Director Jon Favreau tells MTV News there’s much more to the movie than the ‘silly’ title may suggest. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Jon Favreau Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images When news broke that “Iron Man” director Jon Favreau had wrangled two of the biggest names in the action-movie business — Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig — to star in his intriguing genre mash-up “Cowboys & Aliens,” that and a compelling premise proved to be enough to send scores of fanboys online seeking advanced tickets. But though there’s lots of early buzz from the marquee names associated with “Aliens” (mega-watt producers Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard are also onboard), Favreau recently admitted to MTV News that he felt pressure to deliver something extraordinary for fans. “Of course, with Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg [producing], I’m in real good hands,” Favreau said about overcoming the challenges of establishing just the right tone for the movie. “I learned a tremendous amount from them, and I think when you cast Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig — with ‘Bond’ and ‘Indy,’ those are two franchises that are fun but not silly,” he added about Craig’s 007 and Ford’s “Indiana Jones” series. “And I think that if people take a clue from who I cast in the film as to how it’s going to play, it’s a good indicator,” he explained. Favreau went on to say that there’s far more to the film than what the title suggests. “I think [moviegoers] hear the name ‘Cowboys and Aliens,’ it sounds kind of silly, but it also sounds compelling and interesting,” he said. “So if they give it a chance, they’ll see it’s a fun movie, it’s an exciting movie, and I think it’s going to exceed their expectations.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Cowboys & Aliens.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV News’ Comic-Con Takeover With Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried And Jon Favreau
With the exception of news about a release date (Sept. 21, 2012), the Lionsgate reboot of Judge Dredd — fittingly titled Dredd — received precious little hype at Comic-Con over the weekend. Perhaps that was a good thing, though, judging from the first look at Karl Urban as the titular law-keeper. Is this first look at Dredd on the cover of Empire magazine an ad for Ricky’s NYC, an ad for your local laser tag facility or the actual first clean image from the film? You be the judge (ding!) ahead.
‘Ew, get that thing off me! Get me a real baby!’ Kristen Stewart remembers of the animatronic baby used as Bella and Edward’s daughter. By Kara Warner Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart at 2011 Comic-Con Photo: WireImage SAN DIEGO — After taking last year off from San Diego Comic-Con , the cast of the “Twilight Saga” returned to the famed pop-culture extravaganza in a very big way. There was new “Breaking Dawn” footage screened before a crowd of 6,000, food gifts presented to fans via the castmembers themselves and talk of the awkwardness involved in filming sex scenes. It was a lot to take in. Here is our list of the top five “Twilight”-themed moments witnessed during SDCC 2011: Castmembers Treat Fans to Breakfast “Twilight” fans are known for their extreme loyalty and passion for the film franchise and its stars. As such, every time the cast has made the trek to San Diego for an appearance, thousands of fans line up outside the Con’s famous Hall H — many of whom camp out for days ahead of time. This year, castmembers Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Elizabeth Reaser, Booboo Stewart and Julia Jones surprised a bunch of lucky fans with an early-morning wake-up call that included a gift of muffins and fruit. Wedding Scene Was Filmed “Secret-Service Style” As much as they can, the “Breaking Dawn” cast and crew try to keep spoilers and set photos from being snapped and released on the Internet. But nothing has been as secretive and protected as Bella’s wedding dress. Kristen Stewart explained the great lengths that were taken during filming. “The wedding was secret-service style. It was insane. The crew was completely inconvenienced and grumbling around set,” she said at the “Breaking Dawn” press conference at San Diego Comic-Con. Stewart didn’t let their efforts go unnoticed. “You don’t understand what this means to us,” she told the security team. “If this dress gets on the Internet, I’ll die.” Bella and Edward’s Baby Terrified Its Onscreen Parents There has been much ado about the “Rosemary’s Baby”-esque birthing scene Stephenie Meyer wrote in “Breaking Dawn.” Specifically, the end of that scene when Bella brings a half-human, half-vampire baby into the world. According to the scene’s key participants, Stewart