Monday, December 29, 2008

'Marley & Me' Leads Record-Breaking Holiday Box Office

The Box Office Top Five
#1 "Marley & Me" ($37 million)
#2 "Bedtime Stories" ($28.1 million)
#3 "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" ($27.2 million)
#4 "Valkyrie" ($21.5 million)
#5 "Yes Man" ($16.4 million)

Christmas came right on time for Hollywood this year. Despite bad weather and poor retail sales around the country, the box-office boom proved that audiences were stirring on December 25. Nearly all of the major holiday openers cracked the top five, and the weekend brought in a record-breaking $204 million, making it the highest-grossing three-day Christmas weekend to date.

The big winner was "Marley & Me," starring Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson and a big, lovable dog. It opened at $14.7 million on Christmas Day, breaking the record, and went on to gross $37 million for the weekend and $51.7 overall. (Insert your "That's a lot of milk bones," "The box office has gone to the dogs" and "Bow wow!" jokes here.)

Adam Sandler's "Bedtime Stories" was expected to take the #1 slot, since it was the most kid-friendly offering, but apparently not even Sandler's tall tales can compete with "Marley." It opened at just $10.6 million but still did solid business, eventually collecting $38.6 million overall.

"Bedtime" had some fierce competition for the #2 spot in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The Brad Pitt/ Cate Blanchett drama had the better debut, opening at $12 million, but lost ground over the four-day weekend as families flocked to matinee shows. It has grossed $39 million overall, which suggests that its critical buzz could help it edge out Sandler and "Marley" in the upcoming weeks.

The big surprise of the holidays was "Valkyrie," which did much better than anticipated thanks to being the only thriller and the most macho offering. The Tom Cruise film overcame some negative buzz to earn a solid $21.5 million over the weekend and $30 million total.

"The Spirit," however, stumbled. Frank Miller's take on the Will Eisner comic book opened at #9, bringing in only $6.51 million over the weekend and $10.3 million overall. Negative advance word has been trailing the neo-noir since Comic-Con, and the poor reviews didn't help attract the wider, non-fanboy audience it needed. Even the holiday holdover "Yes Man" did better, bringing in $16.4 million over the weekend. That suggests that when all is said and counted, it's clear audiences like to spend their holidays laughing, crying and, well, rooting for Tom Cruise to kill Hitler. Goodwill towards men, indeed.

Upcoming Releases
The first weekend of 2009 will see only "Defiance" making its debut, in a limited release.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Jim Carrey’s ‘Yes Man’ Outweighs Will Smith’s ‘Seven Pounds’ At Box Office
Music biz braces for disappointing holiday sales
(Reuters)

'Notorious': Check Out An Exclusive Clip From The Biggie Biopic!

Notorious B.I.G. and his protйgй Lil' Kim were close during their day jobs as MCs, often complimenting each other with filth-filled lyrics on each other's songs.

But after hours, the two Brooklyn natives shared a much more complex relationship.

Kim, after all, was Biggie's artist, signed to his and Lance "Un" Rivera's Undeas Records. She was also one of the married MC's lovers.

In this exclusive clip from "Notorious" (which comes out January 17; the star-studded soundtrack arrives in the 12th), the Queen Bee is in the studio with Big and his entourage/group Junior M.A.F.I.A. as she's laying down the vocals for the song that would become "Big Momma Thang."

Biggie's wife, singer Faith Evans, is also present.

As the pint-sized diva is isolated in the recording booth, a demur, sweater-wearing Faith approaches Big (portrayed by Jamal Woolard) at the soundboard and kisses him goodbye as she leaves the studio.

A brooding and scantily clad Kim huffs and puffs throughout her rap as she looks on. She then gives Faith an evil eye that's a razor-sharp as her lyrics. It's clear Faith — who is confused by the situation — isn't yet aware of Biggie's extramarital activities with Kim.

"To me, the Kim element of his life, it's important and significant because it shows you the dynamic [between them]," Wayne Barrow, Big's former manager and a "Notorious" producer, told MTV News. "The same thing with Faith. Each woman in his life represents certain things. I always felt like [Big] was such the man that he was toward women because he was always trying to find his mother. As a man, you're never gonna find a woman to replace that woman until you have a daughter or a little girl and she becomes your life. Anything in between is you trying to get to a better place.

"Although he was maybe womanizing,[Biggie] was trying to grow and become a man. He just didn't always know better."

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more in the coming days!




‘Notorious’ Actress Angela Bassett Says Biggie’s Mom Is ‘Fascinating’
Diddy Wants His Own Biopic To Star ‘Notorious’ Actor Derek Luke — If It Happens
Jennifer Hudson: Grammy Nods “Truly a Blessing”
(E! Online)

Saturday, December 27, 2008

'Benjamin Button' Director David Fincher Talks Brad Pitt, Fate Of 'Fight Club' Musical

Witness the curious case of David Fincher — music video auteur turned embattled rookie helmer (his battles on "Alien3" are the stuff of legend). The director who blew our minds by putting Gwyneth Paltrow's head in a box ("Seven"), convinced 20th Century Fox to make arguably the most subversive flick in the studio's history ("Fight Club") and, most recently, the guy who crafted the most absorbing procedural since the days of "All the President's Men": "Zodiac."

Is it possible that the man whose first three films ended with suicides (or apparent suicides) has now made the touchy-feely tearjerker of the season? You'll find out on Christmas Day when you queue up to watch Brad Pitt age backwards in the sweeping drama "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." (See exclusive photos of David Fincher on the set with Brad Pitt here.)

MTV News chatted with the usually reticent, media-shy director to talk about why he chose not to turn Brad Pitt into a baby, whether "Fight Club" will ever become a musical and why he's waiting for a phone call from Britney Spears.

MTV: "Benjamin Button" clearly is a big Oscar contender. Did the ceremony ever mean much to you growing up?

David Fincher: I liked the Oscars when I was a kid because it was the only chance to see clips of R-rated movies. My parents were not about to let me — with my fertile imagination and predisposition towards violence — see "The Godfather" or "The Exorcist." I love what it stands for, but it didn't seem as political back then.

MTV: It took a long time for this film to reach the screen and it very nearly was made by a host of talented filmmakers.

Fincher: I have no idea what Spike [Jonze] would have done with it. He tried to explain to me this incredibly intimate character piece that he was going to do for a relatively modest [budget]. I would have seen that movie.

MTV: One thing that struck me about the film is it really is just as much Daisy's [Cate Blanchett] story as Benjamin's.

Fincher: Yeah, I think so. I always say everyone was lucky enough to be in a Cate Blanchett movie. [He laughs.]

MTV: We finish the story with her because, after all, Brad Pitt can't play a baby at the end.

Fincher: We were prepared to do that.

MTV: You mean have Brad play the baby?

Fincher: We just ran out of money. We could have made him into a baby. Anything you want to do, you can do now.

MTV: You also use another actor to portray him as a boy near the end. Did you consider using Brad for that?

Fincher: I debated it a long time. I always felt that it was a coin toss. If we could get the money to do him as a 12-year-old, I would have done him as a 12-year-old.

MTV: Do the "Forrest Gump" comparisons bother you?

Fincher: "Forrest Gump"? What's that? Instead of the ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances, I thought of [Benjamin] as an extraordinary man in very ordinary circumstances. I don't know how much an audience can relate to a guy who's aging backwards that ends up looking like Brad Pitt. My whole thing from the beginning has been that it's not high concept. The reason it's relatable is how it's dramatized. Everybody remembers their first kiss and hangover and person they fell in love with.

MTV: You told me a year ago you wanted to bring "Fight Club" to Broadway as a musical.

Fincher: It would be great.

MTV: Do you think it will happen?

Fincher: It's too expensive. I really don't know. I've talked to [director] Julie Taymor and she sort of talked me down. I talked to [producer] Scott Rudin about it. I wanted to get him involved. He just laughed.

MTV: Did Trent Reznor ever write music for it?

Fincher: No. He's interested in it. He wanted to know more about what it was going to be. I saw it as being like a rock show — a lot of projection, a lot of computer-generated imagery, a lot of conveyor belts. It was really cinematic but really twisted.

MTV: Why haven't we ever seen you direct a superhero film? You must have been offered a few.

Fincher: I've been talked to about different things. They talked to me about "Spider-Man." Obviously they made the right choice there.

MTV: None got you excited?

Fincher: No. There's so little dialogue in comic-book movies that isn't about narrative, where you have to be next and how to get the talisman and why it has to be in a lead-lined box or whatever. I loved that stuff as an 8-year-old but I was pretty much over it by the time I was 11.

MTV: You came from music videos. Do you ever get calls from people like Britney Spears to direct their videos?

Fincher: I don't. My phone lies dust-covered.

MTV: Do you know what you're doing next?

Fincher: I've just spent five years pushing a rock up the Paramount mountain and I'm perfectly happy to do a short for an anthology and some television commercials. I'm just going to keep checking [to see] if Britney Spears calls.

