Tyler Perry Tapped As Alex Cross

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Tyler Perry is full of surprises. In the latest news, Madea has been tapped to succed Morgan Freeman as the new Alex Cross, the central character from the successful James Patterson book series that's resulted in two films Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls. Not even Vegas would have placed odds on that. But come this June, it will be "lights, camera, action" in I, Alex Cross, the biggest mainstream film yet for Perry.

Idris Elba on the Move

"My assistant was shrieking so loud I had to clean my ears out before I could understand what she was saying," says Idris Elba, calling from the London set of the BBC America drama Luther. Elba was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor in a miniseries or TV movie; U.S audiences may know him best for his roles as Michael Scott's boss in The Office and his stint as Stringer Bell on HBO's The Wire.

"I'm flabbergasted and in shock," the East London native told USA TODAY's Marco R. della Cava this morning. "But at least I'm on set and I can channel that emotion back into my work."

Elba was particularly stunned by the company he's keeping in this Globe category, which includes nominations for Al Pacino (the Emmy-winning You Don't Know Jack) and Dennis Quaid (as President Clinton in The Special Relationship).

Source: The Grio; USA Today

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