Film Flash! Madonna saddles up

We all know how intelligent and clued up This is London readers are, so we're making sure you've got the inside track on what's under development in Tinseltown with our weekly updates!

Updated Thursday 10 June 2004...

Madonna has landed a new film role, playing a gunslinging 1920s cowgirl. The singer will play silent movie star Texas Guinan in Martin Scorsese's big-screen musical Hello Sucker!

Eddie Murphy has agreed to star in a comedy based on Romeo and Juliet. The as-yet-untitled film will be told from the point of view of the lovers' parents, reports Variety.

LOTR star Viggo Mortensen is to star in a movie based on graphic novel A History of Violence. It tells the story of a family after the father receives national attention for a seemingly vigilante-style self-defence killing. Viggo will play the father.

Woody Allen is reportedly preparing to film his next movie in London with Kate Winslet in a starring role. Variety magazine says details are still secret but reports that shooting is due to start on July 12.

The director of Stepford Wives has admitted that he recently filmed a new ending to the movie. According to Teletext Frank Oz has denied reports that the new ending was as a result of disastrous reactions to the film at test screenings. "It wasn't that they didn't like it. It wasn't satisfying," he said.