A few days after script issues pushed it off the May 2011 calendar, Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today that Spider-Man 4 ain’t gonna happen at all, and that the franchise will eventually reboot featuring Peter Parker as a teenager.

Meaning original principals Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, as well as Spider-Man 1-3 director Sam Raimi, are out.

“We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, [producers] Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Sony Pictures cochair Amy Pascal.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me,” added Raimi. “While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.”

Maguire had told E! News in November that he expected to start shooting his fourth Spidey film in February or March.

There’s no official word as to how exactly the project came unspun, but Raimi had reportedly been unsatisfied about the current state of the screenplay by Alvin Sargent, the third writer brought on by Sony to tackle the storyline.

The Spider-Man saga is currently slated to begin again in summer 2012.

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The 3-D sci-fi epic landed at number one with an estimated $73 million, according to Hollywood.com Box Office.

The number is certainly on the lower end of expectations for the long-anticipated film, but considering that much of the east coast was buried under record snowfall for most of the weekend, it remains an unambiguously solid opening ? the best 3-D debut ever and the second-best December debut behind “I Am Legend.”

Also unambiguous: The film’s rock-solid “A” CinemaScore rating, which, along with the raves currently streaming across Twitter and inundating message boards, suggests it will grow long legs at the box office well into the new year. (It’s no wonder that IMAX screenings of the film reportedly sold-out every single seat.) Worldwide, the picture’s already banked an estimated $232.2 million.

The crappy weather appears to have suppressed all box-office totals, too. “The Princess and the Frog” hopped to second place with $12.2 million, a 50 percent drop from its wide debut last weekend, for $44.8 million total.

“The Blind Side” caught $10.0 million for third place. With $164.7 million total, it officially surpasses “The Proposal” as the highest grossing film for star Sandra Bullock.

Her old “Two Weeks Notice” co-star Hugh Grant, however, isn’t sharing the same box-office fate; “Did You Hear About The Morgans?,” his romcom with Sarah Jessica Parker, debuted at fourth place with a weak $7 million.
Video: ‘Avatar’ visually ambitious

“Up in the Air” continued its stellar limited run, accruing $3.1 million for 8th place on just 175 screens, a 29 percent jump from last week for $8.1 million total. It opens wide on December 23.

Other Oscar-bait films opened in very limited release to strong returns. Movie musical “Nine” high-stepped to a $61,750 per location average in four theaters; biopic “The Young Victoria” earned $7,400 per theater in 20 locations; and music-inflected drama “Crazy Heart” strummed up $21,050 per theater in four locations.

Overall, despite the blizzard, box office was up a whopping 58 percent from last year, when the Jim Carrey comedy “Yes Man” was tops.

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The restructure reflects a troubled global luxury goods industry that Bain & Co. reportedly expects to contract 8% to $US228.25 billion in 2009.

Associated Press reported Gian Giacomo Ferraris, who took over the family fashion house in July, said it hoped an aggressive approach would create immediate change.

Production would be streamlined, the store network would be reviewed and capital investments and overhead reduced, he told media.

“We will invest in design, product development and brand management,” Mr Ferraris said. “All the other areas, infrastructure, support, like bookkeeping, administration, controlling, and any double infrastructure, will be concentrated and rationalised.”

The company aims to have an operating profit by the end of 2010 and a bottom line profit by 2011.

Staff would be cut from 1,310 now to 960 by the middle of next year, he said.

While new stores were planned in Las Vegas, New Dehli, Dubai and the Gold Coast, unprofitable stores would close, including its three stores in Japan.

The luxury goods industry has dived in Japan, but Mr Ferraris told AP it would reposition there in the future.

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Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, has proved a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic but has been subject to a range of lawsuits from people who claim they were misrepresented in the film.

The “Hung Up” singer and her film director husband have allegedly been seeing top marital therapist Tricia Barnes after their relationship hit “rock bottom,” following the couple’s controversial adoption of a Malawi baby. A source told Britain’s People newspaper: “The marriage is near rock-bottom.”

“They’ve been putting on a united front in public but behind closed doors their marriage has come under strain.” “The publicity surrounding the adoption has created a difficult atmosphere in their home.” “After a heart-to-heart they decided to seek the help of a marriage guidance specialist.”

Guy and Madonna’s relationship – which has previously been rocked by the singer’s busy work schedule and her fascination with the Kabbalah – reportedly came under a new strain after Guy felt left out from the highly-publicized adoption battle for fourteen-month-old David Banda. The source added: “Madonna and Guy both dote on little David but it is her attitude that can irritate and upset Guy.” “She drove the whole adoption process from start to finish and Guy was left trailing in her slipstream just nodding and going along with things.” As well as David, the couple have two other children – six-year-old Rocco and Lourdes, ten, from Madonna’s relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

Source: BANG Showbiz

The publicist then begged the media to leave her alone when it comes to the meetings.”Maybe if (the press) backs off on her she’ll be in a good space,” she added. “Let’s see if we don’t have to hear about it every day, and they’re following her and trying to find her. Because that will just really not be good.”Lindsay was spotted earlier in the week attending an AA meeting near her L.A. apartment.

