News

Behind every great man, there’s a woman rolling her sleeves up. Well, we’d argue that behind every powerful story, there’s someone whose quiet strength fuels it all. Take Voletta Wallace, for instance. Most people know her as the mother of Biggie Smalls, but there’s so much more to her.

Alas, the world lost a pillar of strength on February 21, 2025, with the passing of Voletta Wallace. At 72, her passing signaled the close of an era for those who admired the quiet yet indomitable woman, who fought tirelessly to preserve her son’s memory long after his untimely death. Wallace was the bedrock of his legacy, a woman who carved a path through grief, turmoil, and heartache to honor her son’s brilliance.

Voletta Wallace, mother of The Notorious B.I.G | Credits: @volettawallace/Ig

A mother’s love is said to be like no other, but Wallace...

On Wednesday January 1 2025, VH1 broadcasts Behind the Music!

Notorious B.I.G. Season 2 Episode 4 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Behind the Music” titled “Notorious B.I.G.” promises to take viewers on a deep dive into the life of one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures. This episode will explore the journey of The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, through the eyes of those who knew him best. Friends, family, and fellow artists will share personal stories that highlight his rise to fame and the impact he had on the music industry.

The episode will also address the infamous East vs. West coast feud that marked a significant period in hip-hop history. This rivalry not only shaped the careers of many artists but also had serious consequences. The show aims to provide context around this conflict, shedding light on the tensions that fueled it and how it ultimately affected Biggie’s life and career.

Johnny Depp's 2018 crime thriller film City of Lies will soon have a new streaming home. The film will be available to watch for free on Tubi starting Jan. 1.

City of Lies starred Fepp as the retired Los Angeles Police officer Russell Poole, alongside Forest Whitaker as journalist Jack Johnson. The movie's story looked at the LAPD's investigations into the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. Through a series of flashbacks, Poole shares his theory with the journalist that Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, paid corrupt LAPD officers to murder the Notorious B.I.G. and cover up the crime. City of Lies was based on the book LAByrinth by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Randall Sullivan.

Related 'Life Will Find a Way': Sonic 3 Writer Addresses Key Character's Fate in the Movie

There's a good reason this character was given a cathartic ending in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

“Behind the Music” is set to delve into the life of one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures in Season 2, Episode 4, titled “Notorious B.I.G.” This episode will air on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, at 7:00 Am on VH1. Fans of the genre can expect an emotional and revealing look at the journey of The Notorious B.I.G., as those who were closest to him share their stories.

The episode will explore Biggie’s rise to fame, shedding light on his humble beginnings and the challenges he faced on his way to becoming a rap legend. Viewers will hear firsthand accounts from friends and family, providing insight into his personality and the impact he had on the music scene.

Additionally, the episode will touch on the infamous East vs. West coast feud that defined a significant era in hip-hop. This rivalry had deep roots and tragic consequences, and the episode aims to unpack the complexities surrounding it.

How Did Will Smith Respond To Fan Memes Linking Him To Diddy? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Will Smith went on stage at the Observatory North Park in San Diego on 12th December to address some internet memes that linked him to the disgraced rap mogul Sean Diddy Combs. The actor proceeded to emphatically deny any association with that man. Sean Combs is currently facing accusations of masterminding a human trafficking ring and engaging in illicit prostitution, including that of minors.

The scandal surrounding him has sent shockwaves across Hollywood. The criminal investigation into the disgraced hip-hop mogul has led to reports of rampant s*xual abuse that occurred during the many parties, or “Freak Offs.” Because of his extensive network of celebrity friends and acquaintances, people have questioned who was involved or complicit in Diddy’s crimes.

Will Smith Denies All Association With Diddy’s Crimes

In his speech at Observatory North Park,...

Spotify’s The Ringer is thrilled to announce the addition of four prominent voices to its growing talent roster. Todd McShay, Joel Anderson, Kirk Goldsberry and David Jacoby are joining The Ringer lineup, bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to engage listeners, viewers, and readers across various topics in sports, culture, and beyond.

