Director Guy Ritchie is confirming that Holmes’ arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, will appear in the new film this December. But Ritchie won’t say who is playing Moriarty – leading to speculation that Pitt might be making a cameo – although the studio is quick to deny the rumor. Personally, we love the idea, letting Pitt dive into a different role.

Two days ago word slipped out that Brad Pitt was off to London, where he’d be shooting a few pickup scenes as Moriarty for Guy Ritchie’s December blockbuster “Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Warner Bros. acted quickly, issuing a statement that Pitt would not be “joining the cast of ‘Sherlock Holmes.’” If wishes were fishes, right? As it turns out, Moriarty will still be making some kind of appearance in “Holmes.” How do we know? Because Ritchie himself told MTV’s Josh Horowitz! I would even go as far as saying — and this is pure speculation — the Pitt may indeed be showing up as Holmes’ nemesis in an uncredited role, since that wouldn’t technically mean he’s “joining the cast.” Think on that as you read what Ritchie had to say. – From MTV

Reviews of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds is coming in from Cannes. Nice roundup posted on Nikki Finke’s site. Most of the buzz seems pretty good, although there’s definitely some critical opinions – not a shocker considering the film’s plot and Tarantino’s filmmaking sensibilities. Check them out.

“Today” Show anchor Ann Curry couldn’t keep her hands off the Hollywood hunk during an interview at the Cannes Film Festival, where Pitt is promoting his latest film, “Inglourious Basterds.” Curry, who has anchored NBC’s “Dateline” and “Nightly News,” playfully patted the actor on his chest and even grabbed his chin during the 7-minute interview, which aired Wednesday morning. “Women who watch the ‘Today’ show are really envious of me right now because I get to stand here in Cannes talking to you,” Curry said to the actor before asking him if he had anything to say to those said adoring female fans. – from NYDailynews

Quentin Tarantino has made an eye-catching return to the Cannes Film Festival with Inglourious Basterds, an epic World War II movie set in Nazi-occupied France. Tarantino swaps fact for pulp fiction in Inglourious Basterds, a comic revenge fantasy about Jewish freedom fighters bringing down the Nazis in 1944. Brad Pitt plays Lieutenant Aldo Raine, the leader of a gang of Jewish-American soldiers operating in occupied France whose self-proclaimed mission is “to kill as many Nazis as possible”. – from BBC

Empire has just seen Quentin Tarantino’s eagerly-awaited WWII flick, Inglourious Basterds, and it’s rather brilliant. Every bit as idiosyncratic as the spelling of its title, it’s a wonderfully-acted movie that subverts expectation at every turn. And it may represent the most confident, audacious writing and directing of QT’s career. – from Empire

DISAPPOINTED BRAD PITT and wife ANGELINA JOLIE made a quick exit from the awards ceremony after missing out on gongs – and arrived back at their hotel to find four of their kids running riot. Other guests at London’s plush Dorchester Hotel – where luxury double suites cost more than £4,000 a night WITHOUT breakfast – had complained about the noise. Brad, 45, nominated as Leading Actor for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Angelina, 33 – in the running for Leading Actress over Changeling – booked almost the entire third-floor of the Park Lane hotel. They told Maddox, seven, Pax, five, Zahara, three, and two-year-old Shiloh they could play outside their suite under supervision from their nanny. But one fed-up guest, who asked not to be named, moaned: “They were running up and down the hallway for over an hour. “Their nanny tried to quieten them down and move them out the way when people came through. “But she had her hands full with the four of them.” – from The Sun

The Dodgers got a steal signing Randy Wolf to a one year deal worth around $5 million, plus $3 million in incentives. Braden Looper is still out there, and despite denials, the Brewers may come into the hunt if his price is only $4-5 million for one or two years. Baltimore has interest, but Looper prefers to stay in the NL.

The D-Backs added veteran reliever Tom Gordon to a one year deal. At 41 and coming off injury, this is strictly a shot in the dark, but if he’s healthy, he can help.

Brad Pitt as Billy Beane? That’s the rumors. Pitt would play Beane in a Moneyball movie. Steven Soderbergh would direct.

The Rangers added Jason Jennings to a minor league deal. Jennings has struggled with injuries the past few years. He’s strictly a reclamation project.

Ok, so Newsweek interviewed the top Oscar nominated actors (read here)…. Here’s some of the responses and our reactions:

Pitt: Never. First of all, I don’t really know how to operate a computer.
Q. Do you have a BlackBerry?
Pitt: Oh yeah, I have a BlackBerry.

C’mon, Brad, you ain’t George Bush. Tom Cruise said the same crap. It’s like being on a computer is like being a nerd. This isn’t 1992.

Ok, so Anne Hathaway originally denies the fact, then later retracts. Of course you Google yourself. At least she comes clean…

Hathaway: OK, I have a confession. I lied before when you asked if I Googled myself. I do. I embarrassed by it because I know how terrible it is.

Downey: Wait a minute, should I feel s—-y that I Google myself?

And lastly, I love this reaction:

Q. You know Anne, your mom is on YouTube.
Hathaway: Why is my mother on YouTube?

Exactly…

The AP was at Academy headquarters before dawn as the team prepared to announce this year’s Oscar nominees.

Many kudos for the hugely deserving nomination for Ledger – he was the Dark Knight – and it’s a fitting tribute to his memory. Also, more kudos to the academy for recognizing Robert Downey Jr. for his brilliant comic role in Tropic Thunder. The accolades for Danny Boyle’s superb Slumdog Millionaire are great. On the down side, WALL-E was easily one of the best picture last year – and it gets shoved aside because it’s ‘only’ an animated film. Much like Ratatouille was in 2007, it may well be the best film of this year. And finally – the Reader for best picture? Where the hell did that come from. (The Full List Is Below).

