Back in October, the two tow-headed cuties Elle and Dakota Fanning signed up to play siblings in My Sister's Keeper. In the first two-Fanning punch since I Am Sam, it's the story of a young girl (who would have been played by Elle) who sues her parents for divorce because she's being raised as a handy genetic match for her older, cancer-ridden sister (Dakota). Not anymore. Variety reports that the two sisters pulled out of the feature abruptly.

Why? Their sources say that Dakota refused to shave her head for the part. I guess she thought they'd fit one of those bald caps on her head, or she'd be the lucky cancer victim who miraculously doesn't lose her hair. If this source is right, at least we know where she draws the line now. She shocked many before for her involvement in Hounddog, but I guess smooth noggin is crossing the line. It might seem surprising for Fanning, who has taken on a lot of grown-up fare, but she is only 13. (She turns 14 on the 23rd.)

At least their replacements have already been picked. Although I would've tapped her to play the elder role, Abigail Breslin will take over the ticked off role that Elle vacated, while Sofia Vassilieva, from Medium, is finalizing her deal to replace Dakota. Will this be another Oscar nod for Abigail, perhaps? Or a breakout performance from Sofia?

So this is probably way too early to start getting excited about David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- but cut me a little slack; it's not like this guy is known for making movies with any frequency. Frankly, I should probably just take what I can get. Hollywood Elsewhere has received a scoop from the set of Button, and even if you only believe half of what was reported then things are still looking pretty good for the literary adaptation. According to Elsewhere, the news came from the husband of the costume designer for the film. There is no shortage of praise in the report and some of the highlights of what she said include: "the script was top-notch" and that, "Fincher and Brad Pitt were consummate professionals".

Button is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's story about a man who finds love at 50 only to begin to age backwards, causing him some serious complications (and if you ever wondered how Pitt was going to age, then here is the chance for a sneak peek). The movie is a reunion not only for Fincher and Pitt (who worked together twice before), but also for Cate Blanchett as well (she also co-starred in the Oscar-nominated Babel with Pitt). Also in the cast are Julia Ormond, Elle Fanning (sister to Dakota), and Tilda Swinton. Pitt even got his family in on the film and his daughter Shiloh will be making her screen debut -- so much for keeping his kids out of the public eye.

Elsewhere's scooper went on to say that, "some of the sequences they saw that had been edited were absolutely stunning. Her description of the mood of those who worked on it is that of bated breath -- a near universal belief that they have made an outstanding and moving film, one that transcends and one they wish not to jinx by too much loose talk". Well, if nothing else it is nice to know that I am not the only one betting big on this film. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is set for release on November 26, 2008.

Remember that mushy-sounding, Irreconcilable Differences-esque movie starring the Fanning sisters that's in the works? About a little girl who sues her parents for divorce after finding out she only exists to serve as a genetic match for her dying sis? It's called My Sister's Keeper, and it just got a whole lot better-sounding. According to Variety, Alec Baldwin has joined the cast, which also includes Cameron Diaz as the mother of Dakota and Elle Fanning. Baldwin fortunately won't be playing the girls' daddy; instead he's set for the role of an attorney representing the younger, wrongfully-conceived sister. He will be going up against Diaz, whose mom character is also a former trial lawyer and will be defending herself. It's still unclear if the father role will be significant, or if the parents are now divorced, separated or simply not cinematic equals. Of course, the production has until its February start date to let us know the actor for that part.

Baldwin, who previously worked with Dakota Fanning on The Cat in the Hat, was able to sign on to My Sister's Keeper thanks in part to the writer's strike, which has halted the shooting of Baldwin's hit TV series 30 Rock (though Variety points out he is contractually allowed to schedule a movie, who's to say it would have happened with this, at this time?). I've just recently become addicted to the show specifically because of him, and hope his attorney character is close in tone to his NBC executive character, Jack Donaghy. Yet something -- perhaps the subject matter of the film -- tells me that won't be the case. Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook) will be directing from a script by Jeremy Leven (The Notebook), which was adapted from the novel by Jodi Picoult, while Mark Johnson (The Notebook) produces.

The last time the Fanning sisters were in the same movie (I Am Sam), they played the same character at different ages. Now they've been cast in a new movie in which they both exist for the same character. Confused? Hold on. According to Variety, Elle and Dakota, who are now 9 and 13 respectively, will star in Nick Cassavetes' adaptation of My Sister's Keeper alongside Cameron Diaz. Based on the novel by Jodi Picoult, it's the story of a young girl who was conceived solely for the purpose of being a genetic match for her older sister, who is suffering from cancer. So, basically, Elle's part is that of a literal tool, existing only for the extension of Dakota's character's life. And I guess the parents don't treat the younger enough like a real, intentional child, because she ends up suing them for divorce -- kinda like little Drew Barrymore does in the largely forgotten gem from my youth, Irreconcilable Differences. Cassavetes' partners from The Notebook, screenwriter Jeremy Leven and producer Mark Johnson, are also on board, and production is set to begin in March.

