The fun and exciting blog: June 2011

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Lindsay Lohan Freed From House Arrest, Hits The Town To Party

Yesterday was a big day for Lindsay Lohan … after spending about a month in house arrest (inside her luxury beachfront home, where she was free to booze it up to her heart’s content despite the fact that she was being “punished” for her crimes), Lindsay was released from house arrest and became a free [...]

Eve Evangeline Lilly Laetitia Casta Christina Ricci Virginie Ledoyen

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Drew Lachey to be "Best Man" at Brother Nick's Wedding

Nick Lachey has made it no secret that he has kids on the mind with fianc� Vanessa Minnillo, and though the engaged couple will first tie the knot, the singer and host of NBC?s The Sing-Off already has the stamp of approval from his brother and father of two, Drew Lachey.

?They?ve both been very vocal about the fact that they want kids and a family,? Drew tells In Touch at Pampers ?First Father?s Day Cook-Out? celebration in New York City. ?I think they are doing the right thing, they are getting all the things they need to do just as the two of them out of the way now, because there is obviously a trade-off that happens once you have kids.?

When asked how he thinks Nick and Vanessa would be as parents, Drew immediately responded, ?Oh, great!? And if their role as uncle and aunt to Drew?s two small children with his wife, Lea, is any indication of their future parenting skills, he figures they?ll be just fine! ?They?re always coming in and out of town so it?s like ?alright we?re flying into town tomorrow, can we see the kids?? Drew gushed to In Touch of his brother and sister-in-law-to-be. ?They definitely love spending time with them and you know, they spoil them.?

Drew has a new TV hosting gig on America Sings, premiering on GMC on June 22, but shares that he has an additional important job coming up. While he is coy about certain details of his brother?s wedding, he tells In Touch that he will be serving as Nick?s best man for the big day!

Ana Ivanovi Anna Kournikova Kate Groombridge Taylor Swift Saira Mohan

Neil Gaiman Reflects On 'American Gods,' 10 Years Later

Author talks about his 2001 book as a 10th-anniversay edition is released and with a TV show is on the way.
By Rick Marshall

Neil Gaiman
Photo: MTV News

Neil Gaiman's award-winning novel "American Gods" first hit shelves back in 2001, sweeping up readers in a cross-country adventure that explored a world in which the gods of old struggled to remain relevant in modern American culture. Ten years later, "American Gods" is returning to shelves in a new form, celebrating its anniversary with an expanded, "author's preferred text" edition and the announcement of an upcoming television series based on the book.

"The truth is, as an author, all you are is grateful if you turn around 10 years after you wrote something and it's still in print," Gaiman told MTV News of all the fanfare surrounding the novel's 10th anniversary. "It makes me ridiculously happy as an author, but mostly it makes me ridiculously happy that my book is being read."

For Gaiman, "American Gods" offered a way to put words to his own experience in moving to America from England and the difference between how people view America from the outside and the eccentricities you discover from the inside of American culture.

"All of the things that I loved about America that just seemed weird went into 'American Gods,' " he laughed. "I was fascinated by the way people coming to America tried to become 'American.' The idea of using old gods as a way of talking about what people bring with them when they come to America was a really fun one."

Gaiman recalled one particular discovery he made upon moving to the Midwest that was a prime example of the sort of local norms that informed "American Gods."

"There were weird little things like people driving cars out onto the ice in the winter on frozen lakes and then taking bets on when they'd go through the ice when the snow melted," he explained. "Little things like that, where I would turn around and go, 'Does anyone else here think this is weird?' And everyone else would go, 'Nope, This is how it is.'

"[When] I moved to America, I thought that I knew what America was," he said. "I'd been writing stories set in America for seven to eight years, I'd been coming to America for visits, and more importantly, I grew up watching American television and reading American books. And then I moved to America and found it was really weird, in ways that nobody had told me."

Along with giving readers a chance to revisit — or encounter for the first time — all of that aforementioned weirdness, the 10th-anniversary edition of "American Gods" will also feature more than 10,000 words omitted from his initial draft of the novel. The extra material will consist of expanded chapters, essays and even a few interviews he chose to include.

The audio counterpart to the new edition will also receive a full cast recording as opposed to a solo narrator — something he decided to do after participating in a podcast with filmmaker Kevin Smith.

"About six months ago, my wife Amanda Palmer and I were being interviewed by Kevin Smith for his Smodcast, and Amanda did some songs, and I thought I should do something that's fun too," he said. "So I printed out a scene from 'American Gods,' and I narrated it and made Kevin and Amanda act. At the end of it, I walked away going, 'That was really good!' It was just meant to be this mad, goofy thing we did, but it was really good."

And just in case the best-selling original version of the book, the new 10th-anniversary edition or both audio versions don't put "American Gods" back on the mainstream radar, there's also the upcoming HBO television series based on the novel. Gaiman is attached to write and executive-produce the series with Tom Hanks' Playtone production studio developing the adaptation. Renowned cinematographer Robert Richardson is attached to co-write the pilot with Gaiman.

"The overall plan right now is that the first season would essentially be the first book, with a few interesting divergences," Gaiman said of the television series. "You don't want people who've read the book to be able to go, 'I know everything that's going to be happening here.' [They will] know a lot more than anybody who's starting from here, but we will do things that will surprise [them] too."

With Gaiman indicating that the first season of the television series will encompass "the first book," it was only natural to ask about his plans for an "American Gods" sequel.

"I've been [planning] to do a second 'American Gods' book since the first 'American Gods' book," he laughed. "What I basically have right now is a boxful of stuff. Things go into it. I always knew there was going to be more story.

"The first book was very much about the grifters and the lowlifes, and you don't really get to see much of the new gods and you don't really get a sense of those gods who are doing incredibly well in America," he said. "In the second book, I definitely want to go into both of those things."

