‘I would love to work with him, and I wouldn’t turn my nose to it,’ veteran producer tells MTV News. By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Sway Calloway Pete Rock Photo: MTV News Pete Rock made headlines last week for getting into a little tiff with Lupe Fiasco over Rock’s classic 1992 track “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.),” but the veteran producer has put the drama behind him, and now he’s focused on his upcoming projects, including a possible collaboration with the Chicago rapper. “If the artist doesn’t like something I did or said, then we could work through it with a conversation. That’s always my goal — it’s never to add fuel to the fire,” Pete Rock told MTV News of the falling out with Lupe. “I would love to get in the studio and work with him if his management team can respect me as a man, and the label can respect me as a man, and Lupe himself can respect me as a man. I would love to work with him, and I wouldn’t turn my nose to it.” While the dust settles and we wait to see if a collaboration between the two comes to fruition, Rock is prepping for his joint LP with DJ Premier, which is set to debut next year. “We’re gonna do a 20-city European tour to announce our project that we’re working on for the spring of 2013,” he explained. “I’m working with Young Money artist Cory Gunz, who grabbed 15 of my beats and he likes them all, but I’m telling him, ‘Lil homey, take your time, do whatever your process is.” Other projects in the works include an official remake of “T.R.O.Y.,” which will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rock and C.L. Smooth’s 1992 debut LP, Mecca and the Soul Brother , rolling around June 3. “I’m bringing C.L. Smooth back out to redo ‘Reminisce’ with a couple of today’s artists,” Rock explained, although he declined to name the artists he had in mind. He did, however, share a few of his favorite contemporary producers, including Nottz, DJ Khalil, Alchemist and Hit-Boy. Are you excited for Pete Rock’s return? Tell us below! Related Videos Lupe Fiasco Addresses Pete Rock
‘Earth 2’ writer James Robinson tells MTV that Alan Scott, returning to DC Universe as a gay man, is ‘proud of who he is on every level.’ By Josh Wigler Green Lantern Photo: DC Comics The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott , is back in the DC Universe for the first time since last year’s companywide reboot. He’s courageous, charismatic and powerful, the same hero fans have loved and adored for decades, with just a few notable modifications — the most controversial of which involves his sexuality. DC Comics announced Friday (June 1) that Scott has been reimagined as a gay man, marking a significant change to the hero who has been around since the 1940s. His sexuality will be revealed in the pages of writer James Robinson’s “Earth 2” #2, and ahead of that, the scribe has been making the rounds, speaking with outlets all about the new Green Lantern. For those of you just tuning in, here are five things you need to know about DC’s newest gay icon: Like Son, Like Father Robinson revealed to MTV Geek that Scott’s new sexuality was partly inspired by the character’s gay son, Obsidian, who no longer exists in the rebooted DCU. “The only thing that bothered me about rebooting the character and making him younger again was that we lost his son Obsidian, who was gay — the original version, obviously, when he was an older man, with a son,” Robinson said about creating the new Green Lantern. “And then, with that in mind, I thought, ‘Well, why not make Alan Scott gay. Why not make the leader of the Justice Society gay?’ It worked on every level. I suggested it to [DC Comics co-publisher] Dan DiDio, and to be fair to Dan, there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation. He said, ‘Yeah, great, great idea.’ ” Original Green Lantern Is Gay, DC Announces Fighting for Acceptance Scott is certainly one of the more prominent gay characters in the DC Comics catalog, and even though many fans are accepting him with open arms, he’ll have his fair share of social hurtles to overcome. “One of the unfortunate things about the United States is that some states are less willing to [let] people have their personal freedoms,” Robinson told Geek. “So, in ‘Earth 2,’ some of those things are obstacles a gay person might face. But Alan Scott is a force of nature, so he would never let that stand in his way. He’s proud of who he is on every level.” Alan Scott, Media Mogul Speaking of every level, there are many layers to the new Alan Scott beyond his sexuality. One of the most important elements to the rejiggered character is that he’s in charge of a major media empire, for instance. “He’s a giant of the media industry,” the writer said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly . “By getting involved in communication, the news, and the Internet, he’s become a billionaire. He’s kind of a cross between Mark Zuckerberg and David Geffen. The original Alan Scott owned a radio station in the ’40s and ’50s, so he was a media giant then. He was this bold, heroic, brave man who took control, who would risk his life for you and be this emerald knight that was always there to protect the world.” James Robinson Speaks With MTV Geek About Green Lantern’s Sexuality An A-List Superhero Scott isn’t just a media mogul or a solo-operating superhero, either: The Green Lantern of “Earth 2” is a leader of men — specifically, the Justice Society. “He will be very much the leader of the Justice Society and a figurehead,” Robinson said in an interview with the Huffington Post . “Often, I think, gay characters, with the exception of Batwoman, are part of a team but are often aside, somewhat. Alan’s going to be at the forefront of this team, leading it, being someone that is loved and admired by the people of Earth 2. So that’s a subtle difference that I will be adding: trying to not just present a positive gay role model but someone that is a type-A superhero.” He’s Not Alone One of Robinson’s major goals for “Earth 2” is to present a cast that’s as diverse as humanly possible. To that end, the writer promised that Scott isn’t the only homosexual character in the comic. “There is another character down the line, but that character won’t be appearing for some time, so it’s probably a bit too early to talk about that,” he told the Advocate . “But this book will definitely have a diverse cast. Alan Scott won’t be the only gay character in ‘Earth 2’ — I promise you that.” Tell us what you think of the new Green Lantern in the comments section!
