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Photos of Marion Cotillard hint that her character is more than just a 'board member.'
By Aubrey Sitterson 
Christian Bale and Tom Hardy film "The Dark Knight Rises" on Sunday
Photo: Jared Wickerham/ Getty Images While we've had our fair share of superhero flicks in 2011, next year is when the big boys are coming out to play, with Joss Whedon's "Avengers" and Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" hitting theaters in the summer of 2012. After the credits of "Captain America: The First Avenger," fans got an official sneak peek at "The Avengers," and now we have our first clear look at "The Dark Knight Rises" (following an obscure first trailer), via a series of photos from the set in Pittsburgh over the weekend. While seeing Christian Bale all suited up and ready for action isn't quite as exciting as it was the first or second time around, he's looking as hard and utterly badass as ever. Though the suit looks a little different in the clear white light of day opposed to Nolan's stylized cinematography, it's practically the same as the one used in "The Dark Knight." The real attraction in these photos, however, is the guy Batman's fighting: Tom Hardy's Bane. When Hardy was first cast in the role, there were some mixed feelings in the fan community. While he's a fantastic actor and proved that he can be terrifyingly menacing in "Bronson," even when the British thespian's all muscled up, he doesn't exactly resemble a humongous Latino man. And in the previously released photo of Bane, we only saw his hulking form from behind. Those concerns should be put to rest with these photos, however, because while Bale's Batman clearly has the height advantage on Hardy's Bane, there's also a fantastic shot of the shorter, stockier actor overpowering the Dark Knight himself as snow flurries around them. We're a little disappointed that the character is lacking Bane's singlet and lucha mask, but the more military-influenced attire fits perfectly into Nolan's Batman universe. The photos also give us a clear look at Marion Cotillard's Miranda Tate. While she's been described as a "Wayne Enterprises board member," it looks like her character will also see some action, prowling the streets with heavily armed men and even climbing on top of the "Tumbler" Batmobile. Batman's ride has received a makeover, eschewing the classic black for a paint job that looks a lot like desert camouflage, which raises questions about how it will fit into the fake snow-covered landscape of Gotham City (or Pittsburgh, for that matter). Take a look at the photos yourself and make sure to tell us about anything significant we might have missed in the comments below! Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Related Photos Shiri Appleby Sienna Guillory Sienna Miller Simone Mütherthies Chris Marrs Piliero explains why the cat in 'Faith (When I Let You Down)' comes across an Easter egg from 'I Wanna Go.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Photo: Warner Bros. Taking Back Sunday's video for "Faith (When I Let You Down)" is a social commentary about the fleeting nature of Internet fame, as illustrated by a fake cat trying to make it in Hollywood. It also happens to be the latest installment in the kooky videography of music video auteur Chris Marrs Piliero. "It was an idea that I had floating around in my head, and when I listened to the song ... the meaning of the song clicked in my brain," the director said of the clip, which follows his cheeky video for Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go." "People just love cat videos," he explained. "And I just thought it would be fun to see what it would like if a cat had the brain to be like, 'Sh--, I'm a big deal.' " In the video, Taking Back Sunday post a clip of their cat online, and soon "OMG, WTF TBS Cat" goes viral. The cat eventually hops on a bus to L.A. (with a quick nod to Guns N' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle"), finds fame, disses the TBS guys, fails to make it as an actor, winds up in porn and eventually can't handle the pressure. Then, of course, TBS Cat heads back home. Was that cat as difficult in real life as he was in the video? "I was like halfway into the shoot, and he was throwing out demands," Piliero recalled, laughing. "It got to the point where no one was allowed to make eye contact with him on set. I had to sit him down and have a heart to heart with him." Along with the GNR homage and a few other pop-culture references, the video includes a cute Easter egg for Britney fans: One of TBS cat's discarded audition scripts is for the fantasy Spears sequel, "Crossroads 2: Cross Harder," which is also on the marquee in "I Wanna Go." "I made the TBS video right after the Britney video," he said. "I felt like the cat could exist in the same world as the 'I Wanna Go' world, so I thought it would be a fun little Easter egg. Also, [frontman] Adam [Lazzara] from TBS texted me after watching the Britney video, and I didn't even realize that during the paparazzi fight when she swings the mic around — that is something that Adam does all the time, which is something I was very conscious of — but I didn't realize the scene happened in front of a store called Keaton's, and his son is called Keaton!" Related Artists Charlies Angels Charlize Theron Chelsea Handler Cheryl Burke Yeezy spices up the Femme Fatale Tour stop, appearing with Nicki for 'Monster' on Tuesday night.
By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker 
Nicki Minaj and Kanye West perform at Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday
Photo: Jason Winslow/ Splash News UNIONDALE, New York — The Nassau Coliseum was already packed by the time opening act Nicki Minaj took the stage Tuesday night. The screams that filled the stadium as "Roman's Revenge" boomed on the speakers made it seem like Britney Spears' Femme Fatale Tour is actually a co-headlining event. And then came a bigger surprise. Only a few songs in, an unusual tension filled the arena as Nicki kept looking back over her shoulder during a transition between songs. Then the first few beats of "Monster" came on and out ran Kanye West Kanye West, who was taking time out of his busy promo schedule leading up to the release of his and Jay-Z's Watch the Throne. After the song, Kanye beamed his toothiest white smile, and the crowd could not have been any more psyched. The shrieking continued as Nicki finished off her set with hits including "Check It Out" and "Super Bass." Roughly 30 minutes later, the Britney-themed countdown clock in the arena read 00:00 and the cheering threatened to blow the already-shaky roof straight off the rafters. After a short intro video, showing one of the world's biggest pop stars being hunted and arrested by a SWAT team, Britney burst onto the stage and went straight into "Hold It Against Me," as teens, young professionals, gay men and a healthy dose of middle-aged fans alike collectively pushed forward. Spears performed songs off her latest album, Femme Fatale, intermixed with classics all the way back to "... Baby One More Time," though many were shortened versions of the originals. Some of the highlights included "Slave 4 U," in which she revisited some of the same choreography from her classic music video and 2001 VMA performance; a Rihanna-less "S&M" that involved her riding shirtless male dancers down a catwalk; and "Lace and Leather," in which she called her Long Island-born boyfriend, Jason Trawick, out of the audience, handcuffed him to a stripper pole and gave him a PG-rated lap dance. While critics have noted that Britney doesn't dance as much as she did in her early days, there was a great deal of choreography in the live show, and she was always moving in some capacity — though much of it involved wrist snapping, finger pointing, prop-riding, hair-whipping and strutting. She smiled anytime she wasn't giving her infamous smoldering glare, and tore up a handful of song breakdowns (for songs like "Toxic" and "Big Fat Bass") with old-school Britney power thrusts. The arena crowd stayed on their feet the entire time, and they received one last sort-of surprise (since it hasn't happened at every single show on the tour): Nicki Minaj joined Britney onstage for the encore performance of "Till the World Ends." Related Videos Related Artists Mena Suvari Mia Kirshner MÃa Maestro Michael Michele Good news for classic rock fans?despite rumors that Pete Townshend was out of the rock ?n roll game, Rolling Stone reports that The Who will reform to perform their classic album, Quadrophenia, on tour. “The reason I am not on the road with Roger is that this is entirely Roger’s adventure, one that is bringing [...] Diane Kruger Dido Diora Baird Dita Von Teese 'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll 
Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin. In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday. But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine. "I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun." Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon. "I want y'all to hear it," she laughed. Related Artists Charlize Theron Chelsea Handler Cheryl Burke China Chow Beyonce's 4 knocked down to #5 in third week out.
By Gil Kaufman 
Blake Shelton
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images Blake Shelton was already a beloved country star before he became a reality-TV double-threat. But thanks in part to his breakout role on "The Voice," Miranda Lambert's better half is reaping plenty of benefits, including a #1 debut on the Billboard 200 charts next week for his new album, Red River Blue. According to figures provided by SoundScan, Shelton's sixth studio album, his first #1 debut ever and highest-charting album to date, sold 116,000 copies last week. Just behind was the first album in five years from floaty rockers Incubus with If Not Now, When, which debuts at #2 on sales of 80,000. They lead a parade of new faces in the top 10 that also includes country singer Chris Young, whose Neon hit #4 in its first week (73,000), pop smoothie Colbie Caillat's All of You (#6, 66,000), head-bangers Theory of a Deadman's Truth Is (#8, 38,000) and the debut from the rebooted Sublime with new singer Rome, Yours Truly (#9, 35,000). The rest of the top 10: Adele's 21 (#3, 77,000), Beyoncé's 4 (#5, 72,000), Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party (#7, 42,000) and Selena Gomez and the Scene's When the Sun Goes Down (#10, 33,000). A couple of former top 10 dwellers fall to the second rung, including Eminem's Hell: The Sequel project under the Bad Meets Evil banner (#11, 30,000), Lady Gaga's Born This Way (down five to #13, 25,000) and Jill Scott's Light of the Sun (#14, 21,000). The soundtrack to "Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Part 2" comes in at #25, while indie darlings Washed Out crash in at #26 with the excellent Within & Without (#26, 15,000). And it was a short trip to the top 10 for R&B crooner Lloyd, who plummets 39 spots to #49 in the second week for King of Hearts (9,000). Over on the iTunes chart Caillat sits atop the album tally, followed by Shelton, Incubus, Adele, Sublime, Chris Young, Theory of a Deadman, Beyoncé, Bad Meets Evil and the unstoppable Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More. LMFAO continue to rule the iTunes singles chart with their summer hit "Party Rock Anthem," which beats out Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper," Katy Perry's "Last Friday (T.G.I.F.)," Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" and Hot Chelle Rae's "Tonight Tonight." Rounding out the top 10 at #6 are Lil Wayne's "How to Love," Pitbull's "Give Me Everything," Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," OneRepublic's "Good Life" and Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem." Things should be fairly static next week, with the only new titles including a new Kidz Bop Kids title and albums from 311, 3 Doors Down and DJ Khaled. Related Artists Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing Megan Fox 'We were a big 'Smurfs' household. We had the glasses and the sheets and the whole thing,' 'Glee' star Jayma Mays admits.
By Jocelyn Vena 
"The Smurfs"
Photo: Sony Pictures "The Smurfs" took "Cowboys & Aliens" for a ride at the box office over the weekend when the two blockbusters tied for the top spot. And the movie's cast recently chatted with MTV News and recalled some of their favorite memories from the vintage "Smurfs" cartoon. "We were a big 'Smurfs' household," "Glee" star Jayma Mays explained. "We had the glasses and the sheets and the whole thing. We didn't have the figurines that some people collect, but my mom loved 'The Smurfs,' so she would make me watch." Co-star Hank Azaria also has a backstory with the lovable cartoon. "I was highly familiar with Gargamel and 'The Smurfs,' being an animation fan, even though I was technically too old for 'Smurfs,' " he recalled. "When they came to America, I watched them anyway 'cause I'm immature," he joked. "I always wanted to improve on Gargamel," he continued. "I always felt he was too one- note and borderline annoying and wanted to make him funny and more amusing and a little scarier in other moments. I ended up using a voice very similar to the cartoon, but I thought he could be more three-dimensional and sarcastic and laid-back, and mostly I was curious as to why he was married to a cat." Neil Patrick Harris said he enjoyed the cartoon back in the day, and recalled his favorite moments shooting the 3-D, part CGI/part live action flick. "Hank's great. My favorite elements of Hank being in the movie was that since we didn't really have scenes together, it was my days off," he jokingly explained. "So when it was Hank-heavy scenes, [Jayma] and I were like, 'Woohoo!' "For me, I really liked filming around New York," he continued. "I'm mostly a West Coast guy, and I've always been a fan of the city and I think the film is a wonderful homage and love letter of New York. So to be able to film in New York ... you don't get that opportunity." Check out everything we've got on "The Smurfs." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Bar Refaeli Beyoncé Bianca Kajlich Bijou Phillips Summit Entertainment alleges a group in Argentina is behind leaked images.
By Terri Schwartz 
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1"
Photo: Summit Entertainment When Robert Pattinson asks, he receives. Summit Entertainment released a press release Monday (August 1) announcing that it has tracked down some of the alleged people responsible for leaked images from the upcoming "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" and has taken legal action. In the release, the studio said the March leak came from the town of Posadas in northern Argentina, but since there may be more people involved, the investigation is still ongoing. Specifically, Summit is identifying Daiana Santia as allegedly being involved in the group that stole the images and footage. Civil action has been filed in the U.S. and Argentina, while criminal action has also been filed in Argentina. The images released were from Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward's (Pattinson) honeymoon scene and some of the final shots of the flick when Bella transforms into a vampire. When MTV News caught up with Pattinson shortly after the incident occurred, he was obviously very annoyed by the whole situation. "It's just ridiculous. I literally can't believe that it happened," he said. "I want the 'Twilight' troops to mobilize, all the good fans, and find out who these little sh--s are and just hack into their computers and destroy them. ... I'm being genuinely serious, 'Twilight' fans." Summit hired law firm Keats McFarland & Wilson LLP to search four continents (North America, South America, Europe and Australia) to find the people behind what director Bill Condon called a "deeply upsetting" experience. Summit Executive Vice President David C. Friedman released a statement in the press release about the situation, saying that a strong fan community should not result in property theft. "While we very much appreciate the legions of committed fans of the franchise and encourage them to create community online, we cannot ignore that property was stolen," he said. "It is not fair to the majority of fans that want to see the final chapter of the 'Twilight Saga' film franchise fully realized by the filmmaker and dedicated cast and crew to have these images out and available on the Internet." In the earlier MTV News interview, Pattinson said the people involved in the incident could not even be considered fans. "It's raw footage; it's not even what people are going to see," he said "Why do this maliciously? You're not a fan. You're just a di--." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos Related Photos Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello 'RIP Amy Winehouse. May she finally find peace,' Perry writes. 'I am genuinely heartbroken about this,' Rihanna tweets.
