‘Twilight’ Tuesday takes a look at the big years ahead for the duo — aside from ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 2.’ By Kara Warner Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit What better way to kick off the new year than with a detailed analysis of what 2012 has in store for our favorite “Twilight” lovebirds, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart? In addition to the highly anticipated franchise finale, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” Pattinson and Stewart both have other projects on the horizon. For this week’s “Twilight” Tuesday, we examine the superstars’ next must-see movies. On Pattinson’s slate, there are two films of note: the saucy period piece “Bel Ami” and the David Cronenberg-directed drama “Cosmopolis.” Neither film has an official release date yet, but because “Bel Ami” opens in the U.K. on March 2, we hope that means a U.S. release will soon follow. Pattinson and co-star Uma Thurman have not underplayed the fact that there is a lot of sex in the movie, which is evident in the trailer , and there’s also plenty of Pattinson’s “crack” — his words, not ours. For the one or two Pattinson fans not interested in seeing their favorite actor’s bare bum in “Ami,” perhaps “Cosmopolis” will suit your needs. The story is based on Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name and revolves around young multimillionaire Eric Packer (Pattinson) through a single day as he attempts to cross Manhattan in order to get his hair cut. According to Cronenberg, it’s a role that really showcases Pattinson’s acting chops. “Really, he’s fantastic. He’s sensational,” Cronenberg told MTV News . “Really, I’m telling you. He’s a great actor. It’s obvious in the movie. It’s not like maybe yes, maybe no. It’s obvious.” Switching gears toward Stewart’s 2012 film forecast, the 21-year-old has a very busy year ahead of her, with the release of “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “On the Road.” Fans first get to see Stewart’s sword-wielding skills as Snow White in Rupert Sanders’ new telling of the classic fairy tale. “Snow White and the Huntsman” — or “SWATH,” as it’s been commonly referred to on the Internet — opens June 1 and shows us a side of Stewart we haven’t yet seen. Stewart has been gushing about the project since filming began and might even be hoping for sequels. “I’ve got stars in my eyes. I’m literally over the moon about what I’m doing right now,” she told MTV News of her work on “Huntsman.” After that, we’ll have a look at the long-awaited “On the Road,” which doesn’t officially have a release date but has been rumored to debut at some point during the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The film — based on Jack Kerouac’s beloved semiautobiographical treatise on the Beat Generation and his road trips with a collection of colorful characters — features an eclectic cast, including Garrett Hedlund, Tom Sturridge, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Riley, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortenson and Steve Buscemi. Who has the edge here? We have lots of naked Pattinson vs. a sword-wielding Stewart — it’s very tough to call. Not to mention the fact that they’ll be back onscreen together in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” on November 16. Perhaps the 2012 winners will be fans of the “Twilight” twosome! Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @karawarner with your thoughts and suggestions for future “Twilight” Tuesday columns! Related Videos MTV First: ‘Breaking Dawn’
During Saturday night’s live MTV special, MC re-creates ’80s -inspired ‘Party on Fifth Ave’ video. By James Dinh Mac Miller (file) Photo: Getty Images NEW YORK — Underground-turned-chart topping MC Mac Miller was treated quite nicely by 2011, and he ended the year on a high note when he served up a performance of “Party on Fifth Ave” during MTV’s “NYE in NYC 2012” on Saturday night. To re-create the tune’s ’80s-inspired clip, Miller arrived on set with high energy and never ceased his interaction with the audience. Dressed in a vintage jacket, tuxedo shirt and backward cap, the Pittsburgh rapper bounced alongside his crew of appropriately dressed friends and dancers in front of the audience as he spit the DJ Mark the 45 King-sampling tune. “There’s a party on Fifth Ave., hit me if you try’n a go/ I can be there in like 20/ I’mma honk it and come runnin’, ’cause we gotta hit the road/ Make you sure you got a clean shirt, clean pants, new shoes/ Or just hitch a ride there, you choose,” he rapped in front of the jumping