The Secret Life of Bees, adapted and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood from the best-selling book by Sue Monk Kidd, weaves racism and the civil rights movement around the story of Lily (Dakota Fanning), a young white girl taken in by three African-American sisters when she runs away from her controlling, emotionless father. It's a role that's in some ways reminiscent of the character Fanning played in Hounddog, a film that was critically panned and rather controversial for having a scene in which Fanning's character was raped.

This time around, there's no such awkward controversy; The Secret Life of Bees is a sweet, mostly charming coming-of-age tale that, while it doesn't particularly break any new ground with regards to the filmmaking, does an able enough job of adapting a bestselling book of the "women's bookclub" variety for the screen. Here's the basic story: Lily is haunted by the death of her mother; now, on the eve of her fourteenth birthday, she's had enough of her father, T-Ray (Paul Bettany), and starts to fight back against him.

When their maid, Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), is accosted by a pack of angry white men on the way to registering to vote -- and ends up arrested herself for her trouble -- Lily decides that it's time for both her and Rosaleen to escape. She has a vague idea about where to go -- Tiburon, South Carolina -- based only on the name of a town written on one of the few possessions she has of her mother's, and a label from a honey jar.

Last year, bit by bit, we got casting notices for the uber-drama Winged Creatures, which collected a powerful group of actors -- Forest Whitaker, Kate Beckinsale, Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning, Jackie Earle Haley, Guy Pearce, and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Now a trailer has finally hit the Internet, which you can see above.

As the trailer outlines, the film follows a group of people who suffer post-traumatic stress after a random shooting at a Los Angeles diner. Talk about a soul-sucker. The trailer alone should steal some of the wind from your happy sails, but it looks like it will be in the most worthy way. Initial buzz at IMDb has pegged the film to be a 9.1/10, so this could be one of those heavy, challenging dramas worth our time and energy. The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, but a release date is yet to be set.

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for The Secret Life of Bees (click above image to enlarge), based on Sue Monk Kidd's best-selling coming-of-age novel. And talk about an all-star cast of top-notch female talent, Bees stars Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning, Alicia Keys and Sophee Okonedo. The film, which is set in South Carolina in 1964, follows two friends (Fanning and Latifah) who run away from home in order to solve the mystery surrounding one of their mothers. Eventually, the three Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Keys and Okonedo) take the two girls in and teach them how to care for and raise bees. The book itself has a ton of fans, and I expect the film -- especially with this cast -- to win over a slew of new ones as well.

The Secret Life of Bees buzzes into theaters on October 17.

With the end of this month comes final confirmation: Can Sex and the City make it as a feature film? To continue to whet our Sex appetites, a whole slew of clips popped up over on the net. Above you can check out the, erm, fleshed out waxing clip from the trailer, and after the jump there's a wedding announcement, that Cinderella clip, some "coloring," home shopping, and Carrie getting a little bit too "pat on the head," "I've been there" preachy with Jennifer Hudson.

As someone who enjoyed the show (whilst ignoring the idiotic fashions and some of the crappy men), this is looking to be the sort of film that will appeal to fans ... although it will be a little different than its skin-risque HBO roots. A few years passed and now it seems that we won't be getting the usual fleshy shocker from Samantha -- rumor has it that the only woman who celebrates full-flesh is Cynthia Nixon. It's too bad that age seems to be making the women cling to the clothing, but then again, that's SatC for you -- partially stereotype-breaking and partially stereotype-clutching.

There is nothing new about the debate over rampant commercialism and Sex and the City. So, I'm not even going to go into whether empowerment can be achieved through shopping. But, Fergie's new theme song for the big-screen SATC has hit the web, and she has no qualms about making an ode to designer labels. Titled Labels or Love, the track sounds like a My Humps redux, and frankly, it's pretty awful. For starters, throughout most of the song I had a hard time understanding what she was even saying. But when you can make out the lyrics, they include such philosophical statements as: "Love is a like a runway," "Stop chasing those boys and shop some more," and "No emotional baggage, just replace it with Dior."

Fans of the show have been awaiting the feature film version with bated breath since the news first hit, and the fever pitch has only risen now that Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker have been letting the spoilers fly. Unfortunately, SATC was never really my thing, so I only have a passing curiosity to see how they translate Carrie and the gang on the screen. One thing is for sure, if this theme song is an indication of the music for the movie, I definitely won't be buying the soundtrack.

Take a listen and tell me what you think: Did Fergie improve upon the original? Or is this track best reserved for the closing credits?

Well, Tyler Perry has been outed as a possible roid-rager, and I'm sure it has made plenty of fans look at him just a little differently. Now, the man famous for dressing up in a housecoat has decided to take a stab at something just a little more dramatic, 'cause goodness knows, he could probably use the change. Variety reports that Jennifer Hudson is currently in talks to star in his family drama, Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys -- now I know I am not the first person to comment on this, but really, does he have to put his name in the title of every single film that he makes? Perry will direct and star along with Sanaa Lathan, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard and Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break). Perry also wrote the script, which is about two families who become intertwined due to relationships in love and business.

The film will mark the first time that Perry has included white actors in the major storyline of the film -- but I can't say that it is really going to matter. Let's just say that I'm enough of a cynic to pretty much assume that any Tyler Perry film isn't exactly going to rock my world. But it's not like I've never been proven wrong about this kinds of things, so you never know. Hudson is still hard at work filming the big-screen version of Sex in The City (as Carrie's assistant, or better known as the "sassy black female friend #1703") as well as The Secret Life of Bees (based on the critically acclaimed coming-of-age novel by Sue Monk Kidd). The Family that Preys is set to start shooting March 2 at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. After an Oscar and a slew of high-profile roles, is it wrong to suggest that maybe Hudson should steer clear of this particular film?

Super-not-so-shocking news today: Dakota Fanning is about to sign on to play another kid with a dark life. Variety reports that she is in negotiations, along with Alicia Keys, for the upcoming drama The Secret Life of Bees -- which has already nabbed the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, and Sophie Okonedo. Gina Prince-Bythewood, who wrote and directed Love & Basketball, adapted Sue Monk Kidd's bestselling novel, and will direct it when shooting begins in January in North Carolina. (I guess the South Carolinian book locale was too pricey to shoot in.)

Set in the 1964 south, the year the Civil Rights Act came to be, the film will focus on Lily (Fanning), a 14-year-old girl who lives with her abusive father and memories of her dead mother. It seems that her mom died when a 4-year-old Lily accidentally shot her during a fight with her husband. Meanwhile, her nanny Rosaleen (Hudson) gets into some trouble with some white men while going to register to vote and has to flee the Georgia town. Lily joins her and the pair run off to South Carolina, which somehow holds secrets about her mom's past. They are then taken in by the "eccentric" Calendar sisters (Latifah, Okonedo, and Keys), who make Black Madonna Honey. So, that's where the bees come in. If this slice of drama sounds interesting, the project has a quick turnaround -- Fox Searchlight plans to release it in 2008.

If you are extremely bored today, and are an extreme Sex and the City fan, then this video from MTV Movies Blog may be of interest to you. It's the first footage from the set of the highly anticipated Sex and the City: The Movie, and ... it's rather lackluster. Actually, it may even disappoint die-hard SATC fans since it doesn't feature Carrie, Samantha, Miranda or Charlotte (aka Sarah Jessica, Kim, Cynthia or Kristin). Nor does it feature any of the male actors who will be returning from the hit TV show. But it does showcase one of the movie's big stars: Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson. And she's really showing us the Academy was right, because the way she walks into that doorway is brilliant! Yeah, that's all we get to see. Nothing special.

Here's a reason you may want to watch: you want to check out the outfit that Hudson is wearing. Feel free to comment below, because I'm no fashion expert and I can't describe it (I like those boots, though). Another reason: you love New York locations and want to see where this shot is being filmed. First person to chime in with the correct spot wins ... the honor of knowing the city pretty well. I'll give you a hint: pay attention to the upper left corner of the screen for a distinct landmark. Also, I have to point out that the building Hudson is entering has been used in countless movies in the past -- though usually from the inside, and upstairs.

If you want more goods on the filming of SATC:TM, we shared a few location photos recently (care of AICN), and there's a few group shots that are currently up on the IMDb for your enjoyment. Also, if you don't mind spoilers, Monika revealed some plot points (again care of AICN) a week ago. Otherwise, feel free to wait until next May, when Sex and the City: The Movie hits theaters.

Forget a singing career, American Idol appears to be a better jumping ground for acting. So far, one Idol contestant has gone on to win an Oscar, and now Season 5 runner-up Katherine McPhee is building up a movie career. Currently, she's working on the comedy I Know What Boys Like (aka the Anna Faris Playboy Bunny movie), in which she plays a pregnant hippie in need of a makeover, and she just told MTV that she already has her next project lined up. Titled Success, the indie drama begins shooting in November, and the singer-actress compared its dark style to that of the Coen Brothers and Jim Jarmusch. She also said it features great writing and well-developed, quirky characters. Unfortunately, she couldn't give away any of the film's plot or much else, really, but she did reveal a bit about her character, which she says is a nice, sweet girl who seems to end up having to compete for the attention of a guy, though she admits it is much more complicated than that. Could Success be the same thing as "the dark romantic comedy" The Last Caller, which was announced back in June as McPhee's big-screen debut? Maybe.

McPhee isn't about to concentrate solely on her acting career, though, and already has plans for her second album, with which she wants to become the female John Mayer. Of course, Mayer doesn't do movies in addition to making music, even though he should (he was a great Henry Higgins in 6th grade -- I should know, I played his butler -- hmm, I wouldn't mind playing McPhee's butler, but in real life ... ). Meanwhile, Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks probably won't last as long in the limelight, considering he had the lowest-selling Idol debut, and doesn't seem to be trying for a film career. I have to salute McPhee, who was also rumored to be considered for the role of Wonder Woman, for being able to transcend her Idol loss -- if for nothing else, hers and Jennifer Hudson's success with movies should certainly make everyone dismiss From Justin to Kelly as a reason not to go from Idol to Hollywood.

Seeing as our resident Sex and the City expert (ahem, Monika) is off covering the Toronto International Film Festival, it's now my job to bring you the news that Oscar-winner (and former American Idol contestant) Jennifer Hudson has signed on to co-star in Sex and the City: The Movie. Can I get a "Hell Yeah!" on that one? According to Variety, Hudson will take on the role of Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) assistant. And, to add to that, TV Squad managed to get hold of some spoilers, one of which describes Hudson's role as a "fashionable and sharp African-American woman in her early 20s, who moved from St. Louis to NYC in order to find love. The movie will also feature her ex-boyfriend Will." TV Squad also mentions that Hudson's name in the film will be Louise.

The film will pick up four years after the final episode on HBO, and once again revolve around the sexy lives of Carrie (Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). Chris Noth will reprise his role as Mr. Big, while Mario Cantone will also be back as Anthony Marantino. One of the things I'm most interested in is how well this film does in theaters -- considering it's based on a cable TV series. I imagine the fanbase has grown larger over the years due to DVDs and syndication plays, but I bet a lot of folks will be watching Sex and the City: The Movie to see whether a move from pay cable to movie theater was a smart choice, or one that should have been reserved for an HBO two-hour special. How well do you think the movie will do?