My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way Says It's Been 'So Difficult' To Keep 'Watchmen' Bob Dylan Cover Under Wraps

SAN DIEGO — Everybody knows that Zack Snyder thrilled moviegoers with the first "Watchmen" trailer and dropped into Comic-Con to hold what many considered to be the most successful buzz-building panel of the week. Our regular readers also know that we broke the news last week that My Chemical Romance will contribute the only new song to the film's soundtrack, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row."

The one person who doesn't seem to know that you know, however, is MCR frontman Gerard Way.

"Oh, he did?" the 31-year-old singer said when we told him Snyder had revealed the song to MTV News. "I didn't even know that!"

Clearly relieved, Way was eager to spill the beans for the very first time: "That's been so difficult for me to keep under wraps, because 'Watchmen' is my favorite comic of all time. So when Zack had asked us to do the song for 'Watchmen,' the end-credit song and the single for the movie, we were floored. And when he said it was going to be a Dylan cover that he wanted, that was so amazing."

As the "300" director also revealed to us, the movie is going to stay true to its decades-spanning source material by using no music written after 1985. So instead of the Smashing Pumpkins song we heard in the trailer, Snyder confirmed that we'll be hearing classic, era-defining tracks from Jimi Hendrix, Simon & Garfunkel, Nat King Cole and Bob Dylan.

The movie will feature MCR covering Dylan's "Desolation Row," a track that clocks in at nearly 12 minutes. In an effort to condense the song, and make it sound appropriate for the '80s, Way and Snyder came up with some ideas.

"That song is epic," Way said. "It has so many amazing lyrics. But I've picked my four favorite verses. We wanted the song to feel like a product not of its era, but of the movie's. So it's recorded and performed in a very early-'80s punk style, similar to the Sex Pistols or the Ramones. That's what it feels like. It's a dirty punk song."

While furthering his vision of the cover song's sound, Way discovered a unique connection to Snyder: "It's really inspired by James Carroll's version of 'People Who Died,' " he revealed. "When I brought that up to Zack, he said, 'That's in the end credits to [Snyder's remake of] "Dawn of the Dead." ' ... I didn't realize that, but that's what I wanted 'Desperation Row' to sound like. It's amazing."

A longtime comic geek who was at Comic-Con to promote his own "Umbrella Academy" series, Way explained to us that Alan Moore's critically acclaimed anti-hero novel inspired him greatly as an artist and that several My Chemical Romance songs wouldn't exist without "Watchmen."

"Some things were even born out of [the comic]," he said. "On Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, the third single, 'Ghost of You,' comes from the ad in 'Watchmen' for Nostalgia that says, 'Oh, how the ghost of you clings.' "

Way insisted that ever since MCR's inception, he's tried to keep the band on people's iPods rather than their movie screens — but when it came to "Watchmen," he just couldn't resist any longer. "We've held out, actually, for a long time," he explained. "You don't really find My Chemical Romance songs in films. I believe [one] was in the end credits to 'House of Wax' or something at some point, but [other] projects were never right for us. 'Watchmen' is right for us."

Snyder told us recently that MCR have already submitted their first takes on the Dylan track to him for approval, and Way added that the legend himself has already heard the band perform it in concert. "Bob Dylan had apparently heard from his assistant that we'd covered it. He'd seen a clip of it on the Internet," Way said. "We've been doing it live just to warm up. And apparently [Dylan] was very happy about it and very psyched."

Now, Gerard added, all he wants to do is actually see the highly anticipated film, which hits theaters on March 6. "I haven't [seen any of the film yet]," he sighed. "I've seen the trailer, loved it, and I keep trying to push Zack, saying, 'Hey, we're doing the song. Can we see some footage?' Every time I see Zack, I ask. So I think I'm going to get to see some of it soon."

Then the MCR frontman took off, heading across the convention floor to get a look inside the massive "Watchmen" Owl-Ship on display at the Warner Bros. booth.

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Tom Cruise's Much-Delayed 'Valkyrie' Isn't A Dud, Co-Star Bill Nighy Insists

If you're the type of far-thinking filmgoer who likes to look up release dates well in advance of a movie's completion, you might have penciled in this weekend to see the new Tom Cruise World War II drama "Valkyrie." That is, if you hadn't already penciled it in for last month.

With four date changes, the most recent of which has the film opening on February 13, 2009, "Valkyrie" has had more starts and stops than the plot to assassinate Hitler from which it gets its title.

When a movie gets shifted as much as this one, it's not unreasonable to assume it's a stinker. But rumors of the film's poor quality are patently untrue, co-star Bill Nighy insisted, telling MTV News that the film was pushed back for the very simple reason that it is still in production.

"We just shot some extra scenes for it," said Nighy, who plays German General Friedrich Olbricht. "One of the reasons that the date was changed was in order to do the extra scenes, which they were always going to do if they felt [the film] warranted it. They've added some new stuff, and people are very excited about it."

Directed by Bryan Singer ("X-Men"), "Valkyrie" follows Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), a Nazi soldier who hatches a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during the waning years of the war. " 'Valkyrie' is a great story, a true story, and it's a faithful account," Nighy said. "They haven't bent the story to accommodate the movie or anything. It's an honest and serious film."

So if everything is taken straight from history, what is it they always wanted to film but hadn't?

According to Nighy, the new scenes are mostly big-budget action sequences set in Northern Africa, where, at the beginning of the war, von Stauffenberg was grievously injured, losing a hand and an eye (thus necessitating that silly-looking pirate patch for which Cruise has been endlessly ridiculed).

"The new scenes for the large part are those scenes in North Africa," Nighy said. "So where it stands is that they're very excited and enthusiastic for it and very bullish for it."

Although February has traditionally been thought of as the month where mediocre movies go to die, the Presidents Day weekend has, in recent years, proved highly profitable for films like "Jumper," "Ghost Rider" and "Eight Below."

And the proximity to Valentine's Day gives marketing execs a chance to try out Nighy's new slogan.

"It's Valentine's Day," Nighy laughed, "so take your date to see a movie about killing Hitler!"

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'Twilight' Tuesday: 10 Things Comic-Con Taught Us About 'Twilight'

SAN DIEGO — Unless you've been living under a rock for the past week, you've likely heard that the stars of the film "Twilight" (due in December) made their first collective public appearance at Comic-Con on Thursday, setting off a feeding frenzy among media who are just now realizing that this movie might sell a few tickets.

But as we welcome other media outlets to the party, we've also got one thing to confess: Even after all the "Twilight" Tuesdays we've been running this year, there are still a few things about Stephenie Meyer's universe that we didn't know.

Now, we've returned from Comic-Con a little bit older, a little bit wiser and a little bit deafer, and we present our list of "10 Things Comic-Con Taught Us About 'Twilight.' "

We Believe In Spunk Ransom

"Whenever I used to go to a fancy dress party, I always used to dress up as Fox Mulder," Robert Pattinson revealed to us after grabbing a look at some of the caped crusaders roaming the halls. "It was such a normal costume, but I'd just wear a suit." The actor added that he can't wait to see the new "X-Files" flick. "Yeah, I'm a big fan," he said. "I'm definitely going to see it."

Tonight, We Dine in Forks!

Asked which costume he'd want to wear if he attended Comic-Con as a fan, Cam Gigandet said that he'd like to bring back the impressive abs he showed off in the movie "Never Back Down." "What are the guys from '300'?" he asked about Zack Snyder's barely clad Spartans. "I'd like to be one of them."

No Needles, Just Pins

One Twilighter made special pins and allowed the cast to choose which ones they received — and the ones they chose to pin on their shirts revealed a lot about them. "We were just doing an autograph signing, and a girl made up a bunch of different ones and she let me pick one," gushed Rachelle Lefevre. "So I appropriately picked the one that says 'I Punched a Werewolf in the Face,' and I love it!" (Director Catherine Hardwicke's read "Friends Don't Let Friends Date Werewolves.")

Laurent Wants To Be A Guitar Hero

"I felt like a rock star," Edi Gathegi said about the chaotic scene inside Comic-Con's enormous Hall H. "[I've never seen anything like it] in my life — it was thrilling. If I could change one thing, I would have stepped out and strummed an air guitar. That'd be cool. But instead, I came out shy and timid."

You're Welcome, Cam

Gigandet revealed to us backstage that he might be a bit more prepared for Hall H than some of his co-stars, because he had appeared in front of a large crowd once before. "It was the MTV Movie Awards," he remembered of his recent appearance. "But I didn't really speak. I just kinda mumbled a few words." Still, he said that answering fans' questions on the spot is tougher than acting: "I'm not good. I wish they were all written for me — my lines just kind of posted up on the wall [of Hall H] would be great."

Robert Pattinson Is A Better Musician Than He Thinks

Onstage, Meyer and director Catherine Hardwicke called their star's musical compositions "amazing" and told us where they'd be in the movie. RPattz himself, however, is charmingly shy about his talents. "It's just a weird little song," he said of one of the compositions, which he hasn't named yet. "It's really random. It comes at a strange point in the movie. ... It's towards the end of the movie, but it's not Edward-related. There was one cut of the movie [I saw the other day] that had the song."

The "Twilight" Actors Are Yummy In More Ways Than One

"Once we got to get in there with each other up against the mirrors and stuff, it was pretty wild," Gigandet said of the ballet-studio fight scene they revealed to the audience. "We had honey and chicken flying everywhere! That was our substitute for human flesh. Honey and chicken [were all over us]. I'm serious!"

Getting To Know You

Although Twilighters have been obsessing over them for months, many of the movie's stars had never met each other until just recently. "I didn't meet [Lefevre] until a couple weeks ago," marveled Taylor Lautner. "And I just met Edi today for the first time."

Want a Preview Of The Film's Fight Moves? Watch "Never Back Down"

"There were a couple moves I did actually have from the movie that they let me incorporate," revealed Cam Gigandet, adding that if you look closely, you might see some mixed-martial-arts moves in his epic battle with Robert Pattinson. "[I worked in] a lot of things that I do well. But it was so much different from the fights in 'Never Back Down,' because [the 'Twilight' vampires] have superhuman strength. So every hit and every throw and everything, really, had to have such a huge effect. [We'd] go flying into the rafters, through windows — having that much wirework made it on a much grander scale than ['Never Back Down']."

Lullaby And Good Night

The "Twilight" stars broke big news about "Bella's Lullaby" and told us backstage about the one person who made sure the musical moment got into the film: Stephenie Meyer. "I asked for the lullaby to be in there," the author revealed, saying she knew the fans would insist upon it. "It was not in the original script." Added Hardwicke: "The day that [Pattinson] played the lullaby scene, we were weepy. ... We're really glad that Stephenie made us put it in."

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'Transformers 2' Star Tyrese Gibson Doubts Shia LaBeouf's Injury Will Delay Filming: 'He Can Afford A Private Nurse'

SAN DIEGO — Shia LaBeouf is currently recovering at Cedars-Sinai Hospital from extensive hand surgery, as well as injuries to his knee and head caused by a car accident in Hollywood on Sunday morning, but the "Indiana Jones" star won't be getting any sympathy cards from his "Transformers" co-star Tyrese Gibson, who downplayed the incident when MTV News caught up with him on Sunday at Comic-Con.

Asked if there were any contingency plans in place given the early word that LaBeouf might be in the hospital upwards of a month, Gibson scoffed: "A month? He won't be in the hospital for a month. He just hurt his hand. He can afford a private nurse."

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" had a buffer window built into its hectic shooting schedule early on, given fears of a possible SAG strike last month. Whether that buffer will be used to accommodate LaBeouf's potential absence is unknown, but for now, production is moving full steam ahead, Gibson said.

"Right now, there's only three films being shot in this country," he proudly declared on where production stood at the moment. "We got two and a half more months. I just did two night shoots in a row out there in Long Beach. We rolling, man. Right now, we rolling."

A Paramount spokesperson had no comment when MTV News asked how long filming could be delayed due to LaBeouf's accident.

LaBeouf was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and released. A statement from his spokesperson indicated he had plans to return to "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" within the month.

As for what we can expect out of the highly anticipated sequel, Gibson said he's most looking forward to, well, more of himself.

"Go on the Internet — a lot of the fans out there were like, we want to see more of my presence in the film, and the studio and Michael Bay heard that, so Michael's been putting the camera on me a lot more Epps in that film," he revealed. "So thank you all for those e-mails. I appreciate it."

To prepare for his expanded role, Gibson confessed that he called for help from a trusted friend. Could it be, then, that the most important addition to the "Transformers" crew isn't a new Decepticon or Autobot but — Will Smith?

"Will Smith and I have been working out every day," Gibson said. "Because of that, I've lost 46 pounds for this movie."

On the subject of new cars in the film, Gibson was decidedly more mum, although he did reveal that, like with the first film, director Michael Bay was working with car manufacturers to get the very latest designs.

"We have some cars in this film that you will not be seeing into 2011, and that's top-secret. You won't be able to buy them until 2011, they already in the film. Crazy," Gibson said.

It's a philosophy of "more" and "bigger" embraced by Bay but never before seen on this scale, Gibson said.

"There's way more robots, way more craziness. Once again, you are going to see some things that are Oscar-worthy as far as special effects," he said, smiling. "I'm just honored to be a part of it."

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" opens June 26, 2009.

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'Dark Knight' Reigns Over Box Office For Second Week

The Box-Office Top Five

#1 "The Dark Knight" ($75.6 million)
#2 "Step Brothers" ($30 million)
#3 "Mamma Mia!" ($17.9 million)
#4 "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" ($10.2 million)
#5 "Journey to the Center of the Earth" ($9.4 million)

In the opening scene of "The Dark Knight," the Joker robs millions from Gotham National Bank, setting off a chain reaction that spirals the city into a cycle of despair and chaos. Maybe, instead, he should have just waited for his residuals?

For the second week in a row, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" kicked and smashed its way to a gargantuan win at the domestic box office, earning $75.6 million over the weekend for a 10-day total of $314.2 million.

To put those numbers into perspective, after just 10 days "The Dark Knight" is already the second-highest-grossing film of 2008, just behind the three-month haul of "Iron Man." But forget Tony Stark, the Scarecrow, the Penguin and even the Riddler — Batman's greatest foe at this point isn't another superhero or some crazy villain, but history. Let us count the records: With $75.6 million, "The Dark Knight" scored the highest second-weekend total ever (Pow!); the highest 10-day total ever, besting "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" by more than $50 million (Smash!), and the record for fastest film to hit $300 million (Crunch!). It's also already among the top 25 highest-grossing films of all time; and it's the one recent movie with a decent shot at potentially beating "Star Wars" by landing in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars in the U.S. alone. And, again, it's been out for 10 days. (Wow!)

