Five Reasons To See 'Killing Them Softly'

In the five years since its release, "The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford" has become an unlike but entirely deserving cult classic. Now Brad Pitt has reteamed with his former director, Andrew Dominik, to adapt George V. Higgins' 70s era novel "Cogan's Trade" as the 2008-set Recession drama "Killing Them Softly."

Here are your five reasons to see "Killing Them Softly."

Brad Pitt
Pitt has become what I like to call a "secret great actor." Rarely is he anything but superb'and "Killing Them Softly" is no exception'but what people think of most when it comes to Pitt is his celebrity status and someone who is more famous for being famous than for their talent. Here, like in "The Assassination of Jesse James," Pitt turns in standout work that deserves more consideration than we're inclined to give someone as well-known.

It Wears Its Heart On Its Sleeve
The main complaint you'll see if you read reviews of "Killing Them Softly" is that the parallels to the 2008 financial collapse are too on-the-nose. While an unfortunately valid point, the movie's political agenda at times can feel refreshing. When was the last time a film starring one of Hollywood's biggest stars not only made you think about something going on right here, right now, but also had something to say about it? Andrew Dominik is clearly mad as hell, and his film leaves no doubt in the viewers mind to hint otherwise.

The "Killing" Isn't That Soft
One sequence in particular will be worth discussing immediately after, but since it's a spoiler, I won't mention to details here. Let's just say a character eats it in way that's more beautiful than 99 percent of the scenes you'll see at the theater this year.

George V. Higgins
What does work delightfully well is Dominik's evocation of the world of author George V. Higgins, the man behind the phenomenal "The Friends of Eddie Coyle." When Dominik sticks to the chatty conversations between low-lifes and filters them through his beautiful cinematic lens, what's left is the making of a modern classic. This is probably best realized in the conversations between Pitt's Jackie Cogan and Richard Jenkins' Driver. Both actors have such an uncanny ability to deliver smart and fresh dialogue in a way that makes the material seem even smarter and fresher.

The Final Line
Just when you're beginning to question whether or not Dominik actually has something to say instead of just pointing out obvious parallels, Pitt delivers a devastating monologue, which seals the deal and makes for one explosive ending.

Tags andrew dominik, brad pitt, killing them softly

What Are You Seeing This Weekend?

After two weekends of battling it out, three weathered combatants will once again square off at the weekend box office.

With the only new release being "Killing Them Softly," the R-rated crime film from "Assassination of Jesse James" team Brad Pitt and director Andrew Dominik," the three holdover from the previous weeks are expected to dominate once again.

But what will you be seeing? Are you finally going to get around to seeing "Lincoln"? (Because you really should.) Or is "Skyfall" more your cup of tea? But of course, there's also "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2." Decisions, decisions.

Vote in our poll afer the jump!

Tags lincoln, Skyfall, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn part 2

'Gangster Squad' Featurette Goes To The Next Level

by Hannah Soo Park

It's time to move on from the classic gangster flicks we've come to know and love. Because if there's one message we took away from the new 'Gangster Squad' featurette, it's that the movie will be our generation's defining gangster film.

The video, which hit the web yesterday (via Apple), features a few never-before-seen scenes from the film, with the same gunplay and fedoras we've already seen in previous trailers. But what truly makes it fresh are the behind-the-scenes clips of cast and crew interviews, and on-set action footage.

Director Ruben Fleischer and a few members of the film's all-star cast, including Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie and Giovanni Ribisi, discuss their hopes that the period crime drama will join the ranks of 'The Godfather,' 'The Untouchables,' and other iconic gangster masterpieces. 'It's taking gangster films to the next level,' says Ribisi in an interview snippet. They make some pretty bold statements here, but judging from the impressive cuts we've seen so far, we're not ready to rule their claims out just yet.

Set in Los Angeles during the 1940s and 1950s, 'Gangster Squad' follows real-life mobster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) as he evades the Los Angeles Police Department task force that's out to get him. The movie also stars Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone, Mireille Enos, Michael Patrick and Michael Peña.

The movie's original summer 2012 release was pushed back following the Aurora shootings. A scene which involved mobsters opening fire on an audience in Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard was reshot.

'Gangster Squad' opens on January 11, 2013.

Tags gangster squad

'Riddick' Gets An International Poster

It kind of came out of nowhere, but there is a new Riddick movie starring Vin Diesel scheduled to come out next year. Creatively titled "Riddick," the new film will be the third movie to feature the "Pitch Black" character.

Though there's no specific release date yet, the very first international poster for "Riddick" just arrived on the web, via ComingSoon.

The one sheet doesn't offer much insight into the film, except that Vin Diesel is going to be in it as Riddick and he wears goggles a lot.

Click past the jump to see the full poster and read a synopsis of "Riddick"

James Cameron Wants To Shoot 'Avatar' Sequels In Late 2013

Movie franchises like "Star Wars," "The Avengers," and "Justice League" seem to be grabbing every other headline these days; so much so that it's been easy to forget that James Cameron is currently planning two new films to follow up the biggest movie of all time.

We knew that at least two more "Avatar" movies are in the pipeline from Cameron, with potential for a fourth if the director needs more money to dive into the ocean, but now he's shed some light on when things might start rolling.

Speaking with The West Australian (via The Playlist), Cameron said that he's currently writing the scripts at his recently purchased New Zealand farm and hopes to be done by February. The ultimate goal is to begin filming by late 2013.

"I want to get these scripts nailed down, I don't want to be writing the movie in post-production," Cameron said. "We kind of did that on the first picture, I ended up cutting out a lot of scenes and so on and I don't want to do that again."

With Cameron now living in New Zealand, it should be no surprise that he made it out to the premiere of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," which utilized controversial high frame-rate technology. Cameron also told the paper that depending on how audiences respond to "The Hobbit," he may adopt the tech for "Avatar 2 and 3."

"If there is acceptance of 48, then that will pave the way for 'Avatar' [sequels] to take advantage of it," Cameron said. "We charged out ahead on 3-D with 'Avatar,' now Peter's doing it with 'The Hobbit.' It takes that kind of bold move to make change."

Are you excited to hear about progress on the "Avatar" sequels? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags avatar, Avatar 2, avatar 3, james cameron

George Clooney Teams With 'Bourne' Director, 'Argo' Writer For Crime Drama

Tempting as it is, try to resist the urge to tell the following news to "Argo" eff itself: "Bourne Supremacy" and "Ultimatum" director Paul Greengrass is teaming up with the writer of Ben Affleck's hostage drama and none other than George Clooney for a crime drama all their own.

Variety has the news that Greengrass, Clooney and "Argo" writer Chris Terrio are joining forces for an untitled crime drama. Details on the title and plot are completely under wraps; for now, all that's known is the film is "set in the world of New York criminal syndicates."

