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BATMAN movie THE DARK KNIGHT has taken more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, making it the fourth highest grossing film of all time.
The action movie, starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, was an instant success when it was released last summer (08).
And now it has taken more than $1 billion in movie theatres - including $533.1 million (£372.8 million) in U.S. cinemas, and more than $468 million (£327 million) overseas.
Titanic remains the highest grossing film of all time, with takings of $1.84 billion. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is second with earnings of $1.12 billion and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is third with $1.07 billion.

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The PET SHOP BOYS are heading in a new musical direction - they are composing a stage ballet.
The British duo - comprising Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe - want to pen a ballet score featuring "electronics and strings".
Frontman Tennant based the show upon a story by fairytale novelist Hans Christian Andersen - and hopes it will be finished by the end of 2010.
He says, "It’s quite a big project. There’s a lot of music to write but we’ve written half an hour of it and we’ve done a bit of a workshop with them.
"It’s got a story, it’s like a Tchaikovsky ballet in that it’s based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen but we have got the choreographer sorted out now.
"We’re going to be working on that across the year but we’re touring so won’t get it really finished until the end of next year."

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TAKE THAT star GARY BARLOW has been struck down with a back injury - just days before he is due to scale Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.
The Back For Good hitmaker is set to leave England to climb the 19,000ft peak in Africa for British organisation Comic Relief on Friday (27Feb09) - but whilst training for the mammoth trek, the singer injured his fourth vertebra.
Barlow has now taken to his bed for the rest of the week in a bid to quell the pain and continue with the challenge, reports Britain’s The Sun newspaper.
A source tells the publication, "Gary has had a twinge in his back for a few weeks. He has a baby daughter and lifting her also put pressure on it. He is now flat on his back at home so the swelling goes down.� A spokesperson for Comic Relief says, �We are fortunate to have the support of eminent sport professionals on the climb. Gary is lucky they found the injury in early stages.�

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MILEY CYRUS has defended the loving relationship she enjoys with her father BILLY RAY CYRUS - insisting their closeness is completely normal.
The Hannah Montana star is frequently at her musician father’s side in public - even inviting him to star on the hit Disney show as her on-screen dad.
She also posed with Billy Ray for a series of snaps in Vanity Fair magazine last year (08), which showed Miley reclining against her dad as he puts his arm around her shoulder.
The shots were slammed by critics because of the pair’s father-daughter relationship - but in her new memoir, Miles To Go, the teenager hits back.
She writes, "The media has said some stuff about my dad and me being too close and too cuddly for a father and a daughter. For me and my dad it’s not weird at all.
"We don’t let other people tell us what expressions we’re supposed to have on our faces when we take a picture together!"

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RIHANNA has released a statement thanking fans for their support, following the publication of a picture appearing to show her beaten and bruised after her fight with ex-boyfriend CHRIS BROWN.
The singer vanished from the public eye after the altercation in Los Angeles on the eve of the Grammy awards on 8 February (09).
A police photograph, thought to show Rihanna’s injuries after the alleged fight with Brown, was leaked online on Thursday (29Feb09) - prompting the star’s representatives to speak out on her behalf.
The statement reads, "At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown. She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time." Brown was charged with making criminal threats following the incident and faces jail time if convicted.

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JESSICA ALBA has accused the media of ruining her 2008 wedding to CASH WARREN, by reporting on the ’secret’ ceremony before she could tell her parents.
The couple wed in a low-key ceremony at the Beverly Hills Courthouse in Los Angeles on 19 May (08), just weeks before Alba gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Honor Marie.
The 27-year-old actress was devastated when news of the wedding leaked and her parents found out from a journalist.
She tells America’s Elle magazine, "The person who helped us sign the documents told the press that day, so my parents found out from a reporter before we got to tell them. We were planning to take them out to dinner and tell them, but that got ruined.
"(I was) More hurt, probably, than anything. It’s not the first time something like that has happened. Journalists feel entitled to do whatever it takes to get a sensational story, no matter how it affects the person involved. We’re not really people, right? We’re just celebrities." And though Alba has vowed not to let the negative attention effect her eight-month-old daughter, she admits she’s become fiercely protective of little Honor.
She adds, "You know, kids pick up on your energy, so the more upset you get about it, the more your kids are affected by it. But I understand how Sean Penn or Alec Baldwin knocks out somebody who’s putting a camera in their kids’ faces. I get that."

