The Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic presented by 100 Black Men of Atlanta is one of the nation’s largest Black college football games pitting Florida A&M University against Southern University on the gridiron. The event is also 100 Black Men of Atlanta’s largest fundraiser for its mentoring, academic support and scholarship program, Project Success. But the Classic is far more than just a game between two fine Black colleges. It’s an HBCU and an Atlanta tradition! The game takes place at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, September 24, 2011 with kickoff at 3:30 pm. Click here to purchase tickets .
‘I just trust him and how he slowly feeds what he’s about to do to the world,’ Bane actor says of Christopher Nolan’s ‘enigmatic’ methods. By Kara Warner Tom Hardy as Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures The only problem with Christopher Nolan’s hugely anticipated “The Dark Knight Rises” is that no one involved in the project can talk about it, and with such secrecy comes obsessive fanboy quests for spoilers and on-set footage and photos . When MTV News caught up with “Rises” star Tom Hardy as he promoted another of his anticipated films, “Warrior,” we asked what he thinks about the incessant quests for details about his character Bane and the rest of the film. “I think it just shows that people are really into it. It’s great,” Hardy said. “If you love something, why not follow it?” He added that he doesn’t much care for those who seek out spoilers, however, and also hasn’t paid much attention to the photos that have been released , official or not. “There are photos out there; it’s nice to see them,” he said, before changing the direction of the conversation toward more general territory. “Chris Nolan is amazing. How he releases his films, he’s a very enigmatic human being. It’s genius, what he does, and I just trust him and how he slowly feeds what he’s about to do to the world.” Speaking of one of the things Nolan and company have fed to the world, we asked for his reaction to Anne Hathaway’s catsuit . “I’ve seen it, obviously. I’ve seen it up front,” he said, not willing to expand on the subject. “I think everything Chris Nolan and every person at Warner Bros. [does] is amazing,” he continued with a cheeky smile. “As I do Lionsgate as well [the studio releasing ‘Warrior’]. Funny, isn’t it?” he said when his “Warrior” co-star Joel Edgerton burst out laughing at Hardy’s politically correct outpourings of love for everyone. “Mercenary of me,” he joked, proud to be toeing the company line. “Ka-ching!” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Dark Knight Rises.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Photos On The Set Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
‘The type of music that I make … is definitely underground and Southern hip-hop,’ K.R.I.T. tells RapFix Live. By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Sway Calloway Big Krit Photo: MTV News Big K.R.I.T. was already buzzing heavy before he signed his record deal with Def Jam, and on September 27 he will release his major label debut, Live From the Underground. The Mississippi rapper checked in to MTV’s RapFix Live from the studio, where he is putting the finishing touches on his album, via Skype. K.R.I.T., one of MTV Jams’ Fab 5 , became an underground rap favorite when he released the free mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here , which played more like an album, in 2009. The project’s soulful rap aesthetic and acclaim earned him a record deal, but the “Country Sh–” rapper is still holding on to his indie roots. “Man, ’cause I’m still underground at heart,” K.R.I.T. told MTV News when asked about his debut’s title. “At the end of the day, the type of music that I make, the type of sound I’m trying to create, is definitely being underground and Southern hip-hop. A lot of people didn’t know I was signed to Def Jam when I dropped ‘Return of 4Eva.’ I signed to Def Jam June of last year. So it’s been a process of working, grinding, proving myself, and just kind of showing people I’m not going to change just because I’m signed to a major.” “Return of 4Eva” was available for free download, and then Def Jam also dropped an EP of the project for sale on iTunes. Late last year, K.R.I.T. hit the road with Curren$y and Smoke DZA on the Smoker’s Club Tour (another tour is planned for this fall, with Method Man headlining). Come September 27, another fellow hip-hop up-and-comer, Roc Nation’s J. Cole , is also dropping his proper debut, but K.R.I.T. sees it only as friendly competition. “End of the day man, I feel like we all got our fanbase and we all just try to make quality music for the sake of hip-hop,” K.R.I.T. said. “And we all friends and cool man, so it’s just about knowing that your partner is going to put his all into his music and that you should do the same. And at the end of the day, we all meet up, and we’re going to do these shows and we’re going to tour and we’re going to have fun.” K.R.I.T., who appeared on XXL magazine’s Freshmen cover with fellow RapFix guest Mac Miller, continued, “It’s really all good man. I’m my worst critic so the music is not going to come out unless I feel 100 percent strongly about the content and the subject matter. I’m just going to do my best, brother.” Part of K.R.I.T.’s best includes handling all the production duties on his album and making sure to include social commentary in his lyrics. The 24-year-old plans to tackle topics like the murder of James Craig Anderson , the flooding of the Mississippi River and the tornadoes that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “I’m really going to try to touch on all those topics ’cause I feel like sometimes just because we’re in Alabama or we’re in Mississippi, things happen and people expect it to be cool and OK, they’ll get over it,” K.R.I.T. said. “But we need help just like everybody else.” Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Mac Miller, Big K.R.I.T., Future Related Artists Big K.R.I.T.
