Boston is ready to get back in the act

The moment word came that the Hollywood writers' strike was about to end, the local film community started buzzing about how soon work could begin on "The Fighter," the big-budget movie about "Irish" Micky Ward starring Mark Wahlberg and Brad Pitt. Once the strike is officially over, final rewrites can be done on the script, and the crews can get back on a schedule that would allow filming to begin in Lowell by the fall. Other films, however, have continued along. On tap to begin filming here in a few weeks is "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," which stars Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey and a cast that includes Anne Archer, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, and Lacey Chabert. Kevin James's comedy "Mall Cop" is expected to start filming in the area this spring. Kate Hudson's coming back to Boston to film another movie: "Bride Wars," costarring Anne Hathaway. Filming for the comedy - about two best friends who become, you guessed it, enemies after they schedule their weddings for the same day - is expected to start in the area late next month. Director Gary Winick, who shot the pilot for "Lipstick Jungle," has been in the area scouting for locations. Also coming to town to film is "Sexual Healing," the Marvin Gaye biopic with "Law & Order" star Jesse L. Martin as the late singer and "The Sopranos" boss James Gandolfini as his agent. That flick, which also is filming in Los Angeles and Belgium, will be in the area by mid-April. And "The Proposal," starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, is expected next month in Gloucester, which will be subbing for Alaska in scenes.

CBS Radio, which has cut staff across the country, has finally turned its attention to Boston. CBS stations WBCN-FM (104.1) and WZLX-FM (100.7) have axed a total of 10 employees, including 'BCN's overnight DJ, Juanita. CBS spokeswoman Karen Mateo released a statement that reads: "With these actions, we continue to build on our strategy of deploying our assets to best grow our ratings and monetize the results." It's called addition by subtraction.

A back problem has forced Dolly Parton to postpone the tour for her upcoming CD "Backwoods Barbie." Tickets to Parton's sold-out March 5 stop at the Opera House will be honored at a rescheduled date in April or May. In a statement, the doyenne of Dollywood said: "I know I have been breaking my neck and bending over backwards trying to get my new CD and world tour together, but I didn't mean to hurt myself doing it! But hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don't have back problems."

The annual fund-raiser for Cam Neely's foundation has been postponed. Originally scheduled for March 8, the hoedown cohosted by the hockey Hall of Famer and his buddies Denis Leary and Michael J. Fox is on hold until early '09 because of scheduling conflicts. In past years, the VIP party at the Charles Hotel has featured some A-list entertainment, including Aerosmith, a rare J. Geils reunion, and Penn & Teller.

Not since Tom Brady wore a New York Yankees cap last year have so many questioned the allegiances of a local loyal fan. Only this time, the speculation is happening in Australia. The occasion? A photograph of bigtime Red Sox fan Ben Affleck wearing a hat for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, a pro rugby team. The pic, taken in LA, hit Aussie websites and publications with stories hoping that rabid Rabbits fan Russell Crowe has converted Affleck to cheer for the team. The two Oscar winners costar in "State of Play," which has been filming in Los Angeles.

Foxborough singing sensation Joanna "JoJo" Levesque says you can't believe everything you read, especially on Wikipedia. Upset about inaccuracies in her online bio, the teen star is taking steps to correct the record. Writing on her MySpace page, JoJo says she's bothered by the claim that she turned down the "Hannah Montana" TV role that's made Miley Cyrus a millionaire. "This is not true. I was not interested in doing a television show like that because I did not want to be that kind of artist," sniffs JoJo. "I am more concerned with being a legitimate artist - not one created for the captive tween audience from a television show." JoJo, whose self-titled debut CD went platinum, also takes a dig at Hilary Duff, calling her a "manufactured" artist. "For me," she writes, "it is about integrity." And about that rumored romance with Joe Jonas? "No, we are not dating," she insists. "We have been just friends for a couple years."

Don't ask Janet Langhart who she's voting for. When the former Channel 5 personality was in Boston the other day, she told us she and her husband, Bill Cohen, aren't endorsing any of the presidential candidates. It's not that the couple don't like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain. It's the opposite, actually: They like all of them. Langhart, who's African-American, said she has an "ancestral connection" to Obama, and longstanding friendships with both Clinton and McCain. (The Arizona senator tapped Cohen to be his best man at his second wedding.) "We're staying on the sidelines for this one," Langhart said. The former TV journalist was in town to meet with Robbie McCauley, who'll direct Langhart's play "Anne and Emmett" at Emerson in April. (The one-act play is a fictional conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till.) "This play reminds the world what happens when intolerance is allowed to rule the world," said Langhart.

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