Jason Statham will be in New Orleans later this summer filming for the third time in two years. Beginning July 18, he’ll be in the Crescent City to film Parker, based on the crime novels of Donald Westlake, for Taylor Hackford, the Academy Award nominated director of Ray (and hubby of Helen Mirren. We love her.) Statham was last in New Orleans filming both The Expendables and The Mechanic.

Jennifer Lopez is rumored to be in talks for the female lead.I’m not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand I’m always excited to hear about Jason Statham filming a new anything. On the other hand, I’m not sold on Jennifer Lopez as an actress. Steven Soderbergh got a good performance out of her when paired with George Clooney in Out of Sight, but frankly I think that was fluke. She nearly brought Ben Affleck to his knees (and not in a good way.) I don’t want her to see her “Gigli” Jason Statham, just sayin’.

Parker already has been picked up by FilmDistrict,  which will also distribute Shreveport-shot romantic comedy Playing the Field, starring Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman and Catharine Zeta-Jones and due for a March 2012 release.  A release date for Parker has not yet been set..

Melissa Rycroft and her husband Tye Strickland Radioshack's HTC EVO 3D Launch Party

Melissa Rycroft and Tye Strickland are still getting used to being new parents.  They adore their five month old baby girl Ava, but they aren’t used to having date nights now!

“It’s weird that we’re having a date night out and we don’t have our daughter with us,” first-time mom Rycroft told Us Weekly at Thursday’s HTC EVO 3D launch party in West Hollywood. “We know she’s in really good hands; it’s just weird to be here.”

Melissa Rycroft Shows Off Post-Baby Body At ‘Race To Erase MS’ Gala – PHOTOS

This baby girl has brought them even closer together.

“I am a firm believer that if your marriage can survive a newborn, you can survive pretty much anything!” former Bachelor contestant Rycroft told Us. “It’s trying, it’s tough, it’s hard [to have a child]. You are operating on very little sleep with very little patience, but at the end of the day, it’s [about] teamwork. You’ve got to do it together.  She is talking all the time [and] sleeping through the night. These are big milestones for us,” says Rycroft. “[And] she is a breath away from getting a tooth!”

He adds,

“She’s at the point now where she really recognizes us so when we walk in the room and she hears our voice she’ll turn and smile. It’s the best feeling in the world!”

They are such an adorable couple, making their lives into a beautiful family.  Love it.

Photo: FayesVision/WENN

Michael Jackson Las Vegas House

Michael Jackson‘s Las Vegas house is being opened up for the public today for the second anniversary of his death.

A rep for the house told TMZ, “the Estate will be opened to the public, for the first time, for only four hours for those who wish to pay their respects and to mourn his loss on this, the Second Anniversary of [MJ's] passing, June 25, 2011.  We will strive to give you a glimpse into his private life and home; to allow you to walk where he walked, to see what he saw, to breathe the same air that he breathed and…to be inspired.”

There will of course be strict security to keep things under control and they are even providing water.  Woo hoo!

He adds,

“Your messages of love, prayers, gifts and flowers will be lovingly preserved in situs until Sunday.”

R.I.P. MJ

Weird headline right?  Well, everyone is talking about it!  But it’s not that Usher is interested in Pippa Middleton or anything.  He wants her professionally. As in representing a new lingerie line.

Confirmed – Pippa Middleton is Single

“I don’t think there’s a more beautiful, more stunning, more talked-about woman in the world at the moment.  I’m going to be approaching her in the next few weeks and setting up a meeting this summer.  The great thing about her is that she would be a global brand. Everybody knows her now, she would be perfect,” he tells Britain’s Look magazine.  “I am sure everybody is trying to sign her up and she won’t be cheap, but she has the looks and the popularity to really establish a new product.”

I am pretty sure that Pippa’s ass was a major highlight of the royal wedding so, she’d definitely help him sell some undies.  What do you think?  Will she say yes?

Photo: WENN

Sherri Shepherd Bette Midler's New York Restoration

Sherri Shepherd is getting her body ready for a baby. Sure, she’s getting ready to tie the knot with Lamar Sally in August and wants to look her best, but she’s wants a baby even more!

“I have to lose as much weight as possible for me to be healthy to carry [a baby],” she told People.

Sherri Shepherd Has A Problem

This girl is working hard with personal training sessions plus Zumba dance classes and the South Beach Diet.

“I go at 7 in the morning, four times a week to see my trainer over at the Reebok Club,” she revealed at the Spring Gala honoring Stevie Wonder at the Apollo Theater recently. “She’s doing a lot of interval training with me, and these things called suicides. Those are really tough.”

Um, all I can say is rock star!  I couldn’t keep up!

Photo: C.Smith/ WENN

Don Lapre 'King of Infomercials'

Don Lapre is or was the King of Infomercials.  But right about now, he’s trying ot figure out who’s gonna be his king behind bars.  He’s been indicted for defrauding several hundred thousand people out of millions of dollars for misleading them about the vitamins he was selling them.

He is now facing 41 counts of conspiracy and fraud for selling The Greatest Vitamin in the World under false pretenses.

The FDA has discovered that his claims were so off base, and the evidence proves it.  The prosecutors say over 200,000 people were tricked into paying $52 million for the vitamins.

Talk about a messed up scheme!  People want their vitamins to get them healthy!  This guy is so going down!