Here's what's going on in the world of entertainment this morning:
- The New York Times reports on why Paula Abdul left "American Idol:" Among other things, the paper says that she was "surprised and dismayed" by the hiring of Kara DioGuardi and that she felt there were other opportunities for her outside of the show.
- According to Variety, Disney has acquired the rights to a new version of "The Diary of Anne Frank," to be written and directed by David Mamet. Variety goes on to say that "Mamet brings his own original take on the material that could re-frame the story as a young girl’s rite of passage."
- Jay Leno has been cleared by the Writers Guild of America West of violating the guild's strike rules, reports Variety. Some in the guild complained that Leno performed a daily monologue for six weeks, while the 2007-2008 strike was still going on.
- Now that toy company Hasbro's Transformers and G.I. Joe are box office stars, Lego is the next to get the Hollywood treatment, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Warner Bros. is working on a movie that will be a "live action-CG hybrid," described as similar in some ways to "Toy Story."
- Jessica Simpson tweeted about her experience during an earthquake in Japan, saying she thought she was "hallucinating." She went on to say, "I have never felt anything like this in my life." Simpson is shooting a reality show there.
- Matthew Broderick, Vince Vaughn and Ben Stein were among those at the low-profile funeral for writer/director John Hughes on Tuesday, reports The Los Angeles Times.