Producer Tom Rothman talks about John McClane’s return in the ’emotionally driven’ ‘A Good Day to Die Hard.’ By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Bruce Willis in “Live Free Or Die Hard” Photo: Twentieth Century Fox One thing’s for sure when the next “Die Hard” flick hits theaters: Aging action stud John McClane is no worse for the wear and just as ready to rumble as he was back in 1988, when the first film hit theaters. With Bruce Willis back for the franchise’s fifth film, “A Good Day to Die Hard,” producer Tom Rothman has made it clear that the butt-kicking star is just as badass as ever. “[We’ve] started this week, just started. It’s all set in Russia,” he told MTV News at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. “Well there’s bookend scenes in New York, but it’s John McClane, goes to Russia and I think the technical term … is f—s everything up. And the fun part about it, though, is there’s a great moment where he says ‘It’s good a day as any to die.’ ” Sure, McClane is throwing about his signature swag in the film, but Rothman assures fans that the movie also has a lot of heart, courtesy of the relationship between McClane and his son, Jack (played by Jai Courtney). “He thinks his kid is a screw-up,” he explained. “But, in fact, it’s the opposite. The kid is more like the father than the father thinks. So it’s very, like all the best of the classic ‘Die Hards,’ very emotionally driven and very kick-ass.” Director John Moore of “Max Payne” and the “Omen” remake is set to helm “Die Hard 5” with Skip Woods penning the script. “A Good Day to Die Hard” is a follow-up to 2007’s “Live Free or Die Hard.” Check out everything we’ve got on “A Good Day to Die Hard.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com
Welcome to Biz Break, Movieline’s inaugural roundup of film news that comes our way and other highlights from publications worldwide. Among today’s stories: Harvey Weinstein will celebrate his Legion of Honor award in New York, Willem Dafoe lands a role in an upcoming thriller, Ridley Scott gets a career retrospective, and more… Movieline Tidbits Harvey to Party for Légion d’Honneur Award in NYC Last month, French president Nicolas Sarkozy bestowed France’s Légion d’Honneur award on TWC’s Harvey Weinstein. The celebration continues next week in NYC: Friends and family of Weinstein will join together at the French Embassy of the United States in New York City on Monday, April 30 to celebrate at a reception hosted by the French embassy. At the reception, a “special guest” will read a letter from President Sarkozy to Weinstein before the crowd. Prior to the reception at the French Embassy, there will be a private screening of The Intouchables at the Paley Center for Media’s Bennack Theatre. The film will be released in the U.S. May 25th. Dafoe to Join Thriller Out of the Furnace Relativity Media has closed a deal with two-time Oscar-nominee Willem Dafoe to join the cast of its gritty dramatic thriller currently titled Out of the Furnace . Dafoe who will play John Petty, joins the previously announced award-winning cast including Oscar-winner Christian Bale, Oscar-nominated Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana ( Avatar ), Oscar-nominated Sam Shepard ( The Right Stuff ), Oscar-nominated Woody Harrelson and Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker. The film, which started shooting on April 13th on location in Braddock, Pennsylvania, is written and directed by Scott Cooper ( Crazy Heart ). Film Society Readies Ridley Scott Retrospective The Film Society of Lincoln Center will host a complete retrospective of three-time Oscar-nominee Ridley Scott, whose career began in the 70s. The retrospective will run from May 25 – June 3 and will include the Director’s cut of Kingdom of Heaven , a new 35mm print of Thelma & Louise and the chance for fans to catch all of their favorites on the big screen. Carlos Diegues to Lead Cannes Camera d’Or Jury The Brazilian filmmaker Carlos Diegues will be joined by Italian journalist Gloria Satta, Rémy Chevrin of the French Association of Film Cinematographers, Hervé Icovic of the Federation of Cinema Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries, Michel Andrieu of the Society of Film Directors and Francis Gavelle for the French Union of Film Critics. Launched in 1978, The Camera d’Or is awarded to the best first film presented in the Official Selection (Competition, Out of Competition and Un Certain Regard), La Semaine de la Critique or Directors’ Fortnight – a total of 22 films in 2012. Diegues will present the prize on Sunday, May 27. Blondie to Close Toronto’s Inside Out Inside Out is pleased to announce that Bye Bye Blondie , from director Virginie Despentes ( Baise-Moi ) and