For July 02nd, 2010

Meryl Streep in talks to play Margaret Thatcher

Cinema chameleon Meryl Streep's latest challenge: becoming the Iron Lady. Pathe Films says the two-time Academy Award winner has expressed an interest in playing Margaret Thatcher in a new film about Britain's first female prime minister. The London-based producer and distributor said Thursday that discussions are under way with Streep's representatives, but no agreement is in place. Written by Abi Morgan ("Sex Traffic," ''Brick Lane") the film is provisionally titled "The Iron Lady." Pathe says it "tells the story of a woman who smashed through the barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world." The director is Phyllida Lloyd, who directed Streep in the Abba musical "Mamma Mia!" Filming is due to start at the end of the year.

Mel Gibson sells Connecticut estate for $24M

Actor Mel Gibson has sold his 75-acre estate in Greenwich, Conn., for US$24 million. The property, known as Old Mill Farm, had been on the market since 2007, when it was listed for $39.5 million. It had recently been advertised for $29.7 million. According to town property records, the estate was bought by Cosette Property LLC. It includes a 16,000-square-foot Tudor-style mansion that was built in 1926 for financier George Lewis Ohstrom. It also has a five-horse stable, log cabin, 60-foot swimming pool and a stream-fed pond. Gibson bought the property for $9.3 million in 1994, when he was married to wife Robyn. Gibson recently split from girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he has a 7-month-old daughter.

'ECLIPSE' KEEPS BREAKING RECORDS: Twilight Saga Threequel Sets Best Ever Wednesday Opening Of $68.5M; Twi-Hards Mob Theaters In U.S., Canada, Overseas

I can report now that the 3rd film in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga series of novels is off to a record-breaking start at the North American box office. Summit Entertainment's ECLIPSE opened to $68.5 million today which shattered the best-ever $62 million for a Wednesday single day opening set last summer by Paramount's Transformers 2. That $68.5M included Eclipse's record-setting $30M from Wednesday 12:01 AM and 3 AM showings at more than 4,000 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Eclipse also registered the biggest single day opening during the summer play period, besting The Dark Knight's $67.2M. But the Twilight saga's 2nd film, New Moon, still holds the largest single day opening record of $72 million. Eclipse is playing in 4,416 domestic locations, which sets another record for the biggest ever release in Hollywood history, surpassing Iron Man 2's 4,380 venues.