Penélope Cruz discreetly attended the Cannes Film Festival this year. She was mostly in support of boyfriend Javier Bardem who’s new film Biutiful was premiering. She attended the film’s screening by slipping in a secret entrance and not walking the red carpet but was spooted inside with Javier and later photographed exiting. And yesterday she attended the Palme d’Or Award Ceremony which closes the festival.

On the 9th day, May 20th, she also helped raise $333,000 for the earthquake-stricken nation of Haiti by auctioning off her designer dresses which aide the Jenkins-Penn Haitian relief organization. The Spanish actress stepped out in a gorgeous red wrap dress and silver shoes to mark the occasion. One celeb that really came up trump for the auction was Pe’s good friend, Salma Hayek who donated the first ever Gucci Couture dress, which she wore to day one of the Cannes film festival.

Although there is a good bit of paparazzi candids of her from Cannes, I obviously will not be posting these more intrusive ones as Penélope tried very hard at not being photographed so I wish to respect her privacy. I did however add a couple of shots I felt were okay.

Pe has now left France and is back in Madrid.

We’re just a couple of days away now from Sex and the City 2 hitting cinemas! Recently a slew of posters were released, so check those out in the gallery.

Also tonight, MakingOf.com hosts a Live Red Carpet Feed from the Sex and the City 2 premiere right here on Monday May 24th, 2010 at 6:00pm Edt.

I don’t think Pe will be attended since she was spotted in Madrid early this morning, but you can check out the premiere either way :)

Not surprising, Walt Disney Pictures has announced that the fourth installment of Jerry Bruckheimer’s popular action franchise Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, directed by Rob Marshall, will be filmed in Disney Digital 3D. Bruckheimer’s only previous 3D movie before that was last year’s G-Force. I think the news is kind of exciting, but we’re being so bombarded with 3D it’s quite annoying. However, at least this one will be true 3D and not fake / up-converted later!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is still slated for release on May 20, 2011.

Source: ComingSoon.net

Penélope Cruz and her sister Monica tower over Tokyo in new billboards for designer Japanese band Samantha Thavasa.

The 36-year-old Oscar-winner and her sister, 33, look stunning on the 100ft-high billboard above the Samantha Thavasa flagship store near Harajuku.

Another ad above the store shows Cruz with her latest handbag design for the trendy Japanese company.

Beyonce, Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton and Jennifer Lopez have all previously helped design bags for the label.

Actress Penélope Cruz was offered a role in the upcoming Sex And The City film after she admitted watching the first movie 15 times.

Director Michael Patrick King revealed that the Spanish beauty was offered a cameo in the film after she revealed she was a huge fan of the 2008 hit.

“It”s interesting because Penélope said to me, ”I”ve seen that first movie 15 times! I put it on when I want to feel happy and I put it on when I want to feel sad.” Penélope is a devoted follower of those girls and Mr. Big so I needed a part and I thought, ”Who better to play that part than Penélope?” the Daily Star quoted King as saying.

“But Penélope didn”t approach me – I went after her. She”s not playing herself whereas we also have Liza Minnelli who is playing herself and Miley Cyrus who also plays herself,” he added.

Source: Hindustan Times

Yahoo is reporting that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, has had its budget cut by more than a third of what was expected. This is pretty shocking to me considering how sure fire well these flicks do at the box office – but more money doesn’t necessarily equal a better film! Hopefully the budget cuts will force the crew to get more creative and we’ll be in for a really great Pirates film – more in vein of the first one! The main change – the film will not be shot in the Caribbean.

Perhaps most devastating (at least from the perspective of a Pirates purist), is the news that the fourth installment of the franchise will not be shooting in the Caribbean (you know, like the title says) or Los Angeles. Those locations have been scrapped for the less expensive Hawaii and London. Perhaps the film should be renamed, Pirates of the Thames: Maybe We Can Also Use the ‘Lost’ Set. And for the crew hoping to get a tropical suntan — or perhaps acquire a Madonna-like accent — they’re out of luck: shooting has been cut down from 145 to a lean 90 days.

Like the Pirate predecessors, the fourth installment is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer — producer of films such as Armageddon and Top Gun — someone who isn’t necessarily used to budget cuts. The cuts stem from the new studio Chairman Rich Ross who has tightened the budgets considerably since taking over for former Chairman Dick Cook, who was fired from Disney in September of 2009.

Source: Yahoo! News

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.

READ MORE »

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.

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.

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)