Over fifty years since her tragic death at the age of 36, Marilyn Monroe is still mourned by millions of people who were captivated by her incredible beauty and charm.

Many actresses have tried to capture the Monroe aura in several films about her life which include Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino and more recently, Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn (2011).

But it looks as though another Hollywood beauty will be tackling the coveted role next year with lovely red-headed actress Jessica Chastain being lined up to play the blonde icon in a new film.

The Oscar-nominated star of The Tree of Life (2011), The Help (2011) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012) is set to portray Monroe in the biopic ‘Blonde‘ which is being helmed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Killing Them Softly).

Adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ 2001 novel, the story will focus on Monroe’s  life via a mixture of historical and biographical sources.

Naomi Watts (King Kong, The Impossible) was originally set to portray her when the project was first announced but had to back down. Ironically, Chastain was supposed to play Princess Diana in the ill-fated 2013 biopic Diana but dropped out with Watts taking on the controversial role.

Away from our screens for far too long, Jessica has a large array of films coming up in the next twelve months which include The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby – Him & Her, Miss Julie, A Most Violent Year and Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.

Musicals tend to do well when adapted to the big-screen particularly in the cases of Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of the Opera and more recently, Les Miserables.

The latest sing-a-long phenomenon to get the cinematic treatment is the Jersey Boys, which centres on the rising success of Italian American singer Frankie Valli and his group, the Four Seasons. The group were based known for singing renowned hits like “Walk like a Man”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and of course, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”.

Helmed by veteran Oscar-winning legend Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby), the 1960s-based biopic unveiled its official trailer earlier today.

John Lloyd Young, who won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Valli in the Broadway hit, reprises the role for the film. The supporting cast includes Vincent Piazza (Boardwalk Empire), Steve Schirripa (The Sopranos), Kathrine Narducci (The Sopranos) and Oscar-winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Pulp Fiction).

John Logan (Hugo, Skyfall) has written the script which is adapted from Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice’s acclaimed production.

The film will be released in the UK on June 20th.

1920 – 2014

“The audience and I are friends. They allowed me to grow up with them. I’ve let them down several times. They’ve let me down several times. But we’re all family.”

Mickey Rooney, the veteran Hollywood star who spent 80 years of his life starring in more than 200 films, has died at the age of 93.

His death was confirmed last night after he succumbed to natural causes following a long battle with illness.

He began his lengthy career in 1937 when he took on the role of Andy Hardy in A Family Affair. He would go on to portray the character in thirteen more films with the final one being Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958).

Just two years after his breakthrough role, the Academy Awards recognised Rooney twice for his rising talent with both a Best Actor nomination for the rom-com Babes in Arms (1939) and a Special Juvenile Oscar (which he would share with fellow young star Deanna Durbin).

That same year, he also starred in the title role of young hero Huckleberry Finn in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

He would go on to receive three more nominations in his renowned career with the first one being his role as teenager Homer Macaulay in coming-of-age drama The Human Comedy (1943).

The other two were both Supporting Actors nods for war drama The Bold and the Brave (1956) and the other being veteran horse trainer Henry Dailey in The Black Stallion (1979). He would go on to reprise his role as Dailey in the television spinoff series The New Adventures of the Black Stallion (1990-1993).

Almost fifty years after winning his juvenile Oscar, Rooney was eventually awarded the Honorary accolade in 1983.

He also became well known for appearances in National Velvet (1948), Baby Face Nelson (1957), It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and his controversial portrayal of Asian landlord Mr. Yunioshi in the cinematic classic Breakfast at Tiffanys (1961).

Rooney was also popular amongst young audiences with appearances in Pete’s Dragon (1977), Night at the Museum (2006) and a brief musical cameo in The Muppets (2011). He also lent his voice to several animated films with the most memorable being his role as canine dog Copper in the Disney flick The Fox and the Hound (1981).

Remarkably, he married eight times throughout his prestige life although he did file for bankruptcy in 1962, after using up his $12 million wealth.

It’s starting to become a trend seeing British sitcoms be immortalised onto the big-screen these days. Sometimes it works (The Thick of It, The Inbetweeners) and sometimes it doesn’t (Dad’s Army, Steptoe and Son).

But one popular comedy that will hope to succeed is Brendan O’Carroll’s witty and coarse series Mrs Brown’s Boys which is now getting the fecking cinematic treatment.

Fans of the hit BBC show will be pleased to be informed that its trailer has now premiered online.

The film’s plot will see old lady Agnes Brown (O’Carroll) battle to keep her Moore Street market stall open when a dangerous developer vows to have it closed down.

The show’s director Ben Killer is helming the film while various series regulars are also making an appearance.

Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie will be released in cinemas on June 27th.