News: Kathy Bates

Bates may still be best known for her Oscar-winning turn as a raving spycho in 1990’s Misery, but she crops up in all kinds of films, as her outing as Bitsy the Cow in this week’s Charlotte’s Web demonstrates amply.

Come the end of the year she’ll be cropping up in two more movies where voice work’s all important, with Jerry Seinfeld’s much-anticipated The Bee Movie being followed by the decidedly less anticipated “musical family adventure comedy” Christmas Is Here Again. But – just to make sure no one thinks she’s getting lazy – she’s also going to be cropping up in the decidedly less cheesy Vince Vaughn / Paul Giamatti comedy Fred Claus around the same time.

Then its a switch back away from comedy for P.S. I Love You, with Hilary Swank as a young widow whose husband has left her messages to help her cope with his death, before some heavy-duty drama in First Comes Love, set amidst the 1980s AIDS epidemic. But still, that’s not due until late 2008 – a long time to wait for a dramatic performance from one of the most subtle dramatic actresses currently working. Nonetheless, considering Hollywood’s sexist ageism, the fact that an actress in her fifties can manage to have so many films on the go is pretty impressive…

News; Oprah Winfrey

It’s been pretty easy to forget that chat show queen Oprah is an actress – not least because this week’s Charlotte’s Web is her first big screen outing since 1998’s Beloved, and her first acting turn full stop since 1999’s direct to video Our Friend, Martin. It always takes a few seconds to remember that she received an Oscar nomination for her acting debut in 1986’s harrowing The Color Purple.

Still, although she may have another film in the works, it doesn’t look like fans of daytime TV need worry that she’s going to abandon them just yet. It looks to be merely a small voice cameo in Jerry Seinfeld’s upcoming animated comedy The Bee Movie – and I doubt yet get odds worth bothering with if you were to bet that she’ll be playing herself.

Still no sign of her running for President, though…

News: Renée Zellweger

Once again playing the English Rose in this week’s Miss Potter, Zellweger will be reverting to her natural Texan drawl for her next three pics.

First up, due for release in the US in August, is Case 39 – seemingly one of those Oscar-hungry “message” pics, but with a turn towards something a bit darker, as Zellweger plays a social worker trying to rescue a young girl from apparently abusive parents, only to discover there’s more to the situation than meets the eye.

Then, due out in the States in November, comes the film that billionaire comic Jerry Seinfeld is hoping will give him yet another big cheque, animated comedy The Bee Movie. Zellweger plays the New York florist who saves Seinfeld’s bee’s life and shows him that humans are not as bad as he thinks – until he discovers that we eat honey and decides to sue us. The all-star voice cast also includes the likes of Chris Rock, Matthew Broderick, John Goodman, Kathy Bates, Alan Arkin, Eddie Izzard, Larry King and Oprah Winfrey.

Finally, and due for a 2008 release, she will crop up in George Clooney’s next effort as writer/director/star, 1920s-set American Football-based romantic comedy Leatherheads. Little information is as yet available, but it looks likely that she and big George will be hooking up on screen – and based on Clooney’s previous outings as director, it should be one to look out for.