Honestly, that's more than enough information for the time being, as the talent alone is enough to demand attention: Greengrass behind the lens, Clooney producing (alongside his Smoke House producing partner Grant Heslov) and starring, Terrio on the script. With those ingredients in place, what more do you need to know right now?

Stick with Movies Blog in the coming weeks as more details emerge.

Let us know what you think of the news in the comments section below or hit us up on Twitter!

Tags Argo, Chris Terrio, george clooney, Paul Greengrass

Colin Trevorrow Was Actually Talking About A 'Flight Of The Navigator' Remake

By Hannah Soo Park

And another "Star Wars" directing rumor bites the dust. Internet buzz placing Colin Trevorrow in the front-running to direct "Star Wars :Episode VII" have officially been put to rest, with the "Safety Not Guaranteed" director attached to another '80s sci-fi favorite.

This past June, Trevorrow made comments about taking on a potential project with a "mythology that many people love." But while many speculated that he was referring to the upcoming "Star Wars" installment, news broke (via Variety) that Trevorrow and screenwriter Derek Connolly are actually in talks to rewrite time-travel flick "Flight of the Navigator," with the former in line to direct the film.

Directed by Randal Klesier, the 1986 version follows a 12-year-old boy who disappears from Earth without having aged a day'and it just happens to be that an alien spaceship has crashed nearby.

He may not have the burden of having to live up the standards of uber-devoted "Star Wars" fans, but that doesn't mean Trevorrow isn't up for a challenge'many who grew up in the '80s see "Navigator" as a beloved childhood classic. And while the film "meant a lot to Colin as a kid," Connolly says he doesn't have the same sentimental ties. "It wasn't a seminal movie of my childhood but I remember liking it," he told Variety. "It'll be good to have some balance so it's not two fanboys writing the movie."

But we're not too worried about this one. With Trevorrow's proven eye for quirky sci-fi and love for the original version, we're pretty sure he'll knock this one out of the park.

Tags Colin Trevorrow, flight of the navigator, Star Wars: Episode VII

Matthew Vaughn Collaborator Suggests 'Star Wars' Gig Is His

Does Jason Flemyng know something we don't about Matthew Vaughn and "Star Wars: Episode VII"?

It certainly seems like he has a different understanding of the rumors surrounding his frequent collaborator and Hollywood's most closely-watched directing gig. At an event for "Seven Psychopaths" in the UK, Vaughn's frequent collaborator spoke about the possibility of reteaming with him for "Episode VII" as if it would most likely happen and the deal was done.

"Me and Matt have done nine films together, so I'm sure I'll get the call for 'Star Wars,' but I'm sure it's going to be [impersonating Vaughn], 'Flemyng, no, Flemyng, I know on paper it doesn't look like much, but I promise you, it's essential to the part.' So we'll see what happens."

Harmless enough, but then when the interviewer asks if Vaughn is interested in the job, Flemyng gets confused.

(via Hey U Guys)

Brad Pitt: 'Killing Them Softly' Comes Together At The Very End

His status as a celebrity and paparazzi magnet aside, Brad Pitt doesn't get enough credit for picking great directors to work with. We know he's homeboys with David Fincher, and the man likes working with Soderbergh, but his work with "Killing Them Softly" director Andrew Dominik should be filed alongside those other two.

Speaking with MTV News' Josh Horowitz, Pitt shared what he looks for in a director.

"Certainly one, great skills with the camera, with the frame," Pitt said. "More importantly, all having a distinct point of view with a specific voice and what they're telling me. They know exactly what they're after. You need that at the helm. You need for the film to have some kind of impact, needs to have that weight behind it."

In the case of "Killing Them Softly," the weight behind the film is a deep and angry allegory about the 2008 financial collapse. Dominik makes parallels throughout the crime drama, and it's that aspect that drew Pitt in.

"It's absolutely that in that it's an undercurrent to the film. We think we're watching a crime drama, and it is a crime drama on the surface and entertaining on those levels," he said. "It's being sold that way, but there is this undercurrent to the film that I think speaks to our time specifically, as one view point of what we just come through and not completely through and a warning for the future in some way, and it doesn't crystalize until the very last line in the film."

"Killing Them Softly" opens in theaters on Friday.

Tags brad pitt, killing them softly

Aaron Paul Tweets About 'Breaking Bad' Final Season

Another day, another enthusiastic "Breaking Bad"-related tweet from Aaron Paul.

If you follow Jesse Pinkman on Twitter, you're probably very aware of one thing. The dude loves his job. There isn't a bigger "Breaking Bad" fan than Paul, and he seems to genuinely love the show more than anyone of us could possibly know.

Last season, he tweeted eagerly about each script he read and episode he filmed, and having watched the first half of the final season, we know that he wasn't lying about its awesomeness or epicness.

Taking his track record for accurate tweeting into consideration, his most recent comment has us dying for the series' conclusion next summer.

Check out what he had to say after the jump!

"I just finished reading the first episode of the final season of Breaking Bad and words can not express what I just experienced," he wrote. "Holy s***."

While this falls in line with pretty much everything Aaron Paul has ever written about the show, we trust the guy. Neither he nor "Breaking Bad" have ever let us down, so why should we doubt them now?

What are you hoping to see next season on "Breaking Bad"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags Aaron Paul, breaking bad

Gotham Awards Winners List: What Does This Mean For The Oscars?

The first major awards ceremony of the season, the Gotham Awards, was held last night in, of course, New York City, and while the main thrust of the ceremony is to honor indie filmmaking, the big winners could definitely impact the awards conversation for the Oscars.

Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" took the top prize for Best Feature and one big step toward becoming a contender when Oscar time rolls around. For the last few months, the film starring Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Edward Norton has been just outside the race for a Best Picture nomination, but all that could change in the next coming weeks, depending on how the Gotham win is perceived.

Check out a complete winners list after the jump!

Best Feature
Bernie
The Loneliest Planet
The Master
Middle of Nowhere
*Moonrise Kingdom*

Best Ensemble Performance
Bernie
Moonrise Kingdom
Safety Not Guaranteed
Silver Linings Playbook
*Your Sister's Sister*

Best Breakthrough Actor/Actress
Mike Birbiglia - Sleepwalk With Me
*Emayatzy Corinealdi - Middle of Nowhere*
Thure Lindhart - Keep The Lights On
Melanie Lynskey - Hello, I Must Be Going
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Best Breakthrough Director
Zal Batmanglij - Sound Of My Voice
Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky - Francine
Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin - Now, Forager
Antonio Mendez Esparza - Aqui y Alla
*Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild*

Best Documentary
Detropia
*How To Survive A Plague*
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present
Room 237
The Waiting Room

Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You
Kid-Thing
*An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty*
Red Flag
Sun Don't Shine
Tiger Tail In Blue

Audience Award
*Artifact*
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Burn
Once In A Lullaby: PS-22 Chorus Story
The Invisible War

Tribute Awards
Marion Cotillard
Matt Damon
David O Russell
Jeff Skoll

Bingham Ray Award
"Beasts Of The Southern Wild"

Euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight On Women Filmmakers 'Live The Dream' Grant
Stacie Passon

What do you think the "Moonrise Kingdom" win means for the Academy Awards? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags Moonrise Kingdom, oscars 2013

'Star Trek Into Darkness' Synopsis: The Manhunt Is On!

