Move aside presidents, becase vegetarians are taking over as the new face of American postage stamps.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have taken the faces of 20 of the most famous vegetarians in history and put them on a series of postage stamps, to be released tomorrow. The stamps are an example of PETA’s effort to put a stop to animal abuse.

“It’s just another way to be able to talk about what animals go through in slaughterhouses,” said Lisa Lange, vice president of PETA.

The stamps will be available on Peta’s website through December and possibly into January, just in time for us to send out those holiday cards.

The collection will include the faces of celebrities such as Russell Simmons, Woody Harrelson, Natalie Portman, Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett, Bryan Adams, Leona Lewis, Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson, Bob Barker, Stevo-O, and Ellen DeGeneres.

The set of 20 will be completed with the famous faces of Morrissey, César Chávez, Leonardo da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, Albert Schweitzer, Gandhi, Pythagoras and Johnny Appleseed.

“These are very influential people, and not everyone knows that these folks are vegetarian,” said Lange.

While it’s a little risky to put such a controversial organization in charge of a set of postage stamps that will be released to the public, I think it could actually be a good idea. It will definitely attract the attention of collectors, but it will also help PETA achieve its hopes it to in publicizing issues at hand regarding animal cruelty.

Do you think the stamps are a good idea? Which stamp are you most excited for?

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Four months after giving birth to son Aleph, Oscar winner Natalie Portman is seen out in in Los Angeles yesterday with her bundle of joy.

Natalie hasn’t been seen much since giving birth in June. The Black Swan actress isn’t working on any Hollywood projects at the moment. US Magazine reports Natalie’s laying low for now with her baby and fiance Benjamin Millepied, splitting time between France and New York.

Aleph sure is a cutie. Do you think he looks like his mom at all?

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With celebrities all around giving their children unique and exotic names, it’s nice to hear that Natalie Portman and her fiance Benjamin Millepied have settled with a symbolic and orderly name.

According to the Israel TV show “Good Evening with Guy Pines,”  Portman and Millepied named their son, who was born in June, Aleph.

Aleph, is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and can also be spelt “alef”. Its esoteric meaning in Judaic Kabbalah, as denoted in the theological treaty Sefer-ha-Bahir, relates to the origin of the universe, the “primordial one that contains all numbers.”

Portman, who is a native of Israeli, was originally given the name Natalie Hershlag.

Personally, I think Aleph is a great name.  This little boy is so lucky to have such cool parents.

I don’t think people will find his name strange.  It’s unique, it’s cultural and traditional.

Glad Natalie decided to keep her roots in tow!

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Action flick ‘Thor’ smashed the competition at the box office this weekend with a US$66 million opening. Pretty impressive!

The 3-D action Paramount picture, based on the Marvel comic, was by far the No. 1 movie, according to Sunday studio estimates. Australian actor Chris Hemsworth stars as the arrogant god of thunder who’s sent down to Earth as punishment.

The film also stars Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and Kat Dennings. Wow – I didn’t even know there was such a cast in this movie.

In second place was a holdover from last week, the car-racing sequel “Fast Five” from Universal Pictures. It made $32.5 million for a total of nearly $140 million in just 10 days. That’s still impressive for a sequel.

It seems the box-office has been in a slump lately, so it’s good to see movies dominating again. I personally haven’t seen these movies, but I’ll trust others when they say they are worth the money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOddp-nlNvQ

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The ballerina double used for Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” is speaking out about how much dancing she actually did in the movie, reports Perez Hilton. And it’s more than you think.

“Of the full body shots, I would say 5 percent are Natalie. All the other shots are me,” said Sarah Lane, the dance double. That’s a huge difference than the 85 per cent the instructor said Portman did. “The shots that are just her face with arms, those shots are definitely Natalie,” said Lane. “But that doesn’t show the actual dancing.”

This revelation comes after Natalie’s instructor, baby daddy and fiancée defended Natalie and how much she actually did in the movie.

Lane also claims that producer Ari Handel specifically told her to keep quiet over this. “They wanted to create this idea in people’s minds that Natalie was some kind of prodigy or so gifted in dance and really worked so hard to make herself a ballerina in a year and a half for the movie, basically because of the Oscar,” said Lane. “It is demeaning to the profession and not just to me. I’ve been doing this for 22 years…. Can you become a concert pianist in a year and a half, even if you’re a movie star?”

