‘Secretariat’ film to tell story of Triple Crown winner, woman behind his inspiring run

The racehorse considered by many to be the best ever and the housewife-turned-breeder who soared in a male-dominated sport are now coming to the big screen.

“Secretariat” has begun filming in Kentucky with Diane Lane portraying owner Penny Chenery and John Malkovich cast as trainer Lucien Laurin.  AJ Michalka (from Aly & AJ) portrays Chenery’s daughter.

No doubt the main theme of the movie will be  Secretariat’s achievement of perfection in equine performance. Over three decades after his astounding strength and champion’s heart inspired an entire nation, Secretariat’s name is still revered by new generations, and his legacy still captures the imaginations of those who hear his story.

Mayhem Pictures, with the backing of Walt Disney Pictures, is producing “Secretariat.” Mayhem’s other uplifting sports-themed stories include “Miracle,” about the 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team, “The Rookie” and “Invincible,” (written by my good friend Brad Gann). Randall Wallace, who directed “We Were Soldiers,” is directing. A fall 2010 release is expected.

Stay up to date on news of the film here.

Ashley Tisdale launches “Get A Clue” contest

One of our fave Pretty Tough artists, Ashley Tisdale, is getting ready to release her latest album Guilty Pleasure on July 28th.

Leading up to the release, Ashley announced the “Get a Clue” video clue contest  that will take fans across the Internet to find the answers.  If you’re not already a social media maven,  you’ll want to get up to speed fast.  Fans need to be following Ashley on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, friend her on Myspace and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

Here’s how it works: Ashley will be releasing clues on AshleyTisdale.com/getaclue.  You’ll need to write down all of the answers, and on July 28th, submit the collected responses to win the ultimate prize pack – a trip to fly out to meet Ashley at one of her concerts, an Ashley Tisdale flip cam, or an autographed poster and Guilty Pleasure CD.

For more information visit the contest site.

ABC Family sticks the landing with ‘Make It or Break It’

Let’s face it, the marquee event of any Summer Games is Women’s Gymnastics. With its electrifying routines and captivating personal stories, we can’t help but tune into the nightly broadcasts to take in all that is spectacular and dramatic.

Well, the good news is that you don’t have to wait until 2012 for the next installment of gymnastics action. Set to premiere on Monday, June 22, ABC Family’s new original series ‘Make It or Break It’ presents the dramatic story of four talented girls driven by unrelenting Olympic dreams. Set against the backdrop of an ultra-competitive training center, the girls learn that winning isn’t easy in an environment where your best friend is also your worst enemy.

The drama unfolds as gifted newcomer Emily Kmetko (Chelsea Hobbs – ‘Lords of Dogtown’) joins the ranks of three other girls (Ayla Kell, Josie Loren, Cassie Scerbo) who do not necessarily welcome the new competition. At the same time, each girl must contend with her own set of stressful circumstances – ranging from demanding coaches to critical parents… all in the pursuit of gymnastics glory.

‘Make It or Break It’ is sure to delight the gymnast (or fan) in all of us, for behind every gold medal is a captivating story about a girl with big dreams – dreams that do not necessarily come easy. Tune in to ABC Family for the world premiere of ‘Make It or Break It’ Monday, June 22 at 9pm/8c to catch all of the intense competition and gripping drama that accompanies every flip, twist, and somersault.

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The newest Beauty & the Beast is “Beastly”

Pretty Smart: One of our fave characters is Belle.

Now comes word there will be a live-action, modern retelling of the children’s classic “Beauty and the Beast” told from the Beast’s point of view.

CBS Films has signed actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens to star in the TV movie “Beastly”. Hudgens will play the role of Linda (the modern Belle) while media mogul Mary-Kate Olsen has signed on to play Kendra, a witch who puts a curse to the school’s most popular guy to teach him a lesson.

Kyle is the handsome egocentric student transformed to a beast when he asks Kendra to the prom as a practical joke and Hudgens helps him learn true beauty from within.

So who will play the beast? Current Burberry spokesman Alex Pettyfer has been chosen to appear alongside Vanessa in the film. Alex is 19 years old and most recently starred alongside Emma Roberts in the movie Wild Child.

Also cast in a supporting role is Neil Patrick Harris.

The film is based on Alex Flinn’s novel highly praised novel Beastly, and will be directed by Daniel Barnz

A fully-fleshed out beast and a much more beautiful beauty (on the inside, that is) make Flinn’s novel truly awe-inspiring and we’re hoping the film captures her vision.

Book Description:

I am a beast.

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

Production commences June 13 in Montreal, Variety reports.

Next X: Disney TV taps into extreme sports

Disney and ESPN have come together to bring you “NEXT X”, a reality series for kids where five  extreme athletes guide five up and comers by teaching them how to hone their technical skills and confidence to possibly become the next action sports superstar.  Chris Cole, Scotty Cranmer, Billy Marks, Lincoln Ueda, and Van Homan are the guys who will mentor five lucky individuals.

