Is Cate In Or Out?

I'm still very confused as to whether or not Cate Blanchett will be reprising her Oscar-nominated role as "The Virgin Queen" in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," which is a sequel to the 1998 film, "Elizabeth." Variety reported it as fact earlier this year, stating that the movie would begin shooting in April 2006 with Geoffrey Rush again playing Sir Francis Walsingham and Clive Owen cast as explorer Sir Walter Raleigh.

However, in September, Blanchett suggested to the Australian Herald Sun that there was no project in the works, saying, "I'm really good friends with Shekhar Kapur (director) and he's forever saying he's going to do this movie or that movie and I think there was talk about it. There's so much there if it were to happen, but my initial instinct is, why (make it)?"

A quick check on IMDB.com links the movie to both Rush and Owen, but NOT to Blanchett herself. Hmmm. If anyone out there has the real scoop, let us know. -- Amy

"Brokeback" in Brief

Ang Lee was Charlie Rose's guest recently to talk about directing his latest film "Brokeback Mountain."

• In the interview, Lee says he didn't discuss the film's controversial subject matter with actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. "My job was to downplay it," said Lee, who explained that the initial sex scene between the two men took 13 takes. (He chose take No. 7 for the film.)

• Lee said he chose the project as an antidote to his not-so-successful previous project, "Hulk." (He added that he'd prefer not to do any big-budget blockbuster-type flicks like that one ever again.)

• Before shooting this "post-Western" as he calls it, Lee accompanied author Annie Proulx (who wrote the short story this film is based on) on a tour of Wyoming. "She wanted to make sure that spirit was captured," explained the director. "I just wanted to do justice to this brilliant piece of writing. It's a great American love story."

• Lee told Rose that casting Ledger was an "educated guess."

• The Taiwanese-born director described the anticipation for this movie as a burden. "When people gear up to see a movie, that makes me nervous," he said. "In the end, I just hope this movie gets a fair shot."

Incidentally, Rose also recently interviewed Stephen Gaghan, the screenwriter for Syriana. The stories behind his research into this movie were utterly fascinating. If you happen to see him on any other programs, he's definitely worth listening to. -- Amy

First Glimpse: Marie Antoinette Trailer

Click here for an exclusive first look at Sofia Coppola's next movie Marie Antoinette. The trailer's soundtrack features New Order's "Age of Consent." --Kim

Maugham, Unveiled

Liev Schrieber, Naomi Watts and Ed Norton star in a new adaptation of the Somerset Maugham novel, "The Painted Veil" set for release next November. Set in the 1920s, the plot centers around a doctor and his adulterous wife who travel to a remote Chinese village to fight a cholera outbreak, all the while trying save their moribund marriage. Greta Garbo starred in the original 1934 film. -- Amy

Which is Better?

Time magazine compares some current and coming attractions with the books they're based on. See if you agree with their assessment. -- Amy

Julianne Moore in Alice Munroe Adaptation

Moore will star in a film version of Munroe's short story, "Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage," about a nanny who falls in love with her charge's father. (Comingsoon.net) --Kim

The Nose Knows

Alan Rickman and Dustin Hoffman are among the cast of a German English-language production of "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" based on the book by Patrick Suskind. The novel tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man with an extraordinary sense of smell and a dark obsession, set in 18th century France. Tom Twyker (of "Run Lola Run" fame) directs the film, which will be released in 2006. -- Amy