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Perhaps it is a project aimed at helping her heal in the midst of her divorce from Tom Cruise, or maybe it's that great work can sprout from real life experience.

Whatever the reason, Katie Holmes is set to start working on a new film which centers around something she can now relate to: being the single mother of a daughter.

Thirty-three-year-old Holmes is set to start production next week on "Molly," according to a source via a People.com report, a film which she is said to have co-written and is co-producing.

Holmes has produced once before, according to her filmography on IMDB.com: She was an executive producer of a little-known romantic dramedy "The Romantics" (2010) in which she starred along with Anna Paquin and Josh Duhamel. (The film was very narrowly released in only a few dozen theaters, grossing little more than $103 thousand.)

This new project, however, signifies Holmes' foray into writing, as she has no other writing credits listed in her body of existing work.

The film is shooting in New York City through roughly August, where Holmes and her daughter Suri have moved into an apartment.

Holmes and Cruise have released a joint statement through their respective reps regarding privacy around their impending divorce and child custody matters:

We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents.



Holmes recently finished working on "The Seagull," and is set to shoot romantic comedy "Responsible Adults" with Chace Crawford in the fall.

We contacted Holmes' rep to confirm the details around "Molly," but did not hear back in time for the publication of this report.

With three key recent films under his belt, two of which were well-publicized big budget disasters, Taylor Kitsch has found himself in a precarious position: being the common denominator in financially sagging movies.

"Kitsch is about one more wannabe blockbuster away from  straight-to-video," says Exhibitor Relations box office analyst Jeff Bock.

Disney's "John Carter," starring Kitsch, was a cataclysmic bomb, accounting for losses of more than $70 million. "It probably didn't help that he had to act in front of green screens for the majority of 'John Carter,'" Bock points out. "The physique, the look, and the potential is there for Kitsch, but he needs to prove he can really dive into a character that isn't one-dimensional; small but juicy roles would be a step in the right direction," he adds.

Kitsch's other expensive film "Battleship" may have just barely recouped its $209 million budget if you count worldwide ticket sales: To date, the film has grossed just more than $300 million. But that likely doesn't cover marketing costs, so it's hard to say whether the film made any money at all. To compare, that is nowhere near last year's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," which brought in more than $352 million in U.S. ticket sales alone. "There is no doubt that a studio would think twice about casting him as a lead after the poor performances of both 'Battleship' and 'John Carter.'  He might still be on the list, but pretty far down, and certainly not the A-list," says Bock.


The financial fate of Kitsch's latest project, Oliver Stone-directed "Savages," is yet to be sealed. Opening at No. 4 this past weekend, just behind Disney/Pixar's "Brave," "Savages" needs to make a significant amount more money than its $16 million opening weekend to exceed its $45 million budget.


"Savages" did well for an intense R rated movie, argues box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. And when it comes to pointing fingers at Kitsch for the failures of Universal's "Battleship" and Disney's "John Carter," he says, "I can understand why people are thinking this. It's becoming a running joke and it's really unfair... Kitsch is not well known enough to hurt a movie." Dergarabedian further argues that if Kitsch were a big name star, labeling him as box office poison might have more merit.

"There's going to be a breakout movie for this guy and everyone's going to forget about the 'John Carter'/'Battleship' situation," Dergarabedian predicts. "This guy has a huge career ahead of him."



Longtime industry analyst Len Klady agrees -- Kitsch can't be counted out: "I don't really consider the 'Savages' opening to be the last nail in the coffin. It was actually a better opening than was expected." Kitsch and his managers now need to be both strategic and relentless, he says, adding that "Taylor Kitsch" is a "terrible name." "Take the Channing Tatum route (another terrible name) and keep working. It's difficult to say at this point whether he has the goods. He has the looks but as we all know that will only carry you so far."


Bock is more pessimistic: "When you're the lead in two high-profile potential blockbusters and you strike out both times, your days in the big show are definitely numbered. An actor only gets so many chances to prove their viability with major studio projects, and right now Taylor Kitsch is on the fast track to becoming another Colin Farrell."