Brittny Gastineau Summer Glau Liz Phair Tami Donaldson Ivana Bozilovic

Beyonc� Releases New ?4? Promo Photos

We are just days away from the release of Beyonc�‘s new album 4 and today we get to check out a couple of fancy promo album photos that will be included in the album artwork booklet. Despite the fact that B has not been getting too much positive buzz about her new disc, she has [...]

Amy Cobb Carmen Electra T.A.T.u. Maggie Gyllenhaal Laura Prepon

Eva Longoria enjoys a romantic break in Madrid with Eduardo Cruz?

Eva Longoria and Eduardo Cruz ? aka Penelope Cruz?s little brother ? looked thoroughly loved up when we spotted them strolling through the Spanish capital yesterday afternoon. Aw.

The Desperate Housewives actress was keen to take in the sights as she snapped away with her camera and admired some large statues.

Meanwhile, in some related news, Victoria Beckham has dismissed reports she?s already asked Eva to be her unborn babies godmother.

A spokesman for the former Spice Girl revealed, ?Victoria has not asked Eva to be a godmother and no christening plans have been discussed at this time.? ? Well that told us, didn?t it?!

Julie Berry Samaire Armstrong Diora Baird Jennifer Garner Marla Sokoloff

Cast of Pretty Little Liars Gives Back

The Pretty Little Liars aren't so devious after all! The stars from the ABC Family hit series (the second season premieres June 14) step out of their on-screen characters and team up to make a difference. The cast has collaborated with DoSomething.org and Staples to arm teens with the tools and resources they need to make a difference in their communities this summer. Individuals are encouraged to collect school supplies and drop them off at their nearest Staples store to ensure they get into the hands of thousands of deserving kids just in time for back to school. Shay Mitchell (Emily Fields) and Troian Bellisario (Spencer Hastings) reveal to In Touch the drive behind their effort to help teens in need and the upcoming dramatic season.

?Our demographic for Pretty Little Liars is kids that are in school?We know from going to school that it?s important to have those supplies,? Shay explains. ?If you don?t have those tools, it?s impossible to get out of it what other students would get out of it with those supplies.?

The young stars are working to set up ad campaigns to compel schools to participate. ?School is supposed to be exciting. I was so fortunate to be able to go in and get brand new school supplies, and it is expensive,? Shay says. ?It would be really nice to start off the year and have something you are excited about.?

The cast is also turning to Twitter to help raise awareness. Shay tells fans, ?If you send us a photo doing a drop-off, we will retweet it.?

Furthermore, according to Troian, the campaign will help the cast identify with their teen audience and share stories of their school habits. ?I brought home every book every night,? she admits. ?I took notes on everything. I even got the plastic cover binders and made collages for every subject.?

As for what you can expect for the second season, both girls seem very excited for what is to come. ?This season is out of this world!? Shay gushes to In Touch. ?We are so fortunate to have such a great crew. There are going to be some scenes in these episodes that we are shooting that are more intense than what we saw last year.?

Brittany Snow Minka Kelly Karen Carreno Tatiana Zavialova Vanessa Marcil

'Super 8' Burning Questions: J.J. Abrams Has Answers!

We take our lingering questions straight to the director.
By Eric Ditzian

J.J. Abrams
Photo: MTV News

After months of mystery, "Super 8" finally arrived in theaters over the weekend. The secretive marketing campaigns seemed to have paid off, with positive reviews and experts predicting lasting box-office success.

With all that film-going satisfaction in mind, the way J.J. Abrams crafted his nostalgic thriller left plenty of lingering questions to be answered. So when the esteemed master of mystery stopped by our MTV News headquarters on Tuesday, we asked him our most burning "Super 8" questions. (Spoilers ahead!)

Hanging Humans
MTV News: When we go into the creature's cave, we see the humans hanging upside down. Are they hanging upside down because he's saving them to nosh on later?

J.J. Abrams: I love anything involving aliens and noshing. First of all, a man's got to eat, let's be honest. Part of it is that he's a hungry guy and he's been through a lot, and part of it is that there's a second connection that he can make with people, so he's sort of used them as sort of a library of information of what he needs to know about the human technology to use it.

Zombie Movies
MTV News: The zombie movie that the kids made — why a zombie movie? Why not monsters? Vampires? Why zombies?

Abrams: There are a series of films that George Romero did — "Night of the Living Dead," "Dawn of the Dead" — and I thought that that would be something that could be a big influence on the kid who makes the movies, and so he's sort of trying to create a movie the way that George Romero, his sort of hero in the movie, did with his zombie films.

MTV News: Is there a director's cut, maybe something we might see on the DVD of their zombie film?

Abrams: There's definitely a movie that's three times as long, but it's probably four times as bad.

Kiss
MTV News: Why no kiss between Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney?

Abrams: You know, I don't know who wanted to see the kiss between Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney, but to me ... these were kids who, their affection for each other didn't necessarily need to be played out with a kiss. But I think that hopefully you get the sense that their feelings for each other are profound.

Cameo
MTV News: We hear Bruce Greenwood did the motion capture from the creature.

Abrams: Bruce Greenwood came in and he did some motion capture, body capture and also facial capture for the performance of the creature. A lot of it we ended up using and a lot of it we ended up having to animate and change because, frankly, when we saw the creature move, sometimes it felt like we had to change it up to make it work better.

The PG-13 F-Bomb
MTV News: It was a great use of the PG-13 f---. Was there always going to be the one F-bomb you threw? Did you go through different iterations?

Abrams: It made me laugh, the idea that this guy who was such a sort of dink at the beginning and the fact that you know he was trying to sell these kids pot, he's trying to hook up with his sister and he's just an utter loser working at the camera store. The idea that this guy kind of gets roped into this adventure and sort of starts to really care about these kids. It makes you sort of like the guy, and so his showing up and seeing these kids are still alive and being happy about it and then seeing that this bus has been overturned after this attack of the creature. That reaction that he had just felt like the reaction he would have. And I was hoping that we'd get past the rating and not have to lose it, and luckily we did.

