Happy “Battle: Los Angeles” week, folks! We’ve been eagerly tracking this so-out-there-it’s-gotta-be-awesome project for awhile around these parts, and with Ne-Yo joining the cast it’s gotten even more interesting. Aliens, scandal-plagued rappers, Harvey Dent kicking ass -– as cameras begin rolling on the February 2011 flick, what more do you need?

One of the more interesting aspects of the film emerged earlier this year, when we interviewed filmmaker Jonathan Liebesman, who oversaw “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” and this year’s impressive Sundance thriller “The Killing Room.” At the time, the only actor who had come on board the aliens-invade-Los Angeles film was Aaron Eckhart, and Liebesman said that the star was planning to channel Dirty Harry. Read more...

As part of their Power of Film feature, IMDb has put together a list of the top 15 highest fan rated flicks released since 2000. The list is impressive and a bit shocking: four of the films are foreign, three are animated, and four are fanperson dream films.

Coming in at number one is, unsurprisingly, “The Dark Knight.” A fan favorite that arguably spurred the Academy’s decision to open Best Picture up to 10 nominees after it was snubbed a nomination. “The Dark Knight” redefined the comic book film genre. Similarly, “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” is number two, and one of only two films listed that won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Read more...

I'm a child of the '80s and damn proud of it. I used to rush home from school for my daily "Transformers"/"G.I. Joe" fix. "Sesame Street" and "Mr. Rogers" were totally my nursery school bag. I had spiked hair for crying out loud! Proud '80s child or not though, I don't really remember "Voltron" too well.

I had a die-cast toy model of course. And I did watch the cartoon to some degree. I remember that there are five flying lion robots/spaceships that come together to form the mighty Voltron. That's about all though. Still, it'll be enough to draw me into the theater when "The Dark Knight" producer Charles Roven, along with pals Richard Suckle and Steve Alexander, put out their silver screen adaptation of the import cartoon series. Read more...

FROM SPLASH PAGE: It's been 20 years since Tim Burton's "Batman" introduced a moody Michael Keaton to movie audiences, effectively re-establishing the caped crusader as an obsessive loner after extended periods of live-action and animated campiness. While the more whimsical elements of 1992's "Batman Returns" sometimes overshadow Burton's legacy of gothic motifs, his two films' darker take on Batman and the Joker are echoed in Christopher Nolan's Bat-blockbusters.

MTV spoke with the "9" producer ahead of his appearance at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego about his time with the franchise and his take on cinematic superheroes -- namely, Nolan's acclaimed "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight."

Continue reading Tim Burton Talks 'Batman,' Superhero Trends And 'The Dark Knight'

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...

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...

It’s the bold news that all of Hollywood is still buzzing about, as well as weighing its implications: 10 movies will be nominated for Best Picture at the next Oscars, double the usual amount. But when I caught up with Zack Snyder this week, he had yet to hear the news.

“10?” marveled the “Watchmen” and “300” director, who had been tied up all day doing interviews for those films’ upcoming Blu-Ray releases. “No way!”

Yes way. And, since we had the unique opportunity to break the news to one of Hollywood’s top filmmakers, we were also able to get his unfiltered thoughts as he processed the Academy’s bold decision – and what it meant for his profession. Read more...

Yesterday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the Best Picture category centerpiece at the yearly Oscar awards show will be expanded to include 10 nominees. We MTV Movies Team staffers were not amused.

In the wake of the announcement, many accusations surfaced that this move is nothing more than a ratings ploy. For many, the allegations spring from the fact that "The Dark Knight" -- a universally regarded hit and currently the fourth-highest grossing film of all time -- was snubbed for a Best Pic nomination. That got me thinking about all of the other incredible films which have fallen victim to Oscar politics over the years... Read more...

I bet you thought I forgot about yesterday's category previews. That wasn't what happened though; time just got away from me. Lot of major developments yesterday on the 2009 MTV Movie Awards front. The big news for you Twilighters of course was the revelation that the "New Moon" clip premiering this Sunday will actually be the movie's debut trailer. There was also the revelation that there's still a to-be-announced mystery presenter, as well as the launch of our awards countdown widget, which will magically transform into a streaming video of the show when the clock strikes zero at 9pm EST this Sunday.

In short: it was a busy day. Here I am though, fresh and ready to tackle today's load of crazy. What better way to start than with a round-up of yesterday's previewed categories, along with a few predictions on the same. As always, I welcome your thoughts on my choices, your own choices or anything under the sun really in our comments section below. Read more...

Hey, look at that. The 2009 MTV Movie Awards are on THIS Sunday at 9pm EST. Did you know about it?

Yeah, I'm just playing. Obviously we've been pimping the upcoming MTVMAs for weeks now. And now it's almost go time. You still have time to vote though, and you should if you haven't already. Today's category previews take a closer look at the competition for Best Fight and Best Female Performance. Read more...