The confirmation comes just after Linds’s mom Dina went on the air with Ryan Seacrest today and first broke the news. So much for “anonymous,” huh? Dina so needs to stop airing her daughter’s dirty laundry and help her get the help she needs — which is probably more than accompanying her to parties

The “Simple Life” star appeared to put aside her differences with the 21-year-old actress – who she branded “firecrotch” – after they were spotted enjoying a night out on Monday (11.27.06), with newly single pal Britney Spears.

According to gossip website X17online, a source at Los Angeles nightclub Hyde, where they group partied that night, claims Paris told Lindsay: “You’re a f**king coked-out whore, don’t ever say you’re my friend again!”
Lindsay was then seen leaving the club in tears.
Britney and Paris then went back to the “Simple Life” star’s house to continue their partying where Paris was heard shouting: “Tell Firecrotch she’s no longer welcome!”
Meanwhile, Britney has pulled out of co-hosting the 2006 Billboard Music Awards with Paris.
The two pals had been booked to co-host the live event, to be aired on Fox TV, next Monday (11.04.06).
But Britney has suddenly withdrawn with no explanation, jeopardizing Paris’ chances of hosting the ceremony at all.
A source at Fox said: “She pulled out. She didn’t give a reason. We really don’t know the reason. But we’re disappointed she backed out.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

The ”Mean Girls” actress, who has been feuding with the socialite for months, claims Paris struck her for no reason at a house party held by a mutual friend in Los Angeles.

Lindsay, 20, made the allegation to a film camera crew waiting for her outside a Los Angeles hotel. She even showed them a bruise on her left arm which she claims was caused by Paris.

She told X17: “I’m saying this on tape. She hit me for no apparent reason at my friend’s house. I didn’t know she would be there and she hit me with a drink and poured it all over me. It hurts and it’s not OK.”

“I’m sorry for everyone who thinks I’m crazy but I’m just trying to act.”

It has been confirmed that Paris did attend the bash with new friend Britney Spears, but her representative Elliot Mintz has vehemently denied she hit Lindsay.

He said: “It’s not true. I was with Paris and Britney at the party. At no time did Paris throw anything at Lindsay. At no time did Paris ever hit her, assault her, touch her or have any physical contact with her.”

“I find this very disturbing. It’s a very serious allegation to say somebody hit you.”

Mintz claims that a drink was thrown at Paris and Britney and that the trio exchanged “harsh words.” He has also urged Lindsay to stop verbally attacking the blonde heiress.

He added: “I believe a drink was thrown at Paris and Britney. I believe harsh words were exchanged but in recent days and recent weeks Lindsay has said some very disturbing things about Paris. This kind of ranting against Paris has to stop. She doesn’t insult anybody, she doesn’t call people names and she doesn’t make false accusations.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

The “Wind It Up” singer, who divides her time between her homes in Los Angeles and London, has rubbished rumors she and the “Hung Up” singer have been feuding and insists they are actually becoming friends.

Gwen told Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper: “She’s been nothing but nice to me. She’s invited me to her house for dinner and clearly she’s a huge inspiration to me musically.”

It had been reported that Madonna, 48, had accused the 37-year-old star of copying her career and even refused to accept a gift of some baby clothes from Gwen’s own fashion range for her newly adopted baby David.

Gwen gave birth to her first child, son Kingston, with her rocker boyfriend Gavin Rossdale, in May of this year.

The “Hollaback Girl” singer admits she is keen to expand her L.A.M.B fashion line.

She said: “We will soon see L.A.M.B competing with Donna Karan’s DKNY. The idea is to do the fashion for the rest of my life, although I hate saying it because if it folds everyone will know how much it hurts. There’s not a lot of emotional drainage that comes with it. It’s fun and rewarding but it doesn’t really drain you.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

The 24-year-old singer is struggling to find someone to represent her since she announced her divorce from Kevin Federline and fired publicist Leslie Sloane Zelnick. Britney’s heavy partying since the split, combined with her behavior during her marriage has damaged her image and no one wants to take on the job of trying to salvage her reputation. A source told the New York Post newspaper: “She is kind of a mess. She won’t take anyone’s advice.”Britney has lost weight and smartened up her look since she filed for divorce, but has been spotted smoking, drinking, and partying hard with notorious socialite Paris Hilton. On one girls night out in Las Vegas Britney took off her trousers half-way through the evening and sat around briefly in just a pair of fishnet stockings.

Source: BANG Showbiz