Why no girls? Not really sure since there are plenty of action sports athletes who are female.  Just look at some of the girls who’ve rocked ESPN’s X Games like Elissa Steamer, Cara-Beth Burnside, Lauren Perkins, Mimi Knoop or Lyn-Z Adams.   And there are plenty of young girls who are kicking butt and would benefit from some mentoring from these pros.

The project was filmed at the sprawling action sports oasis of Camp Woodward in the Mojave Desert in Tehachapi, California and will be broadcast over the next two months, culminating in a half-hour television special, with one amateur participant chosen for a showcase in the next X-Games.

Hopefully, Disney and ESPN will feature some action sports girls in the near future. In the meantime, check out the press release the show.

“Next X,” a reality series for kids developed by Disney XD in collaboration with ESPN, features five of the world’s top professional BMX and skateboarding athletes as they mentor young amateurs in their chosen sport, teaching them how to hone their technical skills, build their confidence and inspire them to become better athletes. The story is told through eight short-form episodes, culminating with a half-hour television special that will feature highlights from X Games 15.

The series will star professional action sports athletes Chris Cole (skateboard), Scotty Cranmer (BMX), Billy Marks (skateboard), Lincoln Ueda (skateboard) and Van Homan (BMX).  The five up-and-coming action sports athletes are 12-year-old Ian Bradley, a BMX amateur from New Hampshire; 11-year-old Matty Cranmer, a BMX amateur from New Jersey; 12-year-old Mitchie Brusco, an amateur skateboarder from Washington; 9-year-old Tom Schaar, an advanced skateboarder from California and 11-year-old Micah Wu, an amateur skateboarder from Kentucky.

In conjunction with the premiere of “Next X,” Disney XD.com will debut “X-clusives,” special webisodes that delve further into the young athletes’ experiences while training with their mentors.  The webisodes include new behind-the-scenes footage, in-depth athlete interviews, a high jump competition, extended one-on-one training sessions, skateboard and BMX safety tips and outtakes of all the action.  Disney XD.com users are also invited to play five exclusive action sports-themed online games developed by ESPN and Disney.com starting Monday, June 29.  Gamers can test their motocross, rally car, BMX and skateboarding skills.

“X Games on Disney XD,”  a series of four individual 60 second programs, features X Games athletes, event highlights and some of the best action-packed moments from the X Games.

Hosted by ESPN and E! Entertainment anchor Sal Masekela, all four episodes will focus on specific aspects of the X Games. Episode 1 will air July 13 and will feature historical look backs at the X Games debuts of current legends Shaun White, Travis Pastrana and Ryan Sheckler. Episode 2 will air July 20, prior to X Games 15, and will highlight what to watch for at this year’s X Games. Episodes 3 & 4 will air the two weeks after X Games 15, August 5 and August 10, and both episodes will be highlight oriented from the event.

Pretty Healthy: Selena Gomez teams up with Borden to give milk a fresh face

While other Disney stars are out promoting their new singles or sitcoms, Selena Gomez is busy promoting a healthy lifestyle. The “Wizards of Waverly Place” star  has partnered with Elsie The Cow and her friends at The Borden Company for a new wellness campaign encouraging kids to drink milk.

The teen starlet shot various promos for the brand in her homestate of Texas. Borden  is the number one dairy company in The Lonestar State.

“I really wanted to do the Borden campaign because it’s kind of my job to be a role model. So for me I like to put positive things out there and try my hardest to educate kids on the importance of being healthy and being active,” Gomez said about her role in the campaign. “So being a part of the Borden campaign is an honor because it’s kind of close to me.”

Gomez should hope the milk does her body good. This summer, she’s set to release her debut album, she’s premiering a Disney Channel movie co-starring best friend Demi Lovato “Princess Protection Program,” dueted with rockers Forever the Sickest Kids, and will debut new episodes of “Wizards.”

TV Tonight: Victory lap for U.S. gymnasts

September 26, 2008 – If you’re going out tonight, be sure to set your DVR. Don’t worry. We’re not going to force you to watch the first Presidential debate (although that’s not a bad idea) but if you’re a gymnastics fan there is a special program tonight that may interest you!

MyNetworkTV is presenting a televised special featuring the 2008 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics team. The two-hour show will be a high energy, high impact music and gymnastics production.

Among the participants are 2008 Olympic medal winners Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone, Shayla Worley, (hunky) Jonathan Horton, Raj Bhavsar as well as special guest gymnasts including Paul and Morgan Hamm and Shannon Miller.

The TV special is based on the Gymnastics Superstars Show, currently on a multi-city tour across the U.S.  Truly a star-studded extravaganza it looks like fun for all. And for a behind-the-scenes look at what happens on tour, check out gymnast Shayla Worley’s blog.

The  television special is scheduled to air Sept. 26th at 8/7 Central Time (that’s 6:00 EDT). Find out what station in your area is broadcasting the show.