How bankable is Pitt?

Here’s a list of his top-grossing films to date:

1. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005): $186,336,279
2. Ocean’s Eleven (2001): $183,417,150
3. Troy (2004): $133,378,256
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): $127,509,326
5. Ocean’s Twelve (2004): $125,544,280
6. Ocean’s Thirteen (2007): $117,154,724
7. Interview with the Vampire (1994): $105,264,608
8. Seven (1995): $100,125,643

Source: boxofficemojo.com

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Forbes is out with its annual listing of the world’s most powerful celebrities, and the formidable Ms. Winfrey is no longer No. 1. That honor goes to none other than Angelina Jolie, equally famous for her roles as Hollywood star and mother to the world.

Who else made the list? Here’s the top 10:

1. Angelina Jolie

2. Oprah Winfrey

3. Madonna

4. Beyonce Knowles

5. Tiger Woods

6. Bruce Springsteen

7. Steven Spielberg

8. Jennifer Aniston

9. Brad Pitt

10. Kobe Bryant

What makes these the elite of the elite? Read all about it, and catch the rest of the list, at Forbes.

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There’s something provocative about movie stars falling in love while making a movie. What follows is a list of cuddly movie co-stars, some contemporary, some from days of yore.

You may wonder why Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson or Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward or Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh didn’t make the list. It’s because Cupid struck them during the production of a stageplay, not a movie. After all, we aim for total accuracy.

And now, the list, beginning with some golden oldies:

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The new movie I Love You, Man takes bromance to extremes. Ladies’ man Paul Rudd is about to marry but discovers his lack of close buddies makes a Best Man impossible. He embarks on various “mandates” before settling on Jason Segel. But does his fiancee have any say on the subject?

Other big-screen “bromances” include:

Here are the contenders in the major categories:

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Actor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Best Foreign Language Film
The Baader-Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Three Monkeys (Turkey)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

Best Original Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Marttin McDonagh, In Bruges
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare, The Reader
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

Best Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

Best Cinematography
Changeling, Tom Stern
Slumdog Millionaire, Anthony Dod Mantle
The Reader, Chris Menges
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight, Wally Pfister

Best Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
The Dark Knight, Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon, Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk, Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire, Chris Dickens

Best Costume Design
Australia, Catherine Martin
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Jacqueline West
The Duchess, Michael O’Conner
Milk, Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road, Albert Wolsky

Best Documentary Feature
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

Best Original Song
Slumdog Millionaire, “Jai Ho,” A.R. Rahman
Slumdog Millionaire, “O Saya,” A.R. Rahman & M.I.A.
Wall-E, “Down To Earth,” Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman

Best Original Score
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman
WALL-E, Thomas Newman

Best Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Colleen Callaghan, Fionagh Cush
The Dark Knight, Peter Robb-King, John Caglione Jr.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mike Elizalde, Thom Floutz

Best Sound Editing
The Dark Knight, Richard King
Iron Man, Frank Eulner, Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire, Tom Sayers
Wall-E, Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted, Wylie Stateman

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Favorite Movie: The Dark Knight

Favorite Comedy Movie: 27 Dresses

Favorite Movie Drama: The Secret Life of Bees

Favorite Family Movie: WALL-E

Favorite Independent Movie: The Secret Life of Bees

Favorite Action Movie: The Dark Knight

Favorite Cast: The Dark Knight

Favorite On-Screen Matchup: Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Favorite Male Movie Star: Will Smith

Favorite Female Movie Star: Reese Witherspoon

Favorite Male Action Star: Will Smith

Favorite Female Action Star: Angelina Jolie

Favorite Leading Man: Brad Pitt

Favorite Leading Lady: Kate Hudson

Favorite Super Hero: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman

Favorite TV Drama: House

Favorite TV Comedy: Two and a Half Men

Favorite New TV Drama: The Mentalist

Favorite New TV Comedy: Gary Unmarried

Favorite Animated Comedy: The Simpsons

Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show: Heroes

Favorite Competition/Reality Show: Dancing with the Stars

Favorite Game Show: Deal Or No Deal

Favorite Male TV Star: Hugh Laurie

Favorite Female TV Star: Christina Applegate

Favorite Talk Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres

Favorite Scene-Stealing Guest Star: Robin Williams on Law & Order: SVU

Favorite TV Drama Diva: Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Favorite Male Singer: Chris Brown

Favorite Female Singer: Carrie Underwood

Favorite Group: Rascal Flatts

Favorite Combined Forces: “No Air” by Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown

Favorite Hip-Hop Song: “Low” by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain

Favorite Rock Song: “All Summer Long” by Kid Rock

Favorite Country Song: “Last Name” by Carrie Underwood

Favorite R&B Song: “No One” by Alicia Keys

Favorite Pop Song: “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry

Favorite Song from a Sound Track: “Mamma Mia!” by Meryl Streep from Mamma Mia!

