Tina Fey/Meryl Streep come together for Tucci!

We here at Encell Entertainment loveing anything and everything Tina Fey. Here's the scoop on her new project. Just a couple of weeks ago it was reported that CAA were shopping a package around town for a comedy entitled "Mommy & Me," that would see Stanley Tucci direct Meryl Streep and Tina Fey in a comedy/drama focusing on a mother/daughter relationship. It was a powder keg of star power and talent so it's no surprise that before July is out, it has found a home.

Sony has picked up the film, and details are still being kept under wraps. Joby Harold (the terrible medical thriller "Awake") wrote the treatment, but given the talent involved, the scripting duties will probably fall to some seasoned, respected names.

Tucci has previously worked opposite Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Julie & Julia" and while he's set to direct, it's unknown if he take a role in the film as well. No production timetables have been set, but expect the wheels on this one to movie quickly.

30 Rock to do "Live" Episode in October!

Following in the footsteps of other NBC stalwarts like ER and Will & Grace, 30 Rock will air a live episode October 14, NBC Primetime President Angela Bromstad just announced at the network’s executive panel at the TCA press tour. Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy will obviously scintillate a live audience, but I most look forward to seeing Pete Hornberger scowl in real time.

Breaking: Ellen off Idol!

It looks like American Idol’s returning executive producer Nigel Lythgoe may be one step closer to achieving his goal of wiping the judge slate clean. Ellen DeGeneres is stepping away from the Fox program after its ninth season. The network’s full statement follows.

Ellen DeGeneres has decided to bow out from her role as a judge on AMERICAN IDOL next season. DeGeneres served as a judge during the ninth season of IDOL, the No. 1 hit series on television.

“A couple months ago, I let FOX and the AMERICAN IDOL producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me,” said DeGeneres. “I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on IDOL and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.”

“We love Ellen and understand and support her decision to bow out of IDOL,” said Peter Rice, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Networks Group. “We were fortunate to receive the humor, energy and love for talent that she brought to the show.”

“It was a joy to work with Ellen,” added Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “She brought an incredible spirit to IDOL and was a great new addition to the team. While we’re saddened by her decision, we are very appreciative that she gave us ample notice so that we could work through it together.”

“I loved Ellen’s passion for the artists and her nurturing skills,” said IDOL creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “She brought honesty and optimism to our judging panel and I will miss her greatly.”

“We will miss Ellen, she has been the consummate professional throughout her time on the show, and she’ll always be part of the AMERICAN IDOL family,” added Cecile Frot-Coutaz, IDOL executive producer.

With Simon Cowell gone to pursue his new reality show The X Factor, this leaves two judges on the American Idol panel. Suddenly, Monday’s Fox day at the TCA Press Tour just became a little more exciting.

"Lost" writer taking over for Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequel!

What's the status of Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequels in 3D? Well, other than being two separate films, aiming to shoot in stereoscopic photography and apparently hoping to out-"nasty" James Cameron's "Aliens," not much.

At least not recently. While Scott has said the script was in development, Deadline is now reporting that "Lost" writer and "Star Trek," "Cowboys & Aliens" c0-writer, Damon Lindelof has been hired by Fox to rewrite Scott's gestating prequel which can only mean the current version (by Jon Spaihts, who was one of our five screenwriters to watch) isn't quite up to snuff (even though that draft was evidently good enough to convince Scott to finally come back to this franchise).

Furthering the point, Deadline report says that the Lindelof/Scott meeting, "sparked a take that could well turn out to be a free-standing science fiction film" which suggests a whole new direction. Does that mean it could have nothing to do with everyone's favorite acid-blooded Xenomorph? Hard to tell, but Fox's hopes that "Alien" will be Scott's next picture is diminishing.

Scott likes to work fast and bang out a film every year or two and it sounds like with Lindelof on board they might be going back to the drawing board. Scott also has, as usual, myriad options at his disposal as the filmmaker always has about a dozen film projects in various states of ready.

Of the projects that Scott has at hand, Deadline also mentions "Gucci" which has Angelina Jolie attached (and possibly Leonardo DiCaprio) to star and that's a possible one as its development has been popping up in the pages of Production Weekly of late and it sounds like its in active development. At the "Paul" junket in San Diego for Greg Mottola's upcoming sci-fi film, Sigourney Weaver told us that she'd have no involvement in Scott's "Alien" prequel, but we all pretty much assumed as much. Most recently, Scott's name came up in connection with "The Wolf Of Wall Street," an old Marty Scorsese project that was supposed to star his young muse, DiCaprio.

Dreamworks buys Galifianakis pitch!

In the summer of 2009, burgeoning superstar Zach Galifianakis was just coming off the massive success of "The Hangover" and found himself in the optimal Hollywood position of getting his pick of the project litter. Several projects came his way, and he weighed his options, ultimately choosing Todd Phillips' "Due Date" with Robert Downey Jr. and "The Hangover 2."

One project that fell by the wayside was Phillips' "Man-Witch" that was originally scheduled to star Jack Black. Producer Neil Moritz recently told us at Comic-Con that the project was still alive and Phillips recently referenced it in GQ.

"And that came, quite honestly, from Jack Black backing out of a movie I was doing. I thought, 'Fuck this fucker. I'm going to make a new Jack Black out of Zach Galifianakis,'" he said.

So we thought, could that mean "Man-Witch" is coming back? Possibly, but it likely won't be a Galifianakis' project.

Deadline reports that Dreamworks has bought the comedy, "Reply All," which the bearded comedian is attached to star in. Written by Phil Johnston ("Cedar Rapids," starring "The Hangover" star Ed Helms), there's no details on what the film is about yet, or at least Deadline doesn't have them, but "Reply All" does sound like some sort of debacle created from email, no?

Who knows? "Due Date" hits theaters this November 5 and this writer thinks the trailer looks awesome. "The Hangover 2" shoots this fall and evidently the rumors were true and it takes place in Thailand.