Chris Weitz Responds To Negative 'New Moon' Reviews

What do you do after traipsing around the world for two weeks promoting a film, especially one that soared to a $285 million worldwide opening weekend? One might assume that you take a long, long nap. Not "New Moon" director Chris Weitz, who sat down for one more interview to discuss his fears about the release and his reaction to negative reviews.

"Nothing surprises me in terms of reviews," Weitz told Entertainment Weekly. "Having been a reviewer myself, there are only two ways to spin this story. You can either be the one guy who says this is a great movie, or more likely, take a more jaundiced view of the whole thing. And given the media blitz that has accompanied 'New Moon,' it's rather unsurprising. I do wish there was more appreciation for cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe. I think he's a genius, and I think he made something beautiful."

 

 

 

 

 

 'New Moon' Takes Over The Newsstands 

 

Given the enormous pressure involved with taking on a wildly popular franchise and the intense media attention focused on his stars, Weitz hoped he wouldn't disappoint studio Summit Entertainment. "If one could imagine their biggest fears, it would be complete rejection of the movie by the fans," he said. "What I've realized over the last week is I won't necessarily get good reviews for this movie. Having swallowed that, this was made for the fans, and if you don't get it, then you don't get it."

So is Weitz ever going to take that much-needed nap? Let's hope so. "I'm at the point of physical collapse," he confessed.

After resting up, could we see Weitz step back into the director's chair for "Breaking Dawn," the yet-unannounced final installment — or possibly installments — in the "Twilight" series? Even if Weitz claimed that he was only a "glorified conductor" in this latest vampire saga production? The answer to directing is yes, but the answer to another globe-trotting press tour is a vigorous "Hell, no!"

"I'd do it for Stephenie [Meyer], Rob [Pattinson], Taylor [Lautner] and Kristen [Stewart]," he said. "I feel a great deal of gratitude for those people. But I don't think I could do another press tour like we did. I just think I would die."

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

For young Hollywood news, fashion, "Twilight" exclusives and more — updated around the clock — visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Are Thankful For The Past, The 'Summer' And The Future

Why are we so thankful for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel in 2009? Simple. The duo redefined the "cute couple" with their cool characters in "(500) Days of Summer." They almost made us forget about all the generic rom-coms and recycled relationship tropes regurgitated onto movie screens over the past year. We salute them for their originality, their willingness to take risks and their joyful, affecting, truthful portrait of love and loss.

Recently, Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel stopped by the MTV News offices to chat about their on- and off-screen bond, their other successful projects this year and what we can look forward to from them in the future — including a possible reunion on the big screen.

MTV: You guys are here for a special reason today. We're taking a look back at the things we're thankful for this year, and thanks to your work individually and in "(500) Days of Summer," you are two of the people we are most thankful for. Do you have a speech prepared?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Uh, no. Should I?

Zooey Deschanel: I knew to have a speech! No, I didn't. I'm excited though.

MTV: This isn't the first blush with success for either of you, but does 2009 feel like a particularly special year?

Gordon-Levitt: I think so. 2009 started at Sundance for me. "(500) Days of Summer" premiered there, and that was the first time everybody saw it. And a short film I made called "Sparks" played at Sundance, and then Barack Obama became president, which was one of the more cathartic, emotionally reinforcing, positive experiences I've really ever had. It feels like a special year.

Deschanel: It's a very special year. It's the end of the aughts, which is sad.

Gordon-Levitt: The end of the aughts! Thank you, I've been looking for the name of this decade, and I haven't known what it was.

MTV: So, for you especially, Zooey, the aughts were essentially the decade when you came of age as an actress, when you essentially got started. Is it bittersweet to see your first decade as an actress come to an end?

Deschanel: It's exciting. I have to say, Sundance 2001, Joe and I had to be there with "Manic." I've been so lucky to work with Joe twice. Book-ending the aughts. And hopefully, it will be more frequent.

Gordon-Levitt: Into the teens. And the '20s.

Deschanel: And the '20s and the '30s and '40s and the '50s. And we'll live to a million by that point, because they'll have all kinds of drugs to keep us alive.

Gordon-Levitt: Of course, because we'll be cyborgs.

MTV: What did you two make of each other — be honest — because you're getting along now, but when you first met each other, was there something there? Did you not know what to make of this guy or vice versa?

Deschanel: I just thought he was so cool. He was so cool and such a great actor. So intense. Very different — a different sort of role in our first movie together than you and I were playing in ["(500 Days"].

Gordon-Levitt: You have to understand the context of when we met, it wasn't for "(500) Days of Summer," it was for "Manic," which we did almost 10 years ago, and we shot it on really cheap cameras. And it was this really heavy drama, and I was playing this guy that was ...

Deschanel: ... tortured ...

Gordon-Levitt: ... so angry that he would beat people up, and she was this oasis of warmth and love and melted my heart right away.

MTV: You've done it twice now — could there be a third movie for you guys? If you could write the script here and now, what kind of genre, what kind of film would you like collaborate on?

Deschanel: Screwball comedy.

Gordon-Levitt: Yeah, something fast!

Deschanel: Something snappy. Something funny. Something with some musical elements.

Gordon-Levitt: I think there might be some music. There might be some dance in there. Some songs.

MTV: I also want to talk about some individual accomplishments. "G.I. Joe" was actually massively entertaining.

Gordon-Levitt: I thought so too. I loved it the whole time. I had fun doing it. I got to wear a mask and makeup, and it was a really fun action movie.

MTV: Can you envision doing a second one?

Gordon-Levitt: I don't know. That's certainly not up to me.

MTV: Zooey, you got married this year to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard. Was the wedding everything you hoped it would be? Does it feel different now?

Deschanel: It was amazing. Now it just feels better. Similar but better.

MTV: What can we look forward to from you in 2010? I know you did "Your Highness" with Danny McBride, Natalie Portman and James Franco.

Deschanel: I think it's coming out in September or October. It's totally bonkers. And then I have a new [She & Him] record coming out in the spring. It's official. It's done and being released in the spring. And we're going to go on tour.

Gordon-Levitt: I am She & Him's number one fan. I am possessive about that slot, actually.

MTV: Joe, you have "Inception" coming up. Having completed the shoot, did it live up to everything you hoped it would? What can I expect?

Gordon-Levitt: Are you a fan of Christopher Nolan, who wrote and directed "The Dark Knight," among other things? This is what happened. Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite artists, and he's a true dignified filmmaker with all the integrity of an indie filmmaker. He started with indie films like "Memento." And then he directed one of the biggest hits of all time. Now he can say, "I'm going to do whatever I want to do and you, Warner Brothers, are going to let me do it." ["Inception"] is an awesome artist who just got to do exactly what he wanted to do, and it's a beautiful thing to see.

Thanksgiving is a time for taking stock, expressing gratitude and, most importantly, overeating. We at MTV News have been gorging all year at movie theaters, so it's about time we looked back and gave thanks to our favorite actors and filmmakers of 2009. So in this special week, we celebrate J.J. Abrams and Chris Pine for bringing "Star Trek" back into our lives; Tom Hardy for such an unexpectedly powerful turn in "Bronson"; Quentin Tarantino for blowing our minds with his " Inglourious Basterds"; Sam Rockwell for the amazingly inventive indie "Moon"; Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel for redefining how cool and cute a couple could be in "(500) Days of Summer"; and our ultimate winner, Ryan Reynolds, for a trio of memorable roles in vastly different (but all super entertaining) flicks like "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "The Proposal" and "Adventureland". Enjoy our exclusive interviews with all our winners all week long.

Check out everything we've got on "(500) Days of Summer."

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

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'New Moon' Co-Star Thinks 'Breaking Dawn' Green Light Is Imminent

The signs, it would seem, are everywhere. It might just be the worst-kept secret in all of Hollywood. So, why hasn't the "Breaking Dawn" movie been announced yet?

For starters, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Summit Entertainment just announced a television deal with FX to broadcast four "Twilight" films. Rob Pattinson told us that the movie might be filmed in Portland. Ryan Seacrest's radio show recently furthered the rumor (heard from a Summit exec's wife at a nail salon, mind you) that the final "Twilight" book was being split into two movies. And then there's the fact that it would be preposterous that an opening of $143 million in could be ignored and everyone would just release "Eclipse" and call it a day.

The morning after "New Moon" completed its opening-weekend domination, we went straight to one of the stars of the franchise. And Michael Welch, who plays Mike Newton, was the first to admit that a "Breaking Dawn" movie is as inevitable as death, taxes and grandparents wanting to pinch your cheeks during the holidays.

"Yeah, they're not going to make 'Breaking Dawn,' " grinned the actor who plays Mike Newton, dripping with sarcasm. "Of course, they are.