Quote from Spotify’s Head of Podcast Studios and Managing Director, The Ringer, Geoff Chow: "We are thrilled to welcome Todd, Joel, and Kirk to our team and to deepen our collaboration with David. We have long admired their caliber of work and look forward to bringing their expertise and enthusiasm to The Ringer."

Todd McShay is set to launch a new audio and video podcast with The Ringer this Tuesday, October 22, The McShay Show. The podcast will provide in-depth scouting and analysis of the top draft-eligible players in college football. It will feature guests from...

Nick Cannon is looking back at attending one of the infamous “Diddy parties” when he was a teenager.

As you know, the 54-year-old music mogul was arrested and charged on multiple crimes, including sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution, and he’s currently sitting in jail while awaiting trial.

In a new interview, Nick, 44, detailed attending one of Diddy‘s parties when he was only “like 16, 17.”

Keep reading to find out more…“I’ve even been at one when I was a kid,” Nick shared on the October 11 episode of The Breakfast Club podcast. “I’ve remember standing outside, trying to get into a Puff party out here in New York.”

Nick went on to compare Diddy‘s parties to like the ones shown in the late Notorious B.I.G.‘s 1995 music “One More Chance,” which Diddy was featured in.

“Bad Boy parties [were] official in New York in the late ’90s,...

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ arrest has brought his personal and public life into intense scrutiny again. The rapper and hip-hop mogul’s partner, the late Kim Porter, seems to have made headlines now as a tell-all alleged memoir has been published and has reached Amazon’s best-seller list. The memoir has been called a hoax by Porter’s children.

The alleged memoir, collated and published under author Jamal T. Millwood, reportedly has expository information about Porter and Diddy’s personal life and even their relationship with rapper Tupac Shakur. Chapters regarding Diddy and 2Pac have gone viral, with many fans refusing to believe the details are real.

Kim Porter’s Allegedly Fake Memoir Details Relationship With Diddy and 2Pac P. Diddy | Credits: Richard Burdett, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ever since Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs got arrested on charges of s*x trafficking and racketeering recently, increased public scrutiny...

As Sean “Diddy” Combs’ indictment was officially unsealed Tuesday morning, his long-time industry rival 50 Cent wasted no time in trolling the rapper online.

On Tuesday, 50 Cent posted a photo of himself and Drew Barrymore to X to promote his appearance on her show. The two smiled sweetly together in the photo, which 50 Cent accompanied with the punchy caption, “Here I am keeping good company with @DrewBarrymoreTV and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house.”

It was revealed that in March, federal agents confiscated over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant from Combs’ residences in Miami and Los Angeles, allegedly used for sexual “freak offs” Combs would arrange and participate in. Such events would see Combs force young women to have sex with male prostitutes until they required an IV drop from exhaustion. Along with the lubricant, agents also uncovered several Ar-15 rifles with the serial numbers scraped off at Combs’ house.

From songs and literature to films and people, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is full of iconic pop culture references. What makes Hirohiko Araki’s manga different is its outlandish naming system coupled with unique abilities. It may not be your run-of-the-mill shonen manga but it stands out through its novelties.

Giorno Giovanna in a still from the series | Credit: David Production

What’s even more interesting is the author’s love and admiration for Clint Eastwood is reflected in his characters. The famous Hollywood star is one of his biggest inspirations for the protagonist in the series. This was revealed in a special interview that also featured the Hollywood actor.

Hirohiko Araki based his series’ protagonist on Clint Eastwood

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure may be bizarre but it’s truly unique for the most part. Written by Hirohiko Araki, the series underscores the Joestar family’s journey in eradicating supernatural villains through their abilities.

Vice presents “Hip Hop Treasures: Notorious B.I.G.” With the guidance of those closest to him, the episode examines the life and impact of The Notorious B.I.G., as they seek to uncover his most cherished possessions. The episode, airing at 11:00 Pm on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, on Vice, centers around a quest to find and […]

Hip Hop Treasures: ‘Notorious B.I.G.’...

