I’m being told there’s really nothing new with these explanatary conversations. And, anyway, Lionsgate can’t do any kind of deal with MGM unless the studio management brokers some settlement with 32% shareholder Carl Icahn, who has made it clear he won’t approve any big buys by the studio right now. Strange that this…

UPDATES <a title="BSkyB Still Rejects News Corp's Increased Offer But Both Agree to Keep Negotiating & Proceed With Regulatory Process For Deal" rel="bookmark"…

Here we go again. A rumor, which is making the rounds today, has Fox's American Idol switching its Tuesday 8 PM/Wednesday 9 PM broadcast pattern to Wednesday 9 PM/Thursday 9 PM next season. While Idol could finally be on the move this year and the Thursday 9 PM slot is riper than ever for an assault, this looks a lot…

Jamie Foxx is mentoring the Top Four contestants on American Idol tonight amidst persistent chatter that he is being considered for the soon-to-be-vacated judge’s chair of Simon Cowell. The Foxx rumor first surfaced in January when the actor/R&B singer was quoted as saying "I would love to do it, but I don't think I…

UPDATE: The rumors keep flying about where Bob Berney will land. Deadline has already posted Team Harvey’s denial that the ex-Apparitions chief is headed to the Weinsteins. At least not yet. (Berney Exit Blindsides Apparition) Now the latest chatter is that Berney will rejoin Newmarket to reassemble the glory team…

UPDATE: Insiders are denying the rumor that Bob Berney is going to work with Harvey and Bob Weinstein. I’m told there haven’t been any talks — yet.  Meanwhile, I’ve learned that Berney has the ability to take key staffers with him wherever he’s going. EXCLUSIVE 5:30 PM: In a pre-Cannes bombshell, Bob Berney resigned…

EXCLUSIVE: Green Hornet is moving its release date from December 22nd to Martin Luther King Weekend, which is January 14, 2011, so it can be converted into 3D. Sony is using the term “3D enhancements”. (Because no visual effects on the film have been done yet by Sony Imageworks, which is just getting into…

UPDATE FRIDAY PM: Rumor is Michael Landes also tested for the role. EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Nick Thune, True Blood's Michael McMillian and John Forest, are in contention to replace Patton Oswalt on NBC's comedy pilot Beach Lane. The three are screen testing with star Matthew Broderick. Beach Lane stars Broderick as a…

I’m told Marvel Studios is in final negotiations for Buffy the Vampire Slayer series architect Joss Whedon to direct Marvel Studios’ The Avengers. That’s the fast-tracked film that would amount to an all-star team of Marvel superheros, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris…

Don’t believe the rumors. Akiva Goldsman won't be directing Paranormal Activity 2, but he has boarded the project. Goldsman became executive producer and is helping to flesh out the sequel story with the producing team of Oren Peli, Jason Blum and Steven Schneider. The directing job will be filled soon as the film…

Universal won’t start production this spring on Central Intelligence, the comedy that had The Office‘s Ed Helms starring and Dean Parisot directing. Rumors raced yesterday that the film was scrapped. Insiders insist that isn’t so. I’ve learned the comedy won’t likely come before Helms reprises in The Hangover sequel…

I’m assured there is no truth to the Internet rumors circulating that Barbara Marcus will be the next publisher of DC Comics. A bigtime kid books publisher, Marcus is pals with DC Entertainment president after they launched the licensing partnership between Scholastic and Warner Bros for the Harry Potter…