It was Voltaire who once said that if God didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent him. It was screenwriter John August who said the same thing about Captain Marvel.

“If Captain Marvel didn’t pre-exist and there was just an idea of a 13-year-old boy who can speak a magic word and turn into a superhero — that’s a great idea,” the writer declared on the eve of turning in his completed draft for “Shazam.” “If it hadn’t been around for 50 years and someone just wrote it as a spec script, that would sell cause it’s a really good idea.”

It’s an idea whose time has come. A comic book film which centers on an unlikely hero, “Shazam” is “very different” from all “the other flying people in tights movies,” insisted August. “It’s not Spider-Man plus jokes. There’s really good comic potential there,” he asserted, revealing that his film — an origin story — owes as much to “Big” as it does to “Superman.” Read more…

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you managed to get hottie Jessica Alba and comedy kingpin Dane Cook in a room together, ponder no further…apparently they make out a lot. For proof, take a gander at the clip below from their new film “Good Luck Chuck,” which hits your local grindhouse on September 21.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy a hot steaming cup of our links of the day, with news on Oliver Stone, Robert Downey Jr., “Cloverfield,” “Harry Potter,” and more.

- “The hills are alive with the sound of…thestrals?” A “Harry Potter” musical in the works? (Color us dubious) (Sunday Mirror)

- Enough with the mystery. “Cloverfield” site now roars. I yawn. (1-18-08)

- John Ridley is George Lucas’s man, will write long in development Tuskegee-themed WWII pic “Red Tails.” (AICN)

- Could your movie about a murdering, sociopath barber have, I dunno, less murdering? Burton told to tone down the gore in “Sweeney Todd.” (CHUD)

- Good Morning, Vietnam! Oliver Stone making fourth trip to war well, to direct “Pinkville” with Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum. (Variety)

- “Soloist” becomes Duet: Robert Downey Jr. joins Jamie Foxx in musical biopic. (Variety)

Corey Haim came by our offices last week for an extended conversation we’ll be rolling out in the very near future (trust me, stay tuned for some great stuff). Among many other things, he talked excitedly about his participation in the long-awaited “Lost Boys” sequel, saying he was about to start filming in Vancouver and that he was “honored” to be a part of it. Corey Feldman meanwhile left for Vancouver last week to film his role.

Now however, the return of Haim in the sequel is looking iffy at best, MTV News has learned exclusively. Haim’s manager called us after our interview to tell us about problems that arose over the weekend. According to her, “There are major logistical obstacles that exist,” referring to immigration problems Haim may have in traveling in and out of the country. She added that Warner Bros. is currently working to rectify these issues. Click here for a full recap of the sequel as it currently exists, and stay tuned to the MTV Movies Blog for updates on this developing story.

Is one Corey enough for the “Lost Boys” sequel? Does the sequel need Corey Haim? Weigh in below.

UPDATE: Corey Haim Is Angry At Corey Feldman! But Does Feldman Know?

In the weeks following the August 9th announcement that Matthew Vaughn had been chosen to direct “Thor,” an online groundswell has begun to get a certain fan favorite cast in the title role. Sometimes, such efforts fail miserably (think Josh Lucas as Two-Face), but at other times Internet buzz actually plants the idea in the head of the studio (Michael Chiklis as Thing), so the idea of Tyler Mane as Thor might just prove to be a mighty one after all.

“I would love to take a look at that,” Mane responded this week when we asked the 6’8” former professional wrestler about rumors he’s being considered to play the Norse god. “That would be fantastic.”

The connections would seem to be in place already for Mane, who made his movie debut as Sabretooth in the 2000 blockbuster “X-Men,” another Marvel Comics property based on a long-time title. “Oh, I’m most definitely [familiar with the character of Thor], yeah.” Read more…

How would two of Hollywood’s most personal A-listers react when thrown together on a movie set? That situation was put to the test when Russell Crowe and Christian Bale signed up for the Western “3:10 To Yuma,” the thrilling remake that opens September 7. We put the issue to both heavy-hitters; watch their response in the video below.