e begin with news from the rumor mill. Word has it that after Ben Affleck left rehab, he asked Gwyneth Paltrow to take him back. It seems that Ben's party ways were one of the big reasons for their split. Gwyneth, however, turned him down. She's currently dating Luke Wilson, her co-star in the new movie The Royal Tenenbaums.

Gwyneth Paltrow  For Ashley Judd's upcoming wedding to race car driver Dario Franchitti, she has asked pal Sandra Bullock to be her maid of honor. The two got along famously while shooting Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Not only that, they share another thing in common… Matthew McConaughey. They've both dated the charming Texan in recent years.

  Jennifer Lopez, who recently honeymooned with new hubby Cris Judd in Italy, has had to re-think her movie choices because of the current world situation. Two of her upcoming thrillers -Taking Lives and Tick Tock - will probably be shelved even before they start production. Instead, Jennifer will star in the romantic comedy-drama The Chambermaid, about a young woman who becomes a cleaning lady in a luxury hotel and falls for a British prince.

Madonna  Speaking of romance, at press time the marriage of Madonna and Guy Ritchie was the subject of rampant split-up rumors. The two have had a couple of arguments in public. As one relationship expert points out, when a celebrity couple fights in public, it's usually just the tip of the iceberg. If they are in trouble, expect sparks to fly on the set of the drama Swept Away...starring Madonna - directed by Guy Ritchie.


  George Clooney has just been made an offer he'll likely refuse. We hear that the producers of ER have offered him a contract worth $6 million per season. Now, for some actors, that might sound like the jackpot, but Clooney can make at least twice, maybe three times that per movie. On the personal front, George has been seeing Bridget Jones's Diary star Renée Zellweger.

  Zellweger has been named as the likely star of the movie version of the Broadway musical Chicago with co-stars Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones. However, people noticing Zeta-Jones' recent weight gain are speculating about a second pregnancy. Chicago will start shooting in Toronto starting on December 10th.

  Quentin Tarantino has dealt with plenty of horrors in his films, but he could be
up against his scariest challenge yet. The very quirky Quentin has agreed to work with the very uptight Warren Beatty for his next film. Warren will star in Tarantino's Kill Bill, which will star Uma Thurman. Production has been postponed due to Thurman's pregnancy. Although Beatty had suggested replacing Uma to Tarantino, he wouldn't consider that, since he wrote the part specifically for Thurman.

  Meanwhile, other Pulp Fiction co-stars Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta may be teaming up for a new flick - a military drama called Basic. The film was originally supposed to star Benicio Del Toro, but that didn't fly with the studio. Jackson will also play a government agent in the Vin Diesel action drama XXX, which is being described as an extreme sports version of James Bond.

  Oscar winner Robert Duvall is quite an interesting man in real-life. He's friendlier than you'd think, and believe it or not, his favorite pastime is doing the tango. That's why it should come as no surprise that Duvall will write, produce, direct, and star in Assassination Tango, about a hit man whose last job takes him to Buenos Aires, birthplace of the tango.

Will Smith  After Ali, Will Smith now has his sights set on something a little lighter. Smith will play the boss in a remake of the Dolly Parton comedy, 9 to 5. His wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, will also star in the film about three women who take on their sexist boss.

  And here's a weird rumor that we just couldn't pass up. One of the tabloids reports that Lisa Marie Presley has been trying to contact her deceased father, Elvis, in the hopes that he'll give his blessing to her relationship with actor Nicolas Cage, who she plans on marrying. Lisa Marie apparently believes that her marriages of the past failed because she didn't consult with dear old dad first. "Suspicious Minds" indeed.