Fifteen-year-old Abigail Breslin , America’s erstwhile Little Miss Sunshine, is growing up — not too fast, like some of her Hollywood peers and predecessors seem to be, but in her own time. Still: In the upcoming New Year’s Eve , she’ll share her first movie kiss; next year, she takes on the role of a real life teen killer . To kick off this new phase in her career, Breslin plays her first official teenage role in this week’s music-themed Janie Jones , starring (and performing her own vocals) as a capable young girl forced on a road trip with the rock star father she never knew.
Back in 2007, Sam Riley burst on the scene with a starmaking performance in the critically acclaimed film Control . Poised to be the latest hot British import to invade U.S. shores, Riley followed Control up with two intriguing-on-paper titles — Franklyn with Ryan Phillippe and Eva Green and 13 opposite Ray Winstone, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Michael Shannon and Alexander Skarsgaard. The rest, as they say, is history — though maybe not the kind Riley initially envisioned.
Here at Movieline HQ , we’ve been holding out hope that the untitled Judd Apatow continuation/quasi-sequel to Knocked Up (which has been filming with the working title of This Is Forty ) will feature a comeback performance from the terminally maligned Megan Fox. No word yet whether that will happen — despite co-star Paul Rudd singing her praises last week — but at least Fox is having fun on the set. Over the weekend she posted a picture of herself and co-stars Jason Segel and Chris O’D owd mugging for the camera in a swimming pool. Moviemaking! Just like breaking rocks! Click through for the pic.
Where have America’s sweethearts gone? Seventeen-year-old Dakota Fanning is charging hard towards adulthood, with Abigail Breslin (15), Chloe Moretz (14), and sister Elle (13) hot on her heels. Enter 11-year-old Bailee Madison ( Bridge to Terabithia , Conviction , Just Go With It ), a young actress who’s already been acting for half of her life and shows it by holding her own opposite Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes in the Guillermo del Toro -produced horror thriller Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark .
Where have America’s sweethearts gone? Seventeen-year-old Dakota Fanning is charging hard towards adulthood, with Abigail Breslin (15), Chloe Moretz (14), and sister Elle (13) hot on her heels. Enter 11-year-old Bailee Madison ( Bridge to Terabithia , Conviction , Just Go With It ), a young actress who’s already been acting for half of her life and shows it by holding her own opposite Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes in the Guillermo del Toro -produced horror thriller Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark .
Hollywood’s little miss sunshines are growing up, and how ( looking at you too, Dakota ): Variety reports that 15-year-old Abigail Breslin has been cast as one of two leads in The Class Project , an indie drama based on the real-life “Bathtub Girls,” two teenage Canadian sisters who murdered their mother in 2003 and got away with the crime for a year before being found out. Stan Brooks will direct from a script by Fabrizio Filippo and Adam Till who adapted The Class Project from Toronto Star reporter Bob Mitchell’s 2008 book, The Class Project: How To Kill a Mother: The True Story of Canada’s Infamous Bathtub Girls . [ Variety ]
Paul McDonald and Casey Abrams get high marks, while Jordan Dorsey and Robbie Rosen might not make it to the next level. By Eric Ditzian Jacob Lusk appears on “American Idol” on Tuesday Photo: FOX Another season of live “American Idol” episodes is officially in session, which means it’s time to bring back MTV News’ reality-show report card. Who rose to the front of the crooning class Tuesday night when the top-12 men took the stage for the first time? Who’s in danger of being booted out of class? Sharpen your pencils and open to a fresh sheet of notebook paper, because it’s time to get busy grading! Excellent Paul McDonald Why wasn’t he featured more in Hollywood Week? Goofy and gospel-y, this Southern boy was an utter delight during his breakout performance Tuesday. McDonald was, at times, overwhelmed by the backing band, but his vocal tone is truly distinctive and his song choice of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” was spot on. We remain undecided about those dance moves: wink-wink awkward or just awkward? Casey Abrams This could have gone so wrong. And if Simon Cowell were still around, we have a feeling he would have slammed Abrams for his hyper-growly take on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You.” But