The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, which attracted the attention of the media and the film industry with the official announcement of its new AI division, concluded the festival’s official press conference revealing what’s behind ‘Bifan+ AI’, unveiling the identity film, and the complete line-up of this year’s edition including the opening and closing film.

Love Lies Bleeding to open and Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In to close the festival

255 films from 49 countries to screen in cinemas and streamed on Wavve from 4-14 July

“An era of equal competition will come, in which imagination, not the size of budget, is the most important factor.” Festival Director Shin Chul

Special programs to focus on the ‘One and Only Son Yejin’, Mitani Koki, Kim Sung-soo and many others

Public Events to include ‘Carnival in July’, ‘Bifan Eve Cinema Music Concert’ and more

▲ From left to right: programmer...

South Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan) has unveiled the full line-up for its 28th edition, which is set to open with Rose Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding and close with Soi Cheang’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.

The festival, running July 4 to 14, will screen 225 films from 49 countries, including 67 world premieres. Titles will also receive online screenings through local Ott platform wavve.

Love Lies Bleeding stars Kristen Stewart and marks the second feature of UK filmmaker Glass, whose Saint Maud won the Best Director Choice Feature award at Bifan in 2020. The film premiered at Sundance before playing Berlin earlier this year.

Since the arrest and indictment of Duane “Keffe D” Davis for the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, people have speculated about whether the Los Angeles Police Department will be reinvigorated to pursue an investigation into the other great tragedy of that era in hip-hop — the 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. But former LAPD detective Greg Kading, who was the lead detective of an interagency task force created in 2006 to investigate Biggie’s murder, tells Rolling Stone that he feels the murder was likely the result of a smaller conspiracy that would...

The quest to build the perfect collection for the Universal Hip Hop Museum leads to a trove of Notorious B.I.G.’s artifacts in this new clip from the upcoming series, Hip Hop Treasures.

The new show — premiering Aug. 12 on A&e — follows LL Cool J, Ice-t, and an assortment of collectors and curators as they work to acquire items for the Universal Hip Hop Museum, which is set to open in the Bronx next year. In this new clip, one of the show’s collectors, famed DJ Cipha Sounds, links up with Biggie’s daughter,...

The best Body-swap comedies can be romantic or terrifying, but mostly they are played for laughs. Strictly speaking, a body-swap movie is one where there is an exchange between two people. However, the term is also applied to movies where characters become a different (usually older or younger) version of themselves. They provide actors with the opportunity to play completely against type - and, often, against age or gender. While there's usually plenty of wackiness and hi-jinks in body-swap comedies, there are also frequently moments of real tenderness and emotion.

The process is, after all, a transformative experience. By inhabiting someone else's body, the characters, inevitably learn important truths about themselves. These body-swap movies also offer a lot of attraction to top-name actors, solely for the chance to act outside their wheelhouse and try out someone else's shoes. Names like Tom Hanks, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Garner, and Ryan Reynolds...

This article is presented to you by:

Music is so much more than the soundtrack of our collective experiences; it serves so many crucial and often underappreciated roles in our lives. It can act as a balm when we are at our lowest, giving us hope through melody and lyrics written by strangers who somehow captured in amber exactly what we were feeling—a gentle reminder that we are not alone, that someone cares. Conversely, music can get us pumped up before a big event—be it a night out or a championship game. At its best, music makes us (if only temporarily) put aside our differences to enjoy a song or a performer who has the truly magical ability to unite.

It’s no wonder, then, that so many of us are obsessed with music and choose to surround ourselves with it 24/7. And not just in terms of buying...

Taylor Sheridan, the creator of “Yellowstone” and tireless workhorse of Paramount+, has already proven himself a prolific writer with a fully articulated vision of the stories he wants to tell. He’s built an impressive slate of dramas populated with cowboys, cobras and compromised cops, including three “Yellowstone” spin-offs. Sheridan could probably continue with his aggressive expansion with Paramount’s blessing. Instead, Sheridan has shrewdly chosen quality over quantity.

