James Bond is reportedly planning to take on the poppy fields of Afghanistan in his next assignment.

If reports are to be believed at least some parts of the next movie in the Bond franchise will be shot in the Helmand province in Afghanistan.

According to online reports on James Bond fan-sites, an official, a member of the Foreign Office’s drug task force in the country has signed on as a consultant for the franchise.

The official, who has since left the Foreign Office and Afghanistan, is thought to have signed a confidentiality agreement with the filmmakers preventing any discussion of the project, The Times reported.

Should 007 tackle the opium fields of the country, it will be the second time he has ventured into Afghanistan. In the 1987 film The Living Daylights, Bond, played by Timothy Dalton, was imprisoned in a Russian camp in the country, before teaming up with anti—Soviet freedom fighters.

Eon Productions, the production company set up by Bond producer Albert Broccoli, refused to comment on whether the film would visit Afghanistan.

The 23rd Bond film will be Daniel Craig’s third outing as the fictional British spy, following the success of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace

The plot of the new Bond film, expected to be released in 2011, is a closely guarded secret.

Science-fiction adventure “Avatar” and war movie “The Hurt Locker” on Tuesday earned nine Oscar nominations each, including best movie, to lead the field in the competition for the world’s highest film honours.

Other films among the 10 nominees for best motion picture include “Up in the Air,” “The Blind Side,” “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” and “District 9.”

Rounding out the list of best film nominees were animated movie “Up,” “A Serious Man,” “Inglourious Basterds” and “An Education.”

Nominations for best actor in a film went to Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart,” George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Colin Firth in “A Single Man,” Morgan Freeman for “Invictus” and Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker.”

Best actress nominees were Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side,” Helen Mirren in “The Last Station,” Carey Mulligan for “An Education,” Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious” and Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia”.

Following is a list of the main Oscar contenders. The awards will be handed out in Hollywood on March 7.

BEST PICTURE

“Avatar”, “The Blind Side”, “District 9″, “An Education”, “The Hurt Locker”, “Inglourious Basterds”, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”, “A Serious Man” “Up” “Up in the Air”

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney – “Up in the Air”

Colin Firth – “A Single Man”

Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”

Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”

Helen Mirren – “The Last Station”

Carey Mulligan – “An Education”

Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Meryl Streep – “Julie & Julia”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon – “Invictus”

Woody Harrelson – “The Messenger”

Christopher Plummer – “The Last Station”

Stanley Tucci – “The Lovely Bones”

Christoph Waltz – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz – “Nine”

Vera Farmiga – “Up in the Air”

Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”

Anna Kendrick – “Up in the Air”

Mo’Nique – “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

BEST DIRECTOR

James Cameron – “Avatar”

Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”

Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

Lee Daniels – “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Jason Reitman – “Up in the Air”

Pamela Anderson played peek-a-boob on the catwalk at Air New Zealand Fashion Week, provocatively swinging a sarong around her body and allowing a glimpse of her breasts.

Aside from the sarong, she was clad only in a skimpy G-string and wearing stiletto heels.

The former Baywatch star did not model in the show as expected, but left her appearance until the end, striding on to the runway with the designer of her new “vegetarian eco” clothing line, Richie Rich, who rolled out on skates. He is also a former ice skater.

Rich lay down on the catwalk and rolled around in front of cameras, and Anderson jubilantly threw a bouquet of flowers she was presented with back into the audience.

It was the world launch of the pair’s clothing line, A*Muse, though there was more skin on the runway than fabric. The range consisted of colourful tie-dye bikinis, ripped T-shirts, and for the men there were budgie smugglers customised with sunglasses, mirrors and even scissors in front of the models’, er, packages.

Nicky Watson and former Super 14 player and Crowd Goes Wild reporter James Somerset also modelled in the show.

Political statements promised by Anderson included the words “I Love Possum” written on a pair of sunglasses. Anderson, a member of the PETA animal rights group, said that, with the show, she and Rich were trying to to carry a message about the environment and animal rights.

“The way I do it is talk about how many animals are killed to make a garment.”

She said she had friends with fur coats who had thrown them out after she had spoken to them.

-stuff.co.nz

Actress Alicia Silverstone loves to trim hedges and mow the lawn at her home—but without clothes!

“It probably started when I was doing my garden the first time. I’d be out there, and it would be scorching hot, so I would take off all of my clothes and garden,” imdb.com quoted Silverstone as saying.

“And then I would jump in the pool and swim… and I always get in the pool naked, because why would you want to put on a bathing suit?” she added.

The red swimsuit that Pamela Anderson wore while playing lifeguard C.J. Parker in the hit TV series Baywatch is expected to fetch $2,900 when it goes under the hammer this month.

Anderson wore the Lycra one-piece, now signed ‘Love Pamela Lee, X O’, in the 1990s show.

Imdb.com reports that the auction of Hollywood memorabilia will also include a pair of holstered pistols worn by Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider and Harrison Ford’s gun from the 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner, which is predicted to pull in a staggering $104,000.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire some of the most important visual effects pieces ever created for modern cinema,” said auction boss Joe Maddalena.

The two-day event kicks off April 30 in Calabasas, California.

Former Brittish glamour model Katie Price, a.k.a. Jordan, and her Aussie singer hubby Peter Andre have revealed that they had spotted a UFO while filming their latest TV series in the US.

The two revealed that they had encountered the strange sight while filming in Area 51.

“You just wait till you see it. We went to Area 51 and saw these really weird lights,” Sky News quoted Jordan as saying.

Andre added: “What we saw was freaky whether you believe us or not. It was the most eerie thing ever.”

Johnny Depp has been named the most beautiful international male celebrity by Who magazine.

Brad Pitt came second in the magazine’s list while George Clooney stood third. Orlando Bloom landed the fourth spot while David Beckham rounded off the top five.

Most beautiful international male celebrity
1. Johnny Depp
2. Brad Pitt
3. George Clooney
4. Orlando Bloom
5. David Beckham

Managing a demanding profession like acting along with six kids can be stressful for anyone, but that’s not the case with Angelina Jolie. The stunner insists that motherhood and life with partner Brad Pitt is ‘beautiful’ and she couldn’t be ‘happier’.

The actress, who is playing a distressed mother in her new film Changeling, says that in real life, she is quite happy with life on the personal front. “This is such a beautiful time for me,” Herald Sun quoted her as saying.

She added: “When I look back on my life, I never really believed that I would find this kind of happiness on so many different levels. I think I trained myself to expect less, but meeting Brad and being with him has shown me that sometimes it just takes the right circumstances for you to meet a good man who enjoys being with you and working towards the same goals in life. Brad has always been there for me.
The Changeling is a searing drama based on the true story of a child’s disappearance in 1928 and his mother’s struggle to discover the truth.

Tadjedin, who also wrote the screenplay for The Jacket, wrote the Night script.

Production begins in New York next month, says Variety.

The story centers on a married couple who are apart for a night while the husband takes a business trip with a colleague to whom he’s attracted. While he’s resisting temptation, his wife encounters her past love.

Tadjedin has also been writing an untitled project for Steven Spielberg.

Knightley has received winning notices for her upcoming turn in period piece The Duchess.

French star Canet is currently enjoying darling status among U.S. critics for his sleeper Tell No One which he directed and adapted from a Harlen Coben novel.

In 2006, he won France’s Cesar award, the equivalent to the Oscar, for best director.