Al Pacino to play Matisse in new movie

LOS ANGELES: Veteran US actor Al Pacino is to play Henri Matisse in an upcoming film about the French artist and his relationship with his nurse and model, industry daily Variety reported.

"Masterpiece," about the pioneering painter's relationship with his nurse and model Monique Bourgeois, will be directed by Deepa Mehta, whose previous work includes 2003's "Bollywood Hollywood" and "Water" in 2006.

No start date has yet been fixed for the project, which will be made by production company Escape Artists from a script by Donald Martin, although casting will soon begin for the two female lead roles.

Bourgeois started to work for Matisse at the age of 21 in 1942, and featured in several of his canvases, before the war separated them until they met again in southern French town of Vence in 1946.

She had become a Dominican nun under the name Sister Jacques-Marie, and inspired him to paint a chapel there, which became one of the painter's final masterpieces.

Pacino recently won a Golden Globe for his performance as famed assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, whose controversial tactics earned him the nickname Doctor Death in "You Don't Know Jack" for HBO.

Kate Middleton deemed top fashion buzzword

LOS ANGELES: Prince William's bride-to-be, Kate Middleton, has de-throned Lady Gaga as the top fashion buzzword for the fashion season that starts in New York on Feb 10, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Middleton, 29, who will marry the British prince on April 29 in London, soared as a fashion icon in November after the blue dress by designer Daniella Issa Helayel that she wore for the official engagement announcement sold out of stores within 24 hours.

Speculation is now rife in the fashion world over who will design Middleton's wedding dress, and what it will look like.

A survey by the Texas-based Global Language Monitor of fashion buzz words and phrases in print, on the Internet, and in social media, ranked Middleton the No.1. word for the upcoming season.

Singer Lady Gaga, known as much for her striking outfits as her hit records, was pushed into second place in the annual survey.

"Sheer" -- the trend for translucent fabrics -- came in third place, followed by "shirt dresses," and "sustainable style," reflecting a growing trend of clothing made of recycled fabrics.

New York fashion week starts on Feb 10, kicking off an international calendar of shows that includes London, Milan and Paris.

Preparations for 68th Golden Globe Award in full swing

LOS ANGELES: The countdown to Sunday's 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards is on, and the British comedian Rickey Gervais is set to front the ceremony -- which takes place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California on Sunday -- for the second time and jokingly claimed he doesn't want to mock anyone during the show who will want retribution.

He said: "I only go for the weak and the feeble. I'm not going to have a go at Russell Crowe or Mickey Rourke. Mickey Rooney maybe. Betty White, I'm not scared of her. You've gotta to choose your targets wisely."

Ricky, 49, also admitted he plans to poke fun at Charlie Sheen -- who has recently hit the headlines for wild partying with porn stars -- and Mel Gibson, whose angry rants were exposed in a series of leaked voicemail messages to former lover Oksana Grigorieva last year.

The 68th annual Golden Globe Awards is set for Sunday in Beverly Hills.

Britney Spears wants to be frozen after death

LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears is doing groundwork to get herself frozen after her death, hoping that she can be brought back to life, sources say.

The singer wants her body preserved in liquid nitrogen, in a process known as 'cryogenic' freezing.

Spears apparently got interested in cryogenic freezing after she heard rumours that Walt Disney has been preserved similarly.

However, Spears can make any huge investment in the company only with her father consent.