and Robert Pattinson, what should have been warm and fuzzy was actually horrifying. “We had an animatronic baby, the scene where [Bella] had to be introduced to the baby for the first time,” Pattinson explained during Thursday’s press conference. Stewart explained that although the scene is one of her favorites in the book, the fact that the baby bore more of a resemblance to Chuckie from “Child’s Play” than a real newborn made the scene a bit awkward. “[The puppeteer] is sweating right below my eyeline, trying to [reach] up to get the [animatronic baby’s] hand up to touch your face,” Stewart recalled. “And then it sticks to your hair and pulls a little bit and you’re like, ‘Ew, get that thing off me! Get me a real baby, this is ridiculous!’ ” she said. “And it had hair!” “If you’ve ever seen a baby with a wig on …,” Pattinson offered. “[It] looked like a little troll on a stick.” Seven-Minute Clip Teases “Honeymoon” Scene Of all the scenes fans are most looking forward to seeing in “Breaking Dawn,” the honeymoon scene is at the top of the list. And the lucky 6,000 fans who attended the film’s panel Thursday were treated to a steamy sneak peek, along with about seven minutes of new footage from the film. Pattinson told us the key to getting around the awkwardness involved in filming that scene was to go for it. “You just get lubed up and jump right into it!” RPattz joked. “You have to have some tantric breathing and stuff.” Pattinson Likens Himself to Processed Meat Speaking of brilliant Pattinson quotes, one of our favorites occurred when the heartthrob had to address appearing shirtless on camera. “The thing I was most nervous about was taking my shirt off,” Pattinson said of which scenes he was most anxious about. “I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up,” Pattinson self-deprecatingly added, referring to what fans will see of his torso in the film and preview footage. “I look like an inflatable frankfurter in some of those [scenes].” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” and “Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos ‘Breaking Dawn’ Stars Take Over San Diego Comic-Con
Movieline caught up with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn director Bill Condon in San Diego, where he made his first Comic-Con appearance, joining stars including Kristen Stewart , Robert Pattinson , and Taylor Lautner in debuting two revealing clips from the November release. But what parts of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (The wedding! The honeymoon ! Imprinting!) will Condon fight to keep secret until the film lands in theaters?
Despite what you may have heard about Friends with Benefits , Mr. Skin’s got the final word- Mila Kunis does NOT get nude in the raunchy new comedy…but her butt double does! 38 minutes into the film, there’s a shot of “Mila” walking out of the bathroom with her buns totally bare, but(t) we never see her face, a dead giveaway of a body double (not to mention our Skin Skout notes: “It is a bit jarring in the film considering her “bony” butt is commented upon and her double appeared to have a far fuller backside”). A far fuller backside, eh? We suppose that’s to be expected, since Mila revealed in a recent interview with Ryan Seacrest that she was given full control over selecting her stunt butt. However, Mila is in her bra and panties, or a t-shirt with no pants, for a good chunk of the film, so things could be a whole lot worse…30 minutes in, we get a bit of side boob as Mila rides her boning buddy Justin Timberlake, and we get bare breasts pressed against JT (but no nip) at the 36 and 1:08 mark. That lucky bastard- first he gets to date Jessica Biel , Alyssa Milano and Cameron Diaz , and now he gets paid to have Mila Kunis ’ boobs pressed against him! See more from sexy star Mila Kunis right here at MrSkin.com
We’ve been following ‘The First Avenger’ since it was first announced. By Ryan J. Downey Chris Evans in “Captain America: The First Avenger” Photo: Paramount Pictures Captain America will finally throw his mighty shield on the big screen this weekend. And while Cap’s journey from the comics to the megaplex wasn’t quite as arduous as the hero’s transition from World War II to present day (which involved being frozen in a block of ice), there were plenty of twists and turns before Chris Evans put on the costume that will allow him to lead the Avengers. A “Captain America” movie actually appeared back in 1990, but to call it a “B-movie” would be generous. Albert Pyun, the director responsible for action romps like Jean Claude Van Damme’s “Cyborg,” cast actor Matt Salinger in the title role and took several liberties with established continuity. Cap was still named Steve Rogers, still given his abilities by a “super soldier serum” during World War II and still