Back in November we learned that Megan Fox was selected to replace Victoria Beckham as the celebrity spokesmodel for Emporio Armani (around the same time we learned that soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was chosen to replace David Beckham as Armani Underwear spokesmodel) and today we get our first look at the Armani promo ads that feature Megan Fox as their new spokesmodel:

As an actress, her work has received somewhat lacklustre reviews. But her stunning good looks have won her nothing but praise. Now it seems Megan Fox may have found her calling. The Transformers star has been named as the new face of Emporio Armani. Shots released today show the brunette pouting as she poses in underwear, skimpy mini skirts and tight shirts. And as a treat for the 23-year-old’s fans, Armani promises the pictures will feature ‘on signature billboards in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Rome, Paris and Tokyo’. The first advertising campaigns for spring/summer 2010 featuring Megan were shot on location in Los Angeles by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Designer Giorgio Armani said: ‘Megan is young and sexy and has a lot of spirit. ‘Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans are all about a youthful attitude making her the perfect choice for the collections.’

This campaign appears much more substantial than Victoria Beckham‘s campaign was. VB only appeared in underwear ads, Megan here is featured in actual Armani womenswear. But, yes, there are underwear photos as well. Check ‘em out, after the jump …

Channing Tatum — hunky star of films like Step Up, Fighting, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and, as we learned last month, in a new film titled The Eagle of the Ninth — is featured on the cover and in the pages of the new issue of Details magazine. The first portion of Channing‘s Details coverstory is devoted to his penis, which the interviewer describes as “hot-pink, singed, and shriveled” and “gross”. Interested, read on:

Channing Tatum’s penis is gross. It looks like a hot dog that’s been left too long on the grill. The tip is hot-pink, singed, and shriveled. It appears angry. And it’s painful to view. My penis hurts just from looking at it. Movie stars tend to be vain, by nature and profession, but Chan—that’s what everyone calls him—does not mind one bit showing me his sad, withered wiener. “It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life,” he says, flipping through photos on his iPhone until he lands on a grainy snapshot of a scorched member. His scorched member. “I’m good . . . now,” he says with a grin. “Now my penis is fantastic! One hundred percent recovered. Put me back in the game, Coach.” Tatum’s no nancy boy: When not on set, the former high-school-football standout, who did all his own stunts in a movie aptly titled Fighting, spends most of his time in his basement gym, engaged in ball-bruising mixed-martial-arts workouts. “I’ve been to the hospital, gotten stitches, had broken fingers and toes. But this was a suffocating kind of pain.”

I … uh … believe there is more to read from this Details coverstory HERE but I’m entirely too preoccupied this this penis portion of the interview to really focus on reading any further. Thankfully, Details released a whole slew of HOT new photos from Channing‘s photospread to get me refocused — which you can see after the jump …

Earlier this month we learned that former Buffyverse actress Julie Benz would be joining the cast of Desperate Housewives on ABC in the wake of the SHOCKING events that took place on the season 4 finale of Dexter last month. Today we get our FIRST LOOK at Benz in her new Desperate role. As you may recall when we learned of her new role on DH, we were told that Julie Benz will play a “stripper with a heart of gold” on the show … which, apparently, looks like this:

She’s Alive! On January 31st, actress Julie Benz follows up her untimely DEXTER demise with the first of what Michael Ausiello calls a handful of episodes on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES when Susan befriends a stripper (played by Julie Benz) and takes her under her wing.

Julie Benz looks fantastic in everything she does, I have no doubt that she will kick ass in this new role on Desperate Housewives. After the jump, check out a few more photos of Benz on DH …

Last September Sony Pictures announced that they would be producing a fourth Spider-Man film to carry on the franchise with Tobey Maguire as the lead hero. When that announcement was made, the movie studio stated that the film would be scheduled to hit theaters in 2011. Since that time, rumors have been going around concerning the movie’s plotline and earlier this month word leaked to the Internets that the studio and film’s director, Sam Raimi, were at an impasse concerning the film’s plot. As you may recall, Tobey Maguire commented on the state of the conflict, promising that nothing serious was the matter and that all films go thru this sort of back and forth while in the early stages of production. It turns out that late yesterday, Sony decided to scrap all plans for a fourth Spider-Man franchise film and go back to the beginning of the Spider-Man mythos to start a whole new franchise … firing both director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire as a result. Here is the press release issued by Sony Pictures on the axing of Spider-Man IV:

Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi.

“We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade.This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else’s hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can’t wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.”

“Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. “We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.”

What a mess. On the one hand, I absolutely think it is far too soon to reboot the entire franchise and start making films over again that tell the Spider-Man origin story. On the other hand, I was never 100% on board with a fourth Spider-Man movie, especially considering how badly the third movie turned out. In the end, it sounds like Sony just decided that the “back and forth” with Raimi was too much to deal with and they decided to say, See ya! In regards to Tobey Maguire, well, I really loved him as Spider-Man and it sucks that he’s gettin’ axed in this way. But as we saw in cute photos last November, Tobey can play Spider-Man with his kids whenever he likes. In the end, he will always be Spider-Man to me.

So … what do y’all think. Is this a smart move on Sony‘s part? Do YOU think it’s too soon for a Spider-Man franchise reboot?

[Source]