Reports that Myers had signed a deal for the follow-up to ‘Goldmember’ are contradicted by Deadline New York. By Terri Schwartz Mike Myers Photo: Lee Celano/AFP Oh behave, “Austin Powers” fans, because a sequel might not be in the works just yet. News broke over the weekend that Mike Myers was “signed, sealed, delivered” for “Austin Powers 4,” the long-awaited follow-up to 2002’s “Goldmember.” HitFix confirmed that Myers had signed a deal to return to the franchise, but now Deadline New York is reporting otherwise. The entertainment website is saying that, despite Myers’ interest in the project, no deal has been signed yet. Apparently all that’s happened is that Myers has expressed interest in a proposal for the movie that New Line presented six months ago, and it’s not a full-blown deal. The project had seemingly fallen by the wayside after Myers’ 2008 flick “The Love Guru” tanked at the box office, and he disappeared from Hollywood (barring a brief appearance in “Inglourious Basterds”). But New Line sought to revitalize the project recently and sent out a new offer about six months ago. Deadline is reporting that Myers’ representatives have finally responded that Myers is interested. There’s no word yet on whether Myers’ writing partner Michael McCullers will be back for the fourth installment. “Austin Powers” director Jay Roach also has not been announced for the upcoming flick. In fact, there’s no confirmation that a script has even been written, though New Line commissioned one in 2008 and Myers has frequently said that it’s a work in progress. But this news definitely seems to inspire hope that an “Austin Powers 4” deal is on its way at some point soon. The last MTV News heard about the project was at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival . Only a month earlier, Roach told MTV News that Myers was working on ideas for the script, though it wasn’t completed yet. Myers later echoed that while promoting “Shrek Forever After” at Tribeca. “Things are on track. It’s hard to keep a Stanley Cup team together and I’m very happy how insanely well it’s gone. Then it gets hard to get everybody all together. It’s chugging along,” Myers said. “I’d be very happy to do it in 7-D. I can’t tell you exactly how it works. Actually, I left the plans for it in a bar and somebody saw it. But it’s very exciting.” No word on “7-D” in either the Deadline or the HitFix reports, but fans of the franchise can rest easy knowing that it seems like an “Austin Powers 4” will likely hit theaters over the next few years. All together now: Sake it to me, baby! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Poor performance of ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ may have influenced studio. By Eric Ditzian Johnny Depp Photo: WireImage As cinematic collaborators go, there are few in Hollywood who can match the storytelling cred and box-office clout of Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski. The duo has delivered a trifecta of “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, taking the property from hokey amusement-park ride to multibillion-dollar franchise juggernaut. Last fall, well before their kooky, captivating animated adventure “Rango” opened to $38.1 million domestically, Depp and Verbinski announced their next live-action collaboration would be “The Lone Ranger,” a project Depp and Disney had been trying to get off the ground for years. Now, quite surprisingly, Disney has shut down the production amidst concerns about a Western-themed film with a budget north of $200 million. Deadline reported the development on Friday, and the Los Angeles Times followed up on Monday (August 15) with further details about the stoppage. The Times reports the “Lone Ranger” budget could have ballooned to $250 million at a time when studios are looking to keep costs under control, even as a heavily reliance on CG effects drives those costs up. “It’s our intention to take a very careful look at what films cost,” Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday, according to the Times. “And if we can’t get them to a level that we’re comfortable with, we think that we’re better off actually reducing the size of our slate than making films that are bigger and increasingly more risky.” But there’s also little doubt that Disney was influenced by the performance of “Cowboys & Aliens,” a Western that faltered at the box office this summer despite A-list talent in front of and behind the camera. After the expensive, Harrison Ford-starring action flick opened to just $36.2 million during its first weekend, industry insiders fully anticipated that studios would shy away from the genre. “There is no getting around the fact that the Western-sci-fi genre mashup has been a terrible failure in Hollywood,” Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, told MTV News at the time. “Expect studios to stay far away from this genre in the near future.” Not even Depp and Verbinski — and their long-standing relationship with Disney — were immune to Hollywood’s growing understanding that big-budget Westerns just aren’t resonating with moviegoers. The move means that unless a new approach (and a new budget) can be worked out, Depp won’t get to bring Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s dutiful sidekick, to the screen, despite years of involvement with the project. Armie Hammer, of “Social Network” fame , was set to play the Lone Ranger himself. “This is the origin of Lone Ranger,” producer Jerry Bruckheimer told MTV News in March 2010, “so you’re gonna see how the Lone Ranger became the Lone Ranger. He was a Texas Ranger, and how he became the Lone Ranger.” Are the chances that audiences get to see that origin story in theaters totally dead? The Times floats an optimistic note, citing other projects shut down because of high costs, like Denzel Washington’s “Unstoppable,” that were resurrected at the last minute. For now, though, it seems more likely Depp would reprise his “Pirates” role of Jack Sparrow than step into Tonto’s boots — though even a fifth seafaring adventure is uncertain at this point. “It boils down to story, script and filmmaker,” Depp said earlier this year about “Pirates 5.” “It’s not something where I would say, ‘Let’s shoot it next month to get it out by Christmas 2012.’ We should hold off for a bit. They should be special, just like they are special to me.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘Gaga’s Workshop’ will appear in the Madison Ave. store in mid-November. By Jocelyn Vena Artwork for “Gaga’s Workshop” Photo: Barneys Lady Gaga ‘s latest creative endeavor, a partnership with Barneys New York, can’t be surprising to anyone who knows about her love for fashion, but its focus might be a bit out of left field. Gaga and the department store are teaming up for a holiday campaign called “Gaga’s Workshop.” With the creative assistance of Eli Sudbrack and Christophe Hamaide Pierson of Assume Vivid Astro Focus, and Mugler creative director and Lady Gaga fashion director Nicola Formichetti, Barneys will re-imagine Santa’s workshop through the lens of Lady Gaga. Beginning in mid-November, he Madison Avenue flagship location’s Men’s Store and legendary window display will be transformed by the project. “Lady Gaga is a rare cultural phenomenon, not only because of her exceptional talents as a singer, songwriter and performer, but also with regard to her support of equality and individuality and status as a fashion icon,” Mark Lee, Barneys New York CEO, said in a statement about the collaboration. “Partnering with her in this unprecedented collaborative way to create the largest and most all-encompassing holiday theme that Barneys has ever mounted is a thrill. As a New York City landmark, we wanted to celebrate Lady Gaga as a fellow New Yorker and amazing talent.” Not enough Gaga for you? Formichetti will also be working with Barneys to create some gifts that can be purchased there, and 25 percent of their sales will go to a charity of Gaga’s choice. The cartoon artwork associated with the holiday event features the singer lying down in a gold-studded red bodysuit, surrounded by her floating turquoise hair. Related Artists Lady Gaga
Guillermo del Toro tells MTV News he’d rather direct the retelling than just produce. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Guillermo del Toro Photo: MTV News The pairing of Guillermo del Toro and Emma Watson on a “Beauty and the Beast” remake seems almost too good to be true, but the director confirmed to MTV News that the project is indeed in the works. “It’s one of those landmarks, one of those holy grails, and I really hope to do it,” del Toro said. “We’re just starting the process.” Originally, it was reported that del Toro would be producing the flick alongside “Crazy, Stupid, Love” producer Denise Di Novi, but he shared with MTV News that he would rather direct the movie. He said he’s starting to write the story line for it now while putting his alien movie “Pacific Rim” through production. Instead of a modernized take like this year’s “Beastly,” consider del Toro’s movie to be a classic retelling of the tale as old as time. He confirmed that his version will take place in the same period setting as the fairy tale; we’re hoping that means it will include some of the stylized visuals he’s become known for with “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the “Hellboy” movies. Del Toro didn’t have a timeline yet for when his first draft on “Beauty and the Beast” would be done, but he said it should be within the next few years. After all, he’d need it to be done by then for leading lady Watson to still be a prime choice for the role of the titular beauty. “It’s a movie that you have to make in the next few years for Emma to be perfect for the part,” he said. “I think she is the perfect character to do that movie.” Watson recently wrapped filming on “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and, barring her potential involvement in Taylor Lautner’s “Incarceron,” has a free schedule for now. For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Guillermo Del Toro
‘This kid, I think he’s a star,’ Diddy tells Sway on MTV News’ ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Diddy and Machine Gun Kelly Photo: MTV News Diddy ‘s ear for talent is unquestionable. After playing an instrumental role in the careers of Jodeci and Mary J. Blige , the Bad Boy founder went on to discover the Notorious B.I.G. , Mase, 112 and Faith Evans. His newest signee may not fit the Bad Boy mold, but Diddy is excited nonetheless — so excited that he Skyped into “RapFix Live” while on vacation in Spain to chat it up with Sway about his newest artist, Machine Gun Kelly . “Yes, I signed MGK,” Diddy confirmed. “This kid, I think he’s a star. He’s one of the best live performers I’ve ever seen to come out in a minute.” Influenced by DMX , Cleveland, Ohio’s Machine Gun Kelly began battle-rapping around 2004 while he was still in high school. His passion grew from the corner ciphers to the studio, where he would lay tracks for his 2006 mixtape, Stamp of Approval. Back then, the MC (who got the Machine Gun part of his moniker because of his rapid-fire raps) was just getting his feet wet. In 2010, MGK would drop two tapes, 100 Words and Runnin’ and his breakthrough Lace Up. From there, the energetic spitter would develop his following thanks to his spirited live performance. The hip-hop mogul marveled at the existing fanbase Kelly had before even signing the deal. “He has just such a movement, just hundreds and thousands of loyal fans that came from the place he came from in different parts of the country,” Diddy gushed. “He wasn’t always the coolest kid in school, and just the process of growing up and the problems that they all encounter, they relate to him in such a way.” On the surface, MGK may not fit what many would perceive as the Bad Boy mold. He is a white, skinny, tatted-up kid from Cleveland who is influenced by punk music just as much as he is influenced by rap. For Combs, it’s a non-issue. “One of the things as an executive and someone that runs a record company is that I change so much as far as my respect for artists whether they succeed or fail. I think it’s important to empower the artist,” he said. “He will not be changing for Bad Boy; he will not have a typical Bad Boy swag. He’s not going to be popping champagne or driving around in Bentleys. He’s gonna be him and true to himself. He has a lot of creative control in his project.” Kelly, who recently graduated from sleeping on a futon to a mattress in his manager’s mother’s house, agrees. He assured his fans that he won’t be changing his lifestyle very much. “We’re kind of all about that ‘I don’t like to look better than my fans,’ so maybe one day I’ll change, but I pray to God I just stay the same,” he said. “We had a bidding war before he came in, but Puff is Puff,” MGK said. “Honestly, I really want to treasure this almost-famous stage as much as we can, while we still can. It’s crazy, because Ohio is one thing; we have this great hometown love. We’ll do 4,000 in one show, but then we just did Texas and it was probably 60 to 100 people, still doin’ holes in the wall, and it’s so cool.” He won’t be doing those venues much longer. MGK confirmed that he signed a two-album deal with Bad Boy and will be dropping his debut album, also called Lace Up, in the first quarter of 2012. “No push-backs with us, baby,” he bragged. “Not happening. The fans are not allowing that to go down.” Have you checked out Machine Gun Kelly’s music? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Game, Diddy And Machine Gun Kelly Related Artists Machine Gun Kelly Diddy
Recovering singer says during ‘MTV First: Sean Kingston’ he hopes to release new music by year’s end. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway Sean Kingston Photo: MTV News After recalling the incidents of his “life-or-death” accident during “MTV First: Sean Kingston,” the singer opened up about his plans to get back to work and release new music by year’s end. “[I’m] focused on music again, about to start working on a new album and get back out there again,” he said during the chat at his house in Miami. “I’m excited about the project. It’s going to be really dope.” Given the intensity of his accident and the recovery process, Kingston has a whole new perspective on songwriting. “I haven’t lost no memory; I think I’m even better at writing and stuff,” he said. “Being in the hospital, having all this time off, I’ve been writing and coming up with different ideas. I’m ready to go.” Kingston is best known for his reggae-infused pop tracks like “Beautiful Girls” and “Take You There,” and his still-in-the-works new album will certainly touch on the sound that catapulted him to stardom. “I’m going back in with my producer J.R. [Rotem], who did really big records for me. I’m going back to the whole reggae, island-pop thing. I’m going back to my roots,” he said. “I think it’s definitely going to open up a lot of people, because now I got a story to tell,” he later said. “The world needs to know what I’m coming with, ’cause I’m coming with straight heat. I’ve been down. I’ve been in the house coming up with ideas. My producer J.R., he’s a hitmaker. It’s gonna be my third album, I’m older now. It’s gonna be crazy.” While in the hospital, Kingston had his jaw wired shut for a time. It was a situation Kanye West once found himself in that sparked his first hit “Through the Wire.” Kingston certainly wouldn’t rule out writing a song about his recovery — or working with ‘Ye, for that matter. “Oh man, he’s in my top five rappers,” he said. “I met him twice, and he’s a great person. He’s definitely talented. I’m actually waiting for him and the Jay-Z album [ Watch the Throne ] to drop. I’d be more than excited to collaborate with him.” Kingston — the Jamaican-American singer who broke onto the scene with the “Stand by Me”-sampling song “Beautiful Girls” and scored another hit with the Justin Bieber collabo “Eenie Meenie” last year — was rushed to the hospital May 29 after a jet-ski crash. He explained to Sway that he was going about 35 miles an hour when he miscalculated how high the tide had risen and collided with a bridge. What are you expecting from new Sean Kingston music? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV First: Sean Kingston Related Photos Sean Kingston’s Road To Recovery Related Artists Sean Kingston
Judging from Twitter buzz, The Change-Up is either a really funny (and really dirty) R-rated comedy with marketing that does it a great disservice, or the terrible body swap disaster that the marketing points toward. Perhaps that’s why this new promotion for the Universal laugher gets right to the core of things: Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds are funny and handsome, and you probably really like them. Translation: let them sell the movie! And sell they do: “It’s no dumber than a movie about a bunch of talking apes.”
