‘I’m kind of living through them all over again,’ new social media correspondent tells MTV News of the contestants. By Kara Warner Christina Milian Photo: MTV News In addition to a brand-new crop of talent and potential future stars, NBC’s hit singing competition ” The Voice ” has added a familiar face to its cast for season two: new social media correspondent Christina Milian . When MTV News caught up with the singer/actress recently, she explained how she got the gig and how excited she is for the show to premiere on Super Bowl Sunday . “I’m heavily involved on Twitter, have always been involved with my Internet fanbase and find that that’s the best way to connect with the fans,” Milian told us during a photo shoot for Hydrogen magazine. “I guess the people at NBC had their eye on me and they paid attention to it. I got a call one day and met up with everyone at NBC and the folks from ‘The Voice,’ and next thing you know, a week later, I’m signing a contract and the following week I’m working.” Milian had nothing but praise for her “Voice” castmates and the experience working on the show thus far. “It’s been fabulous. I’ve had fun working with the cast already,” she said. “Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Cee Lo, Carson Daly — it’s an awesome super team they have, and from day one, they treated me like family.” The “Dip It Low” singer said she loves that the show is about music and chasing your dreams and that she’s enjoyed watching the coaches take time to work with and help their contestants. “This show is about music, it’s about talent, and it’s about this passion and this dream of becoming a star,” Milian said. “Still to this day, every day that I wake up, I have that same dream, so to be involved with the show, [it’s amazing] to watch what they incorporate and how the coaches act as advisers and mentors to the artists and really truthfully help them and push them and want them to be the best so they can win. “There have been so many moments where I’ve thought, ‘That’s me on that stage! I remember that time,’ ” she added of enjoying watching the contestants. “Or you see their family sitting on the side of the stage crying or excited or jumping up and down, just so happy for them to even be there, I’ve felt that before, so I’m kind of living through them all over again.” Will you check out season two of “The Voice” when it returns Sunday? Let us know in the comments! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Voice.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Artists Christina Milian
Drew Barrymore, John Krasinksi and Kristen Bell discuss their new film, which follows the rescue of three gray whales in Alaska. By Kara Warner John Krasinksi and Drew Barrymore in “Big Miracle” Photo: Universal Pictures If you’re looking for a feel-good film to see this weekend, look no further than “Big Miracle,” the story of the real-life rescue of three gray whales trapped in ice near Point Barrow, Alaska, in 1988. Incredibly, the effort became an international issue that involved a rare collaboration between the United States and the Soviet Union and garnered worldwide media attention. MTV News recently caught up with the three stars of the film, Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski and Kristen Bell, who explained the multi-generational appeal and importance of the story and the cause presented in the film. “The whales have Twitter accounts,” Krasinski joked when asked how the film might specifically appeal to MTV viewers. “So, streamlined information, done deal. Don’t ask us, ask them. They’ll talk all about it,” he said with a smile. “It’s a big movie that deals with participation, and with the election coming up and all these different things, and everybody is divided over this, that and the other, and everybody is angry about something. It’s one of those moments where you get to say, ‘I could just step in and lend my voice to something.’ And it really helps, it makes you feel important and special that you’re doing something. This movie sort of focuses on that completely, about how when you get a bunch of people together you can kind of do anything.” Barrymore added that the film’s setting in the late ’80s provides for a unique look back at our media and political cultures at the time. “It’s an interesting look back at how if things were a little different maybe we wouldn’t exactly be where we are. But, it’s not in a patronizing way, it’s in a really interesting way,” she said. “And it’s amazing historically, like, you know, environmentally and politically. But, I think it’s very true to what’s going on now, that if people work together, whether it’s protesting via Twitter for an important movement to change their country or to do something wonderful and important like saving whales. It’s working together, so I think actually in 1987 when this takes place and what’s going on right now today, they definitely have a connection.” Kristen Bell also focused on the warm, fuzzy aspects of the film, particularly how its positive message compares to the continually multiplying “train wreck” elements involved in other films and TV. “I think it’s a very positive story as opposed to many of the unendingly interesting train wrecks that are put on television or in films these days, which believe me, I’m not poo-pooing, but there’s something very inspiring about a story where a bunch of different people come together for a common goal and actually accomplish it,” Bell explained. “It’s very, very inspiring, I think. And often times, news headlines or things that are written about in blogs, you know, reality television, it’s not as inspiring as you want it to be, at least not for me. And it actually happened. It’s historical, so you’ll get smarter watching it. You’ll also be inspired, so you’ll be happier. What’s the downfall? See the movie!” Are you planning on seeing “Big Miracle”? Leave your comment below.
