'High School Musical' fans, rejoice! The third installment of the Disney franchise is set to begin filming in January 2008. This time, the cast will perform their infectious pop songs and sporty dance moves in a full-length feature film.

Hot teen couple of the moment -- Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens -- have each been made offers to reprise their roles in the new film. According to Life and Style magazine, Efron, who plays Troy, was offered $3.25 million and Hudgens, who plays Gabriella, was only offered $1.3 million. Does the difference in pay scale have anything to do with Hudgens' recent nude photo scandal? Only Disney execs know for sure.

The multi-talented Queen Latifah is switching gears again. It's been three years since she has released an album, and in those years, she's acted in almost a dozen movies, including the box office smash, 'Hairspray.' Now, she's revisiting her first true love -- jazz -- with a new album that hits shelves Tuesday. 'Trav'lin' Light' is a collection of standards from some of the biggest names in jazz, soul, R&B and blues, from Billie Holiday to Smokey Robinson. Queen Latifah sat down with AOL Music to talk about this music venture, as well as to dish the dirt on tabloid turmoil and how Big Bird played a big part in the highlight of her illustrious career.

People may not realize that jazz was a big part of your life long before your hip-hop and acting careers. Tell us about your early musical influences.

My father was probably the person who encouraged jazz in my life the most. He played nothing but jazz music, and every time I'd get into the car with him, he'd have [radio station] Jazz 88 playing ... or Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday. It was mostly instrumental jazz -- Wayne Shorter, Weather Report -- that was Pop's forte. He also had a jazz club when I was a kid. And when I started to get a little older and started making my own choices in music -- jazz was there because it was becoming an influence on hip-hop. And I was hanging out with Q-Tip and DJ Mark the 45 King, and they had a lot of jazz records playing. Mark just loved the horn; Q-Tip loved the heavy bass. And I fell in love with Dinah Washington's voice. I loved Sarah Vaughan and, of course, Billie Holiday. I was always fascinated by the inflection in their voices and how they said certain words, like Nancy Wilson's 'Guess Who I Saw Today.' It's a song about how she goes into town and catches her husband having lunch with some other woman. The way it sounds is just so clever.

Ashanti will be kicking, well, you know, and taking names in the upcoming 'Resident Evil: Extinction,' another in the movie series based on the wildly popular video game, co-starring Milla Jovovich and Mike Epps. "I play Nurse Betty [and] I shoot a nine-millimeter gun," the R&B star tells PopEater. She'll return to Las Vegas for the film's premiere on September 20, before it hits theaters nationwide the next day.

The singer's newfound role as an action hero also had some influence in a more familiar arena: music. "All the parts that you hear me sceaming," Ashanti says of her forthcoming album, 'The Declaration,' which features collaborations with Pharrell, Robin Thicke, Brian Cox and Jermaine Dupri, "and I'm angry and I'm loud -- I'm visualizing the gun."

Watch an exclusive clip of Ashanti in 'Resident Evil: Extinction'

Since her Oscar-winning role in 2006's 'Dreamgirls,' Jennifer Hudson has shown no signs of letting up when it comes to her career. Having recently completed work on next year's drama 'Winged Creatures,' Variety reports that she's now in final negotiations to act in the highly-anticipated film version of the HBO hit series 'Sex and the City.'

Chicago native Hudson (or J-Hud, as we like to call her) will get a New York edge for the role. In the film, she will play the assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker's character, sex columnist and quintessential Manhattanite Carrie Bradshaw. All four original 'Sex' actresses have signed on to star in the film, which will begin shooting in New York on Sept. 19.

Sean Kingston has had quite a bit of recent success for a man of his tender age: The 17-year-old Jamaican-American R&B/reggae star not only has a huge summer hit with his No. 1 single 'Beautiful Girls,' he was also rumored to have been picked to portray the Notorious B.I.G. in an upcoming biopic about the slain rapper, titled 'Notorious.' Unfortunately, according to the movie's producers, stories claiming that Kingston will be filling Biggie Smalls' extra-large pinstriped suit are unfounded.

Sean Kingston scored a No. 1 hit this summer with 'Beautiful Girls,' and the young star isn't stopping there. Kingston will star in the movie biopics of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G. The film will be produced by the rapper's long-time friend and producer Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

Artist: LeAnn Rimes
Song: 'Are You Ready For a Miracle'
Why You Should Watch: The country diva goes gospel in this upbeat song featured on the 'Evan Almighty' soundtrack.

Omarion is no stranger to acting. The R&B singer has a handful of on-camera credits, and this fall he is adding yet another to the list with the motion picture 'Feel the Noise.' In the dramatic film, Omarion plays lead character, Rob, an aspiring rapper from the South Bronx who, after a run-in with local thugs, flees to Puerto Rico where he finds salvation in reggaeton music.

Omarion also appears on the 'Feel the Noise' soundtrack, collaborating with newcomer Kat DeLuna on the club-ready track 'Cut Off Time.'


