et's update the world of romance before we get to the most-buzzed-about projects....   Ashley Judd is getting serious with race car driver Dario Franchitti. So serious they are thinking about marriage. But mom Naomi Judd doesn't like Darios' profession because it could suddenly turn her young daughter into a widow. Instead, Naomi would much prefer she reunite with her ex-boyfriend, singer Michael Bolton.    Ben Affleck recently made one assistant director a very happy woman. A couple of weeks after the two talked about their passion for classic cars, Ben presented the woman with the keys to an old Mustang he was about to sell. The assistant director said she shook for two hours afterwards.    We hear that Jennifer Love Hewitt has been getting cozy with Freddie Prinze Jr. Meanwhile, Jennifer's series, Time Of Your Life, which was recently put on hiatus, will get a second chance when Fox runs nine new episodes in the summer.    It's a busy time for the stars of Scream 3. Courteney Cox Arquette is now in Vancouver ready to star with Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell in 3000 MilesTo Graceland, about ex-cons on the run. Up next for Courteney and her husband David Arquette is the comedy, The Shrink Is In. Arquette will then replace Martin Lawrence in the film See Spot Run, about an FBI dog that is put in the Witness Protection Program. Lawrence left due to "creative differences" with the producers.    Brad Pitt will appear in the season finale of Friends, starring as a strange guy who ends up as Joey's roommate but is, in fact, obsessed with Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston. As to whether Jennifer and Brad are going to tie the knot anytime soon, our guess is that when it happens, we'll find out about it afterwards, not beforehand.    And just in case you think that Brad Pitt is slumming it by appearing on Friends, consider this - 25 million people watch Friends every week. That's more people than have seen Brad's last five movies. That also might explain why Bruce Willis is set to appear in Friends for a few episodes. Bruce and Matthew Perry became buddies on the set of The Whole Nine Yards.    Val Kilmer is still managing to torment his Hollywood cohorts. Val and actor Tom Sizemore did not get along on the set of Red Planet. Tom isn't the first to be so vocal about his dislike for Kilmer. Director John Frankenheimer, who worked with him on The Island Of Dr. Moreau, calls Kilmer an "unspeakable human being." Frankenheimer says that even if he were filming The Val Kilmer Story he wouldn't cast Val.    While Catherine Zeta-Jones' pregnancy has cost her at least one film project, it's worked out okay for another. Catherine has had to pull out of Oliver Stone's Beyond Borders, but she has agreed to star in the upcoming drug war drama Traffic, which was supposed to star Harrison Ford, but is now likely to team her up with Kevin Costner. For the script, they made one minor adjustment - Catherine's character now just happens to be pregnant. By the way, the latest rumor has Cath pregnant with twins.    Oscar winner Angelina Jolie will team up with Antonio Banderas for the new movie Dancing In The Dark. Angelina, who is excited about teaming up with Antonio, says, "I've never been with a swarthy Latin man, on camera or off, so I'm looking forward to our pairing." Guess somebody should break the news to Angelina that Antonio is married.    Sure, Sean "Puffy" Combs may be in a bit of hot water these days, but he's still a hot commodity. Director John Favreau has hired the rapper turned actor for a movie called Made, about a couple of boxers who turn to money laundering as an occupation.    Eddie Murphy's got a case of sequel-itis. He's working on The Nutty Professor 2, followed by Dr. Dolittle Part 2. In the middle of those two productions is Pluto Nash, which is now filming in Montreal.    And I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of awful news, but you might as well be told now - a big screen version of the '80s TV show The Greatest American Hero is now in the works. Good luck finishing your popcorn.