'Hobbit' Movies Journeying Into Theaters In December 2012, 2013

The titles of the two 'Lord of the Rings' prequels will be 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' and 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again.'
By Gil Kaufman


Martin Freeman
Photo: Samir Hussein/ Getty Images

There is finally some daylight at the end of the long, twisty journey to the screen of the two-film telling of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit." Over the holiday weekend, director Peter Jackson announced the names of the two movies he's filming based on Tolkien's preview novel to "The Lord of the Rings" and the release dates for the eagerly anticipated flicks.

The first part, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," is slated to open on December 14, 2012, while the second, titled "The Hobbit: There and Back Again," will open almost a year later, on December 13, 2013. After years of setbacks and false starts, Jackson finally began shooting the 3-D "Hobbit" movies in March in New Zealand with a cast headed by Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, as well as such returning "Lord of the Ring" stars as Orlando Bloom, Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Sir Ian McKellen and Hugo Weaving.

It was announced on Friday that Bloom would be donning his golden wig again to play the role of the elf Legolas. "The Hobbit" is set 60 years before "The Lord of the Rings" and follows the journey of plucky hobbit Bilbo, who is drawn into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the vicious dragon Smaug.

The cast also features Richard Armitage, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas and Aidan Turner.

Check out everything we've got on "The Hobbit."

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

Will vampires and werewolves own the 2011 MTV Movie Awards? Can wizards or dream thieves steal the Golden Popcorn? Find out on June 5, when the 20th annual show airs live at 9 p.m. ET/PT. To get into the magical movie mood, we're kicking off a Sneak Peek Week starting on May 30 — five days of exclusives and interviews with the casts of "Fright Night," "Horrible Bosses" and more. Check out everything there is to know about Sneak Peek Week and the Movie Awards at MovieAwards.MTV.com!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664793/hobbit-movie-details.jhtml

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Britney Spears May Undergo Psychiatric Evaluation In Defamation Case

Ex-manager Sam Lutfi wants to prove singer is competent to testify in his lawsuit against her mother.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears
Photo: Pacific Coast News

Britney Spears and Sam Lutfi may cross paths again. The singer and her former manager could meet in court, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Lutfi wants Spears to give a deposition in a case he's pursuing against her mother. In her book "Through the Storm," Lynne Spears alleges that Lutfi was a "gatekeeper" and manipulated the superstar, cutting her off from people and drugging her. Lutfi was fired back in 2008.

He says those claims aren't true and is suing Lynne Spears for defamation. He has requested that Britney testify as part of his lawsuit. However, her parents are opposed to the idea of having her appear for a deposition, saying that she is mentally incapable. Lutfi has fired back through the courts, and in a motion filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, he requested that Spears undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Spears is currently under the conservatorship of her father, James Parnell Spears, and lawyer, Andrew Wallet. Lutfi claims that her ability to conduct interviews and tour as of late proves that she is capable of testifying, and he has even produced his own expert to weigh in on the matter.

Regardless of the outcome, Spears does have a busy summer ahead of her. She's set to begin work on her next music video later this month for the single "I Wanna Go." And she will hit the road with Nicki Minaj in June for her Femme Fatale tour. Other special guests will include Nervo, Jessie and the Toy Boys and, for some select shows, "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" collaborator Sabi.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663829/britney-spears-psychiatric-evaluation.jhtml

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Lady Gaga's Loyalty Applauded Following MTV's 'Inside The Outside'

'As a friend and as a fan, she's so loyal to what she likes and who she loves,' Semi Precious Weapons' Justin Tranter tells MTV News.
By James Dinh, with reporting by James Montgomery


Lady Gaga
Photo: MTV News

Underneath the layers of over-the-top outfits and catchy dance tunes, Lady Gaga has always remained loyal to her friends, family and army of Little Monsters. That was just one of many points made in the MTV documentary "Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside," which dove into Gaga's pre- and post-fame life.