Send up a signal, Commissioner Gordon — it's time to start thinking about "Batman 3."

("Dark Knight" scribe David Goyer says he's got an idea for "Batman 3." Help us figure out what it is on the Movies Blog.)

Like last weekend's box office, there was Batman and then there was everybody else. But other films did manage to do some business, most notably Will Ferrell's "Step Brothers," which scored $30 million to come in second place. The comedy about a couple of middle-age men stuck in arrested development was the fourth-highest opening of Ferrell's career.

In third place, the dulcet tones of Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan (OK, not Pierce Brosnan) helped their ABBA-palooza "Mamma Mia!" to fall only 35 percent, taking in another $17.9 million. With an overall total of $62.7 million, the musical is a sure bet to crack $100 million domestic.

The same cannot be said of "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," which tanked at the box office after the franchise's protracted hiatus away from the spotlight, earning a dismal $10.2 million to come in fourth place. Called for comment, a representative from the film said that all their usual supporters were abducted by aliens. Go figure.

Rounding out the top five, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" earned $9.4 million, bringing its three-week total to a very respectable $60 million.

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'Twilight' Exclusive: Stars Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene To Reunite For The Film 'Strife'

LOS ANGELES — Although their film doesn't even come out for another six months, the young stars of "Twilight" have already reached a level of star status that most actors would kill for. And now, two of the castmembers already have plans to reunite.

MTV News has exclusively learned that Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene have signed on to "Strife," a film set to begin production in a few weeks. The movie will arrive in theaters next year, shortly after audiences will have seen Lutz and Greene as Cullen clan members Emmett and Alice, respectively.

Directed by filmmaker Omid Shabkhiz, "Strife" tells the story of three friends struggling with day-to-day life in the drug- and gang-infested streets of Los Angeles. Caught in a world of violence and tragedy, they struggle to discover the hope and love that can help them persevere.

The burly, charismatic 23-year-old Lutz is set to play Jagger, a smooth-talking but troubled young man who gets caught in his own game when he falls into debt. His desperate actions set much of the film's plot into action.

Meanwhile, the sweet-smiling Greene has been cast as Trish, a well-educated girl who hits the streets of Los Angeles with the best of intentions. Passionate about women's rights and social awareness, Greene will be a stark contrast to Lutz's character.

She'll also be the voice of reason for the film's third lead, a man named Lorenzo, played by up-and-comer Kyle Schmid ("The Covenant," "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"). Schmid's character is a privileged young man from a wealthy family who nonetheless has to fight temptations as he tries to remain loyal to his friends.

The reunion of Lutz and Greene should please the army of Twilighters, who are likely to be intrigued by the thought of their squeaky-clean franchise stars getting gritty in an independent film. While Lutz's career is taking off with roles on the new "90210" TV show and HBO's wartime drama "Generation Kill," his role in "Strife" should allow him to balance "Twilight" with an impressive show of versatility. The 21-year-old Greene, meanwhile, will be landing in her most prominent film role yet after several years of TV work on shows like "Shark" and "Crossing Jordan."

As of press time, we could not confirm whether Greene will be allowed to grow her hair long again before the film begins production. We also could not confirm whether the film would take extra security measures to keep the Lutz-obsessed Web site Kellmett-Happens.com away long enough to let their so-called "Princess" do his job. (By the way, the preceding paragraph should be read with extreme sarcasm.)

"Strife" will be produced by Christopher Peters, Peter Banifaz and director Shabkhiz. It is due to begin filming in September, with more actors to be announced over the next few weeks.

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'Twilight' Masterminds Catherine Hardwicke, Stephenie Meyer Take In Wild Comic-Con, Talk Movie's Music

SAN DIEGO — Many years ago, Leonard Cohen sang about "The Sisters of Mercy," who were "waiting for me, when I thought that I just can't go on."

On Thursday, that persona was taken on by writer Stephenie Meyer and director Catherine Hardwicke, who arrived at Comic-Con as surrogate mothers for the young stars of Hollywood's hottest new franchise. Thousands of die-hard fans screamed their names, and stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner expressed nervousness backstage about the largest public appearance of their young careers. But the Sisters of Mercy gave them pointers, shepherded them up the steps and aided them when they thought they just couldn't go on.

Moments after the madness, MTV News caught up with the Sisters as they walked around arm in arm, wearing matching pins that read "Comic-Con Virgins." True friends brought together for the cause of the Cullens, they spoke to us about the shape-shifting "Bella's Lullaby," shedding tears over Pattinson, and their shared secret: They were both nervous as hell backstage too.

MTV: Guys, I have to tell you: I've been coming to Comic-Con for seven straight years now. I've seen Hall H panels with huge stars for huge movies. But I've never seen anything like all that craziness.

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Guy Ritchie Plans To Turn Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes Into Action Hero

For more than 100 years, Sherlock Holmes has been the world's foremost detective mind; a profound genius capable of unlocking even the most intricate mysteries. So how would he unravel this minor puzzle: A man known for his brain is about to showcase his brawn?

How do we know? Elementary: It's a Guy Ritchie movie. Guy Ritchie is known for his gritty crime dramas. Guy Ritchie cast action star of the day Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role. It's a simple deduction, really.

Well, actually, we just asked him.

"They never seem to manifest that [element] in some of the earlier productions they've done of 'Sherlock Holmes,' " Ritchie said of what would separate his upcoming reinterpretation of the character from earlier versions. "We're trying to bring a completely contemporary and entertaining perspective on an intellectual action hero true to his origins where he was more of an action guy originally."

"It's like James Bond in 1891," producer Joel Silver added. "Nobody ever did the 'Sherlock Holmes' story as an action movie, and he really was an action guy. [Ours] is a big, wild action movie."

To be fair, Holmes was a proficient (although only occasional) fighter in the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And it's true that he was known to carry a pistol from time to time — and to use it to whip people when he thought it was called for. Ritchie's movie will go above and beyond that, though, he said, with chases and fights punctuating the story at regular points. Actually, to understand what Ritchie wants to do with the character, the best reference isn't earlier film versions but ... "Iron Man"?

"He's an intellectual superhero," Ritchie said of Holmes. "I'm inspired by that."

Any superhero, of course, needs a super villain. Ritchie confirmed to MTV News that Professor Moriarty, Holmes' arch-nemesis in several stories, will appear in his film. The character, along with Holmes' friend Watson, has not been cast.

Ritchie's "Holmes" story will not be based on any one story or novel, he said, but on an "amalgamation" of Doyle's vast library. "It's true to the period," he said. "And authentic from where it derives its influence."

According to Silver, filming for the movie begins in October.

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'Punisher: War Zone' Shows The Cause And Effect Of Extreme Violence, Star Ray Stevenson Says

For comic book fans, this summer at the multiplex has been like Christmas in July, with adaptations of "Hellboy," "Batman," "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk." But Marvel Comics is making sure to leave at least one more present under the tree for fans to unwrap on December 5: "Punisher: War Zone."

It's the third big-screen interpretation for Frank Castle, but none have ever been as violent or sadistic as "War Zone," star Ray Stevenson told MTV News. In an exclusive chat, Stevenson talked about why Jigsaw is a classic comic villain, what lines from the film fans will geek out over, which comics influenced the film and why you're in trouble if you see a skull and crossbones. (Read about where Stevenson thinks the Punisher could go in sequels, and whether he expects he'll ever cross over into other Marvel films, in the Splash Page blog.)

