Film News and gossip

(Newser) - Tom Cruise mourns the sudden death of John Travolta’s son and defends Scientology in an appearance on The View taped to air tomorrow, ABC News reports. "It's just horrific. Here you have a man, both of them doting parents, they're wonderful people and…” Cruise says, trailing off. He dismisses the notion that religious views played a role in Jett's care. More »

(Newser) - Louisiana prosecutors have agreed to drop all charges against Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright for a July barroom brawl the two allegedly got into while filming Oliver Stone’s W . Brolin and Wright, along with five members of the film’s crew, faced misdemeanor charges from the fight, People reports. More »

(Newser) - Valkyrie star Tom Cruise could be a “real-life hero”—by putting up the cash to purchase Adolf Hitler’s globe before United Artists is sued over it, the New York Post reports. The globe, a replica of which was featured prominently in Valkyrie , is owned by San Francisco ad exec Bob Pritkin. He copyrighted the artifact’s likeness so it wouldn't be used by neo-Nazi groups and is threatening to sue after seeing the movie. More »

(Newser) - He’s already king of rap and has his own fashion line, record label, movie production company, and restaurant—but that’s not enough for Diddy: He wants to be the black version of James Bond, reports the New York Post . Sean Combs tells Britain’s Observer that in the next 007 flick, he should play the British icon’s “counterpart in the United States.” More »

(Newser) - Now 45 and the father of six, Brad Pitt appears ready to shed the image of clowning heartbreaker to tackle weightier matters in life and work, writes Reed Johnson in the Los Angeles Times . Pitt’s role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , in which his character ages backward, challenged him to assess his own life, he says. “Once you hit 40, you start reexamining the math of it all. I’ll trade wisdom for youth any day.” More »

(Newser) - America's financial crisis hasn't stopped studios from dropping big money in their quest for Oscars, Nikki Finke writes on Deadline Hollywood Daily. Amid layoffs and cutbacks, Paramount took out 7 full-page ads for Revolutionary Road in the New York Times , and Disney spent $675,000 for a Wall-E insert in the LA Times . "So a $675,000 insert is falling out of newspapers sent to 1 in 10 homes in foreclosure," one insider said. More »

(Newser) - Batman’s next nemesis may be funnier than the Joker. Eddie Murphy, 47, will play the Riddler in the series’ next installment, due in 2010, the Sun reports. “Everyone’s excited to see what he does as the Riddler,” an insider said. Christopher Nolan returns as director, and Christian Bale as Batman. Other cast news: Shia LaBeouf is Robin, and Rachel Weisz may play Catwoman. More »