Fifty Shades of Grey Casting: Luke Bracey at “Top of the List” to Replace Charlie Hunnam

Australian actor Luke Bracey is one of the frontrunners to replace Charlie Hunnam in the Fifty Shades of Grey film adapationCredit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Fifty Shades of Grey is turning into Fifty Rounds of Casting Rumors. With the sudden departure of Charlie Hunnam — who won the role of Christian Grey in early September but dropped out late last week — producers are looking at several different actors to star in the much-anticipated movie adaptation of E.L. James‘ erotic book. And a source tells Us Weekly they’ve zeroed in on one actor in particular: Australian hunk Luke Bracey.

PHOTOS: Stars’ big breaks

Bracey, 24, is said to be one of the current frontrunners to replace Hunnam, 33. “Luke is at the top of the list,” the insider tells Us, noting that more chemistry testing is planned with female lead Dakota Johnson.

Bracey is perhaps best known for playing Trey Palmer on the Australian soap Home and Away. He also appeared as Leighton Meester‘s love interest in the 2011 romantic comedy Monte Carlo — where he grew close with costar Selena Gomez. Earlier this year, after the Spring Breakers actress split from Justin Bieber, the two were spotted holding hands at a Golden Globes after-party.

PHOTOS: Shirtless hunks

Other actors rumored to be in the running for Fifty Shades include Jamie Dornan and Alexander Skarsgard. Dornan, 31, plays Paul Spector in the U.K. series The Fall and previously appeared as Sheriff Graham/The Huntsman on ABC’s Once Upon a Time. Skarsgard, of course, stars as Eric Northman on HBO’s True Blood.

PHOTOS: Breakout stars

As previously reported, Hunnam dropped out of the film on Oct. 12, citing his busy Sons of Anarchy schedule as the reason for his departure. “The filmmakers of Fifty Shades of Grey and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey,” Universal Pictures and Focus Features said in a joint statement.

Tell Us: Do you think Luke Bracey would be a good choice for Christian Grey?

Jenny McCarthy — NOT Getting Fired from ‘The View’ … Says Show Honcho

Exclusive

Jenny McCarthy is NOT on the chopping block at “The View,” despite reports saying she’s a dead woman walking … at least according to the show’s executive producer.

Bill Geddie was out in New York yesterday when he was asked if there was any truth to rumblings Jenny’s getting ready to pack her bags, just one month after she took over for Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

But Geddie was pretty strong — Jenny’s seat ain’t up for grabs.

Not YET anyway.

Harry Styles lonely on tour

Harry Styles works out in the middle of the night because he’s so lonely.

The One Direction hunk is unhappy about spending months away from his loved ones while on tour so goes to desperate lengths to arrange to be with people.

A source told Heat magazine: "He suffers from terrible homesickness and exhaustion towards the end of a tour.

"He often wakes his personal trainer Mark in the middle of the night because he’s so lonely that he’d prefer them to work out together than be on his own."

Harry favours being away from bandmates Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne when the group have some downtime, so he is paying to fly out his father Des and sister Gemma to join him in Australia so he has more company on the road.

The source explained: "He wants people to chill with away from the band."

It was previously claimed Harry stays with pal Nick Grimshaw when he’s in London because he hates being alone in his own house.

A source said: "Harry may have splashed the cash on his house, but if no one’s sleeping over he hates staying there."It’s depressing for him having the whole place to himself. He’s used to having his bandmates around because they’re normally flying all over the world, staying in hotels.

"So when he has free time in London, he now heads over to Nick’s place."

Photo Credits: Solarpix / PR Photos

Arnold Schwarzenegger has sex five times a day

Arnold Schwarzenegger has sex five times a day.

The 66-year-old actor – who split from wife Maria Shriver in 2011 after 25 years of marriage when it was revealed he fathered a child with his maid – has several female companions to satisfy his daily desires which helps him to stay in "great shape", his ‘True Lies’ co-star Tom Arnold has claimed.

The 54-year-old star said: "Arnie has a tremendous sex drive. There are women who come over. He is not lonely. He has female companions.

"He does have a lot of needs and he believes it is all part of the fitness. Five times a day, as he says. It is a good number. A lot of women won’t do that, but he is in great shape."

As well as playing host to a harem of women, Arnold – who is thought to be dating physical therapist Heather Milligan – also surrounds himself with several scantily-clad hunks who like to work out on the front lawn of his Los Angeles home.

Tom added to the Daily Star newspaper: "There are guys in their underwear. It’s a weird scene.

"When you pull up in your car they all scamper out. He is trying to live life like a king."

Photo Credits: KP Pictures, PacificCoastNews.co

Snoop Dogg adopts another new name for funk project

Snoop Dogg has given himself yet another new moniker – Snoopzilla – in honour of collaborative project the rapper has created with singer Dam-Funk.

From Snoop Doggy Dogg to his most recent Rastafarian-inspired name, Snoop Lion, the Drop it Like It’s Hot hitmaker is rechristening himself with a name influenced by Parliament-Funkadelic legend Bootsy Collins, who dubbed himself Bootzilla.

Under the Snoopzilla name, the rapper and Dam-Funk have created the 7 Days of Funk, and they’ll release an album of the same name.

Snoopzilla shares his excitement for the new venture in a statement that reads: “We’re the babies of the Mothership. I’ve had funk influences in my music my whole career. Dam-Funk is cold. He’s keeping the funk alive and I knew I had to get down with him.”

