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Big bucks for a Britney bio? Not likely

Though the Daily Mirror reports the pop star could get $14 million for her memoirs, another source told OK! magazine that much money was highly unlikely.
/ Source: msnbc.com contributor

Although she’s lived much of her life in front of the lens, pop princess Britney Spears still has enough yet-to-be-revealed tidbits to fill a book — or maybe a few books. According to the Daily Mirror, the singer plans to put pen to paper in exchange for a $14 million payday.

“If the deal goes ahead she will write between three and five books throughout the next decade — it’s one of the most lucrative book deals in showbiz history,” a source revealed. “And some of the stories she’s got are absolute dynamite. She’s kept diaries so there’s nothing she’ll leave out unless she wants to.”

But one insider who spoke to OK! magazine thinks it would take some publishing magic for even the best bits from Spears’ diaries to earn that $14 million price tag.

“That seems ridiculously high for a book deal,” the insider insisted. “Even though she’s a huge star, that doesn’t mean anyone wants to read an autobiography by her. To make back that much of an advance, the publisher would have to sell ‘Harry Potter’-size numbers.”

Paging Dr. Doug! Clooney to return to ‘ER’ After months of will-he-or-won’t-he speculation, it looks like George Clooney’s ready to put on his scrubs one more time before “ER” comes to an end.

The series finale of the long running hospital drama airs in April, and according to Entertainment Tonight, sources have confirmed the return of the reluctant original cast member.

As recently as September, Clooney still looked like a long shot for the show, as his publicist, Stan Rosenfield said, “He is on record as saying he is not coming back.”

Dr. Doug fans, no doubt, cheer the change of heart.

Paula Abdul sees herself as an inspiration
She may be better known now as “American Idol’s” easy-to-please judge, but Paula Abdul believes she made her real mark in the music videos from her pop heyday.

“My videos stand the test of time,” Abdul boasted in a quote published in Showbiz Spy. “They are like the almanac for every performer. Even Rihanna has come up to me and said ‘I hope you don’t mind.’ And Beyonce. You can see the influence of what I’ve done.”

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In particular, Abdul points to her “Opposites Attract” video, which featured a cartoon twirl with MC Skat Kat, as having the biggest pop culture punch.

“It’s really fun to see that I’ve left a mark,” she said. “It was my idea to create an animated character. It takes a lot of focus, a lot time, and a lot of money.”

Not to mention a lot of copycatting from another famous performance. After all, Abdul at least owed an “I hope you don’t mind” to Gene Kelly and Jerry the mouse (of “Tom and Jerry” fame) for their original dancing duet in 1945’s “Anchors Aweigh.”

Original ‘Karate Kid’ pans planned remake It’s comeback time for the “The Karate Kid,” but the original “Kid” isn’t happy to hear about it. Actor Ralph Macchio takes exception with filmmakers’ plans to give the classic ’80s flick a modern makeover, with 10-year-old Jaden Smith in the title role and Jackie Chan as the venerable Mr. Miyagi.

After reading reactions from online fans, Macchio spoke to MTV.com about the “needless” remake.

“It feels pretty good that some people are angry that they’re trying to remake ‘The Karate Kid,’” the 47-year-old said. “From my personal view, filling the void of what Mr. Miyagi was — and the magic of that character — is going to be the toughest task. I (also) don’t know where the romantic story-arc goes (with Smith’s Daniel) at that age.”

Despite his reservations, Macchio thinks there’s still hope for the new “Kid” production, but only if it’s done right.

“If they separate themselves from (the original) but still hold true to the human message behind the movie,” he said, “I think that story could last forever.”

Dish on the fly Fans worried about the delayed released of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” can rest a little easier now that star Hugh Jackman’s promised the film will be worth the wait. “I wanted to reach out and let you know that due to scheduling conflicts with certain cast members and location/weather considerations, we had to wait until now to shoot a couple of scenes,” Jackman wrote in a open letter posted to Ain’t It Cool News. “Please rest assured that ‘Wolverine’ will be badass and hopefully meet all of your expectations.” … A wardrobe malfunction allowed Joaquin Phoenix to distract a few audience members from his K-Fed-quality rap at Las Vegas’ Lavo last week. “(He had) such a massive hole in the crotch (of his corduroy pants), it was hard for anyone to focus on his singing,” one unfortunate onlooker told the New York Daily News. “The worst was that the hole was at eye (level) for most of the crowd.”

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Tabloid Tidbits is compiled by Ree Hines.