The celebrities, they are just like us. So many of us in the U.S. have been dealing with Thanksgiving plans this week -- which relatives should we invite? Jennifer Aniston decided to invite the parents of her ex, Brad Pitt, for Turkey Day. And of course this caused the same stir that it might if you did the same thing (with your ex's family, I mean, not Pitt's) -- allegedly Angelina Jolie was unhappy about this. (via Radar Online)

However, Aniston's invite may have freed up Pitt and Jolie's Thanksgiving plans -- they escaped to Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, where they toured the city on a motorcycle, then had yummy Vietnamese food. How many of us have tried the same thing when our family plans have turned out to be disappointing or unrealistic? Maybe we should.

Despite the holiday, many celebrities were kind and thoughtful enough to keep on providing us with news. Michael Richards seemed to be working overtime to make the gossip rounds, as did Kelly Ripa, but other notable stars also helped:

Is there anyone reading who wasn't aware that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were just married in Italy? If so, I envy your imperviousness to celebrity news. The rest of us have been hearing all week about possible locations for the wedding, who was or was not on the guest list, what the ceremony might be like, what they've been wearing around town ... and other speculation that is not really suitable for polite discussion. I believe I have heard more about their wedding than some of my relatives' ceremonies. No clear and interesting photos are yet available from the big event, so you'll just have to imagine what happened and how everyone looked ... if you're that interested.

After much scouring of websites, desperate for gossip and news not related to the couple, I did manage to find a few items of interest:

• One related item: Defamer took a close look at the "For Your Consideration" ad for Thank You For Smoking and notes that a single cast member is absent from the list: Katie Holmes. Later, they learned that Holmes may have pulled herself from consideration.

I don't know when the last time Michael Winterbottom took a vacation was, but considering the pace with which he's been putting out movies lately, it couldn't have been a long one. Currently he's directing Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart, and now he's got his next project all lined up to begin shooting in the spring. The film is called Genova, and it will star Colin Firth as a widowed man haunted by ghosts of his past while moving to Italy with his teen daughters.

Now, considering I'll watch anything Winterbottom does (I just hope he doesn't do any more semi-pornographic films) and I'll also watch anything Firth is in (yes, even What a Girl Wants), I guess I'll technically need to see this film twice. Not that I'll mind. I'm actually pretty excited to see how Winterbottom handles the contemporary ghost story genre, especially if he shoots it in his usual hand-held-plus-improv style, which could give it a fittingly uneasy tone.

How this news affects the IMDb-listed Winterbottom project Murder in Samarkand is unknown, though I wouldn't put it past the director to do them both next year, maybe back to back. He could just abandon or pass on the film, which will be based on Craig Murray's memoir "Murder in Samarkand: A British Ambassador's Controversial Defiance of of Tyranny in the War on Terror," considering it might too closely link itself, Heart and the brilliant The Road to Guantanamo as some sort of terror-torture trilogy (sounds catchy, but also sounds like the Saw films). If he does go forward and make it after Genova, let's hope the film maker is then ready for another comedy.

I'm writing this week's column at the very quiet hour of 5 am. Normally, 5 am is an hour when I am dead to the world, unless my cat decides it's time to play and sinks his claws into my back. However, I have one of those nasty little colds, and can't sleep, and I finally gave up. I discovered that this is a great time to read and write about Hollywood gossip, especially when you're drinking a big cup of cocoa. It doesn't require a huge amount of brainpower, the photos are often cheering and I need not worry that my husband will read over my shoulder and shake his head sadly at the content, like last week. And when I'm done, I can go back to bed, although I hope and pray that the following celebrity news doesn't infiltrate my dreams.

• Oh, Madonna. She's been at the top of the celebrity news heap all week. You try to adopt a poor little underprivileged child, and it's nothing but grief. First the father says he's confused about the adoption, then he supports it outright and wants everyone to leave Madonna alone. I'm not entirely sure why you'd adopt a kid whose father is still living, anyway; that seems like nothing but trouble. Must be an awfully cute little boy.
• I also can't avoid mentioning that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have set a wedding date of November 18. The wedding will take place in Italy, Holmes' dress will be designed by Armani, and I'm sure we'll see dozens of photos, no matter how private they try to be.

Back in September, the rumors were confirmed that Angelina Jolie had officially signed on to star as Dagny Taggart in the adaptation of Ayn Rand's paperweight of a masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged. There had been hopes that the pic would mark a re-teaming of Brangelina, as gossip predicted that Brad Pitt would be in tow. Well, as it turned out, Angelina was flying solo (bad pun, I know).

Well, the next stage of production on the film has begun, as Variety announced that writer-director Randall Wallace has agreed to pen the screenplay for Lionsgate. The film has taken the scenic route to production, with different stars including Clint Eastwood and Faye Dunaway attached at some point along the way. But now, Jolie's manager is one of the producing partners along with Howard and Karen Baldwin (Ray) -- so I guess that means it has a better chance of becoming a reality? Wallace is best known as the writer of Braveheart and director of We Were Soldiers (we won't hold the Mel Gibson connection against him), and apparently will start work on the Atlas Shrugged script immediately. Wallace is known for tackling epic themes in his scripts, so this seems like a good choice for him. Jolie and Wallace will be working together again in the upcoming The Mercenary, which is a period piece set in Russia during the American Revolution.

This week, the celebrity grapevine is twirling all its little tendrils around Angelina Jolie. My goodness, she's getting more news time than Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson combined. First, she and her family tried to take a rickshaw ride in India but had to stop due to excessive media coverage. Then her driver in India hit a pedestrian while trying to avoid paparazzi. (It was discovered later that she wasn't in the car at the time.) And now a photographer is claiming that he was punched and threatened at gunpoint by a bodyguard on the set of A Mighty Heart, in which Jolie is portraying Mariane Pearl, widow of journalist Daniel Pearl.

Fortunately, if you sift through the mountains of Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt news (I refuse to do that name-combining thing), you can find some other celebrity activity this week:

• More celebrities considering adoption: Rumors have been flying that Madonna is in the process of adopting a year-old boy from Africa. She doesn't actually have the child yet, and Malawi law prohibits non-residents from adopting the country's children, so we'll see what happens.

On this edition of Movie Pics, Angelina Jolie suits up as Mariane Pearl, Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne and -- whaddya know -- a Christopher Nolan-related story that doesn't have to do with Batman. There's a first. Check it out:

• While it's not much, USA Today published the first photo of Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart, now filming in Pune, India. In the pic (which is based off Mariane's 2003 book A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl), Jolie stars as the widow of Daniel Pearl, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal who was kidnapped and later murdered by terrorists in Pakistan four years ago.
• The first pics from the set of The Bourne Ultimatum have hit the net and, while the film still does not (officially) have its villain, they're wasting no time filming what appears to be a slew of scenes involving Matt Damon and Julia Stiles. If you're at all interested in 10 photos of Damon on a moped, then these should be right up your alley.
• Finally, Coming Soon has a set of tantalizing photos from The Prestige, Christopher Nolan's upcoming film due out October 20. Starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson (who, honestly, would have been so much better than Katie Holmes in Batman Begins), pic revolves around two rival magicians obsessed with one-upping the other with a series of dangerous and deadly tricks. As our own Jeffrey M. Anderson noted, The Prestige "sounds like it will be the movie The Illusionist should have been."

Odds and ends from Thursday:

• I'm not exactly sure how a sassy girl can turn a guy's life upside down, but that's apparently what will happen to Jesse Bradford, as he's just signed on to star opposite Elisha Cuthbert in My Sassy Girl. Directed by Yann Samuell, pic is a remake of a South Korean romantic comedy about some small-town guy and the "reckless, brazen" (yet somehow "sassy") girl that disrupts his entire life.
• Though at one point considered a wild rumor, Angelina Jolie is now officially set to star in Atlas Shrugged, based on the 1,100-page book by Ayn Rand. Jolie will take on the powerful Dagney Taggart, a role she's been interested in for quite awhile having been a fan of Rand's for years. No word yet on whether Brad Pitt will join her, though I suspect Lionsgate (who's producing) will do what they can to land them both.
• I can't see how a script called Little Lover Boy has anything to do with aliens, but according to Variety it most certainly does. Universal has acquired the spec comedy from writer Rick Overton, with Mary Parent, Scott Stuber and Mosaic Media's Jimmy Miller set to produce. Story is said to follow a "small-time crook who gets abducted by aliens, swipes their spaceship and teams with an alien pilot for a Robin Hood-inspired intergalactic road trip." Sounds fun enough, though I have one question: How do these aliens not have The Club?

When my Cinematical editors asked me if I'd assume responsibility for our weekly gossip column, I was a little worried. I admit that I am not as familiar with the world of celebrity goings-on as I ought to be: I don't have cable so I can't watch red-carpet galas, blind items confuse me, I mix up all the little blonde actresses, and the merest glimpse of Paris Hilton gives me a rash. But I'm willing to learn, so bear with me while I dive into the world of celebrity gossip and relate the week's prime pearls of news.

• I'll start with celebrities I enjoy watching in movies and can recognize easily: George Clooney and Ellen Barkin. They're filming Ocean's Thirteen right now -- I'm so pleased Barkin's in the film, as I haven't seen her since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -- and are being linked as a romantic item. Barkin's a bit older than Clooney, so it's a pleasant change from the usual news about celebrity men dating much younger women. (Sympathy to my sister, who still believes some day Clooney will turn up in Covington, LA and claim her as his soulmate.)

We've got some interesting little eye candy for you today via a few different sources around the net. Those of you who dig Frank Miller, Brad Pitt and Paul Thomas Anderson should stick around and check out the following:

• The Comic-Con teaser for Zack Snyder's upcoming adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel, 300, has just arrived online. Though some dude is standing right in front of the screen throughout most of it, you're able to catch a nice glimpse of the last 30 seconds or so. Based on the footage, this one looks like it's going to kick major ass. [via FilmRot]
• Now that Ocean's Thirteen has officially started production, look for spy photos to be flying towards us faster than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie can adopt another kid. With an impressive cast lined up for the third installment, expect a fun ride with a bunch of folks who are prettier than you. The first images from the set show Brad Pitt walking around in a suit, as well as with a motorcycle helmet. Enjoy! [via Coming Soon]
• The first image of Daniel Day Lewis in Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming oil film, There Will Be Blood, is now available online and, um, the guy looks pretty freaky. For those ladies out there who have always had a thing for Daniel Day and can't wait to see him in a PTA flick, well, you may want to check out this picture before counting down those seconds.

I wouldn't imagine that Michael Winterbottom (In This World; The Road to Guantanamo) is always good about getting the necessary permits and legal permissions when he's filming in foreign lands. Considering his practice of using small crews that can get in and out of locations easily, he probably works on too much of a whim. But for his next film, A Mighty Heart, which stars Angelina Jolie as the widow of slain journalist Daniel Pearl, and is being produced by Brad Pitt's production company, Winterbottom is probably going to have to follow more of Hollywood's practices with on-location shoots.

But this weekend, four security guards who were cast to play police officers in Heart, were arrested in Karachi, Pakistan, for unauthorized impersonation. Ali Mohammad, Amin, Mohammad Akram and Zahid Hussain were taken into custody by the Saddar Town police after the four men were spotted in police uniform, acting like police in front of the Sindh High Court. According to the report, the filmmakers had not gotten permission to shoot there or to have the "actors" portraying police officers.

From what I've heard, this film shouldn't be shooting yet. Considering there's no mention in the report of Winterbottom being on the scene, I am hoping that more details surface. Has the director in fact begun already? Was this a second-unit crew picking up some pre-production shots without proper documentation? And what will Brad Pitt's role be in the case? Or is this perhaps not related to Winterbottom's film at all? There is another Daniel Pearl movie, you know.

Pitt Against Marrying Jolie!

According to his 83-year-old grandmother (Yes folks, it's gone there), Brad Pitt will not marry Angelina Jolie. The actor recently spoke with his grandma over the telephone and assured her he will not make anymore life-long promises until he's passed the ones already broken. Ooohh, perhaps Brad is not over Jennifer yet? Or maybe Angelina is not over Brad's not being over Jen. I give up. Hey, how about we just leave Pitt's dear-old grandmother alone?

Johansson Sounds Like Bad Music!

News Alert: Scarlett Johansson is a diva! Apparently, the actress was supposed to star in a big-budget revival of The Sound of Music in London's West End, but then dropped out when they refused to pay her millions upon millions of dollars. Scarlett Johansson? The Sound of Music? Are they updating the musical to turn the lead role into a hip, young, hottie? (Sorry, that was harsh. But, seriously, Scarlett is no Julie Andrews.) Yeah, so Andrew Lloyd Webber is pissed. He claims the Scoop star really wanted to do it. Of course she did ... but for $10 million. Actors? Who needs em'?

Cornell Disses Pierce Brosnan!

After officially signing on to write and perform the title song for Casino Royale, Chris Cornell told VH1 he almost turned down the offer. Why? Well, according to the Audioslave frontman, he was not at all impressed with the last few James Bond films. It wasn't until he had a chance to watch a rough edit of Casino Royale when his mind was changed. "I was just completely blown away by it, because it's unlike any Bond film ever, really. Craig is an actor's actor, and there's emotional content to the movie." Wait a second, what the hell is an "actor's actor?" And so does that mean Pierce Brosnan is just a plain old actor? Should he be pissed about that?

Finke Blasts Clerks 2 for its Never Ending Credit Roll!

A while back, we told you how The Weinstein Company partnered up with MySpace to draw more attention to Clerks 2 by awarding 10,000 fans a spot in the film's credit roll. Odd? Yes. Brilliant way to market your film for practically nothing? Hell yes. While this maneuver opened up new doors in the world of movie marketing, giving your average movie fan something to brag about, others felt the whole thing was just plain wrong. In her Deadline Hollywood blog, Nikki Finke blasts the marketing move, saying "This could very well be the most insulting thing I've ever heard, a huge diss, to anyone who's ever legitimately earned a credit on a film. It's the sort of shenanigan that, if the guilds in this town had spines, they should stop immediately." Look, I understand her point, but Kevin Smith is who he is because of his fans. They deserve the recognition. I mean, let's be real here Nikki -- these are minor credits in an indie film and Clerks 2 isn't exactly Academy Award material. Why the beef? Personally, I applaud the Weinsteins and Smith for getting the fans more involved, instead of just plastering posters here, there and everywhere. Should every film follow a similar path? No. But I do like the creative thinking.

Baby Shiloh Turned Into Wax!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's first-born child will become the first baby to be transformed into wax for Maddam Tussaud's historic wax museum in New York City. That's right, baby Shiloh will join her parents in what appears to be an odd re-creation of the Nativity scene. I kid you not. According to the story, Shiloh will lie before her parents inside a woven bassinet "in her very own African-themed nursery." Aww, that's wonderful news -- but what about their other adopted children? I can totally picture it now: "Mommy, why does Shiloh get to be in wax and not me?" "Well Maddox, that's because adopted children aren't important enough to become wax statues. It's true. I read about it in People Magazine."

Samuel L. Jackson Hates Snakes!

While shooting Snakes on a Plane, Samuel L. Jackson was so freaked out by the slithering creatures, he had a clause put in his contract stating all motherf**kin reptiles were to be kept 20 motherf**kin feet away from him at all times. Jackson says, "My agent was insistent: 'No snakes within 20 feet.' In the beginning they were talking about having rattlesnakes they had taken the venom sacks out of them, but I was like, 'Hell, no. That don't work for me.'" Ha. You gotta love Sam Jackson. However, the actor later went on to say he wasn't afraid of snakes. In fact, when he was growing up, he'd capture the poor things and beat them to death. Hmm, perhaps that would make the perfect premise for an eventual Snakes on a Plane prequel?

Former Cinematical editor Karina Longworth is on the ground at ComicCon with her Netscape cohorts and, in addition to her posts from the event, she'll also be passing along interesting tidbits she picks up from the mouths of various horses. What follows are the bits and pieces from day one.

• As was rumored, Sin City 2 was, in fact, on hold, awaiting the birth of the sainted Jolie spawn. Now that little Shiloh has arrived, a start date of early 2007 has been penciled in.
• Planet Terror, the Robert Rodriguez-helmed half of Grind House, has wrapped; Quentin Tarantino's section, Death Proof, will start shooting in October. As expected, Rosario Dawson is appearing in both parts.
• In further Dawson news, in addition to a movie based on her comic books appearing about 12 months from now, we can also expect a video game within three years. Fanboys, commence the freak-out.
  

Stay tuned here for more updates, geek and otherwise; a Dawson interview will go up at Netscape tomorrow night.

The Return of Marky Mark!

Ah, remember back in 1991, when all it took for a hot night of romance was dim lighting and Marky Mark on the radio singing Good Vibrations? Funky times, huh? Damn, what a bunch of characters. Well, those of you into collecting sweet Mark Wahlberg memorabilia (slowly raises hand) will be delighted to know one of the actor's old demo reels is now up for auction on ebay. Hell yeah! I'm talking Calvin Klein commercials, clips from Renaissance Man and a music video called, No, I Don't Have a Gun. Too bad son, because something like that should have been shot to pieces a long time ago.

Tarantino to the Rescue!

Look up in the sky -- it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Quentin Tarantino stalking Uma Thurman at a club in New York City! On Thursday, Uma was living it up all Super Ex-Girlfriend-style on the rooftop of the popular NYC hotspot Bed, when a massive thunderstorm hit. As patrons fled the scene, desperate for cover, the Kill Bill star was suddenly lifted up in the air and whisked away to safety. Her savior? None other than Quentin Tarantino who, while carrying Uma, managed to fight off a group of killer zombies falling from the sky at the exact same time. Oh, that Quentin -- someone needs to tell him just because a woman is wet on the outside, doesn't mean, well ... I hope they had a fun night.

I Wanna Be Mariane Pearl!

Poor Jennifer Aniston. After her husband left for Angelina Jolie, had a baby, moved to Nambia and saved the world, one would imagine something like that would leave a scar. I mean, look who she wound up with -- Vince Vaughn, Hollywood's refrigerator repair man. Well, to throw more fuel on the fire, the role of Mariane Pearl was, originally, supposed to go to Aniston. Back when Brad Pitt's Plan B bought the rights to the book A Mighty Heart, he was still married to Aniston, thus the role of Daniel Pearl's widow was intended for Jen, not Jolie. But Brad is still the sexiest man on the planet, so that makes things okay ... even if he is a two-timing a**hole.