But Bock too says Kitsch can course-correct: "'Savages' certainly didn't blow the doors off the box office, but aligning himself with top-tier talent behind the camera like Oliver Stone is a step in the right direction.  Moving forward, Kitsch should probably become more of an ensemble player in Oscar bait films until he finds a foothold in Hollywood, and can then handpick his own projects. That's the true definition of power in Hollywood, anyway."

Let the games continue: None other than acting heavyweight Philip Seymour Hoffman has been cast as head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee in the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins's best-selling novel "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire."

Heavensbee is the head gamemaker of the 75th annual Hunger Games -- a role left open in the first story by the gamemaker Seneca Crane (played by Wes Bentley), who came to an unfortunate end.

As fans will remember from "The Hunger Games," the gamemaker controls the fate of the characters -- as in who lives and who dies -- in the televised death match.

The role is a complicated and important one. Heavensbee seems to have a secret agenda, and it's not clear until the end whose side he will take. In short, it's a complex role perfect for a star who's equally comfortable onstage ("Death of a Salesman") as he is in independent films ("Ides of March") and blockbusters ("Mission:Impossible III").


And -- spoiler alert -- Heavensbee's character also appears in the final installment of the triology "Mockingjay," so prepare for a healthy, or at least crafty, dose of the 44-year-old.

The "Moneyball" star will join returning cast members Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, as well as a new director, Francis Lawrence. The film opens November 2013.

Bruce Wayne saved Gotham City from The Joker in 2008's "The Dark Knight," but his victory came at an enormous personal cost. Wayne lost the love of his life, Rachel Dawes, in one of the Joker's explosive schemes. He was shot in his confrontation with crusading District Attorney turned deformed madman Harvey Dent. And to preserve the memory of Dent and his battle against crime, Wayne allowed his alter ego Batman to be branded a murderer.

In a new 13-minute long behind-the-scenes look at the making of "The Dark Knight Rises," the conclusion to director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, the filmmakers and cast reveal that Wayne is not the same crusading hero that he was before.  The new footage shows Christian Bale looking decidedly different as Bruce Wayne, with stringy hair and a goatee.  He's traded in his tailored suits (not to mention the Batsuit) for a silk robe. Most notably, though, Wayne appears to be hobbling on a cane.


Nolan says, "At the beginning of 'The Dark Knight Rises' we find a Bruce Wayne who has been damaged by his experiences as Batman."  The filmmakers confirm that eight years have passed since Batman went on the run at the end of "The Dark Knight."  Left alone with both his physical injuries and the heartbreak of losing Rachel, Wayne has become directionless.  In the video, Christian Bale poses the question, "How much longer can he allow this pain to control what he does with his life?"

Bruce Wayne, of course, is not one to stay down long.  A new threat to Gotham City arises, and it is a villain unlike any he had faced before: the ruthless masked terrorist called Bane.  "I really wanted to see Batman meet his match," Nolan says, and Bale adds, "This is the first time that Batman has come across anybody who is superior physically."  But Bane (played by Tom Hardy) is not just a mindless brute.  He's cunning, and when he calls Batman "Mr. Wayne" in the footage it shows he knows the secret identity of the man inside the cowl.

The footage in the special depicts a showdown between Batman and Bane, with the two adversaries matching each other punch-for-punch.  And since we also see Bane dropping the shattered remains of Batman's mask as he walks away, it's safe to assume who wins that particular scrap.  Nolan says, "Through the course of 'The Dark Knight Rises,' we'll uncover more about what drives Bane, where he comes from, what he wants, and none of it is good news."

Ernest Borgnine died Sunday from kidney failure at age 95. But his memorable and varied roles in movies, TV, and yes, "SpongeBob SquarePants," live on.

The actor won the Oscar for best actor in 1955 for his portrayal of the lovesick butcher in "Marty." He was also known as the gruff-voiced heavy in classics such as "From Here to Eternity," "The Dirty Dozen," "The Wild Bunch," and "The Poseidon Adventure."

The nonagenarian was known for his unconventional roles -- such as being one of the first celebrities on "Hollywood Squares." Younger fans may know him as the voice of Mermaid Man on "SpongeBob SquarePants." The multitalented actor also starred in the World War II sitcom "McHale's Navy" and the mid-'80s action series "Airwolf."


