MADONNA - MADONNA TO STAR IN CASABLANCA REMAKE?

Pop superstar MADONNA wants to relaunch her acting career with a remake of 1942 classic CASABLANCA. The Evita star is reportedly keen to modernise the Oscar-winning romantic drama, which originally starred Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, and possibly set the film in Iraq. But the planned project has been met by stiff opposition among Hollywood executives, according to British newspaper The Mail On Sunday. A studio source says, "She is still determined to make it in the movies. She and her representatives have been touting around a project which is a remake of Casablanca. The reception has been lukewarm to say the least. No one can understand why she wants to redo what many people consider the greatest film of all time. "Madonna is talking about taking the Ingrid Bergman role for herself, even though Bergman was in her 20s when she played Ilsa (Lund) and Madonna is nearly 50. "She wants to update the story and maybe set it in a modern war zone such as Iraq. There is no script yet. Madonna and her people are testing the waters to see if this is the right vehicle for her and if a major studio will get behind the project." A spokesperson for Madonna has so far refused to comment on the reports. Madonna's last big-screen outing, in 2002's Swept Away, was panned by critics and she has since moved behind the camera to direct forthcoming movie Filth and Wisdom.