Josh's Blog: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Will Lady Gaga And Jo Calderone Ever Collaborate On A Song?

You can imagine why Lady Gaga would be a bit pissed. After all, not only did her male alter ego/ pretend boyfriend Jo Calderone air out their relationship woes in an monologue opening the VMAs, but then he shared a kiss with Britney Spears after presenting her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

"I'm hopin' that she'll take me back," said a clearly emotional Calderone backstage after the show, as he clutched Jo Gaga's two Moonmen for Best Female Video and Best Video With a Message. "I'm hoping she's gonna wanna roll around with me again in bed, you know what I'm sayin'?"

The pair, who shared the screen in the video for "Yo� and I," may be reuniting professionally too. "Well, tonight I got to show a little bit of what I can do," he said, alluding to the show-opening monologue and piano-pounding tear through "Yo� and I" that featured Queen guitarist Brian May. "But I'm just an amateur, you know. I just don't really do this, but I tried to show her that I could work hard to be with her, and I hope she likes it. That's all."

See photos of Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone backstage at the VMAs.

Gaga was clearly jacked about the wins, writing on Twitter after the show, "I couldn't be more overwhelmed+grateful as I am tonight. Little Monsters inspire me. Never give up on your vision, you were born this way," she wrote. "To win 2VMAs, Best Video with a Message + Best Female Video for 'Born This Way' means the world. I have never believed in a work so much."

She also thanked her fans for throwing their love to Calderone. "Thank u monsters for supporting @jocalderone attending instead of myself," she wrote. "He came over last night with 2 moonmen, whiskey + we watched VMAs."

FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais Genelle Frenoy

Busta Rhymes 'Honored' To Be On Tha Carter IV

LOS ANGELES ? With all his versatility, Lil Wayne puts his range on display on Tha Carter IV. Songs like the acoustic-R&B "How to Love" and the John Legend-laced "So Special" show Weezy's penchant for crafting female-friendly radio hits, while tracks like "6 Foot 7 Foot" and "John" revolve around Tunechi's rap roots. The album's "Intro," "Interlude" and "Outro" also celebrate rapping for rapping's sake.

On the "Intro," Wayne raps solo over a pounding, bottom-heavy beat supplied by newcomer Willy Will. Halfway through the album, Missouri MC Tech N9ne and Outkast spitter Andre 3000 appear atop the same instrumental on the C4 "Interlude." Finally, on the LP's "Outro," Bun B, Nas, Shyne and Busta Rhymes take their turns over that beat. As standalone cuts, the three tracks feature some pretty aggressive rap bars, but we couldn't help but notice that if Wayne were to string them together into one track, it might have been one of rap's most star-studded posse cuts.

"I actually close out Tha Carter IV. I'm the last voice you hear on Tha Carter IV," Busta Rhymes pointed out to MTV News on the 2011 VMA black carpet. "It's special because I didn't know that's what [Wayne] was gonna do with it."

With his rapid-fire verse, Busta boasts of his "uncompetewitable" rhyme style before toasting to Weezy by rhyming, "OK, enough of that, now I'm out the door/ Tunechi, thanks for giving us a whole 'nother classic with Tha Carter IV."

"When we did the joint, he didn't really tell us how he was gonna put it together. All I knew was that when it was done, it was me, Bun B, Nas and Shyne, and I was the last voice to be heard on the album, so I feel honored for that," Busta said.

Although he had yet to hear the completed version of C4, Bussa Bus was excited for his friend and frequent collaborator, Wayne. "I didn't really get to hear it in its entirety yet, but I hope that everybody understands that that man put his foot in this album," he said. "From what I did hear, being in the studio with him, he goin' ape sh-- on it."

Share your reviews of Tha Carter IV in the comments below!

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Britney Spears Calls VMA Tribute 'An Honor'

Britney Spears played it humble during her Video Music Awards tribute -- using her time onstage to shine the spotlight on her fellow performer, Beyonc� -- not an easy feat to accomplish in between nabbing the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and getting kissed by Lady Gaga's male alter ego Jo Calderone.

When MTV News caught up with Spears minutes after stepping offstage, she stayed humble, calling the tribute "an honor" and once again deflecting the spotlight.

"It was really crazy. I had no idea what to expect," Spears said. "The kids were amazing and so entertaining, and it was a really fun night. It was really cool. I was like, 'Wow, that's really sweet!'

"I loved the little girl in the 'Slave' outfit," she continued. "She was just so tiny and she delivered and she had such a great performance. ... They were all so great, and you could tell they worked really hard."

Watch the Britney Spears VMA Tribute now!

And Spears didn't stop there either. For an artist who's won more than her fare share of VMAs in her career, she was blown away by Sunday night's Best Pop Video triumph. "Every year ... just to come here is such an honor, you never get used to it," she smiled. "But tonight means so much to me." In a night full of high-water moments, it was her tribute smooch from Gaga -- er, Calderone -- that she gushed about backstage. Especially because she said the kiss was totally unplanned.

"She was in full character!" Spears said. "We just got onstage and we just kind of felt it out; we didn't know what was going on, so it was interesting!"

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners, fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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VMA 2011: Backstage Interviews

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Demi Lovato 'Stoked' About Missy Elliott, Timbaland Collabo

Demi Lovato is ready to launch the next phase of her music career. She dropped her moving ballad "Skyscraper" earlier this summer and now fans are ready to hear what else the singer has up her sleeve when she releases her album Unbroken in September.

While the album will feature a number of collabos with artists like Jason Der�lo, Iyaz and Dev, one track in particular, "All Night Long," features two of urban radio's biggest '90s superstars, Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Last week, Lovato spoke to MTV News and told us that working with the legendary duo, who helped shape the careers of singers like Aaliyah, couldn't have been more of a dream come true.

"I was so stoked when I went into the studio. I was working with Timbaland, and Missy was there, and she was like, she heard one of the songs and she asked if she could rap on it," Lovato recalled about their July recording session.

"And I was like, 'Of course, that's not even a question.' And she did, and she killed it."

According to Lovato, the party track is pretty much the polar opposite of "Skyscraper," showing off a whole new side of the 19-year-old. "The song that Missy and I did together, Timbaland's actually on it, too, and it's fun," she said. "It's about staying up all night long and singing it to the boy that you like, and it's flirty and fun and it's not too grown-up, but it's grown-up enough."

Lovato has already started making the rounds to promote the upcoming album, including a fan meet-and-greet in Los Angeles last week and a performance at Perez Hilton's pre-VMA party. She went on to present Best Collaboration at the VMAs on Sunday night.

Next month, Lovato will play two shows, one each in New York and one in Los Angeles.

Are you looking forward to Demi's album? Tell us in the comments!

Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco Jaime King Jaime Pressly

'Star Wars' Blu-Ray Controversy: Has George Lucas Crossed The Line?

It doesn?t take a lot of provocation to get sci-fi geeks griping (believe me, I?ve done my share). And perhaps the one subject that has prompted the most passionate protest over the past few decades is George Lucas messing with Star Wars.

The current cause for concern is the rumored changes to the original trilogy for the "Star Wars" Blu-ray debut, scheduled for release on September 16. Specifically, it?s the supposed addition of Darth Vader crying ?Nooooooo!? as his son, Luke Skywalker, is electrocuted by his boss, Emperor Palpatine, that?s got fans complaining once again.

After watching this ?new-and-improved? scene a couple of times, I have strong suspicions regarding its legitimacy. But if this change has indeed been made by Lucas, I have no choice but to join the rebellion and exclaim - if only in my brain ? WTF?

In this climactic scene from Episode VI, the ?nooooo? sounds downright ridiculous. Kind of like the ?nooooo? that emanates from the same proud papa in Episode III after he?s been rebuilt. But don?t get me started on that other trilogy. I might cry.

Back to George and his updates then. Honestly, most of the changes made to Episodes IV, V and VI since the 1997 Special Edition didn?t bother me all that much then, and they still don?t (the one exception is the final scene of ?Return of the Jedi? from the 2004 DVD box set ? I cringe every time I see the younger version of Anakin on the screen. Get out of my movie, Hayden Christensen!!).

This latest addition, however (if it?s true), is just too much. Yes, George Lucas, we understand that you just want to get it right. You?ve said it often enough. If you think that adding a silly ?nooooo? will somehow satisfy that desire, then go ahead and scratch that itch. But when does it end? When will the films that became such a huge part of my childhood become unrecognizable to me?

Yes, it?s all about me. And see how I wrote ?my movie? a few lines go? It really all comes back to this, for myself and the other folks out there who hold this saga close to their hearts. We?ve revisited the debate over and over again through the years: As The Creator -- and owner -- of the franchise, George Lucas has every right to change the films as much as he likes. But we all feel like the versions we saw as Younglings, whether on the big or small screen, are ?ours.?

Clearly I?m ambivalent about the whole Lucas thing, and of course I?m not alone (take a look at Alexandre O. Philippe?s doc ?The People vs. George Lucas? for more insight on this subject). He will always be a hero to me. I mean, he gave me Yoda! But I still wonder why he can?t be more like other great filmmakers who release their creations to the world and then keep their hands to themselves. This, then, is my everlasting plea to Mr. Lucas: Embrace the flaws. On film, as in life, they keep things interesting? and endearing.

Tell us what you think in the comments section and on Twitter!

Tags george lucas, star wars

Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni Gwen Stefani Halle Berry

Britney Spears And Jo Calderone: A VMA Romance?

On Sunday night at the 2011 Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga's alter ego Jo Calderone met the princess of pop herself, Britney Spears. Gaga, in full drag as Calderone, and Spears had a bit of a VMA romance, sharing kind words -- and even swapping spit.

"It was interesting, her character," Spears later told MTV News about the encounter, even dishing how the kiss between the two took place. "We got onstage and we felt it out."

Spears, of course, has already kissed a famous pop star on the VMA stage, when she and Madonna locked lips back in 2003. And it's that kind of free spirit that Calderone noted in his speech about the singer. "She taught us all how to be fearless, and the industry wouldn't be the same without her," Calderone said when he not only kicked off the tribute to the star, but also later presented her with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Click here to see Beyonce's baby bump, the kiss between Britney and Lady Gaga and more.

After a troupe of dancers, who performed dance routines to everything from " ... Baby One More Time" and "Crazy" to "Toxic" and "Do Somethin'," left the stage, Calderone and Spears came face to face, and lips to lips. Although Spears seemed fine with the initial kiss, when he tried to make a few more advances, Spears rebuffed him with a big smile on her face.

He took it like a gentleman, adding, "I don't want Gaga to get pissed."

So was Gaga completely Calderone the whole time? "She's in full character," Spears later added. "Yes, definitely."

Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie

Britney Spears 'Can't Be Knocked Down'

At the 2011 Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga's alter ego Jo Calderone presented Britney Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award by telling the audience that Spears "taught us all how to be fearless." And that fearlessness was honored with a dance-heavy tribute to the pop star. Brit's ever-growing legacy is the reason why she was so deserving of the special award, her celebrity fans and members of her inner circle told MTV News.

"She never lets you down," her longtime choreographer Brian Friedman told MTV News on the VMA black carpet on Sunday night. "She's definitely not dull. There's always something crazy coming around the next turn. I think it's a mix between music, which is always incredible, the dance performance you see on the stage, the iconic videos, the fashion, and then the fact that she can't be knocked down."

We spotted Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and more hanging out backstage!

Those sentiments were mirrored by her pal and former 'NSYNC member JC Chasez, who noted that even at 30, "She's actually been around long enough [to have a tribute]. She has a body of work to pull from."

Spears' former tourmate, DJ Pauly D, also gushed about the singer, who won Best Pop Video for "Till The World Ends."

Find out how Beyonc� and Jay-Z Celebrated Their VMA Baby News!

"Oh, man! She deserves it out of anybody," the "Jersey Shore" star said. "She's been killing it forever now. She's got so many albums, and every time she brings out an album, she brings it."

After Gaga presented Spears with the award on Sunday, a group of young female dancers of various ages, dressed up in Britney-themed costumes from her hit music videos, took the stage to perform some of her most memorable moves.

Coco Lee Connie Nielsen Cristina Dumitru Daisy Fuentes

Katy Perry Explains Why VMAs Are 'Funnest' Show

As anyone watching the MTV VMAs over the years can attest ? anything can happen. And Sunday evening's action-packed broadcast did not disappoint. There was Gaga in drag, Chris Brown flying on wires, Beyonc� making her baby announcement and general electricity in the air around L.A.'s Nokia Theatre.

"Anything can happen during the VMAs," Video of the Year winner Katy Perry told MTV News. "It's definitely just the funnest awards show of the whole gamut, of all the awards shows. The VMAs are like a f---ing monkey out of hell awards show," she laughed. "You just want to watch a spectacle, you want to watch what goes down and I think so many different sparks fly creatively."

Speaking of sparks flying, romantic moments are fast becoming a trademark of the big show, whether it's a couple meeting there for the first time and, as in Perry and Russell Brand's case, getting married, or teen royalty like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez sharing a kiss or two.

"People feel like they can be themselves," Perry explained of the VMA vibe. "So, if sparks fly creatively, I'm sure they're flying romantically as well."

It's not surprising that the "Teenage Dream" singer is a fan of the Video Music Awards, considering she not only got a husband out of the deal but also a couple Moonmen. Going into Sunday night, Perry was nominated in nine categories and picked up two trophies for Video of the Year and Best Collaboration.

Jennifer Scholle Jennifer Sky Jenny McCarthy Jessica Alba

Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, More Spotted Backstage At The VMAs

There were many, many standout moments that VMA viewers witnessed from the comfort of their living rooms (Beyonc#233;'s belly! Gaga/Jo macking on Britney!). But for every big moment on air, there was plenty of other crazy stuff that went down backstage, where there were no cameras rolling. But your trusty MTV News correspondents had access all over the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, and here's what we gathered from behind the scenes of the main show.

� Jo Calderone on the move! We witnessed Gaga in character, dressed in a navy suit, black hair slicked back, cigarette behind her ear, serious look on her face as she headed up to the stage!

� After Gaga's performance, her dancers left the stage, and seemed super psyched about everything. As they were leaving, the Pitbull dancers were walking on. Everyone high-fived.

� Jonah Hill and the "Jersey Shore" kids shared their mutual love for one another. "I watch your show," Hill told the cast.

� JWoww to Jared Leto: "Wow. I'm a huge fan! 'The Kill' is my favorite!" Leto: "Thank you so much!" Snooki, once they had passed the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman: "Aah?" To which Jenni replied, "That was Jared Leto. Don't you know who Jared Leto is?!"

� We spotted Tony Bennett chilling in his room with a cart with two bottles of wine sitting outside. And in other catering news: We saw Britney Spears get a delivery of cookies, and guitarist Brian May got wine.

� Brian May's and Lady Gaga's dressing rooms were next to one another. Next to that? Katy Perry. Not a meat cooler in sight!

� Speaking of dressing rooms, Britney was seen all smiles as she walked back and forth between dressing rooms with just one guy and a stylist.

� Kanye West strolled through, wearing lots of denim, and singing "Super Bass."

� Adele was walking briskly from one place to another when one of her handlers whispered the Beyonc� news to her. "I knew she would be!" Adele exclaimed.

� Gaga lit a cigarette for Adele. Naughty ladies!

� Beyonc�'s mom got lots of congrats from people on her way out following B's big announcement at the show.

Amy Cobb Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann

'The Help' Wins Stormy Box Office Weekend

FROM MTV MOVIES: "The Help" managed to fend off competition from a new action movie, a horror flick and a comedy as the overall box-office suffered from stormy weather on the East Coast. The adaptation of the popular novel took in another $14.3 million over the weekend to remain at number one with a $96.6 million total.

Hurricane Irene certainly affected box-office receipts, according to studio estimates released Sunday. Ticket sales were down roughly 23 percent compared with the same period last year. AMC theaters closed all of its theaters in New York, Virginia, Philadelphia, Marlyand and D.C. while Clearview Cinemas and Regal Cinemas closed many locations as well, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Read the full story at MTV Movies!

Tags The Help

Jessica Alba Jessica Biel Jessica Cauffiel Jessica ParÈ

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Lady Gaga Bends Gender, Minds With VMA Monologue

Lady Gaga pulled one from her bag of tricks at Sunday's Video Music Awards when she dressed as her male alter ego Jo Calderone for her opening performance of "Yo� and I." But even before her show-stopping number, Gaga, I mean Jo, delivered an eyebrow-raising introductory speech to the star-studded audience.

Decked out in a black blazer and smoking a cigarette, Jo walked onto the stage and offered the MTV audience a startling first live impression, saying, "Hey. My name is Jo Calderone and I was an a--hole. Gaga? Yeah her. Lady Gaga. She left me. She said it always starts out good and then the guys, meaning me, I'm one of the guys, we get crazy. I did. I got crazy, but she's f---ing crazy too, right? I mean, she's f---ing crazy."

Calderone began to divulge details of his relationship with the pop superstar, offering insight into their day-to-day routine. "For example, she gets out of the bed, puts on the heels. She goes into the bathroom. I hear the water go on. She comes out of the bathroom, dripping wet. She still has the heels on," he revealed. "And what's with the hair? At first it was sexy and now I'm just confused."

Gaga's alter ego then admitted that he wasn't only confused with the starlet's image, but also with being compared to the previous men in her life. "She said I'm just like the last one. I'm not like the last one," he insisted. "And I think it's great, you know? I think it's really f---ing great that she's such a star, a big beautiful star in the sky, but how am I supposed to shine? I mean, I think I'd be okay with it, you know, if I felt like she really was being herself with me. And maybe she is. I'm starting to think she is, 'cause when she gets on the stage, she holds nothing back ? that spotlight, that big rounded spotlight follows her everywhere she goes. Sometimes I think it follows her home. I know it does. I got to get in there."

Calderone concluded his almost-four-minute speech with details of their romantic endeavors, saying, "When she f---s, it's like she covers her face 'cause she doesn't want me to see, but she can't stand to have one honest moment where nobody's watching. I want her to be real, but she says, 'Jo, I'm not real. I'm theater and you and I...This is just rehearsal. I got to get in there."

What did you think of Jo's speech? Sound off in the comments below!

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards are live now! Stick with MTV News for winners, photos, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything going down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

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Lady Gaga, Beyonce Win Early VMAs

Lady Gaga ? trailblazer in yet another pop culture realm! The singer's "Born This Way" won the first-ever Moonman for Best Video With a Message at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday evening.

"I'm really proud of the 'Born This Way' video, and for it to be nominated is an absolute honor," Gaga earlier told MTV News.

The winner of the Best Video With a Message award, devoted to videos where music and social activism unite with positive messages that delve into some of the biggest issues of the day, was announced during the black carpet Pre-Show ? just one of a handful of early awards.

Adele won big, taking home three professional awards. She bested Gaga, Katy Perry and Kanye West to win Best Art Direction for "Rolling in the Deep." The Brit chanteuse's video also took Editing (over 'Ye and 30 Seconds to Mars) and Cinematography (over Beyonc� and Eminem). But Beyonc� and Katy didn't head into the Nokia Theatre for the main show empty handed.

Beyonc� nabbed Choreography for "Run the World (Girls)," beating out Gaga's "Judas," Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends" and Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song." Perry, meanwhile, who entered the night as the most-nominated artist, secured Special Effects for "E.T."

"Even teasing people with different images from 'E.T.,' people are so perplexed," Perry told MTV News back in March. "They're like, 'Katy Perry, you're supposed to be Betty Boop! You're supposed to be wearing pink!' It's exciting to be able to push my audience, to be like, 'There's always more, I've got all of this hidden up my sleeve that I've really longed to show people.'"

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday from Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais Genelle Frenoy

Will Lady Gaga And Jo Calderone Ever Collaborate On A Song?

See photos of Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone backstage at the VMAs.

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Why Did Lady Gaga Go To VMAs As Jo Calderone?

When Lady Gaga showed up at the 2011 Video Music Awards, she wasn't Lady Gaga anymore; she was Jo Calderone.

Gaga's creative director, Laurieann Gibson, spoke to MTV News days before the show went live, and she explained why Gaga wanted to stay in character all night long.

"The idea of her being a performance artist -- and it's starting the performance on the red carpet and the idea that the performance never ends for her -- is the first time I've experienced this with an artist," she said. "I love it. That's something that is specific to her, and the whole night was the performance, and it was important that Jo was a part of the whole night."

Gaga -- or, rather, Calderone -- opened the show with a lengthy monologue before launching into Gaga's "Yo� and I." Jo then hung out with Kanye West in the audience, paid tribute to Britney Spears and even shared a kiss with the pop star. Not once did Gaga break character. In Gibson's eyes, this type of performance is groundbreaking.

"I hope that the Monsters and the music industry [connect to] the idea that as long as you execute to the highest level of your ability, that you make a statement, that you push your creative ability to the max, and it doesn't mean one thing or another," she said.

"It could mean standing under one spotlight, it could mean tons of camels and belly-dancing girls. I don't know one is not necessarily better than the other," she continued. "But it is about who's the artist; it belongs to the artist, so in that one moment you have to take it and give all you can. And so I hope people take the fearlessness away [and] the creative notion that we constantly push boundaries, that we're not followers."

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'Hunger Games' Director Gary Ross Answers Fans' Burning Questions

Gary Ross gets that you're excited for "The Hunger Games." That's why he took some time off from filming to chat with us at MTV News about the questions you most want to have answered about the currently filming movie.

What are the scenes that Ross is most excited to film? How much training did Jennifer Lawrence do to play Katniss? Will Ross please dish on how they're portraying the Girl on Fire scene? And how big a part of the film is T Bone Burnett and Danny Elfman's score going to be? He answered ~~all~~ most of these in the above video, and we broke down his responses after the jump.

The Music
"T Bone and Danny haven't really started working yet. We've all begun working together, we've all begun discussing music, pulling references, going through the initial process you go through. Music can actually affect the movie almost more than anything else. It establishes the tone and it literally can change the way you feel or perceive a movie and so that's a very, very long discussion that happens between me, T Bone and Danny, and that's already begun," Ross said, adding, "That's not going to start to bear fruit for a while."

The Training
"It's an intensely physical movie, first of all. Jen is in, someone said, Jen's in 110 percent of the movie, which is really true. She works every day all day and it's a very physically demanding thing that she's doing, and she did train really, really rigorously," Ross explained. "She worked with an athletic trainer, someone that conditions athletes in Los Angeles, she had intensive archery training, so she's had a very rigorous athletic conditioning program."

The Girl On Fire
Sorry, fans, but Ross wouldn't spill the beans on this one. "There's some things you don't want to give away. You wouldn't want me to give it away," he said. "I think it's going to be a fantastic moment when it happens in the movie, and I could tell you what that is verbally but it would kind of wreck it for people. I'm going to resist the temptation to give a spoiler on my own movie right here."

Rue's Death
"I think there's many iconic moments in the movie. There're many moments that fans gravitate to. They're tremendously important to them," Ross said. "Obviously the death of Rue is something that every fan brings up, and how emotionally powerful that is, how important it is to the movie that you not pull punches, but that it also be handled sensitively and emotionally and honor the emotion of it. That's just a beautiful scene, and T Bone wrote a beautiful lullaby for Prim's Lullaby that's actually sung to Rue."

The Other Big Moments
Ross said there are many scenes that fans consider to be the most important, but there are a few that he considers among the most significant. He recently shot the scene where Katniss is about to enter the Hunger Games and has a "tense moment with Cinna before she actually has to leave." Then there's the tribute parade where she is revealed as the Girl on Fire, though Ross won't tell us any more details about that. And lastly there's the berries scene with Peeta at the end of the movie, which Ross thinks is "one of the most poignant and really powerful things in the book."

What scenes are you most looking forward to seeing? Did you like the tease of the music revealed at the end of the trailer? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags gary ross, jennifer lawrence, The Hunger Games

Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau

Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, More Spotted Backstage At The VMAs

� Jo Calderone on the move! We witnessed Gaga in character, dressed in a navy suit, black hair slicked back, cigarette behind her ear, serious look on her face as she headed up to the stage!

� After Gaga's performance, her dancers left the stage, and seemed super psyched about everything. As they were leaving, the Pitbull dancers were walking on. Everyone high-fived.

� Jonah Hill and the "Jersey Shore" kids shared their mutual love for one another. "I watch your show," Hill told the cast.

� Brian May's and Lady Gaga's dressing rooms were next to one another. Next to that? Katy Perry. Not a meat cooler in sight!

� Speaking of dressing rooms, Britney was seen all smiles as she walked back and forth between dressing rooms with just one guy and a stylist.

� Kanye West strolled through, wearing lots of denim, and singing "Super Bass."

� Adele was walking briskly from one place to another when one of her handlers whispered the Beyonc� news to her. "I knew she would be!" Adele exclaimed.

� Gaga lit a cigarette for Adele. Naughty ladies!

� Beyonc�'s mom got lots of congrats from people on her way out following B's big announcement at the show.

Jamie Lynn Sigler Janet Jackson January Jones Jennie Finch

Britney Spears Accepts Video Vanguard VMA - And A Kiss From Lady Gaga

It's only fitting for one princess of pop to fete another. And that's what happened when Lady Gaga stepped out onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards to pay tribute to Britney Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Well, kind of.

Gaga took the stage to honor Spears still in character as her male alter ego Jo Calderone, which she'd taken on for her show-opening performance earlier in the night. And that made things pretty interesting. Calderone opened by calling Spears an inspiration, saying, "She taught us all how to be fearless, and the industry wouldn't be the same without her."

Calderone then went on to get a little personal about Spears. He told the audience he used to put up posters of the pop star on his bedroom wall and be inspired in non-musical ways. It was a weird moment, but Calderone is a young guy of the right generation ? a generation that would indeed have posters of Britney Spears on his/her wall.

There's a reason, after all, she was being awarded the Vanguard Award. The tribute then turned into exactly what any great tribute to this particular diva should be: a dance party. Spears is known as one of the biggest dance pop artists of her generation, and accordingly, dancers wearing Britney's most famous video looks took the stage to get down to her biggest hits, from "Baby One More Time" and "Crazy" to "Toxic" and "Do Somethin'."

By the time the sequence dissolved into a full-stage dance-off to Spears' recent smash "Till The World Ends," children also wearing Spears' myriad costumes popped up onstage alongside their grown-up dancing counterparts. It was a fitting way to show the impact Spears' music has had. From kids to adults, everyone knows and loves Britney. As the performance ended, Gaga-as-Calderone again grabbed the spotlight to introduce the pop star and did so with the kind of bravado that carried him through his monologue earlier in the show. "Everybody, stand the f--- up," Calderone demanded.

Looking better than ever and glowing from all the praise, Spears then took the stage.

Calderone certainly liked what he saw, eyeing the singer before stepping forward for a semi-awkward stare-down. But Gaga, er, Calderone eventually got what he wanted: a quick kiss from the one and only Britney Spears. He wanted more, however, but alas, it just wasn't going to happen. Being a classy guy, Calderone brushed off Britney's dismissal of his advances with a cool, "I don't want Gaga to get pissed."

Spears seemed thankful for the prize but used her time to shine the spotlight on another artist: Beyonc�. Spears introduced Queen B's unstoppable performance of the amazing 4 track "Love on Top" ? at the end of which Beyonc� revealed her pregnant belly.

Carla Gugino Carmen Electra Carol Grow Carrie Underwood

Josh Hartnett Fights To The Finish In 'Bunraku' Teaser

All Josh Hartnett needs is his fists to kick some serious butt in the newest teaser for "Bunraku."

Who needs set-up for a movie when a minute-long video clip can just show Hartnett beating up on baddies left and right? Clearly his character, The Drifter, has some anger issues to deal with. "Bunraku" first premiered as an official selection during Midnight Madness at 2010's Toronto International Film Festival, and is slated to hit theaters on September 30. Though this trailer only shows off Hartnett's skills fighting his enemies, the movie does have a lot more to offer -- "It's not all about fighting," Woody Harrelson's character tells The Drifter, though he doesn't exactly agree.

Coming from director Guy Moshe, "Bunraku" is inspired by the style of Japanese puppet theater from which it got its name. The CGI-heavy film mixes shadow-play fantasy with the reality that we saw in this teaser.

"Bunraku" follows Nicola the Woodcutter, played by Ron Perlman, as a shadowy crime boss who rules everything east of the Atlantic. He is flanked by his lady Alexandra, played by Demi Moore, and Killer #2, played by Kevin McKidd. One night, a drifter -- Hartnett -- heads to the Headless Horseman Saloon to set about killing Nicola. He teams up with a samurai named Yoshi, played by Gackt, and the two go about bringing down Nicola.

Do you feel sufficiently teased for "Bunraku" by the above clip? Are you ready for Hartnett's non-stop fists of fury? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags bunraku, demi moore, Josh Hartnett, Kevin McKidd, ron perlman, woody harrelson

Emma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum

Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, More Spotted Backstage At The VMAs

� Jo Calderone on the move! We witnessed Gaga in character, dressed in a navy suit, black hair slicked back, cigarette behind her ear, serious look on her face as she headed up to the stage!

� After Gaga's performance, her dancers left the stage, and seemed super psyched about everything. As they were leaving, the Pitbull dancers were walking on. Everyone high-fived.

� Jonah Hill and the "Jersey Shore" kids shared their mutual love for one another. "I watch your show," Hill told the cast.

� Brian May's and Lady Gaga's dressing rooms were next to one another. Next to that? Katy Perry. Not a meat cooler in sight!

� Speaking of dressing rooms, Britney was seen all smiles as she walked back and forth between dressing rooms with just one guy and a stylist.

� Kanye West strolled through, wearing lots of denim, and singing "Super Bass."

� Adele was walking briskly from one place to another when one of her handlers whispered the Beyonc� news to her. "I knew she would be!" Adele exclaimed.

� Gaga lit a cigarette for Adele. Naughty ladies!

� Beyonc�'s mom got lots of congrats from people on her way out following B's big announcement at the show.

Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels

Katy Perry Explains Why VMAs Are 'Funnest' Show

"People feel like they can be themselves," Perry explained of the VMA vibe. "So, if sparks fly creatively, I'm sure they're flying romantically as well."

Carla Campbell Carla Gugino Carmen Electra Carol Grow

Lady Gaga's Jo Calderone Enlists Queen's Brian May For VMAs

He's one of the world's greatest rock guitarists, holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics, is a commander of the Order of the British Empire and he jammed with Lady Gaga at the VMAs. OK, it was Jo Calderone, but you know what we mean.

And if you didn't know who Queen's Brian May was before, you certainly did after his fiery cameo during Gaga's VMA-opening "Yo� and I" on Sunday night. Wearing all black, the British rock icon came out midway through a drag-king-tastic set for the ages, bumping hips with Jo as he/she busted open a beer and ripping off some of his legendary, spiraling riffs. Smiling broadly and walking carefully around the unpredictable Calderone, May leaned in close as Jo/Gaga threatened to expose his/her chest and shared a heartfelt hug with his new-era gender-bending pal.

May, 64, played the majestic guitar solo on the recorded version of the song, which was produced by rock master Mutt Lange (Shania Twain, AC/DC). So it was fitting that he would join Mother Monster onstage at the Nokia Theatre to re-create the epic hookup between rock and pop royalty for the big show.

Gaga, an avowed classic-rock fan, was looking for a big, meaty sound on the fourth single from Born This Way, and May was just the man for the gig. He formed legendary theatrical rock act Queen in 1971 with late singer Freddie Mercury, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. Together, the quartet made rock history on albums such as Sheer Heart Attack, A Night at the Opera, News of the World, Jazz and The Game, which spawned such classic-rock radio staples as "Killer Queen," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions," "Fat Bottomed Girls," "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

The group's 1984 album, The Works, also featured the song that would give Gaga her now-inescapable stage name, "Radio Gaga." While setting sales and concert-attendance records with Queen, May also explored some solo work in the 1980s, collaborating on the album Star Fleet Project with Van Halen's Eddie Van Halen and continuing his solo output with 1991's Back to the Light, which he released after Mercury's death in 1991.

He's also performed and recorded sporadically with the remaining members of Queen and appeared on such reality singing shows as England's "The X Factor" and "American Idol" in 2009, where he jammed with winner and runner-up Kris Allen and Adam Lambert.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards are live now! Stick with MTV News for winners, photos, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything going down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis

Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose Discuss Marriage 'All The Time'

Is wedding planning on the busy itineraries of Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose? The hip-hop power couple has never been shy when it comes to public displays of affection, and apparently they aren't timid about discussing marriage, either.

"We discuss it all the time; like he said, we're very much in love," Rose told MTV News while standing next to her "Black and Yellow" rapper beau on the VMA Pre-Show black carpet. "But, ya know, we're just going to take our time and just enjoy each other right now. We're both really busy and we work really hard and when the time comes, it's gonna come."

Besides working on some music and a film with her man, Rose said having a baby with Wiz is also on her agenda. The former Ford model and ex-girlfriend of Kanye West recently admitted to Global Grind that she's eager to procreate with the Pittsburgh rapper. "I want to be a mom really bad. I really want babies," she told the website. "I'll be 28 in October, and my maternal instinct is ready."

In March, Wiz appeared on MTV News' "RapFix Live," and Amber Rose joined him on the couch for a portion of the interview. Rose revealed what attracted her to the Best New Artist nominee.

"He's really funny, he's really charming," she said. "I didn't know much about his music at first and, obviously, he became a good friend. I started listening to his music. He's awesome, he's talented. He's amazing."

Aubrey ODay Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne

Monday, August 29, 2011

Lady Gaga's Jo Calderone Opens VMAs With A Monologue

Lady Gaga took the stage to open the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night (August 28), and to no one's surprise, she tore the roof off Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre with a gutsy performance of her hit single "Yo� and I" in character as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone.

The pop star emerged on the dark, empty stage wearing a loose black suit and T-shirt with slicked-back dark hair and a lit cigarette. As Calderone, Gaga then started into an emotional, near four-minute monologue about his tortured relationship with the pop star. "Lady Gaga, she left me," he started. "She said it always starts out good. ... She said I'm just like the last one."

Gaga's creative director, Laurieann Gibson, was coy when asked if Calderone would appear at the VMAs. "Will Jo be at the VMAs? Hmmm, I'm trying to book him. I'm talking to his manager now, so I'll keep you posted," she told MTV News correspondent Jim Cantiello.

After the monologue, Gaga found herself in more familiar territory -- sitting at the piano -- to start into a jazzy take on "Yo� and I." But that didn't last long, as the pop star soon joined a group of male backup dancers in black pants and dirty T-shirts as the tempo kicked up to the single version of the rock ballad that is currently burning up radio.

Mother Monster had another very big trick up her sleeve in the form of guest Brian May, the Queen guitarist who is featured on her most recent album, Born This Way. May tore into his solo with rock-star abandon while Gaga-as-Calderone climbed on top of the piano and began spraying beer on the crowd.

While Gaga was hesitant to talk about the performance beforehand, saying she wanted it to be a "surprise," she did subtly reveal that she might not be quite herself on the VMA stage, telling MTV News she's interested in "all the different people we can become or have become in the past."

"Our potential for the future and how do we in our minds sort of compartmentalize our different personalities," she said. "So that's something that I'm fascinated with right now. It's almost as if I'm reviewing my life as a play" ... a play she definitely brought to the VMA stage!

She also let us know that the inspiration for the performance came to her quickly -- much as it did for her already legendary blood-soaked take on "Paparazzi" in 2009. "It came as quickly as the last one did," Gaga said. "Any good performance flows out easily. If I have to think about it too much, something is wrong."

And the audience was stunned: The reaction shots during the performance were priceless. Katy Perry looked positively shocked (but in the best possible way), while Justin Bieber sat stone-faced, seemingly not able to really get what was going on.

As always with Gaga, it was all about the performance, so she was excited that VMA producers asked her to open the show after she told them her plans for the performance. "I was just really excited and I was really happy because they asked me after I told them what I wanted to do," Gaga told MTV News. "So it was even more exciting because I knew that it was based off the performance idea and MTV believing in me as an artist and they have, and I appreciate that, from the beginning. They always allowed me to do my version of pop music and not someone else's."

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards are live now! Stick with MTV News for winners, photos, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything going down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

Georgina Grenville Gina Carano Gina Gershon Gina Philips

VMAs Backstage: Five Things You Didn't See

For all the unforgettable moments that occurred onstage during the VMAs on Sunday night, there were just as many equally amazing happenings that went down behind-the-scenes. Thanks to our VIP connections, MTV News had access to everything that happened before, after and during the live broadcast. Therefore, in no particular order, we are proud to present five moments you didn't get to see:

Gaga's Gentlemanly Behavior Leaves Celebs Starstruck
As is her M.O., Lady Gaga's presence at the VMAs was a highlight in and of itself, and every celeb who encountered her had a wide-eyed story to tell of his/her encounter. Particularly Foo Fighter Dave Grohl's first introduction to Gaga as her alter ego Jo Calderone.

"I got to meet her for the first time tonight [as Jo Calderone]," Grohl said of meeting Gaga when he went to say hello to Queen guitarist Brian May, who performed with her during the show. "I was like, 'Brian May, what's up!' and she was right next to him and I said, 'Hi, I'm Dave,' and she goes 'I know who the f--- you are!' Yeah, it was rad."

We spotted Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and more hanging out backstage!

Another Gaga-centric highlight occurred during one of the commercial breaks, when Gaga as the confident ladies' man Jo Calderone (or Gago, as Twitter users tagged him last night) took a cigarette from behind his ear, lit it and smoothly passed it to Adele.

'Jersey Shore' Stars Make Friends Everywhere They Go
As part of the MTV family, the stars of "Jersey Shore" have become welcome additions to any and all of our awards shows. We witnessed the ladies of Seaside Heights ? JWoww, Snooki and Deena ? palling around with new BFF, none other than "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens. Later on we spotted them crossing paths with Jared Leto, which produced the following exchange: JWoww to Jared Leto: "Wow. I'm a huge fan! 'The Kill' is my favorite!" Leto: "Thank you so much!" Snooki, once they had passed the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman: "Aah?" To which Jenni replied, "That was Jared Leto. Don't you know who Jared Leto is?!"

Tyler, The Creator's Accidental Stage Dive Sends Him Into Unlikely Arms
Immediately following their win for Best New Artist, the many members of Odd Future and their assorted entourage were trying to shuffle off the circular stage, when suddenly there was a loud noise and everyone in the audience in the right section gasped. It was clear from the commotion that a member from Future had fallen off the stage. When the dust finally settled, we saw two unexpected heroes holding frontman Tyler, the Creator up: Kanye West and Kid Cudi.

Go behind-the-scenes with Wiz Khalifa, Kreayshawn and more at the VMA Pre-Show!

"It was really hard, but [the tears] came out when I fell offstage into Kanye's arms," Tyler half-joked as he processed the emotions surrounding his win and his almost fall.

Jay Z And Beyonc� Celebrate Baby News
Arguably the newsiest moment of the evening occurred when Beyonc� announced that she was pregnant, with a not-so-subtle rubbing of her belly at the end of her performance. Immediately following the big moment, Beyonc� and Jay-Z were enveloped backstage by ecstatic well-wishers including Kanye West, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. One of the sweeter of those moments was when Jay stepped outside Beyonc�'s dressing room, to allow her some time with her female friends to gush and squeal over the news. The proud and sweet smile on his face when he did so made for our favorite VMA warm fuzzy moment.

BONUS: VMA Recap With MTV News' Jim Cantiello MTV News correspondent Jim Cantiello does many things well, but his 60-second recaps of important events in pop culture are a must-watch. Check out Cantiello's super-speedy recap that includes analysis of Gaga as Calderone, what gets a hard-to-impress Justin Bieber to applaud VMA performers and Beyonc�'s big announcement.

Aisha Tyler Aki Ross Alecia Elliott Alessandra Ambrosio

Britney Spears And Jo Calderone: A VMA Romance?

"It was interesting, her character," Spears later told MTV News about the encounter, even dishing how the kiss between the two took place. "We got onstage and we felt it out."

Click here to see Beyonce's baby bump, the kiss between Britney and Lady Gaga and more.

He took it like a gentleman, adding, "I don't want Gaga to get pissed."

So was Gaga completely Calderone the whole time? "She's in full character," Spears later added. "Yes, definitely."

Halle Berry Hayden Panettiere Haylie Duff Heidi Klum

How Annoying Is Paul Rudd In 'Our Idiot Brother'?

From what we know about "Our Idiot Brother," which, truth be told, is based solely on our reaction to the trailers and the reviews, Paul Rudd's modus operandi in the family comedy is to pester his family and friends, played by the likes of Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer and Rashida Jones (though in a lovable, if slightly moronic way).

Yes, we realize there is more to the story, and that because Rudd is so lovable, his character likely doesn't stay annoying for too long. So when MTV News caught up with the cast at the film's premiere recently, we asked them point blank: How annoying is Paul Rudd in this movie? As expected, the results are fun and funny.

"[He's] not as annoying as his Crocs," Rashida Jones told us of one particularly offensive piece of her costar's wardrobe. "No offense to people who wear Crocs, they?re super comfortable, but come on, not [to wear] out of the house."

"On a scale of one to 10, he?s an eight-and-a-half probably," Elizabeth Banks admitted. "But in real life he?s more like a four."

In contrast, Zooey Deschanel doesn't think Rudd has an annoying bone in his body.

"He?s not annoying at all!" she protested. "He?s lovely. That was a trick question."

Rudd, however, was happy to play ball, and offered a little reenactment by way of moving into our camera for an extreme close-up.

"Almost as annoying as I am right now," he said in response to the 'How annoying are you?' question, before stepping back to consider the question seriously.

"I think [his behavior] is annoying to certain characters," Rudd said. "Hopefully not to America."

Tags Our Idiot Brother, paul rudd, Video

Cameron Diaz Cameron Richardson Camilla Belle Carla Campbell

Lady Gaga's Jo Calderone Enlists Queen's Brian May For VMAs

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards are live now! Stick with MTV News for winners, photos, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything going down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest.

Christina Milian Christina Ricci Chyler Leigh Ciara

How Annoying Is Paul Rudd In 'Our Idiot Brother'?

"On a scale of one to 10, he?s an eight-and-a-half probably," Elizabeth Banks admitted. "But in real life he?s more like a four."

In contrast, Zooey Deschanel doesn't think Rudd has an annoying bone in his body.

"He?s not annoying at all!" she protested. "He?s lovely. That was a trick question."

Rudd, however, was happy to play ball, and offered a little reenactment by way of moving into our camera for an extreme close-up.

"Almost as annoying as I am right now," he said in response to the 'How annoying are you?' question, before stepping back to consider the question seriously.

"I think [his behavior] is annoying to certain characters," Rudd said. "Hopefully not to America."

Tags Our Idiot Brother, paul rudd, Video

Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli BeyoncÈ Bianca Kajlich

Beyonce, Lady Gaga Dominate Twitter Trends On VMA Night

Just as predicted, the 2011 Video Music Awards generated even more buzz than last year, with over 3 million tweets sent from 8 p.m. ET at the start of the pre-show until the end of the West Coast broadcast, 11 p.m. PT. Which makes perfect sense when we're talking about a show in which Selena Gomez interviewed Justin Bieber, Britney and Gaga almost made out, and, oh yeah, Beyonc� announced her pregnancy!

Female artists definitely ruled Twitter this year. Bey's baby news made her the most tweeted-about celeb overall, with the first twitpic of her touching her pregnant stomach on the red carpet passing 600,000 views in six hours. In that same six-hour window, the VMA Twitter Tracker clocked the top subject as Nicki Minaj in the first hour, Adele in the next, and then Lady Gaga and Beyonc� alternating in the final hours. But the guys weren't far behind, with Jay-Z and Kanye West (a.k.a. the Throne), Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator giving the ladies a run for their money.

Britney Spears talks about Jo Calderone after their onstage encounter.

For the entire duration of the VMAs, over half of the worldwide Twitter trends were VMA related, and at points they dominated eight or nine of the top 10 trends. Trends tended to coincide with a celeb's arrival (Wiz and Amber), a live interview (Selena and Justin) or the live performances (Adele). But some humorous trends emerged as well: The Karate Kid himself, Ralph Macchio, might have been surprised to see his name trending if he didn't tune in to see his doppelganger, Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone, appearing several times throughout the show. And Happy Trees trended briefly after Rick Ross appeared in a sketch in the show channeling the late painter and personalitya Bob Ross.

The trend #whatwillgagawear was one of the longest running of the evening, as was BEYONCE IS PREGNANT, which clearly called for caps, and #DemiYouAreBeautiful was a message to Demi Lovato from her many fans. Joe Jonas, Bruno Mars, Adele and Justin Bieber were all the subject of trends with words of encouragement started by their supporters.

The Twitter Tracker is continuing to monitor VMA activity, under top 10 celebs to check it out and see who's up in the days following the big show!

Top 10 celebs by number of mentions:

Beyonc� 280,000
Lady Gaga: 237,000
The Throne: 183,000
Adele: 159,000
Chris Brown: 110,000
Lil Wayne: 104,000
Tyler, the Creator: 72,000
Nicki Minaj: 66,000
Bruno Mars: 57,000
Katy Perry: 54,000

Jessica ParÈ Jessica Simpson Zooey Deschanel Aaliyah

Is Taylor Lautner 'Expendable,' Too?

Is Taylor Lautner about to become expendable? That's certainly what the latest casting rumor for "The Expendables 2" would have us believe.

The folks over at Moviehole report that Lautner is one of several action stars that is being looked at to star in the upcoming sequel. Apparently the offer hasn't gone out to the "Abduction" star yet, but he is allegedly high up on the list of actors that Lionsgate wants for the film.

Also on the list are Christopher Lambert, Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater, as well as the previously rumored John Travolta, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris. It certainly would be interesting to see up-and-coming action hero Lautner facing off against some of the baddest dudes around.

Check out the rest of today's casting news after the jump!

Olivia Wilde Gets Some "Better Living Through Chemistry"
Farewell Jennifer Garner, and hello Olivia Wilde. Variety is reporting that the "Cowboys & Aliens" star is replacing Jennifer Garner in the comedic thriller "Better Living Through Chemistry." Garner had to turn down the role when she found out she was pregnant with her third child. Wilde will play a trophy wife who Sam Rockwell starts having an affair with. Michelle Monaghan plays Rockwell's wife, and Judi Dench is going to be the film's narrator.

Gabriel Iglesias Joins "Magic Mike"
The latest actor to join the cast of "Magic Mike" certainly doesn't look like your average stripper. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias has come on board Steven Soderbergh's drama as a DJ at the strip club where the movie takes place, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. He'll be joining a cast which we will from here on out refer to as The Eight-Pack Club: Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer and Matt Bomer, as well as ladies Cody Horn and Riley Keough.

Jim Sturgess Comes On Board "Cloud Atlas"
The Playlist has learned that "One Day" star Jim Sturgess is one of the final actors to join the Wachowski's latest movie, "Cloud Atlas." It's unclear what character -- or characters -- Sturgess will be playing in the David Mitchell adaptation. "[All the actors] play a few characters, it's very clever what [the directors are] gonna try and do. I'm really really really excited about it," Sturgess told The Playlist. "I think it's going to be bonkers, it's either going to work or it's not. I'm really excited to see if we can pull it off, because it's ambitious what they want to do. And it's nice, you feel like no one's ever done that in a film before, it's like rep theater on a sort of giant movie scale."

Peter Sarsgaard Eying "Night Moves"
Peter Sarsgaard might be blowing up a dam one day soon in Kelly Reichardt's latest movie, "Night Moves," C7nema has learned. "It's about three people who want to blow up a dam. They are a kind of environmental terrorists. They are not thinking about killing anyone, [they] just [want to] change the world. When I read the script I was passionate and committed to the film," he said in an interview. As of now, though, the "Green Lantern" villain isn't officially attached to the project.

Leading Ladies Circle Tom Cruise's "Horizon"
What do Brit Marling, Olivia Wilde, Jessica Chastain, Noomi Rapace and Olga Kurylenko have in common? They all are up for the two lead female roles in the Tom Cruise film "Horizon" (formerly "Oblivion"). Splash Page has the news and information on the two roles up for grabs. One is for Julia, the fianc�e of Cruise's character Jack who likely exists only in flashbacks. The other is for Victoria, Jack's right hand woman as he goes on missions on a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Tell us your thoughts on today's Casting Call in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags Better Living Through Chemistry, Brit Marling, christian slater, Christopher Lambert, Cloud Atlas, Gabriel Iglesias, Horizon, Jessica Chastain, jim sturgess, Magic Mike, nicolas cage, Night Moves, noomi rapace, olga kurylenko, olivia wilde, Peter Sarsgaard, Taylor Lautner, The Expendables 2

Britney Spears Brittany Daniel Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy

Is Taylor Lautner 'Expendable,' Too?

Is Taylor Lautner about to become expendable? That's certainly what the latest casting rumor for "The Expendables 2" would have us believe.

Check out the rest of today's casting news after the jump!

Tell us your thoughts on today's Casting Call in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie

Lady Gaga's VMA Performance All About 'Fearlessness'

So much for giving up the goods.

We really tried to get Laurieann Gibson, Lady Gaga's creative director, to spill her guts about what Mother Monster has planned for her VMA performance on Sunday, but she's keeping things under wraps ? in the best way possible.

She jokingly said a few censored (and, considering how much she's bleeped in the embedded video, obscene) things about what viewers will see. Long story short: She's not telling.

But Gibson did say of Gaga's opening performance, "I hope that people take the fearlessness away. The notion that you don't have to follow what is popular and that you can constantly take the opportunity and create a new understanding of music and performing.

"It could mean standing under one spotlight," she continued. "It could mean tons of camels and belly-dancing girls. I don't know. One is not necessarily better than the other. But it is about the artist. It's about 'Who's the artist?' So in that one moment, you have to take it and give it all you can."

Gibson is just following suit on the secrecy front: When Gaga talked to MTV News last week, she said she wants to surprise her fans at the VMAs. "I'm really very honored and excited to open the show," Lady Gaga told MTV News. "But I won't reveal anything; I want it to be a surprise."

From what Gaga and Gibson revealed, the performance sounds like it will be avant garde, much like her 2009 VMA set, when Gaga took the stage for a blood-soaked "Paparazzi" performance.

"It will be a continuation of everything I've been doing, and it will be exactly what they want," Gaga said. "I'm pretty good at knowing what my fans want me to do."

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

Zooey Deschanel Aaliyah Abbie Cornish Adriana Lima

Lady Gaga: Best New Artist VMA 'Changed My Life'

The 2009 Video Music Awards belonged to Lady Gaga. She stunned us on the red carpet, wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier gown with Kermit the Frog on her arm, and shocked us onstage with her blood-soaked performance of "Paparazzi."

In 2010, Gaga returned to the VMAs and made everyone's jaws drop again when she hit the stage in her infamous meat dress. Yet, out of all of her iconic VMA moments, there is one that really stood out for Mother Monster: her win for Best New Artist.

"I will always remember Best New Artist," Gaga told MTV News. "I just remember that I won and I was surprised and I was really taken aback."

Eminem presented Gaga with the award that night, and she is still a bit embarrassed about asking him to hold her newly acquired award as she peeled off her face-covering red-lace crown to thank her Little Monsters face-to-face.

"I remember I asked Eminem to hold my Moonman," Gaga recalled. "And than he sort of looked at me like, 'Are you f---ing kidding me?' But he's really cool, so it was fine."

We can't say that we blame her for what she did, since she said there were a million different things running through her mind when they announced that she was the big winner. "It was a super surreal moment, where you have to think very quickly," Gaga said of accepting her Moonman. "You can't hear yourself, because they are screaming so loud, and you don't have an in-ear [monitor] and you've got a microphone and you've got to get everything out, and I just remember I said, 'To God and the gays,' and I remember when I was done, I thought that was the right thing to say."

But we weren't just transfixed by what Gaga was saying; we also couldn't take our eyes off of what she was wearing. Gaga hit the stage in an Alexander McQueen dress, complete with a crown and her face covered with red lace. What the viewers didn't know is that Gaga never planned to show her face during her acceptance speech.

"I think I had been told and asked profusely by my label to take it off if I won," Gaga said of removing the mask. "I was like, 'I'm not breaking the fourth wall of this performance.' I gave them this whole sassy answer. Then I got up there, I just got so overwhelmed, and I ripped it off, and I'll never forget that moment. The first time that MTV recognized me, that changed my life."

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'Hunger Games' Cheat Sheet: Everything There Is To Know

FROM MTV MOVIES: Welcome to the dystopian world of "The Hunger Games." North America is no more. Natural disasters and war did away with the continent we knew and gave rise to a whole new land called Panem: 13 districts overseen by an authoritarian Capitol. Then came the Dark Days, a power-to-the-people, down-with-the-Man revolution that obliterated one district and resulted in an annual, gladiatorial tournament known as the Hunger Games.

Now meet Katniss Everdeen, an impoverished teen who feeds her family thanks to some badass bow-and-arrow skills and a stubborn refusal to play by the Capitol's rules. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark ? hardly friends, nor possessing the bloodthirsty verve of their opponents ? find themselves reluctant participants in the 74th Hunger Games. What happens from there forms the basis of Suzanne Collins' page-turner of a novel, which Lionsgate is now adapting for the big screen with an eye on a March 2012 release.

Whether you're a die-hard fan of the franchise or all this Katniss craziness is totally new to you, now's the time to get up to speed on all there is to know about the Jennifer Lawrence-starring film. Because at the 2011 Video Music Awards on Sunday, MTV is set to debut the first-ever look at footage from the flick. So check out our "Hunger Games" cheat sheet for everything there is to know before the big show.

Read the full story at MTV Movies!

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