somehow, to us, it just worked. Abrams has a true artist’s confidence in his own gifts, and even when he takes it too far — sometimes, dude, less really is more! — you still get the feeling he’s in control and knows exactly what he’s doing. Good Scotty McCreery With that subterranean twang of his, the kid sounded like he could be a regular presence on county radio right now. That doesn’t mean we’d want to listen, but he certainly fits a mold; we’ll wait and see if he has any desire to break it. Jacob Lusk Though it was an old-fashioned performance and Lusk needs some work on his phrasing in the lower register, we have to applaud him for one of the more impressive performances of the evening. What a range he has! What’s more, he’s able to communicate genuine emotion when he sings. This wasn’t, however, his breakout performance. We’re waiting for more before bumping him up to the next level. Satisfactory Clint Jun Gamboa What Randy Jackson got wrong about the singer’s take on Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” is that karaoke isn’t just about vocals; it’s also about a feeling. Clint’s performance just felt karaoke. There’s no doubting he has pipes. What he’s missing is artistry. The “Idol” stage practically swallowed him up in a swirl of pulsing primary-colored lights. Jovany Barreto My colleague Jim Cantiello is right on when he zings Barreto for falling far short in the charisma department. We should, though, give credit to Barreto for simply possessing a beautiful instrument. Close your eyes, and it was a much finer performance. Alas, for a TV show, that’s not a good thing. James Durbin We don’t get what all the fuss is about. Everything Durbin did onstage, from the schoolboy-rocker hand gestures to the scarf-tail-thingy that’s supposed to make him stand out, came off as phony. He tried his hardest to project a rock-star image, which is the least rock-star thing anyone can do. At least we’re glad he toned down the scream-singing. Tim Halperin Halperin sneaks into satisfactory territory, if only because we hardly remember his performance, so forgettable was his take on Rob Thomas’ “Streetcorner Symphony.” Uptempo tunes might not fall in his comfort zone, nor did he have the vocal power to compete with the band. Also: Demerits for encouraging the hand-waving clappers in the audience to burst into action. Stefano Langone Langone started off a hair behind the band and couldn’t ever seem to catch up. Don’t even get us started on how he chop-sueyed. Still, he’s got plenty personality to carry him past those vocal missteps. Unsatisfactory Jordan Dorsey He tried on a top 40 pop tune, and it just didn’t fit. How could we even concentrate on his vocals while Dorsey was spastically shaking his body in the name of dancing like Usher? We have a feeling that Dorsey is due for a major comeback — when he returns to his R&B roots — yet we fear he may not get the chance after Tuesday’s outing. Brett Loewenstern Oh, Brett! What can we say? Maybe don’t dance next time? Maybe only shake those fiery locks once or twice? The smallness of Loewenstern’s voice was unmistakable during the Doors’ “Light My Fire.” We don’t think he’s in danger of going home — the kid remains aw-shucks likable — but we can’t say we’re expecting better in coming weeks. Robbie Rosen Pitchy and somnolent, lacking in youthfulness and energy, Rosen’s was one of the more surprising of the night in that it just wasn’t very good. We were expecting more from him. Share your “American Idol” grades in the comments! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” at 10 p.m. Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke. In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
‘We find ourselves in certain situations that you have to adapt to,’ Depp tells MTV News of his cartoon chameleon. By Kara Warner Rango, voiced by Johnny Depp, in “Rango” Photo: Paramount Johnny Depp is one of those actors who disappear so fully into the characters he plays onscreen that with each new film, it’s hard to know what to expect from the Oscar nominee. Depp’s latest, the animated pic “Rango,” is no exception. In the film — directed by Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” director Gore Verbinski and featuring the vocal talents of Abigail Breslin, Isla Fischer and Bill Nighy — Depp plays the title character, a chameleon living a lonely life in a cage as a family pet. But Rango is also an aspiring actor so he stages elaborate plays within the confines of his little glass home. He suddenly finds his life turned upside down when his cage is accidentally thrown out of his owners’ car during a cross-country move, landing him in the strange town of Dirt in the Nevada desert. MTV News caught up with Depp and we asked him if, given his chameleon-like abilities as an actor, he felt a sense of kinship with the little green reptile, and whether Rango is perhaps the closest he’s come to playing himself. “What I saw early on with the character, and something that Gore and I talked about, is that it is in sort of all of us, in a way,” Depp explained. “There is a chameleonic side to all of us in which we find ourselves in certain situations that you have to adapt to, sitting across from personalities that you have to adapt to in order to survive the moment or survive the day,” he said. “That’s kind of how I saw Rango.” Who’s your favorite Johnny Depp character? Tell us in the comments! Check out everything we’ve got on “Rango.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘We just established that I’m a Belieber,” Depp told the teen sensation at a recent junket promoting the actor’s upcoming animated film. By Kara Warner Johnny Depp Photo: MTV News A group of lucky reporters witnessed what may be the surprise celebrity encounter of the year over the weekend, when Justin Bieber waltzed into a press conference for the forthcoming animated film “Rango” with Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin and director Gore Verbinski. Coincidentally enough, Depp had just answered a question as to whether or not he was a “Belieber,” since he’d taken his kids to a concert by the teen pop phenom back in December. “Hey, pal!” a surprised Depp exclaimed as Bieber waved “hello” by flashing a peace sign from the back of the room. The young singer then approached the cast to shake hands — and received a round of applause from the audience while doing so. “We just established that I’m a Belieber,” Depp said. “I’m a big fan of you, so I had to come support you,” Bieber replied. “I just wanted to say ‘hi.’ I heard you were in the building.” Talk about worlds colliding! When MTV News caught up with Depp on Sunday, we asked him about the meeting, and whether his kids were green with envy at the fact that dear old dad met the “Never Say Never” star before they did. “My daughter was most definitely jealous,” Depp said of 11-year-old Lily-Rose’s reaction upon hearing the news. “Justin, bless him, he’s a very sweet guy. He had a pair of his purple glasses in his pocket [and] he said, ‘Oh yeah, give these to Lily-Rose.’ She was very chuffed [British slang for being really pleased] about that. She was very touched. “He’s a good guy,” Depp continued. “A sweet guy.” Aw, that Justin Bieber — making Beliebers out of everyone, he is. Check out everything we’ve got on “Rango.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos The Evolution Of: Johnny Depp Related Artists Justin Bieber
Ice Cube has also been named as possible addition to all-star cast for Garry Marshall flick. By Jocelyn Vena Ryan Seacrest Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Who would have thought that Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Sienna Miller, Hilary Swank and Sofia Vergara wouldn’t be enough Hollywood star power for one movie? Well, it seems that the brains behind the forthcoming movie “New Year’s Eve” are looking to add even more high-profile talent to the lineup. “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest, Ice Cube and Josh Duhamel all are in talks to appear in the star-studded flick, which follows New Yorkers over the course of, you guessed it, New Year’s Eve, according to The Hollywood Reporter . Seacrest would play himself in the movie, Duhamel would play a man looking to get to New York to reconnect with a mystery woman he met the year before, and Cube would play an NYPD cop who works with Swank, who will play the director of the Times Square New Year’s Eve party. The flick is set to begin filming next month. Earlier this week, “SNL” funnyman Seth Meyers and rocker Jon Bon Jovi signed on for roles in the Garry Marshall film, the sequel to 2010’s “Valentine’s Day.” And at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month, Efron confirmed his role in the movie to MTV News. “I’m starting a movie in a couple of weeks called ‘New Year’s Eve,’ with Garry Marshall. It’s got a great cast,” he shared. “My scenes are with Michelle Pfeiffer. Yeah, not a bad co-star.” Last year, Marshall spoke to MTV News about the film, which was then in its early stages, and had one other megastar in mind for the film. “Already they’re mentioning Justin Bieber ,” he said. “Perhaps I’d better see who he is, so when he arrives on set, possibly [we can talk]. So we’ll see.” Check out everything we’ve got on “New Year’s Eve.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
