According to Screen International, Oscar winning actress Penélope Cruz is set to work with actor-director Sergio Castellito once again in a film adaptation of the Italian bestselling war story entitled Venuto Al Mondo by Margaret Mazzantini. Keep in mind this has not been confirmed by a more reputable source.

Cruz last worked with Castellito in the 2004 drama Don’t Move which did good business in Italy with over $10 million, but received a cold release in the states, making under $400,000 at the B.O.Don’t Move was also based on a novel by Mazzantini who happens to be Castellito’s wife. Though Castellito is still looking for partners to finance the film, he plans to start production in 2011.

Venuto al Mondo, which can be roughly translated as ‘brought into the world’, takes place during wartime torn Sarajevo during the Balkans 1990s conflict. Cruz’s role will be that of a mother who returns home with her adolescent son in search of their roots.

Venuto Al Mondo sold 600,000 copies in Italy and has also been released in Spain and France. The book will hit U.S. stores in 2011. The movie will be shot between Rome, Sarajevo, Belgrade and Croatia.

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On her birthday, a few days ago, Penélope was photographed on the set of a photoshoot for an upcoming Lancôme project.

Today, Lancôme has announced that the Oscar-winning actress will be the new ambassadress for the company’s fragrance Trésor, starting later this year.

(RED) is introducing The Lazarus Effect Campaign, intended to increase awareness for its efforts to fight AIDS in Africa.

The campaign, directed by renowned photographer Brigitte Lacombe, has celebrities rattle off items that could be bought for 40 cents (the value of one day’s worth of life transforming antiretroviral medication). Penélope Cruz is featured as well as other celebrities like Bono, Javier Bardem, Julianne Moore, Claire Danes, Iman, Hugh Jackman, Orlando Bloom, Lucy Liu, Gabourey Sidibe, Kerry Washington, Bryan Cranston, Jane Lynch, Michelle Rodriguez, Gwen Stefani, Hayden Christensen, Don Cheadle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ludacris, Common, Benicio Del Toro, Dakota Fanning and Christy Turlington.

The Lazarus Effect documentary will air on May 24 on HBO with director Spike Jonze as executive producer. Watch the PSA after the jump.

Yesterday on her birthday, Pe was spotted in Paris, France doing what appears to be a photoshoot for Lancôme. Celebrity-Gossip.net has some photos for your viewing. In the snaps she’s photographed with Mario Testino on the balcony of the Hotel Crillon.

Currently, Kate Winslet and Julia Roberts are spokesmodels for the brand, I’m not sure what Penélope’s duties will be as a model or when her ads might start appearing but this is very exciting since her duties with Mango ended and I’m ready to see more regular Cruz ads, in addition to her L’Oréal stuff. Lancôme Paris is a luxury beauty brand. Owned by L’Oréal since 1964, Lancôme is part of the Luxury Products division, which offers skin care, fragrances, and makeup at higher-end price points.

Yesterday, April 28, 2010 is Penélope Cruz’s 36th birthday. We at Penelope-Cruz.org want to wish our Spanish Enchantress the happiest birthday and we hope she had a magical day spent among friends and loved ones!

Here is a bit of new information regarding Melancholia re-casting and a new Pirates of the Caribbean star.

After ending her involvement in Spider-Man film franchise, Kirsten Dunst has snatched another coveted role. She has just been tapped to play the major female character in Melancholia which is directed and written by Lars von Trier, so Deadline Hollywood mentioned.

Penélope Cruz was initially negotiating for the part, but she eventually dropped it allegedly to star opposite Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. There has been no further description on the character that now belongs to Dunst.

Production Weekly tweets that British actor Stephen Graham (Snatch, Gangs of New York and Baby Face Nelson in Public Enemies) has been cast as “Scram” in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Source: IGN and Ace Showbiz

A fantastic treat will be hitting newsstands soon!

Penélope Cruz guest-edited next month’s French Vogue, which has three different covers.

One cover sees modern day screen legends Penélope, Kate Winslet, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts. All the ladies are wearing (RED) clothing, designed to eliminate AIDS in Africa.

While on the other covers, she poses as the other half of Bono’s face, and finally, she toplessly embraces Meryl Streep.

I do not have access to this magazine but I’m hoping we will have scans soon. Please consider donating the other various Pe covers if you manage to obtain and scan them – it would be tremendously appreciated! I can’t wait to see the inside contents!

The full length theatrical trailer for Sex and the City 2 was released today. You can watch it in high definition at Yahoo.com. Penélope Cruz has a small role as a character named Lydia in the movie which releases on May 10, 2010.

Nine will be making its way to Region 1 DVD and Blu-Ray May 4, 2010.

Region 1 Special Features include the following:
– Commentary with Director Rob Marshall and Producer John DeLuca
– 8 Featurettes
– 3 Music Videos
– Sophia Loren Remembers Cinecitta Studios (Blu-ray only)
– BD Exclusive: Screen Actors Guild Q&A (Blu-ray only)
– movieIQ+sync featuring the “Nine” Playlist and BD-Live connect you to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie! (Blu-ray only)

Entertainment in Video has also announced the Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray release of Nine for the April 19, priced at around £19.99 and £24.99 respectively.

Region 2 Special Features include the following:
– The Incomparable Daniel Day Lewis Featurette
– The Women of Nine Featurette
– Director Rob Marshall Featurette
– Behind the Look of Nine Featurette
– The Dancers of Nine Featurette
– The Choreography of ‘Cinema Italiano’ Featurette
– The Choreography of ‘Be Italian’ Featurette
– Making of ‘Cinema Italiano’ Featurette
– ‘Take It All’ Music Video
– ‘Cinema Italiano’ Music Video
– ‘Unusual Way’ Music Video
– Sophia Loren Remembers Cinecitta Studios (BD Exclusive)
– Screen Actors Guild Q&A Session (BD Exclusive)