FROM SPLASH PAGE: Before "The Dark Knight," many fans wondered how Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker in Tim Burton's "Batman" could ever be topped, least of all by the seemingly unnatural choice of Heath Ledger. But if you believe one certain rumor, Nicholson almost lost the part to another actor—none other than Willem Dafoe.
Dafoe's IMDB page harbors a curious bit of "trivia," which states that the actor was considered for the Clown Prince of Crime in the Burton-directed "Batman." MTV News went straight to Dafoe for official word on the rumor, and while the actor said he was never considered for the Joker role, he did have an early attachment to the 1989 film.
"Very early, they talked to me about playing Batman," Dafoe told MTV News.
Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Willem Dafoe As Batman? It Almost Happened!
How weird is it that, out of Sacha Baron Cohen’s three trademark characters, Ali G is now the least famous of them all? With this past weekend’s strong “Brüno” opening, the UK-born and raised funnyman has once again fooled the world into believing that he is someone else. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess, but as we play Monday-morning quarterback there is an even more pressing question: is Cohen the greatest cinematic "chameleon" of all time?
There are few things I love more in a movie than when an actor fully immerses himself in another persona. Sometimes it’s for comedy, sometimes it’s for drama... but whatever the performance is in the name of, when done right it can make that performer a legend. Below are my favorite "chameleon" actors of all time. Post your thoughts in the comments section and tell us where SBC ranks among these greats or any others. Read more...
Tags ali g, batman, borat, bruno, gary oldman, Harry Potter, jon voight, mike myers, Peter Sellers, Pink Panther, the dark knight, transformers
History was made on Friday when Ryan Reynolds officially became the first actor to star as both a Marvel and DC Comics character. Fresh off of his spin-off spinning turn as Deadpool in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," Reynolds is now getting to headline a “Green Lantern” film.
The "Van Wilder" star is just one of many actors who have made the smart –- and profitable –- choice to double-dip in the biggest and the best film franchises. Here is a look at a few of Hollywood's other famous double-dippers. Read more...
Tags batman, christian bale, christopher lee, green lantern, harrison ford, ian mckellan, robert pattinson, ryan reynolds, terminator, terminator salvation, the dark knight, the lord of the rings, Twilight, x-men
Ya know, sometimes I think we should just put a giant “Twilight” spotlight on the roof of the MTV building here in beautiful Santa Monica, California. It could be like that enormous bat-signal that tells Batman when something is going on. Maybe we could put RPattz’s face on it and shine it up into the sky whenever there’s “Twilight” news to be reported.
But unfortunately, I don’t have a Spunk-Ransom-signal yet. So, we’re gonna kick this one old-school.
I’ve just gotten word that the first poster for “New Moon” will be released tomorrow. Not some Photoshopped version your friend made on her computer, not some old “Twilight” poster with the words “New Moon” taped over the title – but the real deal! Read more...
FROM SPLASH PAGE: What do "Batman," "Superman," "Akira," "Hellboy," "The Hulk," "Iron Man," "The Punisher," "Spider-Man," "The Spirit," "Dragonball," "Wanted," "X-Men" and "Watchmen" all have in common? Easy!
It's no secret that the comic-to-movie translation can be hit or miss. On one hand, you have someone like the Punisher — one of the most intense, complex and dark characters ever created in the comic book universe — so you would have thought his story and swagger alone would be enough to make a great action movie with maybe even a good sequel. Apparently not! The movie studios messed up that franchise not once ... not twice ... but three times (once with Dolph Lundgren, then Thomas Jane and most recently with some guy called Ray Stevenson).
(Read more about the roller-coaster world of Sam Jackson's upcoming comic book roles on our Splash Page blog.)
Tags akire, batman, dragonball, hellboy, iron man, samuel l jackson, spider-man, superman, the hulk, the punisher, the spirit, transformers, wanted, watchmen, x-men
FROM SPLASH PAGE: Bat-fans across the globe were treated to a bit of disappointing news last night, as The Hollywood Reporter broke the story that "The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan's next project will be "Inception" -- an original screenplay written by Nolan and described as a "contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind." This all but pushes back a sequel to 2008's box office champ for at least the next few years, as Nolan reportedly plans to begin filming "Inception" this summer for a 2010 release.
While the report puts to rest months of speculation as to whether Nolan would jump back into the Bat-franchise or take on a different project post-"Dark Knight," it's the details surrounding Nolan's next venture that have left fans with even more questions than answers.
Read more about Christopher Nolan's new film at SplashPage.MTV.com.
Could this be confirmation that Chris Nolan is, in fact, onboard for a third Batman film? Speaking with MTV News on the People's Choice Awards red carpet, "Dark Knight" producer Charles Roven gave us the latest scoop on sequel talk.
"I know that Chris [Nolan] and [writer] David Goyer are talking and thinking," Roven said. "We're hoping, of course, that they find and rest on something that they'll find is worthy to do, but we don't know anything more than you do right now."
Watch Roven's comments below, and then click here to read the rest of Roven's "Batman III" comments.
FROM SPLASH PAGE: Rumors continue to swirl around the already highly-anticipated follow-up to "The Dark Knight": some have already been debunked, while others are only starting to heat up -- namely that of who will be playing the Riddler (that is, if the Riddler even is a villain in the next film). While Johnny Depp has been the most talked-about actor whenever the role comes up, he isn't the only actor who'd be interested in reading for the part.
In a recent sit down with MTV News, Guy Pearce (long mentioned as a potential candidate due to his relationship with the "Momento" helmer) stated to us that he'd be interested in taking a look at the role (or any role in the film) so long as Christopher Nolan was still on board as director.
Read More about the potential of Guy Pearce as The Riddler on MTV's Splash Page.
FROM SPLASH PAGE: Never let it be said that superstar writer/director/rabid fanboy Joss Whedon was the type to rest on his laurels. Clearly not content with his work on such fan-favorite franchises like "Buffy," "Serenity" and the upcoming "Dollhouse," Whedon regaled MTV News with the details of his proposed plan to reboot the "Batman" film franchise before Director Christopher Nolan got the gig. Read More...
Even as Christian Bale basks in the gargantuan success that is "The Dark Knight," today the actor's standing as a leading man is suddenly a lot shakier thanks to his arrest in London on assault charges. For the latest on the arrest, check out our full report here.
It couldn't be more inopprtune timing for the star as he's in the middle of attempting to re-start another huge franchise in the form of "Terminator Salvation." Only days before the arrest the actor described the way this new effort would be handled on the big screen, "It will be in a similar fashion to the way that 'Batman Begins' revitalized and reinvented," Bale of course is picking up the John Connor role previously occupied by Eddie Furlong, Thomas Dekker and Nick Stahl in the film. Director McG has been known to compare the "Terminator" re-launch with Chris Nolan's Batman series, and Bale revealed to us that he hopes to do several sequels. Read more...
