For a sizable amount of the male population, this is probably the best news they will hear all day. Us Weekly reports that Jessica Biel has agreed to appear nude in the upcoming drama, Powder Blue. Biel will star as a single mother stripping to raise money to save her terminally ill son. Joining Biel are; Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta (as Biel's father), and Patrick Swayze as the owner of the club where Biel works. Directed by Timothy Linh Bui, the story centers on four strangers whose lives intersect in strange ways on Christmas Eve. According to sources for Us Weekly, Biel will retain final say over what makes it into the movie, but, she has reportedly "signed a contract that explicitly details the bare minimum fans will see - including shots of her breasts and butt."

In the past, Biel had been unwilling to bare it all on screen -- much to the disappointment of many I'm sure. The actress had even commented that she had felt she had been overlooked for roles because of it. To be honest, I don't see what all the fuss is about; especially if you remember Biel's controversial Gear magazine shoot back in 2000 -- it's not like the actress has shied away from showing a little skin. Although, Biel was quoted in that same Us Weekly piece as saying that her time as a Gear cover girl left her feeling "humiliated." Biel even recently told Australia's Sunday Herald, "I wouldn't feel comfortable with the extent of the nudity in Monster's Ball, I would be terrified of a role like that right now." So there really must have been something special about Bui's film to change her mind. Blue is currently shooting in Los Angeles and set for release in 2008.

Our EIC, Erik Davis, came up with "The Swayze," and I have to say -- I like it! "The Swayze" just sounds so much better, and so much more epic than just Patrick Swayze. It sounds infamous, and even a little dance-like, which is entirely apt since the guy is a great dancer. Granted, it can also take on the tone of a cheesy number, like "Do the Bartman," but I am trying not to think of it that way. Anyway, The Swayze has just signed on to that flick called Powder Blue, which we have previously posted about here and here.

As you may remember, Blue is about four diverse characters who come together one Christmas Eve, and they are -- a mortician, an ex-con, a suicidal ex-priest and a stripper. While I'm really wishing the female role could be anything but a stripper, because that's so cliche, the lineup is: Forest Whitaker as the ex-priest, Ray Liotta as the ex-con and Jessica Biel as the stripper (and Liotta's daughter).

Now we've got Swayze as the strip club owner, Eddie Redmayne (Babington in the upcoming The Golden Age) as the mortician and newcomer Alejandro Romero as a transsexual prostitute who is close to Whitaker's character. Topping off the powerful male punch, Kris Kristofferson has also signed on as "the head of a corporate crime organization who tries to convince his former employee (Liotta) not to seek vengeance on his former co-workers." The Hollywood Reporter says that the four people meet "through chance, tragedy and divine intervention," so maybe we'll get a little godly action in there as well. Either way, we're sure to get lots and lots of on-screen dysfunctional testosterone.

It was back in May that Erik Davis posted about Powder Blue -- the new film from Timothy Linh Bui, which already set up two notable stars -- Forest Whitaker and Jessica Biel. In the post, Erik said: "Now there's a duo I didn't expect to see on screen together." Still banking on an eclectic mix, the latest name to hit the roster is none other than Ray Liotta, and he's going to be Biel's dad, if you can believe that. This is perfect timing for the actor, who has wrapped production on three new films -- Crossing Over, Hero Wanted and Battle in Seattle, and is currently filming his fourth, The Night Job.

As previously stated, the film follows the life of four different characters who spend Christmas Eve together, kind of like Mixed Nuts without the comedy. Whitaker is playing the suicidal ex-priest, Biel is the stripper, who has a terminally ill son and Liotta is her dad, an ex-con who has just spent 25 years in prison and wants to reconnect with her. There's only one main character left to cast now -- the mortician. Convention would suggest that this role will be played by another man who can pull off dysfunction, but I'm hoping for a woman. We always see the female stripper in films, so much so that aliens who catch our satellite waves might think Earth is a veritable cornucopia of them. So, why not? If Liotta can play Biel's dad, anything is possible.