Check out everything we've got on "Super 8."

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

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New 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2' Trailer Debuts

Latest trailer is both action-packed and full of emotion.
By Kara Warner

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Wowza. Wow. Wowza. That is our instant reaction to the latest trailer for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," which just hit the Interwebs Thursday (June 16). Man oh man, is it a doozy. Even for those of us who've read the books over and over again and are fully prepared for what's going to unfold when the film hits theaters on July 17, this latest trailer is so action-packed, so full of intensity and emotion, it's almost too much to handle.

Almost.

The trailer opens with a distraught Lily Potter (Harry's mom) speaking to her infant son. "Harry, be safe," she says in a strained whisper. "Be strong." Cut to the words "Every moment he's lived has led to this," before an eerie voice-over by evil Dark Lord Voldemort comes in over flashback scenes of key moments in several of the previous seven films.

"Harry Potter, you have fought valiantly," Voldemort sneers. "Now join me, and confront your fate."

From here on out, much like the action in the second half of J.K. Rowling's seventh Potter book, things get very intense. There are flashes of Voldemort in several states of mind and presence, all of them ferocious and teeming with dark force.

"You've kept him alive so he can die at the proper moment," Snape says to him at one point.

Cut to Harry, Ron and Hermione riding a dragon, continuing their dangerous quest for the final horcruxes that will help bring an end to the Dark Lord.

This is followed by the beginning shots, or so it seems, of the epic battle royale at Hogwarts. Death eaters are surrounding the school, and Professor McGonagall orders the magical protectors of the school to come to life and protect them. What looks like the Dark Lord's army is shown assembled outside the gates, ready to attack, while our favorite Potter protagonists are shown waiting anxiously inside the school.

Suddenly the final battle is in full swing, wands slinging, wizards clashing, all of which can be very briefly summarized by these words: death and destruction.

In the midst of all the madness, there are emotional moments that seem to show favorite characters preparing to meet certain death. One poignant moment occurs in a brief exchange between Harry and Snape, a character who has always mysteriously walked the line between good and evil.

"Tell them how it happened that night," Harry says angrily to Snape, before a flashback of Dumbledore's death appears onscreen. "How you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him!"

There is also a brief moment where Harry is surrounded by the ghostly presences of his loved ones, people like his mother and godfather Sirius Black.

"You'll stay with me?" Harry asks his illusory supporters.

"Always," answers his mother.

"Until the end," Black adds.

The remaining seconds are all about action, action, action — specifically, the fight between Harry and Voldemort.

"Come on, Tom, let's finish this the way we started," Harry says to Voldemort as they stand on the precipice of a cliff. "Together!"

This is followed by more quick cuts of wand-wielding and explosions. And then Voldemort and Harry are shown battling once more, this time crawling toward one wand.

"Only I can live forever," Voldemort says with finality.

Who is the best "Harry Potter" character of all time? The "Harry Potter" World Cup will find out! Voting begins on Monday over on the MTV Movies Blog, but you can get the debate started now on Twitter with the hashtag #mtvpottercup.

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.

Related Photos

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows Part 2

Halle Berry Summer Altice Charli Baltimore Miranda Kerr Trista Rehn

Harry Potter World Cup: Ginny Vs. The Dursleys, George Vs. Umbridge

Welcome to MTV's Harry Potter World Cup! We've selected 64 of the best "Harry Potter" characters and matched them up in a series of duels for a chance at magical glory, but it's up to YOU to decide who the greatest "Potter" character of all time is in this pool of wizards and witches. Will [...]

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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Karen Elson and Jack White Celebrate their Divorce?

Karen Elson and Jack White threw themselves a divorce party to celebrate the time they have shared and the time they will now spend both separately and together watching their children grow. Karen and Jack seem to be handling the situation with happiness and requested the presence of friends and family to turn what may be considered a hard time into a party. Celebrating helped to ?re-affirm our friendship and celebrate the past and future," Karen and Jack told Papermag.

The big bash was on June 10 in Nashville, Tenn, where the couple celebrated their sixth anniversary and their divorce. The invitation read, ?Please help us celebrate together this anniversary of the making and breaking of the sacred union of marriage with our best friends and animals.?

Milla Jovovich LeAnn Rimes Victoria Beckham Garcelle Beauvais Taryn Manning

Watch: HBO Previews ?Game Of Thrones? Season 2

Last night HBO aired the Season 1 finale ep of the new series Game Of Thrones and immediately after the episode finished, a very short teaser video was shown announcing the return of Game of Thrones for Season 2 next year. Click below to check out the brief teaser in full … but be warned, [...]

Katie Cassidy Katharine Towne Jennifer Morrison Sofía Vergara Jill Wagner

'Spider-Man' Musical Debuts After Web Of Issues

'If you are really trying something extraordinary, it's going to be difficult,' original director Julie Taymor tells MTV News at premiere.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Rick Marshall

"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"
Photo: MTV News

After months and months of pre-production, including injured actors, troubles with the script and a complete overhaul, the beleaguered Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" officially opened on the Great White Way on Tuesday night (June 14).

MTV News braved the rain and crowds at the Foxwoods Theater in the heart of midtown Manhattan to chat with the musical's production team about what the show's fits and starts have taught them along the way.

"It's just hard to do anything when you're trying to do something new and big and different," original director Julie Taymor said of the challenges. "If you are really trying something extraordinary, it's going to be difficult. And that's OK, because eventually you get there."

"I think what happened is that when they were in previews, they discovered that the demographic was so big, they had 6-year-old children in the audience, they had 86-year-old grandparents in the audience. They wanted to make sure the show could reach out to all of them," explained new director Philip William McKinley.

"I think we tried to make the story a bit more linear," added writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. "But we also tried to bring the characters that fans know and love, Mary Jane, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, the Green Goblin, we tried to give them more material and go a little bit deeper on their journeys."

