She’s best known as one half of a powerhouse duo, but AJ Michalka is about to go solo in a big way, the 16-year-old singer beamed, revealing that she’s set to appear in Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” follow-up, “The Lovely Bones.” “It’s like a dream role,” she enthused, nearly jumping up and down with excitement. “I’m playing the best friend of the girl who gets murdered. I was flipping out [when I heard I won the part]. I’m really, really stoked.” [More]

Kiwi director Peter Jackson has won the first round in his fight with Hollywood studio New Line Cinema over profits from The Lord of the Rings. A judge has fined New Line, the film trilogy's financial backer, $US125,000 ($NZ169,000) for failing to turn over court-ordered documents in the case. The Hollywood Reporter said Jackson's lawyers might also be allowed to inspect New Line's files if the studio did not produce several audits within 21 days. New Line must also hire an outsider to collect electronic documents, including e-mails, it said. [More]

Wellywood's next hit could be on the small screen, with the release today of the PlayStation 3 game Heavenly Sword. The game's character dynamics are a product of the Weta Digital motion capture studio, which is part-owned by Peter Jackson. Jackson helped to develop the game version of his 2005 blockbuster King Kong, and Weta Digital's graphics were used in the Lord of the Rings' gaming equivalent. Jackson is leading the development of a series of games for PlayStation's main rival, Microsoft, based on the Halo franchise. Halo 3, due out next week, is expected to raise the stakes in the international game market. [More]

Today is Kyle Chandler's Birthday! Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an Emmy-nominated American film and television actor. His screen credits include Bruce Baxter in 'King Kong' (2005) and Francis Manner in the forthcoming film 'The Kingdom', he can currently be seen in 'Friday Night Lights' and was an guest star on Grey's Anatomy'.

Celebriel forwards a new Wired Magazine interview with fan favorite Andy Serkis, discussing his work in the PlayStation 3 title Heavenly Sword and upcoming films Freezing Time, about Victorian photographer Eadweard Muybridge, and Inkheart, about an antiquarian bookbinder who, when he reads aloud, can bring characters from books into the real world. [More]

Double amputee Nadya Vessey is about to become New Zealand's first mermaid. The keen Auckland swimmer will soon be fitted with a mermaid-style tail made by special effects company Weta Workshop, the creative minds made internationally famous for their work on Lord of the Rings and King Kong. [More]

Here's the news from Weta HQ this week.

Weta Designed book launch (Wgtn) this Saturday
Weta's Richard Taylor opens exhibition tomorrow night
Prince Caspian film Artwork revealed [Part II]
Exclusive Hellgate: London gameplay footage
Weta Productions teams with education programme
Lord Cockswain comic series revealed
Speakers for upcoming Special Effects symposium announced
New Rayguns testimonial from 'Princess Ceruleao'
Interview with Flagship Studio CEO Bill Roper
Prosthetics wizard Gino Acevedo opens up to TheNewDowse
Weta Digital Photographic Exhibition

The folks at WETA write: Last years photo exhibition went so well that we decided to put on a sequel.

Not @ Work - Photo Exhibit from WETA Staff
Friday 21st - Saturday 29th September, 2007
12pm-9pm Weekdays, 10am-5pm Weekends
Free Entry
Thistle Hall Community Gallery, Wellington

According to Variety a new King Kong related documentary is coming from director Rick McKay. According to Variety, he is making a feature about the original's leading lady entitled Fay Wray: A Life.

The film will follow the relationship between director McKay and his close friend Wray, who died in 2004. The documentary will also contain interviews with Peter Jackson and his King Kong leading lady Naomi Watts. Both had met with Wray before making the remake in 2005. Interviews conducted between Jackson and Wray will be included in the finished film.

Fay Wray: A Life will be heading into post-production in March of next year at Jackson's own New Zealand studio. The film will be released in 2008.

Director Peter Jackson has performed his own mission of mercy by buying a historic Wellington chapel, valued at $10 million, to save it from the clutches of property developers. In May, the Sisters of Mercy applied to have the 83-year-old Our Lady of the Star of the Sea chapel removed from Wellington City Council's list of heritage buildings -- and announced plans to put the 1.35-hectare site up for sale. The plans sparked an outcry from Seatoun residents, including Jackson, who were concerned the property would be bulldozed to make way for townhouses. Sisters of Mercy congregation leader Sister Denise Fox told The Dominion Post the order received an unsolicited approach from Jackson and his partner, Fran Walsh, in late July. [More]