Actor was rumored to be in the running for ‘Hunger Games’ sequel, along with Garrett Hedlund and Armie Hammer. By Kara Warner Taylor Kitsch Photo: Getty Images And then there were two? The list of three very eligible male actors — Taylor Kitsch, Armie Hammer and Garrett Hedlund — recently speculated to be the top choices to play fan-favorite character Finnick O’Dair in the “Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire” has apparently been trimmed to two. Kitsch said the speculation about his possible involvement in the second film in the blockbuster franchise is just that. “Not going to happen,” the “Battleship” and “John Carter” actor wrote in an email to the Los Angeles Times this week. There has been no word from either Hammer’s or Hedlund’s camps regarding the validity of the report, but when MTV News reached out to Lionsgate for confirmation, we received this statement: “Like the first film, Lionsgate won’t be commenting on any of the rumors until we officially announce.” Finnick appears in both “Catching Fire” and the last book in the franchise, “Mockingjay,” and is memorable for his extreme attractiveness, along with the fact that 10 years before he entered the arena in “Catching Fire,” he had won the Hunger Games at age 14 using a Trident. Another actor rumored to be in the running is Robert Pattinson , who quickly put those rumors to bed. “I was kind of curious for a second,” Pattinson told USA Today about the reports. “So I called my agent. My agent was like, ‘No … no one’s going to offer you that part.’ I was like, ‘Thanks for the reassurance.’ ” This hasn’t stopped us from doing our own speculation and fan casting of the role, which provides for a fun distraction until Lionsgate makes the official announcement. There’s still time to cast your vote for “The Hunger Games” to win big at Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards , airing at 9 p.m. ET. The film is nominated for a slew of Golden Popcorn trophies in the categories of Best Cast, Movie of the Year, Best Hero, Best Fight, Best Kiss and more. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Photos Your Picks For ‘Catching Fire’ Character Finnick Odair
‘It was literally like two dogs licking each other,’ Malin Akerman laughs to MTV News during Movie Awards Sneak Peek Week. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Malin Akerman Photo: MTV News UNIVERSAL CITY, California — The leading couple from “Rock of Ages,” Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, were joined by Malin Akerman and director Adam Shankman for the final installment of MTV’s Sneak Peek Week on Friday, just two days before the 2012 MTV Movie Awards on Sunday. The “Rock of Ages” cast sat down at 5 Towers on Universal CityWalk, where they not only chatted about the splashy big-screen adaptation of the Broadway show, but also dropped an exclusive sneak peek from the highly anticipated June release, which also features MTV Movie Awards host Russell Brand , Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, Catherine Zeta-Jones and more. And while Hough and Boneta share a sweet, tender love story in the flick, Akerman’s rock reporter and Cruise’s rock star Stacee Jaxx, well, their love affair is a bit more torrid. “I think I’m the only person who can say that Tom Cruise has sang into my ass,” she laughed, recalling a scene in which, while in her undies, Cruise actually sings with his face right up to her butt. Is that the Oscars calling? “It’s amazing! I’m very proud of it,” she added. “I can’t wait to tell my grandfather about it. It was an unbelievable experience. First of all, to be able to do a duet with Tom Cruise and then to undress him and pretend to make love to him on an air hockey table [while singing ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’]. It was one of the most unbelievable scenes of my life. It was so much fun.” While they do exchange kisses, they redefine the term “French kissing.” “People keep saying, ‘Oh, your kiss with Tom Cruise!’ It was literally like two dogs licking each other,” she said. “They call action, we go for it, and it is tongue all over.” So was it hot? Director Shankman explained: “It was so disgusting.” Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Movie Awards Sneak Peek Week: ‘Rock Of Ages’
‘It’s an incredibly emotional and strange moment in my life,’ Samberg says of leaving after seven years of ‘SNL.’ By Josh Wigler Andy Samberg Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic It’s the end of an era for Andy Samberg, as the Lonely Island frontman has finally confirmed his exit from “Saturday Night Live.” Samberg spoke with The New York Times on Friday (June 1) and described the decision to depart “SNL” as “an incredibly emotional and strange moment in my life.” He added, “Obviously it’s not a huge shock, but I did officially decide not to come back.” No, it isn’t a huge shock — Samberg’s final Digital Short, a sequel to “Lazy Sunday,” strongly suggested his impending exit — but it’s nonetheless “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made,” according to Samberg. In elaborating on his reasons for leaving the show after seven seasons, Samberg echoed the philosophy of fellow castmember Kristen Wiig, who also just concluded her “SNL” run . “She kept saying it just feels like it’s her time,” he said. “I connect with that. Something about it just feels like it’s the moment. My contract’s up, and I did so much more than I ever thought I would ever even do.” Samberg’s decision to walk away from the New York City-based variety show comes shortly after comments he made during his MTV Sneak Peek Week appearance for “That’s My Boy” this past Wednesday. At the time, Samberg told MTV News that his mind had not yet been made up regarding his future with the show. “You know, I’ve just been focusing on the movie and all this stuff,” the onetime MTV Movie Awards host said. “I haven’t talked to Lorne about it yet. Something will get decided over the summer. We’ll see. No matter what, it’s been a dream come true working there for me.” Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards Movie Awards Sneak Peek Week: ‘That’s My Boy’
‘Tracers’ will ‘really dig into this society,’ producer Wyck Godfrey tells MTV News. By Kara Warner Taylor Lautner Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images When MTV News sat down with “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” producer Wyck Godfrey recently for some expert analysis of the film’s chances in taking home golden popcorn at this Sunday’s (June 3) MTV Movie Awards , we walked out with insightful Best Kiss category commentary as well as a few good tidbits about his future projects with the franchise’s stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner . Pattinson’s potential project is in the very early stages, but Lautner’s next movie with Godfrey has been greenlit, an action thriller called “Tracers” , which Godfrey said will put Lautner’s character into the underground world of parkour. “We’ve got a great young Spanish director, Daniel Benmayor … and it’s really tackling the subculture of parkour,” Godfrey said. “I think we all have seen parkour as action sequences in movies, but we haven’t delved into the denizens of that world and what that’s about. I kind of think of it as an action-heavy Gus Van Sant movie, because you really dig into this society.” When the film was announced, Lautner’s character was employed as a bike messenger, but Godfrey revealed that detail will likely change. “There’s a movie coming out that Joe Gordon-Levitt’s doing [‘Premium Rush’], and I saw a trailer and thought, ‘We should change our guy’s job because [Gordon-Levitt] did it so well,’ ” Godfrey explained. “That’s really just a jumping off point in the movie, so it’s easy to change.” We then asked whether, before landing the role, Lautner demonstrated proof of his parkour moves — the art of which involves moving quickly through any environment via jumping, rolling and running. “Honestly, one of the reasons we went to him is that in ‘New Moon,’ he does that thing where he goes up the tree, and that was something that I was there watching him train every day and realized how extraordinary he was athletically,” Godfrey recalled. “He almost doesn’t need the wires.” Don’t forget to cast your vote for Lautner’s nominated movie, “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” to win big at this year’s MTV Movie Awards . It all goes down at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, at 9 p.m. ET/PT this Sunday, June 3. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards
‘I got into a fight with glass window yesterday and in result I can’t move my eyebrow,’ he says in a new video message from Paris. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images Justin Bieber told fans Thursday that despite bumping into a glass wall and getting a concussion , he felt “fine.” Well, one day after the incident in Paris, the singer posted a video message noting that he has encountered one minor setback on his road to recovery. “I got into a fight with glass window yesterday and in result I can’t move my eyebrow. There’s no wrinkles on this side. How weird is that? It’s the weirdest thing. Some weird stuff going on there,” he said, laughing as the video ended. On Friday afternoon (June 1), Bieber must have been feeling better despite the eyebrow injury as he took to a balcony in Paris to put on an impromptu concert. According to Reuters, he used a megaphone as he serenaded fans who gathered near the Pantheon monument in the Latin Quarter. In the lead-up to the performance, Bieber tweeted the address and wrote that he was “moving a