The 64-year-old actress will play Pearl Slaghoople, the part taken by Elizabeth Taylor in the original.

Full Monty star Mark Addy plays Fred Flintstone with Stephen Baldwin co-starring as Barney Rubble.

The film, called Viva Rock Vegas, is a prequel to the 1994 hit and sees newly-weds Fred and Wilma in Stone Age Vegas.

John Goodman and Elizabeth Perkins played Fred and Wilma Flintstone in the first film, while Rick Moranis and Rosie O'Donnell played Barney and Betty Rubble.

The Hanna-Barbera cartoon series ran for six years from 1960. It is still repeated around the world today.

O'Connor in row with daughter's father

Sinead O'Connor: Threatening to sue over "malicious" complaint

Singer Sinead O'Connor is threatening to sue daughter's father John Waters after her local council dismissed his child neglect accusations.

O'Connor said the allegations journalist John Waters made to Camden Council, north London, arose out of "malice and vindictiveness".

"It's the worst thing that you could accuse a person of, other than sexual abuse," she said. "I will be suing him for the damage to my career and family life."

Waters had made a complaint at a police station about the care of two-year-old Roisin.

Camden Council confirmed a social worker had visited O'Connor's house and it would not be taking the matter any further.

O'Connor, who had a number one in 1990 with a cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U, alleges Waters lost her 10 days of studio time and had also caused distress to her 11-year-old son Jake.

Beach protesters jeer Thai chief

Leonardo DiCaprio: Star of The Beach

Protesters have heckled Thailand's forestry chief for allowing the shooting of the latest Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach on a protected nature reserve.

A group of activists showed up at the headquarters of the forestry department and heckled Plodprasop Suraswadi as he was making a speech.

Environmentalists claim the 20th Century Fox production is spoiling Phi Phi island's fragile ecosystem, but film-makers Fox deny it.

Filming at Maya Bay, which is at the centre of the controversy recently finished, but work continues on the movie in other locations in Thailand.

Gibson wanted to be a Patriot

Mel Gibson: His movie Fahrenheit 451 has been postponed

The makers of revolutionary drama film Patriot are trying to persuade Mel Gibson to take the lead role.

The actor has a gap in his schedule after his plans to direct a remake of sci-fi drama Fahrenheit 451 were postponed because Brad Pitt was not available.

Patriot has been written by Saving Private Ryan screenwriter Robert Rodat and will be produced by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, who were the team behind Independence Day and Godzilla.

Tracey takes on Hollywood

Comedienne Tracey Ullman plans to direct a film that she says will alter cinema's negative image of older women.

The 40-year-old British performer, who hit success after moving to the US, said: "The way women are presented in films just drives me crazy.

"There's a whole market out there of funny, older women that's untapped."