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- Marvel's 'Avengers' Success: What Can DC Comics Learn From It?
Marvel Studios tentpole flick provides the perfect template for DC Comics to emulate in their post-'Dark Knight' movie endeavors.
By Josh Wigler
Samuel L. Jackson in "The Avengers"
Photo: Marvel"The Dark Knight Rises" marks the end of an era on multiple levels: Not only is it the grand finale of Christopher Nolan's historic Batman film franchise, it's also the last DC Entertainment movie that's guaranteed to be a hit.
Sure, "Man of Steel" is just one year away, but what's to say that it'll fare better than "Superman Returns," which earned a mere $200 million domestically? And even though a sequel is reportedly in development, "Green Lantern" didn't exactly dazzle with its $116 million performance. Let's face it: Without the box-office behemoth known as the "Dark Knight" trilogy in its back pocket, DC's film future is uncertain at best.
Of course, it doesn't have to be that way. Some of the greatest and most iconic characters in comic book history reside under the DC banner. And if there was any doubt that superheroes have box-office appeal, look no further than "Marvel's The Avengers," which is breaking records and winning over new fans with every passing day. There's much to be learned from the House of Ideas' approach to building a superhero universe on the big screen — and even though they're on opposite sides of the aisle, and even if it's a little bit late in the game, DC would be wise to utilize Marvel's movie strategy ... albeit with some tweaks.
Sting Away
"I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative," Nick Fury told Tony Stark at the end of 2008's "Iron Man," giving life to a shared Marvel movie-verse in one simple line of dialogue. Marvel is the master of using the post-credits stinger as a way to thread its movies together: "Iron Man 2" teasing Thor's hammer, the ending of "Thor" introducing the Cosmic Cube ahead of "Captain America," the list goes on. DC's earliest opportunity to apply the same idea is "Dark Knight Rises," but as the conclusion of a finite trilogy, it doesn't feel like the right place to get that particular ball rolling. They'd be wise to wait until "Man of Steel" flies into theaters in June 2013, ending Kal-el's big-screen comeback with an overt nod toward an expansive cinematic DCU to come.The World's Finest
A "Man of Steel" stinger doesn't have to set up "Justice League," even if that's the obvious route. It would be just as easy, and perhaps even wiser, to allude to the existence of Batman in the new Superman's world. Nolan's trilogy will be long gone by the time "Man of Steel" drops, and the world will be ready for another trip to Gotham City. But rather than fast-tracking a solo Batman adventure that has to live up to Nolan levels of hype, why not skip straight ahead to the long-anticipated "Superman/Batman" movie? The double-billing of Henry Cavill's Man of Tomorrow and a new Caped Crusader would quickly gratify fans yearning for more Batman and Superman movies, as well as mark a major milestone in the creation of a shared DC universe without having to rush "Justice League" before it's ready.Back in a Flash
"Superman/Batman" is the quick response to "Avengers"; a movie that can get off the ground by late 2014 or early 2015. It would be much more challenging to create a worthy "Justice League" movie in that time frame. More characters need to be established first: "The Flash," for example, is an easy yes for DC. "Green Lantern" sequels aren't as much of a necessity; a "Justice League" movie could always push Ryan Reynolds' Hal Jordan out of the picture in favor of another Lantern, like John Stewart or Kyle Rayner, introduced perhaps by way of a post-credits "Flash" scene. "Aquaman" and "Wonder Woman" movies would be nice as well, but the former is a hard sell, while the latter ... well, let's talk about the latter.Hold the Wonder
I want a "Wonder Woman" movie as badly as anybody, but maybe it's best to hold off until after "Justice League." The reason: Hulk syndrome. Like Wonder Woman, Hulk has been a tricky character to pull off in live-action. But if there's anything "Avengers" nailed perfectly, it's "the Other Guy," a hero that few got right before Joss Whedon and Mark Ruffalo came along. Surrounding him with other heroes gave him innumerable opportunities to shine, and now people want to see him alone in his own "Hulk" movie again. I foresee a similar situation with Wonder Woman: Any all-star "Justice League" movie would prove to the uninitiated just how big of a badass Wonder Woman really is, all but guaranteeing the demand for a post-"Justice" solo flick, Jade Giant-style.Hire Joss Whedon
Just kidding ... mostly. Above all else, the reason why "Avengers" works is because someone who knows, respects and cares about the characters was guiding the film. If DC decides to walk the road to "Justice League," they need someone with Whedon levels of passion and knowledge, someone who can bring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the others together with the love and care they deserve.They could also just try hiring Joss Whedon. Worked out pretty well for Marvel!