frozen in a block of ice, however, his arch-nemesis switched from German to Italian. This summer’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” returns the Red Skull to his nefarious Nazi origins. Hugo Weaving plays the megalomaniacal fellow experimental “super soldier” who leads Hitler’s deep science division, HYDRA, which eventually breaks away from the Nazis due to the Skull’s world-domination plans. Steve Rogers is a Brooklyn kid whose scrawny size and poor health cause him to be rejected continually as he tries to enlist for the war effort. A professor’s serum gives him a muscular body and super-strength. Thanks to technology, Evans portrays both versions of the character. Jon Favreau considered directing “Captain America” before ultimately choosing “Iron Man” instead. That film’s success established Marvel as a Hollywood studio in its own right (with distribution help, of course), following previous Marvel character flicks like “X-Men,” “Spider-Man” and “Daredevil,” which were handled by other studios. Marvel decided to mix heroes onscreen as they always have in print (at least the ones they still own the rights to) with next summer’s “Avengers” movie building on “Easter eggs” and story connections established across multiple films, like “Cap.” “The Incredible Hulk” director Louis Leterrier was considered for a time before the job ultimately went to Joe Johnston , who had proven his hero prowess and period-movie gloss with “The Rocketeer.” Garrett Hedlund (“Tron: Legacy”), John Krasinski (“The Office'”) and Mike Vogel (“Cloverfield”) were among the actors reportedly considered for the title role. Sebastian Stan (“Gossip Girl”) was considered as well before ultimately being cast as Captain America’s sidekick, “Bucky” Barnes. Chris Evans actually turned the role down . He had played a Marvel hero before, appearing as the Human Torch in two “Fantastic Four” films. Evans and Weaving were the first cast announcements. “I got a call, and they said they want me to audition, and I said, ‘Great!’ And then I thought about it and I said, ‘No thanks,’ ” Evans told MTV News. “And then they called back and they said, ‘Well, they want you to test,’ and testing is basically they’ll draw up a contract, and if you’re testing then you’re only testing with a couple other guys and the odds of walking away with it drastically increase. And again I just said, ‘I think I’m good. This isn’t really what I’m looking for.’ “It just seemed like the more I walked away, the more they pursued,” he explained. At Comic-Con last year, where he appeared onstage with the rest of the Avengers, Evans told us about all the research he did to bone up on Captain America lore after he accepted the role. “Personally, when I was going through the comic books, the ones that were most intriguing were the origin stories. I just wanted to get as many different takes on how this guy started out.” Fans were thrilled to learn more information about the Captain America movie as it trickled out online: The Howling Commandos would appear; the Cosmic Cube figured into the story; Tony “Iron Man” Stark’s father, Howard Stark, would be a central supporting character, and so forth. But as it turned out, Evans was still questioning his decision to play the role even at Comic-Con. “I remember the first time I went to a fitting and I put on the suit, and I just was so terrified, so focused on the negatives, still,” he told us a few months later. “I bet when I was at that Comic-Con, I was probably still terrified, probably still apprehensive about whether or not this was right. “I can’t believe I almost didn’t do it!” he told us emphatically. “For better or worse, no matter what happens with the film, whether it’s a good film or not, it was the right thing to do and I’m glad I did it.” Audiences will have a chance to make up their own minds about “Captain America: The First Avenger” this weekend. Critics have been positive thus far. At press time, the film stood at 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which collects reviews from major critics. “It’s paced and designed for people who won’t shrivel up and die if two or three characters take 45 seconds between combat sequences to have a conversation about world domination, or a dame,” wrote The Chicago Tribune. Rolling Stone praised the film’s star in particular. “Evans, who played the Human Torch in two less-than-fantastic Fantastic Four films, brings such humor, heart and vigor to virtuous Steve that our rooting interest holds even when the action gets to be standard-issue,” Peter Travers wrote. Check out everything we’ve got on “Captain America: The First Avenger.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ MTV First: Captain America Experts Break Down The First ‘Captain America’ Trailer Related Photos ‘Captain America’
