CelebSpice

Michelle Monaghan has joined the fact-based drama Machine Gun Preacher, which Marc Forster is gearing up to direct.

Gerard Butler is already in place to play reformed druggie biker Sam Childers, who saw the error of his ways, found religion, but channelled some of his old fire and fury into becoming a real problem for Ugandan rebels who kidnap children.

Revolutionary Road's Michael Shannon is also negotiating to take a role, that of Childers’ friend, who helped his wife (Monaghan) work out her own problems while her hubby was locked in prison or out saving lives in Africa.

Forster will kick off filming this summer.

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Duncan Jones is a lucky, lucky git. After making the beloved sci-fi pic Moon, he's now hard at work preparing to shoot Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal. And the latest recruits for his new endeavour? Only Up In The Air's Vera Farmiga and Eagle Eye's Michelle Monaghan.

Source Code will find a soldier (Gyllenhaal) acting as part of an experimental government program, transported into the body of a commuter continually reliving a train bombing until he can track down who is behind the attack.

Monaghan has already signed on to play a woman with whom the unknown traveller is romantically involved with, while Farmiga is in negotiations to take the part of the soldier's controller during his trips through time and space.

Filming is scheduled for March and we'll say it again: Duncan Jones is a lucky git. But he's earned his shot - and we're excited to see what he does with the film.

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U.S. actress Michelle Monaghan said she worked hard to earn her commercial driver's license for her role in the independent film "Trucker."

"It was really hard for me," Monaghan admitted in a recent phone interview with UPI. "I can't even drive a 5-speed and me making the movie depended on it. I really made a deal with myself and with (director James Mottern) that I wouldn't make the movie unless I could get the license because it was so informative of who she is as a character that I just knew I wouldn't be able to portray her in the way James deserved her to be and it was very challenging. I had a very patient and brave driving instructor for two and a half weeks and he taught me how to drive the truck and parallel park and drop and hook; the whole kit and kaboodle. I had to learn how to do it. He was amazing."

While the "Eagle Eye" and "Gone Baby Gone" actress confessed she was a little surprised she actually walked away with her commercial driver's license, she said Mottern expressed only unwavering confidence that she would accomplish her goal.

"He said, 'There was never any doubt in my mind, Michelle, that you would get your license,'" the 33-year-old actress recalled. "I remember calling him to tell him I got the license and I was probably near tears and his reaction was like: 'Well, yeah, I knew you were going to. There was never any doubt …' And I was like, 'But I really got it, we can go make this movie now.' And he was like, 'That's why I've kept pre-production going.' … He had more faith in me than I had in myself."

In the movie, Monaghan plays a truck driver who reluctantly reconnects with her estranged son after his father becomes ill.

A big hit on the film festival circuit, "Trucker" is in theaters now.

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Stepping out for a promotional appearance, Michelle Monaghan was spotted arriving at the PIX 11 Morning News Show this morning (October 8).

The “Eagle Eye” babe looked city chic as she strolled past the paparazzi, sporting a black and white cleavage-baring dress with black heels.

Miss Monaghan stars in the upcoming indie film “Trucker” and will begin filming “Due Date” with Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, and Zach Galifianakis.

And it sounds like Michelle is looking forward to the project. "Yeah, I get to have a little fun. And I'm mostly excited to get to be working with Robert."

Having convincingly cut up rough in Quantum Of Solace – and earned herself a Jameson Empire Awards Best Actress nomination – Olga Kurylenko is playing another vengeance-fuelled femme fatale, this time in Neil Marshall’s Centurion.

According to the script her character, Etain, is “a savage-looking Pict warrior woman” and you can judge the accuracy of the description yourself, by taking a gander at Empire’s exclusive picture of the erstwhile Bond girl in action.

Marshall dealt with military mayhem in Dog Soldiers, women forced to violence in The Descent and Scotland-set carnage in Doomsday and is combining all three in his fourth feature, a relentless action-adventure set in AD 117 (63 years before the events of Gladiator).

“Etain is kind of revenge incarnate,” says the writer/director, speaking to Empire exclusively on set. “Her family were butchered by the Romans, she had her tongue cut out by the Romans, she’s had a hell of a time and she’s out for Roman blood.”

“She’s quite furious,” agrees Kurylenko. “Because one sense is not there – she can’t speak – all the others are more developed. She sees very well and hears very well: she is an animal!”

Kurylenko stars alongside Hunger’s Michael Fassbender, who plays the title character, stranded behind enemy lines, and a superb roster of established and up’n’coming talent, including Dominic West, Noel Clarke, David Morrisey, JJ Feild and Riz Ahmed (soon to be seen in the rather excellent Brit-grit thriller Shifty, out April 24).

Centurion is being produced by Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-snaffler Christian Colson and Robert Jones (Run Fatboy Run) and Empire has visited its sets in both Scotland and Surrey and witnessed the action and intensity up close, so expect regular updates online and in the magazine, in the build up to its release (likely to be later this year).

Arriving alongside boyfriend Hugh Dancy, Claire Danes was on-hand for The 61st Annual DGA Awards held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Saturday night (January 31).

Looking stunning in a flowing blue dress, the 29-year-old "Stardust" sweetheart was in attendance as one of the evening's presenters, joining the likes of Sean Penn, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Michelle Monaghan.

Teaming up with actor Michael Shannon for her onstage duties, Claire handed out the Outstanding directorial achievement in a comedy series plaque to Paul Feig for his work on the "Dinner Party" episode of NBC's "The Office".

Meanwhile, the night's big winner was Danny Boyle, who won the top prize for his directorial work on the hit movie "Slumdog Millionaire".