Avril Lavigne’s career as a singer is barely alive yet she finds time to make her own fragrance and even make a movie. The 23-year old Canadian singer would like to think that she’s continuing her professional evolution as she has reportedly landed a lead role in a movie. One of the most hated Canadian singers of this day previously had minor parts in ‘The Flock’, ‘Fast Food Nation’ and also provided her voice for the animated movie ‘Over the Hedge’. Avril hasn’t spoken on any specific details about the new film but did say “I’ve got a film role coming up - something you wouldn’t expect from me, something deep and dark.”

Victoria Beckham is set to star in the new ‘Alan Partridge’ movie.

The Spice Girl, who is desperate to make it as an actress, has reportedly signed up to play Steve Coogan’s assistant Lynn in the big-screen adaptation of the hit British TV show, based around the mishaps of radio DJ Alan.

A source said: ‘The Partridge film has been in pre-production for an age. One reason was because they couldn’t agree on Lynn. Felicity Montagu, who played Lynn in the TV series, doesn’t want to go to Hollywood and the film’s backers decided they wanted a big name to replace her. It was also important to them to have a Briton and someone with a sense of fun.’

Victoria – who lives in Los Angeles with her soccer star husband David and their three sons – impressed bosses with her humour and is prepared to ditch her usual glamorous image for the dowdy role.

The source added: ‘Victoria is a big name but no one expected her to have such a rapier-like wit. She’s game to frump up for the role, too. She was practising her hangdog grimace to David the other day. It was cracking him up.’

Last year, Victoria made a guest appearance in hit US TV show ‘Ugly Betty’, playing Wilhelmina Slater’s bridesmaid, and was very well liked by all the cast. America Ferrera - who plays geeky editorial assistant Betty Suarez - said the singer was willing to be humiliated and happily poked fun at her public image.

She said: “She was wonderful. She definitely came with the right attitude. If you’re not willing to be humiliated then you don’t belong on our show”

Movie wizard Daniel Radcliffe has hit the jack-Potter – earning $26million in only a year. And the 18-year-old Harry Potter star has wisely invested millions from his film work in property and businesses.

The actor’s assets have risen by $6million since last year – not including the $16million he made from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Figures for his company Gilmore Jacobs show that in 12 months he put $8million in cash in the bank, had investments of $14million and was owed $4million in outstanding payments.

The figures have just been lodged at Companies House and cover the year to August 2007.

In December last year Daniel – whose total fortune is estimated at $50million – paid $2.5million for a pad in Manhattan that he plans to rent out at $20,000 a month. He also set up Almada Productions to develop scripts, and it made a $130,000 profit last year.

Daniel, who has portrayed the Quidditch-playing hero since 2001, took full control of his earnings when he turned 18 last July. Gilmore Jacobs is owned by his parents Alan and Marcia, but they have stipulated that all the riches belong to him.

Umm, isn’t that like so several years ago? But yes, we’re talking Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

Although their marriage ended a while back, the former couple has contined to work together for the last three years at their production company, Plan B. Now, they have dissolved that relationship as well. Brad will continue to run that company, while Jen has set a deal with Universal to work with Echo Films.

There are actors trying to become musicians and there are musicians trying to become actors. Joss Stone is the latest to attempt her luck at the big screen as the soul singer has signed on to star in a new British comedy called ‘Snappers’ which is set to begin filming next month. The show is about a British actress who’s in town to film a new movie but she’s hounded by the paparazzi so she decided to stay with the cast and crew at a local caravan park to avoid the pesky photographers. The rest of the plot features comedic scenes that could pretty much have been based on Britney Spears’ life. And by the way, Joss is set to play a lesbian.

It was full Indian makeup for Natalie Portman when she shot a wedidng scene for her upcoming movie New York, I Love You.

The movie is an anthology of short romantic stories. Apparently the character goes from man to man and culture to culture. She has previously been spotted as a Hasidic bride for the same movie.

Dirty Dancing hunk Patrick Swayze was said to need a miracle last night, after being told pancreatic cancer could kill him in five weeks.

Doctors are understood to have warned Swayze, 55, to prepare for the end. The disease has spread to other organs, according to US reports yesterday. And a source said: “It’s time to start praying for a miracle.”

Swayze, who also starred in the 1990 hit movie Ghost, has been having radical chemotherapy at Stanford University’s cancer centre in Palo Alto, California. But doctors are not now thought to be planning further treatment.

The source added: “He was told he could have two more treatments but his cancer was not responding. In short — they hold out little hope for a cure.”

Our prayers are with you Patrick…

Did you make it to the box office to see Paris’ movie “The Hottie and the Nottie”? Umm, me neither.

Apparently there weren’t all that many people who did. The romantic comedy starred Paris, Joel David Moore, and Christine Lakin. On Friday, the movie only brought in $9000 on 111 screens.

Seems like people were more ineterested in fools like Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Their movie Fools Gold brought in $7.65 million on 3125 screens.

Michelle is set to begin filming her next movie Blue Valentine on February 25th. That date has been pushed back indefinitely while she deals with the death of her former lover and father of her child Heath Ledger.

Film sources say, “We’re hoping she will still come back and do the film and are happy to wait. The film is tailor made for those two so of course we would want to wait. You can’t get much better than them.” Her costar is Ryan Gosling, who she is rumored to have been dating.

Michelle can sure pick ‘em…

Reps confirm that Matthew McConaughey suffered an accident while training for his upcoming role in The Grackie.

Matt was in fight training and ended up cutting his face. The injury required stitches.

The new movie is a comedy about a “fighter for hire”. Matthew’s character “hires himself out for $250 to settle disputes for people who can’t afford a lawyer.”

Maybe the movie will have us in stitches…..