When I was approached with the opportunity to interview actor, Brian White ( Stomp The Yard, Fighting ), I said, “sure.” He is starring along-side Michelle Williams in a new DVD entitled, “What My Husband Doesn’t Know.” “Interesting title”, I thought. It is about a woman who isn’t getting the attention she desires and needs from her husband who is a wealthy man invested more in his finances than his wife. Long story short, White’s sexy exterior is summoned to fix a leak in Williams’ home, but the leak turns out to be a metaphor for her broken marriage which he fixes with his pipe laying skills [wink,wink]. Watch the trailer, here ! Given the fact that Brian’s co-star is a black woman and he is a black man with a black mother, I find the conversation we had was slightly accurate yet odd. White has had trouble with his words before (See here) , but after our discussion on maintaining a healthy relationship and the essentials to a successful marriage, things went left and I concluded that he has something – maybe not “hate” – but something… a gripe perhaps, not only with black women, but the black race. What is your insight on the Spike Lee vs. Tyler Perry beef? Why do you think people hate Tyler Perry so much? Because Tyler holds a mirror up to people. Stereotypes are not stereotypes today. The most popular character [ in, Why Did I Get Marred? ], and it’s not the one that Tyler picked as the most popular, is Tasha! You have Janet Jackson and Jill Scott; my point is Jill Scott and Janet are huge music stars with huge fan bases, Tasha became the most popular because her character is portrayed the most like “Love & Hip Hop” the most like, “Desperate Housewives of Atlanta,” [we think he means “Housewives Of Atlanta] you might as well switch it around and pop in Nene [Leaks]. [Tasha Smith] is brilliant, she’s nothing like the character, she’s just portraying what she sees in society, magnified.[sic] And people get mad and say that’s not us. Yes it is , turn on “Love & Hip Hop” and turn on “Desperate Housewives Of Atlanta” those are “reality shows.” You can’t call something reality then get mad when it shows up in the movies as reality but that’s what we’re doing. That’s where the cycle continues. They don’t do that in Africa, they don’t do that in France; they don’t connect with that message. What’s interesting is we, here, in America connect with that message and get upset at it. That’s what Tyler sees. If you look at Spike, what is his most successful movie ever? successful defined by how much money it made versus how much it cost to make. “Inside Man” and the stars were Clive Owens, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Denzel Washington and Jodi Foster… Four huge actors, two white, one known–Denzel and then another amazing British actor people don’t know here. That is not the type of film that Spike necessarily wants to focus on, right? So what makes money isn’t what Spike makes, so it’s upsetting and frustrating–I would assume. But, what Tyler makes, does make money…$500 million worth of money. [sic] Do you think Tyler Perry only depicts black people in a negative light? There are a lot of black people who fit into the stereotype but there are a lot of black people who don’t. You can’t call it a stereotype if it’s the majority. The most prevalent image in “urban society” right now is women like Nene [Leaks]. If there’s a fight that breaks out on “Love & Hip Hop” those people are one every blog, the cover of every magazine the next week. It’s not Taraji or Gabrielle, it’s whoever just got into a fist fight. Tyler’s not stereotyping, he’s holding up a mirror and people are mad at him because people don’t want to look at that image in that way. [sic] When we use the term here in America, and say “black movies,” that has no reference for the rest of the world. Look at “Luther,” Idris just won a Golden Globe for “Luther,” that is NOT a black show, it’s a British show. British don’t see color they see quality. People who watch BBC don’t go, ‘oo’ there’s that black show, nah. Most African Americans were not even aware of Luther because it’s not a stereotypically urban themed show. Once we in America start focusing on quality first and telling human stories that connect with everybody that might want to watch it, the problems will solve themselves.[sic] Do you believe that the stereotypes we see on TV are prevalent in the race or just portrayed on TV? Is it really the majority of black women that act like Nene? I have five sisters and two moms, none of them are like that! To me, I can say I’m offended if they want to represent that and don’t want to represent my mom, but my mom represents Phylicia Rashād and has been represented on TV all my life. I can’t say that. I don’t watch “Real Housewives,” I’ve never seen an episode of “Love & Hop Hop” I’m not supporting it, I’m not giving it ratings. I’m not making the stereotype exist on TV. You’ve watched it, you’ve added to why it’s on TV.[sic] If you look at Hip Hop, the rappers and their girlfriends, their reality shows look just like “Love & Hip Hop” and “Housewives,” some of them are even on those shows… so we’re taking the line between what’s real and what’s on TV and its all blurred but it looks exactly the same as what’s in Tyler’s movies . That’s not what I see when I go on Rowland Martins show or having this conversation with you, we are not the majority . Look at the statistics in education, only our community not all blacks African Americans we perform the worst along with Mexicans . The rest of the blacks in the world are like second and third. There’s no correlation with race, it’s our culture. Will Smith never made anything that wasn’t for everybody. He played a homosexual man with an all-white cast of Oscar winners that branded him as quality, that’s why people follow him…no other reason. [sic] Look at all British actors, they take all the roles. When we see David Oyelowo, from Red Tails , he stands on the stage and speaks in his normal voice, he looks like he just came out of Oxford and everybody else looks like they just came out the club . Nate Parker and Tristan are very educated…[continued in audio] Tyler Perry’s “Good Deeds” [TRAILER] Is Brian, spot on just a turn off? Monica Bloodies Co-Star Brian White For “Until It’s Gone” Video [PHOTOS] Brian White Marries Non-Black Woman; Goes Off On Haters Via Twitter
Comedian Tracy Morgan has fired back after his sister Asia told the NY Daily News that he was mistreating their mother. Morgan, who recently made news for collapsing at the Sundance Film festival, refuses to give his mother money to save her house from foreclosure. In an exclusive statement to ABCNews Morgan said that his sister’s comments are unfounded because they barely speak. “I am saddened that these untrue stories about me have people questioning my commitment to my family,” he said in a statement to ABCNews.com. “For reasons that are between us, I have not seen my mother in 11 years and outside of a random call here and there have had little to no contact with my sister.” Morgan’s mother Alicia Warden claims that Morgan made an offer of $2000 through his assistant, but she refused the money. She owes five times that amount. [READ MORE HERE ] RELATED POSTS: Tracy Morgan Blames Lex Luthor For Health Problems [VIDEO] Tracy Morgan Rushed To Hospital After Collapsing Ol’ Dirty Bastard Movie In The Works, Tracy Morgan Or Eddie Griffin To Star
My name is Georgina, I’m 13 1/2 years old, I’m from Queensland , Australia, and this is My Bieber Experience. It was the 31st January, 2012. I was on holiday with my mum, my step-dad, my sister and my friend, Sami in Canada. We were going to places like Vancouver and Whistler. When we were in Toronto seeing Niagara Falls, we decided to make the two hour drive to Stratford, purely for the the fact that my idol and inspiration Justin Bieber, grew up there. When we arrived at the hotel, Sami and I were excited to discover that not too long before, Selena Gomez had stayed there and Justin Bieber had visited (looking dashing, according to the receptionist)! On the topic of the couple, the woman at the desk gave us signed Bieber-themed town maps that included 18 points of interest for Beliebers . She also informed us that she had worked with Diane (Justin’s grandma) for 14 years! Already excited from all this, we headed out to begin our tour of Stratford. On our way to the Avon Theatre, we passed the police station and saw two VERY familiar looking people exiting. It took a few seconds for me to realize that these people… were Justin’s GRANDPARENTS! I quickly turned to Sami and whisper-shouted to her, “Oh, my god! That’s Justin Bieber’s grandparents!” Diane was on the phone, but Bruce (Justin’s grandpa) noticed me staring and started walking over. I started freaking out but managed to keep myself from screaming or crying and asked for a photo. He smiled and said, “Yeah, if you have a camera!” While we got the camera out, I could do nothing but stare in shock as he asked my sister where we were from, why we were here etc. Diane eventually walked back over and we had the photo. Oh, and Justin’s grandpa really is as adorable as he seems. As soon as they left, I burst out crying (tears of joy, of course) and started hyperventilating. Sami, my mum and my sister all laughed, but I just sat on the pavement, feeling happier than I had ever been in my entire life. We went on to visit his old house, the pizza restaurant he ate at in Never Say Never, the community centre that he performed in the Stratford Idol at and much more! So… I didn’t actually meet Justin, but out of 32,000 people, I managed to meet the 2 people I never expected to find. If that isn’t the meaning of ‘never say never’ , I don’t know what is. Link: My name is Georgina, I’m 13 1/2 years old, I’m…
There’s a big old mammal heart beating softly but steadily at the center of Big Miracle , which recounts the true story of how, in 1988, humans from all over the world raced to save three California gray whales trapped by rapidly forming Arctic Circle ice. The whales’ plight made great television footage, captivating viewers everywhere; it also galvanized plenty of people who wanted to use their alleged or sort-of genuine concern for these poor creatures as a political tool or a means to financial gain. With whale-sized good intentions, Big Miracle works hard to capture the drama of the situation and also sweep an adequate quota of feel-good vibes into its wide-ranging net. But there’s so much going on in Big Miracle that the biggest miracle of all – the whales at the center of the story, magnificent, crusty beasts dotted with barnacle appliques, as if the sea gods had gone nuts with their own version of the Bedazzler – get lost amid all the criss-crossing love stories, political wheeler-dealing and well-intentioned but inadequate rescue missions. Maybe that suits the whales just fine – they are unassuming-looking creatures, after all – but they still deserve a little more majesty than the movie gives them. John Krasinksi plays Adam Carlson, a TV news reporter doing a series of stories set in sleepy Barrow, Alaska. It’s at least a small stroke of inspiration to cast Krasinski as a TV newsguy: He’s got the rubbery-handsome face of a cartoon-character — like a human Scooby Doo — and like so many of those TV guys, he manages to look both enthusiastic and nonplussed at the same time. Just when he thinks he’s exhausted the number of stories to be found in Barrow – his missives include a report on the world’s northernmost Mexican restaurant – he finds himself out on the ice one day and, gazing into the distance, spots first one gray nub, then another, emerging from a hole in the surface. These are the three whales, unable to continue the route they’ve been swimming because the Arctic ice has formed faster than expected; being mammals, they have to poke their snouts above the water’s surface in order to breathe. Adam jumps on the story, which is then picked up by the major TV networks. It also attracts the attention of Greenpeace activist Rachel Kramer (Drew Barrymore, done up to look mousy, though not even the drab, no-makeup look can tamp down her natural radiance), who also happens to be Adam’s ex-girlfriend. Rachel both exasperates Adam and inspires protectiveness, and her arrival on the scene rattles him, not least because she distracts him from his longtime ambition: He dreams of getting out of sleepy Alaska and going to work for a “real” TV station in the lower 48. But there’s not much time for any chemistry to develop – or redevelop – between Adam and Rachel. Before long, a host of individuals, each toting his or her own kit bag of self-interest, descend upon the frigid little berg of Barrow: There’s frosty Los Angeles TV-news reporter Jill Jerard (Kristen Bell), who temporarily puts stars in Adam’s eyes; oil tycoon J.W. McGraw (Ted Danson), who’s interested in raping the land but who also harbors at least a semi-genuine desire to help; Reagan henchwoman Kelly Meyers (Vinessa Shaw), who’s dispatched to the North to make the president look adequately concerned about this big-news issue and thus secure the upcoming election for George Bush; and Colonel Scott Boyer (Dermot Mulroney), the guy in charge of moving an ice-breaking hovercraft into the area in a valiant attempt to cut an escape path for our nobbly-headed gray friends. The framing story involves a young Inupiat boy named Nathan (Ahmaogak Sweeney) who’s more obsessed with his Walkman than he is with whale sounds (though you can bet that changes). Also, at various times in the movie, assorted Inupiat characters pop up to espouse whale-oriented wisdom. Admittedly, director Ken Kwapis (director of the 2005 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, as well as episodes of The Office and The Bernie Mac Show ) had his work cut out for him in trying to organize all these interlacing stories. (The screenplay is by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, adapted from Thomas Rose’s book Freeing the Whales .) And there are a few moments of grace here and there, including a sequence in which Rachel dons a wetsuit and dips into the water – brrr! – to swim with these magnificent prisoners of the ice. The resulting encounter is less underwater ballet than woman-to-whale mind-meld; as Rachel shimmies around these prehistoric-looking beasts, she seems to understand them less and respect them more, and we do, too. Kwapis wants, of course, to keep the tone light, and so he does. It’s fun to see James LeGros show up as a toque-clad Minnesota guy, one of the inventors of a device that helps get the whales swimming on their way. (It’s named, rather delightfully, the Hootkin De-Icer.) And at the end, look for a Sarah Palin cameo, thanks to the wonders of vintage video footage. Big Miracle is harmless and big-hearted, and it’s also handsomely shot (by the reliable John Bailey). But it could use a lot more bite. The battle for the whales, who become PR pawns in the process of just trying to survive, isn’t sharply delineated: Everyone wants a piece of these poor guys for their own gain, but the movie underplays that angle –by the windup, everybody forgets their differences and winds up in a group hug. And the victory for the whales, in the end, is bittersweet. Their story has more pathos and depth and nuance than that of the humans – there’s no way to give them dialogue, but they could have had more of a voice. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Everyone wants to be the one to discover the next low-budget and/or indie supernatural shocker, the stylish, wicked little thing that scares the bejesus out of you and sends you running to your friends, saying, “You’ve gotta see this!” UK filmmaker Ben Wheatley’s Kill List isn’t that wicked little thing — not by a long shot. Yet it’s a frustrating case. Wheatley drops enough unnerving bread crumbs in the first two-thirds to leave you wondering where the hell he’s headed, and even the big finale should be satisfying enough: It just belongs to a different movie, and it’s unsettling in a way that doesn’t feel earned. That Kill List begins, seemingly, as a standard domestic drama is just one of Wheatley’s intentional red herrings. (He co-wrote the script with Amy Jump.) In the movie’s opening scene Jay (Neil Maskell) is bickering with his wife, Shel (MyAnna Buring), in the presence of their somewhat daft-looking young son, Sam (Harry Simpson). It turns out Jay, an altogether regular-looking and somewhat doughy husband type, hasn’t worked for months: He’s a hit man and the hits just haven’t been coming, since he botched his last job. Then buddy and former associate Gal (Michael Smiley) shows up at the couple’s home for a dinner party, a leggy stretch of girlfriend in tow: He wants to loop Jay into a gig he’s been offered, which requires offing a number of targets. Meanwhile, the sultry, doe-eyed girlfriend, Fiona (Emma Fryer), who looks pretty friendly and normal-like (she explains to her hosts that she works in “human resources”), slips into the couple’s bathroom, removes a mirror from the wall, and does something funny to the back of it. It’s the first of the movie’s numerous “What the — ?” moments, some of which involve episodes of grim brutality that are at first discreetly presented, and then less so. That’s part of Wheatley’s MO: When the violence first kicks off, he cuts away, lulling you into thinking he’s not going to be exploitive. Surprise! Get ready for – and there’s a minor spoiler ahead, though it has nothing to do with the movie’s allegedly supershocking finale – seeing a bunch of brains blown all over a table, like the contents of the world’s ewkiest piñata. Later, we’re treated to a partial view of a rabbit skinning – yum! Should we commend Wheatley – who previously made the 2009 crime comedy Down Terrace – for putting us off guard only to pull the rug out from us? Or is he really just being a sneaky cheat? The more I think about Kill List, the cheaper its shockeroo tactics seem, despite the fact that through its first two-thirds, the picture is compelling almost in spite of itself. Kill List features lots of unapologetic art-house cutting: Scenes are edited into jagged shards, the better to dislocate us with. And in places, it’s bitterly funny. When Jay and Gal approach the first mark on their list – I won’t tell you who it is, but it’s the type of person neither you nor I would be particularly happy about killing – Gal says dryly, “Well, at least it’s not a toddler.” But the plot of Kill List depends too much on Jay’s descent-into-madness routine, and it doesn’t quite wash. This is definitely a guy with a habit of flying off the handle: He threatens physical harm to a bunch of meek, happy Christians who break into a spirited rendition of “Onward Christian Soldiers” in a restaurant. (OK, maybe that’s not so bad.) The idea is that this seemingly devoted family man has, you know, a dark side. This is a guy who’s so used to killing without reason that he no longer needs a reason: Kill List has been carefully and disingenuously front-loaded with post-Iraq meaning. And that’s before it takes a sharp left turn into Wicker Man -style folderol. Kill List is meticulously designed to be a cult film, which means it can never truly be one: It grabs its audience by the collar instead of beckoning seductively and carelessly. The conclusion of Kill List would be more unsettling if the subtle gradation of clues leading up to it didn’t raise so many unanswered questions, just for the hell of it. A mysteriously infected hand, instances of people thanking other people for things they haven’t even done yet – those could have been superb little macabre touches, if only they’d been woven more tightly into the narrative and not just left dangling like shabby hangnails. By the time Kill List jumps off the deep end into occulty weirdness, it’s almost too late for shock value. The ending is designed to make us recoil in horror. But you might be left wondering why you’d bothered with any of it in the first place. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
MTV News takes a closer look at the latest sneak peek. By Kara Warner Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Anytime we see anything new from “The Hunger Games,” it’s like Christmas came early around here. On Thursday (February 2), we were gifted with a brand-new teaser trailer for the film, which is set to air on Super Bowl Sunday. The one-minute spot features some familiar elements shown in the first full-length trailer , but there are also several juicy new items to look out for. Here are the five key scenes in the new “Hunger Games” teaser: Silver-Tongued Caesar Flickerman Finally, we’re starting to get sneak peeks at more key “Hunger Games” players. In this case, we get a good long look at (and listen to) Stanley Tucci as sweet-talking official “Games” interviewer Caesar Flickerman. Think of an over-caffeinated, duplicitous Matt Lauer, if you will. Flickerman’s job is to get the tributes to open up to him and “perform” for the Capitol audience. There is a perfect example in the teaser, as Tucci-as-Flickerman asks Katniss a loaded, personal question: “What did you say to your sister when you volunteered at the reaping?” “I told her I would try to win for her,” Katniss answers sincerely. “And try you will,” Flickerman adds with dramatic intonation in his voice, before bending down and kissing Katniss’ hand. Katniss Gives Prim The Mockingjay Pin For the book lovers out there, yes, this scene is different from how Suzanne Collins wrote it in the book, but it makes sense in the emotional context of the film. We see Katniss give her little sister a mockingjay pin and say, “As long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you, I promise.” This is significant because the mockingjay is seen as a rebellious symbol to the Capitol. It should also be familiar to fans who’ve read the