Juno' principals back to Toronto

TORONTO -- In a strange alignment of the planets, the $227 million global boxoffice sensation "Juno" will see its three principals strike out with their own pictures at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"Juno"

Two years after "Juno" was launched in Toronto (after a sneak screening at Telluride) and went on to become an awards-season breakout, director Jason Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and star Ellen Page are bringing their first post-"Juno" features to the Canadian hotspot.

In the process, an intriguing subplot is developing: Which of the "Juno" principals can come away with the prize this year?

Reitman -- who launched another pic at Toronto in 2005, the morality satire "Thank You for Smoking" -- is back with the topical "Up in the Air." Like "Juno," the George Clooney-starring "Air" blends comedy and drama: Clooney plays a man who flies around the world firing people on behalf of corporate clients. The film, which Paramount opens in December, sneaked at Telluride during the weekend on its way to Toronto.

Cody picked up an Oscar -- along with some backlash -- for her mouthy, pun-filled dialogue in "Juno." (Notable line, from a pregnant teenage Page: "You know they call me the cautionary whale.")

Cody's new movie, "Jennifer's Body," is a comedy about a cheerleader who begins knocking off boys in her school after she becomes possessed. The filmmakers are hoping to achieve cult status similar to another bloody teen comedy with a darkly comic tone, "Heathers."

	Diablo Cody (left), Ellen Page and Jason Reitman (Getty)

Page, meanwhile, has rocketed to fame since "Juno." A serious actress in pics like the coming-of-age drama "Hard Candy," she found herself with a plethora of offers in the wake of her star turn (and best actress nom) in 2007.

Page took a role in Sam Raimi's camp horror pic "Drag Me to Hell" only to drop out; she did, however, sign on for the lead in "Whip it," Drew Barrymore's comedy about an all-girls roller-derby team that will play in the fest's Midnight Madness section. (She's also stars in the thriller "Peacock" and Christopher Nolan's "Inception.")

Of the three entries in the "Juno" redux sweepstakes, Reitman is the early favorite. His movie rides into town after glowing reviews in Telluride. And the Toronto native is beloved at his hometown fest.

But "Whip It" could also sneak up and become a fest fave. Like "Juno," it showcases Page as a suburban kid who finds solace in rebellion -- in this case, roller derby.

And while the film likely won't be an awards contender, it's going to be a priority for Fox Searchlight, a company with a track record in marketing quirky comedies (see "Juno").

" 'Whip It' has got a great cast and plays to a broad audience," Searchlight co-topper Nancy Utley said.

"Jennifer's Body," a Fox Atomic production that is now being handled by big Fox, could be a tougher sell. The early word from screenings has been mixed, and Cody's is a volatile stock. The film stars Megan Fox, however, a proven draw among males.

Reitman said "Juno" helped pave the way for his new pic.

" 'Juno's' success has given me the freedom to make 'Up in the Air' in the most personal way possible," he said. For all their separateness, there are plenty of lines crossed between these three efforts -- Reitman, for instance, produced Cody's "Jennifer's Body" -- making it more of a friendly competition than anything else.

And it's not like any of these movies has to replicate the "Juno" blueprint. Even nabbing a small piece of "Juno's" success could make for a very happy whale.

Music Review: 'Blue'

Music maestro A.R. Rahman is back with another soundtrack after composing the tunes to "Delhi-6." For his next gig, he has chosen something different to work with, namely the action-thriller "Blue." The news that A.R. Rahman worked on "Blue," and teamed up with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, has caused a lot of buzz lately. Hopefully fans will appreciate this soundtrack since it offers a different sound and takes some time to get used to.

What We Think:
This soundtrack may not be one of A.R. Rahman's best work, but the tracks are somewhat enjoyable. The songs "Aaj Dil Gustakh Hai" and "Fiqrana" are definitely likeable - both tunes have a surprisingly different sound that makes their harmony romantic. "Rehnuma" is another romantic duet, performed by Sonu Niigaam and Shreya Ghoshal. But it may not stay with the listener for long. A.R. Rahman brings back Rashid Ali from "Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na" for the track "Bhoola Tujhe" and it brings back the original sound of the music composer. "Yaar Mila Tha" is a full-on masala party track performed by Udit Narayan and Madhushree. It sounds different from anything that Rahman has done before. As for "Chiggy Wiggy," any composer could have created it, but listen to it two-three times and you'll be addicted! The only thing that grabs your attention is the chemistry between Sonu Niigaam's bhangra portion and Kylie Minogue's Australian accent. We end the album with the track "Blue Theme" which gives lots of high Punjabi energy, complete with a lively orchestra and great vocals.

Best Tracks:
"Aaj Dil," "Fiqrana," "Bhoola Tujhe," "Yaar Mila Tha"

Worst Track:
"Chiggy Wiggy"

Final Verdict:
"Blue" is not a path-breaking soundtrack, but it is thoroughly enjoyable and beautifully orchestrated. A.R. Rahman's experiment with different sounds definitely gives it a good vibe.

Maura Tierney drops out of 'Parenthood'

Maura Tierney has pulled out of NBC's upcoming drama series "Parenthood" because its production schedule would interfere with her breast cancer treatments.

NBC has begun the process of recasting her role in the project based on the 1989 movie that's written and executive produced by Jason Katims.

Maura Tierney (Getty)

"Ms. Tierney and her doctors remain confident that the outcome of her treatments will be positive," Tierney's spokeswoman said Thursday. "She is deeply disappointed that she will not be able to rejoin such a highly respected, talented, fun and funny group of actors and wishes to thank Jason Katims and NBC for their patience and support."