By Hannah Soo Park

If you plan to walk into "Star Trek Into The Darkness" completely blind, look away. Now.

If, on the other hand, you're dying for a tiny glimpse at the much-anticipated sequel before its trailer release, keep reading.

For the grueling six-month wait until the film's release in May 2013, Paramount Pictures has finally thrown "Star Trek" fans a bone and released an official summary of the movie, which it calls an "explosive action thriller." The description reveals tiny-but-telling tidbits'most notably words like "manhunt" and "weapon of mass destruction"'of what viewers might expect to see:

"When the crew of the enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

"With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

"As our heroes are propelled into an epic chase game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew."

In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye out for the first official trailer set to debut with "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." And we'd be cruel to not remind you about the nine-minute-long sneak peek that will play before select IMAX presentations of the film on its December 14 release date.

"Star Trek Into Dark" opens on May 17, 2013.

What do you think the official synopsis means for "Star Trek Into Darkness"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags Star Trek Into Darkness

'Breaking Dawn' Leads Record-Smashing Thanksgiving

FROM MTV NEWS

If the box office results are any indication, movie goers like vampires, secret agents, and historically accurate political procedurals with their Thanksgiving turkey. Raking in a total of $206.7 million, this weekend was the single highest-grossing Thanksgiving holiday in history.

Leading the pack once again was "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2," which added $43 million to it total. That figure now sits at a handsome $227 million.

Not far behind, James Bond kept his strong hold on the box office with "Skyfall" taking in an additional $36 million, making it the first film in the series to surpass the $200 million mark. "Lincoln," also performed well, bringing in $25 million for a strong third place finish.

The big disappoint of the weekend was DreamWorks' "Rise of the Guardians." The holiday mash-up only took in $24 million, much lower than expected.

Head over to MTV News for your full box office report.

Tags Box Office, james bond, lincoln, Skyfall, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn part 2

'Hobbit' Production Diary Wraps Things Up In Post

For as long as Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" trilogy has been gestating, the production blogs have been a real gift for fans eager for another trip for Middle-earth. The always insightful, often goofy visits to the Zealand set have made the wait all the more bearable with peeks insides production.

The newest production diary from Jackson and the team in New Zealand focuses on the post-production side of things as everyone is in the mad dash to finish the film before the premiere. The schedule currently has the film wrapping completely just two days in front of the big event in Wellington.

Check out the new production diary after the jump!

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" opens in theaters on December 14.

Tags peter jackson, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the-hobbit

Poll: What Did You Watch Over Thanksgiving?

A record-breaking box office weekend has left little doubt that many of you spent this Thanksgiving in the movie theaters. With three returning releases dominating the returns, we saw films with real staying power take control of the weekend over new releases like "Rise of the Guardians" and "Red Dawn."

But we want to know what you saw this weekend? Did you head back for seconds with Edward and Bella one final time. Or did the allure of "Skyfall," the thinking man's popcorn flick, trap you once again?

Let us know in the poll below!

Tags Polls, Skyfall, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn part 2

Josh Hutcherson Shares What He's Thankful For In 2012

Josh Hutcherson has had a big year. The one-time "Bridge to Terabithia" actor starred in another major adaptation, "The Hunger Games," and became a household name thanks to his portrayal of Peeta Mellark in the box office hit. When MTV News caught up with Hutcherson recently to talk about all the things he's had to be thankful for in 2012, the actor admitted that he knows how lucky he is.

"I'm very thankful [for 2012] as well," Hutcherson said. "I had a lot of work that came out this year and was pretty successful thus far, so it was exciting for me. It definitely exceeded my expectations."

But it's not just the fact that he had three films come out that has Hutcherson feeling thankful. He said he's also experienced many things this year that he never had before.

"I had a lot of firsts this year. I went to Paris, London and Berlin for the first time, so I got to see a lot of new places," he said. "I had a blast. The press tour was so fun with me and Liam [Hemsworth] and Jen [Lawrence] and [director] Gary [Marshall] flying all over the world together. ... Being with Liam and Jen was great because we were experiencing something brand-new to all of us. I think Liam had the most experience dealing with [a lot of press], just because of him and [his engagement to] Miley [Cyrus], but having really good people experiencing it with you made it a lot easier."

He's also glad he's looking to have a similarly successful year in 2013. With "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" due out and the final two "Hunger Games" movies to film, Hutcherson has lots to look forward to next year.

"There is the obvious that everybody will say, which is a better economy and a better America, so I hope for a better economy, a better America," he said. "Outside of that, we're shooting the next two 'Hunger Games' movies back-to-back, and then I'm shooting another 'Journey,' so as long as the world doesn't end, I have a busy 2013 coming up."

What are you thankful for? Let us know in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games

'Paranormal Activity 5' Gets A Halloween 2013 Release Date

The world is going to continue to experience some paranormal activity in 2013.

Paramount Pictures has announced the release date for "Paranormal Activity 5," which will hit theaters on October 25, 2013. No word yet on which actors will return for the film or who will direct it, but Paramount was quick to announce the film around the time "Paranormal Activity 4" hit theaters.

That film has gone on to gross $53.5 million in the United States so far, which seems to have been enough to get Paramount to want another incarnation of the low-budget horror series. So far none of the other movies have done as well as "Paranormal Activity," which made $107 million in the US during its entire run.

There's no guarantee that directing duo Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman will return for "Paranormal Activity 5" after helming numbers "3" and "4," but we hope they do. If they come back, we put together a little wish list of changes that we hope they make to the upcoming fifth "Paranormal Activity" installment: Namely, bring back the fan cam, go bigger with the scares and make sure to expand on the mythology. That's not too much to ask, right?

It's worth noting that a Latino spinoff of the "Paranormal Activity" franchise had been reported at the same time "Paranormal Activity 5" was, though we haven't heard much about it since. That film is supposed to be directed by "Paranormal Activity" sequels scribe Christopher Landon, and due out in spring 2013.

Are you glad that more "Paranormal Activity" movies are on the way? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags paranormal activity 5

Bond-a-Thond: The Great, Big Wrap-Up Post

Well, we did it. After 23 weeks of spies, gadgets, and alarmingly unhealthy sexual behavior, MTV Movies Blog crossed the finish-line of the first ever Bond-a-Thond.

Along the way, we kept an eye on some totals, chronicled the most memorable moments, and simply basked in the glory of 007 and the world of Ian Flemming. It was a rip-roaring adventure that got a little dark somewhere around 1979, but just like Bond, we persevered and made it through.

Click past the jump to check out some of our more unusual superlatives, as well as, the totals from our "by the numbers" counts and my closing thoughts on the series.

Best Unused Songs
Tie: Shirley Bassey's "No Good About Goodbye" from "Quantum of Solace" & Johnny Cash's "Thunderball"

MTV Movies Blog

With the "Tarantino XX" Blu-ray collection hitting store shelves today, now seems like as good a time as any to take a look back at one of the most influential filmmakers of our generation. MTV News has an exclusive look at one of the bonus features on this exciting boxed set, which shows Pam Grier talking about the moment she first learned Quentin Tarantino wanted her to play the title character in "Jackie Brown."

"They delivered this manuscript in a manila envelope and it says 'QT' in the corner and there's all these little stamps all over it, and I'm going, 'Okay, I'll open it,' and there it is: 'Jackie Brown,'" she remembers in the clip, which comes from "The World's Greatest Showman" special feature. "So I read it, and there's a note and it says, 'Please read it and call me when you read it.' And I'm reading it, and I'm going, 'Oh my god, it's remarkable, it's extraordinary.'"

Grier said she assumed that she would play the role of Samuel L. Jackson's "drugged-out pimp girlfriend," which eventually went to Bridget Fonda. When she called up Tarantino to tell him what she thought of the script, though, she was in for a big surprise.

"I call him and he goes, 'What did you think? I thought you didn't like it, I've been waiting for three weeks,'" she said. "I said, 'I like the Bridget Fonda role,' and he says, 'No, Jackie Brown is for you. You're going to play Jackie Brown.' And I went, 'I am?'"

Grier added, "The world stopped because someone who is a director, an artist, a craftsman of this magnitude would write something for me. I was speechless."

Will you be picking up a copy of "Tarantino XX"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

]]>

'Red Dawn': Watch The First Eight Minutes Of The Remake

With the remake of "Red Dawn" hitting theaters tomorrow, it's probably a good time to figure out whether you're going to enlist for another tour of duty with The Wolverines. Perhaps the best way to figure out if you want to enjoy the latest action offering would be to check out the first eight minutes of the film, courtesy of the folks over at io9.

The preview gives us a look at a happy small Colorado town'before the North Koreans invade, that is. The remake of "Red Dawn" stars Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki, and Josh Hutcherson as a band of teenagers who escape into the woods and mount a guerilla-style resistance to the new invaders.

Head over to io9 to check out the first eight minutes of "Red Dawn."

Tags chris hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, red dawn

'Smurfs 2' Teaser Trailer: The Blue Is Back

Are you happy, people? This is what happens when you go to see that "harmless" live-action Smurfs movie. Its makes $563.7 million, becomes an undeniable international hit, and gets a sequels.

Well, now that sequel has a trailer.

The entire gang from the first movie is back, along with some additional talent lending their voices to the tiny blue creatures.

Click past the jump to see the trailer (via ComingSoon) and read the full synopsis.

Synopsis:

In the sequel, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants ' and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs ' Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world's greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus ' or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

The film, which also stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Brendan Gleeson, Katy Perry, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin, Christina Ricci, JB Smoove and John Oliver, is set for release on July 31, 2013.

What did you think of the teaser for "Smurfs 2"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags smurfs, Smurfs 2, Trailers

Matt Damon Suits Up For 'Elysium'

A new picture from Neill Blomkamp's upcoming sci-fi allegory "Elysium," shows off some impress body work on Matt Damon. Here's to hoping that those extra parts are for more than stability and we get some super strength action when "Elysium" opens in August.

Also, George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy discuss the future of "Star Wars" in today's Dailies!

» George Lucas and New George Lucas (Kathleen Kennedy) talk the future of "Star Wars." [StarWars.com]

'Breaking Dawn - Part 2': What Did You Think

Well, that wasn't very surprising. After four and a half years, "The Twilight Saga" came to an end this past weekend and made a ton of money. Not quite "Harry Potter" money, but it sold enough tickets to make it the eighth biggest opening weekend of all time.

The critics were split right down the middle however. Though "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" sits atop the box office results, its score at Rotten Tomatoes sits at 49 percent, which is pretty much the standard Tomato-Meter score at this point.

But we want to know what you thought? Vote in our reader poll after the jump to tell us how you felt "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" stacked up.

Then head over to Hollywood Crush to vote which "Twilight" movie rules them all.

Got more to say? Share your thoughts in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn part 2

'Star Wars' Holiday Gift Guide: The Force Is Strong In 2012

There is one thing that a "Star Wars" fan never has to worry about: a lack of merchandise in the marketplace. The licensing geniuses at Lucasfilm ensured long ago that the universe of "Star Wars" stuff extends well beyond t-shirts, mugs and posters. And now that there's another trilogy in the works, "Star Wars" merch will be hotter than ever.

So, for the fan on your holiday shopping list, we offer this handy "Star Wars" Gift Guide. On it you will find gifts for everyone from young Padawans to old Jedi Masters that will fit every budget.

1. Winter's coming fast, so a functional yet stylish severed Wampa arm ice scraper will be much appreciated by your loved ones in harsher climes.

'Game Of Thrones' Season Three Teaser: Will The Night Ever End?

There's a storm of swords brewing in the Seven Kingdoms. It's just a shame that no one seems to realize that the real war lies north of Westeros.

"Game of Thrones" returns for its third season on March 31, 2013, bringing the frosty fury of winter along with it. Based on a portion of the third novel in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, "A Storm of Swords," the teaser identifies what the real war humanity faces is truly all about ' and it's nothing that any of our heroes, save for the men of the Night's Watch, seems to give a hoot about.

Watch the teaser below!

How Keira Knightley Fell For 'Manipulative And Cruel' Anna Karenina

By Colin Greten

When "Pride and Prejudice" and "Atonement" director Joe Wright was picked to helm another piece of classic literature in "Anna Karenina," it came as no surprise who he picked to play his lead. Keira Knightley has seen her acting career flourish in these types of roles. While she has had success in other roles her most critical success comes from her collaborations with Wright, resulting in two Golden Globe nominations and an Oscar nod.

In a recent interview with MTV News Knightley explained how her relationship with her title character, "Anna Karenina" has changed over time. After regrettably dropping out of school ("I was feeling really stupid," she cracked), the actress felt the need to read more books to keep her hesitations at ease. In reading the classic Russian tome, she originally found the character of Anna to be a sweet, innocent girl. However, after rereading the book in preparation for her upcoming role, she found herself hating Anna more than she ever would have thought. She explained that Anna is "not as nice as I thought she was."

"I think it's more interesting when you have characters where you don't know how you feel about them the whole time. I do sympathize with her and I do love her," she continued. "But you also go, 'She is manipulative and cruel and duplicitous."

Knightley's changing opinion of Anna proves just how far she has come as an actress. While many actresses research and work to truly become the roles that they play, it is clear Knightly thinks about it on a whole different level. Her struggle with the character of Anna is intriguing as perhaps the character experiences the same struggle.

While Anna can be seen as innocent, she is also the manipulative character that Knightley discovered last summer. "Anna Karenina" premieres in a limited release today, and if the Knightly/Wright combo has shown audiences anything, it's that they are perfectly suited to tackle this type of project.

Tags Anna Karenina, Joe Wright, keira knightley

'Twilight' Supercut: All Of Edward Cullen's Intense Stares

FROM FILM.COM

It's easy to joke that "Twilight" is nothing but the characters giving each other very serious stares, but it's not until you edit them all together that you realize how much staring their really is.

The folks over at Film.com have made a supercut of all of the time Edward Cullen stares very intensely. (Spoiler alert: He does it many, many times.)

Tags film.com, Twilight

Five Hopeful Best Original Song Nominees

Whether we like it or not Hollywood is in full-fledged awards season mode which, in addition to soon being inundated with "For Your Consideration" print ads and billboards, means that it's never too early for us to start making our own predictions about certain categories.

Hot on the heels of this week's buzzworthy first listen of Neil Flinn's original song for "The Hobbit," I'm dedicating my first prognosticating to one of my favorite and under-appreciated movie-related subjects: Best Original Song. Yes, more people should care about this category! Here are the tracks I hope get the attention they deserve in the next few months:

Neil Finn, "Song Of The Lonely Mountain"
Sure, the excitement for everything "Hobbit" is a little overwhelming and might seem excessive to some, but Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth IS cause for celebration for film score and song nerds like me because it means more Howard Shore brilliance AND this expertly-crafted, fitting new song from Finn. It has an old school, period piece sound with a few whimsical elements thrown in that remind me of the instruments featured in Shore's previous scores for "The Lord of the Rings."

Paul Williams, "Still Alive"
Speaking of nostalgia, Stephen Kessler's documentary "Paul Williams Still Alive" is probably the most blatantly nostalgic film of the year since it revolves around the director's lifelong obsession with Williams, but also reintroduces an entirely new generation to a '70s pop culture icon (writer of hits like "Rainbow Connection" and "Evergreen") who was a superstar way before MTV was born. Williams' original contribution to the film, "Still Alive," should tug on voters' heartstrings and muster a lot of nostalgic support. (For those curious about the movie, check out what Williams had to say about offering "hope for the hopeless" below)

Adele, "Skyfall"
This song should be a slam-dunk nominee, but because the Academy's rules for original song are extra complicated, Adele and co-writer Paul Epworth's wonderful addition to the canon of Bond songs might not get the recognition it deserves. Kristopher Tapley over at HitFix has done a great job of analyzing exactly how and why this could happen, but I'm going to think happy thoughts and keep pulling for the big, sweeping and timeless track to continue to be included in the conversation.

Mumford & Sons and Birdy, "Learn Me Right"
Original songs from animated movies have a strong track record of getting nominated and winning this category, particularly if the movie in question is a Disney or Pixar production, or a joint effort. Case in point, the soundtrack for "Brave." Although there are more than one nominee-worthy tracks here, "Learn Me Right" has enough originality, sentiment and folksy-ness to stay in the conversation. And the continued and increasing popularity of Mumford & Sons doesn't hurt either.

Toss-up: Willie Nelson, "Midnight Run" or one of Dolly Parton's "Joyful Noise" songs
Remember that point made earlier about nostalgia and how Academy voters love subtle walks down memory lane? Well, they also love when legendary and award-winning musicians lend their songwriting skills to Hollywood. I would like to give this fifth spot to my wild card choice below, but I'm pretty sure that Nelson and Parton will garner enough attention to earn themselves nominations here; I just don't know which artist they prefer at this point.

Wild card: Diane Warren, "Silver Lining (Crazy 'Bout You)"
Just because I like this fun collaboration between songwriting guru Diane Warren and UK pop phenom Jessie J. It's the most pop-y of the group, but there's enough buzz for "The Silver Linings Playbook" to maybe get folks interested in this catchy, upbeat tune (the video links for which have all been pulled down at the moment, due to copyright infringement).

'Breaking Dawn,' 'Anna Karenina,' And More: Double Feature Friday!

This week at theaters, vampires, Russians, and the depressed.

Check out all of this week's pairing on Double Feature Friday!

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" & "Lincoln"
Here me out on this one. The order in which you watch these two is essential. You have to go see "Lincoln" first. In the historical drama from Steven Spielberg, Lee Pace plays Representative Fernando Wood, a dastardly opponent to Lincoln's proposed 13th amendment to free the slaves. You grow to hate him passionately over the course of two and a half hours, so much so that's it's conceivable that Rep. Wood isn't a man at all. He's so wicked, he could be a vampire. *Mind blown sounds* Then proceed to watch "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" as if Pace's character Garrett is actual Rep. Wood, much later in his immortal life. Enjoy.

"Anna Karenina" & "Hanna"
With "Anna Karenina," Joe Wright delivers another intriguing cinematic experience. His previous effort, the unjustly under-seen "Hanna," remains a fun piece of genre work that should have found a larger audience. It's a complete change of pace for the director, who made a name for himself on costume-y period pieces (we'll forget about "The Soloist"). Instead of the class-based drama, "Hanna" mashes up fairy tale tropes and the spy genre to spin one great yarn.

"Silver Linings Playbook" & "Winter's Bone"
Before she was Katniss Everdeen, Jennifer Lawrence earned an Academy Award nomination for playing Ree Dolly, the tough-as-nails daughter of an Ozarks meth dealer. Since it's pretty much a lock that Lawrence will once again get a nomination for her work as Tiffany in "Silver Linings Playbook," now seems like a good time to take a look back at the role that proved to the world how amazing Lawrence can be.

If one movie is never enough for you and you're looking for a flick to get you in the mood for this week's new release, Double Feature Friday is here to help. Every week we break down the new releases and pair them with older movies that you should catch before heading out to the theater. Or just skip the new movie and check out the classic we recommend.

Tags Anna Karenina, hanna, lincoln, The Silver Linings Playbook, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn part 2, winter's bone

'Star Trek Into Darkness' Scores 9-Minute IMAX Preview

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but we already have some welcome early holiday cheer to celebrate thanks to an unexpected announcement from Paramount: a special preview of footage from "Star Trek Into Darkness" will be screened at select theaters on December 14.

That's right, in less than one month we're finally going to get a look at more than three frames of J.J. Abrams' highly-anticipated sequel, thanks to a nine-minute preview to be held at 500 digital IMAX theaters all over the country.

If this sounds slightly familiar, at around the same time last year Christopher Nolan unveiled an action-packed six minute prologue of "The Dark Knight Rises," an event that served to further fire-up the fan base. Not that "Rises" and "Trek" should or need to be compared here, but this move by Paramount and Abrams is a smart one. Plus Abrams is a big fan of IMAX and "jumped" at the chance to shoot portions of the film in the format.

"All expectations were exceeded'the action and resolution is insane at this scale," Abrams said in June when it was announced "Into Darkness" would shoot certain sequences in IMAX. "We cannot wait for audiences to see the crew of the Enterprise in a way they never have before."

A handful of people have already seen the Enterprise on the extra big screen, by the way. IMAX Chairman and President Greg Foster promises us an "incredible" nine-minute experience.

'Our longtime partners J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and the Bad Robot team have really hit it out of the park ' the footage is absolutely incredible," Foster said in a statement. 'Their use of the IMAX Camera and canvas is sure to impress current and future Star Trek fans alike, and we're thrilled to once again work with our friends at Paramount Pictures to offer this extended 'first look' at this highly anticipated summer blockbuster.'

Are you excited to see "Star Trek Into Darness" in IMAX? Tell us in the comments section or on Twitter!

Tags Star Trek Into Darkness

Tom Hardy Lands 'Splinter Cell' Lead Role

Now here's a video game adaptation that we can totally get behind. According to a new report, Tom Hardy has signed on to star in a big screen take on "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell."

Video game publisher and developer Ubisoft is already riding high thanks to the news that Michael Fassbender is slated to star in and co-produce an adaptation of "Assassin's Creed," and this news is arguably even more exciting. Variety broke the Hardy news, though little else is known about the project.

"Splinter Cell" isn't currently set up at a studio, though "The International" scribe Eric Warren Singer is planning to write a script for Ubisoft. The company is reportedly in early talks to set up the project with either Warner Bros. or Paramount. Hardy will play main character Sam Fisher, who Variety describes as "a highly-trained special operative in a fictional black-ops operation called Echelon." This won't be Hardy's first time playing a government agent, though his CIA agent Tuck in "This Means War" is a whole different type of leading man.

"Tom Hardy is currently one of the biggest talents in the film industry, and he has a phenomenal ability to take on complex and varied roles with his broad range of acting skills," Jean-Julien Baronnet, CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, said in a statement. "His involvement in the 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell' movie is exciting news for movie and video game fans alike. Meanwhile, Eric Singer is one of the most talented writers of the moment, and ... we're confident he'll bring a fresh approach and create a thrilling story ... while still respecting all the codes and traditions of the franchise that are so important to fans."

Interestingly enough, back in August it had been reported that Hardy would have a role in a Tom Clancy film. At the time, it was believed that Hardy would portray John Kelly in "Without Remorse," a spinoff series to the upcoming "Jack Ryan." It's unclear how this new "Splinter Cell" deal is related to that news or if it circumvents it, but stay tuned to MTV Movies Blog to find out more as soon as we hear about it.

Do you think Tom Hardy is a good fit for "Splinter Cell"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags Splinter Cell, Tom Hardy

Michael Sheen Really Likes Talking About His 'Breaking Dawn' Laugh

When it comes to the "Twilight Saga," what people tend not to discuss is how freaking weird it can be. Seriously. Did you see "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" last year? Robert Pattinson did some terrible things to a very emaciated Kristen Stewart.

This year and for "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," the strangest thing just might have to be Michael Sheen and his character, Aro's, laugh, which rings out in the battlefield and will definitely creep out the audience.

When MTV News' Josh Horowitz caught up with Sheen, the actor explained what the hell was up with that laugh. "It's the laugh of millennia old insanity rising up from the abyss that is his empty soul," he said.

He took the words right out of our mouths. Anyway, Sheen went on to describe his method behind the laugh at length and made it impossibly clear that a lot of thought went into this little giggle.

"You have to imagine being so bored for years, upon years, upon years, and something happens that you've never seen before, something you never thought you could possibly see, the newest and the most extraordinary of things appears before you, which in the film is this young girl, Renesmee," Sheen said. "Then you just have to let it out. I played Mozart years ago, so there's Mozart's laugh in there from 'Amadeus.' There's the madness of Roman emperors like Caligula."

That's right. Mozart and Caligula. That's awesome.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" opens in theaters tomorrow.

Tags michael sheen, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn part 2

James Bond's DB5 Shows Up In 'Grand Theft Auto V' Trailer

Hot off the mega-success of "Skyfall," James Bond is receiving a new honor.

In the newly released second trailer for "Grand Theft Auto V," 007's iconic Aston Martin BD5, which played a significant role in "Skyfall," appears falling out the back of a semi.

It's unclear whether the cameo will result in a driveable version of the classic car from "Goldfinger," but knowing Rockstar and their love for movies, we have a feeling that you'll be cruising around Los Santos, the GTA universe's stand-in for Los Angeles, this Spring when the next game drops.

Click past the jump to watch the trailer!

Head over to MTV Geek and the Multiplayer blog for all your "Grand Theft Auto V" and video game coverage.

"Grand Theft Auto V" will hit Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in the Spring of 2013.

What did you think of the second trailer? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags grand theft auto, james bond, Skyfall

That 'Oz The Great And Powerful' Poster Looks Familiar

Yesterday, we brought you a look at the complete three-part poster for "Oz the Great and Powerful," and earlier today, a new trailer for the Sam Raimi-directed fantasy debut. (You can watch it here.)

But what really has people's attention today is something that a Reddit user pointed out over on /r/movies. It turns out that Disney is really looking to recapture the enormous audience that came out to see their other revisionist fairy tale, "Alice in Wonderland." One quick look at the two posters leaves little doubt that they're trying to spark some connection between to the two movies.

Check out the side-by-side after the jump!

The two films were always going to bear some kind of resemblance. Robert Stromberg, who also worked on "Avatar," served as production designer for both Disney productions, and there are certainly shades of his overall aesthetic in both Oz and Wonderland.

But it's when you take a gander at the posters for the two films, that you begin to see how similar Disney wants them to appear.

What do you think of the similarities between the two posters? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags alice in wonderland, Oz The Great and Powerful, Posters

'Django Unchained' Wallpapers: Your Desktop Gets Some Revenge

Is your current desktop wallpaper a picture of some green grass and a blue sky? Or a picture of a kitten or some eerie-looking trees?

Forget all of that. It's time your desktop got some revenge.

Thankfully, a brand new set of wallpapers from "Django Unchained" and the official website are here to spice things up for your boring old computer background. So instead of that picture of a cool car or Ryan Gosling, you can have a picture of Walton Goggins as Billy Crash, which, in all honesty, is the smart choice.

Check out some of our favorite backgrounds and a new teaser after the jump!

'Anchorman 2' Will Have You Singing A Song

One of the greatest moments in the original "Anchorman" movie didn't take place until the very end of the 2004 news spoof when the cast got super funky to the stains of the soft rock staple "Afternoon Delight."

Well, in addition to the return of Ron Burgundy, Brian Fantana, Champ Kind and the irrepressible Brick Tamland, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" promises more musical enchantments.

Speaking to The Playlist, director/producer/writer Adam McKay said he's already worked up some ear candy treats for the sequel due out next year.

"There will be some music in 'Anchorman 2' though for sure, we have some songs already written," he said. "We were going to do 'Anchorman 2' as a Broadway musical first, for like six months and then go shoot the movie. That was our initial idea." The Will Ferrell/Steve Carell-headlined movie, which has had a difficult path to the big screen, will most definitely have "whole sequences" devoted to musical numbers, though McKay did not reveal which songs might make the cut.

"The music sequences we have done -- we did 'Afternoon Delight' [in 'Anchorman'], Adam Scott and his family singing 'Sweet Child O' Mine' [in 'Step Brothers'], we did a whole song for 'Talladega Nights' that got cut out, a big, big musical number -- we always do it live on the set," McKay explained. "And my thing is, if the actors get freaked out, don't sweat it, we can always re-record it later. And every time we've done it, we end up using the live track from the recording. We'll probably do it the same way in this." This time, though, he might make the actors sweat it out thanks to a "little more movement," which he feared might test the actors' stamina.

McKay said he's working over the top-secret script along with star and producing partner Ferrell. While he wouldn't give any details on what adventures await San Diego's crack news team, he did give a peek at the challenges they might face in a digital world.

"Even thought it's going to be a big silly movie, it's all about the rise of the new media and 24 hour news cycle, and there's a lot of interesting points to make about that while being silly," McKay said. "I mean what is this 24 hours news, and this wall of white noise information, has it really been good for our country? The great thing when you find a point of view like that is that it doesn't have to be preachy or didactic, it's also funny. It's just funny that Americans have to contend with 2000 channels, and 60 different specific news sources, and the confusion that it creates, and the junk that we get to see is hilarious. That's what we're always kinda looking for, what's the point of view that's got life to it and plays."

Back in June, star Carell told MTV News that he was hoping the Channel 4 news crew didn't change a note in the sequel. "I hope he doesn't evolve at all," Carell said of his lamp-loving character Tamland. "I haven't seen the script, so I'm not sure, but I hope he doesn't evolve ' I hope he doesn't have any more presence in the movie than he did already."

"Anchorman 2" will start shooting in March and no release date has been announced yet.

Tags Adam McKay, Anchorman 2, will ferrell

'The Host' Trailer Promises Romance AND Sci-Fi Action

After four years of domination on the part of "The Twilight Saga," the name "Stephenie Meyer" will probably stir images of lovelorn teenagers, weeping in the Pacific Northwest. So when the first trailer for "The Host" boasts the same author, we know where your head will likely go.

But, but, with no disrespect to Ms. Meyer, of course, the name that should be catching your eye is that of Andrew Niccol, the writer and director of thew new film starring Saoirse Ronan and Max Irons. Niccol is responsible for heady sci-fi like "Gattaca" and "In Time," along with "Lord of War," a movie that had Nicolas Cage acting suspiciously normal.

With the fandom attached to Meyer's name and the group that is likely to seek out a new Niccol film, "The Host" might just have the most eclectic audience of the year when "The Host" opens on March 29, 2013.

What did you think of the trailer? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags Andrew Niccol, saoirse ronan, The Host

'The Hobbit': Listen To The Entire Score Now!

Back in the early aughts, when moviegoers counted on an annual trip to Middle-earth, thanks to Peter Jackson and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, one of the first signals that you were headed back to the realm of hobbits and dwarves was Howard Shore's string-driven score, playing over the series' title.

It's only fitting that for Jackson's and our collective return to Middle-earth for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," Shore will once again provide the music that takes us there, and with a little more than a month to go, Empire has given us a great way to prepare: the entire score online.

Listen to the whole thing after the jump!

'Skyfall': What Did You Think?

If audiences voted with their wallets this week, "Skyfall" played very favorably with the massive crowds that came out in droves to see the 23rd adventure of James Bond on the big screen. "Skyfall" took in a much larger than expected total, around $87.8 million.

The critics were almost equally as generous. The TomatoMeter rating for "Skyfall" currently sits at 91 percent, easily ranking it among the best reviewed films of the year.

But we want to know what you thought of "Skyfall." Let us know in the poll below.

'The Host' Trailer Debuts Tomorrow On MTV.com

Just as we preparing to say "goodbye" to one of the world's Stephenie Meyer create, we are just beginning to get excited for the introduction to another.

"The Host," based on Meyer's first adult novel, is set for a March 2013 release with "Hanna" star Saoirse Ronan in the lead role, but the first theatrical trailer for the adaptation will debut tomorrow on MTV.com at 7 a.m. ET.

Ronan recently spoke with MTV News' Josh Horowitz about "The Host" and the inevitable "Twilight" comparisons.

"They are always going to make comparisons just because it's Stephenie's next novel and 'Twilight' was so massive and so huge and so successful that it's an automatic reaction for anyone to have," Ronan said. "I can understand that. It's good for the film. Hopefully the fans of 'Twilight' ' the film and the book ' will go and see it. It's very different. The concept is quite incredible."

For the full interview with Saoirse Ronan, head over to MTV News.

Tags saoirse ronan, The Host, Trailers, Twilight

'Hotel Transylvania 2' Checking Back In For 2015

It won't be long before we can check in to "Hotel Transylvania" again.

After the animated monster movie did well in theaters following its September 28 release, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Sony has decided to greenlight a sequel for the flick. "Hotel Transylvania 2" is going to hit theaters on September 25, 2015, almost two years to the day after "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2," the studio's other forthcoming animated sequel, is due out.

Though it's good news that the film is coming out, it doesn't seem likely that director Genndy Tartakovsky will return for it. He's currently set to helm Sony's "Popeye" movie, which is slated to hit theaters on September 26, 2014. It doesn't seem likely that he'll be able to juggle both, though we bet that "Hotel Transylvania 2" will do just fine without him at the helm.

"Hotel Transylvania" went on to make $140 million in the United States and $270 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Sony Pictures Entertainment movie ever. It wasn't received especially well by critics, but it broke the September box office slump and that's all that counts.

The animated film brought together the voice talents of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and even CeeLo Green. They portrayed a variety of different creatures who go bump in the night, including Dracula, Frankenstein and Quasimodo. Our bet is that some of these characters will return in the forthcoming sequel, while we'll see a new line-up of voice actors as well.

Are you excited for "Hotel Transylvania 2"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags Hotel Transylvania, Hotel Transylvania 2

'Twilight' Takes Over MTV This Weekend

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH

We are one week away from the final adventures of Edward and Bella, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2," but before we can say our final good-byes, it's probably best to take a trip down memory lane.

That's why it's so perfect that this weekend (November 10 and 11) MTV will be revisiting some of our best interviews with Rob, Kristen, and the rest of the "Twilight" cast as we countdown to the epic conclusion of saga.

Tune into MTV this weekend to see the segments hosted by MTV News' Josh Horowitz that go all the way back to 2008, when it was all just beginning.

Head over to Hollywood Crush for the full details!

Tags The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn part 2, Twilight

Mark Wahlberg Is The Man For 'Transformers 4'

FROM MTV NEWS

Thanks, Internet!

After rumors about Mark Wahlberg cropped up on the web and then were subsequently shot down and then kind of validated by Michael Bay, we now have confirmation that Dirk Diggler himself will be replacing Shia LaBeouf as the lead in the "Transformers" series.

The actor and director hit is off so well during their first collaboration, next year's "Pain and Gain," that they were raring to work together again. It was not specified which project Bay was talking about when he said that they would collaborate again, but that next movie quickly became "Transformers 4," and that's OK by us.

Splash Page's Josh Wigler reached out to some other blog editors to see what they had to say about the casting, and the response was certainly positive. "It's an absolutely brilliant move," wrote Valerie Gallaher from MTV Geek. "It'll keep this franchise fresh."

Head over to MTV News for the full report!

Tags mark wahlberg, Transformers 4

George Lucas And Kathleen Kennedy Discuss 'Star Wars' Directors

George Lucas and the new head of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, sat down for an interview on StarWars.com to talk about the future of the series. There's a lot of talk about writers and directors, so check it out.

Also, you are not ready for these celebrity trick bowling shots in today's Dailies!

» You aren't ready for this round of celebrity trick bowling shots. [Funny or Die]

'World War Z' Round-Up: Trailer And A New Photo

Zombies are so hot right now. And lest we be worried about an over-saturation of the undead walkers in pop culture at the moment, we're still psyched about Brad Pitt's foray into the genre with "World War Z."

Thankfully, there's a new trailer and "Entertainment Weekly" has a brand new photo from the film to tide us over until we get to see more of the zombie hoards hunting our hero Pitt.

Check out the photo and the trailer for "World War Z" after the jump!

The photo shows Pitt, as United Nations researcher Gerald Lane, in the midst of what looks like a panicked crowd trying to escape the threat of an imminent zombie attack. Not to compare and contrast or bring up old zombie movies, but this photo reminds me a lot of the scene in Will Smith's "I Am Legend" in which Smith's character is saying goodbye/trying to get his family away from and out of Manhattan before the outbreak claims everyone.

EW managed to get some time with the film's visual effects supervisor John Nelson who explained how he designed the film's zombies to be unique and "predatory."

"They are like predatory animals that can't control themselves," Nelson said. "I worked with tigers [while shooting Gladiator], and if you watch them when a horse goes by they go batty, even if they know they can't reach it. When Zs see humans they do same thing, they activate. They launch themselves."

Nelson went on to say that he and his design team looked to a lot of other animals as points of reference for their undead. "[Our zombies] move like birds or school of fish, too, in reactive formations, and it's not because they have a higher level of [shared] thinking or communication ' it's about their nature and the fact that their instinct to infect is so basic, efficient, and overpowering. They will go through anything. If they lose both legs, they will walk on their hands. They lock in and they're like salmon going upstream or sperm swimming to be the first to egg."

Tags world war z

'Star Wars' Writer Michael Arndt: What You Need To Know

"Star Wars" fans have a friend in Michael Ardnt, the screenwriter who has reportedly penned a treatment for Disney and Lucasfilm's new trilogy. Even if Arndt isn't a household name, surely you know the man's work.

Read on for a closer look at what Arndt's résumé tells us about the future of "Star Wars."

Arndt made his big splash in 2006 with "Little Miss Sunshine," a road-trip comedy about a dysfunctional family finding themselves and renewing their faith in one another through one impossible situation after another. Thrust some lightsabers in their hands and replace the pageant show with a burlesque scene at Jabba's and you wouldn't be too far off from the dynamics at play in the first "Star Wars" films. Arndt's Oscar winning work on "Sunshine" shows his proficiency at handling an ensemble while making each character stand out with their own unique voices and breakout moments ' crucial skills to have in place for the next round of "Star Wars" films.

Also on Arndt's résumé is "Toy Story 3," the record-breaking Pixar film that concluded the studio's most iconic trilogy of movies. The film was nominated for a Best Picture award at the Oscars in 2011, and many would argue (yours truly included) that "Toy Story 3" was the best of the trilogy. That says something considering how great the first two were. Here, Arndt showed that he can dive into a franchise that hasn't moved a muscle in almost a decade, and breathe new but familiar life into characters we've loved for years. Sounds like a useful skill for someone trying to resurrect the "Star Wars" series, doesn't it?

Beyond those movies, Arndt's credits consist of films that have yet to be released. On that list is "The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside The Mind," a film we know absolutely nothing about, but, hey, it's Pixar ' it (almost) has to be good! It also shows that Arndt's isn't a one-trick pony; he's a reliable writer, one who excites the elite Disney-owned studio. There's a reason Disney backed this horse for their next biggest franchise.

None of these films are particularly action-packed, at least not in the same way that the "Star Wars" movies are. Arndt's about to get those types of credits on his résumé with work on Tom Cruise's new sci-fi vehicle "Oblivion" and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," the second film in the four-part adaptation of the "Hunger Games" novels. Ultimately, the success of "Catching Fire" will depend on a number of factors, Arndt's script included. But the fact that he was turned to already for one of today's biggest film franchises shows that studios have confidence in Arndt's ability to handle this type of material.

All of these factors considered, our money is on Arndt being more than capable of delivering not just a solid "Star Wars" treatment, but an exciting and ' fingers crossed ' award-fetching one.

What do you think of the proposed "Star Wars" writer? Tell us in the comments section below or hit us up on Twitter!

Tags Michael Arndt, Star Wars: Episode VII