Listen to 'Cut Off Time' by Omarion feat. Kat DeLuna

Just in time for the '07-'08 NFL and college football frenzy, Variety is reporting that Dimension Films will start production on 'Comeback,' a sports drama about the first-ever female quarterback in Pop Warner (read: little league) football history.

Ice Cube will produce and star in the film, which former Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst is "in negotiations to direct." Durst made his directorial debut with the indie film 'The Education of Charlie Banks,' which is due out this year. The controversial rock-rapper was also hired to direct the 2005 Heath Ledger skater movie 'Lords of Dogtown,' but backed out of the project for reasons unknown.

Ice Cube -- a.k.a. O'Shea Jackson -- will play a former high school football star and uncle to Jasmine Plummer, the 11-year-old girl who lead her team to the Pop Warner tournament.

The many talents of Justin Timberlake are now expanding to the skating rink. The pop star-turned-actor is set to play a professional hockey player in an upcoming Mike Myers film called 'The Love Guru.'

In the movie, Myers plays a self-help expert who is hired to settle a rift between a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player and his estranged wife. Timberlake plays an L.A. Kings star who is seduced by the estranged wife. Other stars in the film include Jessica Alba, playing the role of the Maple Leafs team owner, and Vern Troyer (of 'Austin Powers' fame), playing the team's head coach.

This isn't the first time Timberlake and Myers have worked together. The 'SexyBack' singer voiced the character of 'Artie' in Myers' 'Shrek the Third.' He has also acted in the films 'Alpha Dog,' 'Black Snake Moan' and the upcoming 'Southland Tales,' which will be released this December.

Filming for 'The Love Guru' will begin next month in Toronto. The comedy is set to hit theaters next June.

Emmy Rossum may be a hot, young actress, but she's not interested in serving up a tartlet image with her burgeoning singing career. "I don't want to bad-mouth any singers or what they stand for lyrically, but there is a lot of room in Top 40 radio for the anti-slut," she tells Us Weekly. "I hope I speak for a lot of women in the way I write."

The 20-year-old Golden Globe nominee has had notable roles in movies such as 'Phantom of the Opera,' 'Mystic River' and 'Poseidon,' but Rossum identifies most with her inner musician.

"This music is who I am," she says in a recent press release. "In the movies, I've always felt like one piece of the puzzle. But this is all me. It's my baby. I get to write, direct and star. And that's the most fulfilling thing. It's everything I've always wanted to do. This music is so close to me. It's something new ...You can't categorize it."

'High School Musical' is back with more drama and, of course, more memorable songs. In the sequel to the popular Disney movie, the teens are on summer vacation and Troy and Gabriella hunt for summer jobs. Sharpay is back to her old tricks, scheming to lure Troy from his girlfriend, but Troy has something more important on his mind: the choice between Gabriella or a fame-filled future.

Can't wait for the movie? Take an early listen to the full 'High School Musical 2' soundtrack right here.

Listen to the 'High School Musical 2' soundtrack full CD

UPDATE: Close friend Diddy will act as the executive producer for the B.I.G. film.

Producers for the upcoming Notorious B.I.G. biopic will hold an open casting call to find an actor for the lead role of the slain rapper, born Christopher Wallace. Audition videos can be submitted to www.foxsearchlight.com/notorious or www.biggiecasting.com, beginning Sunday, Aug. 12 at 3 am.

'Notorious' will be produced by Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, and his two former managers, Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts. "As it relates to the individual Christopher Wallace -- his looks, his stature, what he represented, the swagger, the sensibility of the man -- all those elements are very difficult to find, no matter where you go," Barrow said to the AP.

Voletta Wallace echoed Barrow's sentiments. "There will only be one Christopher Wallace, but I'm happy that his legacy will open a door for another to walk through," she said. "I don't want you to just imitate him. I want to see his swagger, his style, his energy and smile come through."

The East Coast rapper was killed in a drive-by shooting on March 9, 1997 in Los Angeles. He was 24 years old.

Nas is back -- and he's got his friend Cee-Lo in tow. The R&B/rap duo collaborated on the song 'Less Than an Hour,' which appears in the movie 'Rush Hour 3.'

"Nobody brings it like Brett Ratner," Nas says. "He's the street-smart director and he knows his audience. I'm just happy Chris Tucker is back. It's not every year that we get to see him on the screen. Chris and Jackie Chan together again is what we've all been needing! It's a honor for me to play my part musically in the film."

'Less Than an Hour,' will also be the lead single off of Nas' forthcoming greatest hits album, due out in November. 'Rush Hour 3' opens today. Get showtimes and tickets

Listen to 'Less Than an Hour' by Nas and Cee-Lo

'Hairspray' and 'High School Musical' star Zac Efron graces the cover of the next issue of 'Rolling Stone,' which hits newsstands on Friday. Stop looking at his chiseled abs for a moment and ask yourself this: Is that a Kabbalah bracelet? Remember, every time an adolescent star sports a red string, Madonna gets her wings.