During "Lady Gaga: The After-Show," MTV News' James Montgomery chatted with many of the singer's confidants, including Semi Precious Weapons frontman Justin Tranter, Lady Starlight, documentary director Davi Russo and producer Fernando Garibay.

As the opening act for her worldwide Monster Ball Tour, Tranter knows more than anyone about the singer's devotion, calling her "the most loyal friend you could ever ask for."

"We've been so desperately wanting to be a band for so long and busting our asses, and for Gaga to put her foot down as the biggest star in the world and insist that this really f---ing loud rock band fronted by a man in heels needs to open for her all over the world shows her character," Tranter said of the singer, who used to open for his band before she hit it big. "As a friend and as a fan, she's so loyal to what she likes and who she loves."

Gaga's longtime friend and early performing partner Lady Starlight also chimed in on the pop star's devotion since before her fame years, praising the singer for always giving credit where it's due.

"She's always ... talked about me and given me credit for anything we worked on together," Starlight told us via Skype. "And you don't see people coming out after, like, their first album, when they're trying to prove themselves, so willing to give exposure to the people who they care about and who influence them and who they work with. That's unprecedented."

Russo echoed those sentiments about Gaga's bond to friends like Starlight and Tranter. "It's just refreshing and inspiring to know. ... It's like the people you really come up with are the people you still surround yourself with, regardless of what's happening," Russo said of the singer. "I can't say that about so many people, unfortunately."

How does Lady Gaga show her loyalty to her Little Monsters? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664717/lady-gaga-justin-trantor-loyatly.jhtml

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Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale Take Their Boys To The Beach

Gwen Stefani and her hubby Gavin Rossdale spent Memorial Day with their boys Zuma and Kingston, while frolicking on the beach. Looks like everyone had a GREAT time! Those boys are getting so big, I can hardly believe it! The only … Continue reading

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/imnotobsessed/obsessed/~3/8F60_aSaiB8/

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Britney Spears Says Femme Fatale Tour Will Be 'Spectacular'

Singer also hopes her choreographers create the 'most outrageous things.'
By James Dinh


Britney Spears
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears is known for delivering an over-the-top stage show, and she promises that her forthcoming Femme Fatale Tour alongside Nicki Minaj will be no different.

In a new video interview posted on her website, the pop princess opens up about her 26-date summer venture, which is set to kick off June 16 in Sacramento and make its way across North America, before concluding August 13 in Toronto.

"The Femme Fatale Tour will hopefully just be outrageously spectacular," Spears said when asked about the trek. "I'm just hoping that the choreographers will come up with just the most outrageous things, and I'm really excited."

While it's been just over a month since the release of Femme Fatale, Brit gushed about the outing, saying, "This is one of the most excited I've been about a project in a really long time, so I can't wait."

While a set list has yet to surface, it would make sense that some of Spears' personal favorite Femme Fatale cuts will be performed throughout her concert, which she revealed as "He About to Lose Me," "Criminal" and "Till the World Ends."

Fans caught an early glimpse at the forthcoming tour last week when video footage of the pop star rehearsing the Bloodshy & Avant-produced "How I Roll" surfaced online. Wearing a baby-blue sports bra and sweatpants, a smiling Spears showed off some playful dance moves surrounded by a group of dancers.

Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, told MTV News back in March that the tour is expected to have a postapocalyptic theme in tune with her latest single, "Till the World Ends." "This is exactly the direction we're moving in," he said. " 'Till the World Ends' keeps becoming a theme for us. ... The way we come up with a concept for a show like this is we sit with Britney, she talks to us about what she's interested in and what excites her."

Have you purchased tickets to Spears' tour yet? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663210/britney-spears-femme-fatale.jhtml

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Michael Jackson's 'Thriller': Story Behind The 'Glee' Cover

MJ classic is mashed up with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Heads Will Roll' for post-Super Bowl episode.
By Aly Semigran


"Glee"
Photo: FOX

Madonna, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and now, finally, Michael Jackson. The cast of "Glee" has covered plenty of icons during their first two seasons, but it's taken 33 episodes to get around to the King of Pop.

