STILLER & BARRYMORE PRODUCING

Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore have signed to star and produce Miramax's "The Duplex," according to Daily Variety. Stiller's Red Hour and Barrymore's Flower Films production companies will produce the comedy, written by Larry Doyle. What else do these two stars have in common? Their Hollywood lineage -- Stiller is the son of actor's (and former comedy team) Anne Meara & Jerry Stiller -- Drew is the late, great John Barrymore's grandchild.

YEAH, BAYBEE

Mike Myers is in final negotiations to star with Anne Heche and Helen Hunt in

Robert Watzke's comedy "Timepiece," according to the Daily Variety.

POLAR EXPRESS TO THE BIG SCREEN -- ALL ABOARD!

Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner are bringing Chris Van Allsburg classic children's book "The

Polar Express" to theatres next Christmas. Reiner will direct Hanks in this award-winning book about a young boy, one magical Christmas Eve night and the train to the North Pole!

DUELING FRIDAS (don't know how u want to spell Fridas!)

Sorry Madonna, but Jennifer Lopez will play controversial Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo in Francis Ford Coppolla's version of this biopic. According to Daily Variety, the film will be directed by Luis Valdez ("La Bamba") and will start shooting in February.

Miramax is also producing Kahlo biopic with Salma Hayek playing Frida and Julie Taymor directing.

No announcement from either camp who will be playing Kahlo's husband, artist Diego Rivera.

BMG NAPS WITH THE ENEMY?

After nearly a year of getting the assembled evil eye from the music industry, Napster, the legally-challenged, music sharing service, has joined hands with Bertelsmann AG, the German parent of big-five music label BMG Entertainment, to offer a sanctioned, membership-based file sharing service to paying customers.

HOLY DIAPER RASH BATMAN, IT'S A GIRL!

Chris O'Donnell and his wife, Caroline Fentress, added another bundle of joy with the arrival of their second child, Christopher Eugene O'Donnell, Jr. The couple already have a 1-year-old daughter.

THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR

Singer Neil Young's had some special performers at his side for the 14th annual Bridge School Benefit concert for children with severe physical and speech impairments -- his friends -- old and new -- including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Dave Matthews Band, Beck, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

A WORTHY CAUSE

Christopher Reeve, Gloria Estefan, and retired General Norman Schwartzkopf dedicated a $37 million center at the University of Miami. The University is committed to finding more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for paralysis.

HOW MANY DAYS 'TIL FESTIVUS?

Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode where George's father reminded his son when they would celebrate Festivus instead of Christmas -- Festivus, the holiday where families gather round and air their grievances?

Well, the famous Vermont ice cream procurers, Ben and Jerry (no relation!), have teamed up with Jerry Seinfeld to license and create a new flavor, Festivus, inspired by the comic's former TV show.

The heavenly concoction is made up of a dreamy confection of brown sugar ice cream

laced with gingery caramel and chewy chunks of gingerbread.

"It's great on pies or any type of holiday desserts like apple or pumpkin pie," says Ben and Jerry's rep Kristin Balderston. "It tastes like a gingersnap and it's really good."

The limited-edition ice cream is on store shelves now.

I don't think anyone will bellyache at the Festivus table about this divine dessert.

CELEBRITY DIRT

NBC's Third Rock From the Sun star, French Stewart and his wife, actress Katherine LaNasa, have purchased a Hollywood Hills home for just under $2 million.

Oscar-winning actor, Nicholas Cage has purchased nearly 400 acres of land in a Malibu canyon for about $10 million, the Los Angeles Times reports.

NOW HEAR THIS -- SPOCK'S EARS AND KIRK'S HEAD ON THE AUCTION BLOCK

Star Trek fans -- you'd better beam your way to LaLaLand if you want a piece of the action.

Christie's auction house in Los Angeles is putting up for auction some Trek items that would even make a Tribble blubber.

Lot includes four pairs of Vulcan ears worn by Leonard Nimoy on the extremely campy 60s science fiction show and the original "jeltrate and clay" model used to make them, but you'd better cough up a lot of Klingon kash!

Are you listening? The ears are expected to fetch up to $2,000 a pair, and the mold could get as much as $20,000. And what are Spock's ears without Captain Kirk's head, you ask!

Christie is offering the only plaster mask made from William Shatner's face. The mask "Captain Kirk, frozen in time, and exactly in his prime," is listed in the catalog for an estimated sale price of $6,000.

"Shatner put up with a lot in sitting for the mask...even suffering through the straws up his nose," Christie's catalog states.

The auction also includes other makeup prosthetics, along with original scripts from the first two Star Trek movies, signed posters and photographs.

Also at the auction is the Doors' first management contract and a hand-written and typed lyrics for John Lennon's complete Plastic Ono Band album. The lyrics, inscribed to Lennon's therapist, Dr. Arthur Janov, creator of "primal scream" therapy, are listed at more than $20,000.

Two original Energizer Bunnies (valued at $60,000 apiece) and a 74-page handwritten diary belonging to Errol Flynn, written during his stint in the Spanish Civil War (about

$10,000) are also up for sale.

PASS THE PICKLES AND THE ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM, PLEASE!

Actress Ming-Na, who plays a physician on NBC's ER, shared with TV Guide that she was nervous about telling the show's producers about her fortuitous, real-life conception ("condoms don't always work"). Producers told her to relax -- they decided to

make Ming-Na character pregnant, too! See what happens when you take Creative Writing 101.

SHERYL CROW SHOWING HER RESPECT

Sheryl Crow headlined a memorial concert in honor of the late Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, who died in a plane crash October 16 along with his son and campaign adviser.

RICHARD GERE HONORED

Richard Gere received the Eleanor Roosevelt humanitarian award for his devotion in liberating the Tibetans from Chinese rule.

OUTTA THE BLUE

Director James Cameron told the Daily Variety that he and his wife, actor Suzy Amis, are expecting their first child next year. The couple met on the set of the Titanic. Amis played Rose's (Gloria Stuart) granddaughter.

ALL YOU NEED IS....A MODEM!

You got to admit it's getting better all the time on the Internet now that the Beatles have their own, official web site.

"Over the past few years, given the thousands of unofficial sites, there has been much speculation as to when the Beatles would create their own," a spokeswoman for the band tells Reuters. "With a new CD coming out, it is the right time to put them on the Web and into the dot-com era."

Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, contributed film and archival information to the site. On the site, you can examine photos, watch footage of the Fab Four's performances, listen to audio clips and even take a virtual tour through band landmarks and pivotal events.