“1883,” the first prequel to branch off of “Yellowstone,” was initially presented as an open-ended series that would follow the earliest days of the powerful Dutton family as they led a wagon train westward. But Sheridan thought better of it, deciding instead to treat the “Yellowstone” spinoffs as anthologies. Rather than advancing the season one characters, the next installment of “1883” will star David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves, the real-life Black marshal who racked up boundaries during the same period.

Approaching...

Over four years after signing with Atlantic Records and releasing his self-described debut album, Until Death Call My Name, Youngboy Never Broke Again remains an enigma. The 22-year-old North Baton Rouge rapper isn’t a clear innovator like Playboi Carti and isn’t a symbol for an intensely creative scene like his rival Lil Durk’s Chicago or Pop Smoke’s Brooklyn. He’s landed four Billboard number-one projects in the past two years, building a massive online following in the process. (Like most social media “hives,” his fans, who...

By all accounts, Big is a classic of 1980s cinema. A charming comedy that helped cement Tom Hanks' status as a superstar. An irresistible premise full of iconic moments -- the Fao Schwarz piano, the toy-filled apartment, Zoltar. An absolute win for director Penny Marshall. But, by cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld's accounts -- which he, conveniently, compiled in a memoir out today -- it was an absolute nightmare to make. You may now know Sonnenfeld best as the director of classics like Men in Black, Get Shorty, and The Addams Family. But he started as a director of photography, working with luminaries …...

Perhaps it’s fitting that “Westworld” is the recipient of the most extensive, and jarring, reboot in recent TV history.

After all, the show’s characters are hyperintelligent androids, forced in the show’s early going to forget who they once were and what they’ve endured in order to begin their “storylines” anew. Later on, these unhappy automatons discovered the power of self-reinvention, grafting onto themselves new capabilities and identities.

In its third season, “Westworld” itself is going for a similar trick, overwriting what had been a chewily dense contemplation of identity and humanity with a more obviously crowdpleasing ride through the world of the future. The show’s second season was widely pilloried for its purposeful deployment of audience confusion, a way of depicting its characters’ shifting experiences of their lives that frustrated expectations. The new “Westworld” seems designed to meet expectations precisely where they are. The new...

Mandy Moore, of “This Is Us” fame, seemed to have said “that’s not me” when it came to making music anymore. But she was just biding her time, waiting for the right moment — and, she says, the right supportive relationship — to resume recording after dropping out in the late 2000s. The 35-year-old actress, who hit it big as a pop star at 15, returns March 6 with “Silver Landings” on March 6, featuring songs she co-wrote with her producer, Mike Viola, and husband, Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith. Both will also play in Moore’s band when she hits the road beginning March 20 in Pittsburgh for a 26-city tour that ends May 9.

Is touring something you feel you have to do to promote the album, or something you really want to do?

I really wanted to tour behind my last album, “Amanda Leigh,” 11 years ago, and it didn’t come to fruition. What...

[This story contains spoilers from the entire second season of Netflix's Narcos: Mexico.]

"The madness has begun and no one can stop it," Felix Gallardo (Diego Luna), the Godfather of the Guadalajara cartel, tells DEA agent Walt Breslin (Scoot McNairy) to close out the second season of Narcos: Mexico. "You'll be drowning in blood, chaos. Now you'll see what happens when the cage breaks open and all the animals run free. You're going to miss me."

Those words, which Felix delivers from behind bars after finally being arrested for the murder of DEA agent ...

Exclusive: Bad Hair, one of the buzz titles at Sundance since it premiered last Thursday at The Ray, is nearing a worldwide rights deal north of $8 million with Hulu, sources said. Pic is a horror satire directed by Dear White People creator Justin Simien, and it has been chased hard by suitors I’ve heard included Lionsgate and Netflix.

It looks like Hulu will make this its second major deal of Sundance, this after the $17.5 (plus 69 cents) for Palm Springs. Hulu made that deal with Neon, and it will have to add a theatrical distributor for Bad Hair because the deal calls for a global theatrical release with a P&a spend.

Simien’s Dear White People has turned into a TV series, and he is shaping up to be a strong multicultural world creator. As for the film’s financier, Sight Unseen, this is the second big deal of the last two festivals,...