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'Watchmen' Scenes Of War, Murder And Transformation Draws Thunderous Response At Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO — If day one of Comic-Conbelonged to "Twilight," then the second afternoon was the realm of "Watchmen." A comic book holy grail for three decades, the Alan Moore/ Dave Gibbons masterpiece is the only graphic novel ever to win science fiction's prestigious Hugo Award and the only comic to appear in Time magazine's list of the greatest novels of the 20th century. This supposedly unfilmable mix of philosophy, theology and heroism has caused such names as Gilliam, Aronofsky and Greengrass to throw their hands up in frustration.

But on Friday — one year after unveiling a "Watchmen" poster and promising he'd get the movie made — Comic-Con king Zack Snyder returned triumphant. Addressing a room full of people dressed like Rorschach, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre, he showed off new footage so amazing, the crowd insisted upon seeing it twice.

Snyder, Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (the Comedian), Carla Gugino (Silk Spectre I), Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach), Billy Crudup (Dr. Manhattan), Patrick Wilson (Nite Owl II) and Matthew Goode (Ozymandias) were all in Hall H, but the fans went particularly nuts upon the revelation of a surprise guest: Gibbons himself.

Earlier, the "Watchmen" illustrator had revealed an eye-popping collaboration with Snyder: Comic-Con-exclusive posters featuring each of the major characters in their most iconic settings (Ozymandias in front of a wall of TVs, Rorschach roaming the dirty streets, the Comedian looking out the window of his apartment), along with quotes that demonstrated their unique outlooks on life. Snyder explained that the posters were based on old ads Gibbons had made to promote the graphic novel, and that he had the actors posing exactly as the artist had imagined.

But the big draw of the afternoon was when Snyder dimmed the lights and showed the extreme footage that he had cut out of the recently released MPAA-approved trailer.

Scored with an operatic track, the footage struck an intense, reverential tone. Fans saw extended moments from Dr. Manhattan's one-man war in Vietnam (the flesh of his enemies flies off their bones), the Comedian's murder (a great slow-motion shot has Morgan flying out his window, following him down to the city street while his smiley-face pin flies at the camera) and Manhattan's transformation (rather than merely raising the hair on his arms, Snyder shows Jon Osterman being torn apart). Brand-new standout stuff included a '70s-era shot of Wilson, Laurie and Nite Owl kissing in front of a mushroom cloud and a quick peek at a gray-haired, angry Richard Nixon.

Judging by the thunderous response, the crowd liked what they saw from the film, which hits theaters on March 6, 2009.

The cast then took questions from the crowd, providing several hilarious moments between earnest statements about the motivations of their iconic characters. At one point, two identical twins approached the mic and asked a question, with one creepily finishing the other's sentence. Another man, dressed in a homemade Rorschach costume, asked whether superhero movies were becoming more grown up. Laughing lovingly, Snyder pointed out the irony in receiving such a question from a grown man in a superhero costume.

After two rounds of red-carpet press interviews, the affable "Watchmen" cast jetted away like Nite Owl aboard Archie. For a series so defiantly unwilling to yield to the whims of Hollywood, it sure does seem like they're writing an inappropriately happy ending.

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'American Teen' Turns Five Indiana Students Into Unlikely Hollywood Stars

The jock, the princess, the rebel, the geek and the heartthrob — sound familiar?

While it may be reminiscent of the 1980s classic "The Breakfast Club," for five Indiana teens, this was much more than one Saturday detention. For 10 months during their final year in high school, filmmaker Nanette Burstein and her crew followed Colin Clemens, Megan Krizmanich, Hannah Bailey, Jake Tusing and Mitch Reinholt, documenting every moment of their senior year and all the drama that came along with it for the movie "American Teen."

"They sent out questionnaires to every single senior," Clemens recalled, describing the selection process. "You filled it out, you turned it in, and if they thought you were interesting, they gave you a call." From there, Burstein followed 10 to 15 people, including the five who made the final cut.

"We actually didn't know who all was being filmed at the time," Reinholt said. "But she filmed us through graduation, and we didn't hear from her until right before Sundance in January when she invited us to go out to the festival. Paramount Vantage picked up the film, and we are spending a summer promoting the movie, so it's been pretty cool."

Their sudden rise to fame certainly wasn't anticipated, but don't mistake them for your typical Hollywood actors. These stories are real and show aspects of teen life that adolescents across America face on a regular basis.

Krizmanich, the daughter of a prominent local surgeon, finds herself in some tough situations in the film. "I get in trouble my senior year a lot, and it's all captured on film," said the popular student council vice president, recalling her vandalizing incident. "I think everybody makes mistakes, but I made mine in front of a camera that's now being shared with thousands of people, so that's my one regret."

However, her delinquent behavior doesn't come without a sympathetic backstory. "In the movie, I'm the princess [and] a little bit of a mean girl," she admitted. "But you realize that there's a lot of pressure on me, and I'm not just a mean girl for fun." In addition to the building tension as she awaits an acceptance letter from the family alma mater, Notre Dame, she must also cope with her sister's tragic suicide. "It had happened two years beforehand, and Nanette had asked me to talk about it. About halfway through the interview, I asked to turn off the camera. I couldn't talk about it anymore."

Reinholt, labeled the heartthrob, also has difficulty within his stereotyped role. "Obviously, my negative moment would be breaking up with Hannah in a text message, which is definitely something I'm not proud of," he responded when asked about ending his relationship with the film's artsy rebel. "My most common question after screenings is 'Why did you break up with Hannah?' I admit to making a mistake, [but] I think at the time, it seemed like an easy escape."

Though they may have sometimes been immature in their actions, they've all done some growing up in the two years since the documentary was filmed. Krizmanich and Reinholt now spend lots of time in the library as pre-med students (Megan at Notre Dame and Mitch at Indiana University), while Clemens, the designated jock, is continuing his basketball career. "I ended up getting my scholarship," revealed the athlete, who spent his first two years at Indiana Tech and is now transferring to Indiana's Manchester College. "I'm going to have a marketing degree. But after college is done, I'm going to go overseas to play some basketball and just pursue that as long as I can."

Tusing, however, isn't being the bookworm his geeky stereotype in the film would imply. He's actually taking some time off from college. "I think they call it a 'radical sabbatical,' " he laughed. "I really wanted to use that term, so there it goes."

Though they are grateful for the experience, the unlikely stars still find it hard to believe that their lives will be unfolding in theaters nationwide starting Friday (July 25). "I think if you told us that the movie would be as successful as it is right now, we probably would have laughed at you two years ago when the movie was being filmed," Krizmanich said.

Regardless of initial expectations, "American Teen" will certainly leave its mark as a real-life look into the world of teenagers, and the featured five seem to be quite pleased with the final product. "I think we're a perfect example [of overcoming stereotypes] now. The five of us are best friends," Krizmanich said with a smile. "The princess, the jock, the geek, the rebel and the heartthrob are all best friends."

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Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan Reunite To Bring Vulnerable Hero Red Sonja To The Big Screen

She's one of the most kick-ass comic heroines ever created: a sword-wielding, horse-riding, bow-carrying (not to mention bikini-wearing) female warrior of epic proportions.

So when talk turned to "Red Sonja," the new Robert Rodriguez joint starring Rose McGowan, everybody just had to talk about her wardrobe. Her fighting styles. Her striking red hair. Her ... vulnerability?