McKinley told a story about watching two young boys in the theater's lobby "webbing" each other after one of the preview performances, who declared it the "best Broadway show ever" and said they couldn't wait to see their next musical.

"I thought, 'Perfect, let's develop those new audiences,' " McKinley said of bringing more people into the theater experience.

"The people that we've met in the community who really care for the art, they want to see new blood, they want to see new innovation," said Bono, who wrote songs for the show with U2 bandmate The Edge. "They want to see new characters onstage, and I think we brought that."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies -- updated around the clock -- visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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Sean Kingston Tweets His First Photo Since Suffering His Jet Ski Accident

Late last month, 21-year old singer Sean Kingston was involved in a very serious jet ski accident that nearly resulted in devastating injury. Thankfully, Kingston has been recuperating from his injuries for the past few weeks and appears to be getting better with each passing day. Today we get to see the first photo of [...]

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Les News, 061911

Smurf town in real life. 10 Things you didn’t know about Ryan Reynolds. Just how tall can trees grow? President Barack Obama plans to write his own tweets. Chris Crocker, of Leave Britney Alone! fame, is now embarking on a career in porn. Lil’ Mama teams up with Snoop Dogg for the track NY NY [...]

Teri Hatcher Anna Friel Kelly Rowland Melissa Rycroft Melissa Sagemiller

Monday, June 20, 2011

Bristol Palin Shares (Sad) Details About Losing Her Virginity To Levi Johnston

Last month we got our first taste of Levi Johnston‘s memoir titled Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs and today we get a sample from his babymama Bristol Palin‘s memoir Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far. In her book, ghostwritten by Nancy French, Bristol opens up about the romantic [...]

Krista Allen Fergie Molly Sims Lokelani McMichael Lauren Bush

Oh no, Brad Pitt?s grown his beard back?

The world literally rejoiced in praise when Brad Pitt recently�shaved off his straggly grey beard.

But now sadly the world must mourn again because the actor has decided to grow back his old mountain goat facial hair, thus making him 10x less fit.

The actor revealed his grey bush (not that one) while in Malta yesterday where he?s currently making a new film.�

Minka Kelly Karen Carreno Tatiana Zavialova Vanessa Marcil Kelly Carlson

Les News, 061811

THIS cute little hamster just won’t give up. The cast of Jersey Shore packs up and moves out of Florence, Italy. A whole new Voltron returns to TV. THIS boy has been banned from school for wearing corn rows. Stephen Colbert gives the commencement address at Northwestern University. Teddybears are very sad that there is [...]

Freida Pinto Lauren German Anna Paquin Julia Stiles Natassia Malthe

'Twilight' Stars Return To Comic-Con For 'Breaking Dawn'

Summit announces cast Q&A session and 'exclusive footage' from first part of finale.
By Kara Warner

Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Photo: Jun Sato/ Getty Images

Attention, "Twilight" fans: Summit Entertainment announced Tuesday (June 14) via the "Twilight" Facebook page that "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" will play a significant role in the studio's presentation at San Diego Comic-Con this year.

"The studio will host one of the first panels of the day in Hall H on Thursday, July 21st dedicated to 'The Twilight Saga' franchise," Summit's statement reads. "Fans interested in the story's final chapters will be shown exclusive footage from 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1' and be treated to a filmmaker and cast Q&A session providing details on the first half of the epic two part finale, in theatres November 18, 2011."

We don't know which castmembers will be in attendance yet, but because July 21 is still a ways away, we imagine Summit will release a few more details as the epic comic and pop-culture convention approaches.

For those who have been following "Twilight" since the beginning, you will likely remember that Comic-Con 2008 was the first time the cast appeared together in public, creating a frenzy so big and shocking that other media outlets in addition to MTV News finally realized how serious the fans were about the soon-to-be blockbuster and its stars.

In 2009, the stars were back for more, and their popularity had grown considerably, leading to mile-long lines outside Hall H, where their panels were to take place. The three lead actors — Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner — admitted that the convention was still an intimidating place. The rest of the massive cast was also on hand for a series of appearances around San Diego, along with unveiling a slew of "New Moon" and "Twilight"-specific merchandise.

Last year, Comic-Con was without any major "Twilight" action since "Eclipse" had been released already and production on "Breaking Dawn" had yet to begin.

So what will happen this year?

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.

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Twilight: Breaking Dawn

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Britney Spears Attends Sean Preston?s Graduation

Pop Queen Britney Spears, who just kicked off her Femme Fatale Tour in Sacramento, CA this past Thursday, took a break from her touring plans to make her way back to LA on Friday to attend a graduation ceremony for her eldest son Sean Preston. In between her concert performances on Thursday (in Sacramento, CA) [...]

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'Pottermore': 5 Guesses At J.K. Rowling's New Project

Unless you've been hiding in the depths of Mad Eye Moody's magical trunk, then you already know that this has been quite a wild week for "Harry Potter" fans. In addition to the launch of MTV's Harry Potter World Cup and the release of the final ? yes, you read that correctly, the final ? [...]

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Chatting With? Sharon Osbourne!

Never one to bite her tongue - and we LOVE her for that - Sharon Osbourne recently sat down to chat with Perez and easily gave us the most frank and refreshing interview we've ever conducted!
And boy was it JUICY!
We talk about everything from Sharon not liking Danni Minogue to her thoughts on Cheryl Cole, [...]

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Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' Creature Designer: 'It's Such An Undertaking'

Despite the fact that production on "Prometheus" is in full swing, we still don't know much of anything about Ridley Scott's revisit to his "Alien" beginnings.
We know that the cast is pretty killer, featuring star Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba and newest addition Guy Pearce. We also know that while there will [...]

