SHOOTING STARS EXTRA: Clooney’s back in town

  George Clooney just can’t stay away from Vegas. After starring in the 2001-2007 “Ocean’s Eleven-Twelve-Thirteen” trilogy (and, lest we forget, 2003’s “Intolerable Cruelty”), Clooney’s back in town Wednesday and Thursday for “Up in the Air.”
  Directed by Jason Reitman (“Juno,” “Thank You for Smoking”) and based on Walter Kim’s novel, the comedy-drama follows a businessman who’s an expert in firing people (aka “career transition counseling”) as he pursues a quest to amass a million frequent-flier miles.
  Little wonder, then, that McCarran Airport serves as one of “Up in the Air’s” locations; it’s the fifth city the production has visited, reports unit publicist Spooky Stevens. (The others range from Detroit, St. Louis and Omaha to another fun-in-the-sun destination, Miami.)
  “We’re literally on the fly,” she says.
  Las Vegas’ convention connections also play a role in the two-day Las Vegas shoot. Cast members Vera Farmiga (“The Departed”) and Anna Kendrick (“Twilight”) join Clooney on location in Pair-a-dice, but co-star (and “Juno” standout) Jason Bateman isn’t making the trek.
  Look for “Up in the Air” to land in theaters in late this year — just in time for Oscar season.