How do you think DC should respond to "The Avengers"? Tell us in the comments section.
Check out everything we've got on "Marvel's The Avengers."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosПереслать - Johnny Depp Secures Place As 'Alpha Vampire'
'Dark Shadows' star tells Robert Pattinson that 'there's room for two vampires on this block.'
By Jocelyn Vena
Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson
Photo: Warner Bros./ SummitIn a recent interview with this big screen vampire, Johnny Depp opened up about any potential vampy face-offs with fellow heartthrob and big-screen bloodsucker Robert Pattinson.
When asked if there's any sort of blood feud with the "Twilight" star, Depp noted that it's all cool between the two actors. "There's room for two vampires on this block -- as long as he remembers I am the Alpha Vampire," he told UsMagazine.com at the London premiere of his campy vampire flick, "Dark Shadows," which opens this weekend.
Of course Edward Cullen and Barnabas Collins aren't really cut from the same vampire DNA. Where Edward is brooding and sullen, Barnabas is on the other end of the spectrum, with his oddball charm and old-world demeanor. And their transitions to the modern world are quite different. While Edward had been living in the world over the course of his vampire life, Barnabas had been in a coffin for 200 years before emerging in the 1970s.
When MTV News spoke to Depp about the film, he noted that exploring Barnabas' evolution in the contemporary world was what drew him to the story.
"Playing a kind of reluctant vampire, in a sense, the reluctant vampire who has been locked in a box for 200 years and his misfortune to be let out in an age when things are probably at their most surreal in terms of 1972," Depp said. "It's a very odd period. Things are changing radically; the sort of peace and love thing was over with, and we were rapidly approaching disco, so musically and aesthetically, that was the fun of it, to place this hyper-elegant figure from the late 18th century into one of the weirdest times of all time."
The film is the latest collaboration between Deep and director Tim Burton. It's the big-screen adaptation of the 1960s soap opera of the same name.
Who do you think is the Alpha Vampire: Edward Cullen or Barnabas Collins? Leave your pick below!
Check out everything we've got on "Dark Shadows."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosПереслать - 'Dark Shadows' Brings Out Best In Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer
The film works most of the time, but its conclusion is sure to leave fans divided.
By John Mitchell
Eva Green and Johnny Depp in "Dark Shadows"
Photo: Warner Brosfinally hit theaters Friday (May 11), and let me tell you, it's a doozy. There's a lot to admire about Tim Burton's reimagined "Shadows" (and there are some problems as well), but the question that has lingered with me most since seeing the film is who exactly Tim Burton made it for.
I'm not sure it was "Shadows" purists, those who ran home from school to soak up the strange, dark and wonderful late-'60s soap opera and who still have a strong connection to the style and feel of the original. It's probably not for fans of Burton and Johnny Depp's earlier collaborations either, even though the trailers and TV spots sell it like it's supposed to be.
"Shadows" has long been talked about as a passion project for Burton and Depp, so in the end, maybe they made it for themselves. And the thing is, up until the very last 15 or so minutes, I was right there with them: Their affection for the original is clear, the performances are uniformly wonderful and it gives Burton room to breathe in a way we haven't seen in years. It's unfortunate that its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink conclusion feels strangely tacked on, because until then "Shadows" is the best thing the pair have done together since Depp gave one of his finest performances in Burton's touchingly bizarre 1994 film "Ed Wood."
Barnabas Collins isn't anything like Depp's crazed Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland" or his maniacal Willy Wonka from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Don't be fooled by the jump-cut trailer — it actually falls among his more reserved performances. The zingers that seem borderline farcical in the trailer work better than you expect — they certainly earned hearty laughs from the audience when I saw the flick — and are peppered throughout, lending a more even tone than I expected.
Depp's Barnabas is an old-fashioned gentleman trapped in the body of a monster, and the actor never lets that fact get lost, even when the film's myriad subplots pull him in a hundred different directions. His vampire is far more human than the actor sometimes seems in movies in which his character's heart is still beating.