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Sunday, June 19, 2011

Stars Celebrate the Real Life Horse Whisperer

Cesar Millan may be the most famous dog whisperer, but Buck Brannaman is the man to see when it comes to horses. Buck's life story has been captured in a new documentary, Buck, which was a huge hit at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film that follows the cowboy who travels the country for nine months a year helping people and their horses has developed a celebrity fan base!

The NYC premiere had stars like Hoda Kotb and Parker Posey praising the animal expert for his amazing story. The new Upper East Side eatery Desmond's opened its doors especially for the official after-party.

Natasha Bedingfield The Pussycat Dolls Joanne Montanez Dominique Swain Julie Berry

'Game Of Thrones' Star Sean Bean Shares In Fans' Shock

Actor talks about his initial reaction to the 'heroic' turn of events in 'Baelor.' Spoiler alert!
By Kara Warner

Sean Bean in "Game of Thrones"
Photo: Helen Sloan/ HBO

So how about Sunday night's episode of "Game of Thrones"? To say that it was a doozy barely scratches the surface of all the shameless double-crossing and bloodshed that occurred.

SPOILER ALERT!: For those who haven't yet watched "Baelor" (or read the novel), do not read any further. MAJOR, major spoilers ahead.

A recap can hardly do justice to the episode's gruesome events, which have been adapted quite faithfully from author George R.R. Martin's brilliant plot twists and turns, but we can provide you with a video interview of "Game of Thrones" star Sean Bean talking about the big "event."

"It's quite heroic, I suppose," Bean told MTV News of the lead into his character's shocking death scene. "I didn't just get knocked off and nobody notices. Plenty of people noticed," he said with a smile. "It was a good one."

Bean said that when he read Martin's book, Ned Stark's death was as much of a shock to him as anyone.

"He's such a predominant character, straight through all of it, and you think, 'Wait a minute, what's happening?' He's obviously been betrayed left and right and center, but you never thought it would come to this," he admitted. "Even the shock on his face before it happens it's like, 'But we made a deal.' It's a pretty awful ending and the kids are watching as well."

Bean said that the short-lived role was amazing to play, and the filming of his final scene was appropriately epic and ambitious.

"We were in Malta in the middle of a big square," he recalled. "A big piazza with hundreds and hundreds of people on a raised platform, I'm making a last speech, I have my hands tied behind back. I kind of say that I have betrayed the realm and I have been a traitor in order to save my children. ... It's real heartbreaking stuff."

But as Martin fans well know, this doesn't mean the end of shocking twists in the series, because, as Cersei Lannister put it, "In the game of thrones, you win, or you die."

What did you think of this shocking turn of events? Head over to the MTV Movies blog to vote in our "Game of Thrones" poll!

Joss Stone Anne Marie Kortright Michelle Malkin Milla Jovovich LeAnn Rimes

Movie Review: ?Green Lantern?

Welp, so much for great expectations. It is with a heavy heart that I report that the DC Comics superhero film Green Lantern — which stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard — is, at best, an average movie. Try as I might to like it, I came away from the seeing [...]

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New 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' Trailer: Tom Felton's Cruelty Knows No Bounds

The only thing longer than the title for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is the two month wait for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" that we're still suffering through. Thankfully, 20th Century Fox is making things a little bit easier on us with a new trailer. That's right ? another new [...]

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Watch: Crystal Harris Explains Why She Called Off Her Wedding To Hugh Hefner

Earlier today we got to see the new EDITED version of this month’s issue of Playboy magazine that labels Crystal Harris as the “Runaway Bride” … right now we get to hear from Crystal herself about why she decided to call off the wedding. Crystal sat down with Entertainment Tonight to explain in pretty good [...]

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'Harry Potter' World Cup: Help Decide The Best Character!

Voting opens Monday on the MTV Movies Blog to finally put this debate to rest.
By Eric Ditzian

Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Are you a Dumbledore guy or gal? Perhaps you're keen on Hermione and Harry? Or maybe you shun the high-profile faces and hold a special place in your heart for Moaning Myrtle or Nearly Headless Nick? Who truly is the greatest "Harry Potter" character of all time?

That's a debate fans have been having since J.K. Rowling published her first novel about a boy wizard in 1997 and one that continues to rage as the final film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," nears its July 15 debut. And you know what? It's time to finally put this fantastical argument to rest!

Get ready for MTV News' "Harry Potter" World Cup, a monthlong tournament pitting 64 "Potter" characters against one another to see which will be decided solely by online fan voting. Check out the full bracket with all the supernatural matchups, then study up and get ready to vote when the first round kicks off Monday, June 20, at MoviesBlog.MTV.com.

Check out photos of all 60 of the "Harry Potter" World Cup players.

The single-elimination tournament will proceed from round to round with the intensity of the fiercest of Quidditch matches, with some characters falling by the wayside and others continuing to fight the good fight. It's all leading up to the epic championship round. The two finalists will be announced Monday, July 11. Voting will continue through MTV News' live-stream coverage of the "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" red-carpet premiere in New York City, with the winner crowned at the end of the event.

The full Harry Potter World Cup is as follows:

» Round 1: Monday, June 20, through Sunday, June 26
» Round 2: Monday, June 27, through Thursday, June 30
» Sweet 16: Friday, July 1, through Tuesday, July 5
» Elite Eight: Wednesday, July 6, through Thursday, July 7
» Final Four: Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10
» Championship Round: Top two announced Monday, July 11, with voting continuing through the New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"

So get ready to vote at MoviesBlog.MTV.com on June 20, and be sure to utilize the Twitter hashtag #mtvpottercup to spread the word. Don't let your favorite character lose out on being named the greatest "Harry Potter" character ever. Sixty-four will compete, but only one will emerge as the Wizarding World's Champion — and it's up to you!

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.

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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Watch: Crystal Harris Explains Why She Called Off Her Wedding To Hugh Hefner

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'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' Trailer: An Expert Analysis

MTV News breaks down the final film's final trailer.
By Eric Ditzian and Josh Wigler

Daniel Radcliffe in the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" trailer
Photo: Warner Bros.

The final "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" trailer has arrived, and after we wiped a stray tear from our eye, we dove into a bit of expert commentary — because the new footage is nothing short of epic!

Hit play on the embedded video as we walk through some of the key moments in the trailer, then read on for a deeper exploration of the last "Potter" trailer before "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" hits theaters July 15.

Watch Out, Mrs. Potter
Right off the bat, we greet Harry's mom, Lily Potter, just moments before she and her husband are going to die by Voldemort's hand. This is a very critical scene in "Potter" mythology. We've seen flashbacks and memories of Harry's childhood before, but it does seem "Part 2" is going to give us a full showing of what happened to Harry as very young boy. It's sure to be a grisly moment. It's a difficult scene to read, and it's likely to be even more taxing to watch. This brief glimpse of Lily hints the new movie will not shy away from J.K. Rowling's most grueling material. Everything has led to this.

Quidditch Is No More
There have been so many gargantuan action set pieces across the franchise, but this scene of the Quidditch field burning to the ground gives us a very clear picture of where the series is headed: from wizards and witches flying around on broomsticks to that venue for the game being destroyed. It's all a result of the Battle of Hogwarts, the grand and terrifying throw-down near the film's conclusion.

Snape, You Rascal
What to think about Severus Snape? He's been a good guy and a Dumbledore-killing villain. In this scene, he most certainly is not in everyone's good graces. Harry's got a lot of anger to direct at Snape, seeing as he killed the boy wizard's mentor. Here he finally gets to confront Snape — the first time since "Half-Blood Prince" that these two have come face to face. But give Snape some time. Without spoiling anything for those who have not read the book, Snape has some interesting things to share and a new side of himself to show off.

Welcome Back, Gary
This is one of the single most important scenes in the entire series. Harry is about to go off into the forest for a battle with Voldemort, and he's greeted by the ghosts of pals' past, thanks to the powers of the Resurrection Stone. One of them is Gary Oldman's Sirius Black. Daniel Radcliffe has told MTV News on many occasions that this scene was the one he was dreading most. Did he have the chops to pull it off? But when it came time to shoot the scene, the actor behind Harry was relieved to have a legend like Oldman supporting him.

It All Ends, Epically
Overall, it's hard not to note how epic the trailer is. You have warriors jumping and landing on one knee — that most badass of acrobatic big-screen landings. You have thousands of spells, like arrows out of "Braveheart," soaring toward an embattled castle. You have dragons breathing fire and loads of people dying. It's amazing to see how much is being revealed in the trailer. Yet at the same time, so much is still to come. There's so much in store that it would be impossible to spoil everything. If you think this trailer is too filled with spoilers, you're wrong! There's a lot more that could be shown. And that's proof the final film has absolutely everything you could want as a "Potter" fan.

Who is the best "Harry Potter" character of all time? The "Harry Potter" World Cup will finally find out! Voting begins Monday over on the MTV Movies Blog, but you can get the debate started now on Twitter with the hashtag #mtvpottercup.

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.

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Ryan Reynolds Reveals 'Green Lantern 2' 'War' Story

Before the first movie hits theaters on Friday, Reynolds and Blake Lively hint at sequel plots.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Ryan Reynolds in "Green Lantern"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Ryan Reynolds was still busy in a blue-screen studio bringing the starry magic of "Green Lantern" to life when Warner Bros. started moving ahead with plans for a sequel. That's just the way things work in Hollywood.

Now, a year after screenwriters were hired to pen the script for "Green Lantern 2," much of the overall story seems to be in place, and as Reynolds told us recently, he's "pretty aware" of what's in store for his Hal Jordan, the test-pilot-turned-universe-protecting superhero. But with the first flick not hitting theaters until this Friday, the actor isn't going to spill all the details.

"I'm not throwing that out there at all," he said.

He did, nonetheless, toss us a few clues — most tantalizingly about what's in store for Jordan and Sinestro, an ally who eventually becomes one of Jordan's greatest enemies. "There's such a rich history with this character, so you get really excited about the possibility," Reynolds explained. "The inevitable war between Hal and Sinestro is something that will have to be dealt with in the second movie for sure, but there's always subplots and a lot of other interesting things going on that are setting up a possible third film."

One subplot that co-star Blake Lively is hoping to see in future films concerns her character, Carol Ferris. According to DC Comics lore, Ferris evolves from Jordan's on-again, off-again lover into a powerful being endowed with abilities similar to those that Jordan's Green Lantern Corps power ring gives him. She becomes known as Star Sapphire, another of Jordan's enemies. Lively, it seems, can't wait to battle Reynolds — either in a sequel or even the third film that Reynolds discussed. Not that she went into great detail about the plots either.

"Like the war between Star Sapphire and ...," Lively began, before trailing off.

Reynolds quickly picked up. "Oh, I was talking about Pokémon and Pikachu," he cracked. "But yes, that one as well."

Check out everything we've got on "Green Lantern."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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Patti Smith, one of the most influential poets, singers and artists of the moder age, is making her acting debut in an upcoming episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In her ep, Smith plays Cleo Alexander, a mythology expert from Columbia University … she helps out in a case that is a fictionalization of [...]

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How Giuliana Rancic Stays Slim

From hosting E! News and Fashion Police to starring on her own reality show with her husband, Bill Rancic, to managing her website fabfitfun.com, Giuliana Rancic?s life is busy to say the least. Now she is adding co-host of the 2011 Miss USA Pageant to her list of responsibilities. ?I was in the Miss Maryland USA pageant when I was 18 and 19, and I lost both times,? Giuliana, 36, tells In Touch. ?I was so distraught and I kept thinking one day I?m gonna get on that stage and now I really will. I?ll just be hosting, not competing.?