starring Emmanuelle Béart and Béatrice Dalle, will make its North American premiere as the Closing Night Gala Presentation at the 22nd annual LGBT Film Festival. The film will close the 11-day festival showcasing 45 feature films and 75 short films from around the world. And from around the ‘net… King Courts Queen Academy Award-winning producer Graham King confirms that Sacha Baron Cohen will play Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. “We haven’t closed the deal yet, but I want him to do it and so does he, and he’s the one who actually brought the project to me while we were shooting Hugo ,” he says. Variety reports . Daniel Craig set for quick return to Bond Bond 24 is already in the works with a 2014 release date As Bond fansite MI6 points out, Bond 24 will be the last film Daniel Craig is contracted to star in. But he will be offered first refusal on the fourth outing, and with the time gap so brief, it’s unlikely the studio would be eager to hire another man to step into his briefs, The Guardian reports . Jack White to Compose Score for Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger Disney taps the Grammy-winning musician to produce the soundtrack for the film adaptation. Gore Verbinski is directing the movie which will feature Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as John Reid, according to The Hollywood Reporter . Hurt Locker Actor to Star in Indie Kilimanjaro The Hurt Locker star Brian Geraghty will star in indie film titled Kilimanjaro , by writer director Walter Strafford, according to The Hollywood Reporter . The story centers on a man (Geraghty) who is determined to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro after a recent breakup. The movie will shoot mid-May in New York. Sony Buys Action-Comedy Spec El Tigre Sony has won a three-way bidding war for action-comedy spec El Tigre by first-time screenwriters Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley. Sale was for mid-six figures after bidding among Sony, Paramount and MGM, Deadline reports . Redford Gushes over Charles’ Green Agenda American Hollywood royalty teamed up with British royalty as Robert Redford appeared in London to promote a documentary on Prince Charles’ latest environmental projects. Redford praised the heir to the British throne, speaking Thursday at the launch of the first-ever Sundance film and music festival. He says Charles “has been committed for a long time, which I greatly admire, to sustainability and environmental conservation” and said working together “seemed like a natural fit,” Yahoo reports .
And Charlotte Gainsbourg will show at least three of them. Because “the erotic life of a woman from the age of zero to age 50” is just too good to contain in one two-hour movie, producer Peter Aalb
Gary Ross ‘brought so much to the movie that it’s going to be hard for Francis [Lawrence] to come in,’ actor tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Josh Hutcherson in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate No one supported Gary Ross more than “Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson, who called Ross “my guy” right before the director exited stage left. Well, with Ross out and Francis Lawrence in to direct the franchise’s second film, “Catching Fire,” the actor is just hoping that the same magic can be captured without Ross there waving the wand. “I have spoken to Gary. And I literally don’t think I’ve talked to somebody on the phone and they’ve sounded more upset than he was,” Hutcherson told MTV News at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. “He was so disappointed that he couldn’t do it. Unfortunately, with the scheduling and the timing, he just didn’t have the time to write the script and prep it the way he wants to, the way his work ethic allows him to be as great as he is, which made me extremely sad. “Gary, I think, brought so much to the movie, and he created that whole world that was so close to the book and so perfect in so many ways that it’s going to be hard for Francis to come in, for sure,” he added. “But Francis is extremely talented and everyone I’ve talked to says he’s the best guy in the world. So I think he’s going to bring a lot. I haven’t spoken to Francis. I’ve spoken to Gary.” Given how epic “The Hunger Games” is, Lawrence makes for an interesting choice. He’s no stranger to making visuals that go big or go home, whether as a music video director who has created show-stopping clips for the likes of Beyonc