crowd. MTV News spoke with the MC backstage during the event, where he shared his thoughts on the big night. “It’s funny because, in the moment, it just feels like another day at work,” the MC told us. “This is what I do for a living. But then, in actuality, stepping back and thinking about it, performing live on MTV for the News Year’s Eve with millions of people watching is pretty crazy.” Asked why he chose to recreate the clip, Miller explained, “I just think it’s a funny video, and I wanted to do something more than just stand up there and rap or something. We wanted to do something funky, and I wanted to keep all my homeys involved — get their faces on national TV.” Mac wasn’t the only performer to rock out until 2012 as Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, J. Cole and Jason Der
Perez Hilton reports that January 24 episode includes a ‘Beat It’ and ‘Billie Jean’ mash-up. By Jocelyn Vena Darren Criss, Damian McGinty, Chord Overstreet, Mark Salling, Cory Monteith and Harry Shum Jr. perform on “Glee” Photo: Adam Rose / FOX “Glee” has already dedicated entire episodes to Madonna , Britney Spears and Lady Gaga , and come 2012, it’s the King of Pop’s turn. A rumored set list for the January 24 “Glee” Michael Jackson tribute episode has hit the Web, and it features some of the late singer’s greatest hits. Perez Hilton reports that 14 tracks have made the final cut, although the list has yet to be confirmed by anyone connected with the show. The set list (along with who will perform the track) reportedly includes “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ ” (Blaine), “Bad” (the New Directions and the Warblers), “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (Finn and Rachel), “Smooth Criminal” (Santana and Sebastian), “Never Can Say Goodbye” (Quinn), “In the Closet” (Brittany and Santana), “We Are the World” (the New Directions and the Warblers), “Black and White” (Puck), “Ghost”/”Monster” (New Directions), “Beat It”/”Billie Jean” (Warblers), “The Way You Make Me Feel” (Kurt) and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (Artie). This is hardly the first time the show has paid homage to Jackson. Back in 2010, the New Directions performed his track “Thriller,” complete with zombie garb, during an episode that aired after the Super Bowl. The show has also previously covered “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” and “Man in the Mirror.” Back in 2010, the cast of the hit Fox show had only imagined what it would be like to have an entire episode dedicated to Jackson . “I would love to do a Michael Jackson episode,” Amber Riley told MTV News at the time. “You know, it’s so many [songs that I love], but my favorite song by him is ‘Human Nature.’ I love that song.” While Riley seemed psyched about the opportunity, castmate Jenna Ushkowitz found the possibility a little more daunting. “That’s a scary, scary episode to do,” she said. “[But] that would be absolutely amazing.” Are you happy with the rumored set list? What’s missing? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Related Photos Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos Related Artists Michael Jackson
Selena Gomez has spoken out for the first time since a family tragedy. A week after her mother’s miscarriage went public, Gomez posted the following message on her Facebook page last night: “Belated Merry Christmas everybody.. I can’t thank you enough for all of your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate every one of you.. I love you all so much and we hope you and your family had a beautiful Christmas! Love, Me, Momma, Brian and our guardian angel Scarlett.” Our thoughts go out to Selena and her family. It’s little comfort in this time of sorrow, but Gomez did crack our top 10 celebrities of 2011 list. She sits at number eight . [Photo: WENN.com]
Rihanna has just released the music video for her latest single “You Da One.” In the video, the 23-year-old pop singer pays homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange , with a variety of wigs and vintage-styled get-ups. Director Melina Matsoukas, who created the superstar’s controversial and successful “We Found Love” and “S&M” videos, is back at the helm on this one too. Take a look at the latest from Rihanna below and see what you think … Rihanna – You Da One (Official Video) “ We Found Love ” has just become the biggest hit of Rihanna’s career by remaining at #1 for an eighth consecutive week. Can “You Da One” measure up? Almost definitely not, but it is catchy. Your thoughts? Vote below: What do you think of Rihanna’s “You Da One”?