Despite all this drama, though, Lane doesn’t have any jealous or angry feelings toward the Oscar winning actress. In fact, she thinks she did a wonderful job.

“I do give her a lot of credit because in a year and a half she lost a lot of weight and she really tried to go method and get into a dancers head and really feel like a ballet dancer. [Natalie] is an amazing actress, for sure,” Lane says. “I know that it’s not a personal thing against me. I know that it’s just a political thing. It’s just unfortunate that I kind of lost credit.”

I feel bad for the this dance double. I can only imagine how rigorous it must have been for her, and then to get no credit for her hard work is a real middle finger to her talents.

I still think Portman deserved to win the oscar though, because even though she didn’t do all the dancing, her acting and mindset throughout the movie was what really drove the movie forward. To be honest, I don’t know why the double is lashing out at Portman. It’s not like it’s her fault she’s getting all the praise, she is the star of the film, after all.

If you want to check out her performance, make sure to pick up “Black Swan” on DVD on Tuesday, March 29.

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It’s been quite the  year for Natalie Portman. Let us reminisce.

She was cast in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and was told she’d have to undergo intensive ballet training as well as a strict diet and exercise plan to shed approximately 20 pounds from her already tiny frame.

Then, while shooting the film, she fell in love with one of her choreographers, Benjamin Millepied.

Then, Benjamin impregnated her.

Then, she was nominated for Best Actress at this year’s Oscars.

Then she showed up at the awards show with a bun in the oven. Then she won the award for Best Actress and gave her speech with said bun in said oven. (It looked cozy).

Then, Chief Designer at Christian Dior (for whom Natalie is a spokeswoman), John Galliano, went on a ridiculous anti-semitic rant forcing Natalie to drop all ties with the company.

Now, Mike Huckabee is dumping on Portman for having a baby out of wedlock. Great. Just when she thought it was time to grab her housecoat, put her feet up on her pillows and break out the Ben N Jerry’s “We Are Waffling”, Huckabee has to screw things up.

Huckabee, now a host on Fox News, went on a radio show Monday and said, “One of the most troubling things is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet that boasts of, hey look, we’re having children, we’re not married, but we’re having children and they’re doing just fine.”

Huckabee, a staunch republican who is likely gearing up for a run at the White House next election, then added the following:

“There aren’t really a lot of single moms out there that are making millions of dollars each year by being in a movie. I think it gives a distorted image that not everybody hires nannies and caretakers and nurses. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can’t get a job, and if it weren’t for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and would not get healthcare.”

Portman and Millepied are engaged but do not plan on marrying before their baby is born.

Honestly though, Mike. Did you even see Black Swan? Something tells me that if Natalie’s ok with tearing off Mila Kunis’s panties with her mouth, she won’t let a little Huckabee honey get to her.

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Melissa Leo in The Fighter

James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday, February 27th and the evening dragged on in it’s traditional lengthy fashion as it honoured the best of film in 2011.

The evening was full of  predictable results, with some surprises thrown into the mix. Those included Kirk Douglas’ flirtatious shenanigans, Melissa Leo’s heartfelt f-bomb, James Franco in drag, Bob Hope’s brief resurrection, and the ‘In Memory’ tribute that somehow forgot to acknowledge Charlie Sheen’s career.

Franco and Hathaway lured in a younger demographic with their good looks and auto-tuned shorts of Harry Potter and Toy Story, but the awards still targeted the traditional Academy audience. Keep in mind that the average age of those voting in the Academy is 56.

