Well, this is some inspired casting if I ever saw it. In a new article over at MTV, we’ve got new casting news for the next Batman movie straight from the mouth of Michael Caine himself:

In an interview with MTV News conducted just hours ago at the Toronto Film Festival, Michael Caine — there to promote “Is There Anybody There?” — seemed to confirm rumors that the next installment of the “Batman” film franchise will feature two very well-known names playing the roles of The Riddler and the Bumbershoot Bandit, The Penguin. “They’ve already got them in mind,” said Caine, when asked who he’d like to see take up arms against the Caped Crusader. “It’s Johnny Depp as The Riddler. And The Penguin is Philip Seymour Hoffman. I read it in the paper.”

So Caine is like the rest of us, reading gossip in the tabloids, right? Except for one thing…according to the actor, he confirmed the news through the studio itself.

“When Christopher [Nolan] said we were going to do ‘The Dark Knight’ next, I didn’t what that meant in Batman terms,” related Caine, who plays Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth. “I said, ‘What’s the story?’ and he said The Joker. I said, ‘Oh, s–t! How are you going to top Jack [Nicholson]?’ He said, ‘Well, I’ve cast Heath Ledger. And I went ‘Ha! I couldn’t top Jack, but if anyone could, maybe Heath could.’ And he did.

“I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, ‘Are we going to make another one?’ They said yeah. I said, ‘How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says ‘I’ll tell you how you top Heath — Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.’ I said, ‘S–t, they’ve done it again!’”

This is absolutely inspired casting; Phillip Seymour Hoffman pretty much rocks the HELL out of every role he’s ever been in, and of course Johnny Depp is pretty much made of teh awesome. Yay!

I don’t think her billions and billions of dollars from her weird little kid videos are going to save her this time. Mary-Kate Olsen, who was the last person to see Heath Ledger alive, is REFUSING to be interviewed by federal investigators probing the accidental drug death of her close friend Heath Ledger unless she receives immunity from prosecution.

Now, WHY, exactly, would she be wanting immunity? Everyone else who the authorities have interviewed have been absolutely helpful and forthcoming - she is the only person who has decided to get their panties in a twist. Of course, this puts suspicion on her as being the one who provided Heath with the illegally obtained drugs he was taking, which probably wouldn’t fly too well with her legions of rabid tweenie fans. This one ought to get VERY interesting.

If she really has, then good for her.

Rumors are flying that Michelle Williams, who was Heath Ledger’s long time lovah and baby mama, is now going out with director Spike Jonze. The two struck up a friendship a few years ago when she auditioned for his version of “Where the Wild Things Are”; she was offered a part, but had to back out due to other commitments.

I still honestly can’t believe that Heath Ledger is gone, you know? He wasn’t one of my favorite actors, but in every single part he played, he made such a singular impact. He didn’t let you forget him.

Image details: 78th Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals served by picapp.com

I thought this was a nice story. Michelle Williams is planning on making a remembrance movie of sorts for daughter Matilda, with different actors, etc. giving their memories of Heath to the camera. Here’s more:
“It makes Michelle’s heart ache that Matilda was so young when Heath died and she’s unlikely to retain any memories of her father,” a source told Australian Daily Telegraph. “She wants to keep his spirit alive with something Matilda can treasure all her life.”
Personally I would think it would be more meaningful to have something purely from family rather than from a whole bunch of actors who probably didn’t know him that well, but that’s just me.

Oh, man! This is just sad, yall. Apparently, Heath’s dad Kim sucks at handling stuff like this; in fact, he so mismanaged his father’s estate that he was removed as executor. Heath’s uncles really, really, really don’t want Kim to be the executor, but since Heath left everything to his parents and sisters, they don’t really have a say in the matter. Yet.

This kind of thing just SUCKS, especially when there are young children involved (Matilda). I hope they get it straightened out soon.

Hola, Snarkarinos! Yes, it’s true - we’ve reached a sad level here at SnarkyGossip, and it involves kittens. You don’t want to be responsible for sweet little baby kittens getting hurt, now, do you? DO YOU? Yeah, I thought so. On a completely unrelated note, we just got a quote for air conditioning in our house because I’m tired of sweating like a warthog in the summer, and HOLY CRAP is it ever expensive. Sweating like a warthog suddenly is a lot more appealing.

On to the goss! First, the doctors who gave Heath Ledger all those prescriptions is being investigated.

Heath Ledger’s doctors might be in trouble!

As you know, Heath Ledger died in January from an accidental overdose. He was taking a shitload of drugs, and there’s suspicion that some of that might have been prescribed wrongly:

The doctors - one in California, one in Texas - are believed to have supplied the “Brokeback Mountain” star with the powerful painkillers Oxycontin and Vicodin, law enforcement sources said. Authorities want to know if the drugs were prescribed illegally. “It’s an ongoing investigation,” a law enforcement source told The News Tuesday. “It’s not clear if there was any wrongdoing.”

- source

Well, not to point out the obvious or anything, but if they’re investigating the doctors doesn’t that indicate that there was something bad going on? I mean, nothing’s going to change the fact that Heath is gone, but still.

Next: Jessica Alba is trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube, apparently.

Jessica Alba, birth control advocate

Here’s an astonishingly ignorant (and that’s saying something) from pregnant Jessica Alba:

“”Boys are awful. They are made of nothing but hormones until they’re about 20 or 21 . . . It’s fun to have a crush, but don’t think it’s forever . . . And use birth control and condoms, please.”

Apparently her boyfriend Cash didn’t get this particular memo? And maybe she didn’t either? Being as she’s pregnant and all? Huh.

Next: The Spice Girls are finally done.

Good Bye Spice Girls!

Yep, they had their final concert in Toronto last night. Watch:

Honestly, I do like them, but how many groups do you know can get away with not writing anything new for TEN YEARS and then have a successful tour? Yeah, I thought so.

What else is going on today….

• Ashlee Simpson scares people with her laugh
• No tipping for Ashley Olsen
• Paris Hilton bikini pics
• Boy George pleads not guilty
• Angelina Jolie expecting twins? Maybe

That’s it till this afternoon, friends - till then, I leave you with this:

OUCH!! Talk to you later, snarkarinos!

First of all, let me apologize for posting so late today; a hamster (multiple hamsters) are apparently attacking the server this blog sits on and wreaking mighty hamster havoc. Or something like that.

ANYWAY, Heath Ledger’s autopsy results are in, and basically showed that his death was an accident (I still can’t believe that he’s gone, can you?):

The NYC medical examiner has finished the toxicology report following the death of Heath Ledger, and has just ruled that the actor’s death was caused by acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine

The NYPD found five different medications in Ledger’s apartment after his death, including anti-anxiety medications Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium) and Lorazepam (Ativan). The sleeping medication Zopiclone (Lunesta) and the sedative Temazepam (Restoril) — which is used by people with “debilitating insomnia” — were also found.

- source

So sad; what a loss. RIP, Heath.

A NEW video banned from airing in the US claims to show Heath Ledger allegedly discussing drugs; he talks about how his girlfriend (Michelle Williams) is going to be mad at him and how he just had a baby (Matilda).

In the newest issue of US Weekly, there’s an article about how Heath Ledger was supposed to go to rehab back in 2006:

In March 2006 – just weeks after the couple walked the Oscars red carpet and when daughter Matilda was only five months old – Williams drove Ledger to Promises Treatment Center in Malibu, California, the confidant tells Us Weekly.

Ledger refused to check in, instead swaying her with a pledge to clean up.

Even after the couple realized “they were in way over their heads,” according to a source, and split in September 2007, two sources tell Us that Williams demanded Ledger be drug-tested before his visitations with Matilda.

- source

Unfortunately, that’s the nature of addiction - they promise and promise but without outside help they can rarely get themselves well. The real loser in all of this is Matilda, who will never know her daddy.

Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church gang of asshats are on the prowl over Heath Ledger’s death. Here are a few of their more endearing moments over the last week.

First, Freddy talks about “kissypoo preachers”:

More douchebaggery after the jump: Read more