In a testament to how winning Depp is, he's able to play a 200-year-old vampire in (occasionally too obvious) white makeup without sucking all the air out the room, leaving room for the supporting players to soar. Most notable are Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green.
Pfeiffer is in full-on grande dame mode as family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. It's a kick to see the thrice Oscar-nominated actress get a meaty role in a big picture like this, and she does not waste the opportunity, providing the entire affair with some much-needed grounding. Her gaze is steely and she carries herself regally, though years of hardship have clearly chipped away at her character's resolve, all of which comes across like a metaphor for the crumbling estate she guards, Collinwood.
Green is a four-alarm hoot as the evil witch Angelique Bouchard, or Angie, as she's come to be known by the townspeople in Collinsport, where she's reinvented herself as a fishing magnate specifically to take down the Collins family business. Sure, she's an evil witch who has been tormenting the Collins family for centuries, but these days she's more of a cherry-red-convertible-driving good-time girl — albeit one with grudge that runs deep. Green chews the scenery and spits it out, which works like gangbusters in an over-the-top movie like this. She's so game throughout, you almost find yourself rooting for the bad guy.
As for Burton's direction, there's an unexpected streak of sentimentality and nostalgia running through "Shadows" that recalls "Big Fish" as much as it does the film's more logical brothers ("Sleepy Hollow," "Beetlejuice"). Operating on sets instead of green-screen soundstages, he hasn't set his "Shadows" in a cartoon. Collinsport feels like a real place — the family manor has character, and there's Gothic atmosphere to spare.
We haven't hit on the story too much because, well, there's a lot of it. In his rush to cover as much ground from the series as possible (and leave the door open for possible sequels), screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith is a little too quick to truncate story lines that were developed over a more than thousand-episode run on the soap. It's all hung broadly on the milestones of Barnabas' attempts to reinvigorate the family business while courting Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) and acclimate to the many changes that have happened during the 200 years he was entombed.
Consider Barnabas' attempts to make himself mortal again with the help of Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter, bringing as much drunk fun as she can to an otherwise thankless part). It was the through line of the early-'90s revamp of "Shadows" but is a side note here — one saddled with an unnecessary added twist.
But with more working than not, we were willing to forgive that lack of focus until things took a fiery final turn. Perhaps unable to find a reasonable way to wrap up the many story lines, Grahame-Smith and Burton take things a little too far off the rails with a noisy and scattered climax that doesn't make much sense. Even the actors seem unsure of what's happening, and Depp, Pfeiffer and Green struggle to stay afloat amid all the noise.
(We're not even going to go there with the last-minute plot twist tossed at Chloë Moretz's character.)
"Shadows" will almost certainly leave casual fans baffled, not because it's bad (to be fair, some in the MTV Newsroom were not as turned off by the ending as we were), but because it's a passion project wearing the mask of a summer blockbuster.
Have you seen "Dark Shadows"? Let us know in the comments below!
Check out everything we've got on "Dark Shadows."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosПереслать - Zooey Deschanel To Play Loretta Lynn On Broadway
Lynn announced during a show Thursday that she intends to bring 'Coal Miner's Daughter' to the stage, with Deschanel to star.
By James Montgomery
Zooey Deschanel and Loretta Lynn
Photo: Getty ImagesZooey Deschanel has already tackled movies, television, music, bangs, "crafternoons" and commercials in which she needs a robotic assistant to tell her whether or not it's raining, and now, it looks like she's set to take on Broadway, too.
During a Thursday night Grand Ole Opry show at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium, country legend Loretta Lynn announced that she intended to bring her life story to the Great White Way, and that she had pegged Deschanel to play her in the production. Lynn then invited the actress onto the stage to sing her iconic (and autobiographic) hit "Coal Miner's Daughter." Obviously honored, Deschanel told the audience that Lynn was her "hero."
"Coal Miner's Daughter," which tells the story of Lynn's childhood in rural Kentucky, was a #1 hit for the singer in 1970, and would go on to be the title of her best-selling 1976 autobiography. In 1980, the book was made into a movie starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, which earned Spacek a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the singer.
Lynn told the Opry crowd that the Broadway adaptation would carry the same title, and (of course) would be a musical. There's no word on just when the production would hit the stage, and a rep for Deschanel did not respond to MTV News' request for comment at press time.
Deschanel currently stars in Fox's breakout hit "New Girl," and has been making music for years, most notably as one half of She & Him (along with M. Ward). The duo released their third album, A Very She & Him Christmas, late last year.
Do you think Zooey Deschanel is a good fit for the role of Loretta Lynn? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Переслать - ODB Biopic Requires 'A Lot Of Knowledge,' Michael K. Williams Says
'I've got a lot of insight into who he was as a human being and as a man and, dare I say it, scholar,' actor tells MTV News.Kara Warner
By Kara Warner
ODB and Michael K. Williams
Photo: Getty ImagesCrafting the perfect Hollywood biopic is often very tricky business. More often than not, you are dealing with the legacy of a star who passed away too soon, the emotional impact a big-screen adaptation might have on the subject's family, as well as casting the perfect actor to bring an iconic individual to life.
The filmmakers behind the Ol' Dirty Bastard biopic "Dirty White Boy" are off to a very positive start with their film in that they have enlisted celebrated and very capable actor Michael K. Williams to tackle the title role. MTV News recently caught up with Williams, most well-known for his roles as Chalky White on "Boardwalk Empire" and the haunting, shotgun-toting Omar Little on "The Wire," and Williams had a lot to say about the research and groundwork he's putting into his preparation for the role of the Wu Tang Clan lyricist (born Russell Tyrone Jones).
"I am doing a lot of research on Russell," Williams said recently on the set of the upcoming short film "They Die by Dawn." "I had the pleasure of meeting his beautiful mother, Ms. Cherry. We sat down for, like, three hours, and she told me the most amazing stuff about her son and a lot of things that the public didn't know. I've been talking to people who know him well ... people who knew him when the cameras weren't rolling," Williams said. "I've got a lot of insight into who he was as a human being and as a man and, dare I say it, scholar. The dude was quite smart. You have to be able to recite mathematics and be 5 percent of god body — you can't play with that. You have to know what you're talking about. It's a lot of studying, a lot of knowledge."
Williams went on to say that the film will be mostly a straight drama, but will also include plenty of ODB's more colorful personality quirks.
"It's drama, but if you know ODB, there's going to be some comedy, but we're not playing to that. It's going to be shot as a straight piece, no buffoonery, for lack of a better word," Williams said. "It's only going to cover the last two years of his life when he was released from prison to the day he died. It's just an insight into what he struggled with in the public eye."
"Dirty White Boy" is being produced by Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy ("Beginners") and the screenplay is by Brent Hoff, who worked at VH1, where he first met ODB and later became his manager.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Переслать - 'Dark Shadows': The Reviews Are In!
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's latest is 'ghoulishly endearing' but 'mostly unfunny,' critics say.
By Kevin P. Sullivan
Johnny Depp in "Dark Shadows"
Photo: Warner Bros.Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton's latest collaboration, "Dark Shadows," once again has the actor donning some white powder makeup, but this time around, their work isn't charming the critics as much as previous films.
The critics agree that Depp is in his usual top form and Burton's visuals still demand attention, but some issues with the script keep "Dark Shadows" from being all it can be.
Check out what the critics are saying about "Dark Shadows":
The Story
"As a child, Barnabas and his wealthy family sailed from England in 1750 and founded the fishing village of Collinsport in coastal Maine. They spent 15 years building the grand Collinwood Manor, where a maid named Angelique (Eva Green) loved Barnabas passionately, but he never returned her affections. Because she felt scorned — and happened to be a witch — she turned him into a vampire, chained him up and stuck him in a coffin in the ground. Nearly 200 years later, a construction crew unearths him and sets him free." — Christy Lemire, Associated PressJohnny Depp
"Depp's performance is more than just funny — it's ghoulishly endearing. He caresses each line with great care, as if it were a piece of candy he's unwrapping, and he gives Barnabas, in his very 'demonic' intensity, a quality of almost elfin innocence that recalls the characters Depp has most memorably played for Burton: Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and Willy Wonka. But 'Dark Shadows,' entertaining as it is, is a milder echo of those earlier collaborations." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment WeeklyThe Script
"It's hard to suppress my preference for talking about the original over Tim Burton's film, which isn't a remake so much as a mostly unfunny camp sendup. The script by Seth Grahame-Smith is witless and meandering — and I wouldn't mind the witless so much if it moved, or the meandering if it were droll." — David Edelstein, NPRCompared to Other Depp/Burton Films
"And yet I wonder if the ongoing Depp/Burton collaboration has its pitfalls. Depp often settles for posing and making droll faces, in reaction-shot mode, instead of building an eccentric comic portrait of any size. I long for the energy and invention of a performance such as Depp's Ed Wood in Burton's 'Ed Wood.' But then, that wasn't a $125 million international export." — Michael Phillips, Chicago TribuneThe Final Word
" 'Dark Shadows' isn't among Mr. Burton's most richly realized works, but it's very enjoyable, visually sumptuous and, despite its lugubrious source material and a sporadic tremor of violence, surprisingly effervescent." — Manohla Dargis, The New York TimesCheck out everything we've got on "Dark Shadows."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosПереслать - Nina Dobrev Understands Elena's Decision On 'Vampire Diaries'
'Diaries' star tells MTV News about her character's game-changing decision on Thursday night's season finale.
By Jocelyn Vena
Nina Dobrev
Photo: MTV NewsThe "Vampire Diaries" season finale Thursday night answered some questions (like which Salvatore brother Elena wanted), but also posed a bunch more.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
As the episode, titled "The Departed," came to a close, a tear-filled Elena told Damon that while she cared for him, her one true love is his good-guy brother, Stefan.
"I understand why she made the decision," Nina Dobrev told MTV News at the launch of the "Like Her, Like Me" Seventeen magazine campaign where she debuted her "got milk?" ad about her character Thursday night in New York. "I respect her decision, and I think, having seen the last three years, what's happened in her life, everyone will also. They may not be happy, half the people will not be happy regardless, but they'll get it, and it's her decision at the end of the day."
And, the drama didn't end there: After Elena broke the news to Damon, she and her friend Matt drove off the same bridge her parents did years before, their car sinking into the river.
Much like that other time, Stefan plunges into the water to save her, except she sacrifices herself to save her pal. Cut to the very last second of the episode, where her dead body lies still while Stefan looks on, mourning her loss. But, nothing is what it seems, and her eyes open. Little did anyone know, she had vampire blood in her, courtesy of Dr. Meredith Fell, from a previous injury.
Dobrev said "it doesn't matter" what she thinks Elena should have done, adding, "I have absolutely no say in who she chooses or how that all goes down. That's a Julie Plec question."
Well, Plec, the show's executive producer, said that for Elena, life as a vampire is a distinct possibility. "The ending had been in the works for about two years," she told Entertainment Weekly. "It felt like now was the time — when you're left with no grownup, no adult supervision, no parent, no guardian — for Elena to experience the next evolution of her journey."
Over the course of season three, Elena certainly faced a number of hardships, including the loss of her mentor, vampire hunter Alaric. "All the stuff that we did with having her get stronger over the course of the year, training and getting in touch with her physical self, and all the grief and all the emotion that she went through, all the compassion that she has for everybody, it will all play into next year and what kind of person and vampire she will actually be — if she should choose to see the transition through," Plec explained.
So, will she transition? The executive producer noted, "There will be a discussion to be had about it at the beginning, but the road we're going down is pretty balls out."
Share your reaction to the "Vampire Diaries" season finale in the comments below!
Переслать - How 'Avengers' Assembled A Truly Incredible Hulk
Joss Whedon 'knew exactly the [kind of] Hulk he wanted to bring to the big screen,' VFX supervisor Jeff White tells MTV News.
By Josh Wigler
Mark Ruffalo as The Incredible Hulk in "The Avengers"
Photo: MarvelHate to break it to you, Dr. Banner, but $200 million and counting doesn't lie: They really, really like you when you're angry.
As "Marvel's The Avengers" approaches its second weekend in theaters with an eye toward furthering its historic box-office total, the fans tuning in for repeat viewings are likely coming back for the same reason: the green monstrosity known as the Hulk. Despite two previous movies with few to no fans to speak of, Hulk has emerged as the breakout star of the Marvel Studios superhero team-up, begging the question: How did director Joss Whedon and his team crack the code? What did they do to finally give fans a big-screen Jade Giant worth rooting for?
Having worked overtime on creating a more than worthwhile Hulk, "Avengers" visual effects mastermind Jeff White has plenty of thoughts on what made the character work this time around — chief among those reasons, the vision of Whedon himself.
"It was important to deliver on the performance that Joss was looking for," White told MTV News about why Hulk works in "Avengers." "He knew exactly the Hulk he wanted to bring to the big screen. All of the great moments Hulk has in the film was Joss really guiding us there."
Key to Whedon's vision was Mark Ruffalo, the Oscar-nominated actor who took on the role previously occupied by Edward Norton in "The Incredible Hulk." Unlike Norton, who only played Hulk's human counterpart, Ruffalo provided the motion-capture for "the other guy," allowing viewers to connect with the human side of the gamma-irradiated creature in a deeper way than ever before.
"That was a great design decision that Joss made early on: He wanted to see Mark Ruffalo in the design, and that was great for us, because that meant we could work with Mark," said White, who described the actor as "incredibly generous" throughout the Hulk creation process.
"We spent a lot of time capturing Mark's skin and his hair and every pore detail that he has," White elaborated on how Ruffalo provided the foundation for the Hulk. "We actually did a life-cast of him as part of capturing all of that. So starting every shot from something real — and because Mark did a performance for every shot — we could then capture that performance and apply it to our Mark Ruffalo digital double, and make sure we were getting the right performance to translate onto the Hulk. That's where an amazing amount of animation has to come in, in order to get that same performance from Mark onto the Hulk."
But another reason why the green monster worked so well this time around, ironically enough, was because he was less green and less monstrous.
"There were good design decisions made in terms of, he's desaturated color-wise, which helps him fit in with the Avengers much better. He's not super muscly all the time, either. Joss wanted us to go for a bit more of a wrestler aesthetic instead of just being super cut," White explained. "What's great about that is that when he does jump around and start smashing everything, we really have somewhere to go in terms of flexing the muscles and popping the veins."
In the end, Hulk flourished in "Avengers" for the same reason the movie worked so well on the whole: a combination of fantastic visual effects, strong performances, and clear creative vision from Whedon and Marvel Studios.
"It's not just one thing you can point to, but a series of very good decisions in terms of Joss and Marvel's approach to the Hulk this time," said White. "For one, I think Joss really knows the kind of action that people want to see the Hulk do. That shot of him slamming Loki was in there right from the beginning. It's phenomenal. People love it. That scene was there right from the very beginning. I think that was the key. And casting with Mark Ruffalo, and how much he worked with us in terms of the performance of the character and all of the textural details."
"With 'Avengers,' there were so many things to get right," he continued. "But everything we put into it, we knew the film would be judged by the success of the Hulk, so we're really happy that people are excited about it."
What do you think of the Hulk? Sound off in the comments section below!
Check out everything we've got on "Marvel's The Avengers."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
Переслать - 'Dark Shadows' Brings The 'Teenage Angst' Out Of Chloe Moretz
Michelle Pfeiffer and Bella Heathcote also open up to MTV News about their characters.
By Kara Warner
Chloë Grace Moretz, Gulliver McGrath and Johnny Depp in "Dark Shadows"
Photo: Peter Mountain/ Warner Bros.Although much ado has been made over "Dark Shadows" star Johnny Depp's portrayal of reluctant vampire Barnabas Collins, the Tim Burton-directed, 1970s-set vampire dramedy also features a cast of equally quirky characters and talented actors like Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloë Moretz and newcomer Bella Heathcote.
Each and every character in the film has some serious baggage, which the audience becomes privy to over the course of the film. When MTV News caught up with Moretz and Heathcote recently, we asked them to give us the inside scoop on their characters: Moretz's saucy, over-sexual teenager Carolyn Collins and Heathcote, who plays double duty as both Barnabas' long-dead, ghostly love interest Josette, as well as the Collinses' new governess, Victoria.
"Let's just say teenage angst [is her issue]," Moretz said of Carolyn Collins. "To be general, but she's this flower girl stuck in middle of this seaport in Maine, and it's not the most romantic thing for her. She'd rather be at Woodstock, she'd rather be listening to music with a bunch of people with her."
Heathcote admitted that both of her characters are dealing with some baggage, whether of this world or not. "I think for [Victoria], she spends all of her adult life trying to hide something. Something happened in her childhood and she's got a lot of baggage from it. She's very guarded, she's a bit damaged but trying to put up a solid front," Heathcote explained. "Josette is basically the opposite. She's completely open, romantic, idealistic. It was fun to play both," she said. "It was fun to go into each character, each costume. They're so different, it was great to have the opportunity to do both."
For Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays the financially burdened and expectedly quirky Collins matriarch Elizabeth, the Oscar-nominated actress relished the opportunity to get into the headspace of an unbalanced woman, but even more so a second opportunity to work with creative and inventive director Tim Burton.
"It's so exhilarating walking this tightrope every day with Tim, who's so willing to take such huge chances and risks," Pfeiffer said of the joys of being in a Burton film. "For someone like me who likes to play things safe, he helps me bring that out in my performances, and I think just being in the presence of somebody with that much creativity and also the cast of characters he surrounds himself with, not only actors but in every department, is just exhilarating."
Check out everything we've got on "Dark Shadows."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosПереслать - 'Catching Fire' Countdown: What To Watch While You Wait
With the 'Hunger Games' sequel more than a year away, here's where you can catch its stars in the meantime.
By Amy Wilkinson
Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
Photo: LionsgateNovember 23, 2013, is just a year and a half away, but it might as well be a lifetime from now considering how antsy we are to feast on "The Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire." Progress is no doubt beginning on the follow-up (director Francis Lawrence was confirmed last week by Lionsgate), but there's still much to be done before the film is big-screen ready for next, next Thanksgiving. In the meantime, we'll pass the torturous days and months by gripping our Peeta pillow extra tight and gorging on the stars' slew of interim offerings—Jennifer Lawrence and her Panem peeps are in-demand actors, after all! Here's your guide to the actors' upcoming projects:
Jennifer Lawrence
If only Lawrence could swipe Katniss' bow and arrow for use in her horror flick "The House at the End of the Street," out September 21. Lawrence plays a teen who moves next door to a home where a grisly murder took place. She befriends the surviving son and, well, things don't go so well for her after that.Two months later, Lawrence will appear alongside Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro in the big-screen adaptation of Matthew Quick's novel "The Silver Linings Playbook." She reportedly plays a widow trying to seduce Cooper's character, who has recently been released from a mental institution.
The Cooper coupling will continue with the period drama "Serena" (a role originally intended for Angelina Jolie), after the thriller "Devil You Know" makes its debut.
Josh Hutcherson
After bonding with Liam on the set of "The Hunger Games," Hutcherson will star alongside the other Hemsworth brother in the November 21 release "Red Dawn," which finds a group of teenagers trying to protect their town from invading North Korean soldiers.The baker's son has a couple of other projects in the pipeline (neither of which have official release dates), but keep an eye out for "7 Days in Havana" and "The Forger."
Liam Hemsworth
The younger Hemsworth will flex his action muscles throughout the rest of 2012 and into the new year. First up is "AWOL" (scheduled for release sometime this year), which follows a Vietnam soldier who defects to win back the love of his life. The film co-stars Teresa Palmer, Aimee Teegarden and Chris Lowell.If that doesn't sound harrowing enough, Hemsworth will team up with every action star ever (read: Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris) for the splashy sequel "The Expendables 2," out August 17. His list of in-the-works flicks also includes "Paranoia," "Timeless" and "Arabian Nights."
Elizabeth Banks
Fans won't have to wait long to see Elizabeth Banks grace the silver screen once again. The bubbly blond dons a pregnancy belly for next week's "What to Expect When You're Expecting," based on the iconic self-help book. (That woman loves her some adaptations, huh?)Shortly after (June 29, to be exact), Banks will portray long-lost sister to Chris Pine, who must find his secret sibling to deliver a $150,000 inheritance in the film "People Like Us."
Woody Harrelson
The word "eclectic" comes to mind when summing up Woody Harrelson's CV — and it's not an ill-advised adjective to describe his list of upcoming projects either. "Seven Psychopaths," out in limited release November 2, follows a struggling screenwriter who gets caught up in the criminal underworld after his weird friend kidnaps a mobster's dog.Then there's 2013's "Now You See Me," in which a group of illusionists pull heists as part of their act and give the spoils to their audiences. (Uh, do you guys need extras?) The January release co-stars Mark Ruffalo, Dave Franco and Morgan Freeman.
Which of "The Hunger Games" stars' other upcoming projects are you excited about? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns!
Earlier 'Hunger Games' columns
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+ 'Hunger Games' Postmortem: Five Lessons For 'Catching Fire'Переслать - 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Author Goes YA
E L James' next two books include another erotica tale and a YA paranormal novel.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
"Fifty Shades of Grey" book cover
Photo: The Writer's Coffee ShopAmerica's new favorite erotica author is making the switch to the young adult genre. "Fifty Shades of Grey" — originally penned as "Twilight" fan fiction — follows the sadomasochistic affair of a handsome, business tycoon named Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, the college graduate he seduces. But with a whole trilogy under her belt telling the couple's erotic tales — the sequels entitled "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed" — author E L James is setting her sights on new stories.
The author told USA Today that she has two more novels stashed up her sleeve. One is another sensual tale in the vein of "Fifty Shades" and the second is a young adult paranormal novel.
"I've got several more good ideas, but how do you follow this?" she told USA Today of "Fifty Shades." "I've set the bar quite high in terms of storytelling."
The rights to the book were optioned by Universal Pictures and Focus Features, sparking a frenzy surrounding what daring actors would take on the titillating characters. Ian Somerhalder and Alexander Skarsgård both expressed interest in the film adaptation, and when Kristen Stewart was asked if she would read the book, she exclaimed, "Hell yeah!" But right now the big question is whether it's possible for the movie to be granted an R rating when it's clearly NC-17-level material.
"Making this movie will absolutely be a challenge. It is going to take a devoted director who admittedly likes the books and understands that, first and foremost, this is a love story," Lisa Parker from FiftyShadesFilm.com told MTV News. "If telling the love story is the main focus, then we do believe the steamy sex scenes can be shot and edited in a way to get us an R-rated movie rather than NC-17...[the fans] are confident that Ms. James will protect the integrity of her story regardless of the ultimate rating."
Will you read E L James' young adult novel? Leave your comment below!
Related Videos Related PhotosПереслать - Ryan Gosling's 'Gangster Squad' Trailer: Five Key Scenes
Gosling reunites with Emma Stone in the star-studded, Tommy gun-packed clip.
By Kevin P. Sullivan
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in "Gangster Squad"
Photo: Warner Bros.One of the fall's most anticipated releases, "Gangster Squad," packs an all-star cast, old-school vibe and a bunch of Tommy guns. Needless to say, we're interested.
The film from "Zombieland" director Ruben Fleischer just got its first trailer, so we've broken it down for you into these five keys scenes.
"Every kingdom comes up bloody"
A centerpiece of the trailer, it's hard to miss Sean Penn even under all of that makeup. In "Gangster Squad," Penn plays Mickey Cohen, an east coast gangster who has come to Los Angeles to become "a god." Cohen is the ultimate evil that the Gangster Squad is going to stop at nothing to put out for good. The trailer gives lots of screen time to Penn, and when you also consider the prosthetics on his face, it's not hard to imagine that Warner Bros. would make a Best Supporting Actor push for him come Oscar season.Mackie, Gosling and Peña Take Aim
Cohen is not going to have an easy time taking over L.A. with a team like this after him. Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, and Robert "T-1000" Patrick make up not only the illustrious Gangster Squad, but a star-studded roster that rivals any major release this year. Between this and "Men In Black III," Brolin is set to have his biggest year since 2007, when he stormed back into the spotlight and starred in every other movie.Crazy, Gangster, Love
Gosling and Emma Stone created sparks when they starred as an on-screen couple in last year's "," and here they reunited to keep the passion going, albeit 60 years earlier. Stone plays Grace Faraday, the untouchable girl belonging to Mickey Cohen. Untouchable until Gosling shows up, that is. They only have a few moments together in the trailer, but honestly, they were pretty hot.Let's All Go to the Movies
It's already immensely clear from the trailer that "Gangster Squad" is a movie that loves movies. This is a L.A. film noir in the tradition of Hammett, Chandler and movies with Humphrey Bogart. All of the tropes are there: the Tommy guns, the fedoras. But at the same time, "Gangster Squad" wants to take a new angle on the genre, and we may be seeing some symbolism for that, when the firing squad opens up on a movie theater through the screen.The Bottom Line
Listen: If your trailer includes a shot of Ryan Gosling casually catching a shotgun and then pointing said shotgun at a bad guy, while uttering the line, "Not anymore," we're going to see your movie. End of story.Are you planning on seeing "Gangster Squad"? Let us know in the comments!
Check out everything we've got on "Gangster Squad."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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