Movie News

The Avengers will officially assemble again.

Disney announced the obvious today: following a record-shattering opening weekend, the superhero blockbuster will come out with a sequel at an undetermined date in the future.

In related, even less obvious news, Kim Kardashian likes money.

"The Avengers isn't just a film," said Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger to CNBC. "It's a franchise from our perspective. Obviously, it was helped a lot by the success of the Iron Man movies and of Thor and Captain America. From The Avengers we get a chance to make Thor 2 and Captain America 2 and Iron Man 3... So this one film that is immensely successful."

What other heroes might you wanna see in The Avengers 2? That's what our friends at Movie Fanatic want to know.

What grade would you give the original? That's what we want to know:

And... we have a new box office champion.

The Avengers earned a mind-boggling $200.3 million on Friday and Saturday, blowing past Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ($169.2 million) for the biggest opening weekend in Hollywood history.

The Avengers Super Bowl Commercial

Backed by incredibly positive reviews - as well as successful quasi prequels such as Iron Man and last summer's Captain America - The Avengers raked in $80.5 million on Friday and is on pace for a record Sunday, as well.

"It’s not playing like just a superhero film,” says Dave Hollis, Disney’s executive vice president of distribution. “It’s playing like a huge, accessible-to-everyone, all-quadrant picture.”

The film currently has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, an A+ from CineScore and is already ranked number-31 on IMDb’s user-ranked Top 250 Movies list.

Here is your look at the top five films from the weekend:

1. The Avengers: $200.3 million
2. Think Like a Man: $8.0 million
3. The Hunger Games: $5.7 million
4. The Lucky One: $5.5 million
5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits: $5.4 million

Sorry, Thor. You are no match for Katniss Everdeen.

The Avengers - which is receiving glowing reviews from critics around the country - opened at midnight last night and brought in $18.7 million from those showings. Impressive? Yes, it's the eighth best midnight tally of all-time.

Record-breaking? No, it fell about a million short of The Hunger Games and the haul was a considerable amount lower than the midnight box office champion: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 somehow garnered $43.5 million!

The Avengers Movie Trailer

Have you seen The Avengers yet? Grade it if so:

Parks & Recreation star Rob Lowe will portray a lawyer in the upcoming TV movie about last summer's Casey Anthony trial, according to reports.

Lowe, who previously played Drew Peterson in the Lifetime original film Drew Peterson: Untouchable has been cast as prosecutor Jeff Ashton.

The movie, tentatively titled Prosecuting Casey Anthony, will be based on Ashton's book about the case, Improper Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony.

In a case that captivated the country, Anthony, 26, was charged with and later acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee in 2008.

The not guilty verdict set off a firestorm of criticism (and head-scratching, or just plain outrage) across the U.S. Anthony has been in hiding since.

She hasn't won over many since last summer. In fact, the family that hid her after the verdict recently left this scathing voicemail for Casey Anthony.

"We're thrilled to have Rob returning to our network, after his amazing star turn as Drew Peterson," Lifetime executive V.P. Rob Sharenow said.

"He's one of those rare stars who can do it all: comedy, drama, heroes, villains."

[Photos: WENN.com, CNN]

Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you all ... get it?!

You gotta hand it to fans of the epic film series for hijacking a random day on the calendar and, with the aid of a clever play on words, turning it into a holiday celebrating all things pertaining to the George Lucas movies and their fandom.

May the Force be with you all on this 4th day of May.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Trailer (30th Anniversary)

Not that you need a reason the other 364 days a year, but whether you're a Jedi-level Star Wars nerd or a mere padawan, today offers a terrific opportunity to discuss the incredible film franchise and unrivaled pop culture phenomenon.

Or the second trilogy that came out years later, for that matter.

So raise your glass and give it up for Luke, Leia, Obi-Wan, Vader and the intergalactic gang who continues to thrill us decades after Lucas created them.

