Robert Downey, Jr. has been tipped to play legendary porn mogul Hugh Hefner in a big-screen biopic - after reportedly impressing the Playboy entrepreneur with his lead role in Iron Man. Veteran lothario Hefner was so pleased with the former hellraiser's portrayal of wealthy playboy Tony Stark in this year's comic blockbuster, he is desperate to sign him up for the role. According to Illinois newspaper the Chicago Sun-Times, Hefner wants Downey Jr. to start shooting the movie - entitled Playboy - next summer . And the Golden Globe-winner is said to be keen to take on the role of Hefner - as long as the script is right. Apollo 13 filmmaker Brian Grazer has already been signed up as the film's producer, according to the publication.

Production on Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel's new movie Nailed ground to a halt on Friday, after more financial difficulties hit the cash-strapped project. A number of staff members failed to show up for work at the South Carolina set on Thursda , after union leaders at the International Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees (IATSE) called for a boycott when they learned below-the-line crews were not being paid. Production is expected to resume this Thursday, reports industry publication Variety. It is the third time director David O. Russell's independent movie has been shut down. Workers belonging to the IATSE union also held up production on 15 May for similar pay reasons, while Gyllenhaal and Biel, both members of the Screen Actors Guild, walked off the set on 9 May, after producers failed to show they had enough money to pay the cast. In April, veteran James Caan quit his cameo role after a bust-up with Russell.

R&B star Beyonce Knowles has reportedly been approached to replace Amy Winehouse and record the theme song for the forthcoming Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. "Rehab" hitmaker Winehouse was rumored to have been dropped as the film's official musical muse after DJ Mark Ronson told reporters he had scrapped his 007 collaboration with the singer, because she was not "ready" to work on music after a recent return to her erratic ways. But on Saturday, Winehouse confirmed that she has, in fact, completed the song - although she is unsure whether movie bosses will choose to green-light the track for use in the latest superspy offering. Now industry insiders claim Knowles has become the favorite to record the title track - although her representatives have yet to comment on the rumors.

Sarah Jessica Parker has let it slip that the new Sex and the City movie might not be for real - literally. The actress, who plays New York socialite and writer Carrie Bradshaw in the much-anticipated film adaptation of the hit TV series, admits fans of the show might be in for a shock when the truth is revealed. Refusing to be drawn into talking about a rumored death in the new film, which opens on Friday, Parker says, "I'm so reluctant to answer that... I am fairly certain there is no death." But she turned cryptic when asked if her character's marriage, which is alluded to in trailers for the movie, really does take place. Speaking to Ryan Seacrest, Parker said, "It's very unclear if that's a dream sequence... It looks as if Carrie might be but it's not clear to me, even still, if that was a dream sequence or not. I'm trying to be clever and stealth about not giving too much away."

Director Francis Ford Coppola has blasted reports alleging production on his new movie Tetro has been shut down. Production on the film, which is set in Argentina, was rumored to have been brought to a halt last week, after representatives of the Asociacion Argentina de Actores (Argentina Actors Association) claimed union members in the movie had been working without a contract. They went on to allege that Coppola's production company Zoetrope Argentina had been given opportunities to correct the contractual issues, which they claim have been a problem since shooting commenced in March. AAA spokesman Daniel Valenzuela tells the Hollywood Reporter: "At the moment, they are not filming because the contracts have (not) arrived to the union. On Tuesday, the union gave them 48 hours to present the documents and they didn't do that, so we took this action." But Coppola's representative, Kathleen Talbert, has dismissed the claims, insisting there have been no delays in the film's production. She says, "There are no holds on shooting, no problem with actors. In fact, the majority of the Argentine actors have already wrapped the shooting." Coppola's semi-autobiographical screenplay follows the life of an artistic family in modern-day Argentina and stars actress Carmen Maura, Vincent Gallo and Maribel Verdu.

Singer/actress Jessica Simpson and her boyfriend Tony Romo put on a show of unity at the weekend, when they stepped out together for a cozy meal in Dallas, Texas amid rumors of a break-up. The Dukes of Hazzard beauty is alleged to have been dumped by American footballer Romo earlier this month - but the two stars appeared to be very much in love as they enjoyed a meal at the N9Ne Steakhouse in Dallas on Saturday . A source tells People.com, "They were holding hands, in a good mood and happy. They looked like they were on a date together. (They) looked happy and were laughing and smiling."

Actress Ziyi Zhang was left enraged during her visit to France's Cannes Film Festival, when she encountered a group of people who knew nothing about the recent Chinese earthquake, which has devastated her native country. The Memoirs of a Geisha star turned her trip to Cannes into a fundraising mission in a bid to raise money to help the victims of the quake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale when it struck China earlier this month. She even made a pamphlet about the natural disaster, which has left almost 60,000 dead and more than five million homeless. Zhang has made a personal donation of $144,000 to help the relief efforts, and has also secured a $100,000 pledge from media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's wife Wendi Deng, who was born in China. But the 29-year-old was shocked when she came across a group of festival-goers who were ignorant of world events. Recalling the meeting, she says, "I was as angry as a madwoman. I said, 'Are you idiots? You are well-dressed people who look like you identify with society, but you don't know what's going on on planet Earth.' It's incredible!"

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been so inspired by this year's Cannes Film Festival, he is now writing his own big-screen project. The hip-hop star has previously expressed an interest in pursuing a career in Hollywood, and has even made acting appearances in films such as Monster's Ball and Made. But now the rap mogul, who made his first trip to the French event this month, is desperate to prove he also has what it takes to become a filmmaker. And he has already compiled his shortlist of leading stars. He says, "I'm writing a film, a comedy. For actresses (who could be cast), I'm thinking Angelina Jolie or Sienna Miller. For actors, Eddie Murphy."

Artist-turned-director Steve McQueen has been awarded the prestigious Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his movie debut, Hunger. Hunger details the final days of Irish Republican Army hunger striker Bobby Sands - played by 300 Michael Fassbender - who died aged 27 in Maze Prison in Belfast, Ireland in 1981. McQueen was presented with the award - which honors first-time filmmakers - on Sunday by Easy Rider star Dennis Hopper.

Top models Beverly Johnson and Kim Alexis are joining forces to give the catwalk a more mature look as the hosts of a new reality TV contest for ageng beauties. Alexis will host She's Got The Look, while Johnson will serve as one of the show's three judges looking for new models aged 35 and older. Alexis tells the Los Angeles Daily News, "It's a chance to enhance women over 35 who still look good and feel good about themselves and want a second chance at something. They may have stepped aside for family or for love, but always wanted to try it." She's Got The Look debuts on TV Land network on 4 June.