Looks like September's report in Britain's The Daily Mail - that Hugh Grant would take on the role of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets - was premature. Variety reported Thursday that the role of the handsome, self-promoting wizard who teaches a class in defense against dark magic has gone to noted Shakespearian actor Kenneth Branagh. The sequel will start production in mid-November, just as the first film is hitting theaters. (This item was compiled by IMDb staff)

George Clooney has criticized the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for kicking out unknown actors for working during last year's strike - while letting better known strikebreakers like Elizabeth Hurley off the hook. Clooney is disgusted that the union cut the memberships of Mario Barbieri Cecchini, Gerry Donato and Robert Kalomeer after they were discovered working during the strike. However, when superstars like Liz, Tiger Woods and Shaquille O'Neal were discovered working at the same time, they only had to pay a fine and publicly apologize. Clooney says of Cecchini, Donato and Kalomeer, "Three of them needed the money a lot more than the other three. As a union, you cannot enforce laws based on celebrity, and the punishment must be uniform. This union was created not to protect the famous - they can take care of themselves - but to protect the struggling actor, even if that means from themselves." The SAG board voted to expel and publicly expose the three struggling actors on 14 October, while rejecting Clooney's offer to pay their fines. SAG spokesman Greg Krizman says, "We appreciate George's thoughts. Our rules are not enforced based on celebrity and punishments are indeed uniformly based on the unique set of features of each individual case."

Actress Helena Bonham Carter is officially dating her Planet Of The Apes director Tim Burton. The English rose has been linked to the movie maker since his high-profile split from his fiancee of eight years, actress and model Lisa Marie. A representative for Helena says, "She has been seeing him for the last two 1/2 weeks. It is a baby relationship. They're taking baby steps." But the spokesperson is keen to emphasise that the affair didn't started during filming - when Helena was dressed head to toe as an ape. Yet jilted Lisa is still bitter, according a friend of the blonde actress. The pal explains, "He was a real a**e. They went out for years. They went to the Planet premiere together. Shortly afterward, he called to tell her it was over." Citing Bonham Carter's role in the break up of Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson's marriage, the pal snides, "Doesn't Helena Bonham Carter break everyone up?"

Russell Crowe's got his eye on actress Renée Zellweger - hoping to turn the blonde beauty into his very own Cinderella. The actress is in negotiations to star opposite the Gladiator hunk in the movie The Cinderella Man, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, and expected to go into production next year. If Zellweger signs up, she'll be reuniting with the studios that co-produced her big hit Bridget Jones's Diary. Crowe, who received the offer last week, is in final negotiations. He'll play the role of real-life heavyweight boxing champ Jim Braddock, who made a comeback in the 1930s to save his family during the Depression. Zellweger, whose deal is subject to Crowe closing his, will star as his supportive wife.

Michael Douglas is sick of reports that Catherine Zeta-Jones is expecting their second child. The couple already have one-year-old Dylan together. And pals have hinted that the couple are already trying hard to conceive a second. Michael himself said at a recent London charity bash, "We hope to have another baby soon." But the Don't Say A Word is fed up with the speculation that the Welsh actress is pregnant already. In an attempt to quash all reports he says, "She is about to start filming Chicago and, let me tell you, you need a very flat stomach for that part."

Sexy screen star Shannon Elizabeth is surprised she ever found success as a movie star - because she was terrified of moving to Hollywood. The American Pie star, who was born and raised in Waco, Texas, modelled for a few years before she was offered the opportunity to move out to Los Angeles and try her hand at acting. But the brunette beauty admits she found the prospect all too terrifying at the time. She says, "I was just terrified of LA. I had the idea in my head it was so big and my parents kept saying, 'Your car is going to get stripped.'" But on arrival, the star of upcoming movie Thirteen Ghosts says life in tinseltown didn't turn out to be the nightmare city she had anticipated. "I did some photo shoots and I booked a commercial. I extended my stay to the point I never left."

Legally Blonde star Reese Witherspoon is horrified to discover many Hollywood producers think women cannot be funny. The blonde beauty, who has a daughter with husband Ryan Phillippe, thinks the stereotypes of women as humorless are outdated. She says, "There are many stereotypes - I've heard that women aren't funny, which is bizarre to me, and I've been to auditions where they're just not interested in what you have to say." But feisty Reese has no qualms about standing her ground in such situations. She says, "I've finally reached a point where I feel I deserve an opinion. I've been working for 12 years now professionally. You just have to feel confident. I think that's the hardest part, just overcoming your insecurities and saying, 'Wait a second, my opinions are just as valid as anyone else's'."

Keri Russell has slammed reports she almost drowned on a Los Angeles beach. The sexy actress - most famous for her role in TV show Felicity - was swimming in the sea with pals this summer when strong currents meant a lifeguard was dispatched to help them to shore. But Russell - who is appearing alongside Mel Gibson in next year's war movie We Were Soldiers - angrily denies that her life was ever in any danger. She insists, "There was no drowning. I'm actually a fabulous swimmer. We were swimming and a lifeguard came up and said that there was a riptide and it's going to be really hard to swim back in. We weren't that far out and in no way in any danger, but he was like, 'Hang on my board, ' and he paddled us back in. But I absolutely could have swam back in." Russell was also quick to deny any relationship with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis - who was with her when the incident happened. She adds, "I was with Amanda Foreman and a group of people. He was just a friend of someone who was there - he's not my friend. I know it makes things a lot more exciting. I think he has a girlfriend."

Statuesque supermodel Caprice has found an unusual new lover - tiny actor David Spade. The odd couple were first seen together at Paul McCartney's Concert For New York last weekend at Madison Square Garden. And they may not always see eye to eye - Caprice, 29, is 5ft 10in - while TV star Spade stands at a more modest 5ft 4in. But Caprice - who dated rocker Rod Stewart - has picked a boyfriend who can certainly keep up with her extravagant lifestyle. Spade, 37, is a hot property via his role on one of NBC's biggest sitcoms Just Shoot Me and commands $5.2 million a movie.

Angelina Jolie will have to wait to shoot her Tomb Raider sequel because of the movie industry's reluctance to travel overseas following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The brunette stunner was all set to star as action girl Lara Croft in the sequel, for which a script has already been written. Producer Larry Gordon says, "People not wanting to shoot overseas is now more of a concern. I'm very concerned about the safety of the crew, of me and Lloyd [Levin, his producing partner], and Angelina, and everyone else. If something happens in the world and things get worse and you can't fly, well, you can't fly."