The anticipating release of ‘X-men’ movie franchise is due on May 1, 2009 with the story of how Hugh Jackman as the title character became Wolverine.

The film is directed by Gavin Hood. It is a prequel to the X-Men film trilogy, a superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Wolverine, focusing on Wolverine’s violent past, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.

Enjoy the pictures of Hugh Jackman.

Simon Cowell, the notoriously sharp-tongued judge on American Idol, claims that the show’s upcoming 8th season will place the male contestants on the forefront. “The guys overall, maybe about five or six of them, were just stronger and stood out more than the girls,” Cowell divulged recently to the press. “But I’ve said this in the past and been wrong. Anything can happen.” Besides the battle of the sexes, he also feels that the new batch of aspiring singers will be a more interesting and animated bunch than the previous season’s.

“Last year, it was sort of like battle of the blondes, and they all looked the same,” Cowell said. “This year, there seems to be more personality. They’re definitely standing up for themselves more, which I like, and they’re different from people that we’ve had before.”

Cowell also feels positively about the inclusion of a fourth judge in singer-producer Kara DioGuardi, a woman has actually had professional relationships with past Idol winners such as Carrie Underwood and the latest victor, David Cook. The fact that she has done so, Cowell feels, is evidence that she has no qualms about finding bona fide talent through the reality television format. “She’s got experience,” he adds. “She’s written hit songs, she’s got an opinion - which is very, very important - and she talks a lot.”

Other factors that make Cowell excited for the upcoming season is the return of the wild card strategy, which he claims will lead to “more fun” later on in the show’s run. The fact that the “Idol Gives Back” charity drive has taken a break is also a good thing in his eyes, as it will allow viewers to concentrate on working for their own bills during the recession.

The recent suicide of past Idol contestant Paula Goodspeed, however, has seemed to taint the hype on the upcoming show a bit. Cowell described the incident as “awful.”

“My regret in all of this is we didn’t know how troubled this person was, and if I could go back in time and know what she was going through, we could have spent time trying to help her,” he admits. “But we genuinely didn’t know.”

Mickey Rourke has redeemed himself. Taking on the title role in Darren Aronofsky’s drama The Wrestler has proven to be the jolt he needed to put his acting career—and his life—back on track. He has recently received a Golden Globe nomination for the said role, and continues to rake in more nominations and award-related buzz. The critical acclaim he has been receiving appears to stem from the fact that he finds a number of parallels between himself and his character, who happens to be a former star past his prime.

“I think my face tells a million stories now and a lot of them don’t have happy endings,” he explains in a recent interview. “But life is on an upswing. I’m grateful for the second chance, or am I on my third or fourth chance? But I am working hard every day. I really fell back in love again with acting on this film, and that is a great feeling. These guys are not wrestling anymore and they have to figure out how best to live a life when they can no longer do what they love, and some of them have a very hard time letting it go. I related to that.”

Rourke also believes that his director practically saved his life. “I was a screw-up, and I am really, really lucky that Darren Aronofsky liked Angel Heart so much and that he took a chance on me and thought I was right for this,” he said.

Moving smoothly along after his current success, Rourke’s next project is the film 13, a rehash of the award-winning French thriller 13 Tzameti. Ray Winstone, Jason Statham, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Ray Liotta co-star. “We’re a bunch of badasses,” he said. “It is going to be a very fun movie. It’s an action-thriller about one guy who assumes the identity of a dead man, and in doing so, he gets wrapped up in the dead guy’s dangerous, violent life. This group gambles with actual human lives….There’s a lot of testosterone on that set. More so than in [The Wrestler], even.”

Enjoy the preview of “The Wrestler ” starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Quirky, headstrong singer-songwriter Lily Allen has had her share of tragedies the past year or so, but she is now bracing herself for an amazing comeback in more ways than one. 2009 heralds a brand-new album and tour, as well as a second season for her music-themed talk show Lily Allen and Friends. This is leaps and bounds away from her state earlier this year, when Allen suffered a miscarriage, a break-up from Ed Simons of the Chemical Brothers, low ratings for the aforementioned show, and bad press after presenting an award with Elton John at the 2008 Glamour Awards of the Year while she was a bit too drunk for public consumption.

The latter, however, has not stopped British network BBC from signing her up for a second season. Money has also been a non-issue with her.

“It was a period when I decided not to be a singer or go on tour,” she tells the press. “I made a lot of money out of it. Thank you, licence-payers - that was very nice of you. You think Russell Brand is your problem. Actually, it’s me.”

The young Grammy award nominee went on to say, “I’m thrilled that we’re going to make a second series. It’s been such a laugh. I want to say a huge thank-you to everyone who tuned in to the first one and I can’t wait to film series two.”

A BBC insider explains the popularity of Allen’s show despite it being called a major flop, ratings-wise. “Not everything has to be a massive ratings success on the BBC. Lily’s show was aimed at younger viewers who don’t read newspaper reviews - or care about them. We were happy with how the program performed and it was a good effort for someone who has never fronted a television show before.”

Allen’s sophomore album, It’s Not Me, It’s You, the follow-up to the 2006’s critically-acclaimed Alright, Still will be released in February 2009. Her first single, “The Fear,” has already been getting airplay online.

Enjoy the pictures and VIDEO of Lily Allen out at the studio (December 17).

It’s a “yes” for Jim Carrey! The actor, who was first known for his highly animated comedic film roles but has branched out to dramas and thrillers in the past decade, is back to what he does best in the new comedy Yes Man. The role is not unlike his past characters in films like Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty, which were definite box office hits, generating over $180 million and $240 million, respectively.

The return to his home genre may prove a bit of a relief to fans and critics alike. His last film, the brooding, psychological thriller The Number 23, did not sit that well with the audience, taking in a relatively scant $35 million. Dramas such as The Majestic, and darker, more disturbing comedies such as The Cable Guy were also misses more than hits for the actor.

“It really comes down to thinking about someone sitting in a seat laughing,” said Carrey during promotional interviews for Yes Man. “And that’s it, when you do a movie like this. It’s really that that gets me off.”

Besides jumping back into comedy, Carrey did a little bit more jumping of his own during the actual production. In lieu of a stunt double, Carrey offered to do a bungee-jumping scene himself, a shot that was taken at the end of the production in case something went awry. Carrey told the filmmakers that he would say “yes” to bungee-jumping just for that instance, “so you might as well get it on camera.”

The stunt was certainly in keeping with Yes Man’s actual premise. The film revolves around a loan officer who decides to take a turn for the better and start saying “yes” to any and every opportunity offered him, be it learning to speak in Korean or piloting a plane on his own.

Saying “yes” to everything, of course, does have its dangers, especially in the love department. Zooey Deschanel, indie cutie and one half of recent music sensation She and Him, plays his love interest in the film. She is, however, a tad too spontaneous for his new philosophies, and this spells that brand of wackiness all Jim Carrey film fans have come to love.

Enjoy the preview of “Yes Man” starring: Jim Carrey, Bradley Cooper and Zooey Deschanel. Directed by Peyton Reed.

Jason Mesnick, 4th season runner-up of ABC’s reality dating show The Bachelorette, has been given a second chance at love as the new Bachelor. The 13th season of The Bachelor will begin airing on January 5, and in anticipation for the premiere, Mesnick shares a bit about his very public journey to find new love. It seems that Mesnick is unfazed by his close call on The Bachelorette, when DeAnna Pappas dropped him for Jesse Csincsak on the show’s finale.

His choosing to become the next Bachelor was a bit tricky, nonetheless, especially since he was a single dad. “It wasn’t an easy decision because my question was, ‘How would this impact Tyler?’ That was my first question. I talked to a therapist and a pediatrician and they said, ‘He’s going to be fine’. I just said, ‘I’m not gonna go more than a week or so without seeing him.’ I can’t do that. The show was great and they gave me what I need. He was around when he needed to be and he was with his mom when he needed to.”

As for the fact that some of Season 13’s contestants are single moms, he finds it a non-issue. “Honestly, it doesn’t make a difference either way. I would hope people would view me as a person, not just as a single dad. It didn’t surprise me that there would be single mothers but it didn’t make me think one way or the other.”

In fact, his son Ty even dishes the right advice in his own little way. “He’s 3 so he lives a life day to day and has a great time no matter what he’s doing. I don’t know about any advice by word, but his advice by living is, ‘Let’s just live today’.”

And as for finding love through reality television, Mesnick sees no problem in the unusual format. “I just knew it was real. A real love experience for me. It’s something you have to experience to really, truly know. If that didn’t happen to me the first time, there’s no way I would do it [a second time].”

Rikki Ikki and Vikki Ikki, better known as the bisexual sister act The Ikki Twins, talk about love and their sudden bout in the limelight in a recent interview. The sexy twosome are currently the hosts of MTV’s reality dating game show A Double Shot at Love, which is a follow-up to A Shot at Love, which was hosted by the equally titillating Tila Tequila. Both shows are heavy on bisexual themes.

On how they got the hosting stint on MTV, Rikki claims, “We were always big fans of the show and before we even knew that Tila wasn’t gonna do a third season, I actually sent an e-mail to MTV in hopes that they would read it, but they never did! But it just so happens that they were doing auditions and our manager got us an audition with the audition team, and I guessed they loved us and sent us over to MTV and they liked us too, so history was being made?”

