The best tidbit about E.L. James’ 50 Shades of Grey S&M erotica series, besides the fact that your mother may be reading the salacious bestselling tomes right this very second , is that the book trilogy began, as great cultural touchstones do, as Twilight fan fiction. So it’s all sorts of strange to watch Kristen Stewart and her Snow White and the Huntsman castmates Chris Hemsworth , Sam Claflin , and Charlize Theron reading steamy passages from the naughty, naughty 50 Shades of Grey aloud. Awesome or creepy (or both)? You decide! Props to MTV’s Josh Horowitz for getting the erstwhile Bella Swan to utter the lines hardcore 50 Shades fans have been imagining her saying since James’ kinky prose first hit the ‘net, but really: Did they have to make them say the 50 Shades killing words?? (Just die already, inner goddess.) High five to Stewart for being a good sport. Extra points to Theron for giving it all she had. Maybe there’s a part for her in the planned film adaptation — Mrs. Robinson, perhaps? [via MTV ]
So says Rufio himself! Chatting with Crave Online, Hook actor Dante Basco waxed nostalgic about imaginary food fightin’ with Robin Williams in the 1991 cult flick and let slip that he’s attached to produce a Rufio prequel, with Zorro director Rpin Suwannath at the helm. Of course, the project is A) currently only in development and B) going the indie route, so take it with a grain of salt. That said, in the spirit of the Lost Boys, let your inner kid dream big. Ru-fi-OOO! According to Basco, who appeared in two films at the Los Angeles Asian Film Festival, the Rufio film will be based on a musical that comedy troupe The Younger Statesmen wrote in college. “These guys have a whole storyline of how he gets the mohawk,” Basco told Crave . “The whole story’s crazy. These guys came with the script, I’m like, ‘You guys wrote this?'” “Not only did they write this, they did the musical in their college. They were going to go off Broadway with it and then they lost their insurance and they came to Hollywood. If anyone saw their play it’s that, but the newer version is pretty intense. They added more action. I never saw the play but I think they added more backstory to Rufio, like how he became Rufio which I was impressed by.” So: Good idea or bad idea? The original film made money but tanked with critics (though it did garner five Oscar nods), but ask any kid of the ’90s and I’d bet they’d watch a Rufio spin-off in a heartbeat. [via Crave Online ]
Films from Robert Pattinson (‘Cosmopolis’) and Kristen Stewart (‘On the Road’) have us pumped, along with eight others. By Kevin P. Sullivan Robert Pattinson in “Cosmopolis” Photo: Alfama Films Hollywood is officially headed to the French Riviera for the 65th Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday. With so much of the attention Stateside focused squarely on the “Rob and Kristen Factor,” we thought it would be helpful to take a look at the lineup and share the films we are most excited about at the upcoming festival. Here are our top 10 most anticipated movies at the Cannes Film Festival: 10. “The Paperboy” This adaptation of the Peter Dexter novel marks Lee Daniels’ first film since making it big on the indie scene with “Precious.” “The Paperboy” promises a different direction for Daniels, telling the story of a reporter (John Cusack) who travels back to his home town to investigate a death-row case. 9. “Reality” Director Matteo Garrone made waves at Cannes in 2008 with his hyper-real look at Neapolitan organized crime, “Gomorrah,” which won the Grand Jury Prize that year. For this year’s festival, he returns with “Reality,” a look at the way we perceive life since the dawn of reality television. 8. “Cosmopolis” Robert Pattinson’s name alone has drawn much attention to this in-competition film, but the true nature of its intrigue lies with its director, David Cronenberg. With his adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel, Cronenberg, with the help of Pattinson, of course, looks to be revisiting the bizarre aesthetics and subject matters that made him famous in the 1980s. We’ve been waiting for this one ever since it won the MTV Movie Brawl 2012 back in January. 7. “Like Someone in Love” “Certified Copy,” the previous film from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, earned Juliette Binoche a best actress award at Cannes in 2010, but the film itself is one of the best examples of pure art-house filmmaking in the past few years. With “Like Someone in Love,” Kiarostami shifts his focus from Italy to Japan but keeps the same entry point of a man and a woman who may or may not know each other. 6. “Amour” “The White Ribbon,” Michael Haneke’s previous film tangentially about the saplings of fascism in Germany, wowed audiences on the Croisette in 2009, and “Amour” seems poised to do the same. The film tells the story of Georges and Anne, an octogenarian couple whose bond comes under strain after one of them suffers an attack. 