The brawl for it all is back! Iron Man, Superman and more throw down in the can’t-miss movie tournament of 2013! By Josh Wigler Movie Brawl 2013 Photo: MTV News
More than 3 million votes were cast to push the David Cronenberg-directed indie over brand-new franchise ‘The Hunger Games.’ By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Robert Pattinson and Sarah Gadon in “Cosmopolis” Photo: David Cronenberg The final buzzer has sounded, the brawl for it all is over, and Robert Pattinson is the last man standing: “Cosmopolis” has won MTV Movie Brawl 2012 . His indie drama made for one hell of a Cinderella story in the vote-driven tournament to pick the must-see movie of the year. Entering the bracket as a #4 seed (following an impressive showing in the play-in round), “Cosmopolis” appeared to be facing an unavoidable Elite Eight ouster. What were the chances Pattinson’s cerebral film about a young finance wiz taking a day-long limo ride though New York City would beat “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”? Apparently pretty good. Fans banded together, choosing to support RPattz’s post-vampire career rather than the franchise that made him a star. “Breaking Dawn” was sent packing. And so, after easily fighting off “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Cosmopolis” came to face “The Hunger Games,” a brand-new franchise that had waltzed through the tournament and seemed to be the odds-on favorite to win the whole tourney. But it was not to be. After more than 3 million votes and a slew of lead changes, Pattinson’s film beat back Jennifer Lawrence’s series to become the undisputed champion of the Movie Brawl. Hours before voting closed Monday afternoon (January 23), with “Cosmopolis” staking out an insurmountable lead and the MTV Movies team at the Sundance Film Festival, we broke the news to Pattinson’s co-star, Paul Giamatti, that their film had won the tournament. “Holy cow, that’s astounding!” he said. “The fact of that is amazing. … That’s a really cool thing that it brings that visibility to that movie.” It’s been a whirlwind few weeks in the tournament, so we’d like to thank all the fans who voted. The Brawl broke bigger than we could have ever hoped. Well over 5 million votes were cast. The competition spread wildly over Twitter and Facebook. Our comments sections caught fire as fans debated, argued and rallied. In the end, though, only one film could stand as the undisputed champion of the MTV Movie Brawl. Pattinson, Giamatti, director David Cronenberg and everyone connected to “Cosmopolis” — we salute you! See the results of the matches In MTV’s Movie Brawl 2012! Check out everything we’ve got on “Cosmopolis.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Movie Brawl 2012!
Fans support RPattz’s ‘Cosmopolis’ over ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 2,’ advancing the indie film to the Final Four. By Eric Ditzian Robert Pattinson in “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit Entertainment Wow. Just … wow. In an upset for the ages, “Cosmopolis” defeated “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” in the Elite Eight round of the 2012 MTV Movie Brawl . Let us count the ways this is shocking. One, it’s a freaking “Twilight” film, one in a franchise that has so far grossed $2.5 billion worldwide and has catalyzed 2.5 trillion fever dreams in teen bedrooms around the globe. Two, “Cosmopolis” is a little indie based on a slim, highbrow novel by Don DeLillo, a writer who has, without a doubt, changed the face of postmodern literature but whose themes, characters and erudition don’t exactly make him a likely Twi-fan fave. And three, “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” had thus far stormed through the Movie Brawl, dispatching challengers with ease and becoming the odds-on favorite to win the entire tournament. But a curious thing happened — and its name is Robert Pattinson . Fans banded together, deciding to support, in “Cosmopolis,” RPattz’s new work (a possible post-vampire breakout role under the direction of David Cronenberg), rather than his been-there, sucked-that performance in a “Twilight” flick. The result, after almost 400,000 votes, was a decisive victory for “Cosmopolis.” “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” will have to find some way to console itself (perhaps a mega opening in the fall will help), while Pattinson’s upcoming film moves on to face “The Dark Knight Rises” in the Final Four. “TDKR,” for its part, has shown a remarkable resurgence, repeatedly fending off challengers and, in the Elite Eight, besting “Dark Shadows,” the Johnny Depp adaptation that at one time seemed like a Movie Brawl dark horse. On the other side of the bracket, the story continues to be Daniel Radcliffe’s “Woman in Black,” a seven-seed that followed up an upset victory over Kristen Stewart’s “Snow White and the Huntsman” with an impressive win over “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” That contest literally was decided in the final few minutes of voting. When the dust cleared, another franchise had fallen at the feet of an indie flick led by a young international superstar. “The Hunger Games,” meanwhile, straight up embarrassed “John Carter” in the Elite Eight, setting up what is going to be a compelling Final Four