Reuters reports that Liam Neeson has signed on to play a younger version of Max von Sydow's character, Father Merrin, in the prequel to The Exorcist, titled Exorcist: Dominion. The film, to be directed by John Frankenheimer, takes place in Africa just after World War II. Though neither of the previous Exorcist sequels have received a particularly positive reception, significant star power has been brought to bear behind the scenes as well, with bestselling novelist Caleb Carr reworking a script by Terminator 2 scribe William Wisher. (This story was compiled by IMDb staff)

There may be an impressive cast of Hollywood actors voicing characters in Disney and Pixar's upcoming Monsters Inc., but two of the voices weren't found via Hollywood auditions. They were found in Pixar's offices. Says Bob Peterson, a Pixar story supervisor on the film who ended up voicing the slug-like Roz, "at first, I was just doing her voice as a scratch track... they did recordings with some real actresses but Pete [Docter] and the others just weren’t laughing as much." Also coming from the Pixar family is Mary Gibbs, who voices the human girl Boo. The daughter of Pixar story artist Rob Gibbs, a two-and-a-half year old Mary's screams and giggles were recorded for a scratch track. A year later, when the character was set and the real recording sessions began, Gibbs was given the role. It was mainly play for the bubbly blonde tot, who didn't quite grasp the impact of what she was doing at the time. Says her father, "Now that she’s five and has seen promos and trailers for the film, it’s just starting to sink in that she’s in a movie." She's apparently proud of it, her dad adds, saying, "my wife recently overheard her telling her friends in pre-school, ‘I’m in a movie.’" (This story was compiled by IMDb staff)

Movie hunk Tom Cruise has met with America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in order to do his bit for the war effort. Just as enlistment in the American Navy soared after he took off in Top Gun, the pint-sized patriot is aiming to work similar PR wonders with upcoming sequel Mission: Impossible III. A source tells msnbc.com, "He plays a CIA officer and he was interested in making his character as realistic as possible. But he was also emphatic about presenting the CIA in as positive a light as possible. He said that, given the recent terrorist attacks, it's important for Hollywood to help put the U.S. and government agencies in a good light." Another source tells the site, "A lot of stars have been contacting the CIA. They want to make movies that cast the CIA as heroic. In Hollywood, it's gone from an agency of bogeymen to a force of good."

Actor Ewan McGregor looked anxious with his heavily pregnant wife Eve who is set to give birth any day. Ewan was shopping in London yesterday with his other half, who covered his unborn child with a warm cardigan. The set designer is expecting their second child, a brother or sister for their five-year-old girl Clara. Ewan plans to take time out from his filming schedule to look after Clara, while mom is busy with the new baby. He says, "She'll need me around and I don't want to be seeing her just in the morning or at night."

Reclusive stage legends Michael Jackson and Liza Minelli are planning a movie together, according to the Peoplenews gossip website. In the wake of his new album Invincible, Jackson seems keen to return to the public eye - and his friendship with Liza may make them perfect working partners. "It's about two struggling entertainers trying to make it, ' he says. "They get turned away everywhere they go - with some of the best dancing ever. I'm not joking!" But Jackson's increased public profile has not dented his bizarre behavior. He also insists he and Liza come from the same planet, adding, "It's called Capricious Anomaly in the Sea of Space."

Donatella Versace and her family are taking a Sydney private investigator to court after he linked them with the mafia. Fashion's first family are hoping to suppress a new book, The Spying Game, written by P.I. Frank Monte, who was hired to protect their late brother Gianni from 1996 to 1997. In the book, due to be released in June but delayed by the defamation claims, Monte claims that the designer confided in him about his family's dealings and links with the Mafia before he was shot on his Miami doorstep in July 1997. Donatella's brother Sanot attended the first day of the hearing on Monday and is expected to give evidence later in the case.

Australian Nicole Kidman returned to Sydney for the premiere of her latest film The Others - but is keeping tight-lipped about whether she plans to stay. Kidman, who is currently in a custody battle with ex-husband Tom Cruise over their two children Isabella and Connor, will not say if she plans to live in L.A. or Australia. Also at the charity premiere were Matrix star Laurence Fishburne, rocker Jimmy Barnes and ex-Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes. As Kidman arrived at the cinema, she was greeted by seven-year- old Nicholas Powell who was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor when he was just 16 months old. The Moulin Rouge star joked that Nicholas would be her date for the evening, in the wake of media reports linking her to stars such as Russell Crowe and Robbie Williams. Kidman told reporters, "Nicholas is my date. He's very brave and he's taking care of me and I'm taking care of him. I have done so many premieres, and I started thinking, 'Hold on, let's start raising money for something good instead of just showing up at these things'."

Matthew Vaughn is dating one of the most beautiful women in the world in Claudia Schiffer - but the producer admits he still can't resist eyeing up other girls. The Mean Machine producer is reported to be marrying the supermodel later this year. But pals say Matthew - who's dad is Man From U.N.C.L.E star Robert Vaughn - still feels restless. A friend of the 29-year-old told Britain's Punch magazine, "He says that although he's got his dream girl he still fancies other women and can't help checking them out in the street."

Stunning actress Reese Witherspoon spent a year getting into shape for her role in new movie Legally Blonde. The Tennessee belle and mother of two-year-old Ava tells Hotdog magazine she put on masses of weight during her pregnancy, and needed to hire a personal trainer before returning to the silver screen. She says, "I took a year off after I had the baby, and Mr. MGM hired me a very nice personal trainer. I knew I was gonna be in a bikini on screen, so I was like, 'I'm not doin' this alone, I'm putting half the responsibility on someone else.'"

Actor Will Smith insists on the very best water on set - even if it just goes straight down the drain. According to Britain's Punch magazine, the actor had film executives tearing their hair out on the set of his latest movie Ali with his outrageous demands. After one row, crew members had to ship in gallons of expensive mineral water for rain scenes - because Will didn't want to rained on by anything else.