Is Bollywood coming out of the closet? It looks so with the release of Dostana (Friendship), a gay rom-com with four A-list stars including Shilpa Shetty and produced by Karan Johar, Bollywood’s biggest director. Of course, in Dostana two of Bollywood’s biggest heroes — John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan — only pretend to be gay to get closer to the object of their affection, Priyanka Chopra. Even so, this is daring for Bollywood as it is the first major film to address the love that dare not speak its name in such a mainstream manner.

Homosexuality remains illegal in India, and is still considered a taboo topic by many. The relevant law is Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (1860), which prohibits “unnatural offences”, defined as “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”. But Johar says he thinks the timing is right forDostana. Section 377 is now under review in the Indian courts and, at least in the major cities, negative attitudes are changing. In an action begun in 2001 the law is being challenged in the Delhi High Court.

The main ground for the challenge is that it is unconstitutional, being contrary to the right to privacy and equality guaranteed in the Indian Constitution.

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Puerto Rico is standing in for Iraq as George Clooney and other major stars begins filming a new movie in the U.S. island territory.

Clooney and co-stars Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey are filming “Men Who Stare at Goats” in the central Puerto Rican town of Comerio.

The movie is based on a 2004 book about alleged U.S. military efforts to develop paranormal powers for American soldiers.

Puerto Rican film corporation Marketing Director Cristina Caraballo said Wednesday the island was chosen because of government incentives offered to the producers

Mel Gibson and company have set up shop in Western Massachusetts. Filming “Edge of Darkness” has been underway in Amherst.

The movie crew has given local business a boost. Atkins Farms in Amherst is case in point.

“I know they have ordered a lot from the deli; sandwiches and wraps,” said Rihana Hooten of Atkins Farms.

Hooten could not be sure how much money the crew has spent, but she said truckloads of food from the deli and bakery sections have been picked up over the last several days.

“It has been busy … but it has been exciting,” she said.

Production moves to Northampton next week.

Academy Award winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen are coming home to Minnesota to shoot their next movie.

The Coen brothers will start shooting this week for their film “A Serious Man.” The movie is about a Jewish family living in the Coen’s hometown of St. Louis Park in the 1960s.

Their first shoot will be at Keys Cafe off Larpenteur Avenue in Roseville.

Minnesota lawmakers came up with $500,000 to help bring the brothers back to the Twin Cities to shoot a movie.

(KTSP)

How could this happen? The question springs to mind as 20th Century Fox claims it has the rights to the graphic novel on whichWarner Brothers is basing “Watchmen,” its giant superhero movie.

Peer deeper into the murk of Hollywood’s business practices, though, and the question becomes: How could it not?

The film industry was buzzing last week after a federal judge here allowed Fox to proceed with a lawsuit contending that Warner had filmed “Watchmen” without bothering to acquire rights that Fox says it has owned for 22 years. This eagerly anticipated movie is directed by Zack Snyder, of “300” fame, and is based on the illustrated series (republished as a graphic novel) by Alan Moore and David Gibbons.

Warner, of course, begs to differ with Fox. So the studios are squared off for battle. Fox wants an injunction blocking the movie’s planned release on March 6. Warner wants Fox to go away.

(New York Times)

Director John Hillcoat and colleagues, in adapting the Pulitzer-winning work, have toiled to weigh hopelessness against faith.

(LA Times)

Film studio Twentieth Century Fox has applied to a Los Angeles court to block the release of Watchmen, based on the comic books written by Alan Moore.

Fox, which says it bought film rights to the series in the 1980s, has been given the go-ahead to launch an injunction against rival Warner Bros.

(BBC)

Production on the new Robin Hood film has been postponed indefinitely according to US trade newspaper Hollywood Reporter.

Directed by Ridley Scott Nottingham the movie is a twist on the classic tale starring Russell Crowe as the Sheriff alongside Sienna Miller as Maid Marian.

Universal Pictures cited script concerns, location logistics and a potential actors’ strike for the delay.

(BBC)

During a break on the set of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen — described to us as a “remote air force base” at an “undisclosed location” — horror franchise reviver and blockbuster director extraordinaire Michael Bay hopped on the phone to give us the scoop on the Transformers sequel, his other projects in the works, and his reaction to that Dark Knight script circling the Internet with his name on it…

(EW)