FROM MTV.COM: Wes Anderson is comfortable with his crew of Hollywood buddies, a bunch he started cobbling together along with college roommate Owen Wilson for his debut feature, "Bottle Rocket." In subsequent movies, Anderson's hipster squad grew to encompass Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and others, as he continued to cast them in films like "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Darjeeling Limited."

So when it comes to his first animated film, the stop-motion Roald Dahl adaptation "Fantastic Mr. Fox," no one should be surprised that Wilson, Murray and Schwartzman lend their voices to the animal characters. But was it always going to be this way? Did Anderson have these actors in mind from the beginning, or did the decision to cast them develop later on? And how did Oscar winners like George Clooney and Meryl Streep sneak into this tight-knit group?

Continue reading How Were George Clooney And Bill Murray Cast In 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'?

Soon, very soon now, we'll all get to check out director Wes Anderson's debut foray into feature length animation with his adaptation of the Roald Dahl kiddie classic, "Fantastic Mr. Fox." The movie hits theaters on November 25, and I couldn't be more excited.

I have a treat for you fellow "Mr. Fox" fans today, an excerpt from a recent press conference for the movie. Stars George Clooney and Bill Murray were both in attendance, and the good-natured actors reveled in letting some banter fly across the stage that lay between them. We've got the highlight on video, which you can check out below.

In the below video, Jason Schwartzman takes us behind the scenes of director Wes Anderson's upcoming stop-motion animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's book, "Fantastic Mr. Fox." In addition to clips and behind the scenes footage, you'll learn how the actors delivered their lines and acted out their parts on location, even though they won't physically appear in the movie.

"Fox" hits theaters on November 13. Use this brief featurette then to whet your appetite for Anderson's "Darjeeling Limited" follow-up, which features a strong ensemble cast that includes Schwartzman, George Clooney, Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, Owen Wilson and more.

-- Martin Scorsese + HBO = "Boardwalk Empire." The cable network signed off on an 11 episode series from the "Departed" director, chronicling the early life of Atlantic City. It's on folks. (Variety)

-- You've got a sneak peek at this one off to the right side of this post. The very first CGI Smurf has been revealed, from the upcoming movie based on the classic cartoon. (PCV Blue)

-- I'm a sucker for anything involving Bill Murray. The actor is set to star alongside Robert Duvall, Lucas Black and Sissy Spacek in "Get Low," which premieres at this month's Toronto International Film Festival. Cinematical just got some exclusive stills and a clip, which I urge you all to go check out. (Cinematical) Read more...

The latest "New Moon" trailer and all of its delicious, Twilighter-pleasing footage came in and pre-empted much of my late-day coverage. Twitter-Wood (curse your absence, Warmoth!) and the Dailies will not be seen today. Instead, I bring you this late-breaking edition of Around the Blogosphere. Enjoy.

-- Remember the "Ninja Assassin" trailer we debuted a few weeks ago? No? Even if you do, take a look. It's pretty sweet.

It's almost as sweet as the Lego version of the trailer, which was /Film's pick yesterday for their VOTD feature (Video Of The Day). Don't take my word for it though... see for yourself. (/Film) Read more...

What gives? Wes Anderson is a pretty popular director, right? I mean, "The Royal Tenenbaums" is one of the best movies out there! And then there's "Rushmore," "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and "Bottle Rocket"! ...and "Darjeeling Limited." I suppose.

Still, I'm surprised at the lack of a banner credit in this newly released trailer for director Wes Anderson's adaptation of "Fantastic Mr. Fox." He rounded up many of his (awesome) usual suspects for the cast, including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwarzman. PLUS George Clooney and Meryl Streep. Enjoy the stop-motion foxiness!

A zombie Matthew McConaughey? The bizarre thought seems sure to get some of the A-list star’s fans screaming “Alright, alright, alright!” At this point though, it exists only as a persistent rumor that won’t seem to go away: Matthew McConaughey has a cameo in the upcoming film “Zombieland.”

We first got wind of Matthew’s role in the October 9th horror/comedy when we were interviewing the film’s makeup designer, Tony Gardner – the man who played a substantial role in bringing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to life. Read more...

Here at MTV News, we often get word of wacky movie biz gossip that has no chance of actually being true, from an art house director rumored to be taking on a franchise blockbuster to a long-forgotten film that someone, somewhere wants to reboot for the big screen. And then there are those rumors that are just so bizarre and delightful we hope against hope they contain a kernel of truth. Put a musical version of “Groundhog Day” into that last category.

About five years ago, the famed Broadway lyrist and composer Stephen Sondheim (“Sweeney Todd”) told some folks he loved the idea of doing a stage adaptation of “Groundhog,” the classic 1993 Bill Murray comedy about a prickly weatherman stuck reliving the same day over and over again. And that was about it. No one thought it might actually happen. But when Harold Ramis stopped by the MTV News offices to chat about his upcoming movie “The Year One,” he revealed that plans for a “Groundhog” musical are not just idle gossip, but are actually moving forward. Read more...

Sure we get pop stars and movie stars dropping by the MTV News offices day in and day out but it's a rare treat to get a visit from an honest to goodness Ghostbuster! Heads turned as we walked Harold Ramis through our halls. The actor/writer/director was chatting with us primarily about his forthcoming Jack Black/Michael Cera comedy, "Year One," but he was kind enough to give us a "Ghostbusters 3" (or whatever they end up calling it) update as well.

No first draft yet, said Ramis. But he and Aykroyd are consulting and yes, the original Ghostbusters are all in. Even Bill Murray. Ramis joked that the enigmatic actor is "just waiting for the truckload of money to arrive to get him out of his office." Ramis also talked about who might direct the film and what sort of roles we can expect for the original gang. Check out our full "Ghostbusters" update here.

In our most morbid and emo moods, we've all dreamed of attending our own funeral. But one Tennessee guy thought the idea sounded so fun, he decided to just go ahead and hold it while he was still alive.

According to Variety, Bill Murray, Lucas Black, Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek have all signed onto "Get Low," the true story of Felix "Bush" Breazeale. In 1938, he decided to plan his own funeral and attend it, so that he could enjoy it while he was still alive. The idea made him a national celebrity, and attendees flocking to his "funeral" caused a traffic jam for two miles. Read more...