With a huge catalog of Jackson songs, the singing, dancing students of McKinley High paid homage to the late singer with one of his biggest staples (and, arguably, the greatest music video of all time) with their take on "Thriller."

The groundbreaking single from Jackson's best-selling album of the same name was mashed up with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" for the post-Super Bowl episode (titled "The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle"), featuring a zombie-fied "Glee" cast.

Bound to become a smash all over again (though with its nonstop rotation at Halloween parties and wedding receptions until the end of time, it's never truly gone away), here's a brief history of the dance/pop classic.

Released on January 23, 1984, "Thriller" was the seventh, and final, single to be released from Jackson's smash record. According to the RIAA, the album (released by Epic Records) has gone gold 29 times, narrowly edging out the Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971-1975 for the title of best-selling album of all time.

In 2009, MTV News estimated that the Thriller album was poised to go triple diamond, meaning 30 million records sold in the U.S. alone.

After Thriller's other singles (including "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin' Something") dominated the charts, it was time for the spooky, undeniably original track to take over. The song "Thriller" also appeared on many of Jackson's other albums, including the compilations HIStory and Number Ones.

Clocking in at a little under six minutes (though the radio edit was closer to four-and-a-half), the song features pop-music mainstays like synthesizers but shakes things up with its spooky sound effects, including creaking floors, howling and thunder.

The song was produced by Quincy Jones and written and composed by Rod Tempterton and spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #4.

But it's the music video for "Thriller" that truly made it the phenomenon it was in the '80s and continues to be today. Less a music video than a mini-motion picture, the video (over 13 minutes long and directed by John Landis) won three MTV Video Music Awards and has been named the best music video of all time by many outlets, including VH1 for the special "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos."

The chiller features Jackson in that iconic red leather jacket on a date with his girlfriend (played by Ola Ray) before things go terribly awry. After all, as Jackson (whose disclaimer at the start of the video reads, "This film in no way endorses a belief in the occult") sings in the opening line, "It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark." Cue werewolves, zombies, Vincent Price's soliloquy and one of the most memorable dance sequences ever.

The video was (no pun intended) a monster hit. As the Los Angeles Times notes, "At the height of the song's popularity, MTV would run the 14-minute 'Thriller' video twice an hour."

Choreographed by Jackson and Michael Peters (who, as the LA Times also reported, appears in the video as one of the zombies) and with makeup by Oscar-winner Rick Baker (also an undead "Thriller" extra) was made with a huge budget of an estimated $500,000.

Still, the efforts paid off. Landis (who told the "Today" show back in 2009 that no one wanted to give them the funds to make the risky vid) made the accompanying 45-minute documentary about the venture, called "The Making of Thriller." Featuring the behind-the-scenes wizardry, as well as the music video in full, it would go on to move more than 10 million copies.

Since then, the signature song and video have seen their share fair of tributes in movies (notably in the 2004 comedy"13 Going on 30") and TV ("South Park," "Family Guy," "30 Rock," among others), not to mention the countless flash mobs that have gone viral. (Remember the prisoners in the Philippines who became overnight phenomenons on YouTube?)

Even with the "Glee" number, this likely won't be the last incarnation of "Thriller." Billboard reported in October that a "Thriller" film is in the works. With a plot allegedly revolving around Price's narration, Kenny Ortega, who directed Jackson's last effort, "This Is It," will reportedly helm the project.

Since Jackson's untimely passing on June 25, 2009, the song and video's legacy continue to live on. In the week following Jackson's death, "Thriller" was the best-selling track in the U.S., with sales of 167,000 copies on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles chart.

Then, in December 2009, "Thriller" was the first music video to ever be inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It seems "no mere mortal can resist ... the thriller" after all.

What did you think of the "Thriller" mash-up on "Glee"? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657395/glee-thriller.jhtml

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