his artistic life partner to see the "Eminem is a natural born actor's actor!" light. However, should that auction leave you cold, there is always the current offering on Craigslist of a table featured in "THE PERSUIT OF HAPPINES WITH WILL SMITH [sic]," which figured prominently in the movie when Smith's homeless father character locked himself in an office building overnight, and, desperate to provide a meal for his young son, scraped the remains off its underside to make two chewed-gum sandwiches.

• RON HOWARD'S COUCH !!! SECTIONAL SOFA !!! [eBay]
• 54" Herman Miller Aluminum Table used 4 the Movie PERSUIT OF HAPPINESS - $550 [Craigslist]

Perhaps disappointed that David Geffen's bid to buy the paper and transform it into the pulpy megaphone he's always craved never really went anywhere, the LAT is doing what it can to make sure that the voices of the entertainment industry's biggest personalities are heard, inviting Imagine's Brian Grazer to superproduce the inaugural edition of an already doomed a bold guest-editor experiment for its Sunday Current opinion section. So what exactly will be required of the new Times editor-for-a-day? A press release can explain while we dab up the bit of melted brain matter that's trickling from our ear:

What would one of Hollywood's most innovative producers do with the paper if he could be editor for a day? That is the question Grazer will answer in the March 25th Current. And that's the question The Times will be posing to an eclectic mix of personalities over time: what would you do if you could edit the paper for a day? As guest editor, Grazer's responsibilities include choosing topics and assigning them to writers.

"We asked Brian Grazer to kick off the program because we wanted to tap into his creative vision," said Andres Martinez, editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times. "Brian's an ideal choice because his interests are notoriously wide-ranging, and often unconventional. His career is powered by an endless curiosity, and we thought it would be fun to hitch a ride along the way."

"When the Los Angeles Times invited me to guest edit the Sunday Current section, I had to say yes," said Grazer. "There's nothing that excites me more than learning new things and then sharing what I've learned with others. It's what I do as a filmmaker, and it's what I've tried to do for The Times. One big interest of mine is the impact of technological and cultural change, and my hope is that by asking a really interesting group of writers and artists to focus on this subject, readers will gain a better understanding of the world we live in."

We can think of no better editor for the Current section than the midwife of intellectually challenging fare like Fun with Dick and Jane, Undercover Brother, and Nutty Professor II who has previously disclosed an inability to read. Of course, that seemingly troubling last point should pose no obstacle to a successful guest stint at the Times, as we're sure that Grazer will make use of the same support system he's built to overcome his aversion to the printed word, with his cultural attaché helping him choose interesting contributors and a thoroughly literate assistant reading him the coverage of their submissions. Come March 25, the entire town will rise early and sprint to its doorstep, eager to read longtime creative partner Ron Howard's controversial thoughts on withholding treatment from schizophrenics so that they can enjoy lives filled with imaginary friends who invite them on thrilling adventures, then devour frequent collaborator Russell Crowe's heartfelt essay on the tragic decline of etiquette in the hospitality sector. That amazing Sunday can't come soon enough!

• LOS ANGELES TIMES OPINION SECTION TAPS BRIAN GRAZER TO INAUGURATE GUEST EDITOR PROGRAM [LAT]

· Imagine's Brian Grazer will superproduce an utterly unneeded "American version" of the film Cache for Universal, from which partner Ron Howard will drain all nuance by "amp[ing] up the suspense and consequences" should he choose to direct it. [Variety]
· Satellite Radio Mergermania! Sirius and XM announce their intentions to combine into a single corporate entity—if the FCC approves a move that would result in the unholy pairing of Oprah Winfrey and Howard Stern on a single provider. [THR]
· In a move that should surprise only those reading the trades for the first time today after waking up from a three-year coma, Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures are going ahead with a fourth Saw movie, timed for a Halloween weekend release later this year. [Variety]
· Last night's episode of Heroes remained "scorching hot" in the 18-49 demographic; somewhat less engulfed in Nielsen's flame is Studio 60, which had its second consecutive week of record-low ratings. (We TiVo'd S60, so we're unable to make a reference to how Matt's battle with his pill-popping, hallucinated alter ego turned out. We regret being part of Sorkin's time-shifting problem.) [THR]
· Ghost Rider's total take over the three-day weekend is $51.5 million; that's the all-time Presidents Day weekend record, if you're into relatively meaningless box office statistics. [Variety]