Director also opens up on ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel and whether he’d return to ‘Batman.’ By John Mitchell, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Johnny Depp in “Dark Shadows” Photo: Warner Bros Fans of the classic late-’60s soap “Dark Shadows” were surprised when the trailer for the film made it seem like director Tim Burton had reimagined his subject matter as a farcical comedy rather than the dark, Gothic soap opera fans remembered. Since then, there have been whispers that the film is far darker than it is being marketed, so we went straight to the source to find out what is really up with the buzzed-about film. At CinemaCon 2012, MTV News asked Burton if he felt the trailer is reflective of his film, which hits theaters May 11, and while he admits there are humorous elements to the film, he said he doesn’t believe it can be classified as a comedy. “Everything that’s in [the trailer] is in the movie,” Burton told MTV News. “It’s a funny film for me, because I never considered it a comedy. I was always trying to capture the weird vibe of ‘Dark Shadows,’ which is a weird thing to try to capture. It was a weird daytime soap opera.” Burton, a longtime “Shadows” fan who said he “recalls the show affectionately,” said that whatever humor is in the film is there because the situation Barnabas is in when he is unearthed 200 years after being buried is innately humorous. “It’s not like I’m being campy with it or anything,” Burton said. “The guy’s been locked in a box for 200 years, and [when] he comes out … something weird is going to happen.” As for comparisons to his previous films, most notably “Edward Scissorhands,” Burton said he can see the link, but confessed that there are many subtle differences between Barnabas Collins and any other character he’s put onscreen. “Edward Scissorhands was more of a naive character. Barnabas has been around the block a few times,” Burton told MTV News with a laugh. “There is something about a character who doesn’t quite fit into the world, which is similar, just in this case, he’s been around a long time.” Burton also gave us up-to-date news on one project many of his biggest fans are very excited for: “Beetlejuice 2.” The film is being written by “Shadows” scribe Seth Grahame-Smith, and for Burton, that’s as far as things have gotten. “He’s working away on it,” the director said of Grahame-Smith, “so I’m just waiting to see what he does.” As for whether we can expect him to make a return to “Batman,” the film franchise he started with the original 1989 blockbuster, he was straight to the point, saying, “I think I have enough on my plate.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: CinemaCon 2012 Related Photos Five Key Scenes From The ‘Dark Shadows’ Trailer
Director also opens up on ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel and whether he’d return to ‘Batman.’ By John Mitchell, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Johnny Depp in “Dark Shadows” Photo: Warner Bros Fans of the classic late-’60s soap “Dark Shadows” were surprised when the trailer for the film made it seem like director Tim Burton had reimagined his subject matter as a farcical comedy rather than the dark, Gothic soap opera fans remembered. Since then, there have been whispers that the film is far darker than it is being marketed, so we went straight to the source to find out what is really up with the buzzed-about film. At CinemaCon 2012, MTV News asked Burton if he felt the trailer is reflective of his film, which hits theaters May 11, and while he admits there are humorous elements to the film, he said he doesn’t believe it can be classified as a comedy. “Everything that’s in [the trailer] is in the movie,” Burton told MTV News. “It’s a funny film for me, because I never considered it a comedy. I was always trying to capture the weird vibe of ‘Dark Shadows,’ which is a weird thing to try to capture. It was a weird daytime soap opera.” Burton, a longtime “Shadows” fan who said he “recalls the show affectionately,” said that whatever humor is in the film is there because the situation Barnabas is in when he is unearthed 200 years after being buried is innately humorous. “It’s not like I’m being campy with it or anything,” Burton said. “The guy’s been locked in a box for 200 years, and [when] he comes out … something weird is going to happen.” As for comparisons to his previous films, most notably “Edward Scissorhands,” Burton said he can see the link, but confessed that there are many subtle differences between Barnabas Collins and any other character he’s put onscreen. “Edward Scissorhands was more of a naive character. Barnabas has been around the block a few times,” Burton told MTV News with a laugh. “There is something about a character who doesn’t quite fit into the world, which is similar, just in this case, he’s been around a long time.” Burton also gave us up-to-date news on one project many of his biggest fans are very excited for: “Beetlejuice 2.” The film is being written by “Shadows” scribe Seth Grahame-Smith, and for Burton, that’s as far as things have gotten. “He’s working away on it,” the director said of Grahame-Smith, “so I’m just waiting to see what he does.” As for whether we can expect him to make a return to “Batman,” the film franchise he started with the original 1989 blockbuster, he was straight to the point, saying, “I think I have enough on my plate.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: CinemaCon 2012 Related Photos Five Key Scenes From The ‘Dark Shadows’ Trailer