The duo’s first single, Faden Away, was released on iTunes on Tuesday (15Oct13).

Tom Waits & Sinead O’Connor sign up for Kickstarter blues album

Tom Waits, Sinead O’Connor and Lucinda Williams have signed on to record tracks for a new Blind Willie Johnson tribute album – if fans fund the project online.

The Blind Boys of Alabama and Rickie Lee Jones have also agreed to perform a Johnson cover for the album following the launch of a Kickstarter.com crowdsourcing campaign on Tuesday (15Oct13).

A post on the project’s new site reads, “Our mission is to shine a light and acknowledge this important and influential artist currently representing mankind in outer space.

“NASA recently confirmed that mankind has left the solar system for the first time with its Voyager 1 spacecraft entering interstellar space after a 36 year journey. Onboard the spacecraft is a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk, carrying the music of Bach and Mozart, and Blind Willie Johnson’s recording Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground. Meanwhile back on earth, Blind Willie Johnson’s significant contribution to the world of music is far too often overlooked.”

Record producer Jeffrey Gaskill is hoping to raise cash to complete God Don’t Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson – and he’s offering backers the chance to share in the album-making process.

Pregnant Megan Fox Steps Out with Brian Austin Green After Baby News

Hey Megan Fox, nice bag…

One day after confirming her baby news, the 27-year-old actress was spotted at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City with her husband Brian Austin Green and their son Noah.

Nearby photographers and fans looking for a tiny baby bump were out of luck, as Fox stepped out in a loose grey tee and cream cardigan and hid behind a giant green bag.

The couple’s happy news was announced by Fox’s rep late Thursday, some 10 months after the Transformers star gave birth to little Noah.

“I’m so much softer than I used to be, and I feel everything so much deeper than I used to,” Fox told E! News of motherhood in December. “When I watch the news, everyone is somebody’s child or someone’s mother. So, I’m constantly worrying now about everything.”

Fox has spent part of her summer in New York City filming the upcoming reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Kellan Lutz Shares Shirtless ‘Hercules 3D’ Still on Instagram

Kellan Lutz has made everyone’s weekend (week, for some of us) thanks to his latest Instagram post.

On Friday, the 28-year-old hunk unveiled a new shirtless still of himself from his upcoming movie Hercules 3D.

The shirtless display comes just days after Lutz fans were treated to new photos of the sculpted actor on the Bulgaria film set. The images included Lutz, who reportedly put on 20 lbs. of muscle for the role, in full armor and shield.

Hercules 3D, directed by Renny Harlin (The Covenant, The Long Kiss Goodnight), arrives in theaters in early 2014.

Craving more Kellan Lutz and Hercules 3D? Check out the gallery, above, and the film’s official poster, below.

[Courtesy of Millennium Films]

Sydney Leathers Has Indeed Filmed a Porno

Sydney Leathers, the latest woman involved in Anthony Weiner’s ring of sexting, has filmed a solo porn video for Vivid Entertainment – and TMZ has all of the lurid Monday-morning details.

Apparently, the 23-year-old – who was spotted “hanging out” with Vivid honcho Steve Hirsch about a week ago – strips down and strikes a bunch of poses in the video before she starts “strumming the old banjo,” as TMZ so kindly puts it. It’s all available on Vivid’s obviously not safe for work website, so, enjoy!

As for why Leathers decided to film the tape, the lost dog summed it up by telling Vivid:

“Anthony Weiner and I had a sexting relationship for several months and that came out in the press. So, here I am!”

Great.

Realty Byte: Ryan Serhant Takes A Spin Around Jeff Gordon’s $30M NYC Pad

Living in the fast lane certainly has its perks for Jeff Gordon.

The acclaimed NASCAR driver has racked in $150 million over the course of his racing career, so it seems only fitting that his Big Apple digs should go for $30 million, right?

The famed athlete, who’s ranked 12th overall in the Sprint Cup, just finished his 700th race and isn’t planning on making anymore pit stops in NYC, so he listed his Manhattan property for the hefty sum that’s, of course, located in one of Manhattan’s toniest locales.

And get this… Gordon bought the 3,454 square-foot penthouse palace in 2007 for a mere $9.7M. An extra $20 million is some serious ROI. The 3-bed, 3.5-bath modern concrete jungle escape welcomes VIPs with a chic foyer graced by 6-foot Santos Mahogany floors and over 46 feet of oversized windows to enjoy the priceless views of Central Park. The entryway opens up the living and formal dining rooms with Brazilian cherry wood floors, rich wood doors, and (a rare fancy feature) a black granite sushi bar.

The kitchen is just as elegant with steel-like Italian ceramic tile flooring, black granite counters and state-of-the-art appliances. What’s even more astounding is the fact that the master suite alone is bigger than most NYC apartments at 740-square-feet! The master also has a separate dressing room, 2 walk-in closets, and an en-suite limestone bath with soaking tub. The condo includes a private office and fully-integrated Creston system that controls all lighting, window shades and audio/visual components.

And the lucky new owner will live among some star-studded company – Sting, Denzel Washington, and Bob Costas are all neighbors who you may run into at… take a deep breath… the 14,000 square-foot fitness center, 750 foot sky-lit pool, spa, sauna, steam room, screening room, private restaurant, wine room, library, business center, game room, outdoor terrace, or children’s playroom.

Let Million Dollar Listing New York’s Ryan Serhant take you on the fast track through Jeff Gordon’s digs in the CB! video above.