"Yes, it goes to the action, fighting for your life, fighting for freedom, blah, blah, blah," McGowan said at Comic-Con in San Diego. "But the fact that it's somebody who is vulnerable who tries to stuff that down - I think she's like many people in life, somebody who's kind of gotten hammered, not doing so well and has to kind of rise up."

"To me, she stands for a victim that rises from the ashes and becomes a hero," writer David White added. "She represents a true hero, someone who faces adversity, struggles with that and ultimately is assisted by other means as well. I love the vulnerability, the courage that she has to ultimately become the hero."

Created by Roy Thomas for the "Conan" comic series, Red Sonja quickly became nearly as famous as her more tenured male counterpart, with a varied history rich in detail and mythology. Expect much of that history to find its way into the movie, director Douglas Aarniokoski revealed, hinting that it would follow a similar path as the origins revealed in Dynamite issues 8 through 12.

"It's a really great origin tale," said Rodriguez, who is acting as producer. "Rose responded to it; I was surprised. She brought this home. I thought, 'I used to read these when I was 12 or 13.' I read it, and I could see why she wanted to do it. I got to show her all my old comic books. This is some great mythology, and that's everlasting."

Mysterious as it may be, Aarniokoski stressed that the movie was designed for people who may have never heard of the character - which makes most of us, frankly.

"We're trying to do what Chris Nolan did with Batman, and that's [to] take an established story and an established character and reinvent it," he said. "You didn't have to see the other 'Batman' [movies] to appreciate it. You didn't have to read the comics to appreciate it."

Of course, it won't be just like the "Batman" films - not with Aarniokoski and Rodriguez behind the production.

"I like to go for different new looks. Certainly we'll have something people haven't seen before, blending the painterly world and the art of some fantasy artists to create this other age," Rodriguez said, pointing to the "Red Sonja" poster, which he said was indicative of the film's overall style.

"The way that the reds pop," Aarniokoski added, before looking at the giant pile of skulls on which Red Sonja sits. "It's going to be very gritty, very violent. It's going to be a hard R. This is not your mother's Red Sonja."

Depending on how "Red Sonja" is received, McGowan, Rodriguez and Aarniokoski are all looking forward to a sequel, they said. The movie is expected to be released near the end of 2009.

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'X-Files: I Want To Believe' Is For Loyal Fans <i>And</i> Newcomers, Cast And Crew Insist

If you pay close attention while watching the new film "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," you'll probably catch a few familiar names and faces buried in the heightened action — but only if you're super-familiar with the TV show.

It's a gift that "X-Files" creator Chris Carter, who directed and co-wrote "I Want to Believe," presents to the true fans: the X-Philes. It's for the ones who have been waiting eagerly to see what has become of their favorite FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson), in the six years since the TV show ended.

Carter said he can't help himself: "I try to throw as much into a story as possible. If I have a chance to put a number in there, if I have a chance to put a face in there, if I have a chance to put a reference in there, I just put it in there. And oftentimes these are not perfectly well thought out. ... They're just inspiration."

But those who are new to "The X-Files" needn't worry — no prior knowledge is actually needed to enjoy "I Want to Believe." Unlike the first "X-Files" movie, 1998's "Fight the Future," this film has a self-contained story, unconnected to the larger alien/ government-conspiracy "mythology" of the nine-season-long TV series. It's more like a straight-up horror thriller than a sci-fi adventure.

"I think the movie does a really good job of weaving in certain things for the fans," said Duchovny, but he stressed that the standalone nature of the plot was the only way to go. "To re-establish the name and the franchise six years after the show's off the air and 10 years after the first movie, I don't think you could build that next movie on any specialized knowledge. You want to reach as broad an audience as possible with as little foreknowledge as they can have."

Anderson agreed: "For this one, coming back after such a long stretch of time, it actually does make more sense that we're not dealing with all the complicated aspects of [the mythology]."

Back when "Fight the Future" was released, the TV show was still going strong. The movie served as a sort of bridge between the fifth and sixth seasons, and those unfamiliar with the show probably had a hard time understanding it all. "When we went out to publicize the first movie," Duchovny remembered, "our marching orders were, 'Tell people that they don't have to know anything about the show,' but that was a lie. We're actually not lying this time."

So if you're not an X-Phile (yet), go to the theater, relax and enjoy. And if you are, you'll be rewarded for your loyalty — but don't think that you can catch every one of the hidden in-jokes and references. "There are things in there that no one will ever know that I've put in," Carter said.

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Twilight' Cast, Crew Reveal Extended Scene, Confirm Robert Pattinson's 'Lullaby' At Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO — "Twilight" just rocked Hall H at Comic-Con, and MTV News was backstage as the film's cast and crew nervously prepared to meet the crowd of 6,500 fans who could only be descried as thundering.

After cheering for the logo, the crowd began chanting "Twilight! Twilight!" as Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and the others told us moments before going onstage that they had never heard anything like it. And they came with some big bombshells to drop.

Lautner came out to huge applause, followed by Cam Gigandet, Kristen Stewart and an eardrum-shattering roar for Pattinson. Author Stephenie Meyer and director Catherine Hardwicke were next, and if there was any doubt a phenomenon was in full effect, it had been erased.

"All of these screaming people want to see the right movie," Meyer explained over the roars of the Twilighters. "We got the right company, the right script and the right cast."

"I don't know if I was living under a big boulder rock," a noticeably darker-haired Stewart said, nibbling on her fingernails as she looked over the crowd. "But I hadn't heard of the book until Catherine came to me."

Most of what Pattinson had to say was overwhelmed by screams of "We love you, Robert!"

"This is the first time I've seen them," Spunk Ransom grinned, looking out at the massive crowd. "It hurts me to think about myself. I love the fact that [Edward is] the hero of the book, but he denies it."

A huge line of fans yielded questions such as: "I want to know what it's like to portray super-hot vampires," "How does it feel to know that the fate of your character has already been decided?" and "I just needed a reason to come up and talk to you, Robert."

Asked about the soundtrack, Catherine revealed big news: "We just got a Muse song." She then teased, "And we have another great song. I bet you know what it is."

As the crowd erupted over the obvious reference to "Bella's Lullaby," Hardwicke fell short of confirming what MTV News has already reported: "Rob is a great musician," she beamed. "That's all I can say." (After the panel, Hardwicke and Meyer confirmed to MTV News that Pattinson did indeed compose "Bella's Lullaby" — as well as two other songs for the movie!)

"The lullaby thing, I just made [it] up on the spot during the scene," Pattinson laughed. "During the scene, I drifted into the piano playing. I guess it just comes from somewhere."

"We got to terrorize Edward and Bella," Rachelle Lafevre said of her favorite part of shooting. "And we had a really good time doing it."

As Meyer and Hardwicke giggled, the crowd cheered outrageously the first time the words "Bella", "Twilight Moms," "Dazzled" and "Catherine's bed" were mentioned. (This was an excitable bunch, after all. Moments after the panel, one particularly overzealous fan tried to storm into a secure area to get to Pattinson before being led away in handcuffs.)

The stars also unveiled an extended scene from the ballet-school battle, featuring much more footage of James terrorizing Bella. It shows how she's tortured with the video camera, her leg getting banged up and Edward coming to the rescue. As the battle hit its stride, the crowd went absolutely bonkers. The clip ends with Bella being bitten.

"The character of James posed an interesting challenge," Gigandet said. "What it was, for me, was that heartbreaking misunderstanding — seeing something you'll never have."

"As you can see, I'm a little nervous," Stewart said to the crowd, as a shout was heard screaming: "Don't be nervous, Kristen. We love you!"

