Newcomer Mia Wasikowska has been panned for her portrayal of Alice in the Tim Burton 3-D fantasy Alice In Wonderland that debuted last week.

Media in Wasikowska’s homeland, Australia, reported the panning by a British movie critic who declared the 20-year-old looked like she was “on heroin”.

The movie stars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, Burton’s wife. Robbie Collin, the critic from News of the World, did not spare his pen for the stars, either.

Depp’s Mad Hatter he called a “flailing, pointless idiot”. Depp gave “the worst role he’s played in his life”.

Collin found Bonham Carter, star of the Merchant Ivory flicks, lifeless. “Put some bloody EFFORT into it, woman,” he said of her portrayal of the Red Queen. Collin likened the performance to a “seventh-rate impression of Queenie from Blackadder II”.

For him, the movie was a “bona fide, bums-in-the-air fiasco that needs to be burned and the ashes hurtled off in the direction of the nearest black hole as soon as you can, NASA”.

He also said: “In fact, it’s Lesbian Vampire Killers bad – the kind of film that you don’t just dislike or even hate, but one that your body physically rejects like a dodgy organ transplant.”

Collin said of Wasikowska: “There’s not been a lead character this paper-flat since the South Park movie. The girl’s got all the warmth of a refrigerated trout, and a face you’d expect to see Blu-Tacked to the inside of a London phone box. She’s not a heroine – she looks like she’s ON heroin.”

Gwyneth Paltrow is going for old Hollywood glamour for her next movie role.

The Oscar-winning actress has reportedly signed up to play screen legend Marlene Dietrich.

The Iron Man star has been linked to the lead role in a BBC drama based on the life of the German actress, who died in 1992.

Dietrich’s personal life was just as colourful as her high-profile film roles – she was bisexual and allegedly battled a dependency on drink and drugs throughout her career.

She was also rumoured to have enjoyed a string of love affairs with stars including Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner and John Wayne.

Scriptwriter Andrew Davies, who also penned the screenplays for Bridget Jones’ Diary and the recent version of Brideshead Revisited, has based the film on a 1992 biography of Dietrich by the actress’ daughter Maria Riva.

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto has landed a role in new movie Dawn of War.

The 25-year-old beauty is also working on Woody Allen’s flick You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.

It is now claimed she will play the role of Phaedra opposite The Tudors star Henry Cavill in Dawn of War by Tarsem Singh Dhandwar. Bosses are reportedly considering releasing the film in 3D.

The actress, who shot to fame when she played Latika in Danny Boyle’s hit movie, is a busy lady – she is also currently working on the movie Miral.

Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed has praised Pinto’s success in international films.

He has urged the Government of India and other Indian film organisations to start world training academies for different parts of Indian cinema.

Actress Penelope Cruz is reportedly in talks to star in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

The 35-year-old is said to be negotiating a role opposite Johnny Depp in the fourth film in the swash-buckling franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

The fourth movie will be directed by Nine’s Rob Marshall and filming will begin in Hawaii in the summer.

Jerry Bruckheimer will be producing the movie, which is scheduled for release on May 20, 2011, according to Variety.

Disney have kept details of the film’s plot a secret and it is being written by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott.

Johnny Depp is planning to direct a new documentary about Rolling Stones rock star Keith Richards. This will be the actor’s first project behind the camera in over ten years! The two are reportedly friends and Johnny famously claimed that the rock icon’s behavior was his inspiration for Captain Jack Sparrow in the ‘Pirates of Caribbean’ films, which was enough to warrant Keith’s appearance in the last film as Sparrow’s dad. The documentary might be interesting so I’d probably check it out. I’m a fan of both their works anyway and it should be interesting to see how good Johnny would be behind the camera as he is in front of it.

Invictus star Morgan Freeman believes there will be a third Batman movie but it’s ‘not carved in stone’ that he will appear in it.

Freeman, 72, played the role of Lucius Fox in the two recent Batman movies – Batman Begins and The Dark Knight – and said he thinks there will be a third film.

He told BBC Radio One: “Well… I always say, now I’ve been asked this question a number of times, and I don’t think that Warner Brothers… the board of directors… the chairman or the president… or any of those people are stupid.

“Which means there’s going to be another Batman movie.”

Asked if he will be part of that movie, he said: “Now that’s not carved in stone. We’ll only know that when the script is written and the same guy’s writing the third script, if there is to be one.”

The story of American surfer Bethany Hamilton, who survived a horrifying shark attack, will be told on the big screen – with the help of some famously named stars.

Hamilton will be played by AnnaSophia Robb, while her best friend, Alana Blanchard, will be played by Jack Nicholson’s daughter, Lorraine. Sean Brosnan, son of Pierce, will play Hamilton’s brother, Noah.

Hamilton, 19, was just 13 when a shark tore off her left arm just below her shoulder. She was with Blanchard when the accident occurred, on October 21, 2003.

Hamilton, who was in Sydney for a tournament, said of Robb: “She’s super-cool. A great girl. We’ve met in Hawaii and hung out.”

Hamilton said she would be doing most of the surfing in the film, which is scheduled to start production at the end of the month.

When scenes requiring a one-armed stunt woman were required, Hamilton offered to step in. She explained: “They wanted a one-armed person doing it and that’s not easy to find.”

Hamilton was competing in the Billabong world junior surfing championships at a Sydney northern beach. She added: “I am excited about the role. But it will be intense seeing people playing my family and me.”

Actress Charlize Theron has said that she would “love” to be involved in a sequel to The Italian Job remake.

The 34-year-old played the role of Stella in the 2003 flick, which also starred Mark Wahlberg and Donald Sutherland.

There have been rumours of a sequel but Theron said there are no definite plans but she hopes it still goes ahead.

Talking about news of a sequel, she said to UK newspaper Daily Mirror: “I have no idea. I hope it happens soon. They’ve been trying to get a script ready for eight years now and I would love to get involved. But I have no control over that process. If it happens they know that I want to be on board again.”

Sigourney Weaver’s passion for her work has left her guilty over motherhood choices.

She revealed that she was torn when her daughter, Charlotte, now 19, was going through the difficult time of applying to college. Weaver, who was at work on Avatar, had to leave the set.

“Leaving almost killed me. I was a bitch, because I made her do all the essays and applications before I left. I made her life miserable. It’s tough being away – it never gets easier.”

She continued: “I’ve always had a lot of guilt about leaving my family, because I enjoy work so much. I think it was definitely mixed for Charlotte growing up. I remember a friend of mine said to her: ‘Don’t you know that your mum is a huge feminist icon for all women?’ And she said: ‘That goes in the little box of things I don’t need to know’.”

Weaver, 60, recently went against the grain of older actresses when she said she did not think her age weighed in to whether or not she got a part. She revealed she has more work than she can handle. She said:”I’m grateful I’m so busy, though. The parts get better as I get older. I think I’ve been very lucky.”

Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp are set for some saucy scenes in their upcoming movie The Tourist.

Jolie, 34, and Depp, 46, have both signed on for the new flick and Life & Style has obtained a copy of the movie’s draft script, which revealed the steamy action that takes place.

The movie sees Depp play the part of American tourist Frank Taylor, who Jolie’s character, Interpol agent Cara Mason, uses to get what she wants.

The script says: “The outline of her naked body is visible in the shower. Frank walks to the shower and opens the glass door.

“Walking in, he lifts Cara against the glass, clutching at her slithery body, kissing her frantically. She kisses him back with ardor, wrapping her dripping legs around his back.”