battle. Let’s take a look. Vote For Your Favorite Upcoming Flick In MTV’s Movie Brawl 2012! East Region Um, what the heck is going on? Daniel Radcliffe fans, where y’all at? You guys came out in force to dispatch “Snow White” and “Hobbit,” but one day into Final Four voting, you’re nowhere to be seen. “Hunger Games” has staked out a formidable lead, 62 percent to just 38 percent. For “Woman in Black” to come this far and then essentially not show up when the going gets tough would be a tragedy. Yet even a huge voting surge might do nothing in the face of the overwhelming show of support “Hunger Games” fans have shown for this March release. West Region If the East Region is not shaping up for a tense Final Four fight, the West Region is looking to be nothing short of a blowout. It’s looking like the luck of “TDKR” is about to run out at the hands of “Cosmopolis.” We’re frankly surprised “Hunger Games” fans aren’t coming out in force, as they had in past rounds, to vote against Pattinson’s films. Unless something drastic changes, we’re looking at a final matchup of “Cosmopolis” vs. “Hunger Games.” Not exactly how we expected the MTV Movie Brawl 2012 to play out, but this isn’t up to us. The fans have spoken. What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It’s time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012 ! Related Videos MTV Movie Brawl 2012!
After a star turn in ‘Drive’ and a plum part in the globe-trotting franchise, Isaac is poised to top himself this year. By Josh Horowitz Oscar Isaac Photo: Getty Images Oscar Isaac had a pretty damn fine 2011, working with Madonna, Ryan Gosling and Zack Snyder. That’s a year nearly anyone in Hollywood — and certainly those trying to leap into its shark-infested waters — would kill to have. The crazy thing is that Isaac is poised to top himself in 2012. He’s starring opposite Jeremy Renner in “The Bourne Legacy,” a franchise that has grossed almost a billion dollars since its debut in 2002. And the Coen brothers cast him in the lead role in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” a film focusing on the 1960s-era folk music scene in Greenwich Village. No doubt, Isaac is One to Watch this year, which is why we hopped on the phone with the actor recently to discuss everything he has coming up over the next 12 months. MTV News : We’ve been following your career for a while here. First of all, you should know there’s a lot of huge “Drive” fans in our office. Oscar Isaac : Nice! I remember going in to see a very early cut of the film and thinking, “I cannot believe I am in this movie!” I was so stoked when I saw it. MTV : Does it feel like you’ve recently hit a groove with respect to what’s going on with your career? Isaac : Yeah, I think once I got the Coen brothers film, I could definitely feel a bit of a shift. The dream is definitely in full effect. I just got back from a meeting with the CoBros and it was amazing, man. It was just the three of us sitting around going through the script and showing each other different movies. Plus, I’m a musician — I’ve been doing that for years — and I get to play lots and lots of music in the film. I’m going to record an album of it in January in New York with T-Bone [Burnett]. MTV : Wow, that’s amazing. Isaac : Yeah, man. If I were to describe the exact perfect scenario for me it would be what’s happening for me in January and February in New York. I’m beside myself and can’t believe my luck. MTV : How did you get the part? Isaac : I found out about it way early on that they were putting together a movie based on the folk scene in the ’60s in New York. As soon as I heard that I was like, I’ve got to get in there. I sent in a tape of me playing one of the songs. It’s based on Dave Van Ronk who was known as the “Mayor of MacDougal Street.” They really liked what I sent in and they brought me in to audition. Then they made me wait for about a month. I was thinking about it nonstop and then they called and offered it to me. It was unreal to get that call from Joel [Coen]. MTV : Is the stuff you’re singing in the movie original music or will it be familiar? Isaac : It’s not overly familiar. They’re older folk songs. I don’t think anything is being written for it. T-Bone and I have gotten together to do some new arrangements of some of these old songs. There is lots of music in the movie. MTV : Would you call it a comedy? Isaac : Oh yeah, most definitely. There’s a nihilistic quality to it. It’s filled with a wry absurdist sense of humor. MTV : Who is this guy you play? Isaac: He’s a working-class guy from Queens. He’s just trying to make it in this scene. A lot of bad sh– happens to him. [ Laughs. ] He’s just resilient as f—. He keeps going forward in a slightly Buster Keaton-esque way. MTV : The put-upon man is definitely a Coen brothers specialty. Isaac: Yeah, exactly! Going through all their films there is something about that guy who has real heart but is always a couple steps behind. If a pigeon flies over and sh–s on someone, it’s going to be that guy. [ Laughs. ] MTV : I know you just wrapped on “The Bourne Legacy.” I’ve heard you were in the mix to get the lead role, right? Isaac : Yeah, I had never done a screen test before. They brought me in and I gave it a go at trying to look cool with a gun. [ Laughs. ] It was great. I