CELEBRITY WATCH
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From staff and wire reports

R & B Foundation celebrates Green

HOLLYWOOD, California (Reuters) -- Al Green will receive the lifetime achievement award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation at the music charity's 12th annual Pioneer Awards ceremony October 4 at New York's Apollo Theatre.

The ceremony honors artists whose contributions have been significant in the development of Rhythm and Blues. It aims to raise money for the foundation's charity work, which includes helping veteran artists with emergency expenses and career development.

Receiving the foundation's Pioneer Awards will be Fontella Bass; Big Jay McNeely; Dee Dee Sharp; the Emotions; the songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; Allen Toussaint; and the late Louis Jordan.

Individuals receive $15,000 and groups get $20,000.

The last awards were held in September, the first time in a decade they were not held the day after the Grammy Awards.

Walker, Durst enter fast lane for 'Wanna-Be'

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- "The Fast and the Furious" star Paul Walker is negotiating to star with Scott Caan in "Wanna-Be," a drama that could mark the feature directing debut of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, Variety reports.

While Walker's negotiations aren't complete, his first post-"Furious" payday for the picture is expected to be upward of $2 million. The independently financed film is budgeted at $30 million.

Based on a New York magazine article by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist Mike McAlary, the fictionalized "Wanna-Be" will show how the children of mobsters are defying the wishes of their parents by following in their bloody footsteps, and observing none of the mob's protocols.

Durst, who directed numerous music videos in preparation for his feature debut, has been loosely tied to the project along with several others, including the $10 million drama "Runt," an indie that had looked to be his first effort. Now, it seems he will get his feet wet with "Wanna-Be," which is targeting an October start date.

Caan's father, James Caan, played the memorable hot-tempered Sonny Corleone in the "Godfather" movies.

Miramax eyes McNab novels

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Miramax Films is in final negotiations to option a series of muscular thrillers by Andy McNab, a special ops officer who became Britain's most highly decorated soldier after the Gulf War, Variety reports.

In a complex deal likely to reach seven figures if one of the book series goes into production, Miramax has optioned "Crisis Four," one of McNab's four novels about the international adventures of an intelligence officer named Nick Stone. Miramax has also picked up character rights to Nick Stone, and the rights over time to develop the other Nick Stone novels, "Remote Control," "Firewall," and an as yet unpublished fourth book. David Magee will write the screenplay.

The deal comes as McNab is poised for a publishing breakout. A major bestseller in the U.K. and in translation, he hasn't developed a sizable following in the United States. But McNab was recently in New York meeting with agents and may be close to signing with Janklow & Nesbit principal Mort Janklow for American representation.