By Jason Kaufman, with reporting by Kara Klenk 
Amy Winehouse
Photo: Carlos Alvarez/ Getty Images As news spread that 27-year-old Amy Winehouse was dead, stars immediately tweeted their shocked reactions and remorse over the lost talent. Katy Perry, who touches down in Boise, Idaho, this weekend as part of her California Dreams Tour, tweeted her condolences, writing, "RIP Amy Winehouse. May she finally find peace." Nicki Minaj, who is also on the road as part of Britney Spears' Femme Fatale jaunt, took to Twitter and expressed disbelief at the news of Winehouse's passing. "Please tell me Amy Winehouse didn't die," wrote the Young Money MC, who's set to hit the stage in Florida on Saturday (July 23). "Is this some sick joke?" "I am genuinely heartbroken about this," wrote Rihanna, who continued to express her shock over multiple tweets. "Dear God have mercy!!! I am SICK about this right now!" In another, she wrote "U made a MAJAH impression on this industry and throughout the world, in such a short space of time...too short!" Usher reflected on Winehouse, who he had known: "I'm so sad to hear the horrible news of Amy Winehouse's death. I'm so happy I knew you Amy...Rest Well. Gone Too Soon...we'll miss you!!"" Frequent tweeter Kim Kardashian used her 140 characters to send prayers: "I just heard the news that Amy Winehouse passed away. What a true talent. I pray she's in a better place & at peace." Meanwhile, Ryan Seacrest showed Winehouse's impact on the music industry, singling out both Lady Gaga and Adele as those who had been influenced. "Sad to lose Amy Winehouse - incred talent. Both @LadyGaga & @OfficialAdele say Amy paved way for them." Dr. Drew focused on the singer's well-documented struggles with addiction. "SO sad, another lost to addiction. A reminder this is often a fatal condition. Recovery is possible, but sadly not for Amy Winehouse." Winehouse's American record label, Universal Republic, said in a statement: "We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer. Our prayers go out to Amy's family, friends and fans at this difficult time." Many More Stars Are Reacting. Check Back To See Who Else Has Weighed In: Leann Rimes: "RIP Amy Winehouse. So sad to see such a talent gone and her life end in tragedy. This makes me terribly sad." Khloe Kardashian: "Wow! I just heard about Amy Winehouse passing away! Wow! So sad :( what an amazing talent" Ashton Kutcher: "Rip amy winehouse" Big Boi: "Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and now Amy Winehouse. All died aged 27. RIP to you all." Kelly Osbourne: "i cant even breath right my now im crying so hard i just lost 1 of my best friends. i love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!" Rick Ross: "Wanted to collab w/ Amy Winehouse...r.i.p...smoking 1 in your memoryyy!!" Janelle Monae: "heart is heavy. My heart goes out 2 Amy Winehouse's family, loved ones. Praying for their strength during this time." Ricky Martin: "I just found out. I feel pain. I feel anger. Rest beautiful girl rest. You are free!" Cee Lo: "Is it true about amy?" Victoria Justice: "I'm so sad about the #amywinehouse news I heard this morning. She was 1 of my favorite artists. What a sad story, she was such a talent..." Randy Jackson: "Wow what a tragic loss today in the music world, Amy Winehouse such a talent. She will be missed" Kreayshawn: "I said she was a TIMELESS artist and a real artist because of her struggle. I'm so upset I love her! RIP Amy Winehouse" What Was Your Favorite Winehouse Song? Pay Tribute To Her Talents On Facebook Share your memories of Amy Winehouse in the comments below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists Tatiana Zavialova Taylor Swift Teri Hatcher Teri Polo |