"Is it boxers, briefs or nothing?" one particularly sassy fan asked Pattinson as the cast stayed quiet. "Kristen, do you know?"

Another fan asked: "Why did you put so many hot guys in the movie?"

"Because that's how I write them," Stephenie responded.

One of the best moments, however, may have been when a Twilighter screamed: "I love you, Robert!" and he coolly responded, "Good."

Giving the crowd exactly what it wanted to hear, Gigandet added: "We're looking forward to bringing your book to life!"

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'Twilight,' 'Watchmen' And 'Terminator Salvation' Panels Have Us Geeked For Comic-Con

It's the Super Bowl of Superheroes. The Running of the Geeks. Whatever you want to call the world's biggest genre convention, it's Comic-Con — and your MTV News team can't wait to head to San Diego again this week as we do every year.

Beginning Wednesday night (July 23), we'll be all over the show like a swarm of tooth fairies attempting to take down Hellboy. And with a diverse slate boasting everything from "Twilight" to "Watchmen,""Star Trek" to Sarah Silverman, "Pineapple Express" to a reunion of the kids who did the voices for the original "Peanuts" cartoons, 2008 is sure to be manna for the masses.

Stay tuned to MTV, MTV.com, the MTV Movies Blog and our newly launched comics blog Splash Page for the very latest. In the meantime, here are the 10 Comic-Con events we're most excited about:

"Twilight"

As we inch closer to the highly anticipated film's December 12 release, the vampire juggernaut is planning to invade Comic-Con in a major way. Director Catherine Hardwicke and author Stephenie Meyer will be there, as well as castmembers Kristen Stewart, Robert "Spunk Ransom" Pattinson, Cam Gigandet, Rachelle Lefevre, Edi Gathegi and Taylor Lautner. Rumor has it that a brand-new scene from the movie will be unveiled during the official panel on Thursday in Hall H, and you can bet we'll have all the details. Personally, I can't wait to see the insanity that is sure to erupt when they all take the stage.

"Watchmen"

According to my trusty "The End Is Nigh" countdown clock, we have 226 days, 9 hours, 11 minutes and 43 seconds until the debut of what might be the greatest film of 2009. Can you tell that I'm excited? Following up on last year's thunderous Comic-Con reception and Zack Snyder's recent release of the first trailer for the film, the director will return with stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson. The presentation will reportedly feature several minutes of too-intense-for-the-trailer footage and is sure to be standing-room-only when it takes place on Friday.

"Max Payne"

Does Mark Wahlberg have what it takes to portray a hard-boiled noir detective? We have our doubts, but he'll be making his case when he takes the stage Thursday, accompanied by Mila Kunis, Ludacris and director John Moore. Expect some footage from the movie, as well as ultra-geeky questions from the hard-core gamers in the audience.

"Death Race"

Will it be a remake whose time has come or "Rollerball" all over again? The recent trailer remains inconclusive, but we should have a much better idea after seeing the film and speaking with such stars as Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez, Tyrese Gibson and director Paul Anderson. Some sort of unusual press day is being promised in the parking lot of San Diego's Petco baseball stadium on Sunday — we're thinking it's going to involve speeding cars and a lot of panicky press.

"Fanboys"

For the third consecutive year, the controversial Kristen Bell/ Seth Rogen movie will have a presence at Comic-Con, as the filmmakers once again promise us a release that should come right around the same time as Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy. Following reports that the Weinstein Company was planning to heavily edit the movie, director Kyle Newman will be presenting a new cut of the film Thursday evening. Tickets will be handed out to the first 300 people in line at the annual Lucasfilm "Star Wars" movie challenge awards.

"Red Sonja"

After 25 years, the Brigitte Nielsen sword-'n'-sorcery cult classic is finally ready to make its return to the big screen. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez will be in San Diego, along with leading lady Rose McGowan, director Douglas Aarniokoski and writer David White. They'll be announcing some major plans Thursday afternoon in conference room 6CDEF, as plans are under way to bring back the one-woman-gang.

"Knowing"

Lately, Nicolas Cage and fantasy films haven't gone well together, whether you're talking about "Ghost Rider" or "Next." But director Alex Proyas has earned our trust with films like "Dark City" and "The Crow," and the plot about a teacher burdened by the knowledge of tomorrow's tragedies sounds quite promising. Every year, there's one film that comes of age at Comic-Con. Don't be surprised if "Knowing" builds a lot of buzz during its Thursday unveiling.

"Terminator Salvation"

Christian Bale wants to resurrect another dead franchise, and after "The Dark Knight," we're not ready to doubt the guy. While he won't be in San Diego, his co-stars Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin will be, along with filmmaker McG. Their presentation takes place Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and it will be worth attending just to see if they've developed a T-1000-level resistance to questions about James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton.

"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans"

Will this vampire franchise still be able to suck us in without the help of Len Wiseman (now just a producer), Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman? We'll learn a lot over the next few days as director Patrick Tatopoulos addresses the series' loyalists, along with stars Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen. The "Underworld" crew takes the stage Saturday evening, just in time to lull us all into a false sense of security before night falls on San Diego.

The Disney/Pixar Panel

After the thrills of "WALL-E," and so many movies before it, no movie lover in his or her right mind could not be curious as to what the geniuses as Pixar have coming down the pike. Directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard will present footage from the upcoming 3-D comedy "Bolt," but the big-ticket item will be a first-ever look at "Up" with director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera. In a festival full of fantasy, we're expecting Pixar to take us further than anyone else.

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Scott Derrickson Says His 'Paradise Lost' Film Might Lead To Sympathy For The Devil

Imagine the most evil creature that ever existed, a villain who commits atrocity after atrocity, who has scarred the world and each and every creature in it, a scoundrel so heinous he makes Heath Ledger's anarchist Joker look like Mother Teresa. Now imagine that you like him.

Director Scott Derrickson says that when you see his upcoming adaptation of "Paradise Lost," the epic 17th-century poem by John Milton about the Fall of Man, you won't be able to help but have sympathy for its bad guy: the devil.

"What's interesting to me is that you cannot help but feel that his initial feelings of being disgruntled are merited, and I feel a lot of empathy for the Lucifer character in the beginning of the story," said Derrickson, who wrote and directed "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." "I would want the audience to be sympathetic with him at the beginning, and what happens — what he's up against and what he's wrestling and struggling with — you certainly feel that."

The poem, praised by secular and religious scholars alike, opens with Satan's fall from heaven. He is surrounded by utter darkness before coming to rest in the fiery pits of hell. Defeated in his war against God, and with like-minded fallen comrades in his service, Satan soon concocts a plan to belittle the Creator by desecrating his most recent, and most prized, creation: mankind.

Given that setup (a remarkably futile one at that, since Satan can never actually defeat God), how is it that so many people most identify with the devil? It's a complex theological explanation that Derrickson can only sketch in the film but one that, if you are Christian, essentially boils down to this: "Because you are fallen too."

"In the movie, Satan goes from being a completely good being [an angel] to becoming the most heinous kind of evil, and you really have a hard time knowing exactly where he crossed that line because you were with him," the director said. "What is interesting about that story, in the way Milton laid it out, is that people jump off with him at different points and some never at all. Properly done, it's a story that tells readers a lot about themselves.

"You have to respect that Milton created the first anti-hero with that poem, and certainly this was preserved in the script," Derrickson added. "At what point does love turn to jealousy, jealousy turn into hate and hate into evil?"

