Apr 8, 2009

Britney Considers Taking the Circus Down Under

Britney Spears' tour may be heading south. Way south.

In court today, attorneys representing the popster and father Jamie's conservatorship discussed the possibility of taking Spears' supremely successful Circus tour to Australia.

Nothing was decided at what was otherwise a largely uneventful hearing pertaining to the conservatorship, which has been in place since Feb. 1, 2008, and was extended indefinitely in December.

Another court date has been set for April 14.

The Circus Starring Britney Spears unfolds in Edmonton tonight, after which the song-and-dance extravaganza hits Vancouver before heading southward along the West Coast. As the schedule stands, Spears' troupe touches down June 3 in London, where they'll do eight shows (all sold out), and then wraps up June 17 in Manchester.

Actor resurfaces in White House after "suicide" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood star Kal Penn has swapped television's "House" for the White House .

The 31-year-old actor, who made his mark as the pot-smoking Kumar in the "Harold and Kumar" feature film comedies , will become associate director in the White House office of public liaison, Entertainment Weekly reported on Monday.

For the past two seasons, Penn played Dr. Lawrence Kuttner on Fox's medical-mystery drama "House." His character exited the show in a violent fashion on Monday's episode by committing suicide for no apparent reason.

Penn told Entertainment Weekly that he loved working on "House," but had always been a bit of a political junkie, inspired in part by his grandparents, who marched with Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian independence movement .

He campaigned for U.S. President Barack Obama , expressed interest in working for his administration, and got a job offer a few months ago. In his new role -- for which he will take a big pay cut -- he will "do outreach" with the American public and with different organizations.

"They're basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House," he said of his new colleagues.

Penn, one of the few Indian-American actors to make it big in Hollywood, said he still has a passion for acting, but won't be appearing on screen for the foreseeable future.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

"Hannah" movie goes heavy on the country corn (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hannah Montana goes more than a little bit country for her first (nonconcert) big-screen outing, and the resulting Nashville/bubble gum fusion doesn't necessarily represent the best of both worlds.

Not that the tweens will mind the twang. " Hannah Montana: The Movie " is a can't-miss proposition for Disney, which is smartly striking while the iron is still reasonably hot.

It likely won't match last year's $31.1 million opening registered by Miley's all-singing "Best of Both Worlds," but Cyrus' enthusiastic fan base should ensure brisk spring-break business.

The setup finds Miley Stewart (Cyrus) becoming a little too attached to her pop-star alter ego, much to the concern of her daddy ( Billy Ray Cyrus ), who orchestrates an intervention by taking a surprise trip back to her old Crowley Corners, Tennessee, home.

Despite her initial protests, Miley gets into the swing of things, swapping glitter for gingham and striking up a potential romance with an aw-shucks cowboy (Lucas Till).

But just when she's prepared to leave Hannah behind, along comes a greedy developer ( Barry Bostwick ) with plans to turn Main Street into a mall, and only one person comes to mind for a big benefit concert that will keep Crowley Corners' corners intact.

When you get right down to it, Miley's trek to Tennessee brings to mind the one taken by the Ricardos and the Mertzes when they met up with Cousin Ernie. While that was more than half a century ago, director Peter Chelsom (" Hear My Song ," " Shall We Dance ") and screenwriter Dan Berendsen ("Cheetah Girls: One World"), pretty much serve up the same brand of cornpone.

That's still preferable to misguided attempts at marrying Hannah's contemporary pop/hip-hop sound with the Grand Ole Opry , as in the squirm-inducing "Hoedown Throwdown" (don't ask), or extended scenes of deep introspection that bring things to a snail's crawl.

Still, there are sufficient pratfalls and Miley/Hannah quick-changes to satisfy the fans, while Cyrus retains that natural, unforced likability that made her a star in the first place.

In addition to series regulars papa Cyrus, Emily Osment , Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles , there's Vanessa Williams as Hannah's overzealous publicist (doing a variation on her " Ugly Betty " character), British actor Peter Gunn as a relentless tabloid reporter and a solid-as-usual Margo Martindale as Miley's salt-of-the-earth Grandma Ruby.