Favorite Funny Male Star: Adam Sandler

Favorite Funny Female Star: Tina Fey

Favorite User Generated Video: Barack Roll

Favorite Online Sensation: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
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BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

– THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures)

– FROST/NIXON (Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures)

– THE READER (Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company)

– REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (An Evamere Entertainment BBC Films Neal Street Production; DreamWorks Pictures in Association with BBC Films and Paramount Vantage)

– SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.; Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

– ANNE HATHAWAY, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

– ANGELINA JOLIE, CHANGELING

– MERYL STREEP, DOUBT

– KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS, I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
(IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME)

– KATE WINSLET, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

– LEONARDO DICAPRIO, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

– FRANK LANGELLA, FROST/NIXON

– SEAN PENN, MILK

– BRAD PITT, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

– MICKEY ROURKE,  THE WRESTLER

It’s based on a world-wide best-seller. Its soundtrack was No. 1 on Billboard charts at least two weeks prior to the movie’s release. And Fandango reports that teen girls can’t get advance tickets fast enough.

Sounds like a “chick flick” vampire movie that guys won’t mind seeing.

For the uninitiated, Twilight tells the tale of independent-minded high-school student Bella Swan (what a terrific name!) who doesn’t fit in with the cool kids. But romance comes in the form of handsome bloodsucker Edward who looks dashingly youthful but is centuries old. He’s actually a sensitive soul. Being vegetarian, at least by vampire standards, he doesn’t drink human blood, preferring mountain lions and grizzly bears.

Meanwhile, on home screens, HBO’s vampire saga True Blood is mesmerizing large groups of spellbound couch potatoes.

Other noteworthy movies of the undead:

Interview with the Vampire (1994). Until Twilight, this was the most hotly anticipated vampire flick. Vampire Chronicles author Anne Rice was mightily miffed when Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were cast, scoffing that they would seem like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. After viewing the film, she recanted, taking out ads in Hollywood trade papers apologizing for her judgment call. She also may have remembered that she had a share in the profits.

Queen of the Damned (2002) was another episode of the Anne Rice chronicles. Lestat is now a rock idol, played by Stuart Townsend rather than Cruise. R&B singer Aaliyah played Queen Akasha, christened “The Mother of All Vampires” in the ad campaign. A year before the film’s release, Aaliyah’s death in a plane crash at the age of 22 cast an eerie spell over the entire project.

Dracula, the most famous creature of the night, has had many cinematic reincarnations. Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) was faithful to the novel but met a mixed response. Gary Oldman, best-known to Harry Potter fans as Sirius Black, played Drac, while Anthony Hopkins, only a year after The Silence of the Lambs, appeared as his nemesis Van Helsing. In 1979’s Dracula, Frank Langella, soon to be seen as Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, was the long-fanged title character, with no less than Laurence Olivier as Van Helsing. More successful was the same year’s surprise hit comedy Love at First Bite, which became George Hamilton’s lone box-office smash, helped by Richard Benjamin’s befuddled Van Helsing. Hamilton was so encouraged that he camped it up again two years later as Zorro, the Gay Blade. Moviegoers definitely preferred his Dracula.

Brad Pitt has overtaken Paris Hilton as the most dangerous celebrity to search for in cyberspace according to Internet security company McAfee. For the second year running, McAfee entered the glamorous world of Hollywood to reveal the riskiest celebrities in cyberspace.

Cybercriminals are using A-listers’ names and images, like Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, to lure Internet users who surf the Web for the latest gossip, screen savers and ringtones to “fake” Web sites that look legitimate. Many of these sites contain misleading offers or malicious downloads with spyware, adware and potential viruses.

In its second annual report, McAfee used its SiteAdvisor(R) technology to compile the list of Hollywood celebrity names that produce the largest number of risky sites when searched for on the Web. The list includes:

1. Brad Pitt

2. Beyonce

3. Justin Timberlake

4. Heidi Montag

5. Mariah Carey

6. Jessica Alba

7. Lindsay Lohan

8. Cameron Diaz

9. (tie) George Clooney, Rihanna

11. Angelina Jolie

12. Fergie

13. (tie) David Beckham, Katie Holmes

15. Katherine Heigl

McAfee SiteAdvisor is available as a free download. McAfee SiteAdvisor works with Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Source: McAfee, Inc.

The spotlight is on Hollywood this year as Guinness World Records reveals some record-breaking news about some of the biggest players in “Tinseltown” with the latest installment of its bestselling book — Guinness World Records 2009 Edition. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears lead the pack of superstar celebs honored with some eye-popping accolades that are sure to get people talking. Some of the record holders:

• Most Powerful Actress — Angelina Jolie
• Most Powerful Actor — Brad Pitt
• Most Searched Person on the Internet — Britney Spears
• Highest Grossing Movie of a Music Tour — Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of
• Both Worlds Concert Tour earned a record $53.4 million in just two weeks)
• Highest Annual Earnings by a TV Talk Show Host — Oprah Winfrey ($225 million)
• Most Watched Current TV Show in the USA — American Idol
• Most Downloaded TV Show — Heroes (2,439,154 downloads)

For more information, go to the Guinness World Records 2009 web site.

Source: Guinness World Records

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