Sunday, January 1, 2012

Tom Cruise 'Impossible' To Beat At Box Office

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' easily wins #1 spot over long holiday weekend.
By Ryan J. Downey


Tom Cruise in "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol"
Photo: Paramount

This Christmas, Tom Cruise was "impossible" to beat at the box office.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" was the #1 movie over the long holiday weekend, easily beating competition from two competing sequels with an additional $46.2 million as it expanded into wide release. The fourth entry in the Tom Cruise franchise, this one directed by Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"), has racked up $78.6 million in domestic receipts since it debuted in limited release 11 days ago.

"Ghost Protocol" is the best-reviewed entry in the franchise, which kicked off in 1996 with an inaugural film (based on the popular late '60s TV series) directed by Brian De Palma ("Scarface"). Action maestro John Woo ("The Killer") helmed "M:I 2" four years later. The J.J. Abrams-directed "Mission: Impossible III" grossed $134 million during its theatrical run in 2006.

Meanwhile, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" was reviewed far less favorably than its 2009 predecessor. The film, which reunites Robert Downey Jr. in the title role with Jude Law as his faithful partner, Watson, was #2 at the box office with $31.8 million for a two-week total of $90.6 million. "Downey may think this interpretation is an insight, or funny, but it pushes what was already a rude rewriting of the classic characters into eye-rolling camp," wrote the Newark Star Ledger. The first film sits at 70 percent on film review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes' "Tomatometer," while "Game of Shadows" was at a "rotten" 59 percent at press time.

The #3 movie at the box office, itself the third in a series, continues a franchise-long tradition of poor reviews. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" carried a series worst 13 percent score on the "Tomatometer" as it collected $20 million for an 11-day $56.9 million total. Neither "Game of Shadows" nor "Shipwrecked" appear likely to get anywhere near the $200 million grosses of their predecessors.

Four of the other five new releases in theaters were from major filmmakers.

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," the highly anticipated American adaptation of the popular Swedish book from director David Fincher ("Fight Club"), has made $27.7 million since it opened Tuesday night. Steven Spielberg has two new movies out, "The Adventures of Tintin" and "War Horse," which landed at #5 and #7 on the box office chart, respectively. "Tintin" has made $24.1 million while "War Horse" has made $15 million. The latest from director Cameron Crowe opened even lower than his last movie, "Elizabethtown." "We Bought a Zoo," at #6, earned just $15.6 million despite star power in the form of Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. Rock journalist turned filmmaker Crowe has worked with box-office topper Tom Cruise twice: first with "Jerry Maguire" in 1996 and later with "Vanilla Sky" in 2001.

Finally, alien invasion horror flick "The Darkest Hour" opened at #8 with just $5.5 million. The film was not screened in advance for critics, but The Hollywood Reporter, which reviewed the movie, blamed a "flatlining screenplay and the absence of even a single compelling character."

Check out everything we've got on "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676470/mission-impossible-top-box-office.jhtml

Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell Jennifer Scholle

'Bel Ami' Trailer: Five Key Scenes

Robert Pattinson breaks away from Edward Cullen in the story of one man's rise to the top of Parisian society.
By Terri Schwartz


Christina Ricci and Robert Pattinson in "Bel Ami"
Photo: 19 Entertainment/ Protagonist Pictures

Ladies, say goodbye to Edward Cullen and hello to George Duroy.

The newest "Bel Ami" trailer has hit the Web, showcasing a Robert Pattinson who is very different from the one fans have come to know and love in "The Twilight Saga."

The sex-filled drama follows penniless soldier Duroy on his rise to the top of the Parisian social ladder thanks to his manipulation and seduction of the wives of the French elite. Needless to say, fans who want a lot of nudity and friskiness to go along with their daily dose of Pattinson should not be disappointed by this latest preview, which follows an earlier "Bel Ami" trailer released in July.

While the film doesn't have a release date yet in the U.S., viewers in the U.K. will be able to see it starting March 2. For now, here are five key scenes from the brand-new trailer!

Meet the Ladies
There's a reason directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod enlisted Pattinson: He's one of the biggest sex symbols around, and Duroy is a playboy in every sense of the word. As important a character as he is, the ladies Duroy seduces are also integral to the story. About a fourth of the way through the trailer, Pattinson is seen sitting across from the three women who will act as his love interests: Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci and Kristin Scott Thomas. These ladies likely have no idea what emotional roller coaster is in store for them.

Sex, Sex and More Sex
Pattinson has been pretty upfront about the fact that "Bel Ami" includes plenty of sex and — in his words — "a lot of my crack in it." This trailer teases those aspects of the movie, as Pattinson can be spotted frequently getting frisky with Thurman, Ricci and Thomas. But it's his slow seduction methods that have really captured our interest. Whether he's drawing a finger down Ricci's neck or flirting with Thomas in a church, Pattinson seems to have come a long way from the brooding Edward Cullen.

"I've Been Such a Fool"
You've got to love a man who can admit when he's wrong. The crux of the movie pivots on Duroy's bad behavior, so it should come as no surprise that he eventually gets in trouble for it — at least that's what it looks like when he admits to Ricci's character, "I've been such a fool." Whether that means he will learn from his actions is yet to be seen, but we doubt it based on all of the other dramatic occurrences in the trailer.

"Get Out of My House!"
Between "Bel Ami" and Pattinson's other project, "Cosmopolis," the man best known as a sparkly vampire is getting the chance to show he can be more than just a heartthrob. And he gives us a preview in the trailer when he yells, "Get out of my house!" breaking down his character's usually composed façade.

A Man's Reflection
The trailer is scattered with shots of Duroy staring at his own reflection, but two pivotal instances bookend the video. In the first, Duroy gazes at his face in a small, broken mirror, looking unsatisfied with what he sees. But toward the end of the trailer, there is a (shirtless!) full-body shot of Duroy staring at himself yet again. In the voice-over, he emphatically states, "There is no next life, and I am going to live." It's clear Duroy has undergone significant changes since the beginning of the film, but we have a gut feeling those changes aren't going to end well for him.

Check out everything we've got on "Bel Ami."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676438/bel-ami-trailer.jhtml

Deanna Russo Denise Richards Desiree Dymond

Usher Gets 'Emotional' On David Guetta's 'Without You'1670301

DJ/producer calls their collabo the 'biggest record' on his just-released Nothing but the Beat.
By Akshay Bhansali


Usher
Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage

David Guetta recently told MTV News that the Usher collabo "Without You" is the "biggest record" on his just-released Nothing but the Beat.

It's a rather bold statement, considering his latest album also features Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, will.i.am, Akon, Timbaland, Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Hudson, just to name a few. But Guetta has a soft spot for the cinematic team-up with Ush, which he says is equal parts sentimental and hands-in-the-air euphoric. "It's just totally emotional," Guetta said. "Some of the record is a proper ballad, and then it goes to that crazy dance beat. It's perfect for him, because he's famous for his ballads. And he's also now famous for those big club records that he comes with. He's an amazing dancer, so I felt like he was the artist that I needed." Usher and Guetta first previewed the song in Ibiza, Spain, earlier this summer, with the crowd demanding an encore performance of the sure-to-be-hit song. "It was amazing," Guetta gushed. "We were not supposed to do this. I always do these kinds of stupid things, playing records when I'm not supposed to play them. And Usher was so excited for this time to be in Ibiza performing in front of those people. He called me onstage and said, 'Come on. Let's do it.' So we did it, and, yeah, they loved it. We had to do it again! They asked for one more." For some, the combination of Usher and Guetta might seem out of left field. While the DJ/producer works with a variety of artists, he has a pretty tight-knit musical family — but it may come as a surprise that Guetta has known Usher the longest. "I actually speak very often about how thankful I am to will.i.am because he called me to produce 'I Gotta Feeling'; Akon, when we started to work together, because I wasn't famous in America; Kelly Rowland and all those guys that came to me when I was not known yet," Guetta said. "But I have to say that the very first time when someone big from America asked me if I want to work with him, it was Usher. Like, a really long time ago, but we never had the time to do it. So I was so happy to be finally in the studio with him, because he spotted me when I was really not famous yet." Usher and Guetta already shot the video for "Without You" in Ibiza. The song will follow up Guetta's current single, "Little Bad Girl," which features Ludacris and Taio Cruz.

Related Artists

Source:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1670301/usher-david-guetta-without-you.jhtml

Chyler Leigh Ciara

Usher - Promise

Promise

  • Artist: Usher
  • Label: Sony Music Entertainment
  • Director:

Source:
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1270&vid=695927

Dita Von Teese Dominique Swain Donna Feldman

Ke$ha - My First Kiss

My First Kiss

  • Artist: Ke$ha
  • Label: Photo Finish Records
  • Director: Isaac Ravishankara
  • Album: Lean by Jarre

Source:
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3213641&vid=523194

Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci