Movie director Ridley Scott is being guarded by hundreds of soldiers on location in Morocco - after receiving death threats from Islamic extremists upset about his new movie. The 'terrorists' are offended by battle scenes in Scott's new movie about the Crusades, Kingdom Of Heaven, particularly those between Christian King Richard The Lionheart and Muslim Saracen soldiers. A crew member reveals, "There is concern, but everyone is getting on with the job in hand." King Mohammed of Morocco has ordered increased security for the Gladiator director and the cast which includes Liam Neeson, Kiera Chaplin and Jeremy Irons.

Preparations for the upcoming Johnny Cash biopic are proving so successful, producers hope to start shooting the movie in June. Walk The Line - starring Joaquin Phoenix as the country legend who died last year and Reese Witherspoon as his fellow singer wife June Carter Cash - is expected to cost studio giants 20th Century Fox $27 million, and bosses are eager to get cameras rolling as soon as possible. The movie aims to chronicle the star's life, from his beginnings on a cotton farm in Arkansas in the late 1940s, to his early stardom with Sun Records in Memphis alongside Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney helped raise more than $200,000 over the weekend at private fund-raisers for his father's congressional campaign. Nick Clooney, a longtime Cincinnati, Ohio, TV personality, is the lone Democratic candidate for the 4th District seat of retiring Us Republican Ken Lucas. George Clooney spoke briefly at two events in northern Kentucky and at an event in Louisville, Kentucky, yesterday, but stayed away from making political statements. Instead, he talked about his father and how he wanted to help him with the election. A proud Nick notes, "It's great having my son come in to help. It's family. When my son and my daughter show up and help me, it means a lot and it shows me this is more than just politics. We still matter to one another." About 150 people paid $250 each to mingle with the actor at The Oriental Wok, a restaurant in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. In another fund-raiser on Saturday, about 100 people paid $1,000 each to see the actor at a private home. About 100 people attended Sunday's reception in Louisville, also paying $1,000 each.

Pierce Brosnan has hit out at the makers of James Bond following the uncertainty over his future in the 007 spy film series - accusing them of being "scared". Brosnan has been willing to appear in a fifth Bond movie, which is scheduled to begin filming this autumn - but plans have been thrown into doubt because scriptwriters are apparently struggling to come up with a plot. However, with the 50-year-old's four-movie contract at an end, Brosnan has hit out at legendary producers the Broccoli family for wanting to make the massively popular film series less about plot, and more about action. He rallies, "They're too scared. They feel they have to top themselves in a genre which is just spectacle and a huge bang for your buck. But I think you can have your cake and eat it. You can have real character work, a character storyline and a thriller aspect and all kinds of quips, asides, the explosions and the women. We're just saturated with too many overblown action films with no plot." Brosnan is particularly angry that the producers want to use the title of Ian Fleming's first Bond book, Casino Royale, but not the storyline. He rants, "That's ludicrous. It's so damn crazy! That's absolutely sheer lunacy because Casino Royale is the blueprint of the Bond character. You find out more about James Bond in that book than in any of the other books." The Irishman is now philosophical about whether he will ever portray the suave British spy again, saying, "I would love to do a fifth Bond and then bow out, but if this last one is to be my last, then so be it. My contract is up. They can do it or not."

Actor Paul Reubens has agreed to register as a sex offender for three years as part of a plea bargain to remove charges of child pornography from his record. California judge Carol H Rehm has dismissed the child porn charges against Pee-Wee Herman's alter-ego after the actor confessed to a separate misdemeanor obscenity charge. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Reubens also agreed to pay a $100 fine and to enter a counseling program for a year. The Blow star was arrested early last year following a raid on his home. Investigators claimed they had seized a number of erotic images, including those of minors engaged in sexual conduct in the raid. Reubens has always maintained the pictures are part of his vintage art collection, and not related to anything improper.

Fans of tragic actor Robert Pastorelli fear he died of a massive drug overdose, after an empty syringe was found next to his body. The beloved Murphy Brown star was found dead at his Hollywood home earlier this month. The actor's family insist Pastorelli died from a heart attack - but medics suspect he may have been killed by the drug he shot into his arm with a needle they found lying next to him. Toxicology reports won't be revealed until next month. At the time of his death, Pastorelli was reportedly being investigated by the FBI for the death of his girlfriend, which took place in the same home almost five years ago to the day. TV Guide reporter Mary Murphy, who is investigating Pastorelli's death, says, "He had not been called yet for the interviews but he was definitely, according to authorities, the prime suspect in the investigation." Murphy claims she has uncovered information that links Pastorelli with his late girlfriend Charemon Jonovich's apparent suicide in 1999. The reporter reveals an official source has told her that there were gunshot wounds on one of his hands, as well as hers.

Hollywood heart-throb Heath Ledger is finding his latest role as a gay cowboy to be his most challenging - because he's been ordered to work out for the part. The Australian star has appeared in a number of physically demanding roles - but has been told to work on his physique for the first time in his career for the upcoming Brokeback Mountain. The 24-year-old says, "Oddly enough, it's the one job that I've been asked to build on and kind of work out. You'd think you would kind of build up and work out to play a superhero or something, but it ends up being for a gay cowboy story." A Knights Tale star Ledger was encouraged to take the role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the Ang Lee movie by girlfriend Naomi Watts.

The victim of Courtney Love's bizarre stage-diving incident in New York last week has been named - freelance photographer Dara Kushner. Kushner says she was hurt when Love launched onto her at the Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night - less than a day after the rocker was arrested for allegedly throwing a microphone stand at fan Gregory Burgett. The photographer, who was out of the venue on a stretcher by paramedics, was treated for a bruised and swollen neck at the Beth Israel Medical Center and released. It still isn't clear if Kushner plans to press charges.

Pop superstar Madonna has confirmed a summer greatest hits tour, which will include a planned stop in Israel. The Music singer will kickstart the Re-Invention tour on May 24 in Los Angeles and perform throughout America and Europe until the beginning of September, when she'll play her final date in Paris, France. It has yet to be confirmed when Madonna - who now follows the Jewish-based faith Kabbalah - will perform in Israel. Her manager Caresse Henry says, "Madonna has already started rehearsals and she can't wait to get back on stage to recreate her songs from the earliest days of her career up until the present. There is no doubt that this tour will be the pinnacle of her long standing and well deserved reputation as one of the most exciting live performers of our time."

Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones has taken her recent privacy battle defeat badly - she's threatening to take the dispute to the British High Court. The Oscar-winner had challenged a planning application by her neighbor in Swansea, Wales to run his telecommunications business from his home, claiming it would invade the privacy of the $1.8 million property she is having custom built. However, local council officials passed Steve Gwynn's proposal last week - and now Zeta-Jones is threatening to appeal to the High Court over the decision. If she does go ahead, the 34-year-old may have give evidence in court.