HMG – When Cameron Diaz and her ex, Justin Timberlake ran into each other on the set of the ‘Hope for Haiti’ telethon in January, it didn’t either long to remember why they once were an item.

“Cami had forgotten what fantastic chemistry she had with Justin.” says one insider.

But Justin’s now connected to Jessica Biel, which meant Cameron’s overtures fell on deaf ears. But she was not deterred. Now shooting her new comedy ‘Terrible Teacher’ for Columbia, Cameron, 37, insisted Justin be cast as a male lead, instead of people like Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper, whom the studio wanted.

“Cameron kept telling them she wanted Justin,” the source tells OK. “She was bummed because the studio said they didn’t reckon Justin would be excellent on the huge screen.”

But the sweet San Diegan just would not give up;

“Cameron really pushed it,” says the snitch. She played the Columbia suits a few clips from Justin’s new comedy ‘The Social Network,’ which tells the tale of, and according to the source, “that sold them.”

“Terrible Teacher’ involves some mild like scenes between Cam and her co-star, and this was clearly her motive;

“Cameron made them rewrite the like scenes,” the source reveals. “She doesn’t want to stir up distress – she’s been cheated on; Justin cheated on her. She just didn’t want to hurt Jessica.”

Jessica, meanwhile, was said to be ‘freaking out’ about her boyfriend’s new coworker, but then she and Cameron talked on the phone and it’s cool.

“Jessica said she was thrilled he was working with someone of Cameron’s caliber and thanked her for going to bat for him,” so we’re told.

And so ends this tale….the original of which is one of the most patronizing, blatantly fabricated and thinly-veiled plugs for a movie I’ve endured in years. Some studios are so focused on profits, they forget that the audience has an IQ above 12.

And that’s sick…

HMG – After a bravura performance with Brad Pitt in ‘Inglorious Basterds,’ which brought praise from both the audience and the Oscar voters, Cristoph Walz is now scheduled to direct his first film.

The 54-year ancient Austrian, who played Colonel Hans Landa in the Oscar-nominated Tarantino creation is now a hot property in the film world and Fox International have just offered him the chance to direct his first film – from his own script. And he may even take a small role.

Entitled ‘Auf Und Davon’ it means ‘Up and Away,’ the movie concerns the remorseless host of a German dating show who gets herself into distress when she develops strong feelings for one of the contestants.

“The tale reflects Christoph’s formidable sense of humor,” Gabriela Bacher, head of Fox’s German division, told THR.

But while the Fox people warn us the new movie might not get played outside German-speaking countries, they were so keen to get Cristoph under contract they offered him the job at ‘Basterds’ premiere in Cannes in May of last year.

“While Christoph’s rise to stardom will continue,” says Sanford Panitch, president of Fox International Prods., “we are very proud to collaborate with him on his own project.”

The only problem with all this is time – When you win the Oscar everyone wants you, and Cristoph has at least three films to deal with before he can start – He just wrapped ‘Green Hornet’ with Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz, next will be ‘Water for Elephants’ with Robert Pattinson, then comes Kevin Costner’s ‘A Small War of their Own’ – but that one’s not confirmed.

With so much demand, Fox doubts the 54-year ancient Austrian – who is the only actor to have ever won an Oscar for a Tarantino production – will get to start work on “Auf Und Davon” before the middle of next year…