CelebSpice

Recently, the speeding action vehicle that is Dwayne Johnson’s next film – Faster – screeched to a halt, opened its door and spat out Salma Hayek thanks to “scheduling conflicts” mere days before shooting was set to begin. But now the film has picked up a new passenger, with Johnson's Race To Witch Mountain co-star Carla Gugino sliding in to take her place.

Johnson is playing a former prisoner on a mission to avenge his brother’s death with a list of people he’s out to kill. Billy Bob Thornton is playing a police officer hot on his trail, though Variety’s report indicates that Gugino will also play a detective after the ex-con with a need to connect his killings with an old case.

Either way, we’re just happy to see Gugino get more work. With George Tillman Jr at the helm, the film’s shooting now.

You may remember last week that Maggie Grace had signed up for a film called Faster, with Salma Hayek in talks to join her. Now another two names have been added to the cast: Moon Bloodgood, last seen in Terminator Salvation, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who you may remember from Lark Rise To Candleford, if you watch that sort of thing.

The film already stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as an ex-con out to avenge his brother's death, trailed by a police officer (presumably co-star Billy Bob Thornton). Bloodgood will play Johnson's girlfriend (so who does Hayek play?) and Jackson-Cohen will play "a self-made millionaire who kills for fun", who we're going to say is the bad guy.

Shooting starts next month, with George Tillman Jr. directing a script by Robert Teitel and Tony Gayton.

Maggie Grace has signed on to join His Rockness Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton in Faster, with Salma Hayek in talks to join her. There's no road on either's role yet, but we're going to go ahead and cynically predict that Hayek is Johnson's love interest and Grace is Thornton's daughter.

The story sees El Rockerino play an ex-con out to avenge his brother's murder. He's trailed by a "veteran policeman" (Thornton, right?), who's presumably concerned with keeping him on the right side of the law but who will also presumably end up helping with the whole vengeance thing.

By our estimates, the addition of both Grace and Hayek will make the film 67% better looking, with Hayek alone upping the boobies! factor by 89% (The Rock has impressive man-pecs, making up the other 11%).

George Tillman Jr. (Notorious, Men Of Honor) is directing, from a script by Joe and Tony Gayton (The Shepherd: Border Patrol). Shooting begins next month in LA.

Johnny Depp's looking to get back into the world of biopics, eyeing a role as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa for Serbian director Emir Kusturica, with whom he worked on 1993's Arizona Dream.

Kusturica's film will not only boast Depp in the leading role (and Salma Hayek, if she signs as a co-star), but also plans to enter the competition against Percy Jackson for Longest Movie Title, as it's currently lumbered with the moniker Seven Friends Of Pancho Villa And The Woman With Six Fingers. Catchy!

The director and his co-writer Gordan Mihic based their script on James Carlos Blake's novel The Friends Of Pancho Villa, which chronicles both the man's life of fighting the good fight, robbing the nasty rich and making with the sweet lady-pleasing love.

Everything will have to wait a while though: Depp's not available until 2011, so Kusturica will have the time to shoot an entire other film before they start work on the Spanish-language epic…

Penelope Cruz is rumoured to be getting married in December.

The Spanish actress is reportedly planning her wedding to long-term boyfriend Javier Bardem for next month and is shopping for a dress.

A source said: "They will marry very soon, maybe even over the holidays. Since she and Javier are from Spain, she'd love to have a Spanish designer create her dream gown."

It is believed the dress could be created by the House of Balenciaga - which was founded by Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga - the fashion house that designed and made Salma Hayek's gown when she tied the knot with billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault.

The source added to In Touch Weekly magazine: "Salma's dress was specifically designed for her by the company's creative director, Nicolas Ghesquiere, and it was just beautiful.

Salma Hayek has ditched traditional Christmas food for her husband.

The 'Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant' actress, who married French businessman Francois-Henry Pinault earlier this year, was shocked to discover her spouse feasts on luxury shellfish rather than turkey over the festive season in December but she has agreed to sample his menu.

The 43-year-old star said: "Eating oysters for Christmas is a weird one I didn't know about. I had no idea that would be happening. I'm used to turkey. Its going to take some getting used to."

Salma and the French billionaire tied the knot in a romantic civil ceremony in Paris, France, on Valentine's Day (14.02.09).

The couple wed for the second time in a star-studded ceremony in Venice, Italy, in April.

Salma and Francois-Henri - who began dating in 2006 - called off their engagement in July 2008, but eventually decided to get back together after taking two romantic trips to the French capital.

Salma Hayek's daughter was "fascinated" with her fake beard.

The 'Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant' actress - who plays a bearded lady in the fantasy-adventure movie - said her daughter Valentina Paloma wasn't worried about seeing her with facial hair despite being just seven months old at the time.

She is quoted by movie website IESB.net as saying: "She saw me with a beard. She understands it is make-up. She was seven months old and she was not freaking out. I explained the process to her, and she saw it and was fascinated with it, but she knew not to touch it because it was fake.

"She was with me the whole time, and I had to show it to her, or I wouldn't have seen her the whole day. I couldn't put it on and take it off."

This is not the first time the 43-year-old actress - who raises two-year-old Valentina Paloma with husband Francois-Henri Pinault - has had to sport stubble for a role.

She’s been all over the world on a seemingly endless promotional tour, and last night (October 11) Penelope Cruz was in New York City at a special screening of “Broken Embraces.”

The “Vanilla Sky” actress looked lovely as she arrived at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center as part of the 2009 New York Film Festival.

Miss Cruz hammed it up on the red carpet along with fellow actress Salma Hayek, who was also in the house to peep the new flick alongside hubby Francois Henri Pinault.

The night before (October 10), Penelope joined Madonna at a special dinner party honoring director Pedro Allmodovar at the Casa Lever Italian restaurant on Manhattan’s swanky Upper East Side.

Gearing up for the day ahead, Salma Hayek was spotted leaving her New York City hotel earlier today (October 9) carrying her precious little girl Valentina.

The “Desperado” actress looked beautiful as she stepped out onto the Manhattan street, sporting a black and red ensemble as she strolled past the paparazzi.

As for her role in “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” Salma told press she didn’t mind donning a furry beard.

She explained, "I really like the script and the film. I really loved my character and she just happens to have a beard. It could have been any other type of freakiness; I would have still done it."

Making her way into the “Jimmy Kimmell Live!” studio, Salma Hayek was spotted using a back entrance yesterday afternoon (October 2).

The “Lonely Hearts” actress didn’t seem to mind the paparazzi attention as she waved from a distance dressed in black from head to toe.

In the movie, Salma plays Madame Truska, a member of the “Cirque Du Freak” show.