Russell Crowe may play Superman's Kryptonite dad (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Russell Crowe is in negotiations to star as the Kryptonian father of Superman in "Man of Steel," a role played by Marlon Brando in the 1987 superhero movie.

Details of his role -- a scientist who foresees the destruction of his planet and squires his infant son into an escape rocket bound for Earth -- are not being revealed.

Brando was famously paid about $13 million (in current terms) for a part that amounted to 15 minutes of screen time. Sean Penn and Clive Owen were reportedly considered for the role in the new film.

"Man of Steel" stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, and Kevin Costner as his human father, Jonathan Kent. The movie is heading for a late summer or fall start in Vancouver. Zack Snyder will direct.

Crowe last starred in "The Next Three Days," which earned just $21 million at the North American box office.

Yahoo! News

Crowe removes, apologizes for anti-circumcision Tweets (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Russell Crowe went on an anti-circumcision tirade on Twitter late Thursday and early Friday morning, later taking down his cutting Tweets and apologizing for offending anyone.

Read one: "Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect."

When a follower wrote, "There's actually a scientific reason for, u should google it," Crowe replied: "My friend, 'human' science has caused too much damage, don't be a moron."

Another follower called the practice hygenic, and Crowe replied, "Hygenic? Why don't you sew up your ass then?"

Writing to his "Man With An Iron Fist Director" Eli Roth, he Tweeted "many jewish friends, I love my Jewish friends, I love the apples and the honey and the funny little hats but stop cutting yr babies @eliroth"

Snapped back Roth: "You didn't seem to be complaining when I was recutting you this afternoon..." But he also defended the actor, saying he was joking and he was glad to be working with him.

Other posts included:

- "I will always stand for the perfection of babies, i will always believe in God, not man's interpretation of what God requires."

- "last of it, if u feel it is yr right 2 cut things off yr babies please unfollow and f**k off,I'll take attentive parenting over barbarism."

When a followed asked if he was "comparing sexual mutilation w/ a jewish ceremonial act?!", Crowe wrote: "Can you actually read the words you just typed 'a ceremonial act', F--- that. The Mayans had ceremonial acts too."

The Oscar-winning actor later deleted his statements, writing:

"I have a deep and abiding love for all people of all nationalities, I'm very sorry that I have said things on here that have caused distress."

"My personal beliefs aside I realize that some will interpret this debate as me mocking the rituals and traditions of others. I am very sorry."

Roth also posted Friday morning that Crowe was joking, and accused the media of "blowing the comments out of proportion."

He Twittered Friday, "#FF @russellcrowe One of the nicest people I have ever been lucky enough to meet and work with. AND

RESPECTFUL OF ALL RELIGIONS."

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

Yahoo! News

Russell Crowe apologizes for circumcision tweets (AP)

NEW YORK – San Francisco's anti-circumcising lobby seems to have a friend in Russell Crowe.

The Oscar-winning actor lashed out at the practice of male circumcision in a series of comments on his Twitter account on Thursday.

In them, he scoffed at the argument that clipping the foreskin serves the cause of hygiene, and declared a newborn baby to be perfect on delivery.

His 140-character tirades were triggered by a tweeted inquiry from the expectant parent of a son who asked, "Do you think I should get him circumstanced?"

Hours later, circumstances had apparently changed for Crowe. He was having second thoughts about his cutting remarks, which by then had vanished from his account.

"I realize that some will interpret this debate as me mocking the rituals and traditions of others," he said in a fresh tweet on Friday. "I am very sorry." And in another post, he declared, "I have a deep and abiding love for all people of all nationalities ..."

Echoing those sentiments in a statement released by his media representative on Friday, he said, "I am deeply sorry for any distress I have caused by my insensitive remarks."

The medical benefits of circumcision have lately become a heated topic of discussion in the parenting community as San Francisco voters face a proposal on the November ballot to ban the circumcision of male children under the age of 18. Opponents say a ban on a religious rite considered sacred by Jews and Muslims would be a blatant violation of constitutional rights.

Yahoo! News

Crowe plays starring role in taking NRL to United States (Reuters)

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Actor Russell Crowe has helped broker a deal to broadcast Australia's most fiercely contested rugby league series, the State of Origin, to the United States, the National Rugby League (NRL) said on Wednesday.

Oscar winner Crowe, who owns NRL club South Sydney Rabittohs, was instrumental in putting together a deal to show the three-match series between New South Wales and Queensland on Fox Sports, the league said.

The run-up to the State of Origin series, which starts in Brisbane on Wednesday, has consumed Australia's East Coast media for the last two weeks with blanket coverage in newspapers and television.

Rugby league is the most popular winter sport code in New South Wales and Queensland, although it has struggled to gain a foothold outside its Australian and English heartlands.

An extra State of Origin game was played in California in 1987 to try and sell the sport to Americans.

The NRL said the new broadcast deal would also see the NRL Grand Final broadcast in the U.S.

"This new United States agreement significantly adds to the mainstream exposure of two of our biggest events," NRL chief David Gallop told the league's website (www.nrl.com.au).

"It sees more than 40 million homes across the United States now able to experience live the passion and rivalry of the 2011... State of Origin Series and the... Premiership Grand Final."

Queensland have won every series since 2006 with the state's flag subsequently flying over Sydney Bridge as a result of a wager between local government heads.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by John O'Brien)

Yahoo! News

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.