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We're still a year away from "The Hunger Games," but you can get your first look at Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen today.

Entertainment Weekly has released the first official picture of Lawrence in character as Katniss for the Gary Ross-directed adaptation. In an interview, the Oscar-nominated actress tells EW why she sympathizes with the bow-wielding heroine: "She was a girl who’s all of a sudden being introduced to fame. I know what that feels like to have all this flurry around you and feel like, 'Oh, no, I don't belong here.'"

Check out the rest of today's big movie news past the jump, including word on Peter Berg and Taylor Kitch's next project!

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Tags deadpool, jennifer lawrence, Lone Survivor, mel gibson, peter berg, robert rodriguez, Sleight of Hand, Taylor Kitsch, The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet, The Hunger Games

After release date changes and some other unrelated misfortunes, "The Beaver" is finally bowing in theaters (In NYC and LA today, elsewhere May 20). There is a lot to admire about this film, to be perfectly honest. The performances, the uniquely-crafted story of a man battling mental illness, and puppets. Also, Hollywood veteran Jodie Foster starred in and directed the film.

When MTV News caught up with Foster during the press day for "The Beaver," we asked her to walk us through the challenges of acting and directing at the same time.

"Acting and directing at the same time is a very bad idea, don’t do it at home. My first movie I acted and directed in [1994's tear-jerker 'Little Man Tate'] I remember saying to myself, 'Hmm, I’m not gonna do this again.' It’s – it’s tiring!" she admitted. "But at the same time, you do manage to get the performance you were hoping for. Sometimes you wish you had more choices because very often you don’t surprise yourself, you just bring to the table what you were anticipating and you don’t surprise yourself enough."

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Tags jodie foster, mel gibson, The Beaver

FROM MTV MOVIES: For much of the past year, the only times we've heard Mel Gibson's voice in public were when new snippets of his now-infamous rant tapes were released by Radar Online. You might recall the racist, sexist explosion of rage at Gibson's ex and mother of his infant daughter, Oksana Grigorieva, on the recordings, which were leaked by an unknown source to the site and revealed a dark, disturbing side to the actor whose biggest movies have often been laced with a sadistic streak.

Gibson finally broke his silence on the matter this week, sitting down with a reporter from Deadline Hollywood and explaining that the tapes were made in "one terribly awful moment in time, said to one person in the span of one day, and doesn't represent what I truly believe or how I've treated people my entire life."

After the tape scandal, as well as Gibson's anti-Semitic rant during a drunken driving arrest in 2006, the actor said he realized people might not want to see him in movies again. But with the long-delayed film "The Beaver" slated to hit screens next month and another film in the works, Gibson is resigned to his box-office fate. "I could easily not act again. It's not a problem," he said.

Read the full story at MTV Movies!

Tags mel gibson

Between Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence and Anton Yelchin, there's more than a few reasons to keep an eye out on "The Beaver." But there's perhaps no bigger reason to tune in than its leading man, Mel Gibson.

In what can be seen as an eerie instance of art imitating life, Gibson stars in the Foster-directed drama as Walter Black, the CEO of a toy company who embarks on a downward spiral of depression, completely isolating himself from the people he loves in the process. But possible redemption presents itself in an unusual form: Walter comes into contact with a beaver hand-puppet that he uses to communicate on his behalf, a decision that could either widen the distance between himself and his family or bring all of them closer together.

It's no secret that Gibson has been making headlines for the wrong reasons in recent weeks, months and years, but could "The Beaver" turn the tides for the troubled actor? Hard to say without seeing footage from the film, but thankfully, we've got three new clips from the movie that give you a great idea of what "The Beaver" has in store for you. Let us know what you think of the footage in the comments section and on Twitter!

Tags mel gibson, The Beaver

Oh, "The Beaver." It would already be one of the most intriguing films on our to-watch list without all of the controversy surrounding leading man Mel Gibson.

But, of course, that elevates things: this is a story about a depressed man who has to rediscover and redeem himself through an imaginary friend, a beaver puppet that does all of the talking for him. It's certainly an interesting and timely premise given what Gibson has been going through lately, though it makes one pause: is the film doomed for failure before it even launches? Are audiences ready to forgive Mel, particularly through this unintentionally timely lens?