After a 19 year dry spell, Tom Hanks finally returned to the Oscar race this year by slipping into Mr. Rogers’ sneakers in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” Where does the Fred Rogers biopic fall within the rest of his filmography? Tour through our photo gallery of Hanks’ 20 greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Among the most honored actors in history, Hanks won two consecutive Academy Awards (Best Actor for “Philadelphia” in 1993 and “Forrest Gump” in 1994) from five nominations. Yet curiously, despite doing remarkable film work, he had not been nominated in nearly two decades.

SEEOscar Best Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History

That changed this year with Marielle Heller‘s acclaimed drama, which casts him as the legendary host of children’s TV classic “Mr. Rogers’s Neighborhood.” In addition to his Oscar success, the film also brought him Best Supporting Actor bids at the Golden Globes,...

Updated with video: Tom Hanks delivered the goods in accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award at Sunday’s Golden Globes, beginning with a tearful thanks to his family and going on to extol the craft of acting and filmmaking.

Injecting some class and joie-de-vivre into a ceremony that had seemed to mostly drag in its first two hours, Hanks confessed he was less than his usually peppy self due to having a cold “the size of Merv Griffin’s Jeopardy royalties.” He said he had been quaffing some “savagely orange drinks for the past 24 hours,” bringing on jitters during the ceremony.

After tearing up in the opening moments of the speech as he paid tribute to wife Rita Wilson and his five kids, Hanks had the crowd at the Beverly Hilton rapt as he described his attachment to the day-to-day business of entertainment.

“A movie is made shot by shot,...

That’s what she said. I know, I know. It was cheap, but I could not just let that one go. It was too good. It’s out of my system now. Let’s move on.

We’ve got a new trailer for you to check out today for the movie Hustlers, a true story about a club of exotic dancers in New York who rely on the money they rake in from their Wall Street customers in the wake of the financial crisis. The leader of the ladies is played by Jennifer Lopez, and she encourages the women to get the most out of the interactions they have with customers, telling them, “You want them drunk enough to get their credit card, but sober enough to sign the check.” It seems they eventually get found out, but it looks like a good time.

Hustlers also stars Constance Wu (Crazy...

Tony Sokol Jul 17, 2019

Jennifer Lopez shows Constance Wu how to get back at those Wall Street crooks in the first Hustlers trailer.

"I spent $5,000 at a strip club, send help," Jennifer Lopez's entrepreneurial Ramona laughs in the first Hustlers trailer. She's teaching Destiny, played by Constance Wu of ABC's Fresh Off the Boat, how to rip off rich guys.

Stx Films' upcoming film, Hustlers, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, was inspired by Jessica Pressler's New York Magazine piece "The Hustlers at Scores." The story followed a group of strippers who stole from the rich. The article focused on Roselyn Keo, who would have done well on Wall Street, but she was born with "the waist-to-hip ratio scientists have concluded affects men like a drug."

Drugs also affect men like drugs, and the intoxicating talent at the New York City club was keen to share, even if...

Co-writer/director Tina Gordon Chism's Little is the latest cutesy comedy to enter the body-swapping fantasy chuckles sweepstakes. Aside from the countless comedies that have revisted this now tired premise, Chism's ("Peeples") generic gem does have its charming elements and preaches a breezy message about the acceptance of one's self and the bullying tactics that persist. Still, Little makes for small sacrifices as a formulaic fantasy teaser that predictably treads on the same broad waters of its overwrought theme--harking back to the days of innocence and awkwardness in youth. Unfortunately, there is nothing fresh or frisky about Chism's orchestrated impishness in highlighting an seemingly independent woman needing her pushy ambitions taken down a few notches. The showcasing of our body-switching heroine learning...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The last time Puff Daddy made a pure, uncut hip-hop album intended for car stereos instead of techno-fried dance floors was back in 2001 – before mixtapes like 50 Cent Is the Future made his big-budget rap albums unfashionable, and before YouTube made his big-budget music videos unnecessary. In those days, before he went by “Diddy,” he was the rap mogul who got Sting to sing about the Notorious B.I.G. on the MTV Video Music Awards, who got Jimmy Page to remake “Kashmir” for a Hollywood Godzilla reboot, whose videos had speedboats and Dennis Hopper.

Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs offers a three-minute dedication to his “hustle” on minimalist new track “Workin’,” which the rapper debuted Tuesday night during an all-star performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. The song features a sampled, pitch-shifted hook – “Don’t bother me; I’m workin'” – from Les Sins’ “Bother,” with Puff brushing aside endless distractions. “We hustle before we play,” he raps, “even on Memorial Day.”

Over stripped-back production – an eerie synth line, droning bass and light programmed beat – Puff gives a shout-out to his late friend and collaborator Notorious B.I.G....

DVD Playhouse—June 2009

By

Allen Gardner

The International (Sony) An Interpol agent (Clive Owen) joins forces with a Manhattan D.A. (Naomi Watts) to bring down an arms dealing ring and a corrupt global banking cartel that’s funding them. Superlative thriller was oddly ignored by critics and audiences alike, but expertly blends intelligence (courtesy screenwriter Eric Warren Singer’s masterfully-crafted script) and full-throttle action (director Tom Tykwer stages one of the great film shoot-outs in New York’s iconic Guggenheim Museum), making this dynamite thriller reminiscent of the best work from masters such as John Frankenheimer and Robert Aldrich. Armin Mueller-Stahl is wonderful as a world-weary covert op. Bonuses: Extended scene; Featurettes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.

The Jack Lemmon Film Collection(Sony) Five films from the two-time Oscar winning actor, focusing on his early career: Phfft! is a zippy comedy from 1954, one of Lemmon’s earliest films, in which...

Keke Palmer has been cast as the lead in Nickelodeon's live-action pilot True Fashion.

The tentatively titled project, described as Big meets The Devil Wears Prada, centers on a 15-year-old (Palmer) tapped to head the teen division of a major fashion label. She has a passion for fashion but soon learns that corporate life has the same highs and lows as high school -- complete with cliques and mean girls -- but also comes with such cool perks as designing for up-and-coming rock stars and casting cute models.

The pilot, from creator/executive producer Andy Gordon (Back to You), was picked up in October. It begins shooting this week in Los Angeles, with a cast that also includes Ashley Argota, Danielle Bisutti and Matt Shively and a recurring role featuring Greg Proops ("Whose Line Is It Anyway?").

Palmer won an NAACP Image Award for her role in Akeelah and the Bee. She next appears on the big screen in Dimension's The Longshots, opening in July.

The singer-actress, who also was nominated for a SAG Award for her role in the TNT movie The Wool Cap, released her debut album, So Uncool, last year.

Leslie Mann will star opposite Zac Efron in New Line's teen comedy 17, being directed by Burr Steers.

Mann will play Scarlett, the wife of the adult character played by Efron.

Likened to Tom Hanks' character in 1988's Big, the film's story centers on a grown man who finds himself as a 17-year-old trying to navigate high school.

Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot, who worked with Efron on Hairspray, are producing through their Offspring Entertainment shingle. Jason Filardi wrote the script.

Jason Barrett is executive producing, while Mark Kaufman and Keith Goldberg are overseeing for the studio.

Mann, whose credits include Universal's Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, is repped by CAA. It's her first project since signing with the agency.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gary Ross has signed up for television duty, teaming with Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. TV for a drama project dubbed Invisible that has landed a pilot commitment at NBC. The project is described as a medical thriller about a renegade researcher who is tracking a mysterious disease through the Centers for Disease Control. Ross is set to pen the script and serve as an executive producer alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Bruckheimer TV chief Jonathan Littman. Ross earned Oscar nominations for adapted screenplay and best picture for his 2003 period drama Seabiscuit. He also snared Oscar noms in writing categories for 1993's Dave and 1988's Big. He also wrote and directed the 1998 cult-fave film Pleasantville. Among his recent feature projects, Ross is shepherding a remake of the 1954 creature-feature classic Creature From the Black Lagoon through his Universal Pictures-based Larger Than Life Prods. banner. (HR 10/20). Ross also has been signed by FX to pen one of the episodes in its upcoming miniseries The Ten Commandments (HR 1/12).

