'Megamind' is No. 1 movie: $47.7M

Image Credit: DreamWorks AnimationA trio of new releases propelled the box office to a record weekend, and DreamWorks Animation’s and Paramount Pictures’ Megamind led the way with $47.7 million, according to studio estimates. The $130 million CG-animated comedy starring Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, and Tina Fey got off to a slightly underwhelming $12.5 million start on Friday. But the superhero flick skyrocketed 65 percent on Saturday as parents, starved for a family film to take their tots to, stormed the local multiplex. According to Paramount, 52 percent of Megamind‘s audience was less than 25 years old, and 66 percent of the movie’s earnings came from 3-D screens. For DreamWorks Animation, Megamind was their seventh best debut, topping this year’s How to Train Your Dragon, but falling short of summer blockbusters such as Kung Fu Panda and the three Shrek sequels. For Paramount, Megamind marks the studio’s third No. 1 opening in four weeks. The folks on Melrose Avenue will have plenty to be thankful for in a couple of weeks.

Second place went to the Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, and a horny French bulldog. The Warner Bros. film, which was co-produced by Legendary Pictures, grossed $33.5 million — a great tally for an R-rated comedy, but short of director Todd Phillips’ last project, The Hangover, which debuted to $45 million. Due Date scored a middling “B-” rating from CinemaScore audiences. However, the younger the moviegoer was, the more likely he or she gave the film a better grade. (Those under 18 rated it an “A-”). Since 59 percent of its audience was under the age of 35, Due Date may hold up better than its CinemaScore indicates.

Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls, an adaptation of the acclaimed play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, premiered in third place with $20.1 million. That’s lower than usual for the director, but still a very respectable opening, especially when considering that the film is Perry’s first to be rated R. For Colored Girls played a bit older than normal for Perry’s movies, with 87 percent of the audience more than 25 years old. The serious drama, with its all-star female ensemble including Kimberly Elise, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington, and Janet Jackson, had no trouble attracting Perry’s most supportive fanbase — African-American women. According to Lionsgate, 81 percent of the audience was African American, and 82 percent was female. And with an “A” rating from CinemaScore audiences, Perry’s fanbase clearly loved what they saw.

Summit’s Red continued its slow-motion descent, slipping a minuscule 17 percent to secure fourth place with $8.9 million. The action comedy, starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich, has pulled off the rare feat of dropping each week by a smaller percentage than the week before. Red fell 31 percent its second weekend, then 29 percent, and now 17 percent for a four-week tally of $71.9 million. In fifth place was Saw 3D, which collapsed 64 percent its second weekend for $8.2 million. In limited release, Danny Boyle’s Oscar hopeful, 127 Hours, grossed $266,000 from just four locations for a stupendous per-theater average of $66,500. And the action thriller Fair Game, starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, snared $700,000 from 46 sites — a solid, if not extraordinary, per-theater average of $15,217.

Overall, the box office earned an estimated $157 million this weekend, breaking the 2003 record of $153 million for the first frame of November. Check back next weekend as another trio of films invades theaters — the alien thriller Skyline, the comedy Morning Glory, and the runaway-train action film Unstoppable.

1. Megamind — $47.7 mil
2. Due Date — $33.5 mil
3. For Colored Girls — $20.1 mil
4. Red — $8.9 mil
5. Saw 3D — $8.2 mil

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Box Office: "Megamind" dominates weekend with $47.7 million - CNN

The animated comedy "Megamind" drew younger moviegoers with an estimated 52 percent of its audience under 25 years old."Megamind" took first place with $47.7 million.
"Due Date" came in second taking in $33.5 million.
Tyler Perry's latest, "For Colored Girls" took third with $20.1 million.

(EW.com) -- A trio of new releases propelled the box office to a record weekend, and DreamWorks Animation's and Paramount Pictures' "Megamind" led the way with $47.7 million, according to studio estimates.

The $130 million, CG-animated comedy starring Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, and Tina Fey got off to a slightly underwhelming $12.5 million start on Friday. But the superhero flick skyrocketed 65 percent on Saturday as parents, starved for a family film to take their tots to, stormed the local multiplex.

According to Paramount, 52 percent of "Megamind's" audience was less than 25 years old, and 66 percent of the movie's earnings came from 3-D screens. For DreamWorks Animation, "Megamind" was their seventh best debut, topping this year's "How to Train Your Dragon," but falling short of summer blockbusters such as "Kung Fu Panda" and the three "Shrek" sequels.

For Paramount, "Megamind" marks the studio's third No. 1 opening in four weeks. The folks on Melrose Avenue will have plenty to be thankful for in a couple of weeks.

Second place went to "Due Date," starring Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, and a horny French bulldog. The Warner Bros. film, which was co-produced by Legendary Pictures, grossed $33.5 million -- a great tally for an R-rated comedy, but short of director Todd Phillips' last project, "The Hangover," which debuted to $45 million.

"Due Date" scored a middling "B-" rating from CinemaScore audiences. However, the younger the moviegoer was, the more likely he or she gave the film a better grade. (Those under 18 rated it an "A-"). Since 59 percent of its audience was under the age of 35, "Due Date" may hold up better than its CinemaScore indicates.

Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls," an adaptation of the acclaimed play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf," premiered in third place with $20.1 million. That's lower than usual for the director, but still a very respectable opening, especially when considering that the film is Perry's first to be rated R.

"For Colored Girls" played a bit older than normal for Perry's movies, with 87 percent of the audience more than 25 years old. The serious drama, with its all-star female ensemble including Kimberly Elise, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington, and Janet Jackson, had no trouble attracting Perry's most supportive fan base -- African-American women. According to Lionsgate, 81 percent of the audience was African American, and 82 percent was female. And with an "A" rating from CinemaScore audiences, Perry's fan base clearly loved what they saw.

Summit's "Red" continued its slow-motion descent, slipping a minuscule 17 percent to secure fourth place with $8.9 million. The action comedy, starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich, has pulled off the rare feat of dropping each week by a smaller percentage than the week before. "Red" fell 31 percent its second weekend, then 29 percent, and now 17 percent for a four-week tally of $71.9 million.

In fifth place was "Saw 3D," which collapsed 64 percent its second weekend for $8.2 million. In limited release, Danny Boyle's Oscar hopeful, "127 Hours," grossed $266,000 from just four locations for a stupendous per-theater average of $66,500.

And the action thriller "Fair Game," starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, snared $700,000 from 46 sites -- a solid, if not extraordinary, per-theater average of $15,217.

Overall, the box office earned an estimated $157 million this weekend, breaking the 2003 record of $153 million for the first frame of November. Check back next weekend as another trio of films invades theaters -- the alien thriller "Skyline," the comedy "Morning Glory," and the runaway-train action film "Unstoppable."

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Chilean miner thanks America for NY marathon support - Telegraph.co.uk

Mr Peña hobbled his way over the finish line in Central Park at 3.30pm, five hours and 40 minutes after beginning the race in Staten Island.

“I’m not from this country, but I saw posters saying ‘Go Edison!” and 'Go for it Peña!' from people I didn’t even know," he said at the finish line.

"The warmth from the American people is amazing.”

The 34 year-old, who was the 12th man to be raised to the surface in the Phoenix rescue capsule from deep below the Atacama Desert last month, had been dubbed "the runner" for his gruelling subterranean exercise regime.

The fitness fanatic and Elvis Presley enthusiast jogged in his heavy miners' boots for several miles each day of his ordeal through dark uneven tunnels finding his footing by the light of his miner's lamp.

He suffered from a knee injury while in the mine, which made his progress during the marathon extremely painful. Mr Peña, who sported a knee support for the run, was forced to walk the last section of the course, from Manhattan to the finish.

“I cried twice because of the pain in my knees,” he said. “But I didn’t travel this far to give up."

Carrying aloft the Chilean flag, Mr Peña was met at the finish line by his wife, Angélica.

He was invited to participate in the challenge through the streets of Manhattan by organisers, who were inspired by his drive and stamina.

"I could have come just to watch, but I decided to take part, to feel the emotion," he said ahead of Sunday's race.

"I have a strong desire to motivate the others. This is the most important thing for me."

On arrival in New York on Thursday he was a guest on The Late Show hosted by David Letterman, where with gyrating hips and quivering lip the miner won over the audience with his own rendition of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds".

He will visit Graceland, Presley's mansion in Memphis, Tennessee and will make a trip to Las Vegas to see "Viva Elvis," a Cirque du Soleil show, before flying home to Chile.

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'Hangover' director grows with his movies - Toronto Sun

(L-r) Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis and director/producer Todd Phillips during the filming of Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' comedy "Due Date," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (HO)

BEVERLY HILLS -- Having already covered college in Old School and marriage in The Hangover, it only makes sense that director Todd Phillips' latest film, Due Date, revolves around an impending bundle of joy.

"I sort of grow with my movies," Phillips, 39, says during a news conference for the new comedy, in theatres now.

"(My films) are always about my age range, it feels. And that's the next step in life, having a kid and fatherhood. It just seemed like an interesting thing, both for emotion and for comedy."

Mind you, Due Date isn't muddied with dirty diapers and blood-curdling infant screams. Instead it's a road trip comedy in which soon-to-be first-time dad Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself in Atlanta without a wallet and -- with his wife (Michelle Monaghan) set to give birth in L.A. in just a few days -- he's forced to ride home with airhead wannabe actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) and Ethan's French bulldog Sonny.

Ethan quickly ignites Peter's already-short fuse, making pot pit-stops, crashing the vehicle and engaging in, um, interesting behaviour with Sonny.

It's the second road comedy Phillips has directed (2000's Road Trip is the first), and one of many (in addition to 2003's Old School, 2004's Starsky & Hutch, and last year's megahit The Hangover) that have seen him exploring male friendships, this time through the ticked-off eyes of Downey Jr.'s temperamental architect Peter.

"I think that every time I feel that I really hit critical mass and I'm in the right place is when I feel like the director and I become a third thing and that's the character," says Downey Jr., who calls himself "an appendage" of Phillips in Due Date.

"I always feel like I'm playing an aspect of the director, particularly when he's an auteur. And to me, it's a way of almost making him a proud parent."

But not without a few fights. Phillips says he and Downey Jr. had a lot of "spirited discussions", some lasting up to three hours, each morning during Due Date's filming.

"He is basically another writer in the room," Phillips says of the star. "He had the pages and then he'd go, 'OK, what are we REALLY doing?'

"Robert has an aversion to things that are typed," Phillips continues. "So even if we just rewrote the actual scene on a napkin, even if it was the same scene, he felt better about it.

"A lot of times you hear actors are worried about their lines. Robert thinks of the movie as a whole, he thinks of every character as a whole. For me it was an unequalled experience."

Downey Jr.'s comeback in the last few years has included blockbusters Iron Man and its sequel, as well as Sherlock Holmes and its upcoming sequel - though he'll go so far as to say that Phillips' Hangover followup is his "most healing project" yet.

Though it's not hard to believe, given all of the aggression Peter gets to let out on Ethan.

"There was something so cathartic about (this)," Downey Jr. says. "I've never come across anyone who is so confident and is so thoughtful and so spontaneous that it's not even daunting. He's just in a class by himself, and I think Todd is the best director I've worked with, bar none."

Downey Jr. adds, "We're generally pretty happy guys -- but we love just getting crabby together."

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Box office update: ‘Megamind’ earns $12.5 mil on Friday

Image Credit: DreamWorks AnimationParamount Pictures’ and DreamWorks Animation’s Megamind kicked off the holiday movie season by collecting $12.5 million on Friday, according to early estimates. That’s slightly more than the $12.1 million snared by DreamWorks’ last original CG-animated movie, How to Train Your Dragon, which opened in March. Megamind should see a big uptick on Saturday as kids will be out of school and singing that “Mega-Mega-Megamind” song until their parents crack. Figure a weekend total of about $45 million, which is right in line with what Paramount said they were anticipating for the $130 million film. (I was thinking the star-power of Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, and Tina Fey would knock the movie above $50 million, but we learned a valuable box-office equation today: Ferrell + Pitt + Fey = dragon).

Right behind Megamind was Warner Bros.’ Due Date, which lit up $12.2 million on Friday. The Legendary Pictures co-production is on track for about $35 million this weekend, which is a very solid number for an R-rated comedy. (By comparison, director Todd Phillips’ prior movie, The Hangover, opened to $45 million its first weekend last year). In third place was Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls, which took home an estimated $7.4 million. The R-rated drama should finish the weekend with around $20 million, which is lower than usual for Perry, but still a commendable result. In fourth place was Saw 3D, which dropped 75 percent from last Friday to snag $2.7 million. And Summit’s action comedy Red continues to age at a glacial speed, slipping only 27 percent for $2.5 million — enough for fifth place.

In limited release, Danny Boyle’s Oscar-hopeful 127 Hours, starring James Franco, made $77,000 from just four locations for an energetic $19,250 per-theater average. And Fair Game, directed by The Bourne Identity‘s Doug Liman, earned a quite respectable $180,000 from 46 theaters. Check back here on Sunday for the complete box office report.

1. Megamind — $12.5 mil
2. Due Date — $12.2 mil
3. For Colored Girls — $7.4 mil
4. Saw 3D — $2.7 mil
5. Red — $2.5 mil

Box office preview: Megamind to lead a monster weekend

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'Smallville': Father knows best?

Things started out so well on Smallville this week. Clark and Lois, fresh from the intimacy they shared at the end of last week, were — at the suggestion of Lois, that minx — about to engage in some porch-swing sex (I know, I was pretty shocked myself ). Then who should arrive but Lois’ father, the General Sam Lane (Michael Ironside) and sister Lucy (Peyton List).

Grumpy General was in full military camouflage and in full-on anger mode right from the start. He not only interrupted our happy couple with a lot of bluster about how super-heroes “incite violence” and “commit acts of terrorism”; he was also backing the “Vigilante Registration Act.”

Now before you yelp that this Registration Act is a rip-off of a recent Marvel Comics story line, I’ll remind you that this kind of legislation has existed before in the DC Comics universe, in everything from Infinite Crisis‘ “New Earth” storyline to the New Frontier miniseries to (the admittedly out-of-continuity) Watchmen. Anyhoo, the General is a backer, and he had a grudge against Clark. Why? Because he’d had a government investigation conducted (!) and possessed photos of Clark with cousin Kara in her costume, which in the General’s mind meant Clark was a dirty collaborator with superheroes, including the Blur.

The parallel militaristic story line followed the return of Rick Flag from The Suicide Squad, who invoked patriotism and freedom as well in opposing the Registration Act — he’d set his sights on demolishing the General, launching a General-seeking missile while reciting some of the lyrics to “The Star Spangled Banner.” Decorating the edges of the hour were Green Arrow and Tess, arguing and becoming friends again in the Watchtower while monitoring much of this stuff. (This material felt like some dutiful labor that had to be worked in to excuse Chloe’s ongoing absence.)

I suppose this episode, titled “Ambush,” was partly a holiday-themed edition: after all, the General and Lucy had shown up to share a Thanksgiving meal with Lois. But its best moments centered on father-daughter issues. Ironside’s interpretation of the General was to play him rather over-the-top, and so it fell to Erica Durance to convey the painful pull and pluck it requires to put aside the powerfully controlling instincts a child has to obey a domineering parent. (“That’s an order, young lady!”) Their face-off was better than all the rockets bursting in air, or the Blur-fast rescues.

This was, like last week’s “Harvest,” an uneven episode with, as I’ve detailed, some fine emotional moments. And given how good Durance has been this season in particular, I’m really looking forward to next week, when Teri Hatcher appears as Lois’ mother.

How about you?

Twitter: @kentucker

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Lily Rabe: Jill Clayburgh Daughter - Right Celebrity

Did you know that Lily Rabe is Jill Clayburgh’s daughter? Well she is and she along with so many others are morning the loss of her extremely talented actress mother. You can learn all about Lily below, who is quite talented herself, as well as check out some pictures and a video too.

Lily Rabe is Jill Clayburgh’s daughter who will be taking some time off from her soon to be opened play THE MERCHANT OF VENICE due to her mothers death. Rabe is the lead in the play that was suppose to officially open tomorrow, Sunday November 7th. Although performances will go on with Rabe’s understudy as the lead the official opening has been pushed to November 15. Lily’s mother Jill lost her battle with cancer, leukemia, on Friday.

Other than she is the daughter of Clayburgh and playwright David Rabe what do we know about the beautiful Lily? Well despite having parents in show biz she did not always want to be an actress however as with so many children of those in the entertainment world acting was in her blood. She had talent and gift that couldn’t be ignored.

Although she was born in suburban New York Rabe attended The Hotchkiss School boarding school in Lakeville, CT. It was there that after spending much of her childhood as a ballerina that Rabe decided to give acting a shot and to her surprise she was quickly bitten by the acting bug. That ultimately led her to hone her skills in the extremely intense theater program at Northwestern. It was during those years that Lily also got the chance to work with mother at the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts, where she landed a role in the play Closer that gave a a huge confidence boost at a time in her life when she desperately needed it.

It was only a couple of years after graduating college that Lily landed a role in the Broadway show Steal Magnolias which is where she really came into her own and proved she was just as talented as her mother. Along with appearing in many stage productions she has also appeared in films like No Reservations, Mona Lisa Smile and the upcoming All Good Things.

The amazingly talented Lily Rabe is Jill Clayburgh’s daughter. Our thoughts to go out ot Lily and the rest of her family at this time.

Photos: www.wenn.com/Joseph Marzullo

Tags: Lily Rabe

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‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’: Is Cad Bane the coolest character? C-3PO?

Image Credit: TM 2010 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ third season keeps taking us to some pretty unexpected places. I, for one, never imagined that an episode would hinge upon Anakin and Padmé’s party-planning skills. But that’s what “Evil Plans” offered up. Don’t worry, it was a lot cooler than that description would  make out. Actually, “Evil Plans” worked for me because of three key factors—it saw the return of Cad Bane, it beautifully realized the “used future” concept of the original film, and it centered around C-3PO and R2-D2, the Laurel & Hardy of that Galaxy Far, Far Away. That C-3PO finally had his moment to shine—and believe me, he does shine with that gold plating—on The Clone Wars was particularly satisfying to me.

If I were to make a list of the many reasons why A New Hope is a great film, at the top would surely be how the first act of the story is seen from the point-of-view of our beloved droids. It’s a device George Lucas borrowed to great effect from Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress: depict a great mythology from the perspective of the lowliest beings who inhabit that world. It allowed Lucas to introduce us to his universe without lingering on tedious exposition, so that every moment we felt like we were discovering it for ourselves. If we were puzzled as to what exactly was “going on,” that made sense because so were the droids!

C-3PO, though, has always been a favorite character of mine, and not just because I relate to his fussy personality. The fact that his face is a complete blank allows us to read whatever we want into him. That means the emotion he does express, through Anthony Daniels’ supremely dry, English schoolmaster voice, seems all the more comically exaggerated.

In “Evil Plans” we got to see 3PO in his full capacity as a “protocol droid.” In the movies, he’s functioned largely as an interpreter (“I am fluent in more than six million forms of communication!”), but to see him instruct Anakin and Padmé on the finer points of etiquette—down to his disapproval over an ice sculpture in the likeness of a Gundark—was a real pleasure.

Let’s face it, 3PO is not a droid who functions well without human supervision. I mean, when he wanders off in A New Hope he gets lost in the Tatooine desert, and in Empire he gets blasted by a stormtrooper patrol and nearly ends up as scrap metal.  But Anakin and Padmé sent 3PO and R2 off to pick up some groceries for their party, and before you could say “We’re doomed!” 3PO had been swindled by a merchant, then droid-napped by none other than Cad Bane!

Oh, Bane, how you’ve been missed. Supervising Director Dave Filoni has compared our new favorite Duro bounty hunter to Angel Eyes from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (right down to an ingenious fake movie poster he included with the season 2 DVD set that has Bane striking a badass pose worthy of Lee Van Cleef), and I’m inclined to agree. On The Clone Wars, we’ve actually seen Bane do all the things we only imagined Boba Fett could do in the original trilogy.

Well, 3PO wasn’t the most formidable “bounty” Bane could have landed to begin with, but once R2 was conveniently distracted by a droid day spa, it was as easy as shooting Ewoks in a barrel. I’ve been amazed at how far this show has been willing to depict torture, going so far as to show Bane electrocuting a Jedi to death last season. He zapped a few thousand volts into 3PO—with the assistance of apparently the same droid torture specialist who would later find employment in Jabba’s palace. (By the way, the crosscutting between the near-torture of R2’s day of beauty and the actual torture of 3PO’s ordeal was inspired—almost as great as when Padmé gives birth to Luke and Leia at the very moment Anakin is being re-born as Darth Vader in Revenge of the Sith.) As usual, a haughty tut-tut was 3PO’s only comeback. “I instruct on appropriate etiquette,” he snipped, “which in your case, if you don’t mind me saying, is sorely lacking.”

Of course, it wasn’t really 3PO, Bane was after, but, you know, the competent one of the duo, R2. Amazingly, though, nobody came to the droids’ rescue; in fact, they weren’t even missed! So when Bane had downloaded what he needed from R2’s hard-drive, he wiped the droid’s short-term memories and sent them on their way. Only now he had some Senate building blueprints to serve up to Jabba.

As far as the animation goes, this may have actually been the most impressive episode of the season thus far, mostly because it reverted back to the “used future” aesthetic that distinguished Star Wars in the first place—the idea that this is a lived-in universe with dirt, grime, and rot, with little of the sterile, white-on-white décor that usually accompanies cinematic representations of “the future.” Was that a panhandler we glimpsed briefly in one shot of that Coruscant market?

So, what is thy bidding, my readers? Did you also enjoy that 3PO (and Anthony Daniels) owned the spotlight this time? Or was it Cad Bane who made the episode for you? For that matter, who do you think is the coolest character on the show?

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Exclusive: ‘Prison Break’ baddie confirms he’s doing ‘Breakout Kings’ for A&E in early 2011

Image Credit: Michael Caulfield/WireImage.comWelcome back to TV, T-Bag! Robert Knepper told EW exclusively that he has closed a deal to resurrect his classic Prison Break convict T-Bag in the A&E fugitive-themed drama Breakout Kings. The decision by Prison Break producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora to court Knepper for their new A&E show was first reported by The Ausiello Files. “We’re done. We inked a deal. I’m gonna do it! T-Bag will live again!” Knepper told EW on Thursday. “What I realized by saying yes to that is that now they’ll entertain the possibility of a T-Bag spinoff. Like a Hannibal Lecter-type series. Or a doll line. It’d be big with the kids!”

He’s kidding…we think. Anyway, Knepper told EW he’ll begin filming right after Thanksgiving. Kings, which is described as an “action-packed ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run,” received an 11th hour reprieve last spring from A&E after Fox opted not to pick it up. It’s set to premiere in early 2011.

“I have to dust off the Southern accent. I have not seen a script. I am putting my faith in these guys’ hands. The only thing I asked was that T-Bag doesn’t die. And they said, ‘Oh, no don’t worry. He won’t.’ He came close many times but managed to cheat and escape death. He’s Teflon.” — With reporting from Carrie Bell

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CBS comedies rule on Thursday, and ‘Fringe’ returns!

Image Credit: Liane Hentscher/Fox; Adam Larkey/ABC; Harper Smith/NBCCBS’ unstoppable block of comedies helped the Eye take another Thursday, according to early estimates. The network won the night in viewers (13.5 million) and adults 18-49 (3.4 rating/10 share) thanks to strong performances by The Big Bang Theory (up 10 percent, to a 4.6/14 and 13.8 million viewers) and $#*! My Dad Says (up 10 percent to 3.4/10 and 10.9 million). Face it guys — The Shat and his (rather stale) selection of jokes are here to stay. CSI was flat versus last week (3.3/9, 13.8 million) and The Mentalist was down 9 percent to 2.9/8 — its lowest-rated episode this season — but still attracted 14.2 million.

Each 18-49 ratings point represents 1.3 million.

ABC was second in viewers (8.7 million) and the demo (3.1/9). Attention must be paid to the stellar numbers earned by Grey’s Anatomy at 9 (up 10 percent to a 4.3/11, 11.6 million) and Private Practice (up 44 percent to a 3.9/11 and 10.1 million). Über-creator Shonda Rhimes has still got it going on; let’s hope we can count on more of the same from her third ABC drama, Off the Map, set to premiere in January.

Fox’s Thursday night dramas returned after a two-week hiatus due to baseball playoffs, and Bones earned a 2.5/7 and averaged 9.0 million, while Fringe posted a 1.8/5 and 4.9 million viewers. Fox finished in third place with 7.0 million viewers but was barely hanging on to fourth behind NBC with a 2.2/6 in the demo (the numbers should improve when finals come out this afternoon).

NBC earned a 2.3/6 and 5.2 million for the night, with Community down 21 percent to a 1.9/6 (4.5 million), followed by 30 Rock (up 9 percent to a 2.4/7 (5.2 million), The Office (3.7/10, 7.6 million), Outsourced (2.7/7, 5.7 million), and The Apprentice (1.4/4, 3.9 million).

The CW hit season highs among female teens and matched its season-best rating among all teens with its block of The Vampire Diaries and Nikita. Overall, the network averaged 3.0 million viewers.

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‘Blue Valentine’: Harvey Weinstein rails against NC-17 rating

Image Credit: Davi RussoIn his battle to overturn the NC-17 rating of Blue Valentine, the gritty relationship drama starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, The Weinstein Company co-head Harvey Weinstein tells EW he has already assembled lawyers to appeal the rating to the MPAA. Weinstein says he’s tapped Alan Friedman, who helped TWC win an R rating for Zack and Miri Make a Porno following a rare reversal by the MPAA, and David Boies, who represented Al Gore in Bush v. Gore and teamed with former Solicitor General Theodore Olson to challenge California Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage.

According to Weinstein, the MPAA issued the dreaded NC-17 for a single scene that depicts Gosling’s character performing oral sex on Williams’. “That was good acting,” says Weinstein. “Maybe too good.” (A rep for the MPAA cited its policy not to comment on individual films until a rating has been accepted.)

Weinstein also questions the MPAA’s  standards. “How did Piranha 3D get an R and Blue Valentine gets an NC-17?” he asks, citing the August horror film released by TWC’s own Dimension label (run by his brother, Bob Weinstein). “If [Piranha 3D] got an NC-17, I’d be the first going, ‘All right, we gotta cut some of that stuff.’ It’s ridiculous — a penis got coughed up in the movie by a piranha! They show more in four scenes [in that movie] than we do in [all of Blue Valentine]! And ours is a serious love story. I don’t understand it.”

“We’re going to have to overturn this,” Weinstein says of the NC-17, which could seriously limit the movie’s commercial and awards prospects. “This is serious stuff. This could really hurt the movie.” Regardless of the outcome of his appeal, Weinstein says he has no intention of cutting writer-director Derek Cianfrance’s film to get an R rating. “Derek doesn’t want to do it, I don’t think there’s any reason to do it, and of course I’m worried that if we don’t get the R it could jeopardize the business of the movie and more importantly my actors … because they are eminently nominatable.”

For more on Blue Valentine, be sure to pick up next week’s Entertainment Weekly on stands Nov. 12.

Read more:
Michelle Williams talks ‘Blue Valentine’ and its NC-17 rating
MPAA gives ‘Blue Valentine’ an NC-17

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This Week on Stage: ‘Women on the Verge’ opens, disappoints

Image Credit: Paul KolnikThe big stage news of the week was the continuing problems with the upcoming Spider-Man musical, which faced both a safety inspection from New York state offiicals and a delayed start of public performances. When will Broadway’s most expensive musical ever catch a break? Stage-wise here on EW.com, we spoke with Time Stands Still star and standout Christina Ricci about the show, her debut on Broadway. And, of course, we reviewed the newest shows to open, which this week included the disappointing musical adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, as well as dramatic political play In the Wake and Off Broadway-to-Broadway transfer of The Scottsboro Boys. Here are the highlights:

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown: EW stage editor Thom Geier found this new musical, which is based off Pedro Almodóvar’s 1988 film farce, disappointing to the effect of giving it a D+: “Seldom has such a strong cast”—which includes Sherie Rene Scott, Laura Benanti, Justin Guarini, and Patti LuPone—”been used to such poor effect,” he wrote in his review. “By the final curtain, you may wish that they had served some tranquilizer-laced gazpacho at intermission.” (Opened 11/4)

In the Wake: Reviewer Melissa Rose Bernardo wasn’t exactly enamored with the dramatic play, which centers around the Florida recount catastrophe in the 2000 Presidential election. Bernardo gave the show a C+ and said: “Ultimately, what Kron has created are two separate plays. And she hasn’t really finished either one—let alone integrated them together.” (Opened 11/1)

The Scottsboro Boys: Geier loved this Off Broadway-to-Broadway transfer, giving it a straight-up A and proclaiming, “The Scottsboro Boys challenges us even as it moves us to tears.” (Opened 10/31)

Tanner on Twitter: @EWTanStransky

More Stage coverage from EW.com:
Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’ musical delays opening until Jan. 11, 2011
‘Spider-Man’ musical faces safety inspection
Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric coming to Broadway
Young Broadway star Shannon Tavarez dies
Christina Ricci chats with EW about her Broadway debut in ‘Time Stands Still’
Aaron Sorkin writing Hugh Jackman’s Houdini musical: Composer Danny Elfman has ‘high hopes’

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‘Spider-Man’ reboot taps Martin Sheen to play Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben

Image Credit: John M. Heller/Getty ImagesDirector Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) continues casting Sony’s Spider-Man revamp, slated for 2012. EW.com has confirmed that the helmer has tapped Martin Sheen (The West Wing, Apocalypse Now) to play the role of Uncle Ben, who famously (and tragically) taught the wall-crawler the maxim that would guide his heroic career: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Webb has already placed Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) in the role of Spidey and Emma Stone (Easy A) in the part of Peter’s love interest, Gwen Stacy.

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Lil Wayne Gets Love From New Orleans Rap Artists - MTV.com

Before he was conquering the mainstream music world, Lil Wayne was engrossed in the local New Orleans hip-hop scene, and making a name for himself as a member of the then bourgeoning Cash Money army. Today, Weezy is a hip-hop phenomenon, pushing units and influencing culture with his peerless swagger. Despite his outsize fame, local hip-hop stars have said that Wayne still shows love to the artists of his hometown where it all began.

Just days after Weezy's release from prison, MTV News trekked to New Orleans and caught up with local duo Partners-N-Crime, who stayed on the hip-hop grind with Wayne and onetime battle MC, Mack Maine, now president of Young Money. The rappers recall knowing Wayne as artists on a rival hip-hop roster.

"When we was coming up in the game, Wayne was a little bit younger than us. We was on a label by the name of Big Boy Records, at the time, and he was with Cash Money Records. And really, to be honest with you, both of the labels kinda had a little rivalry thing going on" Kango Slim said. The label, which was once home to fellow New Orleans hip-hop veteran Mystikal, maintained a competitive relationship with the Cash Money camp.

"At one time, we all never did look eye-to-eye to each other 'cause it was kinda like a problem between both of the labels," he said. "But as we grew older, things [began] to change, we began to [gel] with each other more and become more of a friendship."

Mista Meana said that after Cash Money, which began to dominate the hip-hop charts with bass-heavy offerings from spitters like Juvenile and B.G., hit big, the drama between the labels calmed down and Wayne reached out to the Partners to team up on a track.

"Once Wayne got kinda on, we did a song with Wayne called 'We Do What We Want To,' which was on our last album, called We Are Legends, [2009]" he said. The MC recalled that the track hinted at the rock and roll vibe Wayne would champion in his later music.

"We call it rock-hop 'cause it's a hip-hop song with a rock twist to it and Wayne did it. It was kinda right before he started doing the Rebirth and that kind of music, pretty much," he added. "He did that song with us and the relationship been good pretty much from that point. Much love for Wayne, [we're] happy he home."

The MCs are glad to see Wayne as free man today, but they were also amped a few years ago when Wayne looked out for his hometown homies.

"Wayne came back after he had done blew off with the Cash Money thing, reached back to us and told us, 'If y'all had a song for me to do ... I'm a do it,' " Kango Slim said. "He did just what he said, and from then on we've just been friends ever since and making things happen."

The MCs also reflected on one of the perks of being down with Wayne: a hometown discount.

"At that time, that's when Wayne was charging $30,000 for a feature," Mista Meana added. "Big shouts out to Wayne for the love on that because he saved us 30 grand and gave us a hot feature."

Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage.

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Eddie Cibrian`s scorned ex-wife opens up about LeAnn Rimes - Monsters and Critics.com

Eddie Cibrian's scorned ex-wife Brandi Glanville has opened up about her nemesis LeAnn Rimes.

LeAnn Rimes, Eddie Cibrian - LeAnn Rimes Celebrates Her 28th Birthday at Tabu Ultra Lounge in Las Vegas on September 4, 2010 - Tabu Ultra Lounge at the MGM Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV, USA ? PRN / PR Photos

The former model broke her silence on The Talk over the affair that ended her 12-year marriage.

Asked whether their marriage was 'already broken', Glanville shook her head. 'No, it was not. It was a happy marriage. I didn't know he was unfaithful prior but once I found out it all came crumbling down.'

The brown-eyed stunner also admitted that she had botox injections and went blonde after the CSI: Miami actor, 37, left her for Can't Fight The Moonlight singer Rimes, 28.

'I went into this mode of completely picking myself apart - was I too old?' she said. 'Too skinny? Too whatever? I went into self-hate mode, I wanted answers. I lightened my hair, I went blonder, I went darker. I went and got botox.'

Asked how her two sons - Mason, seven, and three-year-old Jake - have coped with the sudden split, Glanville said: ?Once we sold the house it hit them. They were like, 'What's happening, why are there no clothes in daddy's closet?' I panicked, so I told them 'Oh, you're really lucky, you'll have two houses and two dogs'.'

Glanville told how she used Twitter to offer an olive branch to Rimes, because she had no other way to contacting her.

'I reached out to her. I did get her to call me and we are going to sit down and we are gonna talk, just for my children's sake.'

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‘Glee’: Gwyneth Paltrow pictures!

A series of photographs from Gwyneth Paltrow’s upcoming guest-starring appearance on Glee have appeared online. Paltrow has an umbrella that matches her hair, the men are wearing hats, and lots of fake rain is falling onstage. Consider us intrigued!

Image Credit: Adam Rose/Fox

Image Credit: Adam Rose/Fox

Image Credit: Adam Rose/Fox

Read More:
Gwyneth Paltrow will sing ‘F– You’ on ‘Glee’

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‘House,’ ‘Dexter,’ ‘Burn Notice,’ ‘Human Target’: Find out what’s coming next in the Spoiler Room

Image Credit: Patrick Wymore/Fox; Randy Tepper/Showtime; Glenn Watson/USA Network; Liane Hentscher/FoxI’ve always said that if I had a crystal ball, I wouldn’t use it to see what my future holds, learn how I die, or to ask for lottery numbers — I’d demand to know what’s coming up on my favorite shows. That’s the only future that really matters. The bad news is I don’t have a crystal ball. (I’m working on it.) The good news: I do know what’s coming up on four of your favorite shows—and you get it free of charge. (…while supplies last. All sales final. Void where prohibited.)

HOUSE
(Nov. 15 episode, “A Pox on Our House”)

What you know:

A girl is admitted into Princeton Plainsboro with smallpox-like symptoms. And after a man from the Center for Disease Control prevents House’s team from getting close enough to work the case, House makes a move that puts him in great risk. Noticeably missing from much of the action? Wilson, who is busy having adorable scenes with a 6-year-old chemotherapy patient.

What you don’t know:

* House enlists the services of a Dutch woman who works in the online sex industry.
* New doc Masters (Amber Tamblyn) calls someone the “sexiest American man.”
* One character starts thinking about babies.
* House calls someone “a passive-aggressive bitch.”

DEXTER
(Nov. 7 episode, “Circle Us”)

What you know:

Dexter finds himself caught between helping Lumen (rock) and working an ongoing investigation (hard place). Also, the team’s work on the Santa Muerte case leads to a deadly confrontation.

What you don’t know:

* Two people die.
* The nanny does something that makes Dexter think about Harrison’s protection.
* A foe spots Lumen.
* A very shocking connection is revealed.

HUMAN TARGET
(Nov. 17 and Nov. 24 episodes, “Ilsa Pucci” and “The Wife’s Tale”)

What you know:

Chance works with the wife of a man he killed in the past, and newbie Ames (who we meet in the premiere) tries to get on Guerrero’s good side. Also, the team’s new boss gets a crash course on how they operate.

What you don’t know:

* Chance goes on an Internet date.
* Someone loses fingers.
* The office gets a high-tech makeover.
* A member of the team is shot.

BURN NOTICE
(Nov. 11 episode, “Eyes Open”)

What you know:

A still-recovering-but-still-badass Michael works to bring down a seriously disturbed bomb-maker.

What you don’t know:

* Michael moves in with his mom.
* Fiona suffers a loss…
* …because of a bold move made by Jesse.
* Something Michael thought was gone forever comes back into his life.

In a final act of kindness, I will answer ONE follow-up question within 24 hours from the time this is posted. Go.

UPDATE (as promised):
On Burn Notice- Is it that Michael’s father is not really dead ? — Kathy
No, that is not what Michael “thought was gone forever,” but good guess. Although, I hope that never turns out to be true. As “Nicotine” said, that would be very Chuck-like.

People die on Dexter, a show about a serial killer? NOOOOOO. Say it ain’t so. Useless spoiler. — Elizabeth
I know I said I would answer ONE follow-up, but 1) this isn’t a question and 2) you have an extremely valid point. So here’s a bonus: I can tell you that one death is a bad guy and the other is a good guy…erm…girl.

On Twitter: @EWSandraG

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Box office preview: ‘Megamind’ to lead a monster weekend

Image Credit: Dreamworks AnimationAfter a few weeks devoted to horror geeks and Jackass freaks, the box office is set to explode this weekend as three very different films — each aiming for a particular audience — are unleashed for your consumption. For families, DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures are providing the PG-rated animated superhero comedy Megamind, starring Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Brad Pitt. For comedy lovers who prefer a bit more profanity and Robert Downey Jr. with their laughs, Warner Bros. (and co-producer Legendary Pictures) is releasing the R-rated Due Date, which is director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to last year’s surprise smash The Hangover. And, finally, director/writer Tyler Perry has assembled an impressive ensemble of actresses, including Kimberly Elise, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington, and Janet Jackson, for Lions Gate’s drama For Colored Girls. My scientifically verified and astrologically swayed predictions follow:

1. Megamind: $52 million

Paramount is anticipating the $130 million Megamind to debut to about the same figure as DreamWorks’ last original animated film, How to Train Your Dragon, which soared to a $43.7 million opening in March. But Dragon didn’t have the star power of Ferrell and Pitt, and Paramount’s been promoting Megamind with the fervor of a gubernatorial candidate. Megamind will also benefit from an extremely wide opening at 3,944 locations, two-thirds of which will be showing the comedy in 3-D. Add in 195 IMAX 3-D screens, a short running time of 96 minutes, and an audience starved for family entertainment, and I’m thinking this thing should have no problem topping $50 million. (By comparison, Universal’s similarly themed Despicable Me grossed $56.4 million its first weekend in July).

2. Due Date: $34 million

Phillips’ last film, The Hangover, opened to an unexpected $45 million last year and finished its domestic run with $277.3 million — the largest jackpot ever for an R-rated comedy. It also made a star out of Zach Galifianakis, who now shares the screen in Due Date with none other than Robert Downey Jr. Unfortunately, the early buzz on Due Date is that it’s no Hangover, but that shouldn’t prevent the road-trip comedy from still scoring big this weekend.

3. For Colored Girls: $23 million

In his first ever R-rated directing effort, Tyler Perry adapted the 1975 play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf (try fitting that title on a theater marquee). Lions Gate has been marketing the film as a serious drama, which it is, but initial reviews have been mixed. Perry’s fans, however, have been notably supportive throughout his career — the eight films he has directed have opened to an average of $24.2 million. For Colored Girls should earn approximately the same amount as it screens at 2,127 locations.

4. Saw 3D: $8.5 million

Life is hard for a horror film after its first weekend, and with Megamind stealing plenty of 3-D screens from Saw 3D, this final entry in the horror franchise should expect a drop of about 65 percent.

5. Paranormal Activity 2: $7 million

Paranormal 2 shouldn’t tumble as much as Saw 3D will this weekend — a slip of 58 percent is more likely. If the horror sequel falls any more than that, the action comedy Red, which has been showing incredible stamina, could very well step in and snag fifth place.

Also opening this weekend in four locations is Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, starring James Franco as a real-life mountain climber who becomes trapped under a boulder. The intense drama should score a massive per-theater average, even if a few moviegoers have been reported to have fainted like, well, goats. And Summit’s action thriller Fair Game, starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, will begin its journey at 46 theaters.

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MSNBC vs. Keith Olbermann

“Hey there — anything crazy happen where you work today?” said Rachel Maddow at the start of her MSNBC show on Friday night. She was referring, of course, to the suspension of her prime-time neighbor, Keith Olbermann, for making donations to three Democratic congressional candidates.

According to NBC News policy cited by MSNBC president Phil Griffin, its employees cannot do that unless they have prior permission. Griffin put out the usual boilerplate: that “these activities jeopardize his [...] standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Come on: Does anyone think Keith Olbermann is an impartial journalist? His show Countdown is intended as a presentation of the day’s news as recalibrated from a liberal point of view; his “special comments” are editorials. Over on Fox News in the same time period, Bill O’Reilly is doing the same thing, but from a conservative point of view. Does the idea that a liberal or a conservative opinion-giver is also a money-giver to campaigns he or she endorses really sully your sense of journalistic integrity? We’re not talking about Brian Williams or Diane Sawyer or Katie Couric taking to the air with ringing hosannas for Michele Bachmann or Barney Frank, and writing them big checks. It’s Keith Olbermann. It’s MSNBC.

And as Rachel Maddow pointed out in the final segment of her show this night, Fox News show hosts such as Sean Hannity and Mike Huckabee have donated money and appeared at fund-raisers for politicians whose politics they praise on their shows:

(Please note: Maddow is also taking an implicit shot at Jon Stewart and his “Rally To Restore Sanity” for equating MSNBC and Fox News. So did Bill Maher on Real Time with Bill Maher. I agree with both of them, and was wondering when this was going to start.)

The notion that the Olbermann suspension is ridiculous has united both liberals and conservatives. Maddow said on Friday night that she, Olbermann, and some others on MSNBC are liberals and identify themselves as such; she called for her network to restore Olbermann to his show immediately. On The Weekly Standard website, conservative William Kristol says, “MSNBC’s suspension of Keith Olbermann is ludicrous. First, he donated money to candidates he liked. He didn’t take money, or favors, in a way that influenced his reporting. Second, he’s not a reporter. It’s an opinion show. If Olbermann wants to put his money where his mouth is, more power to him.”

Bill O’Reilly was a guest on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night. Maher didn’t ask O’Reilly about the Olbermann suspension; I’ll have to assume it’s because the interview was taped earlier in the day, perhaps before the suspension was announced. But O’Reilly did make one comment to Maher that, by extension, supports his foe Olbermann: “There’s a difference between the opinion people and the hard-news people,” he told Maher. He’s correct.

Can’t wait until Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert get hold of all this on Monday.

For more: Keith Olbermann suspended by MSNBC

Twitter: @kentucker

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'Due Date': The Reviews Are In! - MTV.com

"I think pressure is always a good thing," director Todd Phillips told us a few months ago. "A lot of guys make a big hit movie on the size of 'The Hangover' and they get gun-shy. They wait a few years, ... and I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to do something again and not worry if it was going to be as big as 'The Hangover' because 'The Hangover' was lightning in a bottle."

That, it was. "The Hangover" opened to $45 million in June 2009 on its way to becoming the #1 R-rated comedy of all time. And rather than drown in unrealistic expectations — or the swimming pool full of gold coins he could have built with the proceeds from "Hangover" — Phillips grabbed his old buddy Zach Galifianakis, threw Robert Downey Jr. into the mix, and came up with "Due Date."

The comedy, as observers might expect, won't do nearly the business "Hangover" did. But "Due Date" will end up with a hefty opening weekend — anything from a high-$20 million gross to a mid-$30 million one — marking a seriously impressive return to the big screen for Phillips.

Before heading to the theater this weekend, check out what critics are saying about "Due Date":

The Story

Downey plays Peter, a high-handed guy whose wife (Michelle Monaghan) is about to have a baby. He's headed home to Los Angeles after a business trip to Atlanta. But, as bad luck would have it, Peter collides with goony Ethan (Galifianakis). Disbelief must be suspended when Peter makes it through airport security in inadvertent possession of Ethan's marijuana (allegedly for his glaucoma). As Peter, Downey insists, 'I've never done drugs in my life,' a line that is all the funnier given Downey's past. Officials confiscate the drug, Peter is allowed to board the flight. But after an onboard ruckus involving Ethan's protruding hairy belly, he and Ethan are tossed off and onto the no-fly list. Peter now must make the cross-country trip by car to arrive in time to see his baby born. But thanks to more contrived shenanigans, he has no credit card to rent a car. Ethan, however, manages to get a rental car, and the next thing you know, the two are sharing the front seat." — Claudia Puig, USA Today

The Performances

"Playing to type as Ethan, Galifianakis, the ginger-bearded bear of a boy who shot to fame as the odd-duck brother of the bride in 'The Hangover,' is funny not because he is boorish but because he is immune to embarrassment. Playing against type as Peter, arbiter of appropriateness, Downey is funny because in spite of his character's carefully managed rage, he loses control at the most inappropriate times." — Carrie Rickey, The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Laughs

"Not all the jokes work, but when they do, it's due to the perfect comic timing and chemistry that keeps you invested in this odd couple. While many of the best gags may be given away by the commercials, there is more than enough other things to explore in their relationship with a surprising amount of warmth and heart that makes it feel like a far more mature effort on Phillips' part. Ultimately, 'Due Date' may not be nearly as clever as 'The Hangover' and its attempt to solve a 'night before' mystery, but it is a fairly satisfying film on its own merits, a fun experience that's more than just an endless stream of jokes." — Edward Douglas, ComingSoon.net

The Dissenters

"The basic problem is the script, which is credited to three writers plus the director — seldom a good sign. Never mind that it's a retread of 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' minus the trains, and minus John Candy. Retreads can hold the road, but this one doesn't, despite some sporadically funny stuff. What, for example, are we to make of Ethan, confronted for the first time by the Grand Canyon, saying 'I could've sworn I read it was man-made'? Or mistaking Mexico for Texaco after getting himself and Peter high on cannabis clouds in the confines of their car? Jokes like these leave you yearning for less." — Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal

The Final Word

"The unexpected pairing of Galifianakis and Downey is a pleasure — they're an unlikely duo so off in their chemistry as to be bizarrely on. At this point in his singular career, Downey has shaped his disarming self-aware F-U stare to perfection, while Galifianakis has a knack for making his eyes simultaneously convey exasperating insensitivity and exasperating blamelessness. The two men seem to fascinate each other. But Atlanta to L.A. is a long drive, during which Phillips can't decide whether to go for the raunchy (lots of masturbation jokes) or the mushy (Ethan really loved his simple old dad, but Peter has more conflicting emotions about his). And so by the time the pair admire the Grand Canyon (time for major mush) and then arrive at the hospital where Wifey is in labor (time for mush plus jokes), 'Due Date' has lost its way, relying on its leading men to lead by charisma alone, even though their characters have nowhere interesting to go besides the happily-ever-after of dull, responsible male maturity." — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Check out everything we've got on "Due Date."