For Milton, and for religious thinkers who follow similar beliefs, that point comes when Satan commits the sin of pride, when he begins to set himself up as separate from and in opposition to God. It's a transgression that is mirrored later, of course, by Adam and Eve. Much later, actually: Milton's sprawling poem isn't just dense, it's remarkably long as well, spanning tens of thousands of lines.

Fitting the entire poem into a movie is actually one of the biggest challenges, Derrickson said, but one he hopes to accomplish.

"The screenplay takes aspects of the entire arc," he said. "What it encompasses is still a fraction of the poem and has to be, because you could make a 50-hour miniseries out of it if you wanted to. But it really covers end to end the basic events of the poem."

That means showing not just the highlights, but also the building of Pandemonium (the chamber for the devil and his minions), the revolt of the angels and the battle of heaven. At this stage, much of Derrickson's work on the film is in trying to figure out how to do exactly that, he admitted.

"That's a big part of the process I'm in right now in terms of working on both artwork and just conceptualizing how to do something," he said. "There's CGI and then there's versions that are blends of the two, live-action and CG, and I think the best version of the movie is going to have a lot of blending in it."

Add up all the challenges — the evil character at its heart, the theology, the visuals, the epic story line — and adapting "Paradise Lost" is no easy task. For his part, though, Derrickson can't wait for the opportunity.

"It would not be an easy movie to make, but it would be groundbreaking," he said. "It's really worthy of the attempt."

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'Twilight' Tuesday: Nikki Reed Hopes To Make Us Understand What's Beneath Rosalie's Beautiful, Hard Exterior

PORTLAND, Oregon — She's one of the most beautiful women in the world. She's struggling with the universal search for unconditional love. She really knows how to rock a pair of baseball pants.

At first glance, Nikki Reed and Rosalie Hale seem to have a lot in common. But when we visited the set of "Twilight" and caught up with the most well-known actor in the up-and-coming cast, the amiable 20-year-old was quick to point out where the bloodsucking stops and the flesh-and-blood begins. In a candid conversation about her fears, love and longtime friendship with "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke, Reed reminded MTV News about the acting talent behind the highly anticipated December flick. (By the way, Twilighters, author Stephenie Meyer has a special request for you over at the MTV Movies Blog.)

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'Dark Knight' Writer Hopes To Give Horror Fans Nightmares With 'The Unborn'

With "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," story man David S. Goyer took his dreams of a modern, realistic Caped Crusader and, with the help of brothers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, projected them into fully realized comic book masterpieces.

Now, fresh from the success of "The Dark Knight," the director/screenwriter wants to invite you into his nightmares. Literally.

"What happened was I had some free time, and this notion popped in my head. It was kind of a creepy notion, so I just started writing down images and things that scared me or that I found frightening," Goyer said, explaining the genesis of "The Unborn," a supernatural horror film he's currently wrapping. "I wrote it in an unusual way. The movie begins with a dream. I wrote the dream first — the nightmare first — and then let the nightmare kind of dictate what the movie became."

What it became is an "old-school horror movie," Goyer said, replete with nightmare logic and spiritual otherness. In the film, an ancient and terrifying legend is made real for a world-weary woman (Odette Yustman, perhaps best known for her role in "Cloverfield"), who must find a way to repel a spirit before it takes over her body, forcing her to wander the netherworld in its place.

"The notion actually comes from [the Hebraic legend of the] dybbuk, the dybbuk being someone that did something so horrible in this life that it's been barred from entering heaven," Goyer explained of the film's central conceit, which enables the spirit to wander from vessel to vessel, beginning with a young boy. "It doesn't have a body and it's trying to find a body, and the only way that it can get a body is by evicting someone else from their own body. That person then becomes a dybbuk, and the whole process begins anew."

For Goyer, "The Unborn" is a chance to partially revisit one of the themes from his last directorial effort, "The Invisible" — the concept of a wandering or lost soul. "I find the idea of identity — of something else taking over your body — very scary," he said.

But perhaps more important, Goyer asserted, it's a chance to really play with horror imagery, to push his story past convention and into the realm of pure nightmare.

"I did a lot of research into dream imagery, and there's a lot of subtextual stuff in the movie. For instance, there's this recurring theme with this dog, and one of the things a dog is supposed to do is represent the dreamer's unconscious desire or things that they have not yet realized [that are] waiting to be born.

"I never go into full-on Salvador Dalí land, but there's something about how this young girl's perceptions get subtly altered, and sometimes she's not sure whether what she's seeing is really happening or not," he added. "I don't always spell it out — things occur in the waking world that would seem to defy the normal conventions of reality, including some of the images that she has in her dreams that show up in reality on earth."

That means the spirit gets no explanations about why it's here from spiritual adviser Rabbi Sendak (played by Gary Oldman), Goyer confessed. It just is — sorta like that other force of nature Goyer has been credited with reinventing lately.

"It's like everything we did with 'The Dark Knight,' where we didn't really explain the Joker's origin. It's not like every 'i' was dotted or every 't' was crossed," Goyer said matter-of-factly. "It's one of the things that I think help makes things scary."

"The Unborn" is tentatively scheduled for a 2009 release.

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'Dark Knight' Claims Superhero Supremacy With New Box-Office Records

The Box-Office Top Five

#1 "The Dark Knight" ($158.3 million)
#2 "Mamma Mia!" ($27.6 million)
#3 "Hancock" ($14 million)
#4 "Journey to the Center of the Earth" ($11.9 million)
#5 "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" ($10 million)

It's been analyzed more carefully than the stock market, dissected from more angles than the Zapruder film, given more column inches over the years than Willy Mays versus Mickey Mantle or Obama versus Hillary: Just who is the ultimate comic book hero? Let's put a smile on that face — thanks to "The Dark Knight," we now have our answer.

Christopher Nolan's second Batman film flew on leather wings to rescue the summer movie season, setting at least eight records on its way to hauling $158.3 million over the three-day weekend (bumped up on Monday morning from a previous report of $155.3 million), including biggest-ever midnight opening ($18.5 million, beating the $16.9 million earned by "Revenge of the Sith"), biggest single-day gross in box-office history (Friday's epic $67.85 million), biggest-ever IMAX release (Saturday, reportedly, was at 100 percent capacity in the specialty theaters) and, of course, biggest-ever opening weekend, steamrolling "Spider-Man 3" for the last three records. Roll that in your web and smoke it, Peter Parker.

Equally stunning is the fact that "The Dark Knight" is an impressive artistic achievement as well as a commercial one. Currently, the film sits at the top of the IMDb's user-rating system, ranked as the number one film in history. No joke — Oscar talk has also begun to percolate for actor , whose untimely death earlier this year came before the world could see what many are calling the greatest portrayal of a villain since Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs."

Where can the Caped Crusader go from here? Almost certainly down, of course, though with little competition in the coming weeks and positively astronomical word of mouth, "The Dark Knight" should have as good a chance at $400 million as any film in recent memory, and an outside shot at winding up the #2 film in history (it would need $461 million to beat "Star Wars" and wind up behind "Titanic"). But what about creatively? Already, many are saying the film is so good they don't want to see a part three, or they want to see a third film after a hiatus of five or more years. Us? Tell you what, Mr. Nolan, we'll flip a coin for it. Heads you make it, tails you don't. (I should warn you, though, that I borrowed my quarter from Harvey Dent.)

Believe it or not, there were other films out this weekend. In second place, "Mamma Mia!" proved that even the Bat needs a little counterprogramming, dancing its way to $27.6 million and a second-place finish. We'll sing to that. "Hancock," meanwhile, came in third with $14 million, bringing it within a week of becoming yet another $200 million vehicle for Will Smith. Rounding out the top five, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" earned $11.9 million in fourth place, while "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" earned $10 million for fifth.

Special note must be made of "Hellboy," unfortunately, which plummeted 71 percent in its second weekend, a staggering drop that goes down as the all-time biggest fall for a movie that made at least $20 million in its opening week. Fret not, Guillermo: What's the one movie we could see eclipsing Batman one day? Your upcoming adaptation of "The Hobbit."

Among other new releases, "Space Chimps" came in seventh with $7.3 million. With "The Dark Knight" leading the way, the top 12 films took in the biggest-ever total gross in box-office history.

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'Transformers 2,' 'Star Trek,' 'G.I. Joe' Lead Our Most Anticipated Movies Of Summer ... 2009

"The Dark Knight" opened this past weekend to astonished and appreciative crowds everywhere. It's the best movie of the summer, they cried! The best superhero movie of all time, they shouted! A sequel that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as "The Godfather: Part II," they exalted!

But you wanna know what it really is? So 2008.

Sure, we've got the next "Mummy," "Tropic Thunder" and "Pineapple Express" left to go, but with summer 2008 winding down we thought we'd take a look at our most anticipated movies ... of summer 2009.

"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus"

One-thousand-year-old Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) has a problem: The head of a magical theater, the good doctor can transport even the most jaded and cynical audience member through a world of pure imagination. All fine and good, of course, unless the devil himself granted you those powers — and kidnaps your daughter to seal the deal. What's a guy to do? Call on some pretty powerful friends, who include a dwarf (Verne Troyer) and a mysterious outsider named Tony, to help track her through parallel dimensions.

Director Terry Gilliam had a problem too: With production well under way on his latest leap into pure imagination, Gilliam lost his Tony when Heath Ledger died suddenly from a drug overdose. What's a director to do? Call on some pretty powerful friends, of course, including Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, who will each pay tribute to Ledger by playing his last-ever character in various parts of the movie. Now just what sort of Faustian bargain do we have to make to get Ledger back ... and where can we sign up?

"Year One"

Not every story has to be original, you know. This one, actually, is ripped off from one of the first. Starring Jack Black, Michael Cera and Hank Azaria, "Year One" is a parody of biblical proportions — literally — as our protagonists navigate such landmines as Sodom and Gomorrah, and Cain and Abel, all in a search for the meaning of life. What is it? "It's so hard to ... " Cera hesitated, before looking up with a coy smile when we asked him last year. "I wouldn't do a good job [of describing] it, I guess." We'll be there to find out on June 5.

"G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra"

It's one of the worst parts of getting older — no matter how excited you are about something, it'll never match the feelings of anticipation and joy you got from the same thing at the age of 6. Right? Not for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who acted like a diabetic walking into the Wonka factory when his role as Cobra Commander came up. And why not? An origin story of sorts, "Joe" will follow a slew of old favorites, including Duke (Channing Tatum), Snake-Eyes (Ray Park) and the Baroness (Sienna Miller) as they try to save the world (or end it). Know this, Joseph: Your enthusiasm is infectious. (And knowing is half the battle.) "G.I. Joe" heads into battle August 7.

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"

The biggest problem in modern cinema with the portrayal of Middle Easterners? They're never the good guys! Thank goodness, then, for Jake Gyllenhaal, who will step into the titular role of Prince Dastan, a sixth-century Persian prince who must rescue the Sands of Time from an evil nobleman (Ben Kingsley). Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney is hoping that this is the next "Pirates" — a fun romp with boffo effects. All fine and dandy but, good grief, we haven't seen this much cultural revisionism from Disney since they gave us an Aladdin that looked like Tom Cruise. The video game-turned-movie hits theaters June 16.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

Go back far enough in any story and pretty soon just about everything becomes lame. Want proof? Darth Vader was the most evil man in the universe — until George Lucas told us he just had mommy issues. So when it comes to one of the coolest guys in comic history, you can understand our trepidation. But what's not to like about a Wolverine origin story? It's got a whole boatload of mutants (seriously, we stopped counting when we got to 10). "Root-a-toot-toot!" Under the direction of Oscar winner Gavin Hood, "Wolverine" kicks off the summer-movie season May 1.

"Up"

Ah, to be old and retired, free from the rat race of human existence, from the responsibilities of work and family, given leisure time to perfect a craft, play a game of cards, eat an early dinner, and of course, engage in a worldwide quest filled with danger, excitement and peril (from your house, no less, which you've converted into a hot-air balloon and flown to South America). For some reason, those last few things aren't listed on my grandmother's AARP bulletin. No matter. Hot on the heels of the phenomenal artistic success of "WALL-E," Pixar's "Up" gets a release May 29.

"Brüno"

He deflated the conflict between Jews and Palestinians. He incited a riot in Arkansas. God bless him, he even managed to piss off Ben Affleck. All praise Sacha Baron Cohen, the quickest comedic wit around and the man behind the funniest movie of the decade, "Borat." The dumb, the ignorant and the slow — look out! The joke's on us again when "Brüno" opens May 15.

"Star Trek"

They've been to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, and, if rumors are to be believed, they'll soon journey to the city on the edge of forever. But ask any "Star Trek" fan where they'd most like to see the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise boldly go next, and they'll all tell you the same thing: into renewed relevance. At least 20 years since their last mainstream hit, "Trek" regulars Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Chekov , Scotty and Sulu get reimagined by J.J. Abrams. Beam us up May 8.

"Terminator Salvation"

They are fearless machines — merciless, dispassionate and ferociously deadly. They have access to time machines and weapons capable of unspeakable destruction. They are constructed of nearly invincible polymers, capable of surviving almost anything. They are the Terminators. And they can't freaking kill one stupid woman and her bratty kid! Even though they've tried three times! How about a little "self" awareness, Skynet? You're terrible at your job. In this reboot after half a decade away from the big screen, the T-1000 and his pals search for John Connor (Christian Bale) and his wife as the future war begins. On May 22, will the fourth time be the charm? Not likely. They'll "be back" for at least two more sequels.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

Giant. Effing. Robots. Killing each other. Need we say more? All right, you twisted my arm. How about this? Giant. Effing. Robots. Killing each other. And Megan Fox. Yeah, you're right. That's much better. Director Michael Bay, Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Optimus Prime and the rest are back June 26.

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'Watchmen' Trailer: Director Zack Snyder Says Sneak Peek Had To Be In The 'Spirit Of The Graphic Novel'

Ever since Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel "Watchmen" changed the way we look at comic books, fans have wished that someone would come along and turn its seemingly unfilmable brilliance into a movie. Over the past 20 years, many have attempted and failed ... until now. "300" director Zack Snyder has stepped up to the plate with two outs in the ninth.

Has he hit a grand slam? Take a look at the first-ever footage shown in the trailer that precedes "The Dark Knight" and is now live online, and it's enough to make a grown geek swoon.

MTV News met up with Snyder in his smiley-face-filled offices on the Warner Bros. lot, where he gave us an advance look at the trailer and answered questions about the images still emblazoned on our retinas. Could the greatest graphic novel of all time become the greatest superhero movie when it hits theaters on March 6? Read on, and you'll know so much more when you watch "Watchmen."

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