- Ellen Page to Sam Raimi: “Drag Me to Hell.” “Juno” star joins horror effort from “Spider-Man” director. (Variety)

- Guillermo del Toro wants to make “Dr. Strange”? (Empire)

- James McAvoy in talks to board “Perrier’s Bounty,” the story of three fugitives on the run from a big-time gangster. (Variety)

- The more you know: Dennis Quaid talks “G.I. Joe,” says he’s signed on for three films. (Collider)

- Travel through the looking glass with the first picture from “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.” (Coming Soon)

- Harry takes off his bad hat in respect. “Jaws” actor Roy Scheider dead at 75. (NY Times)

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

Every now and then, we get caught up in one of these cool stories that turns us into the proverbial string in a game of telephone. There was the time we used your comments to help The Rock choose his Shazam! role, or that time we talked Zac Efron into give his fans a special wink. Now, we seem caught up in a love sandwich between “Juno” sweetie Ellen Page and punk rock pioneer Patti Smith.

You might remember the recent article we ran that had the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer thanking Page for a shout-out in the hit movie. Needless to say, when we told Page about the message from one of her idols recently, she was beside herself.

“Oh my God, that’s incredible!” the Oscar-nominated 20-year-old shrieked, swelling with so much pride that she nearly resembled her pregnant character. “That is really cool!”

When we spoke with Smith, she had read a recent interview that had Page listing her as the one person in the world she’d most like to meet. “That’s so nice,” she responded, saying she’d love to visit the young actress. “I haven’t been able to meet her yet.”

But wait! The plot thickens: According to Page, they did speak once, many years before Ellen became a star.

“She doesn’t actually know this, but we spoke once, extremely briefly, in Belgium, in a small town called Gent,” the actress revealed. “It was in the lobby of a hotel, and she had just performed, and I said ‘Thank you for performing,’ but I was sooooo star struck. She would never remember that.”

Nevertheless, Page still hopes to meet up with Patti for more than a four-word fan encounter, and hopes the “Juno” shout-out will continue to send new listeners to the classic Smith albums that have influenced generations of teenagers.

“I would just tell her that I adore her, and I think ‘Horses’ is one of the greatest albums of all time,” Page beamed, sending a message back to her hero. “Her music paralyzes me. It is so beautiful, and it makes me want to rip my clothes off and run through the streets!”

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

Naturally, everyone in Hollywood these days is still shaken over last week’s tragic death of Heath Ledger. Few, however, had been in touch with the actor recently quite like “Juno” star Ellen Page, who had been in talks to star in Heath’s intended directorial debut, “The Queen’s Gambit.”

“It was talked about,” the Oscar-nominated actress said of her possibly taking the lead role in an adaptation of the novel about an orphan who becomes a chess prodigy. “But, you know,” she sighed, shaking her head, “obviously, that’s not the [most important thing right now].”

Recently, our own Josh Horowitz remembered a touching conversation he once had with the 28-year-old about their shared love of the sport of kings. In his final few years, Ledger had been making plans to slide into the director’s chair with “Gambit,” employing both his movie-making experience and his reported skills as a grandmaster-level chess player.

“It’s just extremely tragic,” Page said of her almost-director. The project has now stalled, of course, but to Page that’s barely a minuscule afterthought in this tragic tale.

“I wish his family the best, and I hope his privacy is respected,” she said. “That’s what’s getting out of control, and it’s becoming too much. Hopefully that will begin to end, that intensity.”

Would Heath have been a good director? Why or why not? Weigh in with your thoughts below.

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

Article by Tom Thorogood with additional reporting by Dan Storey (MTV News UK)

Ellen Page is officially the hottest actress around after bagging herself an Oscar nomination for Best Actress on Tuesday. So, of course, MTV News had to track the 20-year-old down to talk about the news and “Juno” - the blockbuster comedy she stars in.

Overwhelmed Ellen recalled the moment she heard she was up for the award against Julie Christie and Cate Blanchett: “We were coming from Paris on the train (Eurostar) and just getting to London [when I heard]. It was exciting.”

“[Winning awards] was something I was trying to keep out of my mind [but] it’s a surprise and very humbling,” she added.

Page plays the title role in Juno — which tells the story of a teenager who gets pregnant and has to find parents to adopt the child. She told MTV News what attracted her to the role:

“It’s extremely refreshing and although it’s witty, unique and funny, it’s also extremely genuine and honest.”

The film also has nominations for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

“Diablo Cody wrote one of the best screenplays I ever read,” said Ellen of the first-time scriptwriter. “It just blew me away.”

The shy and humble actress — who also stars in “Hard Candy” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” — admitted she was unprepared for Oscars night and the fame that will follow.

Page said: “I don’t even know how to wrap my head around it,” she said. “It’s definitely gonna be a bit of a transition period … I guess we’ll just see what happens.”

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more links of the day – back again with news on Ellen Page, “The A-Team,” “The Princess and the Frog,” and more.

- All hail the new roller girl! Writer lets slip that Ellen Page is set to star in roller derby coming of age story “Whip It.” (Film School Rejects)

- John Singleton to love it when his plan comes together. Director hopes to cast Woody Harrelson as Murdock in “The A-Team.” (Collider)

- Princess Tiana dreams of true love in this first look at Disney’s traditionally animated 2009 feature “The Princess and the Frog.” (Coming Soon)

- “Ghost World” screenwriter Dan Clowes to write Michel Gondry’s animated movie. (/film)

- “Pulp Fiction” screenwriter Roger Avary arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter. (AP)

- Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Bono among celebrities wishing Bill Gates a fond farewell in this funny retirement video. (Reelz)

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]