Sad news today, friends. Real sad news. Because further casting of the Les Miserables movie was announced today and, well, things aren’t looking so hot. What makes this even sadder was that I was seriously, genuinely excited about this movie. I love the musical with all my heart, and to see it immortalized in movie form was a dream come true. I was so thankful that the youth of today gets the privilege to experience one of the most loved musicals of all time this way, I truly was.

And the cast so far, could you imagine? Hugh Jackman would absolutely astound as Val Jean, and I’ll always love Anne Hathaway. Plus, we get to see Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers. We get to hear them sing “Master of the House”! What could be sweeter?

I’ll tell you what, friends. My favorite character, Eponine, getting the justice she deserves, that would be sweet. Hearing a true vocalist, nay, a true artist move me with a heart-wrenching rendition of “On My Own,” captured on film forever. I was truly worried that this would never come to be with the talk of that hellish sounding battle of actresses vying for the role. And, as it turns out, I was right to be worried.

Taylor Swift got the role, you guys. Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift, one of the most annoying ladies out there, is playing the role of Eponine. Why? Did she stun the director with her Dixie Chicks covers and her role in Valentine’s Day? You know, if they were going to pick an utterly obnoxious person anyway, they could have gone the extra mile and hired someone obnoxious AND talented. Like, you know how much I can’t stand the likes of Lea Michele, but that girl got shafted. I thought Lea was a shoe-in, and I think the rest of the world did too. I wonder what she did wrong?

Oh, and here’s some more casting news that I don’t feel as strongly about: Amanda Seyfried got the role of Cosette. I’ve never seen Mamma Mia!, so I can’t bitch about her voice like I can about Taylor’s, but Amanda was apparently trained in classical opera and worked with a voice coach for five years, so that sounds fair enough.

Back to Taylor real quick: did you know that the actors in this here Les Mis movie are going to be singing live on film? Have you heard Taylor sing live? Why is this happening? I honestly can’t understand it. To be fair, I am sick and feverish and I feel gross and there have been several times today where I’ve had to stop and analyze my surroundings so I could figure out if I was in reality or not. So maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe Taylor Swift was the obvious choice, and I’m too crazy to see it.

Please tell me I don’t live in that world. Please tell me this is ridiculous and upsetting and that this beloved musical deserves better. Please?

Have you guys seen this yet? I hadn’t either, until I saw the corresponding photo shoot for W magazine featuring both Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake. I knew the two of them were working on a project together, but I didn’t really take the time to find out what it was about, assuming that it was some kind of Dear John-Friends With Benefits hybrid, which would be the kiss of death for any cinematic appeal IMHO. But this? Well. I didn’t expect this. It’s called In Time, and it deals with, well, futuristic time stuff and an ill-fated love affair between Seyfried’s and Timberlake’s characters, but the best part of all? Cillian Murphy is in it. And Cilian Murphy? IS HOT HOT HOT.

Also, as far as I’m aware, the photos that W shot have positively nothing to do with In Time, in case you were confused for the first fifteen minutes of looking at them like I was.

She’s just too cute.  It’s really frustrating.  Ever since Amanda threw a bitch fit over a parking ticket and talked about her dead baby horse love, I tried to put my foot down and say “no more” to the Amanda Seyfried love.  I really did try, but then these pictures showed up of the girl with no makeup and an adorable stuffed animal for some Earth Day celebration, and now I love her again.

Also pictured in the gallery is James Van Der Beek with his wife and the same stuffed animal.  Well played, Amanda.  Well played.

Amanda Seyfried, guys. I used to think she was pretty ok, you know, but I’m having some doubts now.  Mostly because she has a dead baby horse in her home that she calls art:

“I got another animal,” Seyfried tells the U.K. Press Association. “I’m going to share — I bought a three week old just this week, well it was three weeks old when it died, (it’s a) miniature horse.”

Umm, why?

“I love good taxidermy, it’s like art,” Seyfried added in London’s Daily Express. “A lot of people think it’s weird but I don’t know why.”

I’d wager that a lot of people think it’s weird because you have a dead baby horse in your home, but I already made my stance clear.  What do you guys think – is Amanda into some fancy art or am I right in thinking that this is totally creepy?

Actually, she thinks she’s too cool for a parking ticket, but that’s not a well-known saying.  Let’s move on.

See, lately Amanda Seyfried has been hard at work promoting her new movie, Red Riding Hood (which I’ve heard is horrible, have any of you seen it?).  Just a couple days ago she was in London at a premiere of the film, and when everything was over, she went back to her car, and she had a little sit down with her driver and a buddy, just chillin’ in the car, you know, when some ballsy traffic cop moseyed on over and was like “hey, you’re doing something wrong, here’s a ticket.” But do you think Amanda motherfucking Seyfried is going to take that shit lying down?  Hell no.  This girl “threw the ticket back at the traffic warden, telling him: ‘Thank you but no thank you.’”  Can I get an “oh, snap,” please?

But for real, who does this girl think she is?  ”Thank you but no thank you,”  bitch, you take that parking ticket with respect. You’re representing America, and don’t you forget it.

We love it when celebrities leave the house without makeup here at EvilBeet. It’s a reminder that not even famous people look like famous people once the expensive makeup job and hairstyle is gone… but then there’s actresses like Amanda Seyfried, who look totally stunning even with a completely bare face.

Amanda was photographed shopping in WeHo yesterday and her makeup free face and manish outfit didn’t do anything to tame her naturally good looks.

Goddamnit, Amanda! We’re trying to convince ourselves we’re not totally average over here!