As for the awards, the Best Picture went to The King’s Speech, Best Actor went to Colin Firth for his performance in The King’s Speech and Best Actress went to Natalie Portman in Black Swan. Other contenders that cleaned up were Inception with 4 awards and The Social Network took home 3,

Here is the complete list of winners and nominees:

BEST PICTURE

127 HOURS (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
BLACK SWAN (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
INCEPTION (Warner Bros Pictures)
THE FIGHTER (Relativity Media/Paramount Pictures)
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (Focus Features)
THE KING’S SPEECH (The Weinstein Co)
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Sony Pictures)
TOY STORY 3 (Pixar/Walt Disney Studios)
TRUE GRIT (Paramount Pictures)
WINTER’S BONE (Roadside Attractions)

BEST ACTOR

JEFF BRIDGES – TRUE GRIT
JAVIER BARDEM – BIUTIFUL
JESSE EISENBERG – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
COLIN FIRTH – THE KING’S SPEECH
JAMES FRANCO – 127 HOURS

BEST ACTRESS

ANNETTE BENING – THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
NICOLE KIDMAN – RABBIT HOLE
JENNIFER LAWRENCE – WINTER’S BONE
NATALIE PORTMAN – BLACK SWAN
MICHELLE WILLIAMS – BLUE VALENTINE

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

CHRISTIAN BALE – THE FIGHTER
JOHN HAWKES – WINTER’S BONE
JEREMY RENNER – THE TOWN
MARK RUFFALO – THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
GEOFFREY RUSH – THE KING’S SPEECH

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

AMY ADAMS – THE FIGHTER
HELENA BONHAM CARTER – THE KING’S SPEECH
MELISSA LEO – THE FIGHTER
HAILEE STEINFELD – TRUE GRIT
JACKIE WEAVER – ANIMAL KINGDOM

BEST ANIMATED PICTURE

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
TOY STORY 3
THE ILLUSIONIST

BEST DIRECTOR

DARREN ARONOFSKY – BLACK SWAN
DAVID FINCHER – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOM HOOPER – THE KING’S SPEECH
JOEL AND ETHAN COEN – TRUE GRIT
DAVID O. RUSSELL – THE FIGHTER

ART DIRECTION

ALICE IN WONDERLAND, Robert Stromberg, Karen O’hara
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1, Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
INCEPTION, Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
THE KING’S SPEECH, Eve Stewart, Judy Farr
TRUE GRIT, Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

BLACK SWAN, Matthew Libatique
INCEPTION, Wally Pfister
THE KING’S SPEECH, Danny Cohen
THE SOCIAL NETWORK, Jeff Cronenweth
TRUE GRIT, Roger Deakins

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

ALICE IN WONDERLAND, Colleen Atwood
I AM LOVE, Antonella Cannarozzi
THE KING’S SPEECH, Jenny Beavan
THE TEMPEST, Sandy Powell
TRUE GRIT, Mary Zophres

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz, A Paranoid Pictures Production
GASLAND, Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic, A Gasland Production
INSIDE JOB, Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs, A Representational Pictures Production
RESTREPO, Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, An Outpost Films Production
WASTE LAND, Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley, An Almega Projects Production

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

KILLING IN THE NAME, A Moxie Firecracker Films Production
POSTER GIRL, A Portrayal Films Production
STRANGERS NO MORE, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon, A Simon & Goodman Picture Company Production
SUN COME UP, Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger, A Sun Come Up Production
THE WARRIORS OF QIUGANG, Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon, A Thomas Lennon Films Production

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

BLACK SWAN, Andrew Weisblum
THE FIGHTER, Pamela Martin
THE KING’S SPEECH, Tariq Anwar
127 HOURS, Jon Harris
THE SOCIAL NETWORK, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

BIUTIFUL, Mexico
DOGTOOTH, Greece
IN A BETTER WORLD, Denmark
INCENDIES, Canada
OUTSIDE THE LAW, Algeria

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

BARNEY’S VERSION, Adrien Morot
THE WAY BACK, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
THE WOLFMAN, Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, John Powell
INCEPTION, Hans Zimmer
THE KING’S SPEECH, Alexandre Desplat
127 HOURS, A.R. Rahman
THE SOCIAL NETWORK, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Coming Home” from COUNTRY STRONG, Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from TANGLED, Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from 127 HOURS, Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from TOY STORY 3, Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

DAY & NIGHT, A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Teddy Newton
THE GRUFFALO, A Magic Light Pictures Production, Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
LET’S POLLUTE, A Geefwee Boedoe Production, Geefwee Boedoe
THE LOST THING, A Passion Pictures Australia Production, Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
MADAGASCAR, A JOURNEY DIARY, A Sacrebleu Production, Bastien Dubois

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

THE CONFESSION, A National Film and Television School Production, Tanel Toom
THE CRUSH, A Purdy Pictures Production, Michael Creagh
GOD OF LOVE, A Luke Matheny Production, Luke Matheny
NA WEWE, A CUT! Production, Ivan Goldschmidt
WISH 143, A Swing and Shift Films/Union Pictures Production, Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

INCEPTION, Richard King
TOY STORY 3, Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
TRON: LEGACY, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
TRUE GRIT, Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
UNSTOPPABLE, Mark P. Stoeckinger

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

INCEPTION, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
THE KING’S SPEECH, Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
SALT, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
THE SOCIAL NETWORK, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
TRUE GRIT, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

ALICE IN WONDERLAND, Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1, Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
HEREAFTER, Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
INCEPTION, Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
IRON MAN 2, Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

127 HOURS, Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
THE SOCIAL NETWORK, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
TOY STORY 3, Screenplay by Michael Arndt. Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
TRUE GRIT, Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
WINTER’S BONE, Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

ANOTHER YEAR, Written by Mike Leigh
THE FIGHTER, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
INCEPTION, Written by Christopher Nolan
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
THE KING’S SPEECH, Screenplay by David Seidler

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The Independent Spirit Awards took place yesterday, February 26, and featured many of the same categories and nominees as the Oscars, which take place tonight. Among the films nominated, ‘Black Swan’ swept many awards – a psychological thriller telling the story of a ballerina striving for perfection.

The film won four awards, including Best Feature, as well as Best Female Lead for Natalie Portman, who starred as the schizophrenic ballerina. Darren Aronofsky was also named Best Director, and the film also took home the Cinematography Award for Matthew Libatique.

The Independent Spirit Awards, along with the Globes, are usually a strong indicator of who will win at the Oscars. Then again, many of the winners at the Spirit Awards are not the ones critics expect to win at the Oscars. James Franco won Best Actor for his role in ’127 Hours’, which I believe is well deserved, but many people believe Colin Firth will win the oscar for his role in ‘The King’s Speech’.

‘The King’s Speech’ is also expected to win best film at the Oscars, but I am personally hoping for ‘Black Swan’ to win. Not only did Portman deliver a crazy, compelling, amazing performance, but the film is so unique and beautiful that it deserves to win. It would be a nice change from the typical, feel-good movies that usually win the Oscars. I mean, a film about a king overcoming his speech impediment? It has Oscars written all over it! Try something new and daring, oscar academy.

‘Black Swan’ cost about $15 million to make, and has grossed just over $100 million at the North American box office, reports The Sun. The film is driven by performance, acting, and crazy plot lines. Yes, there is the occasional freak-you-out special effects, but most of the film focuses on the acting – and that deserves a best picture in itself.

The Spirit Awards honor low-budget American films and focus on criteria such as originality, provocative subject matter and the degree of independent financing.

Make sure to tune into the Oscars to see who takes home the awards tonight. If Natalie Portman doesn’t win Best Actress, I’m pretty sure I will grab my television and throw it out my 6th-floor window.

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In a fascinating story through photo-gallery out of the Toronto Star last week, it seems winners of the Best Actress Oscar since the year 2000 have a disturbing track record for getting divorced shortly after.

The freshest in everyone’s minds would likely be Sandra Bullock and her public fiasco with Jesse James, but a quick stroll through this gallery will send chills down your spine and remind you that Halle Berry, Hilary Swank and others all split from their husbands shortly after taking home the statue.

Watch out Natalie Portman. This Black Swan role is becoming as real as ever.

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It was a big night for showbiz as Hollywood’s most talented gathered in Los Angeles for the 2011 Golden Globes. The ever-hilarious Ricky Gervais hosted, bringing his trademark barbed quips and off-the-cuff jokes to the stage as the room celebrated the most inspired productions of the year.

Big winners included The Social Network, who took home the awards Best Director, Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Musical Comedy Glee also took home a bucketful of globes, including one for fan favourite Chris Colfer’s performance on the show.

But the most buzzed-about win of the night was Natalie Portman’s statue for her work in Black Swan, the Darren Aronofsky thriller about a ballerina driven mad by her role in the classic ballet Swan Lake.

We’re pretty unhappy that Christopher Nolan’s Inception didn’t fare very well, but you can’t win ‘em all, right?

Click HERE for a full list of last night’s winners and losers!

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There’s one main reason to see Jim Sheridan’s latest drama “Brothers:” its talented cast. The adaptation of the award-winning Danish film about post-traumatic stress is gripping to say the least. However, its main fault is being predictable, but if audiences can get past that, they’re in for an emotional battle.

“Brothers” takes place in a small Minnesota military town and tells the story of Marine captain Sam Cahill (played by Tobey Maguire). Unlike many other war films, however, this one focuses on the family.

All is well in the Cahill household until Sam is called up for a return trip to Afghanistan, forcing him to leave behind his beautiful wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and two young daughters. Tension rises among the family when Sam’s younger brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is released from prison. The two brothers share a rapport, unlike the rest of his family (mainly their father), who doesn’t understand the ex-con and deems Sam as the “good” son.

It’s no surprise that the family dynamics start to change as soon as Sam is pronounced dead in Afghanistan. Following the absence of his brother, Tommy finds purpose in taking care of Grace and his nieces — giving him a newfound sense of responsibility. However, Sam’s survival is never in question for the audience, no spoilers here — in fact, it’s in the trailer.

And it’s also no surprise that the Sam that returns from war — one who endured Taliban-inflicted torture and guilt while under captivity — is a changed man. Unfortunately, his relationship with every single family member takes a volatile turn and the old Sam slowly vanishes. As expected, the film really stresses post-traumatic stress disorder, which is what the story hinges on.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say this movie hinges on its cast as well. But there’s no denying their role in making “Brothers” worthwhile. The film’s three stars, Portman, Gyllenhaal and Maguire deliver one of their best performances to-date. Grace could not be a more fitting name for Portman’s character who exudes grace and integrity.

It’s also interesting that each of the three actors was cast in a relatively new and unexpected role. Gyllenhaal who’s no stranger to the friendly “guy next door” type of role, was cast as an ex-con. Portamn, who to many is still labeled as a member of “young Hollywood,” was cast as a mother of two. And finally, Spider-Man himself (a.k.a Maguire) is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in the film.

They’re all out of their elements and yet they undoubtedly pull the characters off with memorable performances. Also worth mentioning are the two young actresses Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare, who play Portman and Maguire’s daughters. The way they connect with the cast is so authentic, it makes it effortless for the audience to in turn connect with the family’s hardships.

It’s clear that Sheridan knows how to tell a story through family dynamics and specific detail. You add a great cast to the mix and there’s little room for error.

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Sorry “New York, I Love You,” not everyone will fall head over heels for you. The film interlocks a series of shorts from 11 directors – all based in The Big Apple.

Of course, a vignette set in New York City has only one place to start off: a yellow taxicab. “Hangover” buddies Bradley Cooper and Justin Bartha kick off the movie by playing strangers who land the same cab. But aside from the yellow car, a few distinct restaurants and references to Central Park, “New York, I Love” seems like it could take place in any other metropolis. It fails to show what makes New York one of the most visited cities in the world.

To be fair, each director had only two days to shoot their short film and a week to edit each segment. But you would think that a diverse group of directors from around the world (including Yvan Attal from France, Jiang Wen from China, Shekhar Kapur and others) would paint a multicultural picture of New York –which is not the case. That being said, at least there’s an abundance of love in this movie, ranging from platonic love to parental.

There are definitely worthwhile moments as well as both acting and directing revelations in “New York, I Love You.” Natalie Portman, for example, takes both a behind the camera role and an on-screen one (playing a Hasidic diamond broker). The short she directs, featuring Taylor Geare (who plays Portman’s daughter in the upcoming movie “Brothers”), is a highlight of the movie. Also keep an eye out for Anton Yelchin who had a supporting role in this year’s revamped “Star Trek.” He proves in this movie that he could very well give both Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg a run for their money.

“New York, I Love You” brings together a mishmash of young Hollywood stars including Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Christina Ricci, Hayden Christensen, Olivia Thirlby and Shia LaBeouf in what seems to be an attempt at attracting a younger crowd to see the film. However, it fails to have that “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” vibe.

Produced by the same people who brought you “Paris, je t’aime,” this movie is the second film in the Cities of Love franchise. The next stop will be Shanghai, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Jerusalem.

While you may not love “New York, I Love You” there’s bound to be parts you’ll enjoy.

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We all remember Xena – but now get ready for Natalie Portman: Warrior Princess.

The 27-year-old actress is joining the cast of Universal’s “Your Highness,” a medieval farce starring Danny McBride and James Franco.

As previously reported, the movie will follow an arrogant and lazy prince (McBride) and his more competent brother (Franco) as they go on a quest to save their father’s kingdom.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Portman will play a warrior princess who is also the love interest of McBride’s character.

The movie, which begins shooting this summer in Northern Ireland, will be directed by “Pineapple Express” helmer David Gordon Green from a script by Ben Best and McBride. The latter can be seen in theatres starting Friday as one of the stars of “Land of the Lost.”

As for Portman, the Golden Globe-winning actress is currently shooting the indie drama “Hesher” and will next star in “Brothers” alongside Jake Gyllenhall and Tobey Maguire.

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Natalie Portman’s directorial debut is set to open the short film program at the upcoming Venice International Film Festival.

The 17-minute “Eve” stars seasoned actors Lauren Bacall and Ben Gazzara and is described by Venice organizers as “a civilized comedy.”

It will screen in an out-of-competition slot on Sept. 1, with Portman expected to be on hand.

The 65th annual Venice International Film Festival runs Aug. 27 to Sept. 6.

Portman, 27, has starred in a number of films including “Closer,” “V for Vendetta” and “The Other Boleyn Girl.” She appeared last year in the short film “Hotel Chevalier,” a prequel to “The Darjeeling Limited.”

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Natalie Portman will join Jack Hanna for a special Animal Planet documentary on endangered gorillas.

“Saving a Species: Gorillas on the Brink” will follow the pair as they journey deep into Rwanda’s rainforest to observe some of the mere 700 gorillas still in existence.

According to the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, mountain gorillas suffer from human-induced injuries and illness associated with poaching, war, and habitat loss.

The show will air tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET on Animal Planet.

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Before you rush to theatres next weekend to see Wes Anderson’s fifth feature film, The Darjeeling Limited, be sure to watch the short film that precedes the story.

The 13-minute short entitled Hotel Chevalier stars Jason Schwartzman (one of the Darjeeling leads) and Natalie Portman. It was made a year before filming of Darjeeling even began. Originally intended to stand alone as a short film, Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) realized that Schwartzman’s character was perfect for the feature film he was envisioning.

Portman appears nude in the short, and has a tiny cameo in Darjeeling. Though it is not necessary to see the short to understand her relationship with Schwartzman?s character in the full-length film, Anderson says Chevalier does flesh out the story.

“My ideal thing would be to have the audience member come over to my apartment and watch the short on my computer and the next day they’d watch the movie in the theater,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

Hotel Chevalier premieres tonight at Apple stores in selected American cities, but will be available starting tomorrow as a free download on iTunes.

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Natalie Portman is fast becoming this generation’s Audrey Hepburn – literally. The 25-year-old Portman, who is often compared to the iconic Hepburn, was photographed modelling the famous black column dress Heburn wore in 1961′s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” for the cover of an upcoming issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

Portman paired the Givenchy-designed dress with pearls and her hair is swept up a la Holly Golightly’s signature beehive.

The dress will be auctioned off by Christie’s in London on Dec. 5 and proceeds of the sale will go to the City of Joy Aid charity for India’s poor. It is expected to go for as much as $130,000.

Portman told Harper’s Bazaar that the dress made her feel very elegant: “I mean, you can’t possibly measure up to Audrey Hepburn; there’s no comparison. But the elegance that she exuded was transmitted to the dress, you know, the feeling, the emotion of it.”

“I was so nervous that I wasn’t going to fit,” She added. “Everyone kept telling me how small it was, and I’m not the type who can starve myself. I’m small, but it’s not like I’m see-through.”

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Natalie Portman misses her bald head, contactmusic.com reports. (Editor’s note: so why doesn’t she just shave it again?)

Portman, 24, shaved her hair off for a role as Evey Hammond in V For Vendetta and admits to missing the low maintenance style.

“I miss the feel of it, stroking it and the attention it got,” Portman said. “It was also great not to have to worry whether your hair was out of place for a while.”

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance