Some moviegoers may recognize Stellan Skarsgård as the frequent Lars von Trier collaborator who this November will appear in Melancholia , his fourth film from the controversial Danish director. But more mainstream audiences will recognize the 60-year-old Swedish actor (and father of True Blood breakout actor Alexander Skarsgård) for his work in five mega-blockbusters in the past five years including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest , Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End , Mamma Mia! , Angels & Demons and most recently Thor , which starred Skarsgård as a scientist who ultimately befriends Chris Hemsworth’s title character.
We recap all the sneak peeks and news to come out of the Mouse House’s movie convention. By Terri Schwartz, with additional reporting by Kara Warner Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth Photo: MTV News “The Avengers” might not be assembling in theaters until May 4, 2012, but fans who attended Disney’s D23 convention in Anaheim, California, over the weekend were lucky enough to catch the cast joining forces in person. MTV News was on the scene too, so stay tuned for our interviews with the stars. In the meantime, here’s a little recap of the weekend’s highlights: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston and Cobie Smulders all showed up to unveil two new clips from the upcoming superhero flick. It was the first time the group has come together publicly since 2010’s San Diego Comic-Con , and the first time “How I Met Your Mother” star Smulders has been part of the promotion for the movie. Both of the clips shown focused on the showdown between the Avengers and “Thor” bad boy Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, AceShowBiz reports. The first showed Loki trapped in a high-tech chamber in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier, chatting with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. It is revealed that the chamber was actually created to hold the Hulk, but will hold Loki because he threatens Earth with war and “a force [he] can’t control.” The second scene featured Downey’s Tony Stark chatting with Loki in a private bar. “Let’s do a head count,” Loki says. “Two world class assassins” — the camera cuts to shots of Hawkeye and Black Widow — “a demigod” — cut to Thor — “a living legend who actually lives up to the legend” — a glimpse of Captain America. Stark responds by saying, “And you, big fella, you have managed to piss off every single one of them.” “I have an army,” Loki says. Stark strikes back, “We have a Hulk.” When MTV caught up with Downey and Hemsworth after the panel, the two were coy about any scenes other than the ones that have been revealed. Downey joked that his favorite scene in the movie was the one “in which we don’t reveal anything about the plot,” but Hemsworth admitted that his favorite was already revealed. “One of our first days was the whole assembly,” he said, referring to the scene that was revealed at the end of “Captain America: The First Avenger.” “That was pretty crazy. Not only meeting Robert Downey and Scarlett and whatever, but it was meeting Iron Man and Black Widow and the Hulk. It’s exciting.” Marvel wasn’t the only Disney division doing some heavy lifting at D23, though. Pixar showed up with a slew of announcements, including some news about unannounced upcoming films, ScreenRant recapped. First on the docket is “Brave,” the Scotland-based animated adventure that hits in 2012. In addition to showing some new clips of the movie, Pixar also released a fleshed out plot synopsis that gives “Brave” more context. “Monsters University” received a summer 2013 release date slot, and Pixar also added two yet-untitled animated flicks to its upcoming releases. The first, directed by “Up” helmer Bob Peterson, speculates on what would happen if dinosaurs never became extinct and should hit theaters in fall 2013. The second, directed by “Monsters, Inc.” ‘s Pete Doctor, explores inside the human mind and should be released at some point in 2014. Also on the animation front, Shock Till You Drop reported on the “Frankenweenie” sizzle reel that was presented at the panel, which included footage from the flick, behind-the-scenes moments and interviews with the cast members. The title card for the movie was also unveiled, as well as the news that Danny Elfman will be composing the flick’s score. “Frankenweenie” hits theaters October 5, 2012. Jason Segel showed up with his “The Muppets” co-stars Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy to present two new clips from the movie, Entertainment Weekly reported. Clip number one featured an inside look at Kermit’s house and showed that he’s stuck in his ’80s heyday, while clip number two showed off Muppets Rolf, Kermit, Fozzie Bear and Dr. Teeth trying to get the old Muppet Theater back in working order. Not to be outdone, the cast and crew of “John Carter of Mars” presented four new clips from their upcoming sci-fi flick. Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe and Lynn Collins stood with director Andrew Stanton to show off the footage, EW recounted. The unfinished clips featured scenes where the titular Carter first lands on Mars, gets captured by Thark leader Tars Tarkas, has to battle his way out of a gladiatorial arena and tries to convince his lady love not to go through with her arranged marriage. Vulture said the clips had “a distinctly Pixar sense of humor,” which can be attributed to Stanton’s history with the animation company. The last big presentation of D23 was for “Oz, the Great and Powerful,” and though there was no finished footage, the panel did get to see James Franco’s wizard and Michelle Williams’ Glinda in costume. AceShowBiz said that a behind-the-scenes sizzle reel, narrated by director Sam Raimi, displayed concept art for the Emerald City, munchkins and the yellow brick road. The movie is currently in production in Detroit and is set to hit theaters on March 8, 2013. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Avengers.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com .
I was going to put this in today’s Superhero Bits but it’s simply too kick-ass to hide there. Up until now, if you’ve been following spoiler set photos from The Avengers, you’ll know that all we’ve really seen is Chris Evans as Captain America. Today, however, videos of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) joining Cap on the Cleveland set came online. And, well, wow. The videos should be considered major spoilers… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : /Film Discovery Date : 19/08/2011 17:43 Number of articles : 4
One of the most sneaky star-packed panels at Comic-Con this weekend? Try Snow White & The Huntsman . Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron and Sam Claflin were on hand to get geeks excited about their Snow White project — which, judging from the new concept art from the film, is the Snow White project to keep an eye on. Sorry, Scarlett O’H ara-by-way-of-Banksy Lily Collins! Click through for a first look.
Paul actor/screenwriter Nick Frost is reportedly in negotiations for the seventh and final dwarf role in Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman . The English actor would join leads Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron — and fellow dwarf castees Toby Jones, Bob Hoskins, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Graham, Ray Winstone and Ian McShane. Eddie Izzard was in talks for a dwarf role as well, but it appears he may have fallen out in favor of Frost. [ Variety ]
A Tribe Called Quest doc director says he’d do another hip-hop film ‘if things lined up.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Kara Warner Michael Rapaport Photo: MTV News The controversy surrounding the documentary “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest” has not killed director Michael Rapaport’s hip-hop jones. The film has received rave reviews, and if given the chance, Rapaport told MTV News that he has his eye on a few other rap acts that he’d like to turn his lens on. “I would love to document De La Soul,” he said looking directly in the camera making his best pitch. Another group which Rapaport has interest in is Philadelphia hip-hop band the Roots. While the group has had a rotating cast since their 1993 debut, Organix, band leader and drummer ?uestlove, along with MC Black Thought and keyboardist Kamal have been mainstays. Multi-platinum producer Scott Storch was a one-time member, as was rapper Malik B. The Roots have released 10 studio LPs since the early 1990s, and of course, the Grammy-winning group are enjoying success as the in-house band for “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” “I would love to document the Roots; I think they have an interesting story,” Rapaport said. “I have a curiosity about them. Their musicality and their live performances I think would be great, and I have a feeling that there are stories behind each one of them.” After filming A Tribe Called Quest for his current work, Rapaport has went back and forth with group member Q-Tip. In light of the experience, when he visited “RapFix Live” in March, Q-Tip urged other rappers to tell their “own stories,” a concept that confused Rapaport . “I don’t know if he meant, ‘We’re from hip-hop, it should be a hip-hop director,’ ” the actor-director admitted to MTV News. “I don’t know who would go under the auspices of being a hip-hop director. Or if it was a racial thing like, ‘We’re black and shouldn’t have a white director.’ It was confusing to me.” As of now, Rapaport isn’t looking to do another rap film in the near future, but he wouldn’t turn it down if the opportunity presented itself. “Right now I’m taking a break from hip-hop documentaries,” he said. “But I would do it if things lined up.” Would you support a Michael Rapaport-directed Roots documentary? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists The Roots De La Soul
Startling news from the set of Joss Whedon’s big-budget Avengers movie: Stuntman Jeremy Fitzgerald was injured last Friday while performing a death-defying stunt that featured a 30 foot fall from a building. Details on the grisly superhero set accident below.
Hollywood legend Warren Beatty caused quite a stir two weeks ago at the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Film Festival when he teased the possibility of a sequel to Dick Tracy . “I’m gonna make another one,” he said. Though maybe “another one” was simply code for another movie . For the first time since the disastrous Town & Country was released in 2001, Beatty has another film project in the works.
Both of the competing Snow White studio flicks are racing to the box office as we speak, but Universal’s revisionist take has scored the latest blow, casting Ian McShane as the leader of the dwarfs. (If you can’t keep your Snow Whites straight, this is the one with Kristen Stewart as the titular princess and Chris Hemsworth as the killer huntsman who aids her, with Charlize Theron as the evil queen.) Get to dream casting McShane’s remaining dirty half-dozen dwarfs! [ THR ]
Don’t worry, Snow, someday your prince will come…in the form of strapping God of Thunder it turns out. The long-rumored frontrunner Chris Hemsworth has indeed finally been officially cast as the Huntsman (not to be confused with the Republican candidate for president or an heir to the Manwich fortune) in the Kristin Stewart-led Snow White and the Huntsman , one of the roughly 137 different “edgy” Snow White adaptations being bandied about. [ Deadline ]