If there's any competition between the Fannings for who will be the first to score an Oscar, this could be the movie in which to really shine. For the older Dakota, we've got a character dying of a disease, which at least used to be an Academy favorite for recognition (maybe if she was also mentally handicapped, she'd have more of a chance). Then for little "Sweetie Pie" (I'll never stop calling Elle that, even when she's 30), there's the strong court-battle role, which typically serves up meaty performances. And with Diaz in the movie, the sisters are sure to appear even better actresses than they are. As we told you in July, Diaz will play the girls' mother, who was cast first and then required the lowering of the sisters' ages from 13 and 16, as they are in the book (what, we can't believe Diaz had a daughter when she was 19?). Although this will be the first movie Elle and Dakota appear in together as sisters, they did play sisters in the American dub of My Neighbor Totoro -- which only used their voices (you should really watch the subtitled version; it's so much cuter). So, will the Fannings compete too much and end up giving us over the top delivery? Or could they both be good enough to further compete come awards time? Or will we be so over them by the time this movie comes out and not care either way?

Before I get to the meaty center of this news, let's go over John Turturro's career. He first came onto the scene years ago with an uncredited part in Raging Bull. From there, he popped up in many famous films from the 80's -- Desperately Seeking Susan, To Live and Die in LA, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Color of Money and Do the Right Thing. These stints led to a starring role in Barton Fink and from there, he took off, tasting in cinema from Jungle Fever to Transformers. He even kept Christopher Walken dancing with his recent directorial stint -- Romance & Cigarettes. But did you ever imagine that he'd be ... the evil Mouse King?

That's right, the nuts that Turturro will be cracking are of the Tchaikovsky ballet variety. He's signed on to the whopping $65 million dollar adaptation, Nutcracker -- The Untold Story, along with Dakota's little sister, Elle Fanning and everyone's favorite flamboyantly perky actor, Nathan Lane. Based on the story that inspired the ballet, we've got Fanning as the little girl who gets the doll in 1920's Vienna, and Lane as the guy who gives it to her. Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky adapted the story with Chris Solimine, and he will also direct it. But that's not all -- it's a musical. Tim Rice is whipping together lyrics to eight new songs from the ballet's score, and the art director behind V for Vendetta, Kevin Phipps, heading the visuals and sets. According to the director: "I have been trying to make this film for a very long time, and now that CGI and technical wizardry have come so far, I can finally realize my dream." So, he's a happy camper as the project moves towards its July 16th shooting date, but is this the answer to your dreams?

I had always really liked Felicity Huffman, one half of Hollywood power couple Filliam H. Muffman, as an actress. And then I saw her screeching, ridiculous work in the screeching, ridiculous movie Georgia Rule. I'm usually pretty forgiving for such cases of bad judgment -- but I just can't let this one slide. I'm going to need a couple great performances from Huffman to scrub miserable scenes like her roadside freakout in Rule from my mind. Hopefully she'll redeem herself in Phoebe in Wonderland, a comedy from first-time director Daniel Barnz (incorrectly listed as Ben in the Variety article announcing the film), who also wrote the screenplay. Huffman will join Patricia Clarkson, Bill "Not Paxton, dammit, it's Pullman!" Pullman, and Elle "Not Dakota, dammit, it's Elle!" Fanning for the movie.

Fanning will play "a rebellious little girl who clashes with the rule-obsessed authority figures in her life. She seeks enlightenment from her unconventional drama teacher," played by Clarkson. The announcement doesn't give further details, but if I had to guess, I'd wager Huffman and Pullman play Fanning's strict parents, and that her teacher helps her use her imagination to expand her horizons? Barnz, who apparently loves movies with the word "land" in the title, also wrote Sugarland, an upcoming lawyer drama about exploited migrant workers with Robert DeNiro and Jodie Foster. Foster will also direct that one. And let me just use this space here at the end of the article to beg you not to see Georgia Rule. Unless you're a fan of child molestation humor, there's better ways to spend your hard-earned cash. For shame, Huffman!

I know, I know. Today's all about Oscar nominations. But I still want to talk about the amazing day I had at the Moviefone house for Unscripted shootings. First, I get there and Heather Graham and Victor Rasuk have just finished taping an episode (for their movie 'Adrift in Manhattan'), and they came back to the greenroom to get their coats. They were both very cool, really friendly and all. And apparently Heather had asked Victor if he'd slept with some girl he'd mentioned as being a "big influence" on him, and he hadn't answered her, so she was like, "well, obviously the answer to that question is yes."

No sooner had Heather and Victor left, than in come Zooey Deschanel and Chris Klein for their Unscripted shoot, for their movie 'The Good Life.' They roll into the house with their entourage --