Rounding out the obligatory Cyrus songs, including the tender Glen Ballard/Alan Silvestri ballad "Butterfly Fly Away," a duet with her dad, are "live" performances by Rascal Flatts and teen country crossover sensation Taylor Swift , who -- see ya, Hannah -- apparently is the person Miley Cyrus really wants to be when she grows up.
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'Aliens' tops international box office

"Monsters vs. Aliens" is proving to be 3-D's ambassador to the world.

Like domestic moviegoers, ticket buyers overseas seem willing to pay a premium for seeing a movie in the new format.

A significant share of the overseas gross is coming from 3-D runs, even though those runs represent a relatively small percentage of the pic's total screen count. In Spain, for example, 3-D accounted for 38% of the gross but only 20% of the screens. The results in Italy were even more dramatic, with 45% of the tally from only 19% of the screen count.

"Monsters" placed No. 1 at the international box office over the weekend, grossing $33.5 million from 7,467 runs in 47 territories. Foreign cume on the toon from DreamWorks Animation/Paramount is $47 million.

Pic opened March 27 domestically and in a few overseas territories that same week but broadened into new territories last weekend, timed to students' spring breaks.

"We're definitely seeing the same dynamic internationally, in that people prefer to see movies in 3-D when they have the opportunity," Paramount co-chair Rob Moore said.

In the U.K., the film enjoyed a $6.4 million opening weekend, with 3-D runs contributing an amazing 50% of that even though those runs account for a small percentage of the total playdates.

In Austria, 3-D runs accounted for 59% of the gross; other markets also had high tallies, such as Australia (38%) and Argentina (30%).

In China, the pic ran exclusively on 3-D screens.

The revenue trend has been similar on the domestic front. In its U.S. opening weekend, 3-D runs yielded 56% of the gross, although they made up less than 28% of the total screen count (1,550 3-D locations out of 4,104 total).

The toon is a key test for the fledgling 3-D rebirth, as it's the first of a number of Hollywood event pics set for release this year, culminating in December with 20th Century Fox's "Avatar."

Par international prexy of distribution Andrew Cripps said the continuing rollout is designed to take advantage of various spring vacations. Ultimately, "Monsters" will play on 1,600 3-D screens, the current number of 3-D screens internationally.

"Monsters" scored DreamWorks Animation its third best opening gross for an original title after "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda."

Even so, DreamWorks Animation's share price slumped on Monday and Tuesday after several analysts downgraded the company's stock. On a down day overall, DWA shares fell nearly 3% to close at $19.45 on Tuesday.

Through Sunday, the domestic gross on "Monsters vs. Aliens" was $104.8 million for a worldwide total of $151.8 million. At that rate, "Monsters" should generate the same amount of business as Fox's "Ice Age" or Warner Bros.' "Happy Feet," which grossed $383 million and $384 million, respectively, at the worldwide box office.

After "Monsters," the other big winner at the foreign box office last 5 weekend was Universal's "Fast and Furious," the fourth outing of the action franchise.

The reteaming of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster for the first time since the original 2001 pic did the trick, both domestically and overseas.

Pic opened to $30.7 million from 3,269 runs in 32 territories overseas. It opened at $71 million domestically, putting the worldwide tally at $101.7 million.

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Adam Sandler making a movie I'm excited about (finally!)

Sandlerbellojames_l The last Adam Sandler movie I saw in theaters was 2004's Spanglish, which I remember not loving. (Although I now find myself watching it every time I spot it on cable, if only for the Téa Leoni-Cloris Leachman scenes. Strange. Same thing happened with 1990's Joe Versus the Volcano.) Today, however, I'm feeling hopeful. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Maria Bello (The History of Violence) has joined the cast of an untitled Sandler comedy about high school friends who reunite decades later. Also in the ensemble: Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Kevin James, David Spade, and Rob Schneider (naturally). Bello will play James' wife, which, I'm praying, isn't turned into some kind of According to Jim episode. I still believe he's ready to play a character that's not a boob. Hopefully Sandler, who cowrote the script with Fred Wolf (Joe Dirt, just pretending I didn't know that), agrees. Anyone else ready to return to Sandler? Or have you never left him?