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

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James Bond back in 2012? Not quite…

Image Credit: Greg Williams Will the MGM merger save 007? Not so fast, Mr. Bond. Just because MGM’s creditors approved a merger with Spyglass Entertainment last week — and The Hobbit got a green light a few weeks before that — doesn’t mean 007 is racing back to screens in 2012, as some reports have suggested. In April, London-based EON Productions announced it was “indefinitely” suspending production on the next James Bond film because of “continuing uncertainty” surrounding MGM. Now there’s a bit more certainty — as Bloomberg reported, MGM has been talking to possible co-financiers — but other issues make an immediate start date impossible, like the fact that Daniel Craig is in Sweden shooting The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and is signed for two more Dragon films. Sam Mendes might still be available to direct, although he may be busy producing four Shakespeare films for the BBC.

And then there’s the question of who will distribute the next 007 movie. Sony handled the last two, but the merger puts the rights back in play. All of which means James Bond probably won’t return until at least 2014.

Read more:
Is James Bond dead? This week’s EW cover
Next James Bond movie postponed indefinitely

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‘How I Met Your Mother’: Jorge Garcia celebrates Blitzgiving

Image Credit: Eric McCandless/CBSIf these pics (one more below) of How I Met Your Mother‘s Thanksgiving episode with guest star Jorge Garcia don’t warm your heart, there is no hope for your soul — kidding. (Or am I…?)

In all seriousness, I have not wanted to crash a dinner party this bad since the Friends gang had Brad Pitt at their table. Although, I have to admit that Monica’s turkey was a little less, um, Cajun than whatever’s sitting at the center of the HIMYM gang’s spread. My best guess would be that the cause has something to do with the second photo.

Regardless, this looks like a delicious episode, PopWatchers. Do these pics fill you with anticipation for the holidays? Or at least holiday episodes?

Image Credit: Eric McCandless/CBS

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’30 Rock’ scoop: Michael Sheen’s Wesley Snipes will likely make a comeback!

Image Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBCMichael Sheen isn’t ready to say goodbye to Wesley Snipes, his 30 Rock alter-ego, just yet. The Wales-born actor told EW exclusively on Thursday that there is “a very strong chance that he will make another appearance.”

“We have talked about it and we kept it open,” Sheen said while attending the 19th Annual BAFTA LA Britannia Awards in Los Angeles. “We’ve all enjoyed the character and I loved working with Tina. She’s quite brilliant and writes some of the best jokes to poke fun at Brits. But she’s currently romancing that damn Matt Damon character so I am on the sidelines for a while.”

In the meantime, Sheen said he’ll start donning the red contacts in December to play Aro Volturi in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. parts 1 and 2. “I don’t know if they are going to shoot them simultaneously or not. They may do all the Volturi parts in one swoop,” he told EW. “I think that makes financial sense because it is such a huge task to get it all up and running and coordinate this huge cast, especially as they have all got quite full dance cards.” – With reporting from Carrie Bell

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Kobe Bryant, Jimmy Kimmel star in ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ trailer

A new advertisement for Call of Duty: Black Ops that debuts on TV this weekend just hit the Internet, and it’s a delicious (and deliciously un-PC) treat. Everydaypeople — a hotel concierge, a chef, a woman dressed in smart business attire — maraud through a battle zone, firing guns and tossing grenades at each other and at circling helicopters. Also in the mix: Kobe Bryant (who wields an assault rifle emblazoned with his nickname, “Mamba”) and Jimmy Kimmel (who helplessly fires a bazooka with an apt description inscribed on the side: “PROUD N00b.”) Nobody actually gets shot, and the tagline is “There’s a Soldier in All of Us,” which I’m pretty sure was also on a Soviet propaganda poster. But it’s all set to the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” and if that doesn’t get you in the mood to fire some fake Cold War-era weaponry, I don’t know what will!

It reminds me a little bit of the famously banned Xbox 360 ad that showed a train station full of people in a fake standoff, although this one has a much larger budget (and also replace “subtlety” with “Jimmy Kimmel firing a bazooka.”) PopWatchers, does this commercial intrigue you?

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Tom Cruise in talks to bring Maverick back for ‘big role’ in ‘Top Gun 2′, says director Tony Scott

Image Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com; Everett CollectionTom Cruise may be feeling the need for speed again sometime soon. High-flying rumors have been circulating about the much-anticipated Top Gun sequel and whether or not Cruise would be returning his iconic star-cementing role as the fighter-pilot Maverick. Now director Tony Scott has told EW that the star is indeed in talks to come back for Top Gun 2, and, if he does, he would be playing a “big role” in the story. “We have been talking with Tom, definitely,” says Scott. This comes after screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie sent an email to Vulture stating, “There is no Top Gun 2 in which Maverick is not the starring role.”

But while Cruise may possibly return to the role he played 24 years ago, the world will have changed since his days flying Tomcats with Iceman and the late, great Goose. “It’s not a remake and it’s not a reinvention,” Scott says about the project. “It’s about the end of an era, the end of the era of the fighter pilot … There are these kids who sit in trailers in Nevada playing war games on computers, and they’re the ones that control these drones 10,000 miles away. That’s the world we’ll be focusing on.”

What do you think about this news, PopWatchers? Happy to hear Cruise might be our wing-man once more?

Read more:
‘Top Gun 2': There is no sequel without Maverick
‘Top Gun 2': Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie approached

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Lily Allen battles septicaemia in hospital days after losing baby - Daily Mail

By Sara Nathan
Last updated at 5:03 PM on 6th November 2010

Lily Allen was in hospital last night with the potentially lethal blood-poisoning condition septicaemia - just days after losing her baby.

The chart-topping singer was six months pregnant when she miscarried the baby she had been expecting with boyfriend Sam Cooper.

She had been recovering at home in Gloucestershire but was yesterday taken to hospital by ambulance.

Tragic loss: Lily Allen has been admitted to hospital with septicaemia after losing her baby

Her spokesperson confirmed today: 'Lily Allen is back in hospital, where she is being treated for septicaemia.

'She is responding well to treatment and her condition continues to improve.

'Lily thanks everyone for their messages of support and again asks that she and partner Sam Cooper be left alone whilst she recovers.'

Last night a friend told the Daily Mail: ‘Lily had been recuperating at home with Sam and her family, but she has been taken back to hospital and is getting the best care possible at the moment.

‘Everyone is extremely concerned, but she is in the best place and luckily she was admitted quickly.’

Hours earlier Miss Allen thanked fans for their support following the miscarriage. 

Writing on her Twitter page yesterday, the 25-year-old said: ‘I’m still very sick but the messages are helping me to be stronger. Thank you x x.’

She added: ‘Thank you for all your kind messages.’

Giving her thanks: Lily took to Twitter to thank her followers for their kind messages

Miss Allen has been a prolific user of the social networking website and last weekend she posted a poignant message saying simply ‘say a little prayer x’, before the problems with her pregnancy became public knowledge.

Septicaemia is a bacterial infection of the blood.

Septicaemia is a life-threatening condition where bacteria invade the bloodstream.

It is usually triggered by an infection in another part of the body, such as pneumonia, meningitis, bladder infections or even a tooth abscess.

The bacteria escape from this initial infection and enter the blood, causing a series of reactions that can lead to swelling of the blood vessels and blood clots.

The condition can occur after a miscarriage if any foetal tissue left inside the body becomes infected.

There are about 300,000 cases a year and up to 15,000 deaths.

If untreated, it develops into septic shock, where blood pressure drops and organs fail.

The symptoms develop rapidly and may include a high fever, violent shivering, faintness, delirium and loss of consciousness, as well as cold and pale hands and feet and rapid and shallow breathing.

Sufferers are normally given antibiotics to stave off the infection.

