GO, WES! It’s rare that a young filmmaker can move to L.A. with some wannabe-actor buddies, shoot a documentary about them, and then end up with a movie starring one of Hollywood’s most sought-after talents. But it happened. Five years ago, TONY ZIERRA started filming his roommates—some guys named WES BENTLEY, BRAD ROWE, CHAD LINBERG, and GREG FAWCETT—and is now completing the half-fictionalized documentary Carving out Our Name. One wrinkle: When Bentley was out of the country filming Four Feathers, his William Morris agents nixed an article about the movie in The Hollywood Reporter, claiming that the actor didn’t approve of the film. But they jumped the gun; Bentley is one of its producers.

KAHLO 911: SALMA HAYEK knows how to delegate. While prepping her passion project, a historical drama on artist Frida Kahlo, she asked brainy boyfriend EDWARD NORTON to take a shot at the script. Over a weekend, while filming Death to Smoochy, Norton squeezed in a rewrite that delighted everyone—especially his producer-star-sweetie.

THE SPANISH CURSE: Exhibit A: MATT DAMON and WINONA RYDER break up after Damon wraps All the Pretty Horses. Exhibit B: During filming of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, NICOLAS CAGE announces (again) that he and wife PATRICIA ARQUETTE are divorcing. Exhibit C: While shooting CAMERON CROWE's Vanilla Sky, TOM CRUISE files for divorce from wife NICOLE KIDMAN. The missing link? PENÉLOPE CRUZ played the romantic lead opposite each man as his relationship ended.

SPEAKING OF . . . The on-and-off switch: What studio dreamed up a remake of West Side Story, then decided they couldn’t improve on the original?

SPEAKING OF . . . Being born-again: SIMON WELLS, the codirector of The Prince of Egypt, is making his live-action debut on a most appropriate proj ect—a remake of H.G. WELLS’s The Time Machine. Simon is the author’s great-grandson.