On the first anniversary of his death, Heath Ledger received a huge tribute: The late actor is an Oscar nominee for best supporting actor for his role as The Joker in “The Dark Knight.” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” notched the most nominations with 13, including best picture, best director for David Fincher, best actor for Brad Pitt and a best supporting actress nod for Taraji Phenson. – From NY Daily News

Batman and Clint Eastwood? Forget about it. Instead, the far more serious Holocaust-themed The Reader slipped into the race for a best-picture Oscar and its director, Stephen Daldry, also managed to sneak into his category. The other nominees announced for top prize in the 81st Academy Awards Thursday morning in Los Angeles followed the script of the prognosticators: the era-spanning fable The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which led the crowd with 13 nominations; gay-themed political biopic Milk; TV-landmark drama Frost/Nixon; and romantic crowd-pleaser Slumdog Millionaire. – From USA Today

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” led all films with nominations for the 81st annual Academy Awards on Thursday morning, picking up 13. The film, about a man who ages in reverse, earned nods for best picture, best director (David Fincher), best actor (Brad Pitt), best supporting actress (Taraji P. Henson) and best adapted screenplay as well as several other picks. The record for Oscar nominations is 14, held by “All About Eve” and “Titanic.” Both films won best picture. – From CNN

Frost/Nixon:

Milk:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:

Slumdog Millionaire:

The Reader:

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
* Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
* Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
* Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
* Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year:
* “Bolt” (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney)

Achievement in directing:
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal) Ron Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature:
* “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild) A Pandinlao Films Production Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
* “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment) A Creative Differences Production Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
* “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production Scott Hamilton Kennedy
* “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures) A Wall to Wall Production James Marsh and Simon Chinn
* “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films) An Elsewhere Films Production Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best foreign language film of the year:
* “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production – Germany
* “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production – France
* “Departures” (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners Production – Japan
* “Revanche” (Janus Films) A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production – Austria
* “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production – Israel

Best motion picture of the year:
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
A Kennedy/Marshall Production Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
* “Milk” (Focus Features)
A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)
A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production Nominees to be determined
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
A Celador Films Production Christian Colson, Producer

A man angry that a family was talking during a movie threw popcorn at the son and then shot the father in the arm, according to police in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. James Joseph Cialella, 29, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons violations, a police report said. Cialella told the family sitting in front of him in the theater on Christmas Day to be quiet, police said. An argument ensued while others at the Riverview Movie Theatre watched “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Cialella then approached the family from the left side of the aisle and shot the father, who was not identified, as he was standing between Cialella and his family, according to the police report. – From CNN.com

There were no lumps of coal in Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston’s stockings this Christmas. The former couple both had movies in competition for the top spot on Christmas Day, and while Aniston’s film pulled in the most money, both movies were winners at the box office. Aniston’s Marley & Me, a feel-good movie costarring Owen Wilson about a young family and mischievous dog, was the leader of the pack, grossing $14.8 million, the highest one-day total ever for a film opening on Christmas. But Pitt’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button wasn’t far behind. The film, about the life-long romance between a man who ages in reverse (Pitt) and a woman (Cate Blanchett), set the record for the second-highest Christmas opening of all-time with $11.8 million. – from People

Twentieth Century Fox’s Jennifer Aniston-Owen Wilson starrer “Marley and Me” led the crowded pack of Christmas Day openers, grossing an estimated $14.8 million from 3,480 playdates to become the best opening ever for Dec. 25. Not only does “Marley” feature an adorable dog, it is rated PG, meaning it is appropriate for families.(Bring your hankies, however.) Paramount’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”–toplining Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett–also overperformed, grossing an estimated $11.8 million from 2,988 runs to score the second best Christmas Day opener of all time. Directed by David Fincher, “Button” has already picked up a number of key award noms. – from Variety

When it comes to North American moviegoing habits, this rule is primo — don’t ever bet against a pooch. So my info is that 20th Century Fox’s Marley And Me based on the bestselling book is beating the competition “by a mile”. Driven by women moviegoers, the Owen Wilson tearjerker about a man and his dog did twice what was expected — as did No. 2, Paramount’s Oscar buzzed The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt. “It’s a classic dovetail: Marley’s strength is smack in the middle of the country and the south, while Button is strong on both coasts,” one studio insider tells me. – from Deadline Hollywood

Brad Pitt may have dumped Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie and then rubbed it in her face by being photographed with Jolie and their growing family every other day for two years, but, so far at least, Aniston’s movie is whupping Brad’s movie’s butt! Big Hollywood just came out with preliminary box office numbers for Christmas Day, and “Marley & Me” has edged out “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” for the Number One slot. “Marley” clocked in with $13.9 million in ticket sales, while “Button” lagged slightly behind with $11.1 million. – from Foxnews

There seem to be too many presents waiting to be unwrapped at the holiday box office, with five pics set to open wide on Christmas Day. Yet by all indications, many of the titles will work — weather permitting — putting an exclamation point on a year that saw the B.O. stay strong even as the economy buckled. Film opening on Dec. 25 are Disney’s “Bedtime Stories,” Paramount’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” 20th Century Fox’s “Marley and Me,” Lionsgate’s “The Spirit” and MGM/UA’s “Valkyrie.”
That doesn’t include holiday titles already in the marketplace, including Warner Bros.’ “Yes Man” and Sony’s “Seven Pounds.” Both releases got off to a frosty start over the weekend thanks to a severe winter storm in the Northeast. – from Variety