Barrymore 'cast' for Clooney film

Drew Barrymore will play the lead female role in George Clooney's directorial film debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, according to reports.

Clooney will also star in the adaptation of the memoirs of game show host Chuck Barris, trade newspaper Variety reported.

Writer Charlie Kaufman, whose previously work includes Being John Malkovich, penned the Miramax comedy which will also star Sam Rockwell.

Rockwell is set to play Barris, who claims he was recruited by the CIA to become a government-sponsored assassin.

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REM pull off secret gig

REM surprised a small audience in their hometown by doing a full set for a crowd that expected to see a film and a local band.

The band were in the town of Athens in Georgia, US, rehearsing for upcoming shows, and joined the band The Possibilities along with musicians Scott McCaughey and Ken Stringfellow, who perform on REM's latest CD.

Band manager Bertis Downs said: "[REM guitarist] Peter Buck had been really wanting to do a show while he was in town, and the stars really were just in the right alignment for this to happen."

The show was sponsored by a a local organisation to thank residents for their generosity after the attacks on the US on 11 September.

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White Stripes say no to Gap

Pop sensations The White Stripes have turned down a lucrative advertising deal with fashion chain Gap - reported to have been worth about $1m (£689,107).

In an interview with the NME, the rock and blues duo said that they had been approached to get involved in Gap's latest TV campaign, which includes Daft Punk, Tricky and Duran Duran.

Vocalist Jack White told the NME: "The Gap wanted us to be in a commercial and we said 'no' and everyone said, 'why not'?"

"It's almost as if, if people are willing to give you that much money, you are insulting everyone you know by turning it down - people's opinions about selling out seem to have changed over the years."

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Former Mastermind host launches charity quiz

On Wednesday former Mastermind host Magnus Magnusson launched a new quiz book for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Christmas fund-raising campaign.

The former question master of the BBC TV knowledge quiz has contributed his own questions to the book - including a teaser on who sculpted London's Peter Pan statue.

The launch took place by the statue of Peter Pan in London's Kensington Gardens.

The quiz book costs £10 and the money raised goes to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, one of the world's largest cancer research organisations.