And remember, people. Han shot first. He did.

With the smell of sex still be all over him - seriously, watch this Cosmopolis trailer - Robert Pattinson has signed on for a new film.

According to Deadline, the Twilight Saga hunk will anchor Mission: Blacklist, a drama based on a book by military interrogator Eric Maddox. It outlines the true story of the search for Saddam Hussein. Rather heavy stuff for the star.

Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire will direct.

“This movie is a gripping, edge of your seat thriller,” says Ross M. Dinerstein, Managing Partner of Preferred Content, the main production company behind the movie. “I have been inspired by Robert and Jean-Stéphane’s dedication to tell this story in the most authentic way possible."

This will be a busy year for Pattinson. Aside from Cosmopolis, he'll also appear in Bel Ami and conclude in November with a little flick called Breaking Dawn Part 2.

Amanda Seyfried plays the titular porn icon in Lovelace, the upcoming biopic about the '70s adult film industry's most famous Deep Throat practitioner.

Amanda took over for Lindsay Lohan after producers cut her loose amid her never-ending legal woes. While Lindsay seemed like a natural fit, this may have been a real blessing in disguise for the film, which co-stars Peter Sarsgaard.

Check out the first Lovelace poster and see why:

Sarsgaard plays the husband who basically forces Seyfried's Lovelace into the industry (heathen), and James Franco even makes a cameo as Hugh Hefner himself.

The film will reportedly deconstruct the glamorous facade of the early porn biz via its rampant abuse of Lovelace, who went on to adamantly oppose her line of work.

Sounds like a must-see, and not necessarily only for its lead actress!

Take cover, Katniss Everdeen and the cast of Think Like a Man, The Avengers is coming for you.

While this Marvel blockbuster doesn't open until May 4 in the United States, it's international box office haul from this weekend portends a record-shattering few days ahead in America, as The Avengers raked in $178 million worldwide from Wednesday to Sunday.

The Avengers Trailer (Official)

For some perspective:

• That's more than Battleship grossed in in its first two weeks abroad, and nearly what The Hunger Games has earned in over a month.
• That figure alone would make The Avengers the third highest-grossing film of 2012 domestically.
• It garnered the most from Great Britain, $24.7 million
• It hasn't even opened yet in such huge markets as China, Japan or Russia.

Or the U.S., of course. Are you excited for The Avengers?

Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga might soon get killed by Will Smith. Wait... what?!?

Men in Black III director Barry Sonnenfeld confirmed in an interview with Collider this week that the music superstars will actually cameo in his upcoming blockbuster, though you're unlikely to be aware of it as you watch Agents J and K in action.

"In this [installment] there are a few people that you'll see up on the surveillance board, including Lady Gaga, Tim Burton, who probably knows more about aliens than I do, and let's see who else... Justin Bieber," Sonnenfeld told the website. "The challenge is getting celebrities that are famous, will give you permission and won't be like 'Who's that guy?' in 10 years."

In the 2002 sequel to this franchise, Michael Jackson actually played the role of an alien for a brief scene.

The film comes out on May 25 and you can watch the Men in Black III trailer now. Can you spot Bieber and/or Gaga in it?!?

Zac Efron recently finished filming The Paperboy, a drama based on a novel by Pete Dexter and featuring Efron as a reporter who returned to his hometown in Florida to investigate a case.

The young actor stars opposite Nicole Kidman in the movie and made it very clear in a recent interview that he enjoyed working with the Oscar winner. Especially during certain scenes.

"Nicole is so gorgeous," Efron said. "It was everything you dreamed of. She was such a lovely person. I pinch myself everyday, especially after doing love scenes with Nicole Kidman. It was the highlight of my life."

Wow. Imagine how Efron would have reacted if he fake banged Kidman before her helpings of plastic surgery!

Zac is coming off an impressive showing at the box office, where The Lucky One came in second this weekend, actually out-earning The Hunger Games.