Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has signed up to star in a new film by John Carney, the Irish writer-director responsible for the hit 2006 indie musical film Once. The low-budget film made international names out of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and was awarded an Oscar for best original song, which the couple performed at the Academy Awards ceremony.

The new film – called Can a Song Save Your Life? – will be executive produced by Judd Apatow, who was behind films such as Get Him to the Greek and Knocked Up. Although the male lead has not yet been cast, Mark Ruffalo and Jim Carrey have been rumoured as possible leads.

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Scarlett Johansson and Sean Penn are no longer dating, a source tells PEOPLE.

Speculation about the pair began after Johansson did not attend the Cannes Film Festival with Penn for his movie The Tree of Life. She has been working on The Avengers in New Mexico, reprising her role of Black Widow from Iron Man 2.

Johansson, 26, and Penn, 50, made headlines when they took a whirlwind trip to Cabo San Lucas after being spotted getting flirty together during a lunch date in Los Angeles.

The pair attended a White House Correspondents’ Dinner party in Washington D.C. in April and had been spotted in a series of cozy outings in L.A.

The reason for the split wasn’t immediately known. Reps declined to comment.

source: People

Scarlett Johansson will receive the Ally for Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign at the 2011 HRC Los Angeles Gala on Saturday March 12 at the Ritz-Carlton/JW Marriott in Los Angeles. Former Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) will receive the HRC National Leadership Award, Rabbi Denise Eger and Rev. Canon Susan Russell will receive the HRC Community Equality Award. Jessie Tyler Ferguson of ABC’s “Modern Family” and star personal trainer Jillian Michaels of NBC’s “Biggest Loser” will make special appearances, and retired Marine Staff Sergeant Eric Alva, the first American service member wounded in Iraq and a national advocate for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, will be a special guest for the event.

Johansson, a longtime supporter of the LGBT community, will receive the Ally for Equality Award which recognizes the outstanding efforts of those outside of the LGBT community who dedicate time, energy, spirit and whole-hearted commitment to better the lives of LGBT people.

“Scarlett Johansson has been a tremendous friend to the LGBT community and has for many years used her celebrity and talents to advocate for our rights,” said HRC Los Angeles Gala Co-Chair Andrew Arnold. “We appreciate and honor her support as an ally with this award.”

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Scarlett Johansson and Jon Hamm in The Philadelphia Story, Hugh Jackman in On the 20th Century, Katie Holmes and America Ferrera in Extremities – these are among the potential Broadway offerings being explored in recent and upcoming staged readings.

None of these readings rep any kind of guarantee of a star’s attachment to a project or even that the project will move ahead. Still, the possibilities are enticing when Johansson netted a Tony for her Broadway debut in A View From the Bridge, Jackman is a proven B.O. powerhouse from stints in A Steady Rain and The Boy From Oz, and Holmes’ publicity-grabbing stint in a supporting role in All My Sons helped keep that show’s grosses healthy.

Johansson, Hamm and John Krasinski were all tapped for a recent reading of Philadelphia Story helmed by Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson). Philip Barry’s 1939 comedy centers on a socialite whosewedding preparations are complicated by a number of factors, including her ex-husband and a reporter.

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It was a short getaway, but Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson made the most of it.

The pair left on a private jet from Van Nuys airport Tuesday morning, then were spotted having dinner in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, that night, according to sources. Early Wednesday morning, they returned to Los Angeles where Johansson is shooting the film We Bought a Zoo with Matt Damon.

On the menu during their Mexican meal? Penn, 50 and Johansson, 26, reportedly enjoyed lobster and, of course, margaritas.

Earlier this week, the twosome were seen sharing a casual lunch at the popular Los Angeles Cuban restaurant, Versailles, where Johansson had her leg draped over Penn.

On Feb. 5, the couple raised eyebrows when they stayed unusually close to each other at a party celebrating Black Swan at the L.A. hotspot Sunset Tower Hotel, then reportedly left together. “They were flirting with each other all night, pretty much ignoring everyone else,” a source told PEOPLE at the time.

Johansson’s rep told PEOPLE at the time that they the two were not dating. Neither of their reps have commented on the pair’s most recent sightings.

Johansson and Ryan Reynolds, 34, split in December after two years of marriage. In August of 2009, Robin Wright, 44, filed for divorce from Penn. The couple had been married 13 years.

source: People Magazine

Just days before she was scheduled to present at the Oscars, Scarlett Johansson’s father collapsed near his West Village home, falling face first in the street and suffering a huge gash, police sources said yesterday.

Karsten Johansson, 67, a divorced Danish-born architect, fell at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Workers from an apartment and restaurant rushed to help.

Surveillance video shows Johansson walking down the street and his knees buckling in front of 140 Charles St., sources said.

He was in critical but stable condition at Bellevue. The actress was in Los Angeles at the time.

Source: NYPost

Scarlett Johansson will be a presenter for the 83rd Academy Awards, telecast producers Bruce Cohen an Don Mischer announced today.

Johansson, who is currently filming “We Bought a Zoo,” was most recently seen in “Iron Man 2.” Her other film credits include “The Horse Whisperer,” “Lost in Translation,” “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” “The Black Dahlia,” “The Other Boleyn Girl” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Johansson appeared as Catherine in the 2010 Broadway revival of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas & The Art of Elysium’s “Pieces of Heaven” Art Auction – Wednesday, February 23

Vanity Fair, The Art of Elysium, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and host Scarlett Johansson present the 4th annual “Pieces of Heaven” Benefit Auction at Siren Studios. This silent auction, live auction and cocktail party will be co-hosted by, among others, China Chow, host of Bravo’s “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist,” actor/photographer Scott Caan, painter Kimberly Brooks, Abby Bangser, Major Gifts Officer in Development at LACMA, and Andrea Fiuczynski, President of Christie’s Los Angeles. DJ Kris Bones will spin while guests bid on a showcase of approximately 75 works of art donated by artists, dealers and private collectors.

The Art of Elysium is a non-profit organization that encourages working actors, artists and musicians to dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling medical conditions.

Read More at source: looktothestars.org

What does Scarlett Johansson have in common with Sean Penn, a man nearly twice her age?

Quite a bit, it turns out, but romance isn’t a part of it, according to the actress’s rep.

“Scarlett and Sean are not dating – they have been friends for years. Nothing more, nothing less,” her rep says. “They have been talking over the last few months regarding Haiti Relief and Scarlett’s upcoming trip to Haiti as Oxfam’s Global Ambassador.”

Reports had swirled recently that Johansson, 26, had hooked up with Penn, 50, last month following her split from husband Ryan Reynolds, 34.

source: People Magazine