Miss Allen previously suffered a miscarriage in 2008 when she was dating Ed Simons, a pop star and DJ from the Chemical Brothers.

Following her second miscarriage, many celebrity friends sent messages of support, including Myleene Klass, Emma Bunton and Denise Van Outen.

Miss Allen, daughter of comedian and actor Keith Allen, started dating 32-year-old Mr Cooper, a builder, last year and has referred to him as ‘the love of my life’.

She had begun to effectively wind up her music career to prepare for motherhood and had bought a ?3million mansion in the Cotswolds in readiness for family life.

But she did perform at the Wireless festival in London during the summer.

She also recently set up a vintage clothing business, Lucy In Disguise, with her elder sister, Sarah Owen.

Miss Allen has released two best-selling albums - Alright, Still and It’s Not Me, It’s You - as well as a number of hit singles including The Fear and Smile.

‘Lily needs time to recover in privacy,’ the friend added.

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Conan’s first guest the curator of a nutcracker museum? We’d believe it.

Today, rumors are swirling that Arlene Wagner, who opened  the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in the state of Washington 15 years ago with her husband, George, will be Conan O’Brien’s first guest when his late-night show Conan debuts on TBS Monday. A rep for the show has yet to confirm the booking to EW, but here’s what we do know: On Friday, O’Brien announced via the video below that voting in the poll to name his first guest was now closed, and he had decided to eliminate all but three of fans’ picks, including Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, for various reasons. It’s down to Jack Nicholson, the Sultan of Brunei, and Wagner, Conan said — adding that he would be tallying and manipulating the results. After sidekick Andy Richter gave an interview contemplating having the elusive Nicholson sitting between him and Conan, a rep for Conan called the writer back to say Richter was just “joking.” So yes, we’d believe it if Wagner earned the coveted spot. Both Conan and Andy have said all they want to do on their new show is have fun, and what’s more fun than talking to a woman who’s traveled the world to collect more than 6,000 nutcrackers and will bring props? According to the museum’s website, Wagner is a former ballet teacher who produced the Nutcracker Ballet for many years, and “just as Clara in the ballet became entranced with the wooden figure with the big teeth, so did Arlene.” Who better to talk to about having their balls busted during the Tonight Show debacle? (And again, props!)

Are you now hoping Arlene is Conan’s first guest, or are you still holding out hope for Nicholson? Wouldn’t it be great if Conan had all three of them walk out so he could announce the winner, and then sent Nicholson and the Sultan packing without them saying a word? Maybe that’s a little too much to ask for on basic cable… we’ll see. 

More on Conan:
Conan O’Brien on his new show: ‘You’ll see me sink to a new low. In a good way’
Conan O’Brien surprises George Lopez with Spanish skills, a mariachi band
Andy Richter talks ‘Conan’ as test shows begin: ‘We’re gonna be a lot happier’
‘Conan’ announces first week of guests. Who are you most excited to see?

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20 guys who rage past middle age

BRUCE WILLIS in Live Free or Die Hard
Who says you slow down when you get older? Twenty years after running around Nakatomi Tower in his bare feet, fiftysomething John McClane zipped around the greater D.C. area fighting martial artists and cyber-terrorists. He took down a helicopter and a fighter jet. Also, he saved America from cyber-hackers, so technically, you could say that John McClane defeated the Internet. —Darren Franich

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Box office update: 'Megamind' earns $12.5 mil on Friday - Entertainment Weekly

Image Credit: DreamWorks AnimationParamount Pictures’ and DreamWorks Animation’s Megamind kicked off the holiday movie season by collecting $12.5 million on Friday, according to early estimates. That’s slightly more than the $12.1 million snared by DreamWorks’ last original CG-animated movie, How to Train Your Dragon, which opened in March. Megamind should see a big uptick on Saturday as kids will be out of school and singing that “Mega-Mega-Megamind” song until their parents crack. Figure a weekend total of about $45 million, which is right in line with what Paramount said they were anticipating for the $130 million film. (I was thinking the star-power of Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, and Tina Fey would knock the movie above $50 million, but we learned a valuable box-office equation today: Ferrell + Pitt + Fey = dragon).

Right behind Megamind was Warner Bros.’ Due Date, which lit up $12.2 million on Friday. The Legendary Pictures co-production is on track for about $35 million this weekend, which is a very solid number for an R-rated comedy. (By comparison, director Todd Phillips’ prior movie, The Hangover, opened to $45 million its first weekend last year). In third place was Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls, which took home an estimated $7.4 million. The R-rated drama should finish the weekend with around $20 million, which is lower than usual for Perry, but still a commendable result. In fourth place was Saw 3D, which dropped 75 percent from last Friday to snag $2.7 million. And Summit’s action comedy Red continues to age at a glacial speed, slipping only 27 percent for $2.5 million — enough for fifth place.

In limited release, Danny Boyle’s Oscar-hopeful 127 Hours, starring James Franco, made $77,000 from just four locations for an energetic $19,250 per-theater average. And Fair Game, directed by The Bourne Identity‘s Doug Liman, earned a quite respectable $180,000 from 46 theaters. Check back here on Sunday for the complete box office report.

1. Megamind — $12.5 mil
2. Due Date — $12.2 mil
3. For Colored Girls — $7.4 mil
4. Saw 3D — $2.7 mil
5. Red — $2.5 mil

Box office preview: Megamind to lead a monster weekend

Saturday, November 6th

Danny Boyle (''Slumdog Millionaire'') brings the harrowing yet triumphant story of hiker Aron Ralston (James Franco) to life. Caution: some scenes may not be for the squeamish.

This week's Movie Picks

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""For Colored Girls"is a good film." - Honeychil - MovieWeb

"For Colored Girls"is a good film. I recommend it for all who may never read or see the original version on stage. The performances from ALL the women are first rate, and that alone makes it a "must see" for all of us "purists" who had a hard time envisioning the work any other way. Caution: For those familiar with N. Shange's written word, or original staging, it will be your typical Tyler Perry production, tipping the fine line between intense drama and melodrama, which has always been a major reason why I have had a hard time tolerating Tyler Perry productions, but I've always had respect for him as a business man, who seems to have a finger on the pulse of the "mainstream" when it comes to producing work for a mass audience.

The poetry is woven in masterfully, and the inclusion of a character portrayed by Loretta Devine provides much needed levity amidst all the painful intensities.

Seeing this film made me wistful...I want to see the original stage production again, the one that won home-girl Trazana Beverly her Tony....

All in all, I'm glad I did it, with all it's painful intensity, and borderline melodrama, this is an invaluable opportunity to share an artistic experience with other women, and I'm always for that...........

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‘House’ scoop: Olivia Wilde plots her return!

Image Credit: Ray Mickshaw/FoxOlivia Wilde — aka the beloved Thirteen — has some good news for House fans: She will definitely return to the Fox drama this season! Wilde took a leave of absence this fall to shoot a starring role in the big-budget sci-fi Western Cowboys and Aliens but confirms to EW that her comeback is already in the works.

“I am coming back to House. This season, as a matter of fact. It is a done deal,” Wilde told EW while attending the 19th Annual BAFTA LA Britannia Awards Thursday in Los Angeles. “I have been really lucky this year to be offered all these great film opportunities and I was also blessed to have a job in TV that really worked with me to get me to a place where I could do those films and not miss those opportunities like Tron.

“They have it all worked out and the viewers will find out where she went and why she left,” Wilde continued. “I think it is an interesting progression for her. Thirteen has been through a lot so it has to be escalated. She has Huntington’s. She had a brain tumor and went blind. She had a bad breakup. She’s sexually ambiguous. She had problems with drugs. I thought, `What else can (creator) David Shore possibly come up with?’ They had to take it to a whole new level. They are really taking some big risks this year, which is exciting.”

Until then, Wilde said she’s working on the body-swapping comedy The Change Up with Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann and Jason Bateman. “We’re shooting in Atlanta. It is so boring and dull. No one laughs. We just sit around and cry all day. [Laughs]. No, it is absolutely the funniest job.” — With reporting from Carrie Bell

For more on Wilde:

‘House’ exclusive: Thirteen will be MIA for ‘a while’

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