‘Do you want to borrow my Sailor Moon costume?’ ‘Friends With Benefits’ co-star Mila Kunis offers. By Kara Warner Justin Timberlake Photo: MTV News Although the official kickoff of San Diego Comic-Con is still a day away, everyone heading down to the highly anticipated, heavily attended pop-culture convention is teeming with excitement — from the costume-clad fanboys to the hordes of celebrities. Emma Stone recently expressed her enthusiasm for the convention’s famed Hall H, where she and her “Amazing Spider-Man” co-stars will present footage to fans. MTV News also caught up with Comic-Con veteran and admitted nerd Mila Kunis and Comic-Con newbie Justin Timberlake to get their thoughts on the Con while they were promoting their rom-com “Friends With Benefits.” “I’m an expert at Comic-Con,” Kunis declared, adding that she is a much bigger geek than JT. “I’m stoked to go,” Timberlake said, who will be on hand to promote “In Time,” his film co-starring Amanda Seyfried. “I’m really stoked to go. I don’t have anything to wear yet.” “Do you want to borrow my Sailor Moon costume?” Kunis offered. “Or my Princess Leia dominatrix outfit?” “Yeah,” Timberlake said, considering the idea for a moment. “I might stretch it out a little bit.” Be sure to tune into “MTV News: Comic-Con Takeover” on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT on MTV.com for live chats with all your favorite stars. The live streams kick off Thursday with our hour-long “Breaking Dawn” special. Keep it locked to MTV.com and Splash Page for all the latest, greatest Comic-Con news. If you have any questions or comments for our talent coming through, send them via Twitter @MTVNews with the hashtag #mtvsdcc. Check out everything we’ve got on “Friends With Benefits.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Friends With Benefits’ Related Artists Justin Timberlake
Captain Planet and the Planeteers , among the cheesiest children’s properties that the ’90s birthed, was a cartoon very earnestly devoted to encouraging environmental awareness among youngsters built around the multi-colored titular superhero. Now, thanks to the folks who brought us Transformers , that mulleted, blue-skinned emblem of early-’90s morning TV will be updated with a live-action film. Has retro rebirthing gone too far?
Spike Jonze-directed clip features action figure alter egos, a Yeti and Santigold. By Gil Kaufman The Beastie Boys’ Ad Rock as an action figure in “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” Photo: Beastieboys.com The Beastie Boys have donned plenty of disguises in their videos over the years, playing everything from cheesy cops to futuristic sanitation workers and famous Hollywood actors in their famed “Fight for Your Right Revisited” mini-movie. But they break new territory in the “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” clip, which premiered on Monday night. The Spike Jonze joint draws inspiration from such diverse sources as “Robot Chicken,” the 1960s “In Like Flint” spy spoof movies, “Toy Story,” “Shaun of the Dead” and low-rent homemade YouTube videos. Longtime pal and collaborator Jonze (“Where the Wild Things Are”) sends up tough-guy action-hero legend G.I. Joe in the clip, which finds the B-Boys battling against assassins who chase them off the stage and into the snow as guns blaze, TNT is detonated and plastic bodies go up in toxic flames in the purposely hand-made looking clip. In fact, Jonze made no attempt to fall back on CGI to make the video feel futuristic, instead leaving in the visible guide wires and manipulating the figures with hands that often intrude into the frame. It’s not all just guns and fake blood, though: Halfway through the 11-minute version of the clip on the Boys’ site , they are saved from a potentially deadly zombie attack by a giant Yeti who joins their team and hops a helicopter ride with them into the clouds, where, you guessed it, jet-pack-wearing assassins fire RPGs at them, killing their abominable pal. In classic Beastie fashion, as they free-fall from their lofty perch, the boys engage in some witty banter, with MCA asking Mike D about the rumors he read online that he was planning on breaking from the crew and going solo. “I never said that,” Mike responds as the free fall continues. Chutes deployed, they manage to miraculously change outfits, only to be attacked by killer sharks. Luckily, track guest Santigold (in a Bond girl-style plunging neckline wetsuit) is on hand to bail them out, joining them in their submarine as they dodge torpedoes. The Boys finally get to relax at the end and chill on their boat, drinking wine coolers as Santi water-skis behind them and Jonze assures viewers that “no Yetis were harmed during the making of this film.” Related Photos Beastie Boys: A Career Retrospective Related Artists Beastie Boys