"Parenthood," in which Tierney was to play one of the central characters alongside Peter Krause, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia and Craig T. Nelson, originally was slated to premiere this month but was pushed to midseason in July when, shortly before the series was to enter production, Tierney's doctors discovered a tumor in her breast.

At the time, the production start date was postponed until November to give Tierney time to undergo the necessary medical procedures.

It now appears Tierney's treatment will take longer, so NBC will recast the role in order to make the midseason launch date.

Tierney had garnered strong notices for her performance in the pilot for "Parenthood," where she played a contemporary version of the character portrayed by Dianne Wiest in the movie.

"While we are saddened that Maura Tierney won't be able to continue in her current role in 'Parenthood,' our main concern is for her quick and full recovery," an NBC spokesman said. "Our thoughts and best wishes are with her."

"Parenthood," from UMS, is exec produced by Katims, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.

Video: Taj-E in the Studio

Urban Desi artist Taj-E is keeping busy! He brought us two videos this summer, one of whch hit our summer hitlist. So what's he getting up to nowadays?

Taj-E has been working hard at the Soundpipe Studio. He was recently caught working with JLS. Check out this video footage of their session and let us know what you think of Taj-E's beats.

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Three actors cast in 'Janie Jones'

"He's in love with rock 'n' roll, whoahh!"

Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue and Abigail Breslin have been cast in the indie drama "Janie Jones," along with Frank Whaley, Brittany Snow, Peter Stormare and Joel David Moore.

Breslin will play the title role, a young girl abandoned by her drug-addicted, former-groupie mother (Shue) at a concert and surprises the fading rock singer who's performing (Nivola) with news that she is his daughter.

Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue and Abigail Breslin

The film is written and will be directed by David M. Rosenthal ("See This Movie"), who based the story on his similar experience. Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures and Eric Bassett of David Lynch's Absurda are producing and splitting the international sales duties.

The film starts shooting this week in Iowa.

There was, in fact, a notorious Janie Jones in 1960s-'70s London who made waves as a pop star and famous madam. The Clash subsequently memorialized her in the first song on their 1977 debut album.

Nivola, who is repped by WME and Management 360, notably played a rock star in Lisa Cholodenko's "Laurel Canyon." He also has appeared in "Junebug," "Face/Off" and "Best Laid Plans." He next appears in Sony Pictures Classics' "Coco Before Chanel," set for release Sept. 25.

Shue, repped by CAA and Management 360, recently appeared in "Hamlet 2" and "Gracie," which she also produced. She next stars in Dimension Films' "Piranha 3-D," which swims into theaters in April.

Breslin, repped by ICM and Envision Management, most recently appeared in "My Sister's Keeper" and "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl." She next appears in the Columbia horror-comedy "Zombieland," set for release Oct. 2.

Unified and Absurda recently collaborated on the psychological thriller "My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done," from director Werner Herzog and producer Lynch. That film screened last week at the Venice and Telluride film festivals and will screen Wednesday at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Music Review: 'Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna'

Musical duo Sajid-Wajid has made a big mark in the biz this year with the release of "Wanted" and the highly anticipated film "Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna." With a movie starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor, you would expect a romantic flick filled with passionate numbers. And whenever you combine the skills of Sajid-Wajid with Salman Khan's talent, you would guess that at least one or two of the tracks will become chartbusters. But since this film is the directing debut of newcomer Prem R Soni, we probably won't be expecting much from the film. But that doesn't stop us from liking the soundtrack.

What We Think:
When you hear the soundtrack's first song "Don't Say Alvida," you assume that it will soon top the charts. The track is old school and timeless but it works as a contemporary love song with Sonu Niigaam at his best. Shreya Ghoshal joins in a little later while Suzanne D'Mello is primarily a backup vocalist. Still, the two make their presence felt in this song that also exist in a well done remix version and a 90-second slow-n-sad version (Shreya Ghoshal solo). The item song "Happening" is a great foot-tapping number interpreted by Preity Zinta in the remix. If you want some slow-paced romance, you may want to check out Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in "Rabba," a calm and sad track. Wajid takes his singing seriously in "Tum Ne Socha" that has a soft rock feel and marries Shreya Ghoshal's fine voice well. The soundtrack ends in a bang with some dhol beats in the track "Mrs. Khanna" performed by the great Shaan and the musical diva Sunidhi Chauhan.

Best Tracks:
"Don't Say Alvida," "Tum Ne Socha," "Happening"

Final Verdict:
"Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna" is an enjoyable soundtrack and I promise you won't find anything bad to say about it . Listeners should expect at least a couple of chartbusters. All numbers from "Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna" remain consistent and work well in their own way. The best of the bunch though are the romantic tracks "Don't Say Alvida" and "Tum Ne Socha." And "Happening" should easily get the album sales up.

Michelle Branch’s Daughter Knows a Little Too Much

The worst part of parenting? Having to give your kids ‘The Talk’ during dinner in the middle of a crowded restaurant. Oh - that’s not the way to do it? No wonder my kids get all their information from the internet. Well, it looks like Michelle Branch doesn’t have anything to worry about; daughter Owen, 4, already knows a thing or two.

“She’s pretty sassy. She says a lot of things that are inappropriate at the time,” Branch says. “She tried to give her teacher at her school, who is a nun who is interning, the birds and the bees talk, and I got called by her teacher. That was quite embarrassing for us. But every other day, there’s something new. It’s amazing.”

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