Despite trailer, Christopher Nolan’s Batman film is shrouded in secrecy. By Eric Ditzian Christian Bale in “The Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Warner Bros. The “Dark Knight Rises” trailer left the MTV News movie staff with a whole fresh set of questions: Is Robin really in the movie? Why is Bruce Wayne walking with a cane ? But in a way, there was something very familiar about our state of mind after checking out the new footage. That’s because, since the beginning of the year, we’ve been consumed with burning questions about Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film. And at every turn, we’d tried to get answers to those questions, hitting up the film’s stars time and time again. Sometimes, we came away with new insights. Sometimes, answers only led to another set of queries. There’s something exasperating about this whole endeavor — but also something awesome. And the movie doesn’t even hit theaters for another seven months. When it does finally arrive, will the film deliver a definite end point to the story line Nolan and his cohorts have been spinning since 2005’s “Batman Begins”? After all, Nolan himself promised us back in February, before production even began on the project, that it would: “We’re very much excited about really finishing a trilogy and giving a conclusion to our story,” he said. “And that’s what we’re doing.” By the end of the year, after shooting had wrapped, co-star Gary Oldman assured us Nolan had stuck to that promise. “There’s a conclusion,” he said. “[Nolan] brings and he touches on the first [film, ‘Batman Begins’] and he weaves it in, and it resolves. And I think it’s a trilogy, but it’s just great. The story is terrific. I mean, it’s just epic.” So, a tiny bit of confirmation there. Yet Oldman also laughed afterward, “I can’t say anything!” That was a theme we heard repeated again and again during the year. When we asked Joseph Gordon-Levitt if his character was Robin, he answered, “You know I can’t have this conversation!” When we pressed Tom Hardy about his role as the villain Bane, he exclaimed, “I can’t [talk about it], so let’s have another question!” And when we wondered whether Marion Cotillard was telling us the truth when she claimed her character, contrary to rumor, would not in fact turn out to be Talia al Ghul, the daughter of “Batman Begins” villain, Ra’s al Ghul, the actress responded with a sly smile, “I am!” We’re not sure what’s more impressive: Nolan’s oeuvre or his ability to keep his actors’ lips sealed. They would, however, say one thing without worrying about giving up a “Dark Knight Rises” spoiler: Everyone loves Nolan. “It’s genius, what he does,” Hardy shared. Cotillard told us, “It’s amazing to work on Christopher Nolan’s set,” while Nestor Carbonell added, “He’s one of these amazing storytellers.” If anyone could sum up the year in “Dark Knight Rises” news, though, it was Liam Neeson , who may or may not actually be in the movie (though we’re pretty sure he is) and who told us simply that he doesn’t have “a f—ing clue what it’s about!” Well put, Mr. Neeson. Us too. But we can’t wait to find out. 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 Videos ‘Dark Knight Rises’: The Year In Review Related Photos On The Set Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
‘Ghosts’ is one song being road-tested for Sigh No More follow-up. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias Mumford and Sons Photo: MTV News Mumford & Sons recently told MTV News that they’re “still recording” the follow-up to their breakthrough Sigh No More album, which, while certainly understandable (given their schedule), is also rather unbelievable — especially since they’ve been working on the new spate of songs almost as long as they’ve been on tour. “Most of them, we’re letting people hear as we’ve played live shows. We’ve kind of always just done that,” frontman Marcus Mumford explained. “We’ve kind of written a song and felt like we get it up to a point where it’s ready to play live, and then we go … and road test it, see how it goes. For us, we find that’s a really helpful way of writing, and performing the song ideas that we have live is a crucial part, for us, of the songwriting process.” And that’s especially true of “Ghosts,” a new song the band officially unveiled last month during a Philadelphia radio station appearance. Though they’ve been working it into their live sets, the tune only took on its current — and, apparently, finished — form after performing it to audiences and tinkering with it afterward. “It’s probably the newest one we’ve been playing live, actually; that one came together really on our Canadian tour about a month ago, the first time started playing it,” multi-instrumentalist Winston Marshall said. “We tried recording it before, but it then took on a new life when we played it on that tour. … [The songs] always change when we play them live; the dynamics change a lot. When you play it to a new room, you’re playing it to new ears, and you’re listening to the song through their ears. So it’s really great to feel the song out.” And though it’s a new addition to their set, Mumford already count “Ghosts” among their favorites — if only for the fact that it actually gives them a chance to catch their collective breath. “It’s fun to play … it’s a kind of respite for us to just stand back and play a slower song,” Mumford said with a laugh. “It’s nice: gives us a moment to take stock.” Have you heard Mumford & Sons’ new songs live? Share your thoughts below! Related Artists Mumford & Sons