5. “On the Road” Similar to “Cosmopolis,” “On the Road” has drawn a great deal of attention because it features a “Twilight” star, in this case Kristen Stewart, but she only makes up an element of this insanely star-studded Jack Kerouac adaptation, which also stars Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Terrence Howard. 4. “Lawless” Formerly known as “Wettest County,” this Southern-set prohibition crime film boasts a cast featuring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce and a critical darling of a director, John Hillcoat. The recently released trailer looks strong, and Hillcoat’s pedigree alone (his previous films include “The Proposition” and “The Road”) make this a must-see for the festival. 3. “Rust and Bone” A film about a whale trainer who loses a leg to an orca doesn’t necessary seem like Palme d’Or material, but “Rust and Bone” comes from director Jacques Audiard, who took the Grand Jury Prize in 2009 with the impressive “A Prophet,” and it stars Marion Cotillard as the unfortunate trainer. 2. “Killing Them Softly” It wouldn’t be surprising if you haven’t seen “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” but it would certainly be unfortunate. The western starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck debuted and left theaters quietly, but since 2007, the film has slowly gained a reputation as a modern classic. As director Andrew Dominik’s first film since “Jesse James,” “Killing Them Softly” stands out as both his reunion with Pitt and his much-anticipated follow-up. 1. “Mud” A writer/director may take a few films to nail down their voice and storytelling identity, but with his first two movies, Jeff Nichols has not only established himself as a serious filmmaker, but also one of the most exciting auteurs working today. Those films, “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter,” are two genuine masterpieces of American filmmaking, and we look forward to his third feature film “Mud,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos Cosmopolis Teaser: 5 Key Scenes ‘On The Road’
Films from Robert Pattinson (‘Cosmopolis’) and Kristen Stewart (‘On the Road’) have us pumped, along with eight others. By Kevin P. Sullivan Robert Pattinson in “Cosmopolis” Photo: Alfama Films Hollywood is officially headed to the French Riviera for the 65th Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday. With so much of the attention Stateside focused squarely on the “Rob and Kristen Factor,” we thought it would be helpful to take a look at the lineup and share the films we are most excited about at the upcoming festival. Here are our top 10 most anticipated movies at the Cannes Film Festival: 10. “The Paperboy” This adaptation of the Peter Dexter novel marks Lee Daniels’ first film since making it big on the indie scene with “Precious.” “The Paperboy” promises a different direction for Daniels, telling the story of a reporter (John Cusack) who travels back to his home town to investigate a death-row case. 9. “Reality” Director Matteo Garrone made waves at Cannes in 2008 with his hyper-real look at Neapolitan organized crime, “Gomorrah,” which won the Grand Jury Prize that year. For this year’s festival, he returns with “Reality,” a look at the way we perceive life since the dawn of reality television. 8. “Cosmopolis” Robert Pattinson’s name alone has drawn much attention to this in-competition film, but the true nature of its intrigue lies with its director, David Cronenberg. With his adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel, Cronenberg, with the help of Pattinson, of course, looks to be revisiting the bizarre aesthetics and subject matters that made him famous in the 1980s. We’ve been waiting for this one ever since it won the MTV Movie Brawl 2012 back in January. 7. “Like Someone in Love” “Certified Copy,” the previous film from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, earned Juliette Binoche a best actress award at Cannes in 2010, but the film itself is one of the best examples of pure art-house filmmaking in the past few years. With “Like Someone in Love,” Kiarostami shifts his focus from Italy to Japan but keeps the same entry point of a man and a woman who may or may not know each other. 6. “Amour” “The White Ribbon,” Michael Haneke’s previous film tangentially about the saplings of fascism in Germany, wowed audiences on the Croisette in 2009, and “Amour” seems poised to do the same. The film tells the story of Georges and Anne, an octogenarian couple whose bond comes under strain after one of them suffers an attack. 5. “On the Road” Similar to “Cosmopolis,” “On the Road” has drawn a great deal of attention because it features a “Twilight” star, in this case Kristen Stewart, but she only makes up an element of this insanely star-studded Jack Kerouac adaptation, which also stars Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Terrence Howard. 4. “Lawless” Formerly known as “Wettest County,” this Southern-set prohibition crime film boasts a cast featuring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce and a critical darling of a director, John Hillcoat. The recently released trailer looks strong, and Hillcoat’s pedigree alone (his previous films include “The Proposition” and “The Road”) make this a must-see for the festival. 3. “Rust and Bone” A film about a whale trainer who loses a leg to an orca doesn’t necessary seem like Palme d’Or material, but “Rust and Bone” comes from director Jacques Audiard, who took the Grand Jury Prize in 2009 with the impressive “A Prophet,” and it stars Marion Cotillard as the unfortunate trainer. 2. “Killing Them Softly” It wouldn’t be surprising if you haven’t seen “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” but it would certainly be unfortunate. The western starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck debuted and left theaters quietly, but since 2007, the film has slowly gained a reputation as a modern classic. As director Andrew Dominik’s first film since “Jesse James,” “Killing Them Softly” stands out as both his reunion with Pitt and his much-anticipated follow-up. 1. “Mud” A writer/director may take a few films to nail down their voice and storytelling identity, but with his first two movies, Jeff Nichols has not only established himself as a serious filmmaker, but also one of the most exciting auteurs working today. Those films, “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter,” are two genuine masterpieces of American filmmaking, and we look forward to his third feature film “Mud,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos Cosmopolis Teaser: 5 Key Scenes ‘On The Road’
Also in Wednesday afternoon’s Biz Break: A Taken star takes on another thriller in L.A., Logan Marshall Green gets set to play Tennessee Williams, and Matthew McConaughey and Cuba Gooding, Jr. take a look at White House historical drama. Elizabeth Olsen Begins Production on Erotic Thriller Thérèse Oscar Isaac, Tom Felton and Jessica Lange join Olsen who plays Thérèse Raquin, a sexually repressed young woman trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin and domineered by her aunt. She meets her husband’s alluring friend (Isaac) and embarks on a dangerous affair. The film is set in 1860s Paris. Shooting is taking place in Belgrade and Budapest. Director John Suits Begins Thriller The Scribbler Katie Cassidy ( Taken ) stars in the feature, adapted from the U.K. graphic novel. Produced by New Artists Alliance and Caliber Media, the film also stars Garret Dillahunt, Michelle Trachtenberg, Eliza Dushku, Gina Gershon and Michael Imperioli about a a young woman confronting her destructive mental illness using “The Siamese Burn,” an experimental machine designed to eliminate multiple personalities. But the closer she comes to being “cured,” what if the last unwanted identity turns out to be her? Production begins this week in L.A. Logan Marshall Green Set to Play Tennessee Williams He will portray the playwright in Lonely Hunter by director/writer/producer Deborah Kampmeier, a feature based on the life of Southern gothic writer Carson McCullers, which Jena Malone is already attached to play. Williams was McCuller’s longtime confidant. Shooting will begin this year with Troy Johanson and Blair Breard as producers. Green stars in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus . Holly Herrick Named to Austin Film Society Post Herrick will serve as Associate Artistic Director of the organization founded by filmmaker Richard Linklater. Her background includes work at the Hamptons, Sarasota and Newport film festivals. She succeeds filmmaker Bryan Poyser, who is currently in production with his new indie feature The Bounceback . Around the ‘net… Roman Polanski To Direct D The political thriller is based on the Dreyfus affair, one of the most sensational political scandals in history. The project reunites the team behind Polanski’s previous film The Ghost Writer , Deadline reports . Universal to Open Harry Potter Theme Park in Japan The first Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction overseas will open at Universal Studios Japan in 2014 at its Osaka facility,” Variety reports . Matthew McConaughey, Cuba Gooding Jr. Circle The Butler Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack and Jane Fonda are already set for director Lee Daniels’s White House historical drama headlined by Forest Whitaker. The film will be at the upcoming Cannes Film Market where IM Global will sell international rights. Daniels’s The Paperboy will have its world premiere in competition in Cannes. THR reports . Revenge Actor Gabriel Mann Boards Chavez Mexican filmmaker/actor Diego Luna will direct the indie biopic — not to be confused with Luna’s 2007 boxing documentary Chávez &mdash this summer, featuring Michael Pe
Among Wednesday morning’s Biz Break: Rebecca Hall chases Iron Man 3 , Clifford the Big Red Dog is headed for the big silver screen, and word of a possible “Hollywood studio” for Queens. Rebecca Hall In Line for Iron Man 3 Role Hall would take over the role in the Marvel franchise recently declined by Jessica Chastain via her Facebook page . Gwyneth Paltrow, who was in the previous two Iron Man movies, will return as Pepper Potts, Deadline reports . Illumination and Universal Team for Clifford the Big Red Dog Matt Lopez has been set to write the script for the project, which will be a live-action and animated hybrid. Clifford follows the adventures of a 25-foot-tall red dog and his owner, a child named Emily Elizabeth, THR reports . Susan Sarandon Joins Mother’s Day The actress and her daughter Eva Amurri Martino are set to star in the indie drama which follows 12 sets of mothers and daughters over the course of a Mother’s Day, Deadline reports . NY Senator Schumer Pushing for Hollywood-style Studio in Queens New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is asking the feds to make it easier for New York City to build a movie studio that would compete with Hollywood. The federal government is holding up the final approval for Kaufman Astoria Studios to build an architecturally flashy movie lot gate at 36th Street and 35th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, CBS New York reports . Clark Gregg Joins Jason Reitman’s Labor Day Reitman is adapting the script from the novel by Joyce Maynard. The story follows a boy, played by Gattlin Griffith and his divorced mother (Kate Winslet) who offer a stranger (Josh Brolin) a ride during Labor Day weekend. The man is an escaped convict who teaches the boy life lessons, THR reports .
With two small films in the works, the heartthrob proves he’s planning a future beyond the franchise that made him, experts tell MTV News. By John Mitchell Robert Pattinson and Tom Cruise Photo: Getty Images Robert Pattinson knows that the shelf life of a Hollywood heartthrob is short. Teen dreams have a tendency to come and go with shocking regularity, which is why the actor is intent to do everything he can to break out of the mold. The success of the “The Twilight Saga” has alternately put Pattinson in the best and worst position an actor can have in the business. He’s become a superstar on the back of a franchise, but since he was a relative unknown when cast, it also defines his career up to this point. We know him for that role — and not much else. Of course, Pattinson is aiming to change that with a series of upcoming roles, including the just-announced “Mission: Blacklist,” a “gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller” about a military interrogator that played a key role in the 2003 capture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. On Thursday (May 3), Deadline also reported that Pattinson has been added to “The Rover.” As Reynolds in the David Michod film, he’ll pursue the men responsible for stealing his car all across “the rough Australian outback.” “What Robert Pattinson is doing isn’t new in the slightest,” Greg Ellwood of HitFix told MTV News. “Ever since the American indie scene exploded in the early ’90s, actors such as John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Christian Bale, Ewan McGregor and John Cusack, among others, have jumped between indie and studio-produced films.” Indeed, it’s a well-tread path, and the actor is following it closely with several films in the can that he hopes will establish him as a leading man outside of the “Twilight” franchise. In “Bel Ami,” RPattz plays a young man navigating the tricky social hierarchy of late-19th-century Paris by manipulating the city’s most influential and wealthy women. And as “ER” star Clooney did with Steven Soderbergh (“Out of Sight,” “Ocean’s 11”), when he was trying to break away from his TV persona, Pattinson has smartly aligned himself with an acclaimed filmmaker, David Cronenberg (“Eastern Promises,” “A History of Violence”), for the futuristic indie thriller “Cosmopolis,” which will make its world premiere in competition later this month at the Cannes Film Festival. All of these roles are a major departure from Edward Cullen, and while that’s a risk, the films have relatively low budgets, letting producers and financers gradually test whether Pattinson is a bankable movie star — and a strong leading actor — outside of the franchise that has defined his career to this point. Pattinson isn’t, as they say, putting all his eggs in one basket. “What makes Pattinson different is his huge core fanbase so early in his career,” Ellwood continued. “Yet, he’s still not a household name outside of the ‘Twilight’ fanbase or movie fans under the age of 30.” Contrast that with Jennifer Lawrence, who already had an Oscar nomination for “Winter’s Bone” and a box-office hit in “X Men: First Class” under her belt before conquering screens as Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games.” The role has made Lawrence a household name , but unlike Pattinson, her abilities as an actress and future as a performer were not really in question before she entered the arena. Indeed, many critics noted the film was made all the better by having a proven actress in the lead role. As Pattinson transitions from “Twilight,” he has something to prove. So far, he has wisely steered clear of big-budget fare, a mistake his “Twilight” co-star Taylor Lautner made only to see his first star vehicle, “Abduction,” misfire at the box office, calling into question whether the teen star can carry a movie. Pattinson has so far headlined two non-“Twilight” features: “Remember Me” and “Water for Elephants.” And while “Remember Me” grossed only $19 million domestically, it cost only $16 million to make, so once international grosses ($37 million) were accounted for, it was easily in the black (if not the hit he was likely hoping for). “Water for Elephants” fared better, but co-star Reese Witherspoon also gets credit for its $117 million combined worldwide gross. “Starring in films like ‘Water for Elephants’ opposite Reese Witherspoon helps, but he’s going to need to mix up another big hit or two outside of ‘Twilight’ to reach the [Leonardo] DiCaprio or [Brad] Pitt level,” Ellwood says. “You could argue that Kristen Stewart is further down that road. Especially after the expected blockbuster ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ opens in June.” Pattinson’s post-“Twilight” choices show a performer who wants to be taken seriously as a versatile actor without risking a major financial failure. He seems keen to line up as much quality work as he can before the franchise ends and he jumps off the proverbial cliff and into the unknown. Whether he can pull it off remains to be seen, but his choices at least prove that he’s interested in being more than a movie star. Like all those other stars who took the indie-film leap in the ’90s, Pattinson wants you to think of him as an actor first and a global celebrity second. How do you think RPattz will do in roles beyond Edward Cullen? Tell us in the comments! For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
Even laundromats are scary to children’s author-turned-crime novelist Simon Pegg in the intriguing British indie A Fantastic Fear of Everything , which is just about the most promising new trailer I’ve seen all week , and delightful to boot. Enjoy Pegg’s litany of neuroses (and a stop-motion hedgehog!) in this first look at the film, directed by Kula Shaker frontman Crispian Mills. A Fantastic Fear of Flying is written and directed by Mills with music video veteran Chris Hopewell co-directing, and puts Pegg front and center as a paranoid author obsessed with murder — rather, obsessed with a fear of being murdered. The film also stars British veteran actor Paul Freeman as his doctor (Dr. René Belloq himself!) and Amara Karan ( The Darjeeling Limited ) and is slated for release stateside via Indomina, though no U.S. date has been set. Pegg Tweeted the trailer today (hat tip, Film School Rejects ):
“The King of Twitter is now the King of Apple, as Two and a Half Men star Ashton Kutcher is attached to play Steve Jobs in the indie pic Jobs , which Joshua Michael Stern ( Swing Vote ) will direct from a script by Matt Whiteley. The film will chronicle Steve Jobs from wayward hippie to co-founder of Apple, where he became one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of our time.” Not to be confused with the other movie about Steve Jobs, which is no doubt courting Jim Parsons as we speak. [ Variety ]
Because Jennifer Lawrence ‘s StarMeter is sky-high during this glorious Hunger Games weekend, why not take a look at her next venture, the indie horror pic House at the End of the Street ? Katniss Everdeen this ain’t; JLawr (JenLaw? JLa? Did we ever figure this one out?) stars as a teenager who befriends a new neighbor (Max Thierot) whose family was murdered years ago. In the first image from the pic, a tank topped Lawrence discovers something mysterious and, from the look on her face, probably horrifying. Where’s that bow and arrow when you really need it…? EW has the exclusive scoop on what exactly Lawrence is up to in the pic, from director Mark Tonderai ( Hush ): “She’s basically managed to get into Max’s house, waiting for his character, and she’s made a discovery there about his family and is trying to hide before her presence is detected,” he says. Thieriot plays a 21-year-old who lingers in the house against the wishes of the other neighbors, who would rather forget both him and his family’s horrific history. “Since he lives in this house and is driving down people’s home values, he’s very ostracized in this town,” Tonderai says. “The murder was committed by his sister, and she disappeared into the woods. There’s this rumor she still lives in the woods. People have seen her, and she’s insane. But is she out in the woods? And if she is, how does she feel about her brother getting involved with somebody else?” (Read more at EW .) Elisabeth Shue co-stars as Lawrence’s mother; Relativity will release House at the End of the Street on September 21. • Jennifer Lawrence moves in beside ‘House at the End of the Street’ — FIRST LOOK [EW]
