Cate Blanchett in talks to star in ‘Indiana Jones’ movie

Los Angeles – Cate Blanchett is in negotiations to star opposite Harrison Ford in the long-awaited fourth installment of the “Indiana Jones” series, her publicist confirmed Saturday.

“She is in negotiations, yes,” publicist Lisa Kasteler told The Associated Press. She did not elaborate.

Filming is scheduled to begin later this year, with Steven Spielberg on board to direct.

The movie is being produced by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ Lucasfilm Ltd.

Ford played Indiana Jones in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” 1984’s “Temple of Doom” and 1989’s “The Last Crusade.”

Blanchett, who won a best supporting actress Oscar in 2004 for “The Aviator,” starred in last year’s “Notes on a Scandal” and “Babel.”

Talk-show host Larry King has vascular surgery

Los Angeles – Larry King underwent vascular surgery Friday and was expected to return Monday to his CNN talk show.

King, 73, was admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where doctors performed carotid endarterectomy surgery, which removes plaque from the carotid artery and can restore blood flow.

“Larry is doing great and he is excited to be back on the air Monday night with an interview with Sen. Barak Obama as we mark the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war,” said a statement from CNN.

Duchovny to play writer on new Showtime series

New York – David Duchovny, who starred as special agent Fox Mulder in “The X-Files,” will return to television in a new Showtime comedy about a self-destructive writer.

The 46-year-old actor will play Hank, a novelist whose “obsession with truth-telling and self-destructive behavior – drinks, drugs and relationships – are both destroying and enriching his career,” the cable network announced Thursday.

Hank’s issues complicate his relationships with his 13-year-old daughter (played by Madeleine Martin) and an ex-girlfriend (Natascha McElhone).

The series will premiere in August, said Showtime Networks Inc., a division of CBS Corp. The show does not yet have a title.

Willie Nelson announces start of record company at festival

Austin, Texas – He has a seemingly endless playlist, his own brand of alternative fuel and a country club. Now Willie Nelson has something else: his own record company.

The country singer announced Friday during the South by Southwest Music Festival that he has formed Pedernales Records to nurture new talent. The first act on Nelson’s label will be the band 40 Points, featuring his sons, guitarist/singer Lukas Nelson and drummer Micah Nelson.

The debut album by 40 Points, which will be released this summer, includes a guest appearance by the elder Nelson.

The sons performed with their father and Bob Dylan during a summer 2005 tour.

Pedernales Records is named for the river that flows by Nelson’s home outside Austin, where he also owns Pedernales Country Club and founded Pedernales Studios, now owned by his nephew, Freddy Fletcher.