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Kiera Knightly and Daniel Day-Lewis in the remake of "My Fair Lady"

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Keira Knightley and Daniel Day-Lewis, two of the biggest names in British cinema, are being lined up to star in a film remake of the musical My Fair Lady.

The two stars are set to take on the roles of Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins, which were given notable treatments by Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn in the 1964 Oscar-winning classic.

Knightley the star of Atonement, Pride and Prejudice and the Pirates of the Caribbean films, has already signed up to the project and has begun singing lessons.

The producers of the film have put Day-Lewis, the double Oscar-winning star of There Will Be Blood and My Left Foot, at the top of their wish list of actors to play landed opposite her.

The film is being produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Duncan Kenworthy, the producer of British blockbusters such as Notting Hill, Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral. The duo hope to shoot the film on location in the original London settings of Covent Garden, Drury Lane and the Ascot racecourse, according to Daily Variety.

Sources close to the project say Kenworthy is keen to get Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese or Roger Michell, the director of Notting Hill and Venus, to direct the film. One source said: "Keira is already onboard and everyone is convinced that Day-Lewis would be perfect as Higgins." Is there a doubt?

Any My Fair Lady remake is likely to be controversial. The original, directed by George Cukor, won eight Oscars and in 2006 it was ranked the sixth-best movie musical ever.

Paris Hilton on the way to "Breakfast at Starbucks" in Beverly Hills. Kiera has landed the role so forget about it Paris!!!

TCFF Madonna Tickets Go On Sale Saturday, June 7, 11 a.m.

Traverse City, Mich. (June 4, 2008) - Michael Moore announced today that the hottest ticket at this summer's Traverse City Film Festival - Madonna, in person, presenting her new film "I Am Because We Are" - will go on sale to the public this Saturday, June 7, at 11 a.m.

The tickets will be available to the general public, ONLY at the historic State Theatre box office in downtown Traverse City. No tickets will be sold online or by phone. Tickets are $25, and all ticket money will go to the Raising Malawi Foundation, a project of Madonna's that helps orphans in one of the world's poorest countries. A limit of two tickets per person will be allowed.

Half of the theater's 540 seats will be sold to the public. The other half of the tickets will be sold by lottery to those who belong to the Friends of the Traverse City Film Festival. Anyone can join the Friends, and those interested must do so by Thursday, June 12 in order to qualify for the lottery drawing. People can become Friends of the Traverse City Film Festival online at www.traversecityfilmfest.org or in person at the State Theatre box office.

Friends who would like to purchase up to two tickets to the Madonna appearance and film must send a postcard to TCFF Lottery, PO Box 4064, Traverse City MI 49685. Postcards must be received by 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 12. Postcards may also be dropped off at the State Theatre box office by Thursday at 5 p.m. Information on the postcard should include name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, and number of tickets desired (maximum two). The drawing will be held Friday, June 13 and winners will be
notified by e-mail or phone.

"After much discussion, we decided this was the fairest way to divide up these much-sought-after tickets," said festival executive director Deborah Lake. "We want to reward our loyal festival supporters while at the same time making sure that the general public has a chance to see Madonna and her excellent film. And we want to keep the ticket price affordable while still being able to make a meaningful donation to the Raising Malawi Foundation."

The festival and the State Theatre, both founded and headed up by Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore, have been inundated with phone calls and e-mails from people all over the country wanting details about the tickets for Madonna, who rarely appears in such a small and intimate setting.

"I know things are going to be a bit crazy on Saturday," said Moore. "We are honored to have Madonna coming here to our small town, and the city leaders have cooperated with us so that all goes well."

Madonna's movie, "I Am Because We Are," is a new documentary that she wrote, produced, and narrates. It will be shown as part of the fourth annual Traverse City Film Festival on August 2, at 8:00 p.m. at the State Theatre. Madonna will introduce the film.

"I Am Because We Are" is Madonna's personal journey and meditation about the African country of Malawi, a nation devastated by poverty and disease but filled with a desire to overcome all that it faces. The documentary has been described as "searing," "thoughtful" and "powerful." The film features Bishop Desmund Tutu, President Bill Clinton and author/activist Jeffrey Sachs.

Details about the Madonna film and appearance can be found on the festival's website at www.traversecityfilmfest.org. This year's Traverse City Film Festival will run from July 29-August 3. The full lineup of movies will be announced in early July, with tickets going on sale shortly thereafter (Friends of the Festival get a five-day advance chance to buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public).

"I Am Because We Are" trailer

About the Traverse City Film Festival

The Traverse City Film Festival is a charitable, educational, nonprofit organization committed to showing "Just Great Movies" and helping to save one of America's few indigenous art forms - the cinema. The festival also owns and operates a year-round, community-based, mission-driven art house movie theater, the State Theatre. Founded by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore and co-founders local photographer John Robert Williams and New York Times best-selling author Doug Stanton, with filmmakers Larry Charles and Terry George rounding out the Board of Directors, the festival brings films and filmmakers from around the world to northern Michigan.

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I'll be attending the festival and will be blooging daily updates.

All star cast confirmed for "Nine"

All star cast confirmed for the cinematic version of Nine, a Tony-award winning Broadway musical. Daniel Day Lewis, Marion Cotillard (Guido's wife), Nicole Kidman (Claudia, Guido's muse and protege), Penelope Cruz (Contini's sexy mistress Carla), Sophia Loren (Guido's mother) and Judi Dench (Guido's agent) to star.

The 1982 musical, inspired by the film 8½, is about a fictional famous film director Guido Contini savoring his most recent (and greatest) success. He is facing his fortieth birthday and a midlife crisis which blocks his creative impulses and entangles him in a web of romantic difficulties. While trying to complete his latest film, his main problem is that he has too many women in his life.

Kidman is due to give birth in the summer, giving her several months of maternity leave before the film's proposed start date. Her filming also might be scheduled in the latter part of the shoot.

The project was slated to begin principal photography in March but was postponed when the late writer-director Anthony Minghella didn't have enough time to rework Michael Tolkin's screenplay before Hollywood writers went on strike last November. Extra work was needed to coordinate the choreography and Maury Yeston's music and lyrics with a new draft. The musical will be directed by Rob Marshall, who also directed the 2003 hit musical Chicago. Nine rehearsals start in London on July 28 with shooting to commence September 29, with a 2009 release date.

I expect Nine will clean up at the 82nd Academy Awards®!