Hollywood and managed to work until almost the end. At 92, the actor was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the TV drama "ER."

A statement read, "Mr. Borgnine's family is deeply appreciative of the love and support of his many friends, associates, and fans around the world."

The actor's family added he "had been in excellent health until a recent illness" and that they were in "great shock and sorrow" over his death. The statement noted that Borgnine, even at 95, was still a working actor. His last film, "The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez," earned him a best actor award at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where the movie premiered in April.

More than 8,000 comments poured in to Yahoo! at the news of the actor's death. Thoughts like these were typical: From Sixstring, "Great actor, great career. RIP Ernie!" Professor Firefly added, "A very gifted actor. No matter if it was a comedy or action or drama...RIP."

Celebrities also offered their tributes on Twitter:

Joan Rivers said, "So sad to hear that Ernest Borgnine has passed away. A lovely man. A fine actor. A true gentleman. RIP."

Gary Sinise wrote, "God bless Ernest Borgnine. An amazingly strong spirit. R.I.P. Ernie."

Jenny McCarthy posted, "RIP to my movie husband Ernest Borgnine."

Lisa Rinna added, "Our sweet friend and neighbor Ernest Borgnine may you Rest in Peace!"

Rob Lowe said, "As a kid, Ernest Borgnine scared the hell out of me as the sadistic train conductor Shack in The Emperor Of The North."

Borgnine seemed to relish his long working life, saying in an interview posted with Yahoo! Screen, "I never gave up. I've got the best job in the world."

Okay, so they don't exactly look alike -- but what good would that do if the actress playing Janis Joplin couldn't evoke her larger-than-life essence?

Far from a household name, Tony-winning actress Nina Arianda has signed on for her first starring role on the big screen -- a biopic currently titled "Joplin."


The film will feature a whopping 21 Janis Joplin songs, all sung by Arianda -- who has appeared in musicals including "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."

While Arianda doesn't bear much physical resemblance to the late rock icon --who died at the age of 27 in 1970 of a drug overdose -- she does possess arguably the most important ingredient to portraying Janis Joplin: a raspy voice. (See her Tony acceptance speech at 1:17-in.)


The film has been in the works for the past twelve years, and many performers have been considered for the lead -- including actress Zooey Deschanel, pop star Pink, the late Brittany Murphy and singer Melissa Etheridge. It will center around the last six months of the late '60s singer's life, including flashbacks to earlier in her career. Its director is festival darling Sean Durkin, whose film "Martha Marcy May Marlene" earned him the Best Director award at Sundance last year.

Arianda won a best actress Tony Award just last month for her performance in the Broadway play "Venus in Fur," which took its final bow around that same time.

Arianda has appeared in a handful of films in the past few years including Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" and Brett Ratner's "Tower Heist" and smaller film "Higher Ground." She has also appeared on the Julianna Margulies-led television series "The Good Wife."

The Boston, MA, set of crime comedy "The Heat," starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, has been no laughing matter these past few days.

First, 15 people were injured in a bus accident on Monday that involved a collision with a truck associated with the movie. And on Tuesday there was a fatal stabbing near the set in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood.

Boston police say one man was killed and two others were injured after a fight ensued just one block from where "The Heat" was filming. One officer working on the set actually helped chase down a suspect. All of the victims were between the ages of 17 and 21. The survivors injuries are said to not be life threatening.


Onlooker Cara Lisa Berg Powers recounted the reaction of those working on the film [via The Christian Post]: "The director took the bullhorn and called everyone together... He said three people were stabbed and one of them had died. People were stunned and then the crowd broke up."

Another onlooker, Bradley Fuller, says he saw one of the victims [via Boston Herald]: "...a young guy on the ground and people giving him CPR. They were pumping his chest. It looked like he was only about 14 years old. It's so sad, he's just a baby."


Just a day before the deadly scuffle, a city bus rammed into a parked production truck that was being used for film, causing minor injuries in 15 passengers.

In "The Heat," due in theaters next April, Bullock plays an uptight cop who teams up with an FBI Agent to take down a mob boss.