Jeffrey Wright Signs 9 Pic Deal as Colin Powell

While he was far from being the main character, Jeffrey Wright made a memorable turn in Oliver Stone’s W. as former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The thesp signed a lucrative 9-picture deal Wednesday with Lionsgate to reprise his role in future movies, portraying Powell in varying ages.

Though there’s currently no plans for a Colin Powell biopic, the studio is expecting Wright to appear as the former four-star General in other political dramas about real-life figures.

Bale Brings Dark Intensity to “Garfield” Reboot

Things aren’t looking too hot on the set of 20th Century Fox’s Garfield re-do. The new movie, titled simply Garfield, is an attempt at a more realistic adaptation of Jim Davis’ popular comic strip. Started in 1978, the Garfield strip already spawned two top-earning movies, but failed to win the majority of critics. With the reboot, Fox is looking to appeal to the core fanbase.

The decision is reflected on the project’s leading man Christian Bale. The brooding thesp plays Garfield’s simpleton owner Jon Arbuckle, and many on the production say he’s taking the role a bit too seriously.

Fox Preps “Slumdog Idol”

Slumdog Millionaire is proving to be a success story for Fox Searchlight, after four Golden Globe wins and a strong expectation of an Oscar sweep. Fox’s television division is quick to seize the opportunity, with a new American Idol spin-off inspired by the movie skedded for this Fall.

The new show, titled Slumdog Idol, takes the singing competition to the slums of Mumbai, looking for a young hopeful who can sing his or her way out of the poorhouse.

Obama Signs Executive Order for Sam Raimi

President Barack Obama signed another executive order on Thursday that directly affects the production of the next Spider-Man sequel, citing a “fundamental issue” with the Internet rumors surrounding the film’s supervillain.

In a recent interview, director Sam Raimi revealed that he’s a fan of Morbius, a vampire baddie from the comics, sparking speculations that the fourth film would use him as the main villain. Obama, a longtime Spider-Man fan, hated the idea.

“Let’s be honest, Morbius is kind of a lame choice,” said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during a press briefing Thursday morning. “The President is doing everything in his power to make sure we don’t have another lame Spider-Man movie.”

Joaquin Phoenix: Elaborate Hoax?

The story surrounding actor Joaquin Phoenix’s retirement from the acting world became even more bizarre this week when it was revealed that he is, in fact, not an actor at all.

Two people close to the Academy Award nominee tell us that his entire career has been one long elaborate hoax, which Phoenix started in fifth grade. “He told me about it during Mr. Gillman’s Biology class,” one childhood friend says. “He said, ‘I’m gonna pretend to be a good actor. I’m going to get nominated for all these Oscars and then I’ll do something crazy like retire and become a rapper. The media will flip!’ He was always the artist, always cooking up these insane schemes to hold a mirror up to society, you know?”

Mr. T Investigated in Will Smith Death Threat

Police are investigating 80′s icon Laurence Tureaud, better known as Mr. T, for suspicions of making threatening phone calls to Hancock star Will Smith Wednesday morning.

Smith reported the call to authorities immediately after his 10-year-old son informed him of the “angry man” in their home answering machine, threatening to harm and kill Smith if he doesn’t stay away from the upcoming big screen version of The A-Team, to be directed by Narc helmer Joe Carnahan.

Mickey Rourke Will Be Fed on “Iron Man 2″

The success of The Wrestler has done wonders for Mickey Rourke. The 56-year-old star received numerous offers for high-profile films, even before the announcement of his Oscar nomination, including a villain role in the upcoming sequel for the 2008 blockbuster hit Iron Man.

A notable upgrade in Rourke’s sudden return to the A-list pool is the confirmation that he will be provided with food on the film set.