"I hope I'm not giving away any secrets here," he added playfully. "Now I'm going to get a call from Summit later: 'Why'd you give it away? It was going to be a big surprise!' "

Welch isn't the only one who has no problem talking as if a "Breaking Dawn" movie were far from hypothetical. Ashley Greene, Jamie Campbell Bower, RPattz and Kellan Lutz are among the many who've weighed in over the last few weeks.

"Could you imagine if they didn't make it? If they just said, 'We're going to move on; we're going to move on to our next Nicolas Cage movie,' " Welch teased. "It doesn't make any sense. Of course, it's going to be made; it just is."

For their part, the studio will only respond with a brief comment on the matter: "Summit Entertainment looks forward to bringing 'Breaking Dawn' to the big screen," they said this week in a statement. "But at this point any additional information is premature."

Apparently, that would include what Michael told us is the word amongst the cast. "I don't know how much of this I'm supposed to be giving away; as you can tell, I'm a little more relaxed about the whole thing [now that 'New Moon' did so well]," he explained. "But I heard a rumor that it's going to be made into two films, maybe. It would make sense — there's a lot to the story.

"That's what they're doing with the last 'Harry Potter' movie," Welch said of the move to film "The Deathly Hallows" as separate films to be released in the next two years. "I imagine that they want to prolong this as long as they can."

Asked if he'd prefer to shoot "Breaking Dawn" as two films, Welch said it's a no-brainer. "I think so, yeah," he explained. "There's a lot to get in. ... It doesn't seem like the energy is dying down anytime soon.

"I assume that if it's going to be made — at least, the one film — it would have to start being made pretty soon; early next year, by February or March," he said of when he'd expect cameras to roll, which is a tad bit earlier than Pattinson recently speculated to Collider.com. "That's why we've made these movies so close together; because vampires aren't supposed to be looking older. ... I assume there's going to be an announcement pretty soon. ... It'll probably be coming sometime in the next couple weeks."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and "Eclipse."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'New Moon' Screenwriter Reveals Four Tweaks That Made The Film Work

BEVERLY HILLS, California — By now, we're all on the same page. We've all seen "New Moon," and we can finally discuss the spoiler-heavy details of what worked and what didn't. That means we can unveil not only articles like this, but also our exclusive interview with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg.

In this sit-down with the adapter of the entire "Twilight" series, Melissa pinpoints four key details that she tweaked, augmented or deleted entirely, transforming Stephenie Meyer's novel into the biggest film of 2009. From Harry Clearwater's reimagined death to the lack of Laurent, read on for Rosenberg's official take on the tweaks that made "New Moon" shine:

Hope Bella Got a Gift Receipt ...
In one narrative device Melissa is particularly proud of, Jacob gives Bella a Quileute trinket meant to capture bad dreams — although, judging by all those late-night shots of Kristen Stewart in tears, it doesn't work very well. "One of my favorite things is the dream-catcher that Jacob gives Bella," the screenwriter said. "It's the first time that we see Jacob, and I wanted to establish his and Bella's relationship, his sort-of crush. [The gift establishes] her affection for him and Edward's jealousy of him. So I had the idea that he brought her a little birthday gift and came up with the dream-catcher, which would be true to his culture but also to the theme of the movie; there's a lot of dreams in this movie. That, I thought, played well."

Getting the Cullen Kicked Out of Him ...
In Meyer's novel, the Volturi scenes are a moody medley of tension, fear and careful wordplay. In the movie, however, Felix lays the smack-down on Edward as he tries to protect Bella. Like many scenes, Rosenberg said she needed to up the visuals to take the place of lost narrative nuances. "In the book, at the very end, the final climatic scene is Edward and Bella and Alice going to the Volturi and the potential that they might not walk out of there," she said. "It is very fraught with tension, but the tension is expressed through dialogue, and I wanted to heighten that. I wanted to have that conflict be external. So I pushed it into an all-out-battle, and Chris [Weitz] and the stunt people, along with ['X-Men' star] Daniel Cudmore who plays Felix, did this great action sequence at the end that's just really fantastic."

Cause of Death Unclear ...
Although he's a relatively minor character, the death of Quileute elder Harry Clearwater sets off a pivotal chain of events in the "Twilight" world. In Meyer's "New Moon" novel, Charlie Swan's friend dies of a heart attack. In the movie, the sight of vixen vampire Victoria kills him. So why the switch? "Well, in the book, Harry Clearwater's heart attack is mentioned as something that happens offscreen, although it plays a crucial part of the structure of the books. It's what gets Edward going to the Volturi, after he calls Charlie and then Jacob answers and says, 'Charlie's at a funeral,' " she explained. "That launches the entire third act of the movie. ... That just gave me the idea 'Stephenie doesn't specify what causes the heart attack,' so I decided that it could be caused by something startling him. It could be caused by fear. That was a way to keep Victoria alive. It was a way to keep Charlie and the danger of the hunt alive, and that's where we get a really great action sequence with Victoria that blends together important parts of the movie and important parts of the book moving forward. So I particularly like that."

The Love of Laurent
Sadly, fan fave Edi Gathegi doesn't get much screen time in "New Moon" and dies quite quickly. Rosenberg told us that if she had one regret, it's that she would've liked to delve deeper into the nomad's motivations. "Yes, we had to pull out some of the backstory, because it really just came down to conversation. Laurent was in Alaska, trying to be a vegetarian briefly, and all of his relationship with the Denali clan," she revealed. "A lot of the backstory for Laurent had to be pulled, because it just slowed everything down. I wish we could have gotten more of that in there."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'Ninja Assassin': Five Things You Should Know

"Ninja Assassin" starts off with one of the coolest and most gruesomely entertaining movie scenes of the year: a claustrophobic attack from some masked killers who slice, dice and decapitate their way through some unlucky gangsters, spraying blood around the room like they're firefighters trying to extinguish a four-alarmer.

From there, director James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta") and his star Rain take us on a global treasure hunt in which the nominal goal is vengeance but whose real aim is to kill as many people in as insane a fashion as possible. Run-and-slash sword fights on a busy highway! Armed-soldier-vs.-ninja melees! Spooky, flashlight-assisted battles that leave you hoping never to run into a ninja in a dark alley. The film barrels into theaters on Wednesday (November 25), and here are five things you should know before checking it out:

There's Blood, Blood and. .. Oh, Yeah — Blood!

Did we mention this one is bloody? Heads are removed from necks, stomachs are slashed open, limbs are sent flying, faces are abused. And most of it was accomplished though the magic of computer-generated technology.

"The aesthetic of the film was to pitch the blood somewhere between anime and gameplay," McTeigue told MTV News. "So I did do some practical effects on set, and it got augmented digitally in post-production. I really wanted the aesthetic of the blood to look different in this film."

Rain Is A Big Deal

In Asia, Rain is a household name, but he's yet to break into the American mainstream. The Korean pop star and actor is hoping "Ninja Assassin" — in which he plays Raizo, a revenge-seeking professional killer who doffs his shirt in half his battles and shows off a physique in which every pec and pack pops — will change all that.

"It's hard to even walk in streets in Asia," Rain told MTV News. "I hope it'll be the same [in America]. Raizo is very sexy. I love my character."

"I'm introducing a bloody sex symbol," laughed McTeigue

The Fire Is Real

With so many epic skirmishes, moviegoers might leave the theater debating which one was their favorite, but both Rain and McTeigue vote for the climatic final sequence. We won't spoil the fun, but suffice to say it involves a lot of fire.

"It was real flame!" said Rain. "There is no wire and no camera tricks."

"And he had bare feet — that's always hard — and he didn't have a shirt on," McTeigue added. "Once the flame effect comes up, it's kind of like being in an oven. Normally, he has grease and sweat on him, so he starts to bake like a turkey."

It Nods to Ninjas Past

Aficionados of classic '80s ninja flicks like "Enter the Ninja" will immediately recognize the main villain in "Assassin": Sho Kosugi, who plays the orphanage taskmaster that trains Raizo and eventually become his nemesis.

When he looked to cast his villain, McTeigue was well-aware of Kosugi's cinematic history and actively sought him out for a role that would pay respect to movies ninjas past. "Absolutely it was an homage to Sho," the director said. "In those '80s movies, he was the ninja, he was the guy. To get him to play the orphanage master, it was great."

It Looks Toward the Ninja Future

One thing you'll certainly be thinking throughout "Assassin" is how it almost looks and feels like a video game. Could gamers one day pick up controllers and guide Raizo through a digital world?

"It'd be good to do a game," McTeigue. "The only thing with a game is when we made this movie, we were backing into the writers' strike. But you need lead time on a game of about two years, so maybe if there's 'Ninja Assassin 2,' there'll be a game."

For a sequel, could Rain go through the six months of nonstop training it took to get into fighting shape? "I'll think about it," laughed the star. "You know what? It was so painful!"

McTeigue then had a great solution. "He's going to go the other way. This diet will be cigars and alcohol and really flabby. We're actually not going to go to 'Ninja Assassin 2.' We're going to go to 'Ninja Assassin 22: The Old Man,' it'll be called."

Check out everything we've got on "Ninja Assassin."

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

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Robert Pattinson: 'I Haven't Done That Many Romantic Things In My Life'

BEVERLY HILLS, California — As you read this, "New Moon" has the biggest opening weekend of 2009, will certainly rake in millions more this weekend and could possibly go on to become the highest-grossing film of the year. In short, it's a very good time to be Robert Pattinson.

Recently, the man otherwise known as Edward Cullen sat down with MTV Radio for a frank chat about life in both Hollywood and Forks, Washington. If you can spare 10 minutes between trips to the theater for repeat viewings, read on to learn RPattz's thoughts about his director, the hardest "New Moon" scenes to shoot, and the most romantic thing he's ever done.

MTV: Tell us about working with Chris Weitz. What were your thoughts when you first received his now-famous "orientation guide"?

Robert Pattinson: When he gave that out, it was such [a surprise]; I mean, I'd never had that from any director. It was 40, 50 pages long, this thing. And this is in addition to a bunch of letters and e-mails and everything [he had sent the cast], trying to show that he's on the same page as us and he's completely with us in making the film. And he didn't falter from that attitude throughout the whole movie. It probably sounds ridiculous how much praise this guy gets. I was just with his wife and him in Japan, and she was even sick of it! But he is like a saint. He's one of the best people I've ever met, let alone directors. I think in a lot of ways that shows in the movie — it's got a lot of heart.

MTV: Since you're only in parts of the film, did you feel disjointed from your castmates? Did you wish Edward was in "New Moon" more?

Pattinson: Those [hallucination] scenes were the hardest scenes. They weren't really at the time, but when I saw the first cut of the movie, I was like, [we need to re-do this]; we've changed them quite a bit in the edit and ADR, mainly because it's so difficult. It's not Edward who you're playing, it's a manifestation of Bella's loneliness and desperation. That was always very difficult — I was trying to ask Kristen, "How would you play it?" As for being alone, I think I've always felt a little bit aloof as the character throughout the whole series. I think that's how he is.

MTV: But do you appreciate Edward more with each movie?

Pattinson: It's funny, because when I read "New Moon," it gave me ideas about how to play him in the first one. It's the one I connected to the most, and the one that humanized Edward for me the most. In the first one, he remains from beginning to end an idealistic character; in the second one, he makes a mistake that's acknowledged by everybody, including himself. He's totally undermined by more powerful creatures, and he's undermined emotionally by people as well. I think that's what humanized it.

MTV: Are you a romantic person in real life?

Pattinson: I haven't done that many romantic things in my life ... I like the romantic scenes. I felt like a lot of the story line in "New Moon" is very heartbreaking and true. And I didn't think I was doing something just for the sake of romance. In a lot of ways, it's a very sad story. Hmmm ... what's the most romantic thing I've ever done?

MTV: Have you ever serenaded anybody?

Pattinson: Oh no [ laughs ]. I don't think that would ever be romantic. You have to have so much balls to do that. I actually can't think of the most romantic thing I've ever done. I put a flower in someone's locker when I was 15 years old, this girl Maria. Maybe I was 14. Anyway, she thought it was somebody else. And the other guy claimed it [was him], which was great.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'Pippa Lee' Stars Keanu Reeves, Robin Wright Penn Talk Love And Loss

Robin Wright Penn wasn't supposed to be in "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," at least not in the way it was originally conceived by indie filmmaker Rebecca Miller ("The Ballad of Jack and Rose"). The writer/director conceived her newest movie's heroine as a 55-year-old woman coming to terms with her shady past and contending with her older husband's declining health.

But when Penn came into the picture, the story line stayed the same, while Pippa's age dropped 15 years. "Really and truly, age is just a number," the actress told MTV News. "I think we do it in stages in our life. It's like every seven years, turn over a new leaf. [Pippa's] at that crossroads."

Penn herself has undergone profound personal changes in recent years. After she spent almost two decades with Sean Penn, dating since 1989 and marrying seven years later, the couple began divorce proceedings this summer. Speaking with MTV, though, the actress resisted the notion that she and her character shared much in common.

Biographically speaking, that is certainly true. Told through a series of flashbacks that augment the present-tense narrative, "Pippa" follows the titular character from her days of youthful debauchery (played, in these sequences, by Blake Lively) to the time, decades later, when she and her elderly husband (Alan Arkin) move into a retirement home following his heart attack and she meets a man closer to her own age (Keanu Reeves).

Like Pippa, Reeves' character is struggling to make sense of life's difficult twists and turns. The actor revealed that his point of creative entry for the role was to imagine how to restart your own life after past failures, or as he put it, "the idea of dealing with the past and becoming present in your own life and changing it."

Change is certainly one of the film's central themes. Love, as Pippa says at one point, comes and goes. And at least in this respect, Penn agrees with her character.

"It's twofold. It does come and go, but when it comes back, it's bigger," she explained, adding, "When it goes, it goes. You're like, 'OK, this one came back and, wow, it feels better.' "

Check out everything we've got on "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee."

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

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Ryan Reynolds Is The Actor We're Most Thankful For In 2009

Ryan Reynolds might want to quit while he's ahead. How else can the man top 2009, when he starred in two of the 10 highest-grossing movies of the year ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "The Proposal"), as well as the critically lauded indie "Adventureland"?

Then again, the 33-year-old can't go into hiding anytime soon. This year, he signed on to two big-budget franchise flicks, "Deadpool" and "Green Lantern." Lucky for him, fanboys couldn't be more excited to see his takes on both iconic comic book characters. As Thanksgiving approaches and we dole out gratitude to our favorite actors and filmmakers of the year, MTV News is delighted to dub Ryan Reynolds as the guy we're most thankful for in 2009.

In an exclusive chat, the man himself discussed reworking an iconic comic book character in "Wolverine," making the biggest rom-com in history with "Proposal," and what the future is going to look like now that he's becoming both Deadpool and Green Lantern.

MTV: I have to congratulate you, because we always anoint a person we are most thankful for, and this year it is you. Congratulations, officially.

Ryan Reynolds: Wow, that has only ever been bestowed upon me by Tammy Reynolds, my mother. This is nice.

MTV: Do you have a speech prepared?

Reynolds: I have absolutely nothing but a series of simple grunts.

MTV: When you take a look at this year, does it feel like, in the scheme of things, it's a landmark year, personally or professionally?

Reynolds: It's been probably the most unbelievable year of my life. Starting with setting some goals that I didn't think would be possible several years before, running a marathon, getting married -- the year has been incredible, all across the board. The fact that "Green Lantern" is something that's about to get going full-steam pretty soon, and then there is "Deadpool" on the horizon as well. If you asked me if this would be happening three years ago, I would have kick-f---ed you back to where you were from.

MTV: All these things we're talking about are things you set in motion. You pursued them, you kind of went after them. Does that make it a little bit more gratifying?

Reynolds: It's incredibly validating and gratifying when you can see that you can manifest something that you desperately want or a goal that you have. This is a difficult industry to get anything made, let alone a passion project, so when you see people understand what your vision is and come aligned with that common goal, it's pretty cool. I'm including all the creative types that are actually involved with "Deadpool" and "Green Lantern," because those guys want to make an authentic movie, and that's something a few years ago studios disregarded.

MTV: You have done everything from a publicity tour with Betty White to trying on the Green Lantern costumes. So, in looking back at the year, is there a moment that sums it up, that encapsulates what 2009 was about?

Reynolds: I think, seeing the prototypes for the Green Lantern costumes was a huge moment. It was a moment when I was like, "This is happening, and it's happening in the right way." That's a pretty cool, definitive moment for me.

MTV: Were you happy with the incarnation of Wade Wilson and Deadpool in "Wolverine"? Do you think you captured what you wanted to in the first look at Wade?

Reynolds: Yeah, I think the initial moment of the sequences that involve Wade, I think it did. It's always difficult to fully embrace something that isn't perfect, in terms of staying true to the source material. So it was a little bit frustrating. I really wanted to play Wade, and I really wanted to play Deadpool, and it would kill me to see someone else play them. I had a kind of ham-fisted attitude that it had to be perfect, but it doesn't. The movie's called "Wolverine," it's not called "Deadpool" or "Wade." I thought it was a nice little wink and tip of the hat to things to come. Finding the tone of that character alone is such a difficult prospect. I've been in so many meetings lately about "Deadpool" and meeting all these writers. Everyone is always looking for that one line, "What is that character?" and for me it's kind of like, "There's a guy, and he's in a highly militarized comedic fame spiral." That's not an easy thing to write -- an entire screenplay, let alone a franchise. I had a blast playing Wade. Every line I had in that was stuff I thought he would say. It wasn't something that a writer said to me. It was fun to really create that character, including everything he spits out of his awful mouth.

MTV: Does your love of "Green Lantern" and Hal Jordan go back far?

Reynolds: I've known about "Green Lantern" my whole life, but I've never really followed it before. I fell in love with the character when I met with [director] Martin Campbell. When I sat down with him, I really got what it is that this guy is all about. When you have a guy like Martin Campbell, part of his charm is that he has ba--s of titanium, and the other part is that he's slightly crazy, and you have to be to take on something with the scope of "Green Lantern." He's less of the director and more of a general. He just really knows strategies, he knows the intricacies, and his attention to detail! It's infectious. I sat down with him, and I could not even believe what he was saying. When I went to the meeting, I was entirely cynical. I thought, "What the hell, I'll see what they have to say," and I left the room with a completely different perspective.

MTV: Now about this little romantic comedy, "The Proposal." You and Sandra were friends going way back. Were you confident when making the film that it would translate to the screen?

Reynolds: She and I had been friends forever, but I don't think that necessarily translates into chemistry. Chemistry is something that either does or doesn't happen. We discovered that on the first day of rehearsal, and that's when we stopped rehearsing and decided to save it for film.

MTV: Is this one of those onscreen pairings you think could benefit from returning to in the future?

Reynolds: We wouldn't do a sequel, but we're looking for something to do together again. Everyone used to do it back in the day. I'm not comparing us to [Spencer] Tracy and [Katharine] Hepburn, but they worked together all the time. So hopefully we can find something that works.

Thanksgiving is a time for taking stock, expressing gratitude and, most importantly, overeating. We at MTV News have been gorging all year at movie theaters, so it's about time we looked back and gave thanks to our favorite actors and filmmakers of 2009. So in this special week, we celebrate J.J. Abrams and Chris Pine for bringing "Star Trek" back into our lives; Tom Hardy for such an unexpectedly powerful turn in "Bronson"; Quentin Tarantino for blowing our minds with his " Inglourious Basterds"; Sam Rockwell for the amazingly inventive indie "Moon"; Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel for redefining how cool and cute a couple could be in "(500) Days of Summer"; and our ultimate winner, Ryan Reynolds, for a trio of memorable roles in vastly different (but all super entertaining) flicks like "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "The Proposal" and "Adventureland". Enjoy our exclusive interviews with all our winners all week long.

Check out everything we've got on "Inglourious Basterds."

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

Tom Hardy Is Thankful For ‘Bronson,’ ‘Mad Max’ And More In 2009Green Day release ‘21st Century Breakdown’

Tom Hardy Is Thankful For 'Bronson,' 'Mad Max' And More In 2009

Tom Hardy has been an "Oh yeah, it's that guy" actor for years: You recognize him, you just don't know from where. After making a big splash in Hollywood earlier in the decade with parts in the HBO World War II miniseries "Band of Brothers" and the urban warfare flick "Black Hawk Down," Hardy was poised to break into the A-list. But a starring role in "Star Trek: Nemesis" — a film so bad it effectively killed the franchise for years — and an alcohol- and drug-fueled breakdown contributed to a professional downfall from which Hardy slowly emerged by getting sober and returning to theater work.

Now he's back with a critically acclaimed turn as an iconic British prisoner in "Bronson" and he's finally getting the full Hollywood embrace. Christopher Nolan cast him in "Inception," and he's taking over Mel Gibson's freaky role for "Mad Max: Fury Road." This has been a fantastic year for the British actor, as he explained to MTV News in an exclusive interview, and the future is looking even better. We couldn't be more thankful about it all.

MTV News: This performance in "Bronson" sort of came out of nowhere for people in the States. Were you surprised at how critics just loved it?

Tom Hardy: Yeah, it was really lovely to see how everyone responded over in the States. In England [criminal Charles Bronson is] a very well known character in the press. It was more expected that the audiences in England were going to see the film and know who he was. But I didn't know there was going to be such exposure in America. It was a small independent film. It went to Sundance, but it was a gamble. It was nice to get such a big response from it in the industry.

MTV: And you certainly know both ends of the spectrum, being in high-profile films that sometimes don't resonate. You would maybe expect something like this, a labor of love, when it hits, that's got to be the ultimate reward.

Hardy: Yeah, it's great for everybody involved that it made such a noise, and I've certainly reaped wonderful benefits from being in that film.

MTV: It seems like you've known your fair share of "actors to watch" lists over the years. Has this performance really changed the way you're perceived in Hollywood?

Hardy: It hasn't changed the way I work at all. But it's sort of a fishing thing — right place, right time — and offers have started to come in which weren't offered before. There are two sides to that story. I don't know how the industry works, how somebody becomes a hot property or not. But ["Bronson"] was definitely a good business card in that sense.

MTV: When you look back, can you pinpoint a best or most surreal moment?

Hardy: I didn't expect to get "Mad Max." I really didn't. I didn't ever expect to get the lead in a Hollywood movie, for Chris Nolan off the bat to offer me ["Inception"] without an audition and then to go sit with [director] George Miller [on "Mad Max"] and work with him and not really audition in the orthodox way of auditioning — this year's been crazy. I've been working as an actor for a long time now, and I've been waiting for an independent film to come along because it was very hard to get cast as a character actor, as a lead — being credible but bankable. It's very hard to break in when there are plenty of people who can be cast, who can green-light, who can put bums in the seats. So this whole year has been staggering.

MTV: You first had a taste of stardom with "Star Trek: Nemesis" in 2002. Back then did you feel like you had it made and it's all going to come easy now? And when that didn't happen, how did that influence the next few years of your life?

Hardy: That was a very important moment. I left drama school early — I caught a lucky one — and a casting agent put me forward for "Band of Brothers." But I was very young, very naive and very eager. I started to work back to back. I went from "Band of Brothers" to "The Reckoning" with Willem Dafoe to "Black Hawk Down" to "Star Trek." It was all in, like, 16 months. I thought, "This is it!" And I wasn't prepared at all for any of the pressure.

The worst pressure was within my own head, the fear of success and the fear of failure. And not concentrating on my craft. I was just concentrating on getting another job. It manifested in panic and fear and lots and lots of drinking to bolster my courage. After "Star Trek," I had a fallow year. I was waiting for "Star Trek" to come out and push me onto a bigger stage. I ended up in the hospital just after it came out. I broke down physically, spiritually, mentally. And I had to realize that this chasing dreams, this panic, this constant nervous energy wasn't healthy for me. A lot of people drink for pleasure, they party hard, but for me it didn't help. The best thing was to cut it out altogether. So I went back to the theater and slowly worked back to where I am now. But I'm aware now that this could all stop, and that's OK too.

MTV: With all the success you're having and are about to have with the upcoming films, are you worried about the demons resurfacing?

Hardy: I'm conscious of it. It's healthy to have a certain amount of trepidation and respect for isolating myself in a way where I could frighten myself again. I have a son now as well — he's 18 months old — and he's a very strong focus in my life. I need to be a father and a strong male figure in his life. If I feel anything is encroaching on my ability to stay stable and have a purpose in my life, then I'll bow out respectfully. I came very close to losing everything before, and it scarred me. I'm very proud of the mark, but I don't ever want to go there again.

Thanksgiving is a time for taking stock, expressing gratitude and, most importantly, overeating. We at MTV News have been gorging all year at movie theaters, so it's about time we looked back and gave thanks to our favorite actors and filmmakers of 2009. So in this special week, we celebrate J.J. Abrams and Chris Pine for bringing "Star Trek" back into our lives; Tom Hardy for such an unexpectedly powerful turn in "Bronson"; Quentin Tarantino for blowing our minds with his "Inglourious Basterds"; Sam Rockwell for the amazingly inventive indie "Moon"; Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel for redefining how cool and cute a couple could be in "(500) Days of Summer"; and our ultimate winner, Ryan Reynolds, for a trio of memorable roles in vastly different (but all super entertaining) flicks like "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "The Proposal" and "Adventureland." Enjoy our exclusive interviews with the winners all week long.

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

Robert Pattinson’s Dream? To Make His Own MoviesGruff Rhys presents Separado!

'Eclipse' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

Nowadays, "New Moon" is tearing apart box-office records like a Cullen feasting on a freshly killed deer. With the "Twilight" sequel nabbing the advance-sales record, the biggest single-day record and the highest-grossing midnight showings of all time, fans have to wonder: Can this franchise get any bigger? Fortunately, they only have to wait seven months to get the answer.

Many of the saga's stars have cited "Eclipse" as their favorite of Stephenie Meyer's novels, and with "30 Days of Night" filmmaker David Slade at the helm, it seems likely to be a very distinctive entry into the blockbuster series. With that in mind (and since we're always on top of the latest "Twilight" news) we wanted to bring you our cheat sheet for "Eclipse" a little bit early to give you one-stop shopping for all the latest details on what could possibly be the biggest film of 2010.

Let the Race Begin
Summit Entertainment made headlines in February when it announced the release date of "Eclipse" as June 30, less than a year after "New Moon." At the time, the accelerated pace seemed a bit risky, but fans were cautiously pleased that Edward, Bella and the rest wouldn't be aging half-decades at a time between films. Taylor Lautner promised a "darker" film, Kristen Stewart said the love triangle will be further intensified, Rob promised that Bella will be treacherous in the flick, and the Cullens themselves are looking forward to kicking some ass.

Flashing Back
One of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of "Eclipse" is the multiple flashbacks we'll be seeing of Dr. Carlisle Cullen recruiting his "family" as they were set to die decades ago in human form. Jackson Rathbone might have the meatiest backstory as Jasper, and he has filmed scenes where he's riding horses on the Civil War battlefield, learning lessons that will help the family in battle against Victoria. Oscar nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno plays Maria, the vampire who bites Jasper. Meanwhile, Jack Huston has filmed his scenes as Royce King II, a.k.a. the Scumbag Who Nearly Kills Rosalie, and Nikki Reed can't wait for fans to witness her tragic backstory. An eager Slade recently celebrated the film's wrap by leaking the first official photo.

Murphy's Law
Former Bauhaus singer and "Godfather of Goth" Peter Murphy has filmed a key cameo for the third film, an appearance that delighted fan Billy Burke. When we spoke with Melissa Rosenberg recently, she further explained that the cameo sets up the love/hate relationship between the Cullens and the Quileute wolves.

Here Come the Newbies
Among the new stars onboard are Kirsten Prout as Lucy, Boo Boo Stewart as Seth Clearwater, Xavier Samuel as Riley and so many others. At this rate, the cast of the saga might soon outnumber the audience.

Switching Out Stars
Unfortunately, one of the sad things about "New Moon" is that fans spent the weekend watching Rachelle Lefevre's final scenes as Victoria, a character who drives much of "Eclipse." Summit made big news when they announced that Bryce Dallas Howard would be replacing Lefevre. The "stunned" fan favorite went public with her anger over being dismissed. The studio shot back by saying it was "disappointed" in the actress, fans expressed outrage and things became relatively quiet. Lefevre was noticeably absent from the "New Moon" premiere last week, blaming it on a sick dog and claiming she was "too emotional" to attend. We can only hope the drama in "Eclipse" is half as compelling as what has happened behind the scenes.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Mariah Carey offers fans a chance to meet her‘New Moon’ Sets New Box-Office Record For Midnight Screenings

Robert Pattinson Brings His Whole Family To 'Ellen'

Robert Pattinson is one busy guy. Between shooting and promoting the "Twilight Saga" films, he rarely gets to see his loved ones. So when he stopped by Ellen DeGeneres' talk show Friday (November 20), he brought his whole family with him. But, to be safe, they stayed away from the screaming fans in the audience.

"That's the way I like to keep my family," he joked to Ellen. "Just in a pen."

As for the fans, they didn't really stop screaming from the moment Pattinson first appeared on the stage. It seemed to be a bit much for Pattinson. "It's still in your ears afterward," he said about the resounding response. "We've done five or six countries in a week."

DeGeneres asked the actor if he had any clue just how big the "Twilight" movies would be. "I don't think anyone did," he said. "And it keeps getting bigger as well."

Pattinson said he was surprised that the "New Moon" set wasn't accosted by fans more frequently. "They did occasionally, but it was much more so on the first one," he said. "I think we were just so remote."

Ellen and Pattinson then took a trip down memory lane, showing pictures of the star at various ages. "I just realized my milk teeth look exactly the same as my teeth now," he said about his baby pictures. He photos popped up of him from his modeling days, including one that him in just a scarf and boxers. "I know exactly what picture's coming," he laughed.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Robert Pattinson On Why It’s Hard To Be Robert PattinsonMariah Carey offers fans a chance to meet her

'New Moon': Five Things You Might Have Missed

By now, you've seen "New Moon" — and many of you have probably seen it three, four or five times. But as all the new scenes and moments settle into your subconscious, you have questions. And, as always, we're here to help.

Below are five spoiler-heavy facts we've uncovered and can now finally unveil to the "Twilight" nation. Read on for info about Bella's grandma, Edward's car and that already-famous final line of the film.

Edward's Chameleon-Esque Car
If his lousy parking job distracted you, perhaps you didn't notice that when Edward pulled into Forks High, his famed Volvo was no longer gray, as it was in the novels and the first movie. Hey, Chris Weitz, what gives? "I've taken a real spanking for this, a lot of heat," the director explained. "I'll tell you exactly why: Volvo wanted to give us a new, different car so I didn't want to paint it exactly the same silver color, because then [Twilighters] would be saying, 'Why are they trying to say that it's the same car; it's obviously not.' So, I thought, 'Well, I'll choose a new color!' And I thought I would choose slate black, not a reflective black, because it actually absorbs light and it would reflect the mood and melancholy and depression [of his character]. I know I got it wrong, I apologize for that. But that is my reasoning."

A Newly Visible Victoria
In Stephenie Meyer's "New Moon" novel, the vengeful nomad Victoria is more of a long-distance threat than a regularly glimpsed monster. So, why is it that the movie has her lurking in the woods, swimming in the water and even killing a character? "Well, movies are such a visual medium," explained screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who also created a scene with Victoria driving that was ultimately cut after being filmed. "To just be talking about Victoria, or to be hearing about her, isn't visceral enough. You have to actually see her and see the threat that she is; I wanted to keep her alive throughout, so that you knew that the danger to Bella was alive. I also had so much fun writing for her — there are a couple of action moments in the middle of the movie that are really fun, and I really wanted to have her in there. It also keeps the pacing of the movie, to see her and to have those conflicts."

Grandma Is a Bloodsucker
As die-hard Twi-hards know, Chris Weitz's grandmother was an actress in one of the first "Dracula" films and is still going strong at age 99; his mother acted for two decades and was nominated for an Oscar in 1960. Since the movie opens with Bella seeing her own grandmother, why didn't Weitz offer one of his own family members the chance to act again? "How kind," he said at the thought. "But I think it would have been difficult for me to say, 'Mom, we would like you to play a woman who is so old that she horrifies Bella when she recognizes herself in the mirror' — I think [my Mom] has put movies behind her for good. And now, she just raises me and my brother."

How Did Taylor Do It?
If Taylor Lautner wanted to keep his job, he needed to get very muscular, very fast. Now that you've seen him with his shirt off you might be wondering: How can my boyfriend get that bod in less than a year? "Jacob transforms a lot in 'New Moon,' not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. So, it was a matter of getting to the gym and eating the right foods," he explained. "I was in the gym about five days a week, because it's important to get your recovery time and not overwork yourself — I was trying to put on weight and If I was in the gym too much, I'd be burning the calories I was trying to take in. The other thing — the most important thing — was the eating side. Everybody thinks it was the actual getting in the gym — that was easy; I was motivated. Getting in the gym was easy for me, but the eating was pretty hard."

The Final Line
As you now know, "New Moon" ends with a very special proposal. But since it was different in Stephenie Meyer's novels, who decided to move it? "My thought was initially to save that for the next movie, because that movie's all about the triangle and Edward's proposal to Bella and her debate about whether to do it or not," Rosenberg explained, giving the credit to Weitz. "Chris realized — and I think rightly so — that belonged here. And it was a great way to go out of the movie."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'New Moon' Sets New Box-Office Record For Midnight Screenings

In "New Moon," Bella is filled with confusion as Edward leaves her, Jacob Black makes his move and the nomad vampires continue to surround Forks. When it comes to Twilighters and the box office, however, there is no such indecision — and the results are already showing in record-setting numbers.

Summit Entertainment is reporting that the "Twilight" sequel opened on Thursday night to an unprecedented $26.3 million during its midnight screenings across the country. The film unspooled on 3,514 screens, playing at 12:01 a.m. for die-hard fans — many of whom arrived at the theaters dressed as their favorite characters.

That total handily beats the midnight-screening record of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." This seems to vindicate "Twilight" star Jackson Rathbone, who famously responded to our question of whether Stephenie Meyer's franchise could take on J.K. Rowling's juggernaut, "I don't know; they've got brooms."

In case you need further proof that "Twilight" is the new "Potter," look no further than the recent news that "New Moon" set the record for most presold tickets before opening day, or that the movie's soundtrack charted at #1. Or that a one-day re-release of "Twilight" grossed $1.3 million on 2,057 screens on Thursday. And so, the lion fell in love with the lamb, and moviegoers fell in love with the "Twilight" series.

"New Moon" is the second installment in the "Twilight Saga" series that is scheduled to release "Eclipse" next summer and almost inevitably "Breaking Dawn" sometime after that. In addition to the box-office numbers, the opinions of the fans so far seem to be mostly favorable, and even Kurt Loder seems to like it more than the original film. Stay tuned to MTV News throughout the weekend, as we'll continue bringing you the very latest news on the "New Moon" box-office receipts.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Tegan And Sara Talk ‘Twilight,’ Gun For Spot On ‘Eclipse’ SoundtrackGruff Rhys presents Separado!

'New Moon' Fans Appreciate Taylor Lautner's New Physique

The big story this weekend may not only be about how awesome "New Moon" is — there will probably be a lot of talk about Taylor Lautner's new bulked-up physique. Some fans have even said that the muscles are a game-changer, and have switched their allegiances from Team Edward to Team Jacob.

"Amazing! Let me tell you, I think that was probably the best part of the movie — seeing him half-naked the whole time," Stephanie told MTV News after catching a midnight screening of "New Moon" in New York City.

Other fans not only loved the muscles, but also Jacob's new shorter 'do in the movie. "Taylor definitely stole the show," fan Melissa gushed. "This was all about Taylor."

Cece thought that the rest of the guys in the flick should have had some quality shirtless time as well. "Amazing! I wish the rest of them were just as buff as him," she said. "I love that his shirt was off the whole time."

Many fans called the transformation surprising. "Tan and lean and warm — and meaty!" fans joked. "Very meaty. I think that's the only word that could describe him."

"You know, usually I'm not a Team Jacob person," one fan said. "But I can't even lie — he looks pretty good." Her pal added that even she is seeing Jacob in a new light. "Taylor Lautner ... he looks way better. I have a little tiny crush on him, but I'm still Team Edward."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Taylor Swift introduces Taylor Lautner to her mumTaylor Lautner’s ‘New Moon’ Performance Impresses Vampire Co-Stars

'The Twilight Saga: New Moon': Eclipse, By Kurt Loder

In "New Moon," a new character joins the "Twilight" family of nuzzly PG-13 creatures. It's the Invisible Man. Not far into the picture, the undead Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) fades out of the action for a bit, and is replaced by wolf boy Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Edward eventually returns, but he never really comes back. Last year's sensitive hunk, with his pasty face and glum, mopey demeanor, is no match for this year's actual hunk; and Jacob — much more vibrant, and madly muscular — romps off with the picture.

It's a very silly picture, of course: Given the series' source material — Stephenie Meyer's blathery teen novels — what else could it be? But thanks to Lautner and newly-recruited director Chris Weitz, "New Moon" is a notable improvement over "Twilight." There's not quite so much moony young-adult yearning (although Lord knows there's enough of it); and there's a little more action; and with cheery Anna Kendrick and Ashley Greene back on board, and Michael Sheen (really!) camping it up as some sort of lord of the vampires, the movie approaches the outskirts of liveliness. It never gets there — no surprise — and if the picture were at least 15 minutes shorter maybe that wouldn't matter so much. In any case, one assumes that fans won't care.

The story is once again nominally centered on Bella Swan, now 18 and once again played by Kristen Stewart, an actress of real talent who's once again wasted in this wooden role. Bella is still hot — no, that's not the word: "warm," maybe — for Edward, and wants him to turn her into a vampire, too, so they can be together for, like, ever. Edward, up to his rouged lips in gooey emotional torment, refuses to do this; and after much po-faced dithering, he informs her that he's going away and she'll never see him again. This struck me as an excellent development, but Bella is distraught.

Enter Jacob, the young werewolf, who wastes little time in stripping off his shirt, which stays off for much of the rest of the film. In a giddy mood, Bella buys a pair of junked-out motorcycles so she and Jacob can spend time together repairing them. Soon they're flirting, sort of, and Bella tells Jacob that she really needs him — although not in the way he might think. Whatever that might mean is entirely unclear. She is, after all, still carrying a torch — well, maybe a lighter — for Edward, who keeps popping up in ghosty little inserts to prove that he's ... still in the picture, so to speak.

The boldly gaunt Cullen family is on hand again, with clairvoyant Alice (Greene) clocking the most screen time. Bella's barely-distinguishable school friends put in occasional appearances, too, with best pal Jessica (Kendrick) bringing spurts of welcome energy to her few scenes. And lurking in the woods around the town of Forks are the outlaw vampires Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre), still more interesting than most of the rest of the movie's characters, although Jacob and his werewolf clan — all similarly hunky, and similarly shirtless — do have their CGI-assisted feral moments.

But then the story drags us back to Edward, who's decided to kill himself. (An odd plan for a guy who's already dead.) To do this, he's relocated to Italy to petition the Volturi — vampire royalty — to put him out of his endless friggin' misery. Bella gets word of this and flies off to Italy, too. There's much yakking in the royal court, presided over by the mincing Aro (Sheen), and attended by a pain-dealing bloodsucker named Jane (Dakota Fanning!). Around about here, Pattinson gets to bare his own chest — a bad idea in a movie that also features Taylor Lautner — and we notice that while his face is heavily pancaked, his torso is of a normal human hue. Whatever, I suppose.

The movie ends — just stops, really — with a question. I assume it'll be answered in the next "Twilight" film, "Eclipse." That one's due out next year — meaning another year of fervent anticipation for fans. Unbelievers, however, may have a question of their own for the producers: Must you rush?

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'New Moon' Cast Reveal Their Favorite Scenes

NEW YORK — "New Moon" fans will probably walk out of theaters this weekend with a concrete idea of which scene is their favorite. And, as it turns out, it's no different for the stars of the flick. Some favor the vampy scenes, while others still can't get over Taylor Lautner's magnetism.

"I liked when Jacob transforms into the werewolf," Peter Facinelli revealed to MTV News. "When I was reading the book — I mean, your imagination goes so far, and I was like, 'I can't wait to see that in the film,' and it didn't disappoint."

Facinelli also loved getting to see the scene with the film's soundtrack worked in. "I saw an early cut of it, and I loved that cut," he explained. "And it was pretty similar, except it had all the music laid into it. I've been listening to the soundtrack, so it's been pretty cool."

Fellow Cullen Ashley Greene flew her Team Jacob flag by highlighting the wolf fights. "I think that I like the wolf fight. You never know how those are going to turn out with the CGI. I think it turned out very well," she said, adding that evil vamps Jane and Aro are also cool.

"I was obviously there filming it and kind of saw the way Michael Sheen commanded the room, and he's so fantastic to watch and be across from," she added. "So I wanted to see how they came across on film, and I thought that it was a very cool scene."

It seems that more Cullens are also jumping on the Jacob bandwagon. Kellan Lutz added, "The first time I saw it, it wasn't 100-percent done, so the werewolves were still clay-mation. But the wolf fighting, it's awesome. It really is pretty cool."

Nikki Reed may be Lutz's partner onscreen, but in real life she had to admit that seeing any scene with Lautner in the film stands out as her favorite. "Anything with Taylor in it!" she said. "I always believed in Taylor, but I didn't know how much he would shine, and he truly is a star. And I've never seen such a gorgeous young man do an entire seen with his shirt off and you don't even notice. He's intoxicating!"

Taylor Swift introduces Taylor Lautner to her mumTaylor Lautner’s ‘New Moon’ Performance Impresses Vampire Co-Stars

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner Miss Life Before Fame

BEVERLY HILLS, California — Even in this age of reality stars, balloon boys and talent-free celebutantes, it's hard to think of anyone who has achieved as much fame as quickly as the cast of the "Twilight" movies. Little more than 12 months ago, they could walk down the street unbothered. Now Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner have reached the point where everything they do is a headline — even the made-up stuff.

So, when we recently spoke with the trio, we had to ask a simple question on the minds of many of the fans: How are they dealing with their newfound fame?

"Malls are not a good idea," Lautner laughed, telling us about some of the lessons he's learned over the past few months. "Neither are movie theaters."

While in Japan on his worldwide "New Moon" publicity tour, Pattinson said his relative obscurity there only reminded him of what things used to be like. "I was in Tokyo. I was just wandering around on the streets, and no one recognized me — which was strange, because I was the only non-Japanese person walking around."

Once he got back to the airport, however, the insanity of Rob's daily existence was reignited. "In airports, I'm so nervous walking around [because of the paparazzi]," he explained. "I just [want to] wander around. I don't really have that many desires."

What would Stewart do if she could return to anonymity for a day? "I want to do nothing," she said. "I literally just want to go outside and go for a walk."

"Sometimes I know the right stores [where I won't be bothered], or I know the right restaurants, or I'll rent movies now," Taylor explained. "But movie theaters aren't the best ideas."

Ultimately, all three stars have done an admirable job in maintaining their own identities. And while there are some things they can't do anymore, they try not to sit around thinking about it too much.

"You definitely want to maintain [doing normal] stuff as much as you can, because you'll go crazy," Lautner explained. "So, you definitely try and maintain the life you had before."

With a smile, Taylor added that when his fame does get to be too much, he just thinks about how lucky he is to not be Rob Pattinson. "Rob's got it bad," he grinned.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Taylor Swift introduces Taylor Lautner to her mumKristen Stewart Insists That Fame Is ‘All Good’ With Her

LaToya Jackson Is 'Not Ready' To See Michael's 'This Is It'

While thousands of Michael Jackson fans have flocked to movie theaters to see the limited-run engagement of his "This Is It" concert film, several of his family members, including sisters Janet and LaToya, have yet to see the flick. However, LaToya said she's comforted by the support the family has received in the wake of Michael's death this past summer.

"I didn't see the movie yet," she told MTV News on the red carpet of the Us Weekly "Hot Hollywood" event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. "I'm not ready to see it just yet. It's a bit too much for me right now."

But she did elaborate on the fan response to the film, which has grossed more than $200 million across the globe.

"Well, you know, it's so interesting that he is so loved by everyone in the world," she said. "You just enjoy the fact that people love him so much just in every country. And the things that you read and hear, it makes you feel good inside to know he was your brother and that people loved him that much."

The outpouring of love, however, comes at a very bittersweet time for the Jackson family, since Michael isn't around to see it all for himself.

"I just wish that he could have been here to see it," she said. "I think it's compounded a bit more now that he's not here. I know he's watching."

Check out everything we've got on "Michael Jackson's This Is It."

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

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'New Moon' Director May Distribute 'Orientation Guide' For Free

LOS ANGELES — By now it's the stuff of legend, as much a part of "Twilight" history as Stephenie Meyer's dream, Catherine Hardwicke's bed or Taylor Lautner's workout bench. Incoming director Chris Weitz asserted himself on the "New Moon" set by greeting each of the returning actors with a 20-page "orientation guide," explaining what would be different from Catherine Hardwicke's "Twilight" experience. Robert Pattinson read it; so did Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner — and soon, so can you.

When MTV News spoke with Weitz this week, he revealed some details about the mysterious document he distributed to his cast and crew when they arrived on the "New Moon" set. He also broke some news on his plans to get it into the hands of Twilighters.

"You needed a secret encoded key to unlock it," he laughed, joking about the secrecy that surrounded his pamphlet. "Basically, it was just a guide about me, because I was the new kid on the block. I wanted to let them know what kind of movie I wanted to make, what I wanted it to look like, what I wanted it to feel like. [I even gave them] floor maps of the sets, so that the first time they walked on they didn't feel completely lost.

"An actor comes into things not quite knowing what's going on," he explained. "[So the book was] to give them as much of a leap as possible on what they were going to do."

As fans remember, Hardwicke put an exclamation point on her "Twilight" experience by releasing a popular "Director's Notebook" that reproduced her notes and sketches for the first film's set. And now that "New Moon" is finished, Weitz is thinking about doing something similar.

"I've been thinking about that, and I've decided not to do it," he said of publishing the book. "Instead, I think I will eventually give the orientation book to the fans — if it's OK with Summit — for free."

The decision, Weitz explained, is fueled by a combination of bad timing, exhaustion and wanting to thank the fans for their support. "I don't think I want to publish the notebook, because I would have to do it within the next month," he explained, revealing that the details had been discussed. "And by then I'll be so tired of talking about this movie that I will have to shoot myself if I have to write another word about it."

Weitz is currently hard at work assembling the "New Moon" DVD for a first-quarter 2010 release — and although he's considered releasing the guide with that disc, he's instead looking into other ways (handouts? the Internet?) to get it into the hands of fans.

"I don't think I'll include it in the DVD," he said. "I would like people to be able to get it for free."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Ginger Baker signs copies of his new book at FoppCatherine Hardwicke Discusses Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart Chemistry

Kristen Stewart Reveals 'The Worst Part Of Being Broken Up With'

In the run-up to the release of "New Moon" later this week, as much speculation has centered around the love affair between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan as it has on the rumored one between their real-life counterparts, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. While KStew has adamantly refused to indulge questions about any romance with her co-star, in an interview with MTV News, she did discuss Edward and Bella's connection. And in the process the actress gave insight into what she deems difficult about relationships — and what happens when they go sour.

As "New Moon" begins, Bella and Edward's romance falls apart after he decides it's too risky for a vampire to be with a regular high school girl. He absconds to Europe, while Bella is left with a broken heart.

"Bella has basically been told within the first 10 or 15 minutes of the movie that her entire belief system, everything that she has planned on her whole life, she's dead wrong about," Stewart explained. "And I feel that may be the worst part of being broken up with, is not necessarily losing that person, but just thinking you can be so wrong about something. Now you don't even know yourself anymore."

Regardless of the pain Bella has to endure, Stewart maintains that the split was necessary to strike a balance between the couple — a balance she clearly feels is integral to any relationship, fictional or real.

"I think it's important for her to lose him because when she finally accepts him back, she's in a place — not controlling, but she's not as subject to him," she said. "And he is now beholden to her. He's now trying to say he's obviously very sorry."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Robert Pattinson On Why It's Hard To Be Robert Pattinson

LOS ANGELES — "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson has it pretty good these days. He's one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood. He has millions of girls (and grown women) dying just to be in the same room as him. He looks good in a suit. And he has that great head of hair.

But when the typically self-deprecating actor stopped to chat with MTV News at the Los Angeles premiere of "New Moon," where he was joined by his castmates and throngs of screaming Twilighters, he couldn't really say what is so great about being RPattz.

"The best part is ... I don't really know what to tell you," he laughed. "The worst part is you've got to work almost every single day, which is something I'm never going to get used to."

Pattinson is also trying to get used the fact that his fanbase has grown quite substantially over the last year. "It's gotten bigger," he grinned, looking at the crowd surrounding the red carpet. "I think so, especially as we travel all over the entire world. We had 20,000 people in Munich yesterday. It's kind of incredible, to have done all these cities in a week, and it's still just as intense everywhere."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Amy Winehouse addicted to exerciseRobert Pattinson Takes On Tokyo In ‘New Moon’ Promo Tour

Kristen Stewart 'Fought For' Taylor Lautner To Return For 'New Moon'

By now every Twilighter knows the story well. Taylor Lautner almost lost the role of werewolf Jacob Black for "New Moon." But he hit the gym, packed on 30 pounds of muscle and secured the coveted part opposite Kristen Stewart. What we don't know as well is what went on behind the scenes when the casting decision was being deliberated at Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the vampire saga.

It turns out that at least one star was doing her best to make sure Lautner was not replaced. "I definitely fought for him," Kristen Stewart told MTV News on the red carpet at the "New Moon" premiere on Monday night. "I was totally on his side the entire time."

Though Lautner is two years younger than Stewart, the 19-year-old actress said most observers misunderstand their relationship, thinking she's the one giving him a Hollywood education, when it's really the other way around. "Everybody thinks that we have a sister/little brother sort of dynamic thing going on ... but he's taught me more than I ever, ever have been able to bestow upon him," she said. "I think he's the most centered of everybody here."

Stewart cited Lautner's belief in himself — not a commitment to bicep curls and sit-ups — as the key to his keeping the role. "I think the only way he was able to put on the weight was he already had the confidence," she said. "He knew what he was doing. It wasn't about the weight, it was just about knowing we had the right guy, and we totally did. I was proud."

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

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

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Robert Pattinson Recalls The Frenzy Over His Taxi Accident

BEVERLY HILLS, California — As we near the end of 2009 and look back on the biggest news stories of the year, names like Michael Jackson, Barack Obama and Balloon Boy will inevitably be mentioned. But without a doubt, Twilighters will recall that few news stories broke as shockingly — or spread as rapidly — as the June item that Robert Pattinson had been struck by a taxi. Recently, we caught up with the fully intact actor and had to ask: What really happened?

"That was the weirdest thing," the 23-year-old star laughed, remembering a period of insane media coverage that had many placing the blame for the near-accident squarely on the shoulders of RPattz's fans. "There are a couple of stories that certainly blew that up to such a huge proportion.

"I was shooting this movie 'Remember Me' in New York," he recalled. "It was about 5:30 in the morning or something, and I was just coming back from Staten [Island], and there was just one paparazzi or something, just one guy going around."

At the time, Pattinson said he didn't think much of the one photographer. But as fans shrieked and he went to cross the street, it became much more. "We were just crossing the street," he explained. "And a cab driver just decided to not [stop], just keep moving forward."

Depending on whom you ask, that cab driver did everything from speed up to hit Pattinson to obliviously brush past him like a passing subway train. "I think, because the photographer couldn't get a photo, he just sold the story as, 'Oh, he got hit by a car,' which was so [untrue]. I didn't really get hit by it at all. I think the cab was stationary," he laughed. "But it was amazing. It was on CNN!

"And it was based on absolutely nothing, pretty much," the oft-talked-about star added, pacifying Twilighters who hope he's looking both ways whenever he crosses the street. "I mean, that was funny, that story."

MTV delves deep into the "Twilight" universe with two can't-miss specials: "Love Bites" chronicles the budding rumored romance between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT, while "New Moon Revealed" will feature die-hard fans as they gather to meet the saga's stars Monday at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Robert Pattinson Takes On Tokyo In ‘New Moon’ Promo TourGinger Baker signs copies of his new book at Fopp

'2012' TV Show Would Be 'A Little Bit Like 'Lost,' ' Director Says

Let's say you weren't one of the millions of people who showed up to see the end-of-times demolition-fest "2012" over the weekend, contributing to its $225 million global box-office haul. First of all, what's wrong with you? That flick is kind of amazing! Second, you should stop reading now because everything that follows explodes with SPOILERS.

"2012" ends with John Cusack, his family and a couple hundred thousand other survivors on a series of high-tech floating arks they've boarded to avoid the earthquakes and tsunamis that consume the planet. As the weather settles down and the clouds begin to clear, the arks set sail for the only remaining land mass still above water, the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. What will happen when they arrive?

That's a question director Roland Emmerich plans to answer in a new "2012" TV spin-off that will pick up in 2013, after the ships have reached Africa.

"It's a little bit like 'Lost,' " he explained in a recent interview with MTV News. "I kind of said, 'This would make an interesting TV show.' At the end of the movie — I don't want to give it away — but they find one continent that's left and they go there. I'm so interested in what will happen, because naturally on this continent there are survivors. What will they say when these arks show up?"

Don't expect to see Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton or any of the other stars from "2012" in the TV series. The small-screen cast, Emmerich said, will be a "whole new set of people," some plucked from the arks and those who survived in Africa (who never appeared in the movie). Entertainment Weekly recently reported that the show is being shopped to "Lost" home ABC, but the network refused to comment on the potential series.

If the show is anything like "Lost," the survivors and the original inhabitants are not likely to get along. As Emmerich put it, "It's this concept of, everybody thinks the future will be all pride- and conflict-free, and it isn't."

Check out everything we've got on "2012."

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

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Catherine Hardwicke Discusses Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart Chemistry

As if photos of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson holding hands in Paris and snuggling at concerts in Canada weren't enough to convince fans that the two are more than just co-stars, "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke now says that she always kind of knew there was a chemistry between the pair.

In fact, from day one she warned Pattinson about his feelings for the then underage actress. "After I cast him, I told Rob, 'Don't even think about having a romance with her,' " Hardwicke told Time. "She's under 18. You will be arrested."

On the other hand, Hardwicke said she never saw anything romantic go on between the two in real life. "I didn't have a camera in the hotel room. I cannot say," Hardwicke explained. "But in terms of what Kristen told me directly, it didn't happen on the first movie. Nothing crossed the line while on the first film. I think it took a long time for Kristen to realize, 'OK, I've got to give this a go and really try to be with this person.' "

Earlier this year, Hardwicke told MTV News about how she tested the chemistry between her potential stars by filming them kissing in her own bedroom.

"They had to do it three times," she remembered. "The first time, they went a little too far, and I was like, 'I can't show this to anybody at the studio!' After we finished the whole thing and we had met bachelors one, two, three and four, Kristen said, 'It has to be Rob.' She basically threatened me."

The director never had any doubt that Pattinson and Stewart were meant to play Bella and Edward, even when others, like the studio, had their doubts about her casting decisions.

"He was disheveled," Hardwicke told Time. "He was a different weight. His hair was different and dyed black. He was all sloppy. The studio head said, 'You want to cast this guy as Edward Cullen?' I said, 'Yeah.' And he said, 'Do you think you can make him look good?' I said, 'Yes, I do.' "

MTV delves deep into the "Twilight" universe with two can't-miss specials: "Love Bites" chronicles the budding rumored romance between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT, while "New Moon Revealed" will feature die-hard fans as they gather to meet the saga's stars Monday at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'Pirate Radio': Adrift, By Kurt Loder

Imagine you're a British teenager in the mid-1960s. The new breed of English rock is taking over the world. Across the pond in America, the Beatles, Kinks, Rolling Stones, Animals, Troggs and Yardbirds can all be heard around the clock on U.S. radio. Back at home, though, the government controls the airwaves, through the dowdy BBC, and the government has decided that no one needs to hear this unseemly music.

The new movie "Pirate Radio" trains a fond eye on the rebellion that this oppressive state of affairs spawned: an outbreak of rogue radio stations based on ships anchored just outside of British territorial waters. Radio Caroline was the first of these outfits to go on the air, in 1964, and it was soon joined by others -- floating outposts playing music that people actually wanted to hear. Millions of listeners tuned in.

The pirates didn't last long, though. In the summer of 1967, the government shut them down with the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act, which made it a crime for any British subject to work on or supply their ships. But the outlaws won, in a way: Only weeks after they were crushed, the BBC started its own, rather pirate-like pop station, Radio 1. Mission accomplished, you might say.

The movie does a worthy job of capturing the spirit of those freewheeling years. And the film's soundtrack is as rousing as you'd expect, packed not just with predictable hits, but great one-offs by Chris Andrews, Sandy Shaw and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. (One ringer, though: "Crimson and Clover" wasn't released until late '68, well after the pirates had chugged off into history.)

"Pirate Radio" came out in Britain last spring, encumbered by a terrible title: "The Boat That Rocked." That cut of the film ran well over two hours; it was savaged by critics and bombed at the box office. It has now been trimmed by 20 minutes, presumably making it move along a little faster. But the story, written by director Richard Curtis (who also wrote "Notting Hill" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral"), has structural problems that no amount of editing could finesse, and in the end they capsize the picture.

The movie opens with the arrival onboard Radio Rock of a teenager named Carl (Tom Sturridge — little-known here, but primed for larger stardom). Carl has been expelled from school and dispatched by his mother to spend time with his oddball godfather, Quinn (Bill Nighy), the ship's patrician owner and de facto captain. Carl soon bonds with the resident disc jockeys, among them an interloping American called the Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman); the party-prone Dave (Nick Frost, of "Hot Fuzz"); and a legendary British DJ named Gavin (Rhys Ifans), who's just back from a Stateside gig and ready to join the pirate-radio revolution. (Ifans, fitted out with a period velvet suit and smarmy on-air purr, is perfect in the role.) Carl also hooks up with Quinn's niece, Marianne, played by Talulah Riley. (With her pert bangs and mod togs, Riley might actually have stepped right out of the mid-'60s.)

What follows is essentially a procession of scenes, some of them very funny. (Leading three visiting dollies off to his quarters, the Count inquires, "Do you mind if I call you all by the same name?") But they never quite cohere into a story. The subplot that has Carl searching for a father he's never known drags; and the movie grinds to a halt whenever Kenneth Branagh appears as a prissy government functionary obsessed with taking the pirates down. (With his prim mustache and sputtering pomposity, Branagh seems to be playing Peter Sellers in "I'm All Right Jack," the old Boulting brothers comedy.)

"Pirate Radio" can be commended to those who love the period and its music, or who enjoy the actors involved. (Emma Thompson and January Jones are also on hand, although so briefly you wonder if they just happened to be visiting the set the day their scenes were shot.) But the movie's a scattershot affair. And the ending is so wildly overdone that (spoiler here) it takes the whole picture down with the ship.

Don't miss Kurt Loder's review of "2012," also new in theaters this week.

Check out everything we've got on "Pirate Radio."

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BT Digital Music Awards return in 2010‘2012′: The End Again, By Kurt Loder