little slower today and running a little late. PARIS I will see u soon on that balcony #WithDanKanter,” Bieber’s musical director and lead guitarist. So did he think the show went well? “Loved singing with all of you #WithDanKanter – just like old times.” In addition to performing in Paris, Bieber also planned to check out Jay-Z and Kanye West ‘s show on Friday night. “#BiebasInParis #WATCHTHETHRONE #PARIS #LEGGO.” Also, Bieber had this reminder for fans who may have forgotten he’s dropping an album this month : “#June19th #18Days #BELIEVE.” When MTV News caught up with Bieber before Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards , he threw all his support behind multi-nominee “Bridesmaids.” “I just think it was funny. It’s kind of like the female version of ‘The Hangover,’ ” he said. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards MTV First: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber
Sunday’s most-nominated films have the Wanted, ‘Jersey Shore’ star Deena and Big Time Rush divided. By Jocelyn Vena Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in “Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate While we all know where Justin Bieber stands on the issue of “Bridesmaids” versus “Hunger Games” (hint: He prefers laughing to crying), we felt it was important to do our due diligence and reach out to other celebrities to see which of the two most-nominated films might take home more prizes at Sunday’s 2012 MTV Movie Awards . Kendall Schmidt and Carlos Pena from Big Time Rush also went for “Bridesmaids” as the night’s big winner, with Pena telling MTV News he thinks he’s “in love” with Kristen Wiig — “a little bit.” Siva Kaneswaran from the Wanted was banking on “The Hunger Games,” and bandmate Jay McGuiness had a very good reason. “Me and Max [George] Googled Jennifer Lawrence. We were very happy with the results,” he laughed. Deena Cortese from “Jersey Shore” also seemed pretty sure that Jennifer Lawrence’s dystopian flick will beat Kristen Wiig’s female-driven comedy about the perils of weddings: “I think “Hunger Games” might take it.” The films will not only face off in the Movie of the Year category, but also in Best Female Performance, Best Cast and Breakthrough Performance. To find out which movie will take home more Golden Popcorn, check out the 2012 MTV Movie Awards this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The show will be hosted by Russell Brand and feature performances from Fun. , the Black Keys, Martin Solveig and Wiz Khalifa . It all goes down live at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, this Sunday. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards Related Photos 2012 MTV Movie Award Nominees
‘Harry Potter’ also earns Leven Rambin’s wrath: ‘That’s so seven years ago.’ By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Eric Ditzian Leven Rambin Photo: MTV News “The Hunger Games” has some stiff competition at Sunday’s 2012 MTV Movie Awards , especially in two major categories: Movie of the Year and Best Cast . Surely the cast of the splashy big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel fully understands warfare, which is why when MTV News recently spoke to Leven Rambin — who plays the ill-fated Glimmer in “Hunger Games” — she had some feisty fighting words for those other casts. Well, for all the films except one notable exception. “I think it’s a close tie between ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Bridesmaids,’ and I would not be offended if ‘Bridesmaids’ won, ’cause, frankly, they’re my favorite cast of any movie I’ve ever seen ever,” she dished. “I think it’s neck-and-neck.” Of course, she had less-than-kind things to say about some of those other nominated films. ” ‘Harry Potter’? That’s so seven years ago,” she said. “So I think ‘The Hunger Games’ is the hot new kids on the block.” And she wasn’t shy to brush off “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” another major movie franchise vying for the Golden Popcorn when the show goes live this Sunday (June 3). “What? What’s that? ‘Breaking’ who?” she sassed. In the Movie of the Year category, Rambin and the other Tributes face off against “Bridesmaids,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” “The Help” and “Breaking Dawn – Part 1”. Meanwhile, in the Best Cast competition, “The Hunger Games” will take on “Bridesmaids,” “Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” “21 Jump Street” and “The Help.” Want to know who will win? Well, the 2012 MTV Movie Awards will be hosted by Russell Brand and feature performances from Fun. , The Black Keys, Martin Solveig and Wiz Khalifa . It all goes down at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, June 3. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards Related Photos Sneak Peek Week At The 2012 Movie Awards
