Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

The Jonas brothers' hotly anticipated "Camp Rock" musical is already spawning a sequel or two, reports Maria Canals-Barrera.

"They've been talking about doing more," says the "Wizards of Waverly Place" regular who plays the mom of the young femme lead in the upcoming Disney Channel telepic. And if any company knows how to strike while the iron is hot, it's Disney — e.g. "High School Musical" and "Hannah Montana." The Jonas boys are next.

From what she's seen, Barrera says she fully expects "Camp Rock" to equal or eclipse the phenomenal success of "High School Musical" and its sequel. "'High School Musical III' is going to be a theatrical release," she says, "and I think 'Camp Rock' is going to be another 'High School Musical' kind of hit. The music is fantastic and the dancing is amazing, killer hip-hop dancing."

"I loved the script. It's a great romantic story. Demi Lovato plays my daughter in the movie, and she falls for Joe Jonas's character, and he falls for her. And I really loved my part in 'Camp Rock,'" says Canals-Barrera, who stars as the mother of three wizards on "The Wizards of Waverly Place. "It's another great parent role that is integral to the story, with her realizing and accepting and being happy about who she is and where she's at in life."

COMING AROUND AGAIN: Sly Stallone's resurgence with "Rocky Balboa" and "Rambo" has buoyed another action star of his generation, Steven Seagal, well, into action. Referring to planning a comeback a la Stallone's he says, "We're going to do that. I've been working a lot. I just finished one thing in Connecticut, and we're starting something up in Canada."

Action fans can catch Seagal kicking butt in the premiere of "Urban Justice," airing Sunday (Feb. 24) on Spike TV. "I like the stories about common people and people who have to deal with struggle and poverty. They're a little more comfortable for me to relate to," he says about playing a father determined to avenge his son's violent death. Luckily, things on set were much lighter, especially with co-star Eddie Griffin. "I can be funny," Seagal claims. "If you ask the guys, they'll tell you I can hold my own. But that guy is much funnier than me. He's just too good."

Recent years have had ups and downs for the one-time martial arts superstar.

His past several films have been box-office misses or gone straight to DVD. There's also the fact he's been occupied with his music.

"I just did 80 concerts around the world, so I'm still busy, but I just chose to do different things," he says.

Seagal also says he continues to train every day and is looking forward to using his martial arts skills on screen again, but also wants to get back behind the cameras.

"There is a movie I'm fixing to shoot down in Louisiana called 'Prince of Pistols,' and I would like to direct that, but the financing has kind of come in and out. I love to direct. It's just expensive because it takes about nine to ten months of your time."

THE INSIDE TRACK: Multiplatinum R&B singer Keith Sweat reports his "Love You Better" duet with superhot Grammy-nominated singer Keyshia Cole on his new CD "Just Me" came about through simple serendipity. "Me and Keyshia happened to be in Atlanta at the same time, and I just asked her if she would do this song with me, and she agreed to do it," says the singer/songwriter/producer, who produced and co-wrote most of the tunes on the album, due out mid-March. "I was happy that she blessed me with her voice."

"Just Me" also marks the first time in 15 years since he and superproducer Teddy Riley worked together, but he says it was just like old times when they re-teamed on the single "The Floor." "That chemistry was there the first time, and there will always be magic between me and him," says Sweat, recalling that Riley was the mastermind behind his multi-platinum 1987 debut album "Make It Last Forever." "We invented a whole other style, New Jack Swing," he adds, referring to the revolutionary music style begun in the late '80s that blended R&B with hip-hop for the first time. Sweat, who also does the nightly "Keith Sweat Hotel" syndicated radio show, tries to schedule his touring to accommodate being a single father. However, he says, "I gotta do what I gotta do in order to make it work for everybody involved. You gotta bring the bacon home — and the eggs too."

SMILING WITH PURPOSE: Shohreh Aghdashloo may be known for her more serious roles, like her Oscar-nominated performance in "House of Sand and Fog," but the actress tells us she likes to be much more light hearted in real life. "Things are devastating enough. Even when you watch the news about what's going on in today's world, it's too much," she says. "It's overwhelming, and it's not human. It hits and it hurts, and the only way to get through it is to make fun and to laugh at it."

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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