Javier Bardem had a night out in LA yesterday hosting a screening of the Weinstein Company's upcoming release Miral. The film's director, Julian Schnabel, who also lensed The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, was there to smile and pose with his daughter Stella, along with Javier and the producers Jon Kilik and Yasmine Elmasri. It was a reunion for Javier and Julian, after they worked together on 2000's Before Night Falls. Julian's real-live love, Rula Jebreal, also attended in a white dress. The project is based on Rula's novel about a Palestinian woman involved in the Israeli-Palestine conflict of the same name, and over the course of shooting the pair apparently became an item. The movie's star Freida Pinto wasn't on hand to celebrate at this particular bash, but she traveled the world extensively last Summer with promotional stops at festivals in Toronto and London.
Trailer: Freida Pinto Gets Political in Julian Schnabel's Miral
After what feels like a full year without a peep out of Freida Pinto, the Slumdog Millionaire actress is back on the radar. First came the news of her joining Rise of the Apes, followed by an appearance in Woody Allen's trailer for You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. But forget those secondary, girlfriend-type parts, because Pinto is about to take on something with more teeth — and it's a Julian Schnabel film, no less.

In this trailer for the director's Miral, Pinto plays the title role, a young Palestinian woman who becomes entangled in the Israeli-Palestine conflict. It has all of the elements of a gripping, epic story: the love interest who's an activist, the wary father, and a headstrong heroine. Oh, and Tom Waits. It comes to US theaters Dec. 10, but give it a look when you read more
Freida Has a Million Reasons to Smile
Freida Pinto flashed a big grin yesterday on the Jerusalem set of Miral. She looked just as happy last week as she shared a romantic lunch with her Slumdog Millionaire costar Dev Patel. His mom later confirmed that the two really are an item. Even though Dev's no longer in town, things kept going well for Freida — she earned her very first spot this week on People's Most Beautiful list.
Buzz News Roundup, 3/25
- Freida Pinto has joined the cast of Miral, written by The Diving Bell and the Butterfly's Julian Schnabel. — Variety
- George Lopez will have a late-night talk show on TBS starting in the Fall. — AP
- Speaking of late-night, Chelsea Handler has signed a deal to stay at E! through 2012. — The Hollywood Reporter
- Kelly Clarkson is still topping the Billboard chart this week, and the Twilight soundtrack is back up to No. 3. — Billboard
- Jon Hamm has joined the cast of Howl, the Allen Ginsberg biopic starring James Franco. — Variety
- A crossover episode between Bones and Family Guy — yes, really — will air May 7. — TV Guide
- Conflicts with Big Love have forced Amanda Seyfried to drop out of Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch. — Entertainment Weekly
- Jennifer Hudson will perform after tonight's American Idol taping, with the performance to be broadcast at a later date.
— TV.com