Talk Nerdy weighs in on the most anticipated movies of summer 2012, from Batman’s last voyage to Earth’s mightiest superhero showdown. By Josh Wigler Chris Evans as Captain America In “The Avengers” Photo: Walt Disney Studios “The Avengers” is just one week away. You know what that means: Aside from being the big payoff for years and years and years of waiting on the part of Marvel Comics fans, “Avengers” is also the opening act in what’s sure to be one of the biggest summer movie seasons in quite some time. Batman, Spider-Man, Agent J and more are back in theaters after far too long a wait, while others — David 8 , Roadblock , Alex Hopper — are showing up for the first time. It’s a crowded landscape to be sure; you’ll want to spend your hard-earned theatergoing cash wisely if you want to weed out the fantastic, can’t-miss movies from the fugly, must -miss ones. That’s why the nerds at MTV News used this week’s edition of Talk Nerdy to guide you through the upcoming blockbuster months with which movies you need to see, which ones you can skip, and which ones shouldn’t slip under your radar. Do Not Miss
Westlife and 5ive could upset two of the biggest boy bands of all time in the first round. Vote now! By Christina Garibaldi N’SYNC Photo: Getty Images We are still in the first round of voting in MTV’s Battle of the Boy Bands , and already we are seeing some big surprises. Backstreet Boys are finding themselves behind Irish boy band Westlife , ‘NSYNC are trailing former boy band 5ive and New Kids on the Block are neck-and-neck with British boy band Take That . It seems like fans are rallying behind their favorites and battling it out to make sure they move on to the next round. “I don’t see how BSB and ‘NSYNC are losing?!?!” MTV News reader Britney commented. Another fan, nickestlife, wrote, “Please VOTE WESTLIFE!!!! Don’t let them LOSE!!!” But the question on a lot of minds is: Why aren’t the boy bands that dominated the U.S. pop charts not easily moving on to the next round? “Remember that in America, while Westlife and Take That and 5ive were all a blip on the radar in the U.S., in the U.K. Take That and Westlife are enormous,” Keith Caulfield, associate director of charts/retail at Billboard told MTV News. “Westlife, for example, has had 14 #1 singles on the U.K. singles chart, the second most among groups only behind the Beatles , so they’re kind of big.” According to Melissa Maerz, senior writer for Entertainment Weekly, the fact that these older boy bands are British may work in their favor, especially with the emergence of One Direction and the Wanted . “I think probably what’s happening is a combination of things. I think the fact that One Direction is in the news for having the biggest debut of a British band of all time, including the Beatles, has really made everyone pay attention to them and everyone is talking about One Direction,” Maerz said. “And because they and the Wanted are coming at the same time, people are starting to pay attention to British boy bands, and the kids who are just discovering One Direction and the Wanted probably have parents who can say to them, ‘Oh, this is kind of the same thing that happened when Westlife and Take That came to our shores.” But no matter what their chart performance may be, or where they come from, their advancement in the next round depends on only one thing: the fans. “It frankly just comes down to: Are there passionate fans that are going to bother to spend the time on voting?” Caulfied said. “I think, generally speaking, when you have two acts going against one another, whoever has the most motivated, contemporary, engaged fanbase on the Web will win.” Voting is under way in round one of MTV’s Battle of the Boy Bands and closes at noon ET on Thursday, April 26. Winners are determined by fan ballots, so if your favorite band made the cut, keep voting. Tune in to AMTV and MTV Hits daily for boy-band video takeovers. And don’t forget to spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #BBB and like us on Facebook for updates! Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Battle of the Boy Bands interactive bracket! Related Videos Battle Of The Boy Bands Related Artists Backstreet Boys *NSYNC