books, as the symbol graces the cover of “The Hunger Games.” Cinna’s Secret Gift This one relates to the opening scene of the teaser. Just before Katniss is sent up to the arena for the start of the Games, her intuitive stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) pulls out the mockingjay pin that she gave her sister back in District 12 and pins it underneath Katniss’ jacket. It’s a powerful moment, in that it shows how in tune Cinna is with his tribute and that he believes in her strength, along with the fact that Prim somehow sent it along, because Katniss promised her that “nothing bad will happen” to her if she wears it. Katniss in Her Yellow Dress Again, this one is for our fellow readers of the book, but holy cow, they show Katniss in her yellow dress! It’s a very brief moment, but a loaded one. Without going into spoilers, because there are more than a few surrounding this particular look, the yellow dress Katniss wears is her most innocent-looking. Cinna designed it to showcase the softer side of the “girl on fire,” and the color was to be more like candlelight than flames. More President Snow And Effie Trinket We’ll take as many teases of the supporting players as possible, like the brief glimpse we get of Donald Sutherland’s likely first scene in the movie as President Snow. “Welcome! And Happy Hunger Games!” he says via a big-screen monitor transmitting the opening of the games from the Capitol. His voice has the perfect amount of gravitas and disturbing excitement for the upcoming bloodbath. And the puffiness of his white hair only adds to his menacing-but-stately look. Plus, we get a little more from uppity type-A escort Effie Trinkett, who eats up anything and everything official from the Capitol. “I just love that!” she says breathily after President Snow kicks off the reapings. Head to MTV’s NextMovie for a chance to win a “Hunger Games” prize pack, including two tickets to the premiere! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Jennifer Lawrence And Josh Hutcherson
Kinda like her sex scene in Watchmen (2009). You need a pair of night-vision goggles for that thing! Anyway, Malin Akerman was on the festival circuit last week when MTV asked her about Inferno , one of a pair of proposed Linda Lovelace biopics (the other being Lovelace ). One might be forgiven for thinking Inferno has been beaten to the (donkey) punch by Amanda Seyfried & co, who are currently shooting their movie even as Malin’s project struggles to get off the ground. For her part, Malin is noncommittal: “Either we have to do it now, or we have to let it go,” she says. “That’s one of the potentials that might be happening within the next month or two. We’ll see.” More from Malin Akerman on Inferno after the jump!
Taylor Swift may have been offered a role in Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables film, but has she recently been replaced? According to Broadway World , theater impresario Cameron Mackintosh, who is also producing Hooper’s film, announced onstage at a curtain call for Oliver! that stage actress Samantha Barks has been chosen to play Eponine — the role he cast her in for the 2010 25th anniversary Les Mis concert. Les Mis purists, you may exhale in 3, 2, 1… According to Broadway World, reports flew in from audience members in attendance: “He told the cast and audience that he had a big announcement to make before flying to America, and then revealed that Barks would be taking the role of Eponine. It seems to have come as a surprise to Barks – audience members reported that ‘the look on her face was priceless.'” The 21-year-old Barks competed on the 2008 BBC reality musical television show I’d Do Anything and played Eponine onstage multiple times previously in London, and she certainly knows the material (see below); she’ll be joining a cast that already includes Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Amanda Seyfried. There’s been no word yet on what happened with Swift and her camp, but Mackintosh’s grand gesture in front of a packed house at the Manchester Palace was a pretty public way to break the news. Oh, don’t you worry, Swifties. The busy warbler has a film coming out this year ( The Lorax ) and is bound to pick up another acting gig sooner or later. UPDATE: THR confirms the initial report here . BREAKING NEWS: Samantha Barks To Play Eponine In LES MISERABLES Movie [Broadway World]