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JULIA ROBERTS is grateful to have shared screen time with prank-loving actors RICHARD GERE and MEL GIBSON - because their onset antics gave her early insight into the male psyche.
Roberts was in her twenties when she first appeared alongside Gere in 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman, and with Gibson in their 1997 film Conspiracy Theory.
And the movie star, who is now married to cameraman Danny Moder, admits that developing a platonic bond with the leading men helped her gain confidence around the opposite sex.
She tells Allure magazine, "Early on, I worked with Richard Gere and Denzel (Washington) and Dennis Quaid and Mel Gibson, and all these profoundly smart, handsome guys. I was lucky enough to be part of their lives and become friends with them, and it is interesting to understand a solid perspective of the male psyche as a person who’s non-threatening to that guy. Men are so revealing when they’re not trying to woo you, when you’re not intimidated or being flirty, when you’re just interested."

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GEORGE CLOONEY has been granted a private meeting with U.S. President BARACK OBAMA next week (begs23Feb09) to discuss the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Clooney, a United Nations messenger of peace, will ask Obama to help end a long and bloody conflict which is thought to have killed millions of innocent refugees.
The actor, currently touring the neighbouring African nation of Chad, says "We want him (Obama) to appoint a high-level, full-time diplomat to negotiate and work hard every day for a peace treaty." Clooney notes that the situation in Darfur has not improved since he first visited the region in 2006.
He adds, �I was here three years ago and in some ways there�s not a whole lot of difference. It�s sort of status quo. The problem is that the status quo is unacceptable.�

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Actress SELMA BLAIR was forced to abandon her dream of becoming a professional photographer after failing to break into the industry.
The Hellboy star studied photography during her youth - but turned her back on a camera career to become an actress.
She says, "I did photography all through high school then I got a scholarship. But who knew it was harder to break into photography than it was acting?" But Blair admits she’s not a fan of modern technology and prefers practising photography with old fashioned film rolls.
She adds, "I still do (take photos), but I like the old cameras. I don’t like digital cameras, it’s hard to find places that process films. But I have a box of undeveloped films under my bed, so when I die I hope someone finds it!"

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Movie and TV mogul HARVEY WEINSTEIN has vowed to broadcast the next season of reality show PROJECT RUNWAY- even if it means airing it on the radio.
The sixth installment of the hit show is stranded in limbo as bosses at TV station Bravo battle Weinstein’s attempts to transfer it to the Lifetime network.
The final episode was completed at New York Fashion Week (ends20Feb09), but not a single episode has yet aired - leaving Weinstein and presenter Heidi Klum fuming.
But the Oscar-winning producer has vowed the show will reach audiences - by any means possible.
During an appearance on Ryan Seacrest’s Los Angeles radio show on Friday (20Feb09), Weinstein said, "We’ve taped all 13 episodes and nobody’s seen any of it yet.
"Hopefully we can sit down and work this out.
"But if not, we own the radio rights free and clear - so if you (Seacrest) could describe all 13 episodes…"

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DJ KHALED has been named the new president of record label Def Jam South.
The Palestinian-American is taking on music giant Def Jam’s southern U.S. division, a job once carried out by rapper Scarface.
And he’s been handed a starstudded roster including Ludacris, Young Jeezy and Ace Hood.
Khaled tells MTV News, â��This is what Iâ��ve always wanted to do, be an executive and take it to another level." His first job will be to oversee the release of Rick Ross’ next album Deeper Than Rap.

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A secret romance is blossoming between SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE actors DEV PATEL and FREIDA PINTO - according to their co-star ANIL KAPOOR.
The pair play childhood sweethearts in the Oscar-nominated movie, and their offscreen friendship has prompted rumours of a real life romance.
Patel dismissed the speculation last month (Jan09), insisting he and Pinto are platonic "soulmates". He said, "We’re soulmates because we’re both in this surreal situation. She is very beautiful (but) there’s no romance." But Pinto, 24, is rumoured to have ended her relationship with her fiance Rohan Antao earlier this month (Feb09) - opening the way for her to date 18-year-old Patel.
And Bollywood star Kapoor - who plays an gameshow host in the film - is sure they are more than just friends.
Appearing on Friday’s (20Feb09) Ryan Seacrest breakfast show in Los Angeles, Kapoor said, "When I meet them, I feel there is something happening. She says ‘no, I have to look after him, I have to babysit him.’ But I think this is the start of something exciting happening.
"They definitely make a great pair. They look very good together."