really like Tony [Gilroy]. He’s so smart, and he runs a really inclusive set for such a big movie. It felt like an indie movie because all of the conversations were out in the open. It was one of the best shooting experiences I’ve had. MTV : How did you end up getting the part you did? Isaac : After the screen test I got the call saying the studio was not quite ready to pull the trigger on me. But a few weeks later, I got a call from Tony saying we’ve got this part and we’d love you to do it. I jumped at it, of course. I have to say they definitely got the right guy for the job. I would have acted the sh– out of it but Jeremy [Renner] is the real deal. The dude has incredible skills. Not only is he a great actor but he’s tough as nails. MTV : Did you have to do some physical training? Isaac : Believe it or not, my part actually required a great deal of actual acting, not just action. It’s a really cool sequence in the film. It’s a Western standoff kind of thing going on. MTV : Do you actually have a name in it? On IMDb you are listed as #3. Isaac : [ Dramatically ] I am #3. What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It’s time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012 ! 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 . Related Videos MTV Movie Brawl 2012! 2012 Ones To Watch
What’s your pick for the must-see movie of 2012? Cast your vote now! By Eric Ditzian Jennifer Lawrence in “Hunger Games” Tim Tebow ain’t got nothing on the MTV Movie Brawl 2012 . Sure, the granter of all-American dreams and thrower of game-winning touchdowns showed some playoff heroics last weekend, but the action in MTV’s cinematic tournament had movie groupies alternately sweating, cursing and celebrating just as much as Denver Bronco fans. To wit, two of Robert Pattinson ‘s upcoming films, “Bel Ami” and “Cosmopolis,” faced off in a Sweet Sixteen matchup that was decided by three votes. Tens of thousands of votes were cast, and three clicks launched “Cosmopolis” to victory. On the other side of the bracket, #7 seed “The Woman in Black,” an indie horror flick, looked like it didn’t have a chance against Universal’s big-budget “Snow White and the Huntsman.” But Daniel Radcliffe fans came out in force to support the boy wizard’s first post-“Harry Potter” flick, showing up Kristen Stewart devotees with a healthy serving of get the hell out of this tournament! When the final tally came in, more than 250,000 votes had been cast, and KStew’s fairy tale was headed home with a lot of explaining to do. Vote For Your Favorite Upcoming Flick In MTV’s Movie Brawl 2012! As least she’s still alive in the Brawl, as “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” came through with a commanding victory over “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” despite the nefarious meddling of “Hunger Games” fans, who were furiously voting for “Phantom Menace” in an attempt to send the vampires to a humiliating defeat. It didn’t work. “HG” fans, though, weren’t the only ones trying to pull off a bit of bracket-based strategery . “Breaking Dawn” voters came out in force to support “Prometheus” in its fight with “Hunger Games.” Once again, the gambit didn’t work. But it showed just how merciless this competition is going to be as we inch toward the finals. Let’s take a look at where we stand as the Elite Eight kicks into high gear. Upper West Region It’s all Pattinson, all the time, as “Breaking Dawn” faces off against “Cosmopolis.” The key question here for Twi-fans is whether they’re going to vote for RPattz as he’s been or RPattz as he’s going to be. Will it be out with the old and in with the new, or will the sparkly vampires reign supreme? If you ask us, “Breaking Dawn” ain’t going nowhere, but this tourney isn’t up to us. Lower West Region It’s getting dark up in here! “The Dark Knight Rises” limped into the Sweet Sixteen after a disappointing first-round showing, and we were fearful Christopher Nolan’s film would face an early ouster at the hands of “Marvel’s The Avengers.” That didn’t happen, and now “Dark Knight” faces a weakened “Dark Shadows” in the Elite Eight. Johnny Depp’s upcoming film surprised us all with an outstanding opening-round performance, leading to a #2 seed. But “Shadows” struggled in its matchup, needing up until the final hours of play to put the match away. Momentum is everything in the playoffs, so we have to say “Dark Knight” is in the driver’s seat in this game. Upper East Region Were it not for the savvy scheming of “Twilight” fans, “Hunger Games” might have walked away from the Sweet Sixteen with the greatest margin of victory in the entire tournament. As it stands, “HG” heads into the Elite Eight with perhaps the easiest matchup of all. “John Carter” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” fought back and forth for days, with leads changing hands and the ultimate victor too close to call until an eleventh-hour surge sent “G.I. Joe” ahead. That leaves us wondering if the sequel has enough left in the gas tank to pull off a win. Actually, we’re not wondering at all: shut off the lights and put the kids to bed: “Hunger Games” has this in the bag. Lower East Region Voters in this region are still reeling from the unexpected departure of “Snow White.” There’s no time to rest, though. “Woman in Black” has established itself as a dark horse in the Brawl — one that could threaten “Hunger Games” in the Final Four. Before then, however, Radcliffe’s flick will have to battle a resurgent “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Peter Jackson’s film waged a hard-fought war with Emma Watson’s “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and came out with a narrow 3 percent victory. That’s some impressive stuff. Can “Hobbit” keep it going? Is there anything that can keep “Woman in Black” from a trip to the Final Four? We’ve got until January 16 to decide. That’s when voting in the Elite Eight ends. There are no excuses in the Movie Brawl. Get busy voting! What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It’s time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012! Related Videos MTV Movie Brawl 2012! Talk Nerdy To Me
Anything can happen as front-runners and dark horses duke it out for the top spot in our tourney. By Eric Ditzian Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ Photo: Summit Entertainment What a ride it’s been so far in the MTV Movie Brawl 2012 ! After more than a quarter million votes, fans have whittled down the competition from an opening round of 32 films to a 16-flick bracket topped by #1 seeds ” Hunger Games ” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” Now that the pretenders and also-rans have been axed — See ya later “Expendables 2”! Thanks for playing “Rock of Ages”! — it’s time for the big guns to face off. Let’s get right to it. Upper West Region Otherwise known as the Robert Pattinson Honorary Region, this section of the bracket features three RPattz films. While we love seeing the 3-D re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” sneaking into the Sweet 16 after a wild-card win in round one, George Lucas’ baby doesn’t have much of a shot to knock “Breaking Dawn” from its perch atop the bracket. Twi-fans came out in force over the weekend to conquer “Hunger Games” and assure itself the highest vote total of round one. So Pattinson and his vampire pals have got to be feeling good as voting moves forward. Things are much more up in the air in the region’s other matchup: “Cosmopolis” vs. “Bel Ami.” Will Pattinson fans favor his cerebral, David Cronenberg-directed drama or his Uma Thurman-co-starring love story, which holds out the prospect of, as RPattz himself told us , “a lot of my crack in it.” This matchup is just too close to call at this point. Lower West Region This region is all about the superheroes, though neither “Dark Knight Rises,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” nor “Marvel’s The Avengers” performed heroically in the first round. The MTV Movies team had been eyeing “TDKR” as one of the films to beat headed into the tournament, but fans didn’t turn out to support Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film in the numbers we expected. “Avengers” managed to nab a six seed, but Captain America and his crew had better bring their A-games if they want to give “TDKR” a run for its money. By contrast, “Spider-Man,” which barely survived round one, is going to have to deliver nothing short of an inspired performance if it expects to knock off “Dark Shadows.” Tim Burton’s adaptation of the supernatural soap opera announced itself as a potential dark horse after an impressive and unexpected first-round showing. An Elite Eight showdown between “Dark Shadows” and “Dark Knight” would make for a kick-ass brawl. Upper East Region “Hunger Games” enters the Sweet 16 with a bit of wind taken out of its sails, following its failure to garner the most round-one votes after leading for most of the week. Its new matchup is a pivotal one, and a blowout of “Prometheus” would go a long way toward assuring fans that “Hunger Games” has its eye locked squarely on a final matchup with “Breaking Dawn.” But before we get there, “Hunger Games” will have to contend with two action flicks, in “John Carter” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” that have been surging in recent days. “G.I. Joe” didn’t even look like it was going to make the Sweet 16 until a last-minute rise. That sequel could potentially play the spoiler in this four-seed vs. five-seed matchup. Lower East Region Anything can happen in this region. Based on its pedigree, you might expect “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” to run roughshod over anything at this point in the tournament. But Peter Jackson’s flick faces off against Emma Watson’s “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” a wild-card entrant that can easily spoil the hopes of everyone in Middle-earth. This matchup to just too close to call. And don’t count out another upset in the game between “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “The Woman in Black.” Though “SWATH” has a lot of heat behind it, based on a top-notch trailer and the leadership of Kristen Stewart, you underestimate Daniel Radcliffe’s fans at your own peril. But which star has the most feverish following? The answer to that question will likely reveal which film moves on to the Elite Eight in the MTV Movie Brawl 2012. What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It’s time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012 ! Related Videos Get Ready For MTV Movie Brawl 2012!
Marvel movies struggling to stay competitive in MTV Movie Brawl 2012. By Josh Wigler Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in “Avengers” Photo: Marvel Welcome to 2012, the year that’s destined to change the comic book movie landscape forever. Not only is Christopher Nolan months away from closing out his smash-hit Batman trilogy with “The Dark Knight Rises,” but two of the most important Marvel Comics movies of all time — “Marvel’s The Avengers” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” — are about to be released as well. With “Avengers,” Marvel Studios is paying off years of buildup by putting Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and more together in one monstrously sized flick, an unprecedented move in the comic book movie scene. The idea of seeing Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans in their signature superhero roles alongside one another — under geek god Joss Whedon’s directorial vision, no less — seems positively irresistible. In the case of “Spider-Man,” here’s a franchise that has already proven itself capable of raking in millions and millions of dollars, starring a wise-cracking web-head widely adored throughout the world. Except this time, Peter Parker’s sporting darker shades of red and blue. Gone is series lead Tobey Maguire , replaced by British up-and-comer Andrew Garfield . Away too is Sam Raimi, with relatively unknown director Marc Webb of “(500) Days of Summer” stepping behind the lens. Rebooting the “Spider-Man” creative team and universe wholesale only five years after the last Maguire/Raimi joint is a risky gamble on Sony’s part, but like “Avengers,” we can’t wait to see how it all shakes out. Or can we? Voting Is Open In MTV Movie Brawl 2012! If you haven’t heard, MTV Movies is in the midst of the MTV Movie Brawl 2012 , a tournament that pits some of the year’s biggest releases against one another to determine which movie you, the fans, are most excited for in the coming months. Currently, 32 flicks are slugging it out for an opportunity to snag one of next week’s Sweet 16 seats, where the Brawl will transition into a single-elimination bracket tournament. On the surface, there’s no reason that “The Avengers” and “Spider-Man” shouldn’t make it into the Sweet 16, if not further. But as it stands, two days into the competition, both of these movies are struggling in the vote, so much so that they’re at serious risk of not making it past the first round. As a die-hard Marvel fan, I’m shocked to see such a lack of support behind Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their friendly neighborhood wall-crawling pal. Has the word on the competition simply not spread to those of you who would vote for “Spider-Man” and “Avengers,” or is the interest really not there? Despite every reason to be excited for these movies, can it be that at the end of the day, Marvel’s biggest movies of 2012 simply aren’t resonating with the moviegoing crowd? I hope it’s the former, not the latter. (I can only click “vote” for both movies so many times!) But if for some reason you’re just not that interested in “Avengers” assembling and “Spider-Man” swinging into theaters this summer, I’m really curious to hear why. Why is it that you’re not foaming at the mouth for two of the most important movies ever to come from the House of Ideas? Why aren’t you sold yet? Marvel fans… where are you ? Check out everything we’ve got on “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “Marvel’s The Avengers.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos Get Ready For MTV Movie Brawl 2012! Related Photos Key Scenes From The ‘Avengers’ Trailer ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’
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