AngelWorld Entertainment just announced a series of exciting new projects at the Cannes Film Festival, including funding of feature film, “The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”.  Jessica Biel ("New Year's Eve"), Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Watchmen") and young actress, Chloe Grace Moretz ("Hugo") have reportedly signed on to star in the New Orleans-set drama.
    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film “follows Henry (Morgan), a grieving widower who recently lost his wife (Biel) in a car accident, as he finds refuge by helping an imaginative young girl (Moretz) fulfill her dream of building a raft and sailing across the Atlantic Ocean."
    Bill Purple will direct from a script by Robbie Pickering and begin principle photography for the project this fall in New Orleans! Biel will produce as well with Michelle Purple under their production company, Iron Ocean Films alongside Preferred Content's Ross M. Dinerstein and AngelWorld's Darby Angel.
    Excitingly enough, this project will be the first professional collaboration between Biel and her fiance, Justin Timberlake. He is set to compose the film's soundtrack and serve as music supervisor.
    MTV makes note of Timberlake’s “self-imposed” vacation from the music industry to focus on his film career and wonders if this means he will also make an appearance in this film. We can hope so!
    Plus, we love to see actors make it back to the Hollywood South! In this case, Morgan will return to New Orleans to film “The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” as he shot crime thriller, "The Courier" here in October 2010.

As you are all very aware, the Carnival season has passed. But, while Mardi Gras may officially be over, but that doesn't mean the buzz has died down on the Celebrity Sitings! Over the past 4 or 5 days here in New Orleans stars from music, television and films have been parading around town decked in their very best costumes. Here are some pictures of the star-studded cast of this year's celebration for those of you that missed seeing it in person:

We previously reported that musicians Cyndi Lauper and Bret Michaels were to ride in the Krewe of Orpheus. Since that time, more stars have followed the lead of these rocking celebrity monarchs! Louisiana local Harry Connick Jr., along with actresses Hilary Swank and Mariska Hargitay will also be joining in the parade. Swank is best known for her Academy Award winning performance in “Million Dollar Baby”, but also acted alongside Connick in the 2007 film, “P.S. I Love You”. Hargitay has also acted with Harry Connick Jr. during her television series “Law and Order: SVU” where she portrays detective Olivia Benson. But Mariska isn’t the only television star in the Krewe of Orpheus!  Sarah Hyland from “Modern Family” will also be in Orpheus along with her boyfriend, not to mention "High School Musical 3" sensation, Matt Prokop.

   
    Harry Connick Jr. co-founded this particular parade which gets it’s name from the god of music in mythology. The krewe rolls on Lundi Gras, which is the 20th of February this year. Stay with us and we’ll keep you posted about all of the other celebrities heading to NOLA for carnival!

For more on this Krewe, visit their official website.

_ A lot of things come to mind when tourists think of “New Orleans”. Maybe it’s the Jazz Music, the Food, or even the French Quarter and Mardi Gras. But, according to the experts, tourists have started flocking to the Big Easy for more than just the Hurricanes at Pat O’Brien’s. According to Katie Gunnell, director of “Film New Orleans”, our city has been seeing an increase in tourism as the momentum of Hollywood South continues to grow. She tributes this to the constant reminders of how truly beautiful, and diversely cultured our city is, in every movie filmed here. One of the more famous tour-guides in New Orleans mentions how in all of his group tours- ranging from VooDoo all the way through Hurricane Katrina, there is always a place to talk about at least ONE famous movie or television show filmed there. And the tourists love it! Certain spots have even attracted specific attention because they were part of the setting of film or a television show. A great example of this is Li’l Dizzies which has been serving NOLA locals traditional Cajun food for years. Recently, this neighborhood spot is serving more than just locals as tourists file in just so they can eat at “that place that was in TREME”. So what does all this mean for our city? Well, the film industry has already been great to our economy because of the jobs it creates. Now, because of this surge in tourism, the hospitality industry, and cultural centers are also seeing an increase in profits. Who would have thought that the Big Easy would so quickly become such a Big Star?

 

For the full story, watch this clip on abc26.

_ Author, Stephanie Meyer rose to international fame with the release of her novel series, “Twilight”. With the third of the movie adaptations of these books in the theatres now, you might think that Meyer is ready for some time-off. But, it is quite the opposite!  The author is now in pre-production for the film version of one of her other books, “The Host”. This science-fiction thriller tells the story of a time when human beings are invaded by an “unseen enemy” which forces them to lose control of their bodies, and in most cases, their minds. But protagonist, Melanie is a different kind of human. Her thoughts and memories affect the actions of the “Wander” that has taken over her body. This harrowing tale of Melanie’s past, and her painful struggle includes love, loss, and danger. So the movie will definitely have something for everyone!

Director, Andrew Niccol has signed on for the new adaptation of this novel. Niccol is an Academy Award nominated director, who has previously worked on the movies “Gattaca”, “The Truman Show” , “Lord of War”, and “The Terminal” .

Casting has already started in Los Angeles, and casting will begin here in Louisiana in the coming weeks. For more information about this movie, visit Meyer’s own site or reach this article on examiner.com… and definitely stay tuned into SCG for more casting news and extra opportunities!

 There has been a lot of focus in the media, both locally and nationally, about the sensational developments in the Louisiana Film Community. Here in our very own blog, we recently cited an article that documented the on-going projects, as well as predictions about what the future may bring. With all of this hype about the fu it is easy to forget that local filming is FAR from new. While it is true that recent tax incentives have spiked the popularity of NOLA-shot films, there is something to be said for the appeal of the local scenery that has been capturing the attention of directors for decades.

 Thankfully  “Film Accessory Researchers” Ed and Susan Poole have dedicated themselves to reminding the local community about the roots of the Hollywood South. And, with the release of their 11th reference book Hollywood on the Bayou, we can hope that they can remind the world about the rich film history of Louisiana. The two have stated, “Movies produced in Louisiana can depict any time period in any location. Even in the cases where movies were not actually filmed on location here, film producers went to great lengths to recreate the look and feel of authentic Louisiana . . . Louisiana’s diversified topography, architecture, ethnic diversity, and unique charm have brought star quality to many films.”

Tonight, the Chalmette Movies will honor these two local film-enthusiasts, and also celebrate the heritage of the local film history.  Beginning at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday the 13th, the pair will be at the movies promoting “Hollywood on the Bayou”. The two will lead a discussion about the History of Louisiana Films, ranging from the years 1896 to 2010. This discussion will last about an hour, and is free to the public! The Chalmette Movies is located at 8700 W Judge Perez Dr, Chalmette, LA._

So come on out tonight, and take a glimpse into the past of Louisiana’s Hollywood Fame!

You can learn more about the Pooles' work, specifically, Hollywood on the Bayou, on their website. Or check out this video they have made!

And you can read more about this story through the examiner.com 

    A recent article published in The Republic highlights the incredible growth in the film industry over the past few years in Louisiana. So if your skeptical about this whole “Hollywood South” fad, then let’s put your suspicions to rest. According to the experts- the Louisiana Film Industry is here to stay, and New Orleans is the capital of it! The data doesn’t lie. Statistically speaking, “Louisiana accepted more than 130 applications for its tax incentive program in 2011 and hosted more than 100 film and TV projects for the second year in a row. That's about triple previous years”. But not just the quantity is increasing, but also the quality. Katie Williams, director of Film New Orleans reported that, “Most of the projects being filmed in New Orleans have a minimum $40 million budget…Every year we're getting bigger projects with bigger budgets and higher level actors… It really shows the maturation of our industry." According to the records, almost half of these projects have been filmed in New Orleans, and the remaining were filmed in the surrounding areas of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Shreveport- making LA the new L.A. 

Read the full article through TheRepublic.com

Between filming all three movies in the “Twilight Saga”, actor Robert Pattinson began to get a little lonely. Which may be why he decided to get his very own “man’s best friend” at a Baton Rouge shelter! While filming, “Breaking Dawn” Pattinson visited a small shelter just outside of the Louisiana capital and found a pet, whose days were numbered.

The star told Regis and Kelly that it was one of those shelters “that doesn’t keep the animals very long” and that his dog was on “day 6 of 7” when he decided to adopt him. Pattinson named the dog Bear, and has treated the dog to all types of luxury to make up for his troubled past. From being on the set of one of this year’s biggest movies, to flying in a private jet to Los Angeles, this pup’s luck has definitely turned around. As for Pattinson? He’s just happy to have a faithful travel buddy as he jets off around the globe promoting his latest film. His cast-mates don’t seem to mind the company either, and Kristen Stewart has been seen walking Bear in New York’s East Village.

You can watch the interview with Robert Pattinson, where he talks more about his newly found friend on youtube.

Here at Southern Celebrity Gossip, we’re afraid that the attention of Kim Kardashian’s divorce might be overshadowing her upcoming marriage. But it isn’t a rebound relationship that we’re talking about- but a new movie! The recently single celebrity is currently filming for the next Tyler Perry movie, “The Marriage Counselor”.

New Orleans born Tyler Perry has been a superstar in the box office since his first movie, “Diary of  Black Woman” and has stayed there with a release of a new movie every year since! He has written, directed, produced and acting in all of the “Madea” movies, including the huge 2009 success, “Madea Goes to Jail”. Not all of Perry’s work has been the slapstick humor for which he is best known. Tyler Perry also produce the Academy Award nominated movie, “Precious”. This movie gained international attention, and attracted actress Mariah Carey, and the support of Oprah Winfrey.

“The Marriage Counselor”, which opens in 2012, is a dramatic comedy that is currently in production in Atlanta. The flick will star Kardashian, alongside Jurnee Smollett, Lance Gross, Vanessa Williams, and Brandy. In “The Marriage Counselor” the title character works to give relationship advice to others, but has a harder time following that advice in their own life. Kim will be playing a co-worker of this marriage counselor, adding some comedic-relief, not to mention eye-candy, to the plot. This picture promises to bring humor, and romance to the screen… and a fantastic cast!

In October, the city of New Orleans hosted its 22nd Annual Film Festival. This month, several of the films shown are making their television and big-screen debuts. Locally, two of the movies, “Take Shelter” and “The Big Fix” are already playing in theatres. But it is the October winner for best documentary, “Marathon Boy” that is scheduled to play on HBO in November- including their On-Demand channel! These recent success has got this Southern Celebrity Gossiper wondering… New Orleans Films- where are they now?

For winner “Goodnight Irene” the answer to that is the Golden Globes in Portugal! This film received the award there for best actor. The movie received the NOFF award for best narrative before earning the Golden Globe in ’09. Also, the independent film “How To Be”, which stars “Twilight”’s Robert Patterson received an audience award here in NOLA before going on to win two awards at the Washington D.C. Film Festival the following year. The movie helped Patterson to break away from his sultry role as a hunky Vampire- instead portraying a gawky, awkward 20-something going through a “quarter life crisis”. For more information on this movie and others that have participated in the New Orleans Film Festival, you should check out their website.

All and all, the local festival seems to be helpful in launching independent films both nationally, and internationally. This festival has also helped the movie industry grow here in New Orleans… which makes this city the perfect location for anyone aspiring to be in this creative field!