The Deal Report: August 12, 2005

MOVIES

The Sixth Sense‘s Haley Joel Osment is all growed up! ”I actually just returned from New England, where I was looking at colleges. I’m definitely thinking Northeast,” says the soon-to-be high school senior, who will shoot the teen drama Home of the Giants before taking on those pesky personal statements. ”My character is the best friend of the top basketball player in Indiana and the story is about how their relationship evolves,” says the actor, who cites Hoosiers as a fave. ”I used to play on teams frequently when I was younger, but [after] getting into high school and being only about 5’5”, getting on the team is no easy matter.” The DR would pick you, HJ!. . .

Busiest bee Nicole Kidman has joined the cast of Warner Bros.’ sci-fi thriller Invasion, an update of 1956’s (already twice remade) Invasion of the Body Snatchers. For those of you counting, that will be Ms. Kidman’s third remake in three years, following Bewitched and The Stepford Wives. We interrupt this item for a stern rebuke from the studio: Erm, make that her third ”reimagining” in three years. . . .

Revenge of the no-name hottie: Scorned Jude Law fiancée Sienna Miller has been restored to the leading role in the Edie Sedgwick biopic Factory Girl, after dropping out in mid-May because of ”scheduling problems” completely unrelated to concerns she may not have been a big enough name.

TELEVISION

Danny Masterson has signed on for That ’70s Show‘s eighth and final season for a reported $15 — yup, $15 — million. Score! That’s funding for at least two more trendy L.A. eateries!

MUSIC

”When I went into the studio this time, there were no cameras and I was like, ‘Yeeess!”’ says former MTV reality drone Ashlee Simpson, whose new album, In Another Life, drops in October. And dare we mention. . .”Yeah, I’d do Saturday Night Live again. My parents taught me to tackle my fears!” says Simpson the Younger, who will follow sis Jessica onto the big screen with this summer’s indie Undiscovered. ”It’s basically about people who live in L.A. who are wannabe singers, wannabe dancers, wannabe actors.” What, no wannabe reality stars in the mix?