First New ‘Fame’ (2009) Movie Trailer is Unleashed

fame (2009) movie image

Acouple of Days ago, MGM released the teaser trailer for their new “Fame” remake,and I must say it doesn’t look half bad. It starts off with a girl singing her heart out. Then it breaks into show other cast members dancing to a new ,upgraded 21st century theme song, “I’m Gonna Live Forever”along with scenes from the movie. I really enjoyed listening to the new theme song. It was good and had a nice beat to it. I actually kind of expected a new updated sort of feel to the new 21st century “Fame” remke,but to actually hear that new sound was great.

The movie is going to be starring : Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth. Debbie Allen,Charles S. Dutton,Kelsey Grammer,Megan Mullally,and Bebe Neuwirth are hired to play teachers in the film by Lakeshore and MGM. Dutton will play an acting teacher. Grammer plays the part of orchestra maestro. Mullally will play a voice instructor. Neuwirth will play the school’s dance instructor. Debbie Allen who was in the original 1980 film and then the 1982 tv show will play the school’s principle after she gets a promotion.

Check out the trailer below :


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Three More Dragonball Evolution Clips

See, what you kids don’t get about the Dragonball power is that it’s not all about shooting glowing balls out of your hands at evil aliens from outer space
, you can use it to get Chow Yun Fat to act like a total goofball and tell you about wacky prophecies, fight angry black guys with sticks, and impress hot chicks at your school by blasting open every locker in the place. Cause, you know, chicks dig that sort of stuff. Three new “Dragonball: Evolution” clips for your gawking pleasure after the jump.
The young warrior Son Goku (Justin Chatwin) sets out on a quest, racing against time and the vengeful King Piccolo (James Marsters0, to collect a set of seven magical orbs that will grant their wielder unlimited power.

Starring Justin Chatwin, Yun-Fat Chow, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung, James Marsters, Joon Park, Eriko Tamura, Randall Duk Kim, and Ernie Hudson. James Wong directs.

The balls hit the floor April 10.

Roshi Explains the Prophecy:

Goku Versus Fuller:

Goku Tries to Impress Chi Chi:


Dragonball: Evolution Movie Review


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Iron Man 2 Set Pictures

Looks like Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man 2″ has commenced shooting, as these set pictures of Robert Downey Jr. chomping on a cigar and Gwyneth Paltrow being driven around will clearly attest. I wonder what RDJ is carrying around. Looks like a really big Iron Man-esque secret is hidden in that suitcase. Then again, maybe he keeps his extra cigars in there. You can never tell with ol Tony Stark, he’s mysterious that way.
RDJ has promised that “Iron Man 2″ will have twice the action, but also more character development. The movie will not revolve around the popular comic book storyline “Demon in a Bottle”, and will feature villains Sam Rockwell as an evil industrialist (is there any other kind?) and Mickey Rourke as a badass armored villain who may or may not be the Crimson Dynamo.

In other “Iron Man 2″ news, former Rhodey Terrence Howard (who has since been replaced by Don Cheadle) told SciFiWire this about losing the role:
Iron Man happened with that. Marvel happened with it. They made a choice. They made a very, very bad choice. They didn’t keep their word. They didn’t honor our contract. They sent everyone out into a field and told them to work and produce a great bounty. You produce a great bounty, and then when it’s all in the storehouse, you are not allowed into the storehouse… They did the same thing with Gwyneth [Paltrow], from what I’ve been told. They did it with almost everyone, I think, except Downey throughout the thing. One of the things that actors need to learn to do is take a tip from Friends [whose cast members all held out for higher pay]. You always choose to stick together. One for all and all for one. Our Gang, you know? Let Spanky be our rule.

Yup, Terrence doesn’t sound bitter at all.

New Fighting Images from the Movie Fighting

In case you were wondering, Channing Tatum’s new movie “Fighting” is about fighting. I know it’s a little hard to figure out by the title and all, but yeah, this is actually an action movie about a small-town guy who goes to the big city and ends up in illegal street fighting for money. It is NOT about guys with AIDS in New York living together as roommates, just so we’re clear. Hey, you gotta pay those bills. Some people deliver pizzas, others deliver bloody beatings to the face with their fists. Who are we to say which path is right and which is wrong? Exactly. New battling images from “Fighting” after the jump.
Small-town boy Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) has come to New York City with nothing. Barely earning a living selling counterfeit goods on the streets, his luck changes when scam artist Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) sees that he has a natural talent for streetfighting. When Harvey offers Shawn help at making the real cash, the two form an uneasy partnership. As Shawn’s manager, Harvey introduces him to the corrupt bare-knuckle circuit
, where rich men bet on disposable pawns. Almost overnight, he becomes a star brawler, taking down professional boxers, mixed martial arts champs and ultimate fighters in a series of staggeringly intense bouts. But if Shawn ever hopes to escape the dark world in which he’s found himself, he must now face the toughest fight of his life.

Starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Luis Guzmán, Brian J. White, Flaco Navaja, Zulay Henao, and directed by Dito Montiel.

Throw down April 24.

Three of the new pics below. Check out the rest in our “Fighting” images gallery.

Green Lantern First Flight Animated Movie Trailer

Looks like Green Lantern is being set up as D.C.’s next big comic book property, which is a surprise, because I always thought either Wonder Woman or the Justice League would beat him to the big screen. With the live-action movie set to hit in the next year or so, D.C. is paving the way with an original DVD movie titled “First Flight”, which traces the origins of test pilot Hal Jordan and how he came to be Green Lantern. From the trailer, it looks like a lot of the action (if not most of it) will take place in outer space instead of Earth, which is probably smart. There ways always something ridiculous about watching Green Lantern making giant hands with his ring to capture bank robbers and the like.
Test pilot Hal Jordan finds himself recruited as the newest member of the intergalactic police force, The Green Lantern Corps.

Starring the voices of Christopher Meloni as Hal Jordan, Battlestar Galactica beauty Tricia Helfer as Boodikka, Michael Madsen as Kilowog, and Alias’ Victor Garber as the villainous Sinestro. Lauren Montgomery, who also helmed the Wonder Woman animated DVD movie for D.C., directs “First Flight”.

Green Lantern and the Corp. arrives on DVD July 21, 2009. The live-action movei


Jonas Brothers Reveal Some Fun Facts People Might Never Know About Them

Addressing the fact that Nick Jonas lacks the famous "Jonas eyebrows," Joe Jonas jokingly says his younger brother is an adopted son.

Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas open up about some fun facts people might never know about them. And one of the things that they address in a video from the new AT&T and MTV interactive campaign, "Unlock the Vault", is the fact that Nick lacks the famous "Jonas eyebrows." Speaking of that matter, Joe jokingly says, "He's adopted."

As for he himself, Joe admits he "can do some pretty amazing tricks with pretzels." Proudly gushing about his ability, the middle of Jonas Brothers claims, "people would be surprised."

Eldest brother Kevin, moreover, reveals that he has a scar on his head. "I have a giant scar in the back of my head," he confesses. "This kid's fault," he adds when pointing to Joe who has caused him getting "eight staples" for the scar. "We were Ultimate Fighting," he recalls.

Kicking off their career in entertainment industry as singers, all of the Jonas Brothers are slated to team up with Miley Cyrus to record a song titled "Pass It On" for Disney, the label which has helped them earning their worldwide fame.

'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' Won't Offer Car Chase

Sharing more details on his upcoming 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen', director Michael Bay spills the bean on Devastator in IMAX, different types of action offered and sexy Megan Fox.

With theatrical release date of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" coming closer each day, director Michael Bay started to open up more on the much awaited sequel to the 2007 blockbuster "Transformers". This time, he talked to MTV News about the actions he offers, the IMAX technology for one particular baddie, and his sexy star Megan Fox.

While the movie will have a line of sleeker automobiles, the 44-year-old insisted that there will be no car chase sequence in the sequel. "There's no car chase in this movie," he stated. "There's a lot of different types of action. In some movies, it's the same action throughout the entire movie. There's a lot of different types of action in this one, and that makes it interesting."

Confirming that parts of the movie were done using IMAX technology, Bay went on further claiming that one of the three scenes he shot using the technology will focus on Devastator. "You will see Devastator in IMAX," he unraveled. Aside from gushing about the actions and the special effects, the producer of "Friday The 13th" also promised on another Fox's memorable moment. "[Wait until you see] the very first shot in the movie," he said. "You'll see. It's better."

Set a year after the end of "Transformers", "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" follows Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes as they become the target of attack by Decepticons because of Sam's knowledge about the origins of the Transformers. Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro are returning to the sequel with Isabel Lucas as well as Rainn Wilson joining the cast. It is slated for June 24 U.S. release.