Despite her hectic life ? and now a beauty pageant to host on June 19 ? Giuliana was still able to squeeze in some time with In Touch to share how she manages to eat right and stay slim. ?In the morning, I?ll have an egg white omelet with spinach, wheat toast and some Tropicana Trop50 in either the new lemonade or raspberry lemonade flavor,? she explains. Then mid-morning while prepping for E! News and answering emails, she?ll snack on bars on a healthy snack bar. For lunch, Giulina will fill up with a veggie burger on a whole-wheat bun and then have dinner with her hubby of two years, Bill. ?He loves pasta and so I?ll steal a few bites from him and then order salmon.? But she always needs to end the day on a sweet note. ?Dessert is my weakness,? she admits. ?I like sorbet, but I love ice cream.?

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Karen Elson and Jack White Celebrate their Divorce?

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Friday, June 17, 2011

Lenka Rocks Detroit Rock City

Earlier this year I learned of a fantastic Aussie singer named Lenka who completely stole my heart with her debut album and had me itching for the release of her second album Two. When that album was released, I fell even more in love with Lenka … and became desperate to see her live. She [...]

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Blake Lively Hates Leonardo DiCaprio's Partying Ways!

Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively?s relationship is heating up fast ? but the hot Hollywood hookup may not last much longer. According to insiders, Leo and his lively love interest are more different than they are similar. Even though the duo recently enjoyed touring romantic cities like Cannes, Monte Carlo, Monaco and Venice, the whirlwind might be coming to an end.

?Leo is back in the States, and he?s going to go back to his old habits,? says an insider. And the notorious bad boy?s habits include late nights out hitting clubs and parties. The problem? ?Blake doesn?t like to go out,? the insider says. ?She?s never been into the party scene. She doesn?t like going out, dancing and loud music. She?d rather stay home.?

The source adds, ?Blake can get really insecure out in public. It?s one of the main reasons she hates going out.? Leo, on the other hand, ?loves to be out at night, and tends to hit clubs and parties almost every night.?

And the difference in their social interests has the potential to stand in the way of their blossoming romance. ?Who knows what?s going to happen?? adds the source.

It?s a big change for the Gossip Girl star, who was recently spotted trying to keep up with her new flame, leaving NYC hotspot The Darby late at night. ?Blake and [her ex-boyfriend] Penn Badgely stayed in all the time. They watched movies and hung out in their pajamas all the time,? the insider says. ?Leo is definitely not going to be that guy.?

And considering Blake already has a nude photo scandal following her, which her rep has denied is her, it seems like a good idea for her to keep a low profile and avoid the party scene. To that point, we hope Blake stays true to herself instead of getting wrapped up in Leo?s wilder ways!

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New 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2' Trailer Debuts

Latest trailer is both action-packed and full of emotion.
By Kara Warner

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Almost.

"Harry Potter, you have fought valiantly," Voldemort sneers. "Now join me, and confront your fate."

"You've kept him alive so he can die at the proper moment," Snape says to him at one point.

Cut to Harry, Ron and Hermione riding a dragon, continuing their dangerous quest for the final horcruxes that will help bring an end to the Dark Lord.

Suddenly the final battle is in full swing, wands slinging, wizards clashing, all of which can be very briefly summarized by these words: death and destruction.

"Tell them how it happened that night," Harry says angrily to Snape, before a flashback of Dumbledore's death appears onscreen. "How you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him!"

There is also a brief moment where Harry is surrounded by the ghostly presences of his loved ones, people like his mother and godfather Sirius Black.

"You'll stay with me?" Harry asks his illusory supporters.

"Always," answers his mother.

"Until the end," Black adds.

The remaining seconds are all about action, action, action — specifically, the fight between Harry and Voldemort.

"Come on, Tom, let's finish this the way we started," Harry says to Voldemort as they stand on the precipice of a cliff. "Together!"

This is followed by more quick cuts of wand-wielding and explosions. And then Voldemort and Harry are shown battling once more, this time crawling toward one wand.

"Only I can live forever," Voldemort says with finality.

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.

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'Harry Potter' Actress Emma Watson Sick Of Having 'No Control' Over Her Life

'I have lived in a complete bubble,' 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' star tells Vogue.
By Eric Ditzian

Emma Watson on the July 2011 cover of <i>Vogue</i>
Photo: Vogue

When we caught up with Emma Watson at the MTV Movie Awards afterparty earlier this month, the 21-year-old Brit confessed, "I'm having the time of my life."

For the first time in her professional career, Watson is free of the all-encompassing "Harry Potter" franchise and has set about creating for herself a cinematic second act — one that has nothing to do with Hogwarts and Hermione Granger. It's been a long time coming, as the actress admitted in a new Vogue cover story.

"I have had no control over my life," Watson said. "I have lived in a complete bubble. They found me and picked me for the part. And now I'm desperately trying to find my way through it."

The first move she made was signing on to an adaptation of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," a provocative novel about teenage life in America. She also dropped out of Brown University in March, after years of fighting to continue her education while also remaining committed to one of the biggest film franchises on Earth.

"I have felt for the last 10 years I have had this battle — I've been fighting so hard to have an education. It's been this uphill struggle," she said. "I was Warner Bros.' pain in the butt. I was their scheduling conflict. I was the one who made life difficult."

Now fully outside the "Potter" bubble, Watson is trying, as she put it, "to really enjoy the good things because it makes the bad things OK." Among those unwelcome things is the constant attention of the paparazzi. And when she does begin a new relationship (her previous one ended last summer), she hopes the tabloid spotlight won't spoil the romance.

"I'm a feminist, but I think that romance has been taken away a bit for my generation. I think what people connect with in novels is this idea of an overpowering, encompassing love — and it being more important and special than anything and everything else," she said. "I would love to not date someone in the same industry as me. Otherwise it becomes what it means to everyone else."

