Big 'Ead strikes again STEPHEN Frears, director of the Oscarnominated 'The Queen', is teaming up with screenwriter Peter Morgan and actor Michael Sheen for a third time with 'The Damned Utd', which follows the controversial career of Brian Clough, who managed Derby County and Leeds United in the 1970s. Sheen will follow up his wicked portrayal of Tony Blair in 'The Queen' and in the 2003 TV film 'The Deal' with what promises to be a naughtily affectionate send-up, doing for English soccer what 'The Queen' did for the British royal family.

Departed to return?

JUST as the Hong Kong thriller 'Infernal Affairs' spawned a follow-up, it seems Martin Scorsese's American version 'The Departed', by far his biggest commercial hit ever and widely tipped to win him his first Oscar as director next Sunday, is also to have a sequel, or possibly a prequel, seeing that many of the leading characters failed to survive the violent denouement. William Monahan is reportedly working on a screenplay.

IRELAND TOP FIVE MOVIES (weekend 12-14 January) 1 (-) The Pursuit of Happyness (Gabriele Muccino) Euro371,668 (-) 2 (1) Night At the Museum (Shaun Levy) Euro288,843 (Euro2,524,441 to date) 3 (-) Smokin' Aces (Joe Carnahan) Euro216,563 (-) 4 (2) Apocalypto (Mel Gibson) Euro215,514 (Euro2,488,032) 5 (3) Employee Of The Month (Mitch Rouse) Euro183,673 (Euro594,956) US TOP FIVE MOVIES (weekend 12-14 January) 1 (-) Stomp The Yard: $22m (-) 2 (1) Night At the Museum: $17m ($185.8m) 3 (2) The Pursuit Of Happyness: $9.1m ($134.5m) 4 (5) Dreamgirls: $8.1m ($64.9m) 5 (4) Freedom Writers: $7.1m ($18.4m)