One of the hottest on-screen pairings this year is probably Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," portraying Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh, respectively. We've got an exclusive scene that features the two, so watch it out below, and then check out the flick when it opens this Friday.

For a few weeks now, we've been running exclusive columns from Michael Davis, the writer/director of the upcoming action romp, "Shoot 'Em Up," starring Clive Owen, Monica Belluci and Paul Giamatti. His first piece tackled his beginnings, his second revealed how Giamatti channeled Karl Rove, and now he introduces us to the cast of characters behind the camera who helped make his film possible.

In "Shoot 'Em Up,' our hero is the lone man who gets into every gunfight imaginable from a gun battle while he freefalls from an airplane to a shootout while he's making love.

But, to make a film it takes a real posse to get it done. Here the rogue's gallery that had my back: Read more...

So says director Michael Davis in his latest column for MTV.com, who reveals that Paul Giamatti channeled none other than Bush's ex-chief-of-staff for his turn as a baby-hunting villain in "Shoot 'Em Up," the balls-out action romp starring Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci.

"I tell him that I don't want to push him in a certain direction for this part," writes Davis. "Instead, I'd love for him to create a character beyond the page. He says he'd like his character to be based on Karl Rove -- a seemingly bookish guy who exercises power behind the scenes. I like it. His character turns out to be way more flamboyant than Rove ... but I like how our free-flowing conversation started making the character better than what is on the page."

Still no word if Owen's manic-gunslinger was based on Condi.

As part of MTV's Comic-Con coverage, we asked various celebrities to snap a few photos of their San Diego adventures and send them in with captions. We're happy to present the first of our contributors, "Shoot 'Em Up" director Michael Davis, who captured everything from an amputee model at the "Grindhouse" booth to backstage fan moments with Clive Owen (as seen below).

Click on the photo to see Davis' complete photo diary, and be sure to check in later this week for diaries from "Stargate: SG-1” lead Amanda Tapping and "Saw" co-creator James Wan.

For all the Vulcans, Stormtroopers and gladiators walking around at Comic-Con, the biggest geek in all of San Diego may very well be an invited guest.

"In high school, when I auditioned for 'Fiddler on the Roof,' " "Shoot 'Em Up" director Michael Davis told a packed crowd by way of introduction at the world premiere of his new flick, "my audition piece was Auric Goldfinger's speech. This is a dream come true."

Read more...

Frank Miller and Clive Owen together again, collaborating on a Raymond Chandler story no less? That and a special "Harry Potter" first look highlight our links of the day. (For those unfamiliar with the legendary Chandler, by the way, check out some of his best quotes here.)

- Take a virtual tour of 12 Grimmauld Place, headquarters for The Order of the Phoenix. (IGN)

- Frank Miller to walk down mean streets, adapt noir master Raymond Chandler's "Trouble Is My Business" as starring vehicle for Clive Owen. (Variety)

- Fox whips up new poster for "The Simpsons Movie." Mmmm, whip. (Coming Soon)

- Jim Broadbent confirms "Indy 4" casting. (Brit Films)

- Dreamworks "In Deep," developing comedy script for Ben Stiller. (Hollywood Reporter)

- Name's Forster. Marc Forster. "Finding Neverland" director to helm next Bond flick. (MTV News)

- Michael Apted named director for third Naria film, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." (MTV News)

- Next "Pirates" to go sci-fi, send Captain Jack to Atlantis? (Cinema Blend)