Todd Williamson/WireImage.comSing out, Tom Cruise!
The Mission: Impossible star is in final negotiations to play musician Stacee Jaxx in director Adam Shankman's movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages, sources confirm.
Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are also still in talks to join the movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
And guess which young starlet I just heard could be landing Rock's big leading female role...
Julianne Hough, my sources report, is on the list of candidates—the top of the list, that is—to play Sherri Christian, a Kansas gal who moves to Hollywood to get into acting.
"They looked at people like Katy Perry, but she's touring," one source said. "They want to make sure they don't just have an actress, but an actress who can actually really sing."
Hough first made a name for herself on Dancing With the Stars, but since then has launched a country music career and made her feature film debut in Burlesque.
And it looks like the stars may continue to align on this project. Deadline.com says Anne Hathaway is in talks to play a cranky journo who tumbles into the sack with Cruise's rock star, on their way to dueting on "I Want to Know What Love Is." If they want to know, we want to watch.
Cameras are set to start rolling in May. I'm told some of the flick will likely be shot on location in Los Angeles, but most of the filming will take place in North Carolina or Miami.
Producers are also still looking for a leading man to play Drew Bowie.
American Idol alum Constantine Maroulis originated the role on Broadway. He continues to play him in the national touring company, which happens to open on Feb. 15 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Two nights later, the show will host a benefit for Jacob's Cure, a nonprofit that raises funds to help cure Canavan disease, a fatal genetic disorder that affects children at birth.