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Former NINE INCH NAILS drummer JOSH FREESE is bidding to cash in on his time in the band - by offering fans the chance to pay to hang out with him.
Freese, who quit the group late last year (08) to spend more time with his family, has created 11 bizarre meet-and-greet packages ranging in price from $7 to $75,000 ($5 to $53,000).
For $7 fans get a digital download of his new solo album Since 1972; for $50 they get the album, a T-shirt and a five-minute phone call from Freese; and $500 (GBP350) buys the lucky fan a dinner date with the star.
Freese will wash the car or clean the laundry of anyone willing to hand over $1,000 (GBP700); and a $10,000 (GBP7,000) contribution lands a double date; a day at Disneyland and Freese’s Volvo car.
For $75,000 Freese will write a five song EP about the bidders life, work as their personal assistant for a month; and invite them to "take ’shrooms (magic mushrooms) and cruise Hollywood in Danny (Carey) from (rock band) Tool’s Lamborghini".
Fans with deep pockets can check out the deals in full on Freese’s website.

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Veteran rapper LUTHER CAMPBELL has hit out at reports he was jailed for skipping child support payments and accused the media and authorities in his native Miami, Florida of waging a vendetta against him.
Reports this week (18Feb09) suggested the 48-year-old 2 Live Crew star had been thrown behind bars for failing to make payments to his ex-lover Shakera Morgan.
But Campbell insists he was jailed ‘unfairly’ because of unpaid legal fees, not child support payments.
In a statement released to Allhiphop.com he says, "The Miami Herald erroneously reported that I went to jail for failure to pay child support when in fact I’m the first person I know of to go to jail for failure to pay attorney’s fees and not child support. The matter at issue pertained to attorney’s fees.
"Please note that my payment of $11,613.10 for actual child support was paid back in October 23, 2008. Therefore, my payment as to child support was and is current." The star is so upset he has vowed to leave Miami for good, adding, "At this point I am tired of fighting the city of Miami. I’m putting my house up for sale and getting the hell out. If you want to buy it let me know."

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Former AMERICAN IDOL star CLAY AIKEN has been ditched by his record label RCA after his last album flopped.
Aiken sold just 159,000 copies of 2008 release One My Way Here, a dramatic drop from his 2003 debut, which managed sales of more than 2.5 million.
The 30-year-old’s representative Cindi Berger claims the split was caused by a breakdown in contract talks.
She tells People.com, "We were unable to come to terms in a recent contract negotiation, and decided that it was best to move on."

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Movie icon turned animal-rights-activist BRIGITTE BARDOT has written an open letter to U.S. President BARACK OBAMA, begging him to ban seal products.
Bardot appealed to French leader Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this month (Feb09), voicing her outrage over laws that permit seal hunting.
And as the leaders of the European Union consider a ban on seal products, Bardot has expressed her "immense hope" that Obama will use his positive ties in Europe to lobby for the ban.
In a statement released on Friday (20Feb09), the French star urged Obama to finally put a stop to the cruel treatment of the animals for the production of meat, oils and pelts, "even if I know that he is in demand from all directions and he already has a lot to do in his own country".
The star linked her appeal to Obama’s visit to Canada on Thursday (19Feb09) - a country widely criticised for its annual seal hunt.
The U.S. banned Canadian seal products in 1972.

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RIHANNA’s father is furious a police photograph appearing to show the badly beaten singer has been leaked online.
The photograph, which was posted on celebrity website TMZ.com on Thursday (19Feb09), features a close-up of a female resembling the star with contusions on her forehead, a swollen nose and a bloody lip.
The injuries are said to relate to a fight between Rihanna and her then-boyfriend Chris Brown in the early hours of 8 February (09), which allegedly left her in need of hospital treatment.
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an official investigation into the matter to determine how photos of a domestic violence victim were leaked to the press.
But the star’s dad, Ronald Fenty, is dissatisfied with the LAPD’s efforts, telling People.com the leak shows "sloppy work on their part".
But Fenty tells Usmagazine.com he hopes some good will come out of the leak, adding the public will now be able to "grasp the situation a lot better".
He adds, "Yeah, I saw it. It’s disturbing. It’s good and it’s bad to see the picture because there’s other people who were thinking differently, that (the injuries) may not be that bad, just a little spank or a little thing." Brown is facing possible jail time after he was charged by Los Angeles police with making criminal threats following the incident.
Police have yet to present Brown’s case to prosecutors.

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DAVID HASSELHOFF has blasted America’s liberal firearms laws, insisting he refuses to have guns in his house because they encourage violence.
The former Baywatch star is disgusted that it is perfectly legal to carry a pistol in some U.S. states, even while out in public.
And he is adamant some areas have turned into "the Wild West" - even though many people believe owning a firearm is a good deterrent to burglars.
He says, "That’s kind of a double-edged sword. My daughter lives in Atlanta and they are allowed to carry guns in their cars. It’s like the Wild West there. If there’s a gun around, I believe you are going to use it. I think it’s really dangerous to have a gun in your house, so I would never, never have a gun in my house."

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