When it comes to what they look for in either a boyfriend or a girlfriend, both girls are very particular. Rikki shares, “I like artistic, creative, outgoing, somebody that likes to be the center of attention, isn’t scared of a lot of people because I like to be around a lot of people, and obviously someone who can get along with my sister because in the past, that’s been really hard for me to find…As far as looks go, someone that takes care of themselves, they don’t have to be all buff or anything, and close to their family.”

Vikki, on the other hand, says, “I like people who are true to who they are, aren’t afraid of what other people think of them, can go around and dance and laugh and be silly—you know, not be afraid of people judging them. And also, someone that’s honest, trustworthy, that’s number one, because I’ve had a lot of problems with not-so-trustworthy people in the past. Looks-wise, someone who takes care of themselves, but I don’t really have a type. I look for the good in everybody.”

Valkyrie, Tom Cruise’s latest film, has proven to be a bit tricky in terms of promotion, having gotten some bad press prior to its release on Christmas Day. Besides the film’s touchy subject of the rarely recalled German resistance against Adolf Hitler, the film is also touted as Cruise’s comeback vehicle—quite a tall order considering Cruise’s controversial behavior in recent years. Cruise, however, remains steadfast and enthusiastic during the film’s promotion.

“It’s nice to be able to have people talk about the film, as opposed to us reading about the film,” Cruise insists. “It is what it is. And I understand it. I do understand it.”

Much controversy has occurred throughout Valkyrie’s production. Its release date has undergone several switches, and much mocking and lampooning has circulated online in the form of photographs displaying the similarities between Cruise and Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg, the prospective Hitler assassin Cruise plays in the film. Officials of the German Defense Ministry had also, in one instance, prohibited filming at the Benderblock in Berlin due to Cruise’s staunch belief in Scientology, which Germany does not consider a religion.

Aside from problems with the film, Cruise has had his share of bad publicity since 2005. A seemingly psychotic “couch-jumping” stint on Oprah, a quite uncomfortable interview with Matt Lauer, and the fact that Paramount Pictures dropped him after a 14-year relationship are just some of the monkeys that have been on his back.

Since his stint as a hip-wiggling, potty-mouthed studio head in Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder, however, for which he got a Golden Globe nomination, Cruise has been trying to redeem his image. He had already cleared the air with both Oprah Winfrey and Matt Lauer, and also put up his very own website.

“I think there is that part of me, there is that spirit of wanting to engage in life,” Cruise goes on, referring to his Valkyrie role. “Here’s a guy who worked under tremendous amounts of pressure, and still could be absolutely clear and lucid about his choices and try to push this and drive this forward.”

Enjoy the pictures from the New York City premiere of “Valkyrie” (December 15).

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Take a look at what Somagirls.tv has to say about this world wide best seller turned movie.

Proud punk parents Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson have lots of fun in the sack, apparently. “We have an amazing sex life,” brags Wentz, bassist of Fall Out Boy, during the promotion of the band’s latest album Folie a Deux. “We have such sexual chemistry. If we had been on this show last year, we’d probably be doing it in the green room right now.”

The couple, who are both newlyweds and new parents of the infamously named Bronx Mowgli, have nonetheless held off of sex since the birth of their son. “Hopefully, the kid doesn’t change it,” Wentz goes on to say. “The kid’s a few weeks old, but we do other fun stuff.”

Wentz recalls the first time he and punk singer Simpson ever did the deed. “It was at the Soho Grand Hotel in New York, and I’m looking in the mirrors, thinking, ‘Oh my God, you are [sleeping with] the girl of your dreams, and you can watch yourself!’” He confesses that it did take quite a bit of persuading to finally convince her to sleep with him. His efforts, however, were certainly not for naught, describing that moment as “the single best sexual encounter I have ever had.”

Wentz also reveals that Simpson has a penchant for lap dancing, doing so in thongs and “sexy clothes.”

Moreover, despite their current hold on lovemaking, motherhood still has its perks in the sex department, with Simpson’s breast size ballooning from a C-cup to a D. The weight she gained over the pregnancy has not been a big issue, either. She was “up to 150 [pounds]” while carrying the baby, Wentz confirms, yet “it’s dropped nicely…it’s blazing off her.”

Wentz’s sexual fantasies, however, do not apply to his sister-in-law, blonde bombshell singer Jessica Simpson. “I think of her as my sister,” he insists, adding that he could foresee a wedding between Jessica and her Dallas Cowboys quarterback beau Tony Romo. “There’s a connection there,” he says of the other couple’s relationship. “I think Jess has gone through a lot in the last couple years, and I think she’s got her head screwed on straight.”