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    *Spike Lee will not have to move his production of “The Inside Job” out of his New York backyard to save a few bucks thanks to a new package of city and state tax incentives aimed at keeping productions in the city.  Denzel Washington and Clive Owen star in the hostage drama, which begins its 42-day shoot on June 27 at Brooklyn’s Steiner Studios – a $118 million soundstage facility located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

      *Donald Faison and Whoopi Goldberg will star as mother and son in the new indie comedy “Homie Spumoni.”  Faison will play Renato, a brother who was raised as an Italian-American goombah and unaware that he is black. When his birth parents surface, he shuns his Italian family, as well as his Jewish American Princess girlfriend, and spends time at the home of his birth family. Jamie-Lynn DiScala of “The Sopranos” plays the girlfriend and ‘N Sync singer Joey Fatone will play Renato’s Italian best friend. Director Mike Cerone ("Me, Myself & Irene") wrote the script with Glenn Ciano and Steve Cerrone.

    *Moviehole.net is reporting that Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas will make her major film debut in the remake of “The Poseidon Adventure,” from director Wolfgang Peterson. The Pea will co-star with Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss and Emmy Rossum.

      *Brett Ratner is now confirmed as the director of “X-Men 3” for 20th Century Fox.  But E! Online is reporting that Halle Berry is still the only actor in the franchise that has not yet signed on, despite previous reports. Ratner, who was approached by Fox to helm the first “X-Men” six years ago only to see Bryan Singer land "X1 and 2," replaces Matthew Vaughn after he exited the project last week. Luckily for Fox, Ratner will be able to step in immediately and the production schedule for X3 won't be affected. As previously reported, Ratner’s “X3” job means that New Line’s “Rush Hour 3,” his previous project, will remain on hold indefinitely. Ratner and star Jackie Chan had already signed on and were waiting for Chris Tucker to iron out his financial issues.  The comedian, who was reportedly offered $20 million for the picture, also wanted script approval, and New Line wasn’t willing to go that far.  Production on "X3" begins in August and the film is still scheduled to open on Memorial Day 2006.

      *Director Justin Lin (“Better Luck Tomorrow”) will get behind the wheel of “The Fast and the Furious 3” for Universal.  Chris Morgan (“Cellular”) wrote the script about an outsider named Shaun Boswell who finds solace through illegal street racing - which has made him unpopular with the local police. To avoid jail time, he’s sent out of the country to live with his uncle in Tokyo. There, he becomes immersed in drift racing and unknowingly takes on D.K., the "Drift King," with ties to the Yakuza, a Japanese crime machine. The only way he can pay off the debt of his loss is to venture into the deadly realm of the Tokyo underworld, where the stakes are life and death.