They'll have some more time to decide, as the release date for "The Beaver" has been pushed back once again. Originally slated for release in 2010, and then again on March 28 of this year, The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop that "The Beaver" will now open on May 6 in limited release before expanding later in the month – in the thick of the summer season, in other words.

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Tags mel gibson, The Beaver

By Aly Semigran

To say that Mel Gibson is not the most popular guy in Hollywood at the moment would be something of an understatement. The star of theupcoming flick "The Beaver" has been the center of public scrutiny ever since his infamous 2006 DUI and, more recently, those shocking audiotapes and disturbing accusations of domestic violence and anti-Semitism.

However, it seems that Gibson (who, along with other stars, was mocked in Ricky Gervais' opening monologue at this year's Golden Globes) still has a few friends sticking by his side. When MTV News caught up with Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" co-star Danny Glover at the Sundance Film
Festival on Friday, the actor had nothing but nice things to say about his pal.

Glover (who was in Park City to promote his movie "Black Power Mixtape") said of Gibson, "I love Mel. That's my friend." Glover also shared that he and Gibson (who he called "a very generous man" who is "always searching for meaning in his life") have been in touch over this last tumultuous year and that at a recent memorial in Los Angeles, "We ran up and hugged each other." Read more...

Tags danny glover, lethal weapon, mel gibson, Sundance 2011, Video

It's no secret that Mel Gibson isn't exactly the most liked person in show business these days. After several controversial comments and allegations of domestic abuse, among other similar difficulties, Gibson's public image could certainly use a helping hand — the kind that a cameo role in "The Hangover 2" won't fix, apparently.

But maybe he'll find redemption through his latest starring role in "The Beaver." The first official trailer for Jodie Foster's first directorial effort in 15 years arrived online over the weekend, and based on the story information we're treated to in the trailer, it appears that "The Beaver" hits rather close to home for Gibson. Read more...

Tags jodie foster, mel gibson, The Beaver, Video

It's been a few weeks since the whole Mel Gibson casting fiasco in "The Hangover 2," and though most of the controversy and discussion over giving Gibson the role and then taking it away has died down, director Todd Phillips has had plenty of opportunities to talk about the situation while he's been promoting "Due Date." When he sat down with MTV last week he admitted that he was "surprised" at the backlash and the public's lack of empathy for Gibson.

And, during a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips addressed the conversation he had with Gibson when he rescinded the role and revealed Gibson's response to the news. "We just had a long talk about it, I explained it," Phillips said. "He certainly understood, you know. He wasn't happy, but he certainly wasn't upset, I mean, it just was kind of a bummer because I think he understood the intention of the casting and the role." Read more...

Tags liam neeson, mel gibson, The Hangover 2, Todd Phillips

Apparently, Zach Galifianakis would rather talk about Debbie Gibson than Mel Gibson.

When Galifianakis stopped by "Today" this morning to promote his upcoming film "Due Date" (out November 5), he was asked for his thoughts on the controversy surrounding his other Todd Phillips-directed comedy "The Hangover 2." Specifically, what the heck happened with the whole Mel Gibson cameo?

"I do not consult on the movies that I'm in," he said. "I just show up and I say my lines, usually terribly, and I do consult on dialogue. But as far as hiring and firing of actors, I have no insight into that world whatsoever." Read more...

Tags Due Date, mel gibson, The Hangover 2, Todd Phillips, zach galifianakis

In a quick turn of events by Hollywood standards, Liam Neeson has reportedly gone from rumored Mel Gibson-replacement on Friday to shooting his cameo in "The Hangover 2" in L.A. this past Sunday. Deadline broke the news that Neeson would be shooting his scene so quickly, presumably playing the Bangkok tattoo artist role Gibson was attached to.

On Friday, we talked about we hoped Neeson would get the cameo instead of the also rumored Robin Williams and Kurt Russell. The man certainly has a sense of humor (tell me "Release the Kraken!" isn't the most quoted line of 2010), but we've never seen him be a total nutjob in a comedy before. Read more...

Tags liam neeson, mel gibson, mike tyson, The Hangover 2