This pat in the back just in from Marvel Studios: The first trailer for The Avengers was “downloaded over 10 million times in its first 24 hours” from iTunes alone upon its debut this week. 10 million downloads. In a day. That’s got to also be the record for the most people listening to Nine Inch Nails (whose musical stylings played under shots of ScarJo pondering the tightness of her Black Widow costume, etc.) at the same time. Congrats! Now, to convert those 10 million trailer-watchers into opening day ticket-buyers… [Press release]
What if Hollywood reformatted the plot of Mr. & Mrs. Smith from he-spy vs. she-spy to be he-spy vs. he-spy over the same she? Then you would have This Means War , the upcoming action comedy from McG which stars Tom Hardy (with his real accent!) and Chris Pine as two secret agents who go head-to-head after learning they are dating the same woman, played by Reese Witherspoon. Oh, and did I mention that This Means War also marks Chelsea Handler’s live action blockbuster debut?
“The most chilling ghost story of our time?” you say, new trailer for The Woman in Black ? We’ll be the judge of that. So far it looks like Harry Potter has gone back in time to trudge worriedly through a haunted house stocked with creepy little girls and jump scares. Can’t he just retire these spooks to some old paintings on the wall and be done with them, already? Expecto petr-ho-hum, if you ask me. But take a look for yourself, and stick around for more of your Friday Buzz Break.
‘There’s nothing holding me back,’ actor says of his version of Superman’s nemesis. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Michael Shannon Photo: MTV News “Man of Steel” star Michael Shannon has moved from absurdity to anxiety. When the Oscar-nominated actor was cast as General Zod back in April, he confessed he found the entire thing “ridiculous.” Now that he’s on set and in character, Shannon has moved on but is not exactly feeling comfortable yet. “I’m nervous,” he told MTV News while promoting his upcoming drama, “Take Shelter.” “I’m still getting my foot into the pool. I just started working on it.” The work he’s focusing on is taking a villain familiar from Christopher Reeve’s first two “Superman” films and reimagining him for a new millennium (and, in Henry Cavill, a new Man of Steel). “I’m not going to impersonate Terence Stamp. I’m not going to have a British accent or anything,” he said, referring to the esteemed actor who played the Kryptonian baddie in the original films. “All I can say is it’s very well written and there’s a lot of great opportunities to reinvent it for myself. The challenge is for me to do that. There’s nothing holding me back. I think they’re counting on me to give my interpretation. I’ll do the best I can.” Early on, as photos from “Man of Steel” set hit the Web, the clearest indication of a big-screen reinvention is Zod’s costume. Like Cavill’s Superman (who has seemingly ditched those familiar red undies), Shannon’s take on the character appears to be diverging from the past, this time with the help of a motion-capture suit. When we asked Shannon about the suit, though, he put on every actor’s stop-asking-me-questions-I-can’t-answer best defense: jokes. “Those are actually my street clothes,” he said. “I don’t know why they’re taking those pictures. I wear those clothes to work in the morning. Once I’m in costume, I have a cloak of invisibility that I wear between takes.” Shannon took the same tactic when asked if he’d share any scenes with Russell Crowe, who’s set to play Superman’s biological father . “Russell Crowe’s in the movie?” he asked with faux innocence. “Me and Russell, we have a scene where we have tea and talk about the old times. ‘Remember when the people of Krypton used to … ?’ That kind of scene. “Technically, I’m not supposed to say anything about ‘Superman,’ ” he added. “I think when I get back to work they’re going to have to give me the [ mimes putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger ] to keep me from blabbing about it.” But it wasn’t all jokes. In addition to announcing his intention to reinvent Zod, Shannon let us know what he finds to be the most interesting aspect of the character: “Being a general,” he said. “To me, that’s a fascinating, iconoclastic character. I can’t imagine being a sergeant, let alone a general. He’s in charge of the entire military of Krypton. That’s going to take every little shred of imagination that I have. It’s a good challenge because it’s a big distance to have to go.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Man of Steel.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Photos Analyzing The ‘Man Of Steel’ Costume
Titans! Will! Scream! Loudly. Noted film aficionado Ryan Seacrest debuted the brand-new trailer for Immortals on Monday morning , and the latest bit of marketing for the 300 -like film does not disappoint — especially if you’re into seeing new Superman Henry Cavill yell shouts of encouragement to shirtless hordes at the top of his lungs.
Leah Messer is reportedly devastated over a report that Corey Simms’ girlfriend Amber Scaggs is six weeks pregnant with the couple’s first child. As if their heartbreaking breakup wasn’t enough. For Teen Mom 2 star Leah, who has two daughters with Simms, it’s one shocker after another. Corey’s new girlfriend, Amber Scaggs , is a mom herself. Now daughter Bralyn, 1, may be getting a sibling, as reports say she’s expecting again. Protection? Who needs it, are we right people? Corey and Leah in happier times. Tanner ones, too . “She took a pregnancy test and it came out positive,” Amber’s friend Kacy Lynn Rogers confirms. “I know that she was with Corey around Easter, and she is approximately six weeks pregnant, so it makes sense.” TOTALLY makes sense, Kacy Lynn. But reportedly, neither Leah nor Corey – who are not even divorced yet – know that Amber is expecting (although tabloid sources apparently do ).
Russell Crowe is in the news for a reason other than his belief that circumcision goes against the will of God . The Oscar-winning actor is in negotiations to play a key role in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman reboot: Jor-El, the biological father of this caped hero. Henry Cavill has already signed on to portray Superman, while Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Michael Shannon will also come on board the franchise. Production on Superman: Man of Steel gets underway next month, as Jor-El is the last major role to be cast. Sean Penn and Clive Owen are also under consideration, insiders say, but it is Crowe’s part if he wants it. Think Crowe is the right fit?
It’s not Sunday , but that doesn’t mean Man of Steel casting news can’t slip out from Hollywood. Variety reports that Russell Crowe is in talks to play Superman’s father, Jor-El, in the Zack Snyder-directed reboot. Marlon Brando famously portrayed Jor-El in Superman: The Movie , and earned roughly $12 million for his ten minutes in the film . Here’s guessing Crowe won’t be that financially lucky. Otherwise, nice! Developing… [ Variety ]
Are you there, Zod? It’s me, Michael Shannon. I may have my doubts about Zack Snyder as a director for the upcoming Man of Steel Superman reboot, but his casting has been right on the money of late. After casting Henry Cavil as the titular hero and Amy Adams as spunky girl reporter Lois Lane , Warner Bros. announced today that Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon will be stepping into the black satin tap pants of General Zod.
It was an agonizing enough process just getting cast in Tarsem’s Immortals , stars Luke Evans and Henry Cavill told Movieline over the weekend at WonderCon, where audiences got their first look at the November fantasy pic. But the real struggle, they say, was in reaching and maintaining the physique required of their roles as Zeus and Theseus, respectively — characters for whom godlike perfection was a prerequisite. But hey, no pressure!
