Fast Track: George Clooney takes on Proposition 8

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Wednesday.

George Clooney plans to star in a staged reading of “8,” a play by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black about California’s Proposition 8. (Los Angeles Times)

Bert Schneider, one of the great Hollywood producers of the 1970s, has died. (Los Angeles Times)

“The Help,” “Bridesmaids” and “Midnight in Paris” led the way at the SAG Award nominations. (Los Angeles Times)

Slamdance has announced its own lineup of films for January. (Los Angeles Times)

Lindsay Lohan wasn’t able to make it back from Hawaii in time for her appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” It’s OK, Lindsay. We’ve already seen more than enough of you. (Los Angeles Times)

Sacha Baron Cohen is turning his eye to Third World dictators in the trailer for, er, “The Dictator.” (Huffington Post)

Louis C.K.’s Internet-only comedy special, available on his website for $5, has turned a profit of roughly $200,000 already. (New York Times)

Christiane Amanpour is out, George Stephanopoulos is in at ABC’s “This Week.” (Los Angeles Times)

Another movie, “Arthur & Lancelot,” has hit budget trouble. Will 2012 be the year of the low(er)-cost blockbuster? (Deadline)

Anyone want to see Tom Cruise as a hair metal rocker? Then the “Rock of Ages” trailer will make your day. (Los Angeles Times)

Early tracking suggests David Fincher’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” movie may be too violent for the book’s female fans. (New York)

You can own the “American Horror Story” house for a cool $4.5 million. (AOL Real Estate)

Not all the advertisers reported to have pulled out of “All American Muslim” have actually pulled out of “All American Muslim” (New York Times)

--Patrick Kevin Day

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