Check out everything we've got on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




‘Twilight’ Director Catherine Hardwicke Is Out — So Who Should Direct ‘New Moon’?
Jennifer Aniston Weekends With…Brangelina?
(E! Online)

Golden Globe Predictions: Our Money’s On Heath Ledger, Brad Pitt To Come Out On Top

Friday, December 26, 2008

Adam Sandler Talks 'Bedtime Stories,' Being A 'Loser'

BEVERLY HILLS, California — Adam Richard Sandler began doing stand-up comedy at the age of 17, landed a recurring role on "The Cosby Show" as a college freshman, broke out on "Saturday Night Live" a few years later and has since made nine movies that have each grossed $100 million or more. Onscreen he's played a water boy, an unemployed hockey player and now a discontented handyman in this month's "Bedtime Stories." Because, as Hollywood's A-list funnyman is quick to point out, he'll never lose touch with his inner loser.

"I know I've had some success, and I have some cash in the bank and stuff," Sandler shrugged recently, when we asked if all his success makes it harder to play the down-on-their-luck characters he's made his trademark. "But it's not like I don't still walk down the street feeling like a loser. If I'm with my wife in the car, and I see some guy jogging by, I'm like, 'Now, why does that guy look like that? And I look like this?' I still have that going on."

With "Stories," he's mixing that loser angle — as well as several other hallmarks of the Adam Sandler classics — with Adam Shankman, the veteran Hollywood writer/director responsible for films like "Hairspray," "The Pacifier" and "Bringing Down the House."

"You know, it's interesting. I think he had to conform to me more than I had to conform to him," Shankman said of their collaboration, a special-effects-heavy comedy about a man who entertains his niece and nephew with fairy tales, only to have them come true. "This is Adam inside of a Disney movie. Although I've handled comedy, he hasn't done family."

Talking about Adam Sandler classics like "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore," however, Shankman admitted, "I've seen them, but I do not sit around and watch them."

Naturally, then, Sandler had to school his new director on how to make movies with a self-professed loser and his zany friends. "We forced that on him. Shankman was like, 'Really?' and we said, 'Oh, it'll be okay,' " the funnyman remembered of ensuring the continuation of Rob Schneider line deliveries, Allen Covert cameos and other trademarks. "It's like ripping the Band-Aid off with Shankman; we had to quickly rip off about 35 Band-Aids with him. We'd just say, 'Schneider's in the movie, deal with that.' 'My friend Covert's in the movie, it's OK.' 'I will speak gibberish, you can handle that.' 'You'll put your sweet music in over it, and we'll all be OK.' "

"Yeah, the Rob Schneider 'I can do it' thing was in [the film], which I hadn't realized," Shankman remembered. "I know that bringing gibberish back was a thing he really wanted to do, which is from 'Billy Madison.'"

Now, not only will sharp-eyed Sandler fanatics once again catch the nonsensical ramblings of the man who once made "Zabadoo!" a household word, but they'll also get a chuckle out of the bedtime story featuring a wink to the heaven-sent president that waved to Sandler at the end of his second film.

"Yeah, he's been involved in my movies. He was in 'Happy Gilmore,' and we brought him back," Adam said of his random fixation on Abraham Lincoln. "I thought he was a very good president. I voted for him. So, there you go."

But just because Sandler and his friends got their way, it doesn't mean that this loser didn't find himself getting picked on from time to time.

"Adam Shankman assumes those gumballs didn't hurt, but he was never under the gumballs," Sandler said of the film's key scene, in which bright-colored gumballs rain on him. "They were killing my head, I swear to God!"

"Those weren't real gumballs, they were made of rubber ... and a lot of them were computer-graphic ones," Shankman countered. "There was a lot of them, but not as many as it looks like in the movie."

"He's full of sh--! I chewed a real one — I thought," Sandler replied. "Every take, they went bang-bang-bang. They were plastic, but these guys were whipping them at me from a bridge overpass — they were chucking a box of plastic balls. Of course that's going to hurt my head!"

"I'll always feel very unhappy about what God gave me," the immensely successful Adam Sandler grinned, insisting he'll forever stay in touch with his inner loser. "I do it for America. I do it for the world, actually."

Check out everything we've got on "Bedtime Stories."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Hilary Duff’s Favorite Gossip Girl Guy? Chuck Bass!
(E! Online)

Jim Carrey’s ‘Yes Man’ Outweighs Will Smith’s ‘Seven Pounds’ At Box Office

Diddy Wants His Own Biopic To Star 'Notorious' Actor Derek Luke -- If It Happens

Most rappers like to say their life is like a movie, but Diddy — with a little help from video director Hype Williams, New York's finest and the media — really did live out his life for everyone to see in the '90s.

But would the Bad Boy CEO be interested in his own biopic coming to the big screen?

Well, not exactly.

However, Diddy did say he would want Derek Luke, the actor who plays him in "Notorious," to continue his role as Sean Combs should a Diddy biopic ever be made.

"Everybody always asked me who I wanted to play me if anyone ever played me, and I said Derek Luke," Diddy told MTV News while on the set of "CSI: Miami," on which he'll be making an appearance (check back for a report on our visit to the set). "So that's why I called [Derek] to play me in 'Notorious.' "

Diddy said he's a longtime fan of Luke's work, citing his roles in "Friday Night Lights" and "Antwone Fisher."

"His ferociousness," he cited as Luke's prime attribute. "I felt like he could really represent me well."

While Diddy hasn't quite put it out there that he's interested in a movie being made on his life, he hasn't put the idea to bed either. Luke, on the other hand, has been lobbying in interviews for the film to be green-lit.

"I would love to play Puff from scratch," he told MTV News recently. "I would love to play him from start to finish.

"It would be a different portrayal," Luke added of the hypothetical project. "It would be a totally different energy if I played a full-length Sean Combs picture."

To prep for his role as Diddy in "Notorious," Luke ditched his acting coach and went straight to the man himself. Diddy told the actor to just tell the story the way he saw it. Luke, who said he was emotionally involved in the story as a fan at the time, said he just aimed for the truth.

Clearly, though, it helped that he had such an admiration for Diddy.

"This man changed the game," Luke said. "Jay-Z, Master P, Eminem, 50 Cent? [Diddy] was sitting on millions way before them. Kanye, with the shine and the clothes? Puffy was all of that."

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding the "Notorious" release. Stay tuned for more in the coming days.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




‘Notorious’ Actress Angela Bassett Says Biggie’s Mom Is ‘Fascinating’
Del Toro admires ‘Che’ thinking, but not violence
(AP)

Britney Spears “Circus” is back — new album, tour
(Reuters)

‘Notorious’ Actor Derek Luke Says Diddy Needs His Own Biopic

Thursday, December 25, 2008

'The Spirit': Lost In The Dark, By Kurt Loder





With his new movie, "Sin City 1.5," Frank Miller does a puzzling disservice to the work of the late Will Eisner. Miller clearly reveres Eisner (he published a book of conversations with the older artist in 2005, shortly after Eisner's death), but then most comic book artists do. Eisner brought mood and depth and gritty detail to the comic book panel; he was the creator of the eye-grabbing "splash page" and the godfather of the graphic novel. And the Spirit — that noirish urban crime fighter with the bitty mask and the big fedora — was his most famous creation. But in bringing this character to the screen, Miller, as both writer and director, has imposed his own muscle-bound graphic style on Eisner's more pliable comic-book world, and practically obliterated it. The movie is actually called "The Spirit," of course, but Eisner fans are likely to be, shall we say, surprised.

This wouldn't matter much if the picture had a spirit of its own. But it lurches about in search of a narrative structure — it's essentially a procession of splash-page set pieces. They look great; but as was the case with "Sin City," Miller's first film foray (on which he was credited as co-director with Robert Rodriguez), the dark, airless digital environments in this movie, with their drained colors and black-slab nightscapes, soon grow monotonous. And the story's not strong enough to stand up under the oppressive stylization.

In Eisner's comics of the 1940s and early '50s, the Spirit battled many villains. Here, blandly portrayed by Gabriel Macht, he's up against just one of them, the Octopus. In the comics, this character was little more than a set of evil eyes and gloved hands — he was never fully revealed. In the movie he's revealed to be Samuel L. Jackson, which turns out to be another big problem. Jackson brings what have become his usual psycho-badass mannerisms to the part, and Miller was uninclined to rein them in, apparently. The result is Jackson's most embarrassingly self-indulgent performance, an extended eruption of hambone megalomania. (When the Spirit tells the Octopus, "I'm gonna kill you all kinds of dead," you so wish you could help out.)