Howard Shore will be presented with the Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement by ASCAP at the 19th annual ASCAP Film and Television Awards gala set for April 21 at the Beverly Hilton. The honor recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. Shore, who is currently a double Oscar nominee for his score and song for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, won an Oscar for the score of the trilogy's first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring. He has composed scores for more than 60 films, including The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Gangs of New York, Seven and Big. His upcoming projects include Peter Jackson's King Kong and Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.

Mark Waters is in negotiations to direct Will Sebastian for Warner Bros. Pictures. Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe are producing through their 1492 Pictures. Written by David Hubbard and described as having elements of Big and Forrest Gump, Sebastian tells the story of a guy who lives his life out of sequence and the woman with whom he's destined to fall in love. Courtenay Valenti is overseeing the project for the studio. Waters directed Walt Disney Studios' summer sleeper hit Freaky Friday, which grossed more than $110 million. He is completing Paramount Pictures' Mean Girls, which stars Lindsay Lohan and opens April 30. He also directed the critically acclaimed The House of Yes. Waters is repped by CAA.

Mark Waters is in negotiations to direct Will Sebastian for Warner Bros. Pictures. Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe are producing through their 1492 Pictures. Written by David Hubbard and described as having elements of Big and Forrest Gump, Sebastian tells the story of a guy who lives his life out of sequence and the woman with whom he's destined to fall in love. Courtenay Valenti is overseeing the project for the studio. Waters directed Walt Disney Studios' summer sleeper hit Freaky Friday, which grossed more than $110 million. He is completing Paramount Pictures' Mean Girls, which stars Lindsay Lohan and opens April 30. He also directed the critically acclaimed The House of Yes. Waters is repped by CAA.

Tadpole helmer Gary Winick is in negotiations to direct Golden Globe-winning Alias star Jennifer Garner in Revolution Studios' comedy 13 Going on 30. Production is being geared to start early next year while Garner is on hiatus from her ABC series, now in its sophomore season. Written by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, 13 is described as a female Big. It follows a 13-year-old girl who dreams of being popular. During her birthday party, she engages in the party game Seven Minutes in the Closet. The game turns out to be a humiliating experience for her, and she refuses to come out of the closet. When she eventually does emerge, she finds herself five days shy of her 30th birthday. Susan Arnold and Donna Arkoff Roth are producing the project with the writers' manager, Gina Matthews. Winick is repped by Endeavor. For his recently released Tadpole, starring Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth and Aaron Stanford, Winick won best director honors at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. His other credits include Sam the Man and Sweet Nothing.

Hollywood actors Will Smith and Tom Hanks are gearing up for a fierce box office battle - and they've even named the weekends of their movie releases after themselves. Smith is set to release his action flick Men In Black II on Wednesday, in time for Independence Day, while Hanks' Road To Perdition will hit screens on July 12. And a confident Smith has already named the upcoming weekend 'Big Willie Weekend,' stating, "You can go and eat some food with your family, watch the fireworks and then go and see the Will Smith movie. What could be more American?" As a result, the weekend of the release of Hanks' film has been dubbed 'Hanky Panky Weekend.' But the Big star admits he's a little apprehensive about how much Hanky Panky he'll be able to get up to. He explains, "I'll be recovering from the Big Willie weekend - I don't think I'm gonna be in shape for the Hanky Panky Weekend."...

Renée Zellweger is being lined up to star in a Hollywood movie dubbed 'the female Big'. The Texan beauty is in talks for the lead role in 13 Going On 30. The film centers around a 13-year-old girl who, on her birthday, lands the magical opportunity to see how her life will have turned out by the time she's 30. She discovers that beauty and riches await her, but the birthday girl is none too happy about the manner in which her future self has achieved her goals. The movie has been written by What Women Want writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa.