'Breaking Dawn' Didn't 'Make Sense' For James Franco, Director Says

Picture in your mind James Franco sparkling in the sunlight with red vampire eyes, because director Bill Condon told MTV that the actor almost (sort of) was cast in "Breaking Dawn." The "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" star has long been lamenting the fact that he could not be a part of the "Twilight" film series, of which he has admitted to being a big fan. During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in December, Franco even admitted that he petitioned for a role in the "Breaking Dawn" movies but was turned down. So when MTV News had a chance to catch up with Condon at San Diego Comic-Con while he was promoting "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1," we couldn't resist asking the director if there was any truth to the rumor Franco has been spreading. The short answer: There is. "He told a friend of mine who then sent a message along to me," Condon explained. "For a moment it was like, what could James Franco play that doesn't feel like 'Where's Waldo?' I really thought about it for a second, and nothing made sense." The only roles open to Franco would have been as one of the new vampires in the covens who come to support the Cullens against the Volturi, and Condon felt that between Franco's star power and his busy schedule, it would not have been a good fit. "I think he thinks this somehow involves some big rejection of the idea. It wasn't that," Condon explained. "If it had made sense, and frankly if I had called and said 'do you want to play that vampire from that country,' it would have involved hanging around for two months in a scene with 80 people, and I don't know if he really would have wanted to do it." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Josh Horowitz and Bill Condon Photo: MTV News

'Breaking Dawn' Star Taylor Lautner Praises 'Dream' Directors

Taylor Lautner has had quite an impressive career for a 19-year-old. Since "Twilight" came out in 2008, he's worked with some of Hollywood's biggest stars and hottest directors and is primed to become the film industry's next big action star when "Abduction" hits theaters in September. MTV News caught up with the "Breaking Dawn" actor at San Diego Comic-Con, and he talked about getting the opportunity to work with and becoming more comfortable around so much A-list talent. "All the directors in the 'Twilight' franchise have been amazing, [and] ending with Bill Condon, who's just a dream," Lautner said, "and then John Singleton [on 'Abduction']. And then all the actors and actresses I've been surrounded by, really, I couldn't have done it without them, but they have definitely helped me throughout the past few years." With "Abduction" and "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" both wrapped and set for release this fall, Lautner will be busy with press for those films but he also has some free time on his hands. And while the actor doesn't have any projects lined up right now, he told us he's looking at some possibilities. "We're reading a lot [of scripts] right now and we will probably make that decision while I'm promoting," he explained. "I'm gearing up because in two weeks, I'm off to the races. I start off in Australia and then I'm around the entire world for 'Abduction,' and then once again for 'Breaking Dawn.' " Lautner added that he would love to do a comedy after the good feedback he got for his Funny or Die sketch "Field of Dreams 2." He also teased that something could come of his recent meeting with director Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. But Lautner is really looking forward to spending time with fans, many of whom would visit his "Abduction" set in Pittsburgh. The actor said he was always thankful rather than distracted by their presence. "There's moments where it could impede the job, but I'm able to stay focused and be in character when I need to and snap right out of it and go over and talk to the fans and be with them for a while and go right back into it, which is great, because I have a lot of fun with them and I love them coming out and hanging with us," he said. Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" and "Abduction." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Taylor Lautner Photo: MTV News

'Breaking Dawn' Soundtrack Could Feature A Castmember

As with any great tale coming to an end, "The Twilight Saga" will bring things full circle in its two-part finale, director Bill Condon says. MTV News caught up with Condon at 2011 San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the final two installments of the franchise, and he told us that both movies, but particularly "Part 1," will hearken back to Catherine Hardwicke's 2008 "Twilight" flick, which started the onscreen phenomenon. "I always thought of 'Breaking Dawn - Part 1' as a real companion piece to Catherine Hardwicke's movie," Condon explained. "Like, everything that got set up there gets resolved here. I think you'll find that there are stylistic and other nods to that film." Fans will also be excited to learn that some of the same principles will apply to the highly anticipated "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack. Condon confirmed that Carter Burwell, who scored the first movie, will be back for "Part 1," which means familiar themes like "Bella's Lullaby" will be in play again for the first time since "Twilight" first hit theaters. With negotiations for the soundtrack still under way, though, Condon wouldn't talk too specifically about which songs will be included on the album. But he confirmed that there's a good chance that one of the "Twilight" cast's musically-inclined stars will appear on the soundtrack. We'll leave it up to fans to guess whether that means Robert Pattinson, Jackson Rathbone, Booboo Stewart or one of the other musical castmembers. "We're just figuring out [the soundtrack] now," Condon said during MTV News' "Breaking Dawn" Comic-Con takeover, adding that they haven't made deals with all of the featured artists yet. "We have a lot of [songs]. We have like 15, I think. " Tell us who you'd like to hear on the "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack in the comments section! Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson Photo: Summit Entertainment

'Cowboys & Aliens': The Reviews Are In!

With a concept as inspired as "Cowboys & Aliens" and an A-list cast that brings together James Bond and Indiana Jones themselves, it's hard to imagine what could possibly have gone wrong between bringing the movie from the production room to the big screen. MTV's Splash Page blog found a lot to love about the movie despite its flaws, but other critics have not been so kind. Maybe it was the fact that director Jon Favreau took the summer blockbuster too seriously. Fans hoping for a tongue-in-cheek mash-up of a Western and an alien movie are in for a straight-laced action flick without a lot of room for humor, like in Favreau's "Iron Man" films. Even the movie's charismatic leads couldn't rescue "Cowboys & Aliens" from its identity crisis, critics are saying. Still, there was plenty to love about the movie as well. "Cowboys & Aliens" is certainly a fun ride to take this summer, so before you head to the multiplex this weekend, take a gander at the "Cowboys & Aliens" reviews we lassoed up for you. The Story "The whole aliens-on-the-frontier incongruity never comes to much, really. There are nifty scenes, like the horseback riders battling silvery skeletal airplanes, but what 'Cowboys & Aliens' lacks is a good story. Basically, the characters — [Daniel] Craig's enigmatic outlaw, [Harrison] Ford's scowling boss, a tribe of Apache — must put aside their differences to form a posse and defeat the invaders. Who do we care about onscreen? For all of Craig's edgy charisma, no one. 'Cowboys & Aliens' has fun moments, but it's a plodding entertainment because it mostly tastes like leftovers." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly The Leading Men "In Daniel Craig, the movie has what feels awfully like the second coming of Steve McQueen. Maybe it's the laser blue eyes under the broad forehead, or the laconic refusal to speak except when absolutely necessary, but Craig has a presence here that feels downright mythic. ... The chance to be as mean as he wants to be energizes [Ford], whose storied crankiness finally finds a home. It's a character part, and you can sense Ford's relief at letting another man shoulder the load. Consciously or not, there's a generational passing of the baton just under this movie's surface, and it helps immensely that Craig's up to the task." — Ty Burr, The Boston Globe The Cowboys and the Aliens "In Hollywood's ancient prime, maybe a third of all movies were Westerns. But those days are as dead as the horse-mounted cavalry; in the past 30 years, the genre has been resuscitated only when some powerful director wanted to make a movie like the ones he grew up loving. So 'Cowboys & Aliens' has got to get to the aliens pretty damn quick. Even here, Favreau and his crew sprinkle a few memorable moments: the aliens' low-flying scout planes, looking like 10-winged titanium dragonflies and lassoing the townspeople for abduction; a desert vision of an upside-down steamship, which momentarily summons the ghost of Werner Herzog's 'Fitzcarraldo'; and the recurring image of Craig retrieving his cowboy hat, whether he's fighting off human varmints or escaping from the aliens' stronghold. A man ain't a man without his Stetson." — Richard Corliss, Time The Concept "Cowboys versus aliens is a concept that may make you smile in anticipation, but wipe that smile off your face before buying your ticket, because the film takes its subject seriously — deadly seriously in the case of Harrison Ford, who plays a nasty rancher with the snarls and scowls that have become his trademarks, as if in penance for being so charming in the past. One interesting twist has a posse of cowboys teaming up with the Apaches they fear in order to vanquish the aliens, but the storytelling, punctuated by incoherent flashbacks, is often inscrutable." — Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal The Final Word "A leaden mash-up of western and science-fiction elements that ends up noisy, grotesque and unappealing, this Jon Favreau-directed film features five producers (including Brian Grazer and Ron Howard), six executive producers (Steven Spielberg and Ryan Kavanaugh among them) and six credited writers, led by 'Star Trek' rebooters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and 'Lost's' Damon Lindelof. No wonder the film plays like a business deal more than a motion picture. Listed as a producer, not a writer, is Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, whose concept for the original graphic novel inspired the film. That's right, 'Cowboys' doesn't even retell the story the graphic novel does; it sets out on its own. This is not a satisfying journey." — Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times Check out everything we've got on "Cowboys & Aliens." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in "Cowboys and Aliens" Photo: Universal

'Attack The Block' Aliens 'Unlike Anything You've Seen'

Although there are some big Hollywood names among this weekend's new releases "Cowboys & Aliens" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love.," there is an equally intriguing, if slightly lesser-known film hitting select theaters called "Attack the Block." What sets "Block" apart from all of the others is that it was shot on a small budget and features a cast of mostly unknown actors. MTV News recently caught up with first-time feature director Joe Cornish to find out how he accomplished so much with so little, and why he thinks his alien-invasion action movie is the best of the summer. "You're right to observe that this movie cost probably the amount that one of Bruce Willis' shoes cost," Cornish joked when asked about the challenges of working on a limited film budget. "Like I say, that was something that excited me; I wanted to do ambitious stuff in an inventive way." Cornish explained that he and his crew took a unique approach to their aliens, drawing inspiration from a couple of unexpected cult favorites like "Starship Troopers" and "Gremlins." "We have an alien design we're proud of. It's unusual. It's very different. It's unlike anything you've seen before," he promised. "I like when movies withhold the monster, but I also like — 'Starship Troopers' is one of my favorite films, and there comes a point in that movie or in 'Gremlins,' where they just show the monster and it becomes about quantity," he said. "We designed our monster in such a way that we could do that. So we don't hide it for the whole movie, we expose it and you see them in numbers and in force." Newcomer actor John Boyega said the film is a thrill ride full of unexpected surprises ... and warm hugs? "We were put at ease by [co-star] Nick Frost's constant hugs and his words of advice and Joe Cornish's enthusiasm on set," Boyega said. "It was great to work on that project, it was a great experience," he added. "It just felt like a fun ride." Check out everything we've got on "Attack the Block." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. "Attack The Block" Photo: Studio Canal

'Battleship' Trailer: The Five Key Scenes

"Battleship" may be based on a board game, but the action flick's first trailer shows an influence far more cinematic than anything having to do with little plastic pegs and the faux-sinking of tiny seafaring vessels. The new footage, which Yahoo! premiered on Wednesday (July 27), begins like an ode to a "Blue Crush"-ish beach make-out movie, veers into "Armageddon"-esque father-vs.-daughter's-boyfriend antagonism, then explodes in an orgy of a couple dozen alien-invasion movie references. Totally original, this one ain't. But it's also pretty damn entertaining, and we really are looking forward to checking out the madness when it hits theaters on May 18, 2012. Until then, here are our picks for the five key "Battleship" trailer moments. Brooklyn, Obviously One of these days, Brooklyn Decker is going to get a movie role that doesn't require her to parade around a beach in a bikini. Or not. One thing is certain after checking out this footage and taking in her performance, such as it was, in Adam Sandler's "Just Go With It": Decker, the Sports Illustrated model, has been typecast. In "Battleship," she finds herself in the middle of one of cinema's oldest relationship pickles: in love with a bad boy whom her dad can't freaking stand. Clearly the relationship between the boy (a naval officer played by Taylor Kitsch) and the daddy (Liam Neeson's no-nonsense admiral) will factor into the battle with these aliens. Let's just hope it doesn't become the emotional focus. Don't Tread on Me Everything in the Navy's military exercises in the big blue ocean seems to be going well until they encounter a hulking contraption submerged in the water. One unlucky dude (Kitsch) is sent out to touch base, literally, with the alien ship, unleashing a whole lot of extraterrestrial terror. The aliens, we'll soon learn, are here to utilize our oceans as a power source. This one shot raises a bunch of questions. Why are the ship's defenses activated by simple touch, rather than the proximity of the Navy? What kind of tech do the aliens possess that they can send a sort of shockwave that hurtles a man so far, so quickly? And what's inside the ship that we don't yet see? What a Big Bubble You Have! Speaking of alien weaponry, the ship is capable of unleashing some kind of bubble force field that encompasses an enemy and, so it seems, destroys everything within it. We'll just ignore, for now, how the bubble reminds us of that containment unit in "The Simpsons Movie." Instead, let's concentrate on the alien tech. We're hoping for originality and cool visuals to join forces and deliver us a satisfying early summer movie experience. The bubble, perhaps, is the harbinger of fun, absurd, eye-popping stuff to come. She Needs an Umbrella "Battleship" marks Rihanna's big-screen debut. In the trailer, blink and you miss her. But she's there, standing up in a raft and looking wet as the alien craft flies overhead. She certainly looks freaked out. But we can't yet get a sense of her acting chops from this footage; and hey, we might not be able to even after this popcorn flick's credits roll. All we can say for now is she had a blast on the production. "Working with [director] Peter Berg is unbelievable," she told us last fall. "I love doing movies now. It's something I want to do more of. I just want to pick films that are wise for me and roles that I can pull off, nothing that is too big for me." Taking Flight We have to say we're surprised how much of the alien ship we get to see in this first trailer. We see how it's a craft that can both plunge into the water and also take flight. We see how it can transform and shift and hover; quite a lot of control, those aliens have on this sucker. We see its cylinder-shaped weaponry. We see the front of the ship almost seems to have a face. So the question is: How much did filmmakers hold back? We haven't, for instance, seen the aliens themselves. With so many alien flicks hitting theaters each year, it's getting harder and harder to surprise audiences with those creatures. Can "Battleship" do it? Stay tuned. Check out everything we've got on "Battleship." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Photo: Universal Pictures

'Avengers' Star Clark Gregg Backs Marvel TV Show

Though you might not know him by name, if you've seen many of Marvel's recent superhero flicks, chances are you'll recognize Clark Gregg. The actor plays Agent Coulson in three Marvel movies — "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2" and "Thor" — and will reprise the role in next summer's "The Avengers." Coulson is one of the few prominent roles in Marvel's expanding cinematic universe that isn't based on a pre-existing comic book character. Appearing first in "Iron Man," Coulson is an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, better known by the acronym S.H.I.E.L.D., and has been seen trying to wrangle both Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark as well as Chris Hemsworth's Thor, with a bureaucratic demeanor frequently played for laughs. In an interview with MTV News, Gregg discussed the future of his silver-screen character in regard to some future television appearances. "It's been revealed today that I'm already doing 'Ultimate [Spider-Man],' " the actor explained, "which is about Spider-Man and a couple other soon-to-be-released Marvel superheroes who are hiding out undercover in a high school in New York, and Agent Coulson is hiding out as their principal, keeping an eye on them and taking things way too seriously." Even more exciting, however, was the mention of a potential future television show focused on S.H.I.E.L.D., the premiere global peacekeeping force in the Marvel Universe — like an international "X-Files" for superheroes. While a S.H.I.E.L.D. series hasn't been formally announced, the idea clearly appeals to Gregg. "In a lot of ways, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Coulson really lend themselves to a TV show because it's normal people," Coulson said. "It's real people dealing with extraordinary things." Would you watch a S.H.I.E.L.D. television series? Tell us below! Check out everything we've got on "The Avengers." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Clark Gregg Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

'Breaking Dawn' Star 'Like A Zombie' On Last Day Of Shooting

After filming "Eclipse" and the two-part "Breaking Dawn," Julia Jones can call herself a "Twilight Saga" veteran. But that doesn't mean she found going to Comic-Con for the first time any less intimidating. MTV News caught up with Jones in San Diego after the "Breaking Dawn" cast's packed Hall H panel. Unfortunately, her castmates hadn't given her much of a heads-up about the insanity of Comic-Con. "We've been in front of a lot of people before but this is a new experience for me, Comic-Con," Jones said. While her fellow castmembers had helped her prepare for the experience of doing fan events for "Eclipse," Jones said this time they figured she would get the hang of things. "Now I think they just don't pay attention: 'She's been here long enough, she'll figure it out.' " In "Breaking Dawn - Part 1," Jones and the rest of the wolf pack are featured much more than they have been in previous installments, which gave the actress some room to expand on her character, Leah Clearwater. While Leah is characterized by her anger at Bella (Kristen Stewart) and the Cullens in "Eclipse," in "Breaking Dawn," fans will see that her rage has been tempered because a good portion of the story is told from werewolf Jacob Black's (Taylor Lautner) perspective. "I was thrilled when I read [the script] because she really has the opportunity to kind of grow and she's not so angry anymore," Jones explained. "I felt relieved for her when I read that, oh, my gosh, she can actually express these things she hasn't expressed and go somewhere with it." As for the last day of shooting the "Twilight" series, Jones admitted that she may have shed a few tears in her trailer when director Bill Condon shouted "Cut!" for the last time. The long shoot made it seem as if filming would never end, she explained, and that made saying goodbye that much harder. "For me, personally, the last day, right when we wrapped, I didn't believe it. I hadn't even thought that that was possible. I just stood there like a zombie. People started hugging, like, 'You're wrapped, you're wrapped!' Like, 'Go, what are you doing? We need to move on,' " Jones said with a laugh. "I actually went back to my trailer and I was fine, I was a little in a daze. And I realized as I was taking my costume off that this is it. She's gone; you're not putting these clothes back on. And that was kind of a big thing for me." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Julia Jones Photo: MTV News

'Breaking Dawn' Cast Was 'Crying A Lot' Filming Finale

After five years and four films together, it's natural to assume the cast of the hugely popular "Twilight" franchise became emotional when they finished filming both halves of the "Breaking Dawn" finale. According to the cast, they needed plenty of tissues. "We were crying a lot," Nikki Reed said during MTV News' Comic-Con 2011 "Takeover" live stream event. Co-star Elizabeth Reaser agreed: "The last day of filming definitely was emotional because Peter Facinelli and I wrapped at the exact same moment. ... It was Facinelli, Ashley [Greene], Kellan [Lutz], Jackson [Rathbone] and myself, and we were up in Squamish [British Colombia] just doing stunts and night shoots, and then they finally wrapped Peter and I," she recalled. "We were just completely shocked and hugging, and then we went out and we had a little meal together. "It was surreal," Reaser continued. "It was nice that I got to finish with Peter, since he's my show husband — forever." So, who was the most emotional castmember? "Rob [Pattinson]'s probably a mess after ending this," Reed said with a smile. "Rob cried a lot, actually," Reaser added. "He shaved his head over it," Reed joked, making light of Pattinson's curious new coiffure. "He was crying so hard he had to cut all of his hair. ... A therapist should be called," she teased. Getting away from the crying and emoting for a moment, we asked Reed and Reaser what scenes they're most looking forward to seeing in the finished films. "There's actually some freaky, weird scenes that I want to see," Reaser said. "I want to see the freaky birth," she revealed, "and there's all kinds of weird, crazy, strange, scary, beautiful stuff in this movie." Reed said she wants to see "all of it." "I want a freaky, weird wedding," she added, before getting serious about her character's emotional evolution in the final two films: "I was really nervous about the relationship between Rosalie and Bella. This was a very specific dynamic, and I wanted to make sure that it felt like the transition happened naturally and organically," she explained. "I'm nervous about seeing all of it. I'm a nervous wreck about all of these movies." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Nikki Reed and Elizabeth Reaser Photo: MTV News

Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried Explain What Happens 'In Time'

Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried have done what every person in Hollywood strives to do: stop the aging process. In their new sci-fi flick "In Time," directed by Andrew Niccol, the actors' characters shake up their futuristic society, where the upper crust can buy or sell the most important thing the future has to offer: time itself. "We're all mortals and the human race needs to be structured in a way where there's no overpopulation," Seyfried told MTV News on Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con. "And we all have body clocks and when we turn 25, you stop aging, basically, and it turns off [and] then you look 25 forever. You can be however old; you can live forever if you have a lot of time." For Timberlake's character, Will Salas, his time is nearly up when he's gifted with more time by a wealthy older man. The elite, played by Cillian Murphy and Vincent Kartheiser, aren't too keen on this, and eventually, Salas kidnaps Kartheiser's daughter (Seyfried) and they go on the lam. Why is he so frantic to try to beat the clock? "If you run out of time, you have a heart attack and you're dead immediately," Seyfried explained. "It's cut-and-dry, black and white. There's the rich, there's the poor. It reflects a lot on our actual, real society." Niccol has put his signature seriously satiric stamp on the ideas of aging, something that really appealed to Timberlake. "That's something that I love that Andrew does. You take a concept like the fountain of youth, something we all seem to be obsessed with, and what would happen if we actually got it? If we had the potential to live forever and we looked 25 forever?" he said. The film features a bevy of good-looking people including Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer and Olivia Wilde, to name a few, making filming quite an interesting process that came with this note: "Everyone may look the same age, but not everyone is playing the same age." "All the actors in this film look the same age, but Matt Bomer, for instance, plays a character that's 105," Timberlake explained. "And so it really is a visual trip to watch." Check out everything we've got on "In Time." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried in "In Time" Photo: Twentieth Century Fox

Justin Bieber's Next Big Adventure: Pee-wee Herman's Movie?

SAN DIEGO — Beliebers are in luck, because Justin Bieber might be heading to the big screen once again soon, if Pee-wee Herman has his way. Turns out Herman, who has been working on a new film alongside producer Judd Apatow, has recently written the VMA nominee in as one of the celebrity cameos. The only problem? Bieber doesn't know yet. "I can't really tell [what the cameo is], but he makes an appearance toward the end of the film," Herman (actor Paul Reubens, but we definitely interviewed Pee-wee) told MTV News at San Diego Comic-Con. "He doesn't know about it yet, so if you're watching this, Justin!" That's not the only grade-A cameo Herman has written into the script. He has his eyes on lots of stars — and the White House. "There's a party scene in the film that I think will have a lot of the stars. We just wrote President Obama into them. We have an offer out to him," Herman unveiled. Will any other government officials be given a role in the movie? "Sarah Palin wasn't asked. I have to draw the line somewhere, and unfortunately that's where it was drawn. I'm sorry, Sarah, I'm sorry," he whispered. The script for the currently unnamed comedy is being looked at by Universal Studios at the moment, and Herman said he hoped filming could begin within the next couple of months. It only helps that he has Apatow in his court and that the director/producer has words of wisdom to pass on to Herman to make the best comedy he can. "He's given us the same advice over and over again, which is 'emotional arc,' " Herman explained. "He wants the character to go through an emotional arc and to come out on the other end arced. So that's what we're doing. We're adding an emotional arc. Emotional growth, so there's a change in Pee-wee Herman during this film. Pee-wee makes a change." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Justin Bieber Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ Getty Images

Robert Pattinson's 'Bel Ami' Trailer Hits Internet

Robert Pattinson is breaking hearts and scaling the Parisian social ladder in the first "Bel Ami" trailer, which hit the Internet on Saturday. Fans have long been anticipated the sex-filled period drama, and the trailer delivers on that promise. Pattinson's character, George Duroy, is a journalist who rises to power by sleeping with the wives of the rich and influential. Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci and Kristin Scott Thomas all make appearances in the trailer as the ladies he seduces. "Bel Ami" does not look like it bodes well for Pattinson's character, based on his screaming and shoving of women. Still, the fact that Duroy is "a totally amoral character" is a major element in the movie's plot. Stylistically, Pattinson's look in the movie hearkens to his Salvador Dali film "Little Ashes," so fans looking for an Edward Cullen coif will be disappointed. There is a lot of hooking up in the trailer. After some sly seductive moves — a slow finger trailed down Ricci's neck, a sexual glance across a room at Thomas — he finally starts reeling in the ladies. Pattinson and Thurman have the most passionate make-out session in the trailer, but fans will have to wait until the movie hits theaters in 2012 to find out which sex scene is the steamiest. When MTV chatted with Pattinson about "Bel Ami" in June, he teased that he would be naked a lot in the flick. "I think there's a lot of my crack in it; I think there's quite a bit of nudity," he said. "It was such a strange story. I think it will turn out to be very interesting, but I have no idea about any of it yet." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Robert Pattinson Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage

'Harry Potter' Fans Consider Life Post-Potter

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" has been in theaters for a week, kicking magical tail at the box office and basking in the glow of rave reviews from critics. All good things, to be sure, except for one not-so-tiny wound: "Harry Potter" is officially over. "Wait ... there's no 'Part 3'?" joked a wistful Micah Tannenbaum of MuggleNet, commenting to MTV News on the fact that the "Potter" series is finally ending. "It's a bittersweet feeling. For those who have been so involved and grown up with the series, it feels like a chapter of your life has closed, but at the same time, you're eager to see what's next. J.K. Rowling always has something up her sleeve." MTV's very own "Potter" expert Terri Schwartz, who was one of our main commentators during the "Harry Potter" World Cup, is one such reader to have grown up alongside the Boy Who Lived, giving her a unique perspective on the cinematic ending of Jo Rowling's magical franchise. "It is fair to say that I grew up with 'Harry Potter,' so now that the movie series is over, there is an overriding sense of finality to the era that wasn't there when the last book came out," she said. "I definitely feel like I will never experience another pop-culture phenomenon quite like this again in my lifetime." Indeed, it's a popular sentiment. For many fans, the end of "Potter" marks not just the end of a franchise, but the completion of a massive zeitgeist-defining tale the likes of which won't be repeated anytime soon. There's a sense of pride among "Potter" fans for having been around to witness such a narrative gift, but it doesn't come without a bittersweet cost. "I think the fans are experiencing mixed emotions," Tannenbaum said. "It's a bit different than when 'Deathly Hallows' the book was released in 2007, because you still had several movies to look forward to. Now what?" Thankfully, there is a place to turn: Pottermore, Ms. Rowling's online haven where muggles across the world can rediscover the majesty of "Potter" all over again. "It's a good thing [she] decided to announce Pottermore just before the last film hit theaters," Tannenbaum said. "I have a feeling it will cure any lingering post-Potter depression and provide fans the ultimate online experience. With all the books being re-released over time with new content, fans can experience the series all over again." Pottermore is still several months away, of course, but fans aren't without options: "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" is still in theaters, of course, and judging by last weekend's record-breaking box-office numbers, it's a sure bet that many Potterheads will be heading back to Hogwarts this weekend. " 'Part 2' is definitely the strongest of the 'Potter' films, so it is exciting to see that this last movie is holding steady to be the strongest of the bunch," Schwartz said. "It just solidifies the fact that this is the most successful movie franchise in cinematic history, which is a title it well-deserves." "The box-office results are impressive," Tannenbaum added. "I think the fact that 'Part 2' shattered midnight, opening-day and opening-weekend records here in the U.S. as well as records overseas shows the series' reach. It's the fastest film ever to the half-billion mark, and it has only been in theaters for a week! Plus, it just passed 'Star Wars' as the highest-grossing franchise of all-time. Definitely going out with a bang." Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

'Captain America' Crushes 'Harry Potter' At Box Office

Captain America has beaten back the Red Skull, HYRDA, Nazis and various nefarious forces before, and now the shield-slinging star-spangled hero has conquered the box office, as well. "Captain America: The First Avenger" debuted with an estimated $65.8 million over the weekend to become the #1 movie in North America, according to studio estimates. With Chris Evans in the title role and Hugo Weaving as his arch-nemesis, the Red Skull, the Marvel movie was the latest chapter in a series of films that began with "Iron Man" and will lead up to next year's "The Avengers." Cap's debut bested that of his fellow Avenger "Thor" (which opened with $65.7 million) as well as the debuts of previous 2011 superhero movies "Green Lantern" and "X-Men: First Class." Only 40 percent of the Cap audience chose to see it in 3-D versus the 60 percent who saw "Thor" that way back in May. Meanwhile the latest "Harry Potter" — which broke several records on its opening weekend — suffered a huge decline during its second weekend of release. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" took in $48 million (for a $274.1 million total), which was a 72 percent second-weekend fall, much steeper than that of "The Dark Knight," "Spider-Man 3" and the third "Pirates of the Caribbean." "Friends With Benefits" was the #3 movie in North America with an $18.5 million opening. Starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, the movie's plot is similar to the Ashton Kutcher/ Natalie Portman romantic comedy "No Strings Attached," which opened with $19.7 million back in January. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" was #4 with $12 million for a $325.7 million total while dark comedy "Horrible Bosses" was #5 with $11.7 million for an $82.4 million total. Next weekend's new releases include "Cowboys and Aliens," "The Smurfs" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Check out everything we've got on "Captain America: The First Avenger." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Chris Evans in "Captain America: The First Avenger" Photo: Paramount Pictures

Taylor Lautner Names Tom Cruise, Matt Damon As 'Abduction' Inspirations

SAN DIEGO -- Taylor Lautner is ready to abduct the title of Hollywood's resident action star when "Abduction" hits theaters September 23, but he didn't get there without a little inspiration from some of the genre's greatest actors. When MTV caught up with the "Twilight Saga" star at Comic-Con 2011 this week, he revealed that he did more than admire the top action actors: He studied them. Considering "Abduction" is being described along the lines of the "Bourne" movies and "Minority Report," it makes sense that Tom Cruise and Matt Damon are among Lautner's biggest role models. "I studied film with John Singleton while preparing for the movie, and I chose Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford; we just went down the list," Lautner explained. "It would be an honor to have a tenth the career that those guys have." Having spent so much time watching the movies, Lautner said he sometimes found himself copying their moves during his takes. It took him time to take a step back and figure out how to tailor -- or "Taylor" -- their concepts to his own acting style. He got a chance to meet Cruise while filming a promo for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, and though their work together wasn't action-oriented, Lautner said working with the "Mission: Impossible" actor was "surreal." But was he able to hold it together around his idol? "I definitely played it cool," Lautner said with a laugh. "It was hard." Check out everything we've got on "Abduction." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Taylor Lautner Photo: MTV News

'Captain America: The First Avenger': The Reviews Are In!

The summer of superheroes rages on this weekend with the theatrical release of "Captain America: The First Avenger." It's the final building block audiences need before the full picture of Joss Whedon's "The Avengers" comes into focus this summer, and by all accounts, the movie does not disappoint. Sporting a fresh rating at review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, both comic book fans and casual moviegoers alike are feeling the patriotic splendor that Cap has to offer, so "Harry Potter" better watch out: Steve Rogers' mighty shield could very will split the Boy Who Lived's wand in half this weekend! Read on for a selection of the "Cap" reviews currently rocking the Web, and check out our own "Captain America" review on Splash Page. And if the star-spangled superhero spirit moves you, give us your own reviews in the comments section below. The Story "It was a pleasure to realize, once 'Captain America: The First Avenger' got under way, that hey, here is a real movie, not a noisy assembly of incomprehensible special effects. Of course it's loaded with CGI. It goes without saying it's preposterous. But it has the texture and takes the care to be a full-blown film. You know, like with a hero we care about and who has some dimension. And with weight to the story. As we plunge ahead into a limitless future of comic-book movies, let this be an inspiration rather than Thor or Green Lantern. " — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times The Hero "As the titular comic book character, Chris Evans has an appealing, earnest quality, whether he's playing the digitally enhanced (reduced?) scrawny Steve Rogers or the well-muscled super-soldier dubbed Captain America. Evans provides just the right human anchor to the flash and dazzle of director Joe Johnston's production. The movie wouldn't work without Evans' likability and the sense of integrity he projects, as well as his all-American good looks." — Claudia Puig, USA Today The Villain "Then there's Hugo Weaving as Captain America's nemesis, Red Skull — a role that requires delivering a genuine performance from behind grotesque crimson prosthetics, which Weaving accomplishes with admirable dexterity. In fact, everyone hits their marks with energy and finesse in 'Captain America,' which with its clean, Art Deco lines and sprightly spirit exemplifies why comic book movies are such reliable fodder for Hollywood. They come pre-storyboarded, after all; their gadgets, dinguses and doo-dads are a production artist's dream, just as those tights, capes and masks must provide fetishistic frissons for the most on-trend costume designer." — Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post The Action "A chase and shoot-out in a 'Dick Tracy' version of New York is one of the most thrilling scenes of the summer movie season, yet this generous film keeps the popcorn popping for two full hours. It's got musical numbers, as Rogers is costumed as Captain America and sent on a war-bonds tour; it's got a prison break, as the touring celebrity frees some multicultural P.O.W.s from the Nazis, and it's got a mythic smackdown, as Captain America squares off against Germanic evil genius Johann Schmidt (the hugely entertaining Hugo Weaving, mimicking documentarian Werner Herzog)." — Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch The Setting "Though it begins and ends with a scene or two in the present, as directed by Joe Johnston from a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, 'Captain America' is first and foremost an origins story. Almost half of the film's running time elapses before Rogers gets any kind of power at all, and though its elements are awfully familiar, it's the most involving part of the film because it takes advantage of Evans' performance. These early-days sections are so old-fashioned that, if you take away the copious special effects, watching 'Captain America' feels akin to watching the venerable 1950s television version of 'Superman' starring George Reeves. Buttons are pushed, dials are turned, secret passwords are uttered and lights blink, just like they did way back when." — Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times Check out everything we've got on "Captain America: The First Avenger." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Chris Evans in "Captain America: The First Avenger" Photo: Paramount Pictures

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson To Appear On MTV's Comic-Con Live Stream

SAN DIEGO, California — What's going to go down at San Diego Comic-Con when the stars of "Breaking Dawn" invade the convention center? What footage will be debuted, what news will break, what will Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have to say to their adoring fans? Even if you're not in town for the pop-culture festivities, MTV News has you covered. On Thursday (July 21) at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT, shortly after the "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" panel wraps up, we'll be presenting a live-stream event with special appearances by Stewart, Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. You'll get to hear from the Big Three about what it's like to bring their film to the SDCC masses. We'll also be welcoming in a slew of live "Twilight" guests — including Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Elizabeth Reaser and Julia Jones — to give you exclusive insight into the "Breaking Dawn" panel and what we can expect in the months leading up to the film's November 18 release date. By the end of the hour-long live stream, you'll know everything there is to know about the "Twilight" experience at Comic-Con — plus a whole lot more. That's because we're inviting you to take part in the action, submitting the questions you're dying to have answered by sending them via Twitter to @MTVNews using the hashtag #mtvsdcc. But all this is only the beginning. We'll also be launching live streams at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT on Friday and Saturday. Friday's show will include appearances from Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried ("In Time"), Channing Tatum ("Haywire") and Jon Favreau ("Cowboys & Aliens"), among others. On Saturday, we'll be bringing in another crew of stars and filmmakers to chat about some of the most anticipated movies coming down the line. So keep it locked to MTV.com and Splash Page for all the latest, greatest Comic-Con news. It's going to be a crazy four days. Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, and Kristen Stewart Photo: Getty Images

Taylor Lautner 'Excited' For 'Breaking Dawn' Honeymoon

SAN DIEGO — This year's San Diego Comic-Con has been akin to celebrating Christmas in July for "Twilight" fans. Those lucky enough to catch the highly anticipated "Breaking Dawn" panel Thursday were treated to roughly seven minutes of footage, as well as the appearance of all of their favorite cast members. MTV News chatted with Taylor Lautner briefly about the Comic-Con experience, as well as how he approached the much-discussed imprinting scene. "It's tough. I think the best way is to just go off the book," Lautner said. "People ask me questions all the time about imprinting, and I just want to say, 'Read the book: It explains it all.' It's very complicated," he added. "I can't wait for everyone to see it. I think they'll be pleased." Lautner also continued to heap praise on his young co-star Mackenzie Foy, who plays Edward and Bella's daughter, Renesmee. "The great thing with Mackenzie is she is the nicest girl," he said. "She's so outgoing. Everybody on that set loved her. She's really talented. I can't wait for everyone to see her; she's not [featured] until the second one, though," he pointed out. In regard to which scene he's most looking forward to seeing in the finished film, Lautner echoed the sentiments of plenty of fans before him. "I'm excited to see the honeymoon stuff — come on," he said with a smile. "There's a lot of good stuff." He added, "I'm super proud of the movie. I think everybody's really happy with it. It's great to be back at Comic-Con because we weren't here for 'Eclipse,' so it's been a little while, so I can't wait to see all the fans again." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Taylor Lautner Photo: MTV News

'Breaking Dawn' Wedding 'Cathartic' For Kristen Stewart

SAN DIEGO — For her third visit to San Diego Comic-Con, Kristen Stewart was happy to report to MTV News about getting married and giving birth — onscreen, that is. While "The Twilight Saga" star was quick to specify that it was Mr. Cullen she shared these milestones with, not rumored beau Robert Pattinson, she spilled the beans about filming the hotly anticipated wedding scene in "Breaking Dawn - Part 1." "I think the most surreal experience was getting married," Stewart said. "It was right at the bitter end. I was amping up to it the entire time. They left me on my toes for six months. And then it was just sort of very cathartic to see the entire cast in the pews and everyone excited to see how it was all going to go down. "It had a kind of feel of everyone kind of excited to see how it's all going to go down," she continued. "I don't want to say it felt like a real wedding, but it definitely felt like a ceremony. It definitely felt ceremonial and celebratory." This is the first time Stewart has had an opportunity to get in on the action with the boys of "Twilight," and from what we've heard, she's held her own against them. Stewart especially got to face off against Taylor Lautner, which she said was a lot of fun. "Taylor's funny about it too. He's like, 'You're so cute,' " Stewart said. "I think he was a little more intimidated then he led on. Maybe not." "Breaking Dawn" isn't the only movie Stewart is promoting at Comic-Con this year. She also has "Snow White and the Huntsman," which has its panel Saturday. Stewart shared her enthusiasm about the movie without giving too much away about the plot. "I am so, so excited. We're in pre-production right now. I think [Snow White] represents so much that I can't wait to get across to the entire world," she said. "Rupert [Sanders], the director, we're so in the middle of forming the story and getting into it that it's hard for me to talk about. I mean, I'm training. I'm riding horses all the time." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" Photo: Andrew Cooper/ Summit Entertainment

Robert Pattinson Reveals Secret Behind 'Breaking Dawn' Sex Scene

SAN DIEGO — What kind of preparation went into the steamy love scenes in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I"? Well, if Robert Pattinson is to be believed, there was very little. "You just get lubed up and jump right into it!" he proclaimed to MTV News while backstage at San Diego Comic-Con shortly after making an appearance on a panel with his "Breaking Dawn" castmates and director Bill Condon. The group answered questions from Comic-Con attendees and treated them to footage from the upcoming flick, which is the second-to-last film adaptation in the epic saga. Fan familiarity with Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" novels means anticipation has been high for several elements of "Breaking Dawn," including a wedding, a birth and perhaps the most anticipated of all: the sex scenes. Smiling broadly, RPattz added: "You have to have some tantric breathing and stuff." All joking aside, it was pretty clear once Pattinson continued talking that there was, in fact, a bit of planning put into the onscreen depiction of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan getting down to some romantic business. "Everyone always says it about sex scenes in movies — it's really awkward and blah, blah, blah — but it is!" he pointed out. Ultimately, he likened it to a popular board game. "You're playing Twister," Pattinson deadpanned. With "Twilight" mania still in full swing, it might be hard for moviegoers to imagine seeing the chemistry between Pattinson and Kristen Stewart re-created within the context of different characters in another story, but that doesn't mean Pattinson wouldn't be up for re-teaming with her in a non-"Twilight" film. "I'd love to. Definitely," he told us without hesitation. "I don't know how audiences would respond to it or whatever, [but] I'd love to." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Robert Pattinson at the San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday Photo: Getty Images

'Amazing Spider-Man' Trailer: What We Know So Far

This weekend's "Captain America: The First Avenger" continues the charge of superhero supremacy at the box office this summer, and the grand tradition of Marvel heroes is sure to continue a year from now when "The Amazing Spider-Man" swings into action. The first "Spider-Man" trailer hit the Web earlier this week (through both official and leaked channels), gifting comic book fans with the great power and great responsibility of delivering their snap judgments on Sony's developing reboot — well ahead of its summer 2012 release. Of course, we're not immune to having our own reactions here at MTV News. To that end, we took a closer look at the new Spidey trailer and found quite a bit to pick apart. Even The Best Web-Heads Have Daddy Issues Most "Spider-Man" fans are familiar with Peter's relationship with Uncle Ben and Aunt May Parker, but the newest film's first trailer puts a heavy emphasis on our hero's birth parents. Although this territory has been covered before in the comics, it's a story far less frequently told than Peter's struggles with Uncle Ben's death. But director Marc Webb has said before that "Amazing Spider-Man" will deal heavily with Peter's daddy issues, and judging by the trailer, he wasn't kidding. The Dark Spider If there's one thing to take away from the "Spider-Man" trailer, it's that this isn't Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire's web-slinger. In the hands of Webb and leading man Andrew Garfield, we're seeing a Spider-Man story that takes itself much more seriously than the whimsical nature of the Raimi and Maguire era. Whether you approve of the tonal change will vary based on personal taste, but there's certainly no arguing that this "Spider-Man" movie feels different than the last three, if nothing else. When Andrew Met Emma Another big change from the "Spider-Man" films of yesteryear is the removal of longtime love interest Mary-Jane Watson in favor of Gwen Stacy, played here by Emma Stone. Much of the trailer's focus is on the budding relationship between Andrew and Emma's characters, and already it feels as though they share more common ground with each other than Peter and MJ enjoyed in the first film's opening chapters. Back To Start One thing that isn't different from the previous Spider-flicks is that "Amazing" appears to be an origin story, just like the first Raimi-directed picture. It's a curious choice: The original "Spider-Man" movie swung into theaters in 2002, and only 10 years later we're seeing yet another re-telling of how Peter Parker got his radioactive spider-powers. There's already debate about whether another origin story was worth the narrative cost, but we'll reserve some judgment until we see the finished product — or, at least, another trailer. First-Person Heroics Speaking of other trailers, here's hoping that the second "Spider-Man" spot puts a heavier emphasis on action than this first one. We don't see Garfield in action albeit for a few shots two thirds of the way into the trailer, and even then, he's without mask or costume. The final portion of the trailer, clocking in at almost a minute, focuses entirely on Spidey swinging from rooftop to rooftop ... but all from the character's own perspective. Again, it's a curious choice to show the web-slinging action from Spidey's point of view rather than allowing the viewer to gaze upon the hero in all of his glory. It's bound to be a breathtaking sequence when the full movie hits theaters; as the capper for a first trailer, however, the "Spidey-cam" will likely turn some fans off. What do you think of the first "Amazing Spider-Man" trailer? Tell us in the comments! Check out everything we've got on "The Amazing Spider-Man." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man" Photo: Columbia Pictures

Ryan Gosling Declares His 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' For Emma Stone

NEW YORK — Ryan Gosling may have an Oscar nomination to his name, but the leading man didn't have to strain his acting muscles too much to portray a man enamored of Emma Stone in the upcoming romantic comedy, "Crazy, Stupid, Love." When we caught up with the 30-year-old at the movie's New York premiere Tuesday night, he was more than happy to dole out accolades for his co-star. "She's everything, all the time," he said. "There's no one like her. As soon as she signed on for this movie, I knew it was going to be good." In the film, which hits theaters July 29, Gosling plays lothario Jacob, a love-averse playboy who takes Steve Carell's Cal under his wing to teach him the ways of a skilled pickup artist. Yet, in the end, Jacob himself unwittingly finds love with Stone's Hannah — a role Gosling said was perfectly cast. "The whole film depends on my character giving it all up for her," he said. "When she came in the room, it all made sense. Show me someone that wouldn't give it all up for Emma Stone, and I'll show you a liar." The admiration, however, certainly wasn't one-sided. Stone, who stars alongside both Gosling and Justin Timberlake ("Friends With Benefits") this month, had a hard time wrapping her head around her collection of amazing co-stars. "It's pretty wild, isn't it?" she said. "It's not too shabby. Those Mickey Mouse Clubbers, I'm going to take them by storm." Check out everything we've got on "Crazy, Stupid, Love." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Ryan Gosling Photo: MTV News

'Twilight' Stars To Join Us Live From Comic-Con!

It's that time of year again, when vampires and werewolves, witches and wizards, storm troopers and Spider-Men descend on San Diego for Comic-Con International, the annual pop-culture convention that draws celebrities, movie studios, comic book publishers and all their fans to one place for four jam-packed days of panels, premieres and parties. As always, MTV News will be in the midst of all the action. This year, we are proud to announce that we will be presenting "MTV News: Comic-Con Takeover," three live-stream broadcasts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT. The first of our three live Comic-Con-themed shows is a veritable feast for all the "Twilight" fans out there. We're kicking off our coverage in a big way Thursday with an entire hour dedicated to "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn." Mark your calendars and set your phone alerts to remind you to tune into MTV.com at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT for a smorgasbord of "Twilight" goodness that includes exclusive interviews with the film's superstar cast and filmmakers, news from the "Breaking Dawn" panel and other tidbits associated with the film's Comic-Con events. And that's just Thursday. Friday and Saturday's live broadcasts promise to be just as enticing as our "Breaking Dawn"-themed hour. Expect to see your favorite stars and filmmakers stopping by our studio to chat about the biggest and most buzz-worthy films and TV shows heading to theaters and television sets near you. Keep it locked to MTV.com and Splash Page for all the latest, greatest Comic-Con news. If you have any questions or comments for our "Breaking Dawn" talent coming through, send them via Twitter @MTVNews with the hashtag #mtvsdcc. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" Photo: Summit Entertainment

'Friends With Benefits' Stars Weren't 'Begging To Be Naked'

In case you've missed them, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis have been involved in a few very clever promotions for their upcoming romantic comedy "Friends With Benefits." There was their mutual groping at the MTV Movie Awards in June followed by a friendly public service announcement-style video touting the merits of a friends-with-benefits arrangement. And if those efforts haven't already inspired you to see the film when it opens this weekend, perhaps the knowledge that the two attractive actors spend a lot of their screen time totally naked will increase a few ticket sales. Speaking about said nude scenes — of which there are several that feature a bare Timberlake bottom — the two stars admitted to MTV News that however comfortable they may be with their bodies in private, they weren't dying to disrobe on camera. "I wasn't begging [to be naked]," Timberlake said. "When I found out Mila was going to be naked, I was really sort of like, 'Ewww, gross,' " he joked. "But I guess if that's what it takes to make the movie, then I'll do it." "[You are] such a hard worker," Kunis said, playing along with Timberlake's joke. "You're committed." "I know. I am a hard worker," Timberlake assured us. "He genuinely believes that [my being naked] was gross," Kunis added seriously. "Shut up," Timberlake shot back playfully. "We had a lot of fun making the movie," he said sincerely. "[But] none of us were begging to be naked." Check out everything we've got on "Friends With Benefits." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Justin Timberlake in "Friends With Benefits" Photo: Sony Pictures

'Harry Potter' Star Daniel Radcliffe: What's Next?

The release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" may end a chapter for leading man Daniel Radcliffe, but that only means the rest of the entertainment world has opened up for him. Up next, Radcliffe has the horror flick "The Woman in Black," which he recently finished filming in the U.K. The story is markedly different from "Harry Potter," with Radcliffe playing a grieving father investigating mysterious occurrences in a sleepy British town. The actor told MTV News that he is attracted to these sorts of dark tales because he finds something much more interesting about them. "I don't want to make a boring love story about two people who meet and then are happy. That's boring, and that doesn't exist," Radcliffe explained. "I also do like playing slightly disenfranchised characters like Arthur is in 'The Woman in Black.' He's someone who's grieving and whose grief has put him to the edge of madness and also has sort of made him ostracize himself from society. I guess I like the dark stuff. I find it more interesting." So don't expect a romantic comedy to be on Radcliffe's list of projects to conquer. With his schedule packed for the next few months while he's on Broadway performing in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," Radcliffe doesn't have any other announced future-film commitments. But we expect once "The Woman in Black" hits theaters in January that Radcliffe will explore a variety of other genres. That probably won't include another "Potter"-sized franchise, though, the 21-year-old actor admitted. "I think that we proved in doing 'Potter' that you can bring integrity and perpetual growth to a franchise. It doesn't have to be a law of diminishing returns after the first film comes out," Radcliffe told MTV News on the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" NYC red carpet. "Providing a script is good enough. I would absolutely do another, but it's not something I'm looking for in the next couple of years, certainly." Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Daniel Radcliffe Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images

'Harry Potter' Box Office: How High Will It Go?

There was little doubt that when the "Harry Potter" franchise finally came to a close after a decade-long presence at the multiplex, it would do so in epically lucrative fashion. But only when "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" actually began lighting up screens last Thursday at midnight did the true extent of its box-office power become clear: The film raked in a record $43.5 million at those early screenings and ended up shattering the three-day opening record of "The Dark Knight." "While I assumed it would have the best 'Harry Potter' debut of all time, I wasn't quite sold on the fact that it could eclipse the 'Dark Knight' record, as none of the previous films, although highly successful, have ever approached that staggering number, despite having one of the most rabid fanbases filmdom has ever seen," said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. "This was monumental, as it seems everyone wanted to be a part of the discussion, everyone wanted to say goodbye to dear friends, and everyone wanted to experience the magic on the big screen one more time." But not everyone wanted that magical experience in 3-D. While "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" benefited from the largest 3-D launch ever, according to Box Office Mojo, a majority of ticket buyers choose 2-D screenings, with just 43 percent of its total gross coming from 3-D screenings ("Transformers: Dark of the Moon," by comparison, earned 60 percent of its opening gross from 3-D showings). So, although "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" opening marks the second-biggest 3-D opening after "Alice in Wonderland," the last "Potter" film wasn't a 3-D must-see — it was a pop-culture must-see. But insiders hardly predicted how intense the get-out-to-the-theater urge would be. Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com, pointed at social-networking sites as the key factor that raised awareness and drove ticket sales in the days leading up to release. The franchise's Facebook page added 870,000 new "likes" last week and Twitter registered more than 225,000 tweets in that time frame. "It clearly showed that even casual fans of the series were excited about the last installment," he said. "You can't break records with just die-hard fans — you have to expand the base. That's exactly what 'Part 2' did." Just don't expect it to do what "Avatar" did. James Cameron's sci-fi flick built slowly and stayed at the top of the box office for weeks. "Deathly Hallows, Part 2," by contrast, experienced a hefty, 53 percent drop from Friday to Saturday, showing the film, like so many blockbusters before it, was a frontloaded theatrical event. While it will safely become the biggest movie of the summer, these wizards won't be able to compete with Cameron's big blue aliens, who drove "Avatar" to $2.8 billion worldwide. "While the global grosses of 'Avatar' and 'Titanic' will likely be out of reach, expect 'Deathly Hallows, Part 2' to become the third-highest grossing movie ever once it exits theaters, and surpasses 'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,' which hauled in $1.1 billion worldwide, " Bock said. "Harry Potter," then, is on the verge of unseating "Star Wars" to become the most lucrative franchise in movie history. While some franchises struggle to maintain early success (see this summer's "Transformers" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" films), "Potter" has had no such problems. The example that Warner Bros. has set with its boy wizard is one that other studios wrapping up franchises would be wise to follow. " 'Potter' fans grew up and didn't abandon the series, but that could happen with 'Twilight,' " Contrino said. "You have to mature at the same pace as your audience. The 'Potter' series grew darker and more compelling as its audience aged. It worked perfectly." Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros.

'Dark Knight Rises' Trailer Hits The Net!

In exactly one year and two days, the Dark Knight will rise for the last time under the direction of Christopher Nolan. Fans flocking to the cinemas over the weekend to see "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" were lucky enough to catch the first teaser trailer of "The Dark Knight Rises," the final installment of Nolan's Batman trilogy. But now the official trailer has hit the Internet, teasing an apocalyptic conclusion to the beloved series. The latest clip appropriately teases the two elements of "The Dark Knight Rises" that have fans already so riled up. First off, a voiceover by Liam Neeson's "Batman Begins" character, Ra's Al Ghul, implies the connection to the first Batman movie that moviegoers have long suspected. "If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become something else entirely," he whispers. "A legend, Mr. Wayne, a legend." When we last saw Batman, he was going into hiding after the destruction caused by the Joker and Two-Face. But the Batman must rise, and in new footage from the trailer, it's Batman's old friend, Commissioner Gordon, who asks him to do so. "We were in this together, and then you were gone," says an incapacitated Gordon, played by Gary Oldman. "And now this evil rises. The Batman has to come back." "This evil," the second key trailer element, seems to imply Bane, the new "Dark Knight" villain played by Tom Hardy. Several shots of Bane are mixed in with the final moments of the trailer, a follow-up to the previously released photo of the man who broke the Bat. Among these images is also the first shot of Christian Bale as Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises." The final look in the trailer — Gotham City's skyscrapers crumbling down in a shape of the Bat symbol — hearkens back to the poster released last week. It certainly seems to imply that Gotham City might be destroyed while the Dark Knight does rise. There are still several characters left unseen, though, including Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard in presumed there-must-be-more-to-it-than-that roles. The Neeson voiceover opens up a whole new can of worms when it comes to the theory that Cotillard is actually playing Ra's Al Ghul's daughter, Talia Al Ghul, though whether that concept comes to fruition remains to be seen. What do you think of the first "Dark Knight" trailer? Tell us in the comments! Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Tom Hardy as Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises" trailer Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Chris Evans Reveals He Said 'No Thanks' To 'Captain America'

Captain America was the role that seemingly every actor in Hollywood but Chris Evans wanted to play. The actor opens up to MTV's Josh Horowitz Thursday night (July 14) during "MTV First: Captain America," saying that the decision to join up as a Marvel Avenger was not an easy one. Still, director Joe Johnston and producer Kevin Feige were persistent, and knew they wanted Evans so badly that they never even made him audition for the role. "I got a call and they said they want me to audition, and I said, 'Great!' And then I thought about it and I said, 'No thanks.' And then they called back and they said, 'Well, they want you to test,' and testing is basically they'll draw up a contract, and if you're testing then you're only testing with a couple other guys and the odds of walking away with it drastically increase. And again I just said, 'I think I'm good. This isn't really what I'm looking for,' " Evans explained. But even after he turned the contract down twice, it was clear that the studio still wanted him. Marvel was willing to negotiate with Evans and bring the intended nine-picture deal down to only six, and after meeting with Johnston and Feige, Evans said he was willing to give the character a shot. "It just seemed like the more I walked away the more they pursued," he admitted. This is not the first time Evans has told MTV News that he felt uncomfortable taking on the commitment and fame that would come with "Captain America: The First Avenger." During MTV News' live stream at San Diego Comic-Con last year, Evans said that taking the role "wasn't an easy yes." "[Playing] Captain America just changes things, and there's really no off switch once you walk down that road," Evans said. "There's no turning back now. I'm just trying to make all the negatives positives and just enjoy the ride." Check out everything we've got on "Captain America: The First Avenger." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Chris Evans Photo: MTV News

'Harry Potter' Expected To Smash Box-Office Records

It takes a powerful wizard to defeat "The Dark Knight," but based on early media reports, all indications are that the final episode in the onscreen Harry Potter saga, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," is on track to beat the $158.4 million opening-weekend record set by "The Dark Knight" in 2008. Thanks to a combination of breathless, nostalgic anticipation for the last installment in the series, a raft of sold-out midnight screenings on Thursday and higher ticket prices for the first 3-D installment in the $6 billion franchise, experts are predicting that a series of records could fall by Sunday. According to Deadline.com, the estimated two-day worldwide gross for "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" is at $142.7 million, with $82.5 million earned internationally from 43 countries, and roughly $60.2 million brought in domestically. The movie had already rolled up an estimated $45 million at the box office by Thursday before the doors had opened for a single showing. To put that in perspective, it has already beat the $53 million that "Green Lantern" made over the course of its entire opening weekend last month. "Potter" is opening in 4,575 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, and Deadline Hollywood predicted that based on the early tracking, it could smash the "Dark Knight" high-water mark and possibly reach $180 million in opening-weekend grosses. Another record almost sure to crumble is the biggest single day ever, which was set by "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which pulled in $72 million, a figure that could be eclipsed (pun intended) by an estimated $80 million that "Hallows" is projected to collect between the $40 million in midnight screenings and an additional $40 million on Friday. Look for "Hallows" to also take the biggest foreign opening-weekend crown, a record recently set by "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which boosted $260 million earlier this summer. "Potter" studio Warner Bros. expects the film to smash that figure, though it's unclear if it will be able to beat the worldwide seven-day opening-gross mark set by "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," which raked in $402 million in its first week in June. A good sign, though, is that "Hallows" has already broken records Down Under. The Hollywood Reporter noted that following its midnight opening on Wednesday, it took in more than $7.4 million in its first 24 hours in Australia, smashing the previous mark of nearly $1.8 million in the first 24 hours for "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King." Send us your video review of "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" and we just might use it on MTV News! Daniel Radcliffe and Ralph Fiennes in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros.

'Boyz N The Hood' A 'Coming-Of-Age Story,' John Singleton Says

When John Singleton wrote and directed his 1991 film "Boyz n the Hood," there was no grandiose cinematic inspiration or abstract muse. Instead, the Los Angeles native just wrote about what he knew best. "My biggest influence for making the film was my friends, my friends growing up, and how Los Angeles was in the '80s and '90s," Singleton told MTV News. "None of the movies that we saw growing up had anybody, any characters in them that were like us. So we were like, 'We should make a movie about what we go through, about what we see.' " Released on July 12, 1991, "Boyz n the Hood" was nominated for two Academy Awards and is hailed as a classic 20 years later. On July 19, the film will be re-released in Blu-ray. The movie's impact doesn't seem to surprise Singleton much; he kind of always knew things would turn out this way. "I was like, 'Wow if I can get this in a film, a little bit of what this is, that life on film, then I think I'll have something that will have a hard effect on people,' " he recalled. The film, starring Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut and Laurence Fishburne, is set in South Central, Los Angeles, a California neighborhood notorious for gang violence. At the center of the film is Tre Styles (Gooding Jr.), who tries to balance his father's (Fishburne) life lessons with the harsh realities of the 'hood in which he lived. Then there are half-brothers Doughboy (Cube) and Ricky Baker (Chestnut), two characters who couldn't be more different. Doughboy, a stone-cold gangster, has street respect but very few prospects. His brother Ricky, however, is a young father and a star high school football player fielding sports scholarships from multiple colleges. In the end, Ricky's bright future is brought to a dark close when he's gunned down in an alleyway. Noted for its social message, "Boyz n the Hood" also marked the acting debut of rapper Ice Cube, who has gone on to star in movies like "Friday" with comedian Chris Tucker and "Anaconda" alongside Jennifer Lopez. Cube has also written, directed and produced a number of films as well. "I knew Ice Cube was a movie star before he knew he was a movie star," Singleton said. "He just embodied that role and did a great job." In fact, the director had a vision -- not just for Cube, but for all the members of his former group as well. "The script was originally written for all of N.W.A. The character Doughboy was always meant for Ice Cube, but the whole script was written for all of the N.W.A guys to be in it," Singleton revealed. Unfortunately, the casting didn't go as planned, and years later, Dr. Dre expressed a bit of regret. "It's funny, because when I told Dre that later on, he said, 'Man, if you got any great ideas, you come to me again, you come to me,' " Singleton said with a chuckle. When asked why he thought the film holds up after 20 years, John Singleton offered this: "I think people are still talking about 'Boyz n the Hood' because it's part of who they are. Even if they're not from that environment, they really identify with those characters. Ultimately, the movie is kind of like a teenage story, it's a teenage coming-of-age movie. People watch that movie and say, 'Wow, look at the journey of these characters,' and then they think about their own journey." Check out everything we've got on "Boyz n the Hood." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Ice Cube in "Boyz N The Hood" in 1991 Photo: MTV News

'Harry Potter' Fans Gush Over 'Deathly Hallows, Part 2'

"Goodbye, childhood." Those two words, which one fan left behind for director David Yates during an early screening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," probably describe the sentiment felt by many Potterheads after they walked out of Thursday night's midnight screenings. MTV News took to the streets to find out what viewers thought of the final installment of the epic film franchise, and the response was as overwhelmingly positive as the critics'. "I feel like it was a worthy completion," said one fan, who was clad in a Gryffindor sweatshirt. "From the start it just grabs you by the neck and takes you along for the ride, and really for the last film, you can't ask for anything more." His female friend agreed, saying, "It's really hard to say bye," before becoming choked up. The tears were shared by both the male and female fans interviewed after the screenings of "Deathly Hallows, Part 2." It's a sentiment that even the "Harry Potter" stars felt, though leading man Daniel Radcliffe was glad to hear the movie got the fans choked up as well. Favorite scenes in the film ranged from seeing Harry surrounded by all his loved ones to Neville Longbottom's epic scene with a certain snake. One girl in Slytherin garb said she was glad that the Weasleys didn't disappoint this time around, and particularly liked seeing Harry and his friends defending Hogwarts in the movie's final act. "It was bittersweet to see it end because it encompassed so much of my life," one female fan shared with MTV. The man she was with agreed. "It was everything you could want to cap off, in our lifetime, one of the greatest film sagas ever that I've experienced," he said. "It's not one of those things where I'm sad that it's ending, because I know it's not really going to end," another fan said. "But at the same time I know it's like closing the final chapter on my childhood." Send us your video review of "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" and we just might use it on MTV News! Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros.

'Harry Potter' Stars Felt 'Weird' During Epilogue Scene

Though the story of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" ends with Harry's battle against Voldemort, the real goodbye to the franchise comes through an epilogue sequence at the end of the movie. It's a scene MTV has been talking to the cast of the "Harry Potter" films about for many years, especially after the creative heads decided to age the stars using makeup instead of casting a new set of actors. Now that the film is less than 24 hours away from being released, the stars were ready to open up about the final "Harry Potter" scene. "With the way it ends, it definitely got balanced right, it was believable, but it was a weird scene to film," Rupert Grint told MTV News. The actor better known as Ron Weasley had to shoot the epilogue sequence twice after director David Yates decided that the first attempt didn't work as well. In the scene that is used in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," Ron has gained a pot belly and some stubble, but the first version also featured a serious receding hairline and some unflattering jowls. "The images of me still haunt me," Grint admitted with a traumatized look on his face. "It was like this monster Donald Trump kind of mixture. It was scary." His co-star Tom Felton agreed that Grint had not looked particularly attractive the first time, but he wasn't entirely happy with how his character, Draco Malfoy, turned out either. His real-life girlfriend, Jade Olivia, played his onscreen wife in the sequence and he got to wear a muscle suit — "It was quite cool, I felt quite ripped" — but despite his "lovely goatee" and longer hairstyle, Felton wasn't entirely satisfied with the results. Unfortunately for the "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" star, he and Olivia "nailed it" the first time, and thus weren't called back for reshoots. "They were pretty cruel, don't you think?" Felton asked. "Nineteen years, they were supposed to base it on Jason Isaacs! I look like Jason Isaacs' dad! I mean, come on." Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros.

'Boyz N The Hood' Stars Hailed 'Classic Movie' Back In 1991

In a 1991 interview with MTV News to promote the just-released "Boyz N the Hood," Laurence Fishburne seemed to know what kind of impact the coming-of-age story would have. "John Singleton has made a classic movie," the actor said. Twenty years later, fans are still singing its praises. This past Tuesday, "Boyz N the Hood" celebrated its 20-year anniversary, and on July 19, the film will be re-released in Blu-ray format. The film, starring Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut and Laurence Fishburne, is set in South Central, Los Angeles, a California neighborhood notorious for gang violence. At the center of the film is Tre Styles (Gooding Jr.), who tries to balance his father's (Fishburne) life lessons with the harsh realities of the 'hood in which he lived. Then there are half-brothers Doughboy (Cube) and Ricky Baker (Chestnut), two characters who couldn't be more different. Doughboy, a stone-cold gangster, has street respect but very few prospects. His brother Ricky, however, is a young father and a star high school football player fielding sports scholarships from multiple colleges. In the end, Ricky's bright future is brought to a dark close when he's gunned down in an alleyway. "Well, this is the film that I initially went to film school to make," director Singleton explained to MTV News in the same 1991 interview, days after the film hit theaters. "I had never seen films that reflected where I was coming from growing up in L.A." "There are so many messages in the film, but if they go and take one message away, it's to keep the love in the family. As long as the love is circulating around, it'll be OK," Gooding Jr. said. "It's a new kind of perspective," Fishburne added. Even Cube, who made his Hollywood debut in "Boyz N the Hood," knew back then that the movie would be impactful. "I think we got a real good film. Just to show black people on the screen being people and not just images, as far as not a sports player or a hat and a gun," he said. "You fall in love with these characters, and it's real deep when something happens to them." And that's why 20 years later, we're still watching. Share your favorite "Boyz N the Hood" scenes in the comments below! Ice Cube in "Boyz N The Hood" Photo: Columbia Pictures

Edward Norton In Talks To Play 'Bourne Legacy' Villain

After months of silence, "The Bourne Legacy" casting news returns with a bang with the announcement that "Incredible Hulk" star Edward Norton is in negotiations with Universal to play the villain in the upcoming action thriller. Variety broke the story, reporting that Norton will likely return to his dark side in the upcoming installment of the "Bourne" series. The actor is no stranger to bad-guy roles, having made a name for himself playing antiheroes in "Primal Fear," "Fight Club" and "American History X." If negotiations come to fruition, Norton will be playing opposite new leading man Jeremy Renner in the film, written and directed by Tony Gilroy. Renner will be following in Matt Damon's footsteps as a more dangerous assassin than Jason Bourne who was trained by the same outfit. Rachel Weisz has also joined the cast, though details of her character and the movie's plot are being kept under wraps. "The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal," Gilroy said of his story for "Bourne Legacy." "Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he's very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I'm building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy. ... The world we're making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne's return [down the road]." The trio has never worked together in the past, though had Norton remained in the Marvel film universe, he and Renner would have been co-stars in 2012's "The Avengers." Now the three critically acclaimed actors will meet on set for the first time in anticipation of the film's intended September production start date. Norton is currently filming the Wes Anderson movie "Moonrise Kingdom" with Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Owen Wilson, Harvey Keitel and Tilda Swinton. Check out everything we've got on "The Bourne Legacy." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Edward Norton Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/ Getty Images

Tom Felton Predicts Snape Will Win 'Harry Potter' World Cup

No matter how you feel about the mean-spirited Draco Malfoy, actor Tom Felton is well aware that the character he's played for 10 years garners mixed reactions from die-hard "Harry Potter" fans. "Either people loved him or loved to hate him," Felton told MTV News during a sit-down chat in preparation for the release of the wildly anticipated "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." Even Felton himself has conflicting feelings about how people react to Malfoy. "It's weird — I never quite know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that Draco is generally ... a pleasantly accepted character," the star said, adding, "I always find it weird when 6-year-olds' parents say, 'You're his favorite character!' I'm always like, 'I'm not sure if I should be. I'm not sure that reflects your great parenting skills!" But that doesn't mean the MTV Movie Awards winner didn't want his character to win the ongoing "Harry Potter" World Cup. For weeks, "Harry Potter" fans have participated in the bracket game, which will declare the best character in the saga. While Felton's Draco did make it very far in the tournament before being bested by Final Four competitor Sirius Black ("That's a little unfair, I think — don't you?" the 23-year-old pondered to MTV's Josh Horowitz), it wasn't quite far enough to take the whole thing. "I'm bitter about not making it to the final post, but at the same time, I'm very grateful. It's awesome," the actor said. See the full bracket and vote! Still, Felton, despite being voted out, was more than willing to play along in the World Cup. When asked whom he thinks should advance past the Final Four (Hermione Granger vs. Severus Snape, Sirius Black vs. Ron Weasley) and win the whole thing, the actor said, with no hesitation, "Snape." He continued, "Everyone loves Snape. He has the greatest story of the lot, I think, where you don't know which he's going to be the whole way." While the "Harry Potter" World Cup picks the best character in the series, not just the final film, Felton still thinks Snape takes the cake. "He has a beautiful ending, doesn't he?," Felton asked, adding, "I didn't expect that at all. It's so nice to see this hard character Snape turn into this soft shell of a man." In short, by Felton's prediction, Severus Snape is "gonna take the crown, man." Whether you agree or disagree with Felton's pick, you can still vote throughout the day on Monday, July 11. Then, the winner of the "Harry Potter" World Cup will be announced later that evening during MTV's live stream of the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" red-carpet premiere in New York. We're streaming live from the red carpet at the New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" on Monday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Visit MTV.com to watch interviews with the stars and see the winner of the "Harry Potter" World Cup announced live. Tweet your questions for the cast @MTVNews using the hashtag #AskPotter. Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." Tom Felton Photo: MTV News

Ice Cube: 'Boyz N The Hood' Still 'As Potent' 20 Years Later

"Either they don't know, don't show, or don't care about what's going on in the 'hood." In that line lays the crux of John Singleton's 1991 film "Boyz N the Hood." Delivered by Ice Cube's character, Doughboy, those words ring as true today, 20 years later, as they did when the film first hit theaters. Released on July 12 of that year, "Boyz N the Hood" was a gritty, cinematic depiction of the lives of three young African-American men growing up in inner-city Los Angeles. On Wednesday's (July 13) "RapFix Live," Ice Cube broke down the cultural significance of the film that launched his acting career. "When we first did the movie 'Boyz N the Hood,' we felt like we was teaching America about a part of itself that they don't see," he explained. "We was teaching you about people like Doughboy and why he is the way he is." But while Cube's Doughboy was an unapologetic gangster who couldn't see a way out of the 'hood and the gang culture that consumed him, his half-brother Ricky Baker (Morris Chestnut) used football as a means to earn a college scholarship that might ultimately take him out of the ghetto. Their friend Tre, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., struggled to balance the life lessons that his father (Laurence Fishburne) passed onto him with the reality of the streets. And for Cube, the circumstances addressed in the movie still ring true after two decades. "The movie holds up. The movie had been used as a tool to teach people about the 'hood that they may not know about," he said. "I think the movie is a definite classic, it definitely holds up, it's definitely as potent today as it was back then. The message is definitely as clear today and needed as it was back then." Share your favorite scenes from "Boyz N the Hood" in the comments! Ice Cube Photo: MTV News

'Harry Potter' Kissing Scene 'Tricky' For Rupert Grint

While fans have long been waiting for Ron and Hermione to lock lips in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have said that it was not so much fun to film the highly anticipated scene. And, according to Grint, it was not any easier watching said kiss on the big screen — "especially in 3-D." MTV News caught up with the "Harry Potter" star over the weekend, and he seemed to find it just as difficult discussing the scene now as he and Watson did after they filmed it in 2009. In fact, Grint couldn't even remember how many takes of the kiss they had to go through before director David Yates finally yelled, "Cut!" "I have no memory of that day. I've kind of erased it," Grint said. "I think it was about four." After seven films of buildup, Grint's Ron Weasley and Watson's Hermione Granger finally culminate the romance that has been budding since their characters first met inside the Hogwarts Express. But as Hermione and Ron grew to love one another romantically, Watson and Grint became more like brother and sister, making the snogging scene all the weirder for them. "It was a tricky one, because it had to be believable. We had to look like we wanted to do it, when in reality we really didn't," Grint said. "We were soaking [in the scene], and that kind of made it a little bit easier, I think, because it was kind of this outburst of adrenaline." When MTV News chatted with Watson about the kiss back in 2009, she echoed similar uncomfortable sentiments. In fact, she said she was so nervous during the first take of the kiss that she ended up pouncing on Grint in order to get the scene over with. "The only good side to it was the fact that we were both in the same boat," Watson said. "We were both just like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe we have to do this. This is so awkward. Really awkward.' So I could take comfort in the fact that Rupert felt the same way. We were both giggling. We were like 12-year-olds. We were like giggling children, where you just couldn't keep it together." Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros.

'Harry Potter' Star Alan Rickman Thanks Fans For Snape's World Cup Win

NEW YORK — After 7.4 million votes cast and over three weeks of intense, head-to-head wizard combat action in MTV's "Harry Potter" World Cup, conflicted, calculating and beloved antihero Severus Snape has emerged a champion. It is an impressive feat indeed, with Snape having overcome heavy hitters and fan favorites Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter himself. MTV News was lucky enough to present the fancy World Cup trophy to Alan Rickman, the man responsible for bringing life and suspense to the complex character, at Monday's New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." "You're lying, aren't you?" Rickman said upon learning the news of Snape's victory. "I gotta get this on the plane tomorrow?" he joked. "Well, thank you, and it doesn't weigh nothing," he added, commenting on the prize's weight. "Is it chocolate, I hope? Thank you very much." When asked what the victory means to him, Rickman took it seriously and further thanked the character's fans for recognizing the many aspects of Snape's magical journey. "It's a vote for ambiguity and things where you don't quite know how they're going to turn out," he said of Snape's is-he-evil-or-good story line. "And also, it's [Snape's] values that you can't talk about without ruining the film, but things like courage and determination and loyalty and love, actually." "Thank you," Rickman reiterated before heading into the premiere. "I appreciate it; that's an American thing." Rupert Grint, whose Ron Weasley was our second-place finisher, was not surprised to learn that Snape triumphed over his character. In fact, he had predicted it. "I knew it," he said with a smile when we broke the news to him. "It's the right choice," he admitted. Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Harry Potter" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Alan Rickman Photo: MTV News

'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2': Early Reviews Are In!

The final installment of the "Harry Potter" series is primed to make magic at the box office, but it's already getting raves from critics as well. Early reviews of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" are positive across the board, earning the flick a whopping 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And although that number is likely to dip a bit once all of the reviews come flooding in next week when it hits theaters — we'll be streaming live from the New York red-carpet premiere on Monday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m. ET on MTV.com — the overwhelming consensus is that "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" delivers on every level. Additionally, it seems that splitting the "Deathly Hallows" into two parts was a good call. While reviews for "Deathly Hallows, Part 1" tended to find that the movie felt too much like a prelude to the climax of the upcoming "Part 2," the early reviews for the final film make it clear that the last installment doesn't skimp on the action, emotional core or storytelling that has driven the franchise. Would a bad review stop you from seeing "Deathly Hallows Part 2?" Tell us on our Facebook page! The real question is whether "Part 2" is a satisfying conclusion to the "Potter" series, and the consensus seems to be that it definitely is. But don't take our word for it: Read on and check out what the critics are saying. The Story "The film versions of J.K. Rowling's stories have enthralled me, and I watched them with child-like wonder. The final film chapter had me literally sitting on the edge of my seat at times, particularly in the scene where Harry, Ron and Hermione (who for reasons too complicated to go into here has to look like Bellatrix Lestrange) break into a bank and escape over the London skyline on the back of a fire-breathing dragon." — Baz Bamigboye, Daily Mail The Performances "The actors here have to make the most of their fleeting moments, and they consistently do. What the post-'Potter' careers of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint will be like is anyone's guess, but at this point they know how to take these particular characters to the bridge without breaking a sweat. Alan Rickman gets to show us many sides of Snape, and he's as compelling as always, even when the flashbacks use some freaky age-erasing special effects that leave his face looking odd. [Helena] Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange is as goth-gorgon as ever, but she has some fun with some early scenes in which she gets to portray the Hermione-on-polyjuice-potion version of the character. And during the film's big climactic battle, [Maggie] Smith and Julie Walters get some tasty moments that make their relatively small roles over the course of the series worthwhile." — Alonso Duralde, The Wrap The Split "Fully justifying the decision, once thought purely mercenary, of splitting J.K. Rowling's final book into two parts, this is an exciting and, to put it mildly, massively eventful finale that will grip and greatly please anyone who has been at all a fan of the series up to now. If ever there was a sure thing commercially, this stout farewell is it." — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter The Action "Perhaps the greatest triumph of this final film is its ability to overcome the deficiencies of J.K. Rowling's writing. In the last Harry Potter volume, she failed singularly to muster the epic feel needed; as a result, on the page, the concluding battle at Hogwarts was a damp squib. But [director David] Yates here transmutes it into a genuinely terrifying spectacle, as bloodied students fight desperately against a horde of screaming black-robed Death Eaters." — Philip Womack, The Telegraph The End "And if you think you know how it all ends, you don't. Yates has wisely tickled the face-off between the rivals to make it even better than the version Rowling wrote in her book. Unlike many other franchises, the quality of the Harry Potter films never dropped. The producers could have broken box-office records with a basic cardboard set thanks to the dedicated fanbase. Yet they have blown a fortune to make a special experience for them." — Grant Rollings, The Sun We're streaming live from the red carpet at the New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" on Monday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Visit MTV.com to watch interviews with the stars and see the winner of the Harry Potter World Cup announced live. Tweet your questions for the cast @MTVNews using the hashtag #AskPotter. Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Daniel Radcliffe and Ralph Fiennes in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures