‘Spider-Man’ spin-off ‘Venom’ in pipeline

October 10th, 2009 A SPIDER-MAN spin-off is heading to the big screen, focusing on the web-slinging superhero's nemesis VENOM. Screenwriter Gary Ross, who is currently writing Spider-Man 4, is negotiating a Venom deal with studio bosses at Columbia and Marvel Entertainment.

October 7th, 2009 LONDON - The sequel to the 1995 film Showgirls is currently in the pipeline, it has emerged. German director Marc Vorlander will be helming 'Showgirls: Story Of Hope' with a budget of 17million pounds, the Sun reports.

October 1st, 2009 Former FRIENDS star MATT LEBLANC is hoping to make TV audiences laugh again with a new comedy - three years after the actor's spin-off series flopped. LeBlanc will play himself in Episodes - a comedy about the television industry.

September 9th, 2009 DAVID BOWIE is a spider - literally. After singing about spiders from Mars and forming a band called Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars, the rocker has been honoured with a creepy-crawly title.

September 3rd, 2009 LONDON - U2 frontman Bono has reportedly made arrangements to help finance the Spider-Man musical which could have been scrapped due to financial problems. Apparently, the Irish rocker has convinced his wealthy friends to invest in the show.

September 3rd, 2009 U2 rocker BONO has rescued the ill-fated SPIDER-MAN musical by arranging financing to keep the show afloat. Bono and bandmate The Edge wrote the music to accompany the Broadway extravaganza, which was announced to much fanfare last year (08).

August 19th, 2009 LONDON - Actress Scarlett Johansson had so much fun starring in her upcoming new flick 'Iron Man 2' that she's keeping her fingers crossed producers will ask her to reprise her role in a spin-off movie. The 24-year-old actress, who plays the Black Widow in the Marvel action adventure, loved high-kicking her way on to the big screen in her first action-girl role.

August 14th, 2009 EVAN RACHEL WOOD's agents are reportedly desperate to win back a number of film roles the actress turned down to work on stalled Broadway musical SPIDER-MAN as rumours continue to swirl about the troubled stage show. The Wrestler star was due to tread the boards in the new production early next year (10), but work on the play has been suspended as producers at Hello Entertainment battle financial problems.

August 11th, 2009 LONDON - Brushing aside all rumours of financial difficulties slowing down the new Spider-Man musical, producers have said the project will open on time. Recent reports in some tabloids claimed that preparations for the musical came to a standstill due to cash flow problems on the 35-million-dollar (23.3 million pounds) production, reports The Daily Star.

August 9th, 2009 Producers behind the ambitious new SPIDER-MAN musical have dismissed rumours the project has been hit with financial difficulties - insisting the show is set to open on time. Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming are set to star in the Broadway extravaganza, which opens in New York next February (10), while U2 stars Bono and The Edge have written tracks for the score.

August 4th, 2009 LONDON - Michael Jackson wanted to act in Spider-Man movies, the creator of the superhero has revealed. Stan Lee, former president and chairman of Marvel Comics, disclosed that MJ had plans to produce the movie.

July 20th, 2009 LONDON - Robert De Niro is reportedly set to star in Robert Rodriguez's 'Grindhouse' spin-off. The movie's star cast will reportedly include Jonah Hill and Michelle Rodriguez.

June 10th, 2009 LONDON - Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has been successful in persuading Kirsten Dunst to sign up for the fourth installment of the superhero franchise, it has emerged. Rumors were abuzz that Dunst's return to the role of Mary Jane-Watson won't happen after Raimi told reporters the actress was still pondering whether to rejoin the cast, reports the Daily Express.

June 4th, 2009 LONDON - American television and radio host Larry King's wife Shawn Southwick is in negotiations to secure a role in the new Spider-Man musical on Broadway. Contactmusic.com reports that the broadcast interviewers' wife was due to work for vocal impressionist Danny Gans at a Las Vegas show this summer but the entertainer's tragic death last month left her out of work.

June 4th, 2009 Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds has revealed that he asked Scarlett Johansson to be his wife in a text message. The 'Wolverine' star, who tied the knot with the actress in a secret ceremony last September, admitted that he struggled to find the words to propose Johansson.