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

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'Super 8' Creature's 'Cloverfield' Connection: J.J. Abrams Explains

Director responds to speculation that there's a link between the two movies.
By Eric Ditzian

J.J. Abrams
Photo: Megan Jones/ MTV News

Talking to J.J. Abrams about "Super 8" these days is a far different experience than it was just a few months ago. During a late April phone conversation, held as the director was putting the finishing touches on his film's score, Abrams was impressively, impenetrably tight-lipped about the project's many mysteries. When we asked how far into "Super 8" the much-hyped, never-seen creature would be revealed, he simply answered, "I would say the film will obviously answer that question."

But when Abrams stopped by the MTV Newsroom on Tuesday (June 14), fresh off his film's impressive, $35.5 million opening weekend, the guy couldn't have been more open. He answered lingering questions, cleared up sources of debate, and reveled in hearing how fans were taking in a film that is undoubtedly the most personal of his career. Among the most compelling topics we hit on were his revelations about the mysterious creature itself. (Needless to say, there are major spoilers below.)

Once the "Super 8" alien could be fully glimpsed as it wreaked havoc in a small Ohio town, some observers noted a similarity between the creature and the alien in 2008's "Cloverfield," which Abrams produced. As he explained it to us, there is a link between the two creatures, but not one that has any storytelling impact.

"The only connection between the creature in 'Super 8' and the creature in 'Cloverfield' is that they were both designed by the same guy, Neville Page," Abrams said. "They actually look very different, but they both have two eyes, a nose and a mouth. So, in that regard, it also looks a lot like Laurence Olivier!"

That answer puts to rest any suggestion that "Super 8" and "Cloverfield" exist in the same universe or that the "Super 8" alien's actions in the 1970s somehow impacted the other alien's later actions in "Cloverfield." When we asked Abrams if there is a same-universe connection between the two flicks, he said, "No."

Abrams went on to talk specifically about what they needed their multi-limbed "Super 8" alien to accomplish and why it ended up looking the way it did. "The creature in 'Super 8' needed to be scary and it also needed to have the ability to have a performance and be a little bit less scary too," he explained. "We didn't want a creature that was just running around thumping his chest and screaming. It needed to be something that was able to have a plan, have an experience. Smart enough to create something, build something.

"A lot of what the design was, was how do we do both?" Abrams continued. "If there was a big, strong soldier who had been taken in, was a prisoner of war and had escaped, if this guy was Rambo. Basically this could be someone who for some would be very scary, could be full of rage and also could be emotional and nuanced. So it really was a question of, he wasn't King Kong and a lot of what we needed to do was find a way to have a design that would give us that latitude to do both — the big scares and also the more subtle stuff."

Check out everything we've got on "Super 8."

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

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'Super 8': Box-Office Sleeper Of The Summer?

After earning $37 million and debuting at #1, J.J. Abrams' movie is looking like a success story so far.
By Eric Ditzian

Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney in "Super 8"
Photo: Paramount

As well as anyone, J.J. Abrams knew the challenges facing "Super 8" this summer. It's not a sequel or based on an existing property; it doesn't feature any major stars; its central conceit had to remain largely mysterious, and its release date plopped the flick in a crowded field of superheroes, robots and wizards.

"We're a complete anomaly in a summer of huge films," the director told the Los Angeles Times, "and we don't want to be so silent or coy that people don't care or don't hear about it."

As the film's June 10 release date neared, it seemed people might not have heard about "Super 8," nor cared to check it out if they had: Box-office tracking was said to be weak, with a possible opening weekend as low as $25 million. But as reviews continued to be strong, and Paramount staged over 300 Twitter-sponsored screenings at midnight on the Thursday before release, the tide seemed to be turning.

And it did. "Super 8" grossed $35.5 million domestically. That put the alien-invasion film roughly in line with one alien invasion film based on an original idea and starring lesser-known talent (2009's "District 9") but slightly below another (2008's "Cloverfield"). Yet what separates "Super 8" from these other movies is the talent behind the camera: Abrams in the director's chair and Steven Spielberg taking on a producer role for a film that is an undeniable homage to films like "E.T." With those names leading the charge, expectations were high as soon as the project was announced in May 2010. And now opinions among industry experts seem to be split. Is $37 million for "Super 8" a success or a disappointment — or somewhere in between?

" 'Super 8' arrived with neither a whimper nor a bang," explained Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo. "[E]ven if 'Super 8' beat last-minute expectations, that doesn't necessarily make it a success. The most important expectations for any movie are the ones that are set when a movie is green-lighted as well as the ones that guide a marketing campaign."

Others, however, emphasize that making any sort of box-office declaration would be premature at this point. "For some films, the opening weekend is just the beginning of the story," said Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com. "This is one of them. It should hold up well in the weeks to come, and that will make up for the fact that its opening wasn't exactly earth shattering."

The fact is, even with marquee talent running the show, films often need A-list talent in front of the camera — and plopping down on Leno's couch — to goose box-office numbers. Contrino suspects that just one big name could have resulted in a $60 million opening for "Super 8." Yet it should be noted the film reportedly cost only $50 million — about one third the budget of a typical summer tentpole.

" 'Super 8' will turn a profit before most of the other films released this summer, and isn't that the epitome of success?" said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. "Yet still it was the #1 film in a crowded marketplace. There is no other way to spin this: Every studio in town would love to have a 'Super 8' on their release calendar."

The question now is how the film will do heading into this weekend, when a new superhero flick, "Green Lantern," arrives. "Cloverfield," for instance, dropped a staggering 68 percent in its second weekend, despite opening in January. "District 9" held on for a more typical 51 percent drop in August. How will "Super 8" fair? Can it become the sleeper hit of the summer?

"It may have a difficult time going up against what looks like it will be the next 'Iron Man' in 'Green Lantern,'" Bock said. "But word of mouth should sustain 'Super 8' in the weeks to come, because in a world full of exploitation and in-your-face pop-up ads, audiences will no doubt be charmed by the fact that they're sitting in a darkened theater without knowing exactly what to expect."

Check out everything we've got on "Super 8."

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

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