After several delays, it looks like Young Jeezy will finally be able to release his highly anticipated Thug Motivation 103 . The Atlanta trapstar dropped a video for the track, “Nothin.” In the G.Visuals directed clip, Pastor Jeezy delivers more verses of his street gospel. Jeezy continues to let the world know he made it from nothing and he isn’t going back to that. Also, he sends a message to any detractors. He reminds them that he doesn’t owe them a damn thing. What are your thoughts on the video? Thug Motivation 103 hits stores on December 20th. Are you going to cop that album? RELATED POSTS: Young Jeezy Talks About New Album “TM 103″ & Movie [EXCLUSIVE] Young Jeezy “TM 103: Hustlerz Ambition” Tracklist
‘I was trying to destroy myself physically,’ McElhenney says of gaining 50 pounds to play Fat Mac, one of MTV News’ Top 50 TV Characters of 2011. By James Montgomery Rob McElhenney as Fat Mac in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Photo: Joey L./ FX Gregor Samsa became an insect. Hulk Hogan dyed his beard black and joined the nWo. Metallica used to be awesome. Transformations are as much a part of life as eating, breathing and making fun of Lulu, yet rarely are they as unexpected as the grand, grotesque metamorphosis Rob McElhenney pulled off on the seventh season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” when he turned the formerly fitness-obsessed Mac into a bulbous, bloated buffoon … mostly because he thought it would be funny. But McElhenney was also making a deeper point, too. By gaining 50 pounds of solid fat, he took a not-too-subtle jab at one of TV’s oldest tropes: Namely, that as shows go on, characters don’t age and they seemingly get better-looking. It’s the kind of deconstructionist slant that has made “Sunny” a cult favorite and made Fat Mac one of the year’s best characters. Because while, sure, it was funny to watch him inject insulin into his ginormous gut, you couldn’t help but ask yourself why there aren’t more characters like him on network shows. So, in celebration of Fat Mac’s inclusion in MTV News’ Top 50 TV Characters of 2011 , we spoke to McElhenney about piling on the pounds, the silky comfort of Tommy Bahama shirts, and how, someday, he hopes to be considered “the De Niro of basic-cable comedy.” MTV News : First off, congratulations on making our list of the Top 50 TV Characters of 2011. Fat Mac actually came in at #8 on the list. Rob McElhenney : I made the top 10? F— yeah! That’s really awesome. Who was ahead of me? [We start reading McElhenney the list, but he makes us stop when we reveal that Snooki came in at #3.] What? Are you f—ing kidding me? I refuse to hear anything else. Jesus Christ. MTV : Mac’s transformation was one of the television highlights of the year, and not just because it’s funny to see him, you know, lug around a garbage bag filled with chimichangas. You just don’t see characters put on that kind of weight on sitcoms now, or really ever before. McElhenney : Yeah. Vanity is such a huge part of television, and if you watch any average sitcom, you notice that the actors get better-looking as the years go by. And I caught myself sitting in the editing room last year, looking at myself, and I said, “Man, I don’t look very good in this scene; I should try to find a different shirt or something next time.” And I realized, “Wow, that is the first time I’d ever really thought that.” So I realized I needed to go in the extreme opposite direction. It’s always been our goal to do the opposite of what any sitcom on network television would do, so that’s what I did. MTV : So it went beyond, just, “It would be funny to see Mac gain an obscene amount of weight …” McElhenney : It wasn’t just a stunt. I thought, if we were being true to the characters, and we were really showing what these people would look like if they lived the way that they claimed to live, this is what we would look like. All we do is sit around and drink and eat terrible food, and there’s certainly no exercise going on, and we don’t seem to really care about our health. So when you hit a certain early-30s, mid-30s range, it’s going to start to fall apart. So, to me, it was less of a stunt or a gag and more of an actual representation of what Mac really might look like at this point in his life. MTV : So once you decided you were going to gain the weight, how’d you go about doing it without, you know, totally destroying your body? McElhenney : Oh, I was basically trying to destroy myself physically as much as I possibly could. I was trying to eat around 5,000 calories a day, and at first I was doing it as healthy as possible, but after like the 3,000th calorie of grilled chicken breast and rice, you realize you literally have to consume twice as much volume as opposed to just eating a cheeseburger. So after a while, I started eating a lot, a lot of doughnuts. It was really hard, man. The key to it was force-feeding myself this milkshake that I made every day that had weight gainer, chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream, and creatine, which creates bloating, and force-feeding myself two of those every day, and those were about 1,000 calories a piece, and that’s what really put it over the edge. MTV : You know, it’s funny, because you hear about all these actors gaining or losing weight for roles, and they’re almost always lauded for doing so. Does it bother you that, after going through so much, people only see Fat Mac as this sort of stunt? McElhenney : Well, I’d like to enter that conversation. You know, “the De Niro of basic-cable comedy.” [ He laughs. ] Nah, it doesn’t bother me. We’re not that kind of show. But I don’t think people understand how hard it was to just gain all this weight. I started at 162 and I got up to 212 … and I was also working out, just doing, like, powerlifting, because I noticed that most of my weight was just going to my gut, and it wasn’t filling out everywhere else and it wasn’t really playing, so to create that sort of non-defined, smooth look, I had to lift weights, and then the fat just sort of sat on top of the muscle. I was trying to create David, and as we all know, Michelangelo had to start with a slab of marble and then whittle it down. So I was just creating the slab. MTV : Another great thing about the character this season is that he introduced the Tommy Bahama shirt into the national conversation. McElhenney : [ He laughs. ] I see a lot of people wearing them. And I think middle-aged guys wear them because they think it hides their gut, and it doesn’t. In a bizarre way, it makes them look bigger, and originally I was wearing these super-tight T-shirts, and since my fat was kind of rolling out from underneath it, you would think that you would look bigger onscreen that way, as opposed to this big, flowing shirt. But for whatever reason, they actually accentuate the size. They’re like a muumuu. And the truth is, once you slip one of those bad boys on, they’re unbelievably comfortable. They’re made out of silk, and they really just flow and they breathe, and I was like, “Goddamn, I kind of really love these shirts.” I took some home, but my wife [“Sunny” co-star Kaitlin Olson] wasn’t having it. MTV : One of the key episodes this season was “How Mac Got Fat,” which, as the title implies, explained why he put on all the weight. There are scenes of you in flashback when you were skinny. Can you explain the backstory of that episode? McElhenney : We shot it last season, and it was a completely different episode and we were going to air it this year, because we had one less slot last year. So that was always the intention, and then as we started the season, and I went through this endeavor, we realized we couldn’t just air this episode because it wouldn’t make sense anymore. So we sort of broke down the episode and said, “How can we tell this as a flashback, and create this as being the reason why Mac did this in the first place?” So we rewrote it, based on the cut and based on the footage we had, and then we went back and created this completely different episode. It was literally the last thing we shot this season. MTV : So, finally, we know you’ve dropped most of the Fat Mac weight now. Looking back, how do you feel about the entire endeavor? McElhenney : Yeah, I’ve dropped almost all of it. I think the remaining 10 to 12 pounds are probably just going to stay. I’m OK with that. [ He laughs. ] And, you know, I’m really happy I did it. It was hard, but it was worth it. I can tell you right now that this never would’ve happened on network television. Because when I would’ve gone in to pitch it to the network executives, they would’ve said, “Absolutely not.” Because the glamour is such an important part of how they sell their shows, so trying to make the actors look as good as they possibly can is an important part of the process. And our show has never been about that. MTV will reveal the best artists, songs and movies of the year. Come to MTV News each day to see more big reveals and check out more of MTV’s Best of 2011 music, TV, movies and news coverage.
We relive the best moments of the year as production on Tim Burton’s 2012 adaptation finally kicked off. By John Mitchell Tim Burton and Johnny Depp in production for “Dark Shadows” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures This year, filming finally began on director Tim Burton’s long -in-the-works big-screen adaptation of “Dark Shadows,” a campy, late-1960s soap opera about vampires, witches and time travel. Burton is a lifelong fan of the series and, as his partner Helena Bonham Carter told MTV News this month, “This was a thing that he raced home to see when he was about age 10.” With its atmospheric New England setting and myriad mysterious characters, “Shadows” has the feel of a classic Burton film, more akin to his “Sleepy Hollow” and “Batman” flicks than his more candy-colored efforts like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” And Burton at his dark and spooky best, working on a passion project, is something to get excited about. Production began on “Shadows” at Pinewood Studios outside of London in May. The director lined up a dream cast — from Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer to Chloe Moretz and Jackie Earle Haley, not a single part appears miscast. And while Burton has kept the film under lock and key, paparazzi did catch a fleeting glimpse of Depp during production, which briefly became cause for worry among some fans of the series. The shot of Depp in character as Barnabus Collins, wearing heavy white makeup walking down a seaside hill, found its way online in mid-September and was derided by fans as being too cartoonish, too reminiscent of Depp’s styling in Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Based on those initial images, the world Burton looked to be creating seemed to have little in common with the Gothic aesthetic established in the soap. Concerns were alleviated, however, when just a week later, Entertainment Weekly debuted the first official image from the film. Through Burton’s lens (and some creepy filters), Depp’s makeup took on the undead-but-oddly alluring look you’d expect from a traditional vampire movie. The rest of the cast captured the feel of their TV counterparts too: Pfeiffer looked regal and sullen as family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard; Johnny Lee Miller’s smarm as Roger Collins was apparent; and Bonham Carter looked every bit the orange-haired, eccentric “alcoholic psychiatrist,” Dr. Julia Hoffman. Of the film, Moretz, who plays Carolyn Stoddard, had this to say when talking to MTV News last month: “It straddles the typical Burton line: camp and drama. It’s an amazing movie. Going in and working on this movie with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter — it really does get back to Tim’s roots. It gets back to ‘Beetlejuice,’ ‘Edward Scissorhands,’ back to true Burton . So working on this movie was epic for me because he’s always been my dream director to work with because, god, he’s so iconic.” Moretz’s “Shadows” co-stars share the love for Burton. Pfeiffer , who worked with the director on 1992’s”Batman Returns,” described work on the new film as a “dream job.” “[It is] such a fun cast and we had so much fun. I just love working with Tim [Burton], I love watching him direct. [There’s] nobody like him,” she told MTV News. “I loved meeting Helena and getting to know her. I hope it’s successful so that we can do a bunch of them because it was such a fantastic, creative group of people.” Hopefully, that on-set camaraderie and excitement will help “Shadows” fulfill fans’ high expectations. The original soap spanned some 1,225 episodes, so there’s plenty of plot for sequels if Pfeiffer gets her wish. While we’re still waiting for a trailer for the May 11, 2012, release (come on, Tim, give us something!), what we’ve seen so far gives us faith that Burton and Co. are getting it all exactly right! Are you looking forward to seeing what Tim Burton and co. cook up for “Dark Shadows”? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me at @JohnMitchell83 with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