The Octopus is determined to lay his hands on a vase containing the blood of the mythological (and therefore presumably bloodless) Heracles. Assisting him in this quest are his hot science-girl sidekick, Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson), and a bevy of chuckling cloned thugs (all played by Louis Lombardi). The Spirit gets backup from Central City's top cop, Commissioner Dolan (Dan Lauria), who knows his real identity, and from Dolan's smart, perky daughter, Ellen (Sarah Paulson). Complicating matters are the mysterious Sand Saref (Eva Mendes) — the Spirit's childhood sweetheart, long since gone bad — and such ambient babes as Plaster of Paris (Paz Vega) and Lorelei Rox (Jaime King). All of the women in the picture melt into puddles of adulation at the Spirit's approach, which is odd: Macht has been directed to give such a limp, jokey performance (the rest of the movie practically runs him over) that you wonder why they haven't set their erotic sights a little — no, a lot — higher.

Some of the scenes, like an extended Spirit-Octopus beatdown, sprawl and sputter. Others, like the one in which we suddenly see Jackson and Johansson marching around in Nazi regalia, come out of nowhere and quickly return there. Johansson gives her lines a nice sarcastic spin, and Mendes is suitably steamy, but all of the actors are underserved by the director, who seems to have been preoccupied with the film's visual design. Miller is certainly a filmmaker who knows what he wants to do. Why he had to do it to the Spirit is a question he'll no doubt soon be asked.

Check out Kurt Loder's review of "Valkyrie," which also opens this week, and his picks for the best movies and performances of 2008.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Michael Jackson camp denies health problems
(Reuters)

Will The ‘Twilight’ Series Ever Hit Comic Books?
‘Spirit’ Stars Scarlett Johansson And Samuel L. Jackson Talk About Their Evil Characters
Jermaine Dupri says Janet Jackson is not pregnant
(AP)

'Valkyrie': Desperate Measures, By Kurt Loder





Turning the true story of a 1944 attempt by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler into a movie presents one considerable problem: The attempt failed, and everybody knows it. Conversely, "The Day of the Jackal," the 1973 film about an attempt to assassinate French president Charles DeGaulle, worked because the story was fiction — the movie was really a straightforward thriller that derived its tension from the cat-and-mouse interplay between a wily assassin and an intrepid police inspector. The German scenario, being rooted in real life, is less tidy. It involved a large cast of conspirators and a certain amount of muddling bureaucratic complexity. However, it also offers a real hero around which to construct a film — a handsome young colonel named Claus von Stauffenberg, who coordinated the assassination attempt and might have pulled it off had it not been for the intrusion of, well, real life.

Tom Cruise is probably not the first actor who would spring to most people's minds in connection with this role. And yet it's Cruise who has managed to get the movie made. And the surprise — for those who were expecting a train wreck — is how convincing he is. "Valkyrie," directed with admirable restraint by Bryan Singer, is an exceedingly well-crafted movie, and an educational one, too. (It's unusually faithful to the historical record.) And Cruise, somewhat encumbered as an actor by an eyepatch and an empty sleeve (Stauffenberg was maimed in combat in 1943), puts himself entirely at the service of the character — his trademark boyish grin is nowhere in evidence. It's an impressive performance.

The film's problem is inherent in the material. This is a movie about a confusingly numerous group of men with names like Fellgiebel, Goerdeler and von Haeften gathering in rooms to discuss secrets and strategies in an attempt to eliminate Hitler and invoke Operation Valkyrie — an emergency plan, sanctioned by Hitler himself, to allow an army element based in Berlin to take control of the civil government in case of a destabilizing enemy attack. The conspirators' intention was to terminate Hitler with a bomb, seize control of all communications, arrest the Nazi political leaders and SS goons, and begin negotiating the terms of an acceptable surrender with the Allied forces that were pressing in on Germany from the West. If their plot failed, they purportedly hoped that its attempt would at least demonstrate to the world that not all Germans supported the odious regime. (Anti-Hitler plots had been festering in the high command of the German army for years.) The movie's script, by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, is sleek and clearly constructed, but this is still a lot to take in.

The supporting cast is first-rate. Among the plotters are Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Bill Nighy and Kevin McNally; among their antagonists, Tom Wilkinson, Tom Hollander and — portraying Hitler as a fading old man — David Bamber. Cruise inserts himself comfortably among these British actors by use of a strictly neutral American delivery and carefully controlled deportment. And he brings some welcome warmth to the picture in conveying Stauffenberg's quiet torment over the possibility of what his treasonous actions could mean for his wife and children. (If the conspiracy should fail, they will likely be executed along with him.)

Although there's a combat scene at the beginning of the film and, unavoidably, a firing squad at its conclusion, "Valkyrie" is not an action movie (although it does build quite a bit of tension once the conspiracy gets underway). You can occasionally feel Singer trying to kick things along with acrobatic camera angles, but the picture is essentially a requiem for a lost cause. "I'm a soldier," Cruise's Stauffenberg says. "I serve my country. But this is not my country."

Check out Kurt Loder's review of "The Spirit," which also opens this week, picks for the best movies and performances of 2008.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Del Toro admires ‘Che’ thinking, but not violence
(AP)

‘Valkyrie’ Star Tom Cruise Talks Killing Hitler, Serenading Katie Holmes

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Jim Carrey's 'Yes Man' Outweighs Will Smith's 'Seven Pounds' At Box Office

The Box Office Top Five

#1 "Yes Man" ($18.2 million)
#2 "Seven Pounds" ($16 million)
#3 "The Tale of Despereaux" ($10.5 million)
#4 "The Day the Earth Stood Still" ($10.2 million)
#5 "Four Christmases" ($7.75 million)

Hollywood studios are blaming icy weather and snowstorms in both the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country for this weekend's sluggish numbers. With $18.2 million in its debut weekend, Jim Carrey's "Yes Man" beat out Will Smith's "Seven Pounds" (which brought in $16 million) for the top position, but Smith's drama had a better per-screen average ($5,801 from only 2,758 screens). Both films were expected to have earned at least $5 million more, and it was Smith's lowest opening since "Ali" in 2001.

Studios are watching to see what happens with both films once the weather clears, but early reports suggest that the numbers have more to do with the films lacking a wide appeal. Lending some strength to that theory is the strong numbers that the holiday holdovers continue to do. While "The Day the Earth Stood Still" dropped a predictable 67 percent, "Four Christmases" continues to celebrate the season, bringing in $7.75 million and crossing the $100 million mark on its 26th day in theaters. "Twilight" also holds steady, dropping off the top five but bringing in $5.2 million (for a total of $158.5 million in 31 days). The weekend's other big new release, "The Tale of Despereaux," offered some solid, family-friendly counterprogramming to come in at #3 with $10.2 million.

The biggest surprise on the top 10 is "Slumdog Millionaire," which knocked Sean Penn's "Milk" out of the #8 spot. Danny Boyle's critically lauded pic expanded to 589 theaters, bringing in $5,348 per screen for a grand total of $3.2 million.

In fact, it's the specialty films that are proving to be the winners this Christmas. "Milk" dropped to #11, but crossed the $10 million mark, bringing in $1.6 million from only 356 theaters. "The Wrestler" opened on only four screens last Wednesday, but brought in $209,000. With slightly expanded releases, "Gran Torino" ($468,000 from 19 screens) and "Doubt"($729,000 from 39 screens) kept up their flashy numbers and buzz, though that doesn't necessarily mean they are guaranteed to make a splash in a wider release. "Frost/Nixon" has actually dropped its numbers as it expanded from three theaters to 41, bringing in less than $9,000 per venue.

Upcoming Releases

"The Spirit," Adam Sandler's "Bedtime Stories,""The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,""Valkyrie" and "Marley and Me" are all posed to bring you Christmas cheer — or, you know, World War II — come December 25.

Check out everything we've got on "Yes Man" and "Seven Pounds."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Will Smith On Oscar Buzz Around ‘Seven Pounds’: ‘People Be Saying Stuff!’
Music biz braces for disappointing holiday sales
(Reuters)

Madonna, Ritchie won’t detail divorce deal
(AP)

'Spirit' Stars Scarlett Johansson And Samuel L. Jackson Talk About Their Evil Characters

Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson are nearing the end. You can see it in their faces as they approach the midpoint of their day of press supporting "The Spirit." As they playfully bicker about who got whom sick with the horrendous cold that's going around, they put on their bravest press-friendly faces to hawk visionary comic-book-legend-turned-filmmaker (you can thank him for both "Sin City" and "300") Frank Miller's latest.

The duo portray Silken Floss and the Octopus, respectively, in the stylized adaptation of the Will Eisner creation. Evildoers to be sure, but at least they've got flair as they tangle with Gabriel Macht's eponymous hero.

Amidst coughs and sniffles, MTV News chatted with Johansson and Jackson about their latest flick, their future singing plans and why you just might see them saddling up for another Frank Miller movie soon.

MTV: According to this film, I have a diabolical villain and the most beautiful woman ever sitting in front of me. Please understand, I am just quoting the film.

Scarlett Johansson: Sure. We understand you're a professional person.

MTV: Can you live up to that billing here and now?

Samuel L. Jackson: We'll see.

Johansson: Sure. We'll give it a shot.

MTV: The villains you portray in "The Spirit" are not exactly at the top of their game.

Jackson: I'd say there is damage. My character is flawed. He's a genius, but whatever he injected into himself demented him. [He gestures to Johansson.] She's perfectly fine. She just allows him to have his flights of fancy. She is biding her time until she eventually takes over, because she knows the nuts and bolts of the operation.

Johansson: These are her humble beginnings. She's young but she's learning.

Jackson: She's loyal to a fault.

Johansson: I don't think she's particularly loyal. I just think she's like ...

Jackson: I'd like to think you're dedicated.

Johansson: Sorry! Yes, she is very dedicated. Absolutely dedicated. She is 100 percent dedicated.

MTV: I'm picking up on some tension.

Johansson: There's no tension there.

Jackson: She's just crossed the line of authority. It's OK for her to think she's in charge, but it's not OK for her to make me think she thinks she's in charge.

Johansson: Thank God I'm there to pick up the pieces. That's all I can say. The operation is a disaster without me.

[Jackson glares at her.]

Johansson: What?!? It's true. You know it's true.

MTV: Come on guys. Let's get along.

Johansson: Look at that glare! Don't glare at me!

MTV: Scarlett, Frank Miller told me he especially tailored the part to you after seeing how funny you were. What is going on in these meetings with people like Frank and Woody Allen that convinces them you are so great?

Johansson: Just monthly installments of $19.99 each. I have purely just paid my way [to the top].

MTV: Sam, I've never seen a villain laugh so maniacally as this one you play.

Jackson: It's about the joy. The glee in what you do and how you do it. Hearing the joke that no one else hears.

Johansson: I like that — the joke that no one else hears.

Jackson: That's a good song.

MTV: Speaking of singing, I have two singers sitting here. When are you two going to collaborate on a song?

Johansson: We're going to be doing a variety show. It's slated for the new year.

Jackson: We want to do one whole CD that's dedicated to singing "A Letter to Daddy."

Johansson: Yes. We both love that song.

Jackson: So much so that we've decided to do it in different styles. Reggae ...

Johansson: We have a trip-hop version. We're breaking boundaries.

MTV: In all seriousness, Scarlett, are you planning to continue with your music?

Johansson: I would love to do another album. Yeah. I don't think I'd do covers, so it'd be a project that I have to dedicate myself to. I feel like that's something for the future.

MTV: Are either of you planning on attending the inauguration?

Johansson: Oh yeah. We're going to be performing our version of "Letter to Daddy" after U2.

MTV: We know you have someone's e-mail address. ...

Johansson: Oh, no. I'm banned now from using my e-mail address, thanks to the media.

MTV: Are either of you asking Frank about being in "Sin City 2"?

Johansson: I'm just campaigning to do the catering for "Sin City 2."

Jackson: I'm trying to get him to release our Western from his brain. He says he has it in his head but he won't give it to us.

Johansson: We don't want him to work on anything else until he's finished on our Western.

Check out everything we've got on "The Spirit."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Jermaine Dupri says Janet Jackson is not pregnant
(AP)

‘Twilight’ Star Jackson Rathbone Relishes His First Leading-Man Role In ‘Dread’
Michael Jackson camp denies health problems
(Reuters)

RZA Sets His Sights On Rihanna For Remake Of ‘The Last Dragon,’ Starring Samuel L. Jackson

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

RZA Sets His Sights On Rihanna For Remake Of 'The Last Dragon,' Starring Samuel L. Jackson

If RZA had his way, he'd have Rihanna — for his new film. The Wu-Tang Clan kingpin is co-producing a remake of the 1980s fan favorite "The Last Dragon" with Samuel L. Jackson and told MTV News yesterday he'd like the sexy Barbadian songstress to take on the role of video show host/singer Laura Charles. Popular back-in-the-day vamp Vanity originated the role in the 1985 flick, while Taimak tackled the lead character and her romantic interest, Bruce Leroy (a.k.a. Leroy Green).

"That's the one I'm rooting for," RZA said of Rihanna. "We're keeping that same concept of the girl being in the music business."

RZA explained that several female artists were being looked at for the part, but he thought Rih would be the best choice. He also noted that he and the filmmakers were in the process of finding a new-millennium Bruce Leroy but wouldn't disclose the identities any of the candidates. (Hey, how about Rihanna's pal Chris Brown?)

Late actor Julius Carry, who guest-starred on a myriad of TV shows from the "Jeffersons" to "Moonlighting" to "The Unit" during his almost-30-year career, stole the show in the first "Last Dragon" as Sho'nuff, the Shogun of Harlem. The villain's classic line was "Kiss my Converse!" Sam Jackson has been cast as the hilarious baddy in the remake. (Busta Rhymes played Sho'nuff in his video for 1997's "Dangerous.")

"I'm co-producing and I'll add my martial arts expertise and add my ideas and make a phat film from that cult classic we all loved as kids," RZA explained. "The first draft of the script is in right now. We definitely should be shooting in '09.

"We're gonna make it real classic," the Shaolin general added. "We're not gonna take it back to the '80s. We're gonna try it a few years ahead. Modern times, but a few steps ahead in the future. We got some crazy ideas, but the main thing is still finding that glow. That's still the theme of the film, to find that glow in yourself."

In the original film, black belt Bruce Leroy yearned to reach the highest level of karate training, which involved finding a mythical sensei who could teach him how to find "the glow." Leroy, after getting his butt kicked by Sho'nuff during their finale face-off, learned that "the glow" was in fact his inner strength. He rallied in the fight to knock out the tough Shogun.

Also in the original, Leroy's family was from Harlem and had the first black-owned pizzeria in town. RZA assured, "We still got it [set] in Harlem. But instead of it being a pizzeria, we got it as a Chinese restaurant. We got some elements of the old in there, but we're adding some new elements. One thing I don't think the old movie captured — because they couldn't capture it, [there] wasn't a lot of CGI — was I think some of the action sequences could've been cooler. But this one, we're not lacking that. You will definitely have some crazy action sequences."

RZA and Jackson are becoming very familiar partners. On January 27, RZA is releasing the second soundtrack to the animated TV show "Afro Samurai," titled Afro Samurai: Resurrection. Jackson stars in and executive-produced the animated series.

"He's my man, he's a cool muthaf---a," RZA noted. "Sam loves kung fu movies and exploitation films. I love the same things. I recognize Sam as the big O.G. We as hip-hop artists gotta realize something when we step into other worlds. I'm the master of my world. I'm a bad muthaf---a. I showed and proved that already. I got my footprints clear in the sand. But in Hollywood, I'm the student now. We gotta learn when we're the master and the student."

RZA's next film is Judd Apatow's comedy "Funny People," starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen and slated for release in July of next year. RZA plays Chuck, one of Rogen's buddies, who works with him at a grocery store.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Janet Jackson delays 3 more shows due to illness
(AP)

‘High School Musical’ Heartthrob Zac Efron ‘Couldn’t Be More Excited’ To Dance Again In ‘Footloose’ Remake
‘X-Men: First Class’ Casting Call: We See Rihanna And Others As The Junior Heroes

Movies: The Best Of 2008, By Kurt Loder

December's end brings with it once again the curious need for movie reviewers to pretend there's some sort of objective standard by which to determine the year's best picture, director, actors and whatnot. This is an undertaking that doesn't bear extensive contemplation. If more than a thousand films were released in this country in 2008 (the figures are a little murky), you'd have to sit through two or three a day, every day of the year, to see them all. I don't know anyone with little enough of a life to manage this. Then there's the apples-and-oranges problem. "Slumdog Millionaire,""Elegy" and "Tropic Thunder" are all top-level movies, but in no way do they resemble one another; attempting to discern which among them is "the best" would be like comparing androids and avocados, with the winner facing off against a chunk of Appenzeller cheese.

But I guess best-of lists, while very light in the meaningful department, can be sort of fun. Below are some of the year's standout people and pictures, with one in each category arbitrarily allotted the top perch, and some other candidates, often equally deserving of that placement, sub-grouped below. So:

Best Picture: "The Wrestler"

Because it features one of the year's most supernaturally fine performances, by Mickey Rourke; and because it intermingles splatter and soul, acting and autobiography in deeply resonant ways; and because I can't think of any other movie remotely like it in this or any other recent year.

But some of the same could be said of "The Reader," the steeliest and most striking of the year's oddly numerous Holocaust-related pictures, thanks to its incomparable star (see below), co-star (also below) and hard-nosed director, Stephen Daldry. "Milk" and "Frost/Nixon" and the explosively funny "Tropic Thunder" are all superior films in their various ways; and, until it poops out at the end, so is "Revolutionary Road," a powerful reminder of what a superb actor Leonardo DiCaprio can be when he's not frittering away his gifts in aimless action flicks. And I loved "In Bruges," which was released in the calendrical graveyard of February, and was thus shooed out of theatres before it could really find its audience. Colin Farrell came tearing back from artistic exile in this bloody gangsters-abroad comedy, which was written and directed, with characteristic harsh brilliance, by the singular English playwright Martin McDonagh (it was his first feature). Beautifully shot, in jewel-like color, by Eigil Bryld. Similarly under-heralded was "Smart People," with two yeasty comic performances by Thomas Haden Church, as a middle-aged slacker, and the wonderful (once again) Ellen Page, our foremost pint-size wisecracker.

"Slumdog Millionaire," "Milk" and "Burn After Reading" all have their partisans, and well they should. But while I know "The Dark Knight" hit a deep cultural nerve this year, and made more money than many a small nation, it was too long — c'mon — and I didn't get why Christian Bale was now speaking in a choked, froggy rasp. The movie's most memorable asset is noted below.

Best Director: Isabelle Coixet, "Elegy"

A happily crowded field, what with Darren Aronofsky, Sam Mendes ("Revolutionary Road"), Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") and David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), among others. But veteran Spanish director Coixet, dealing with very chilly material, maintained a mesmerizing balance of mood, longing and loss that lodged in your heart. May many more people see this movie on DVD.

Best Actor: Sean Penn, "Milk"

Or Mickey Rourke, as noted above; or Frank Langella, for his crafty incarnation of the desperate, disgraced president in "Frost/Nixon"; or Benicio Del Toro, who carries all four and a half hours of "Che" on his burly shoulders — a feat of surpassing endurance, if nothing else. But Penn's portrayal of the doomed gay-rights activist Harvey Milk is a breathtaking accomplishment, treading a very sensitive line between gay characterization and gay caricature with faultless precision. He's never been better.

Best Actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

Or "Revolutionary Road," in which she's brilliant in a very different way. I'd put Penйlope Cruz's tidally powerful performance in "Elegy" next in line here — although she appears to be getting relegated to the supporting-actress category for reasons I don't understand. Anne Hathaway was a wonderful bundle of nerves in "Rachel Getting Married," and Julianne Moore was appallingly screwed-up in "Savage Grace." And there was Meryl Streep in "Doubt," of course. But this was Winslet's year.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"

Ledger's Joker was instantly iconic, rather in the manner of Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera. I think Robert Downey Jr.'s madly multilayered portrayal of a blond Australian movie actor playing a black American soldier was the year's wildest comic performance (with Tom Cruise nipping at his heels in the same movie), followed by Brad Pitt's deliciously dim turn in "Burn After Reading," Javier Bardem's sultry seсorita magnet in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," and German actor David Kross' torn, baffled teenager in "The Reader." But Ledger reigns here, and not just for sentimental reasons. Consider the range of his work in such radically different films as "Brokeback Mountain," "Lords of Dogtown" and the underrated "Casanova." Now consider this wheedling psychopath, a performance put together from the ground up — it actually out-classed the movie that contained it. Dead at 28. Imagine what might have been.

Best Cinematography: Colin Watkinson, "The Fall"

Tarsem Singh's delirious neo-surrealism is visually overwhelming (and there's about 20 minutes too much of it in this overlong film). But Watkinson is presumably at least partially responsible for the movie's blazing colors and gorgeous long-shot compositions (and who knows what else). Also notable this year: Darius Khondji's meltingly beautiful color photography in Wong Kar Wai's "My Blueberry Nights" (which also featured a highly assured acting debut by singer Nora Jones); Claudio Miranda's beautifully burnished work in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; and Tom Stern's rigorously designed color compositions in "Changeling."

Best Foreign Language Picture: "Let the Right One In"

Some will disagree — I hear you, girls! — but the best teen vampire movie this year by miles was a Swedish import. "Let the Right One In" had a purity of mood and pace (with deftly-placed bloody jolts) that would never fly in Hollywood (which is nevertheless rushing to remake it as we speak — be very afraid). A soon-come cult hit on DVD.

Best Animated Film: "WALL*E"

Troublesome category. Life being short and all, I miss quite a few animated features. So while I caught "Igor" (cute) and "Kung Fu Panda" (too cute), I haven't seen "Bolt" or "Madagascar 2" or the new one with the rodents. Are you telling me they come anywhere near the endearing fabulosity of "WALL*E"? Didn't think so.

Funniest Comedy: "The House Bunny"

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" would be an honorable alternative here, and not the only one. But Anna Faris' sweet and completely original reinvention of the traditional blonde bimbo elevated what was doomed to be a movie sneered at by critics to a higher level of lovable hilarity.

Funniest Non-Comedy: "10,000 B.C."

The funniest thing about this galumphing Stone Age moron-a-thon was that everybody in it was able to keep a straight face. But then nobody in "Rambo" or "Death Race" seemed to be in on those jokes, either.

Worst Art Movie: "Flight of the Red Balloon"

No competition here, I don't think. Can there really be people who take the Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien for an accomplished filmmaker? Or even a competent one? Amazingly, yes. They all seem to be critics, though — it's hard to imagine anyone paying money to see this inert and interminable movie.

Check out Kurt Loder's review of "Seven Pounds."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Golden Globe Predictions: Our Money’s On Heath Ledger, Brad Pitt To Come Out On Top
Usher to Take Direction From Teenagers
(E! Online)

Del Toro admires ‘Che’ thinking, but not violence
(AP)

Monday, December 22, 2008

Will Smith On Oscar Buzz Around 'Seven Pounds': 'People Be Saying Stuff!'

LOS ANGELES — Will Smith has been a career chameleon, from his "Fresh Prince" days all the way to becoming the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. Sometimes, it seems like the superstar will stop at nothing to take over every facet of entertainment — two Oscar nominations (for "Ali" and "The Pursuit of Happyness") have only increased his hunger for gold. Significant Oscar buzz surrounds him once again with the new drama "Seven Pounds."

"You know people be talking! People be saying stuff!" Smith laughed about the golden-statue gossip. "That's always fun. You prefer to be nominated than not, but for me, I'm still at the space with this movie where I'm hoping people like it."

Clearly, people do. Smith reunited with "Happyness" director Gabriele Muccino to further his reputation not only as a bankable leading man, but also as a thespian.

In "Pounds," Smith plays IRS agent Ben Thomas, who suffers a deep depression after killing seven people in a car accident while on his BlackBerry. Naturally, "depression" isn't usually a word one would associate with Smith's affable persona. "Yeah, it's very different for me," the down-to-earth star admitted, discussing his need for research. "I spent a lot of time just hearing different stories [about depression], and that really helps me to understand a character's mental space. [I wanted to] just find people who have had similar experiences."

As a result of his depression, Smith's character decides to "save" seven people in need, including a terminally ill woman played by Rosario Dawson.

"I had worked with Will before in 'Men in Black II,' and we were able to skip over a couple of steps," Dawson recalled of the shorthand both actors used in making her Smith's love interest in the flick. "[We could avoid] that natural getting to know you, 'Hi, how are you?' [thing]. We were already there. So there was a comfort level that already existed."

Dawson also hinted that the relationship between their characters is unlike the usual love story. "It was a relationship on high-speed, because these characters don't really have time to play the game how it's usually played," she said of the urgency of their whirlwind romance. "I have six weeks to live, but I might have [fallen in love with Will]. Love in those six weeks is something so gorgeous and beautiful and very unique."

Although the flick is a heavy hitting drama, Will Smith is convinced that the film will leave audiences walking out of the theater with a positive message in their minds. "I think that it's a fantastic story — you can sit there and be entertained, but there's also some wonderful ideas and concepts," he explained. "Hopefully it will hit you in the gut emotionally, in the way that it hit me."

Check out everything we've got on "Seven Pounds."




‘Seven Pounds’: Tears Of A Clown, By Kurt Loder
Lisa Marie Presley gives birth to twins
(AP)

Will Smith Still Interested In Playing Barack Obama — If He’s Not ‘Too Old’
Jennifer Aniston Weekends With…Brangelina?
(E! Online)

'Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience': Get Your First Peek At Photos Here!

The Jonas Brothers haven't changed much since they made their 3-D debut in "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" — you know, aside from having multiplied their legions of dedicated fans, releasing a hit album, creating their own TV show and getting the opportunity to star in their own 3-D movie.

"They're absolutely still as grounded," said one of the movie's producers, Art Repola, who also got to know the brothers when he worked on "Best of Both Worlds." "They do the whole thing. I think they continue to get better. And they're absolutely as grounded as before."

(Check out two exclusive photos from the Jonas Brothers' movie here.)

The film sets out to give fans complete access to the guys, from the time they get onstage to the intimate moments they spend off of it, including shooting a video for the brand-new song "Love Is on Its Way." Repola boasted that even if you've been to one of their shows, this movie is still a better experience.

"I think if you went to the concert and you sat in the front row, your seats are not as good as it's going to be in the film," he said. "I think to really see what's going on beyond watching a music video of concert film, that'll be the best experience. It's surprising when you see the film and you see the size of the crowds."

Repola, who describes the brothers as "crazy famous" and "the real deal," said that it was eye-opening to spend every moment with them and experience their hectic lives first-hand.

"I just think [the fans are] going to be surprised at the cumulative experience of what happens from the time they wake up to the end of the day," he said. "It's not a band where they have a show that night and they're lying around the hotel. It's constant appearances and interviews and events. I think it'll be surprising."

Repola recalled one moment in particular when he witnessed the pinnacle of JoBro chaos. "The record dropped in Times Square, and there were 15 or 20,000 fans there at midnight on a weekday," he explained. "The amount of the excitement was overwhelming. And it never stops."

Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato make cameos in the movie, and Repola likens their appearances to the ones made by superstars in the Martin Scorsese/Rolling Stones documentary "Shine a Light."

Despite all their success, Repola walked away from the experience thinking the boys are "just incredibly polite, incredibly smart, no nonsense. Fun, but no nonsense," he said. "I think that's refreshing today. They're teenage guys and rock-and-roll stars at the same time."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




The Jonas Brothers top list of celeb charity draws
(AP)

Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Movie To Feature New Track, ‘Love Is On Its Way’
APNewsBreak: Andrews to succeed Cronkite on PBS
(AP)

Sunday, December 21, 2008

'Seven Pounds': Tears Of A Clown, By Kurt Loder

When was the last time you were bored at a Will Smith movie? I mean, since "Wild Wild West"? Smith himself is rarely boring, of course — he radiates talent, charm and intelligence. But in the new movie "Seven Pounds," he has intentionally dialed down his most appealing qualities — romantic dash, comic sparkle, rousing physicality — to a dim flicker. The result is like watching the early rounds of a Will Smith impersonation contest and waiting for the poor lug onstage to get gonged. Unfortunately, the mallet is swinging in our direction.

The movie is basically a simple weepie about a man who sacrifices everything to help others. Taken straight, the story would be too gooey to bear, so first-time screenwriter Grant Nieporte has tied it into knots with flashbacks, time shifts and tauntingly withheld plot information. The picture opens with Smith's character, Ben Nelson, making a 911 call. "There's been a suicide," he says, clearly in some sort of obscure torment. And who's the victim? "I am."

OK! "Double Indemnity." "Sunset Boulevard." A nice nasty L.A. noir. We're hooked. Then Ben makes another call — at some earlier point in the tale, we have to figure — and reaches a switchboard clerk at a mail-order meat company (one of the movie's several odd and pointless plot widgets). The man's name is Ezra (Woody Harrelson), and he's blind. Ben seems to know this and begins ridiculing Ezra's handicap. Ezra, a sweet guy, just takes the abuse. Ben hangs up. We see that he has a list of names. He begins shouting them out loud. Before long, he's sorrowfully contemplating a clipped-out newspaper headline: "Fatal Crash Kills Seven." Then we see him checking into a cheap motel with a jellyfish in a small aquarium. We begin to suspect we're not in Billy Wilder territory anymore.

Ben is shown to be an IRS agent of an unusual sort: He's making the rounds of tax delinquents and offering to let them off the hook. The beatific smile stitched onto his face indicates that there'll be no strings attached. He just wants to help people. He finds a woman with a little boy who needs a bone-marrow transplant. He finds another woman who needs to stop getting beaten up by her boyfriend. Then he finds Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson). Emily is dying; she needs a new heart. Since this is not an organ one normally associates with the IRS, we're confused.

To give away any more of this movie's contrived surprises would be unfair to those who end up seeing it — mainly Will Smith fans, one imagines, the very people who might be most kindly advised to give the picture a pass. Smith's character is such a selfless angel of concern, and so short of facial expressions that would reflect any other emotional state, that he becalms the movie like a bank of fog. (This was clearly no miscalculation; he's one of the film's producers.) Dawson, gorgeous as always, brings needed romantic heat to the proceedings, but she's overmatched by the movie's tangled and often laughable plot trappings. (When her Emily tells Ben that "I used to be hot," you wonder whom the screenwriter thinks she's supposed to be kidding.)

Will Smith has no need to prove he's a serious actor. He did that 15 years ago in "Six Degrees of Separation," and two years ago in "The Pursuit of Happyness." That film, like this one, was directed by Gabriele Muccino. But whatever he and Smith set out in pursuit of this time, a tiring sappiness is all they brought back.

Check out everything we've got on "Seven Pounds."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Abdul chides Fox, `Idol’ producers over stalker
(AP)

Will Smith Still Interested In Playing Barack Obama — If He’s Not ‘Too Old’
Lisa Marie Presley gives birth to twins
(AP)

'Twilight' Fans Give Their 2008 Woman Of The Year Acceptance Speeches

Miley Cyrus, please step aside. For once, Britney Spears, you're not the one who has all eyes focused on you. And Beyoncй, while you may be a proud diva, in 2008 it was the fans of "Twilight" that left us crazy in love.

As we announced on Thursday, MTV's 2008 Woman of the Year is the "Twilight" fanbase. Stars Ashley Greene and Taylor Lautner have already offered their congratulations. And now, as is customary with the bestowing of any major award, it's time for an acceptance speech.

"Really? Oh my, that's so sweet of you MTV!" "Twilight" fan Desi Mejia exclaimed. "LOL. If I make a little award, can I add it to my rйsumй?"

"Thanks, first off, to Stephenie Meyer for sharing a world most of us would have never imagined ourselves, but also showing us that we can achieve things for ourselves we never imagined!" beamed Kallie Mathews, co-founder of the fansite/podcast TwilightSeriesTheories.com. "Thanks to all of the other fans that stood with us in line and shared their thoughts with us online! Thanks to everyone involved with the movie (Summit, Catherine, Cast & Crew). We appreciate your dedication to the authenticity of the book and its characters, but also the dedication to keeping the fans informed and involved. ... Those are the people I am most thankful for as a fan! I am sure the music would have started playing around halfway through this, to urge me off the stage!"

MTV.com user Airam wrote on our site: "It's a wonderful thing to be named Woman of the Year on my birthday, along with all the wonderful Twilighters out there!"

Overjoyed "Twilight" superfan and YouTube personality Bailey Gauthier (a.k.a. NoMoreMarbles) uploaded a weepy acceptance speech to our YouRHere site, and posted her thoughts: "I think it's awesome that Twilighters beat out some of the biggest names in Hollywood for this title," she said. "And a little scary."

"As an old-school MTV fan, I was glad to see the recognition for we Twilighters because I really don't think the critics understood the story or the level of intensity the fans have for the story of Bella and Edward," tucheer83 wrote on our site. "Now the haters can see the strength of what the Twilight fanbase is about. It's strong and passionate. People just don't understand until they read the books. There were movie critics like [Ben] Lyons out there talking about the story, and you can tell that he had no understanding of the characters. ... MTV also recognized that the Twilighters were not all teenage girls (though tweens and teens are the ones highlighted by the media). Twilight fans are females of all ages, because we all relate to Bella. ... That's why 'New Moon' is going to be huge!"

"MTV, Larry Carroll and Kim Stolz ROCK!," wrote ObsessedTwilightFan, making us blush. "You recognized our dedication and love for this series, as well as its author. Thank you for including us in something this auspicious, and I'm looking forward to the continuation of 'Twilight' Tuesdays!"

"There is no force more powerful than a Twilighter on a mission!" boasted "Twilight" fan Nicole W. Bright (a.k.a. "Cocoa") in her acceptance speech. "So, today we conquered MTV; tomorrow we conquer the WORLD!"

(Read what Lil Wayne had to say about being named Man of the Year here.)

Check out everything we've got on "Twilight" and "New Moon."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




‘Twilight’ Stars Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner Agree: Their Fans Are The Women Of The Year
‘Twilight’ Star Robert Pattinson Has A Request For His Fans: ‘Throw Yourselves At Me!’
Rapper Lil Wayne at work on “Tha Carter IV”
(Reuters)

Friday, December 19, 2008

Kate Beckinsale Gives Us 'Nothing But The Truth' On Her New Movie, Talks 'Twilight'

How far would you go? The central question in "Nothing But the Truth," a new film about a Washington journalist played by Kate Beckinsale — who chooses to goes to jail rather than give up her source — doesn't often come up in entertainment journalism. Then Beckinsale herself goes and talks about you taking off your pants and, well, 'How far would you go?' suddenly seems appropriate to ask.

Surprising, bawdy and unrelentingly honest — it was Kate in a nutshell, the indie-darling-turned-action-superstar-turned-indie-darling who recently sat with MTV News to talk journalism, "Twilight," how she's seen more privates than an Army general and what role she'd once again don leather for.

MTV News: Admit it, now that you've played a journalist, it's hard not to have empathy for us lot.

Kate Beckinsale: You know, I'm trying to revisit my earlier, healthy terror and mistrust, because obviously I crossed over in this movie.

MTV: What do you make of the current state of journalism today?

Beckinsale: It feels very different than what I'm used to. Certainly, TV journalism seems not very in-depth in comparison to the news programs that I'm used to in England. I'm sure most people in England would say it's gagged and muffled there, too, but I think even more so here. I think there is a tendency to make news before the facts are in place. The fact of the Internet and the immediacy of having to get a story out can sometimes mean damaging facts can be out before they've been properly checked, which is dangerous.

MTV: Speaking of the Internet, do you follow any of the online talk about you being a shoo-in for award consideration?

Beckinsale: I have seen it, yes, especially because my mother is obsessed and sends me stuff because she's very excited. It was such a charmed job. It was one of those ones where we all felt it was perfectly cast and the director was so great and the script was really good. That in itself is kind of a prize, and everything that comes after that is so flattering and exciting. It's a bonus.

MTV: You know what's interesting about some of the online talk — so many people see you just as the action star because of your recent roles. Do you see yourself going back to that type of film now after something like this?

Beckinsale: I don't see why not. I mean, sometimes you have to pay the bills! These kind of movies, you have to pay to be in them because the budget is so small, and if you want to bring your kid, you buy a plane ticket and all that. When it's like, "Ooh, she's suddenly doing dramas," it doesn't seem like that to me because those big-budget movies obviously have more publicity, and there's more posters and people are more aware of them. It feels like you've done more of them than you actually have. It doesn't seem like such a radical, massive change to me.

MTV: Specifically, I know you've talked about Wonder Woman a great deal, but is there a character you'd love to do? Catwoman in a Nolan-directed "Batman 3," for instance?

Beckinsale: Absolutely, that would be awesome. I'd love to do that. One of the things I've done wrong with my career is not have a massive game plan for it. I enjoy being surprised. I was very surprised to ever find myself even considered for an action movie. I'm like the literary, academic geek who's not very good at sports, so it was amazingly shocking that anyone would ever do that. I like to be surprised.

MTV: I've got something surprising for you.

Beckinsale: Oh God, I hope you're going to keep your pants on.

MTV: I'm sorry ... what?!

Beckinsale: I don't like that sort of surprise.

MTV: Not today.

Beckinsale: OK, good. I've been flashed so many times. I have. I've been flashed, like, 22 times. It hasn't happened lately because in L.A. I'm in cars a lot, but, oh my God, on the subway in London it was constant. Anyway, you're not going to, so it's irrelevant.

MTV: I'm not going to and you're lying.

Beckinsale: I'm not lying. I'm absolutely not.

MTV: People don't just come up to you and take their pants off.

Beckinsale: Well, not generally at a press junket, but it has happened to me on the subway. They tend to say, "Can you look at my map," and it's there sitting there in the spine of the book. That's happened to me millions of times.

MTV: I'm gonna write that one down.

Beckinsale: Yeah, there's a hot tip for you, "How to meet people!"

MTV: Anyway, no, here's the surprise. Your name came up during some interviews we did with "Twilight." Are you familiar with that at all?

Beckinsale: The book? My daughter's reading it actually, yes.

MTV: They all say you're their vampire model.

Beckinsale: Oh really? That's very nice. Oh my God, the next generation. I'm like the grandma vampire!

MTV: What tutelage would you give them for their vampire-ness?

Beckinsale: I'm sure they don't need any advice from me, but that's the first I've heard of that. It's amazing to me that the fascination with vampires just seems to [grow] more and more and more. ["Twilight"] is obviously going to be enormous. I do feel like the granddaddy of vampires. That's a good title.

Check out everything we've got on "Nothing But the Truth."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




Gomez, Hilton among MySpace friends’ leaders
(AP)

‘Twilight’ Actor Edi Gathegi Defends Laurent, Teases ‘Lone Ranger’ Cam Gigandet
Britney Spears “Circus” is back — new album, tour
(Reuters)

'Twilight' Star Ashley Greene Is Excited About 'New Moon' Director Chris Weitz

BEVERLY HILLS, California — After the enormous opening of "Twilight," it's hard to talk about "young Hollywood" without the film's actors coming to mind. So when the organization behind the Golden Globe Awards threw its annual celebration of tomorrow's stars Wednesday evening, it seemed fitting that Stephenie Meyer's squad would rock the party. MTV News already brought you our exclusive interview with Taylor Lautner, but we were also eager to get the latest "New Moon" scoop from the one and only Ashley Greene.

"Now I can hear what you say, and then maybe respond intelligently," the 21-year-old beauty laughed, comparing the red carpet to the last time we saw her, at the "Twilight" premiere.

Looking forward to the upcoming sequel, she said she was "very excited. Alice, [my] character, is a lot bigger and a lot heavier in the second one, so obviously I'm looking forward to that. And hopefully we'll go to Europe to film.

"I want to drive the yellow Porsche, really bad — in Europe," she giggled, citing the "New Moon" moment she's most eager to film. "That's what I'm most excited about now. I keep saying I hope they let me drive it, because on the first 'Twilight' we wanted to do our own stunts, and they let us do everything we realistically could. So, I'm hoping if I learn how to drive stick-shift, they'll let me drive the Porsche."

Greene also addressed the recent controversy surrounding Chris Weitz replacing Catherine Hardwicke as the series' director. "I'm sad to see Catherine go, but I think Chris is going to do a really great job," said the star. "I'm excited to work with him, because obviously he's worked with CGI before, and he's very familiar with it. It'll be good. We all knew [Catherine leaving] was a possibility, and I respect the fact that she said, 'Hey, I want more prep time. Maybe I wouldn't do the best job,' and that she gave someone else her place. That's what we do; that's our job. We work with different, great people every day."

Greene also offered her support for Lautner, who is meeting with Weitz on Friday to determine whether or not the young star will continue playing Jacob Black. "I hope so," she said, bringing her hands together in prayer. "We all love Taylor. He's the best kid. He's so adorable and so good-hearted, and he's a good actor too. He did a great job, so I'm hoping to see him come back."

Ever since Lautner landed the "Twilight" gig, claiming that he could play the character throughout Jacob's supernatural maturation, some have insisted he isn't physically appropriate, an argument that Greene doesn't understand. "Oh, neither am I! I mean, really?" laughed Greene, who dealt with a backlash herself after being cast as the 4-foot-10 Alice Cullen. "If that's the argument, then they should replace me.

"I love him to death, and he'll grow; I know he's working out like crazy to try to bulk up," she said of Lautner. "I think there are a lot of people [in 'Twilight'] who don't necessarily physically fit their part. So I'm hoping we keep him."

The actress — whose career has soared to the point that she wrapped one film this week and began another the very next day — added that she's eagerly waiting for the inch "New Moon" script by Melissa Rosenberg to arrive on her doorstep.

"I haven't [read the script]. Apparently, it's under tight wraps," she grinned. "I'm sure Rob [Pattinson] has, but [not me]. No, I haven't gotten to see it yet."

Greene said she doesn't agree with the argument that the "Twilight" films should be overseen by only female directors. "I don't, necessarily. Chris put out a statement that I thought was very sweet, talking about how excited he is about the books. He read them and spoke with Stephenie, and he definitely wants to do them justice," she explained. "Stephenie also released a statement saying she'd spoken with him. And with the two of them working together, because I'm sure Stephenie will be around a lot, I think he's going to do a great job. And like I said before, he did 'The Golden Compass,' so he's definitely familiar with the kind of film we're doing, as far as the technicality of the stunts and the CGI."

Before entering the party, Ashley also cautioned that fans shouldn't be sad that "New Moon" would force her to chop off her beautiful hair, revealing that much of Alice's pixie hairdo is movie magic. "I cut it to here," she said, holding her hand at her shoulder. "You didn't know they wigged me? That's good; that means it looks good. They wigged me for the first one, and I joked, 'Maybe I should just cut my hair off for the second one.' And they said, 'No, we'd still have to wig you, and we'd kill you on top of it!' I'll probably chop it down to my shoulders again, which I hate doing, but for this I don't mind."

Check out everything we've got on "Twilight" and "New Moon."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




‘Twilight’ Sequel ‘New Moon’ To Be Directed By Chris Weitz: Report
‘Twilight’ Stars Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner Agree: Their Fans Are The Women Of The Year
Chris Brown named artist of the year by Billboard
(AP)

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Movie To Feature New Track, 'Love Is On Its Way'

When the Jonas Brothers hit the multiplex in February, fans will get to hear something that they've never heard before from the guys. MTV News has learned that the movie will include a brand-new, exclusive song, called "Love Is on Its Way."

"It's one of those songs that starts out [upbeat], and then halfway through it hits a downbeat," said Art Repola, a producer of "Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience."

The Jonas Brothers shot the video for the song in New York's Central Park back in August, and despite the amount of attention the boys get from screaming girls, Repola said it was easy to shoot in such public spaces. "It was [crazy], but we had a lot of security," he said. "There was not a problem, surprisingly. [But] wherever they go, throngs follow."

The guys play characters in the video, as they did in the clip for "Burnin' Up." Nick is a horse-drawn carriage driver, Joe is a cop and Kevin is a hot-dog vendor — roles that Repola said the guys were excited to take on.

"I think the idea to do this was [director Bruce Hendricks']. I don't remember how we decided [who would do what]," he said. "But they sure had a lot of fun. They were completely open. We set out from the beginning to capture a day in the life. We had a lot of access to everything."

Of course, this isn't all the Jonas Brothers news we have. Check back Friday to see exclusive pictures and more scoop on the upcoming movie.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




The Jonas Brothers top list of celeb charity draws
(AP)

Coldplay denies plagiarism accusation
(Reuters)

Miley Cyrus Is ‘Stoked’ About Her Golden Globe Best Song Nomination

'Twilight' Stars Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner Agree: Their Fans Are The Women Of The Year

Twilighters were named MTV News' Woman of the Year because their obsession with the books, movies and actors laid the groundwork for what is now a phenomenon rivaling "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars." And their undeniable anticipation for the next film, "New Moon," only means that their power and influence will continue to grow.

Sure, there are a handful of guys out there who are also devoted to the romance between Bella and Edward, but the dedicated ladies who eat, sleep and breathe the books proved to be the driving force behind the movie's success. Two of the film's stars, Taylor Lautner and Ashley Greene, couldn't agree more with our pick for Woman of 2008.

"Hey, 'Twilight' fans, just got news from MTV that you, the 'Twilight' fan, have been named Woman of the Year," Lautner told MTV News. "So I'd like to congratulate you, first of all, and tell you that I am not surprised. All your hard work and support with 'Twilight' and the upcoming 'New Moon' have been amazing, so thank you guys and congratulations."

(Read what Lautner had to say about his efforts to be cast in "New Moon.")

Greene was also excited to hear that the Twilighters beat out everyone from Britney Spears to Taylor Swift to Beyoncй.

"Congratulations to the 'Twilight' fans for being named MTV's 2008 Woman of the Year," she said. "You guys definitely deserve it. You've been so amazing, making 'Twilight' a success and making it what it was at the box office, and giving us the chance to make the second one. So, thank you and congratulations!"

You don't have to work here or be famous to have an opinion! Share your lists by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com or leaving a comment below.

Check out everything we've got on "Twilight" and "New Moon."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




‘Twilight’ Co-Stars Edi Gathegi, Taylor Lautner And Rachelle Lefevre Talk ‘Vampire Camp,’ Potential Sequels
‘New Moon’ Casting News: Michael Copon, Ben Barnes Push For Roles In ‘Twilight’ Sequel
Gomez, Hilton among MySpace friends’ leaders
(AP)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Who Is 'New Moon' Director Chris Weitz?

Despite fan fears that a male director might not be able to connect with the love-struck mind-set of Bella Swan, filmmaker Chris Weitz is probably feeling quite close to his main character right now, as he enters pre-production for "New Moon."

He's the new kid at Forks High, similarly hoping that he'll make friends and become a straight-A student. Now, in order to talk the millions of "Twilight" fans into taking him to the prom, he's begun cozying up to them in biology class.

"Dear fans of 'Twilight,' 'New Moon,' Bella, Edward and Jacob," reads a new letter from the 38-year-old filmmaker that has begun flooding the Web. "In the past few days, I have been involved in a whirlwind romance with Stephenie Meyers' [sic] extraordinary books."

But before they're ready to commit the same undying love to Weitz that they developed for Catherine Hardwicke, "Twilight" fans are eager to learn more about their new classmate.

Born in New York, Christopher John Weitz graduated with an English degree from Trinity College in Cambridge, then began a career in Hollywood with the 1998 Woody Allen animated flick "Antz." While toiling in minor sitcoms, he teamed with his brother Paul to direct and produce "American Pie," an enormously successful film that grossed nearly 10 times its budget.

From that almost-unheard-of immediate success in Hollywood, the Weitz brothers have launched an impressive and varied career. The duo went on to work together again on the Chris Rock vehicle "Down to Earth," before getting serious with what many consider to be their greatest film, "About a Boy." The film garnered the brothers an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

"For the last decade of my career as a director, I have chosen to make adaptations of complex and involved works of literature," Weitz said in his letter to the Twilighters, referring to his work with Nick Hornby's "About a Boy" and other books. "[My work] has always begun with the love of a book and its characters, story and theme; and it has always involved a respect of and responsiveness to the feelings of other people who loved those books."

It was this love of literature, however, that would soon create the biggest stumbling block in Weitz's career, as he followed up "Boy" with "The Golden Compass." After years of teaming with his brother to produce solid-but-underachieving flicks like "In Good Company" and "American Dreamz," as well as a seemingly endless supply of "Pie" sequels, he landed the most ambitious job of his young career adapting Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy.

Weitz wrestled with the project for more than a year, was replaced by Anand Tucker, and then returned after Tucker resigned in 2006. After a lengthy production period spiked with controversies over Weitz's fantasy-vs.-religion tightrope walking, "The Golden Compass" was oddly marketed as a "Narnia"-esque family film without religion and a Daniel Craig action flick that only had the actor in a handful of scenes. Not surprisingly, the mixed messages (and lack of an ending) contributed to the $180 million film pulling in only $25 million at the box office during its opening weekend in 2007.

"When I saw the film of 'Twilight,' I was alternately entranced and left hungry for more," Weitz said this week of his newest passion project. "I was also struck by the extraordinary passion for the characters, story and theme that was evident in the people sitting in the seats around me. My job is to live up to that devotion."

Unfortunately, the final moments of "Golden Compass" tease sequels that will never be made, as the movie's failure was largely seen as a contributing cause to the collapse of its studio. The Nicole Kidman film did do solid business overseas, however, and Weitz is now taking on another fantasy franchise in "New Moon" — albeit one with as little as a quarter of the "Compass" budget.

"I will devote myself to making the very best and most faithful version of 'New Moon' that can be brought to the screen," Weitz wrote in his letter to the "Twilight" fans. "To those who doubt that as a male director I can capture Bella's experience, I can only say that emotion is universal and that my work has often involved working with some of the most talented actresses in the world."

Now that Weitz has begun reaching out to the "Twilight" fanbase, it will be interesting to see their response over the next 12 weeks of pre-production. He has already won over the prom queen, however. Author Stephenie Meyer posted her own message to fans Saturday, professing a desire to give the new kid a good seat in the school cafeteria.

"I am very pleased to announce that he's agreed to be a part of our Twilight world," Meyer wrote. "I've had the chance to talk to Chris, and I can tell you that he is excited by the story and eager to keep the movie as close to the book as possible. He is also very aware of you, the fans, and wants to keep you all extremely happy.

"Torches and pitchforks," she insisted, "are not going to be necessary."

Check out everything we've got on "New Moon."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.




‘Twilight’ Sequel ‘New Moon’ To Be Directed By Chris Weitz: Report
Chris Brown named artist of the year by Billboard
(AP)

Q&A: MySpace CEO aims to build music site’s community
(Reuters)

'Notorious' Actress Angela Bassett Says Biggie's Mom Is 'Fascinating'

Angela Bassett says the kinship that grew between her and the Notorious B.I.G.'s mom, Voletta Wallace, was that of two girlfriends. Wallace handpicked Bassett to play her in the Biggie biopic "Notorious," due January 16.

"I spoke to her on the phone," Mrs. Wallace said of her first interaction with Bassett. "I was out in California visiting my grandson. We had the opportunity to meet. I was over at [Faith Evans' house when Angela] came over. We sat and had dinner and had a long talk."

One of the most challenging aspects of playing Wallace was getting down the Jamaican accent, Bassett said. "It took awhile," the actress admitted. "Some of it, I had to work on it, get it later."

"Certain parts of the script, I taped my voice, and I guess that's how she got my accent," Wallace said. "They sent me tapes, I sent her tapes. And I was on the set every day. So there was not a time when she said, 'Oh, Mrs. Wallace, how was that?' She didn't have to do that. We had lunch together a lot. We had breakfast one morning. We'd just chat, woman to woman, mother to mother. We had a nice rapport together."

Bassett says having Wallace watch her every day made her a little nervous, but she was also reassured. "It can be a little intimidating, because you hope you're getting it right," she said. "You hope you're meeting their standards. We all have a way of seeing ourselves, the truth of it as we wish it were. Some of us are real honest with ourselves. Some of us embellish it. Mrs. Wallace is a straight shooter. Any question I had, I could go right to her. Lean into it. It was like girlfriends.

"She's a major part of the reason," Bassett added about why she chose to appear in the film. "Of course Biggie. It's a story about him, first and foremost. A major force in the hip-hop genre. One of the emissaries, gone too soon. He's one of the major bright lights in that arena. The type of person [Mrs. Wallace is], she is just fascinating to me. Her strength, her vulnerability, her ability to still laugh every day. To be supportive, to be on the set. I have seen a great deal of life worth living despite a major tragedy. That's a lesson each of us can take in some measure — large and small — with us into the issues we have to deal with day to day in our lives."

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" and its soundtrack — stay tuned for more in the coming days.




APNewsBreak: Andrews to succeed Cronkite on PBS
(AP)

Ashley Tisdale Hones Alien-Fighting Skills In ‘They Came From Upstairs’
‘Notorious’ Actor Derek Luke Says Diddy Needs His Own Biopic