Love Triangle Plot in 'Iron Man 2' Confirmed

In a recent interview, Robert Downey Jr. has given thumbs up to the rumored 'Iron Man 2' plot of love triangle among Pepper Potts, Tony Stark and Black Widow.

Tony Stark will indeed be involved in a love triangle with his assistant Pepper Potts and Russian female fatale Black Widow in "Iron Man 2". Robert Downey Jr., the actor who plays Stark a.k.a. Iron Man in both "Iron Man" and its sequel, has confirmed the matter himself during a recent press junket for "The Soloist".

When asked by MTV News whether he'd be 1/3 of a love triangle in the film, the Academy Award-nominee for "Tropic Thunder" responded simply, "Heck yeah, Wouldn't you?" While making sure that the love triangle plot will play a part in the storyline, the 44-year-old actor didn't elaborate more on how exactly the love triangle will work out in the sequel.

On another "Iron Man 2" update, JFXOnline.com has posted a video taken from the set of the first shooting day. The footage gives a look at director Jon Favreau and some of the key actors, including Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. Sam Rockwell and Garry Shandling are also spotted on the set video.

"Iron Man 2" has started its principal photography Monday, April 6. Director Jon Favreau is back once again serving as the helmer for the superhero adaptation, while Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow reprise their roles as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Pepper Potts. The two will be joined by Don Cheadle who will take on Colonel James 'Rhodey' Rhodes in place of Terrence Howard, Scarlett Johansson who will portray Black Widow, and Mickey Rourke who has been signed to play a Russian villain character. The film is set to hit U.S. theaters on May 7, 2010.


'The Brothers Bloom' Gets New Trailer

In 'The Brothers Bloom', Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are the best con men in the world, but when Brody falls in love with Rachel Weisz, the woman they scam, matters get complicated.

A brand new trailer for upcoming drama "The Brothers Bloom" has been released by Summit Entertainment via Yahoo!. Though it doesn't offer much changes from the first trailer, this new video footage still helps to refresh memory of what this movie is all about. It also serves as a revised trailer as it provides some new title cards, including "From the Writer/Director of Brick", and some new critic pull quotes.

"The Brothers Bloom" follows the story of two international con artists, Stephen and Bloom. Having perfected the art of swindling fortunes through years of fraternal teamwork, they now decide to take on one last spectacular job, luring Penelope, a beautiful and eccentric heiress, into an elaborate plot that takes them around the world. But, when one of the brothers falls in love with her, things get even more complicated.

Pairing up Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo as Bloom and Stephen respectively, this drama movie also sees Rachel Weisz as Penelope and Rinko Kikuchi as sexy Japanese explosives expert Bang Bang. Directed and scripted by Rian Johnson, it has been set to get a wide release in the U.S. on May 29 with a selected release on May 15.

"The Brothers Bloom" Trailer:



Two Fresh 'Star Trek' Clips Unveiled

Chris Pine's James T. Kirk flirts with Zoe Saldana's future Enterprise communications officer Uhura and comes across Karl Urban's Bones McCoy for the first time in the new clips of 'Star Trek'.
Hot on the heels of "Star Trek" world premiere in Sydney, Australia, Paramount Pictures have unleashed two brand new clips from the action fantasy movie. One of the clips, "Shot of Love", comes from MTV, while the other which is entitled "Disease and Danger" is debuted via Yahoo! Movies. While each is less than one minute long, the snippets reel in more fresh footage.

The "Shot of Love" clip shares a closer look at the time Kirk flirts with Uhura in a bar. While at first Uhura looks down on the future captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, she soon finds him interesting. This snippet may look familiar as it displays the scene that leads up to the bar fight shown in some of the TV spots.

Meanwhile, the "Disease and Danger" clip introduces Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Exhibiting the first time Kirk meets McCoy, the snippet shows that McCoy is nervous about going into space. Dragged to and forced to take his seat, McCoy reluctantly strapped himself into the seat while warning Kirk of the danger if something goes wrong.

Chronicling the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow U.S.S. Enterprise crew members during their time at Starfleet Academy, "Star Trek" stars Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as Bones McCoy, John Cho as Hikaru Sulu, Zoe Saldana as Uhura and many others. Directed by J.J. Abrams, it is set to be released in U.S. theaters on May 8.
  • "Shot of Love":
  • "Disease and Danger":