In this week’s Hobnobbing, we offer advice for the franchise’s first outing at the big show!
By Amy Wilkinson

Jennifer Lawrence in “Hunger Games”

Photo: Lionsgate

Come June 3, “The Hunger Games” will enter a brand-new arena: the 2012 MTV Movie Awards. And this is one fiery debut for the film franchise, with eight nominations, including Movie of the Year, Best Cast, Best Female Lead (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Male Performance (Josh Hutcherson), Breakthrough Performance (Liam Hemsworth), Best On-Screen Transformation (Elizabeth Banks), Best Fight (Lawrence and Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludgwig), and Best Kiss (Lawrence and Hutcherson).

Yep, clearly the kind of credentials that would make any sponsor drool.

Much like the titular death match, the Movie Awards can be a contentious battle, with franchise facing off against franchise, so preparation is key. In this week’s Hobnobbing, we’re taking on the role of mentor (step aside, Haymitch!) and offering some advice to the tributes. Here are our dos and don’ts for the big night:

DO Dress to Impress Effie
If there’s one place to let your fashion freak flag fly, it’s most certainly at an MTV awards show. (Am I right, Rose McGowan?) Of course, I’m not encouraging any tribute-tushy flashing or donning of flame-licked jumpsuits (such a fire hazard!), but this is a safe space to experiment with fanciful motifs and pieces of flair. For instance, I could see Lawrence sporting a shorter, cropped version of her red, orange and yellow interview dress, or Banks working her sky-high Effie heels.

DON’T Tease Us
Full disclosure: I personally think “Twilight” co-stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are a lock for a fourth Best Kiss statuette, but if the odds are indeed in Lawrence and Hutcherson’s favor and they’re named victors, I respectfully ask that they give us a show. None of this we-almost-maybe-kinda-sorta-kissed business. If you need some inspiration, Jennifer and Josh, take a page out of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ “Notebook.”

DO Bring Your Bow and Arrow
The Movie Awards have a storied history of spoofery, and while I have no insider information as to what’s in the works, Lawrence (if in attendance) would be wise to pack her trusty weapon. You never know when it will come in handy for a giggle-worthy gag! (Is this where I put in my request for Lawrence to shoot an apple off of Josh Horowitz‘s head?)

DON’T Drop Your Golden Popcorn
‘Nuff said.

DO Bring News About “Catching Fire”
We’re getting really hungry here, guys. Any scraps about the November 2013 release would be much appreciated. (Seriously, we’ll retrieve them from a pile of slop and devour them. We’re not proud!)

Do you have any Movie Awards advice for the “Hunger Games” gang? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns!

Earlier “Hunger Games” columns:
» “Catching Fire” Countdown: What to Watch While You Wait
» Francis Lawrence’s “Catching Fire” To-Do List
» “Fifty Shades Of Grey”: What’s In It For “Hunger Games” Fans?
» “Catching Fire”: Five Reasons to be Stoked
» “Catching Fire” Director: Who Could Carry the Torch?

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• The Hunger Games

‘I officially have a lot of experience seducing younger women,’ ‘Vampire Diaries’ star tells MTV News.
By Christina Garibaldi

Ian Somerhalder

Photo: WireImage

Now that “The Vampire Diaries” has wrapped its third season, Ian Somerhalder will now have some time to fill, and if fans of “Fifty Shades of Grey” have their way, he’ll step into the role of Christian Grey.

For weeks, fans have been voicing their opinions on who should play the billionaire tycoon in the film adaptation of the hit erotic trilogy penned by E L James. Robert Pattinson‘s name has been in the mix, as well as Ryan Gosling, but it seems that most vans are gravitating toward the “Vampire Diaries” star to take on this dark and dynamic character.

MTV News caught up with Somerhalder at the CW Upfronts in New York City on Thursday (May 17) and he revealed that playing the role of Damon in the “Vampire Diaries” has been perfect training to get him ready to portray Christian Grey.

“I think it would be an amazing thing,” Somerhalder said of the possibility of getting the role. “One interesting thing is, by the virtue of playing Damon for now a few years, [he's] 170 plus years old, in love with an 18 year old, I officially have a lot of experience seducing younger women. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.”

“Fifty Shades of Grey” revolves around Christian Grey’s relationship with young college graduate Anastasia Steele as the two develop not only a strong emotional relationship, but a much-talked-about sexual relationship. The scenes are so hot that at times it has left readers, and even Somerhalder a little flushed.

“A little bit, yeah, there’s blushing,” Somerhalder said of some of the S&M scenes.

We are sure fans would agree that Somerhalder could easily pull it off, but his support isn’t just coming from the “Fifty Shades” fans, it is also coming from his “Vampire Diaries” co-stars.

“I know he’s campaigning, I love it,” Candice Accola said of Somerhalder expressing his interest for the role. “I mean, the whole thing is like Adonis, sexy and he fits that bill pretty well.”

Kat Graham agrees, “Ian’s an amazing actor, he’s extremely dedicated to his craft and he’s also very good to the fans,” Graham told MTV News at the annual Wango Tango concert. “They’d be lucky to have him.”

Do you think Ian Somerhalder would make the perfect Christian Grey? Let us know in the comments.

MTV’s Josh Horowitz heads to the English countryside to hang with KStew, Charlize and a few randy goats.
By Josh Horowitz

Kristen Stewart as “Snow White”

Photo: Universal

“Snow White and the Huntsman” opens June 1. What follows is an account of my travels to the U.K. to catch up with the cast — Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and more — in the English countryside and at the movie’s world premiere in Leicester Square in London.

Thursday, May 10
It’s late and I’m tired. But that’s a good thing because the goal is to sleep for a decent portion of the redeye from New York City to London. That said, I’m not great at falling asleep on planes. I tend to overcompensate by loading up with every magazine known to man and paperbacks I’ll never read. Tonight I’ve got some soft-core porn in my carry-on in the form of “50 Shades of Grey.” I swear it’s for a good cause (an upcoming bit we’re working on), but it doesn’t make me feel any less embarrassed.

Friday, May 11
I’m in Sussex and if you pointed a gun to my head asking me where that appears on a map, I’d be a goner. High on the list of enviable things about my job are trips like this. But I’m excellent at squandering culturally edifying opportunities. So yes, I’m kinda sorta only casually noticing the random sheep and gorgeous greenery that lines the English countryside today. Also, remember the sleep-on-the-plane strategy? That didn’t work out. Three-hour afternoon naps are cool, right?

Saturday, May 12
It’s the big day. A gaggle of industry colleagues and I journey to Arundel Castle near where the studio folks have decided to set up shop for the interviews. It’s a gorgeous day and the cast couldn’t be cooler. Everyone remarks that Kristen is in great form today, and having interviewed her frequently in the past, I agree. Maybe it’s the movie (she’s deservedly proud of it), maybe it’s maturity or her mood. Whatever the reason, she’s easy to laugh and kick back during our time together. And yes, “50 Shades of Grey” came up. In fact Kristen mentioned how creeped out she is by seeing people reading it on planes. … I choose not to mention my choice of reading material on the flight over.

The rest of the interviews are truly fun. I learn a couple hours after chatting with Chris Hemsworth that he’d become a dad just the day before. Charlize takes a break from her interviews to watch nearby goats frolicking. Or was it something dirtier? Not sure. Later that day, the journalists grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant. We spot a peacock, Kristen herself … and maybe even a high-profile friend of hers. But that would be gossiping.

Sunday, May 13
It’s another travel day as I head back to London for the big world premiere on Monday night (May 14). As a born and bred New Yorker, London is familiar to me in all its hustle and bustle and, unfortunately, its maddening traffic. But at least there’s time to wander about a bit. No complaints.

Monday, May 14
Leicester Square ain’t what it used to be: Universal has transformed it into a pretty awesome forest straight out of the film. But the real attention-grabber is probably Charlize’s barely-there dress. I’m a journalist. It is my duty to look closely at these things. As for Snow herself, Kristen is all smiles in a beautiful dress. And yes, sneakers, of course, though she insisted it was only because of her recent “Breaking Dawn” re-shoots injury.

Meanwhile, just as the red carpet is wrapping, I discover a new man-crush in Ray Winstone (one of the dwarves in the film) — all swagger and style and yeah, he’s smoking (OK, that part’s not to be admired) but. … Back in my hotel room now and it’s all over but the late-night room service. Tomorrow I fly home. And this time by the way, I’m packing “50 Shades of Grey” deep in the luggage.

Check out everything we’ve got on “Snow White and the Huntsman.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Box-office expert looks at possible competition from ‘Dark Knight Rises,’ ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ and more.
By Kara Warner

Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson in “Avengers”

Photo: Marvel Studios

Now that so many of us have seen “Marvel’s The Avengers” and helped make it this summer’s box-office blockbuster to beat, it’s time to look ahead at the rest of the season’s cinematic offerings to see which tentpole has the power to compete with Earth’s mightiest heroes.

The likeliest contender competing for some of the “Avengers”-size box-office haul is “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christopher Nolan’s dark, brooding, third and supposedly final Batman movie. Other buzz-worthy potential moneymakers to keep an eye on are Ridley Scott’s “Alien”-esque prequel “Prometheus,” Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man,” Rupert Sanders’ “Snow White and the Huntsman” and Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Men in Black 3.”

To be fair, the “Avengers” haul is going to be very difficult to duplicate, particularly the record-breaking opening-weekend take of $207.1 million, which beat the $169.2 million set by previous champ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” MTV News consulted Boxoffice.com editor Phil Contrino for his wisdom on the subject and to see if any other summer fare has a chance at besting the records set by “Avengers.”

“I don’t think anything other than ‘Dark Knight Rises’ can pull it off,” Contrino said. “With ‘Spider-Man,’ every time a franchise is rebooted, it takes a while for the fans to dip their toes in the water and get a feel for it. ‘Spider-Man’ will be the same thing, maybe worse, because it’s so close to the [release] of the original. ‘X-Men: First Class’ and even ‘Batman Begins’ didn’t open to huge numbers, and a lot of people forget that. ‘Prometheus’ is [rated] R. For an R-rated movie to do $200 million would be something really monumental, almost impossible, I think.”

Contrino went on to say that “Dark Knight Rises” has a couple of factors that will prevent it from catching “Avengers,” but that it does have a chance of besting the #2 best opening-weekend gross set by “Deathly Hallows, Part 2.”

“It’s not in 3-D, so it doesn’t have the bonus financial boost, and it’s not nearly as family-friendly; it’s dark and broody. Disney did a good job of turning ‘Avengers’ into a family-friendly movie. I think that’s ultimately what pushed it as far as it’s gone,” Contrino said. “I don’t see anything else this summer beating it.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “Marvel’s The Avengers.”

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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Marvel Studios tentpole flick provides the perfect template for DC Comics to emulate in their post-’Dark Knight’ movie endeavors.
By Josh Wigler

Samuel L. Jackson in “The Avengers”

Photo: Marvel

“The Dark Knight Rises” marks the end of an era on multiple levels: Not only is it the grand finale of Christopher Nolan’s historic Batman film franchise, it’s also the last DC Entertainment movie that’s guaranteed to be a hit.

Sure, “Man of Steel” is just one year away, but what’s to say that it’ll fare better than “Superman Returns,” which earned a mere $200 million domestically? And even though a sequel is reportedly in development, “Green Lantern” didn’t exactly dazzle with its $116 million performance. Let’s face it: Without the box-office behemoth known as the “Dark Knight” trilogy in its back pocket, DC’s film future is uncertain at best.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. Some of the greatest and most iconic characters in comic book history reside under the DC banner. And if there was any doubt that superheroes have box-office appeal, look no further than “Marvel’s The Avengers,” which is breaking records and winning over new fans with every passing day. There’s much to be learned from the House of Ideas’ approach to building a superhero universe on the big screen — and even though they’re on opposite sides of the aisle, and even if it’s a little bit late in the game, DC would be wise to utilize Marvel’s movie strategy … albeit with some tweaks.

Sting Away
“I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative,” Nick Fury told Tony Stark at the end of 2008′s “Iron Man,” giving life to a shared Marvel movie-verse in one simple line of dialogue. Marvel is the master of using the post-credits stinger as a way to thread its movies together: “Iron Man 2″ teasing Thor’s hammer, the ending of “Thor” introducing the Cosmic Cube ahead of “Captain America,” the list goes on. DC’s earliest opportunity to apply the same idea is “Dark Knight Rises,” but as the conclusion of a finite trilogy, it doesn’t feel like the right place to get that particular ball rolling. They’d be wise to wait until “Man of Steel” flies into theaters in June 2013, ending Kal-el’s big-screen comeback with an overt nod toward an expansive cinematic DCU to come.

The World’s Finest
A “Man of Steel” stinger doesn’t have to set up “Justice League,” even if that’s the obvious route. It would be just as easy, and perhaps even wiser, to allude to the existence of Batman in the new Superman’s world. Nolan’s trilogy will be long gone by the time “Man of Steel” drops, and the world will be ready for another trip to Gotham City. But rather than fast-tracking a solo Batman adventure that has to live up to Nolan levels of hype, why not skip straight ahead to the long-anticipated “Superman/Batman” movie? The double-billing of Henry Cavill’s Man of Tomorrow and a new Caped Crusader would quickly gratify fans yearning for more Batman and Superman movies, as well as mark a major milestone in the creation of a shared DC universe without having to rush “Justice League” before it’s ready.

Back in a Flash
“Superman/Batman” is the quick response to “Avengers”; a movie that can get off the ground by late 2014 or early 2015. It would be much more challenging to create a worthy “Justice League” movie in that time frame. More characters need to be established first: “The Flash,” for example, is an easy yes for DC. “Green Lantern” sequels aren’t as much of a necessity; a “Justice League” movie could always push Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan out of the picture in favor of another Lantern, like John Stewart or Kyle Rayner, introduced perhaps by way of a post-credits “Flash” scene. “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman” movies would be nice as well, but the former is a hard sell, while the latter … well, let’s talk about the latter.

Hold the Wonder
I want a “Wonder Woman” movie as badly as anybody, but maybe it’s best to hold off until after “Justice League.” The reason: Hulk syndrome. Like Wonder Woman, Hulk has been a tricky character to pull off in live-action. But if there’s anything “Avengers” nailed perfectly, it’s “the Other Guy,” a hero that few got right before Joss Whedon and Mark Ruffalo came along. Surrounding him with other heroes gave him innumerable opportunities to shine, and now people want to see him alone in his own “Hulk” movie again. I foresee a similar situation with Wonder Woman: Any all-star “Justice League” movie would prove to the uninitiated just how big of a badass Wonder Woman really is, all but guaranteeing the demand for a post-”Justice” solo flick, Jade Giant-style.

Hire Joss Whedon
Just kidding … mostly. Above all else, the reason why “Avengers” works is because someone who knows, respects and cares about the characters was guiding the film. If DC decides to walk the road to “Justice League,” they need someone with Whedon levels of passion and knowledge, someone who can bring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the others together with the love and care they deserve.

They could also just try hiring Joss Whedon. Worked out pretty well for Marvel!

How do you think DC should respond to “The Avengers”? Tell us in the comments section.

Check out everything we’ve got on “Marvel’s The Avengers.”

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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‘Dark Shadows’ star tells Robert Pattinson that ‘there’s room for two vampires on this block.’
By Jocelyn Vena

Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson

Photo: Warner Bros./ Summit

In a recent interview with this big screen vampire, Johnny Depp opened up about any potential vampy face-offs with fellow heartthrob and big-screen bloodsucker Robert Pattinson.

When asked if there’s any sort of blood feud with the “Twilight” star, Depp noted that it’s all cool between the two actors. “There’s room for two vampires on this block — as long as he remembers I am the Alpha Vampire,” he told UsMagazine.com at the London premiere of his campy vampire flick, “Dark Shadows,” which opens this weekend.

Of course Edward Cullen and Barnabas Collins aren’t really cut from the same vampire DNA. Where Edward is brooding and sullen, Barnabas is on the other end of the spectrum, with his oddball charm and old-world demeanor. And their transitions to the modern world are quite different. While Edward had been living in the world over the course of his vampire life, Barnabas had been in a coffin for 200 years before emerging in the 1970s.

When MTV News spoke to Depp about the film, he noted that exploring Barnabas’ evolution in the contemporary world was what drew him to the story.

“Playing a kind of reluctant vampire, in a sense, the reluctant vampire who has been locked in a box for 200 years and his misfortune to be let out in an age when things are probably at their most surreal in terms of 1972,” Depp said. “It’s a very odd period. Things are changing radically; the sort of peace and love thing was over with, and we were rapidly approaching disco, so musically and aesthetically, that was the fun of it, to place this hyper-elegant figure from the late 18th century into one of the weirdest times of all time.”

The film is the latest collaboration between Deep and director Tim Burton. It’s the big-screen adaptation of the 1960s soap opera of the same name.

Who do you think is the Alpha Vampire: Edward Cullen or Barnabas Collins? Leave your pick below!

Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.”

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Gosling reunites with Emma Stone in the star-studded, Tommy gun-packed clip.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in “Gangster Squad”

Photo: Warner Bros.

One of the fall’s most anticipated releases, “Gangster Squad,” packs an all-star cast, old-school vibe and a bunch of Tommy guns. Needless to say, we’re interested.

The film from “Zombieland” director Ruben Fleischer just got its first trailer, so we’ve broken it down for you into these five keys scenes.

“Every kingdom comes up bloody”
A centerpiece of the trailer, it’s hard to miss Sean Penn even under all of that makeup. In “Gangster Squad,” Penn plays Mickey Cohen, an east coast gangster who has come to Los Angeles to become “a god.” Cohen is the ultimate evil that the Gangster Squad is going to stop at nothing to put out for good. The trailer gives lots of screen time to Penn, and when you also consider the prosthetics on his face, it’s not hard to imagine that Warner Bros. would make a Best Supporting Actor push for him come Oscar season.

Mackie, Gosling and Peña Take Aim
Cohen is not going to have an easy time taking over L.A. with a team like this after him. Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, and Robert “T-1000″ Patrick make up not only the illustrious Gangster Squad, but a star-studded roster that rivals any major release this year. Between this and “Men In Black III,” Brolin is set to have his biggest year since 2007, when he stormed back into the spotlight and starred in every other movie.

Crazy, Gangster, Love
Gosling and Emma Stone created sparks when they starred as an on-screen couple in last year’s “,” and here they reunited to keep the passion going, albeit 60 years earlier. Stone plays Grace Faraday, the untouchable girl belonging to Mickey Cohen. Untouchable until Gosling shows up, that is. They only have a few moments together in the trailer, but honestly, they were pretty hot.

Let’s All Go to the Movies
It’s already immensely clear from the trailer that “Gangster Squad” is a movie that loves movies. This is a L.A. film noir in the tradition of Hammett, Chandler and movies with Humphrey Bogart. All of the tropes are there: the Tommy guns, the fedoras. But at the same time, “Gangster Squad” wants to take a new angle on the genre, and we may be seeing some symbolism for that, when the firing squad opens up on a movie theater through the screen.

The Bottom Line
Listen: If your trailer includes a shot of Ryan Gosling casually catching a shotgun and then pointing said shotgun at a bad guy, while uttering the line, “Not anymore,” we’re going to see your movie. End of story.

Are you planning on seeing “Gangster Squad”? Let us know in the comments!

Check out everything we’ve got on “Gangster Squad.”

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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‘I hurt myself, but it was fun,’ she tells MTV News of going toe-to-toe with Charlize Theron in ‘Snow White and the Huntsman.’
By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Kristen Stewart in “Snow White and the Huntsman”

Photo: Universal

“Snow White and the Huntsman” has moviegoers excited for a number of reasons, but few have gotten as much attention as Kristen Stewart‘s transformation into a full-on action star.

During “MTV First: Snow White and the Huntsman,” Stewart and her onscreen nemesis, Charlize Theron, recalled what it was like having to battle each other and their wardrobes.

When MTV News’ Josh Horowitz asked what factors led to Stewart joining the film, Theron offered up an explanation of her own.

“Kicking my ass?” Theron said.

Stewart couldn’t help but agree. “She was signed on for a while, so I was like ‘Charlize? I’ll definitely do it.’ ”

When Stewart first signed on to the film, her previous experience with action led her to believe she could do it all. “It’s funny too because I became such a baby on the movie. I was scared of so much that I didn’t think that I was going to be,” she said.

“I tasted little bits of action in other movies, and I thought that I was such a huge badass. I was like, ‘I love it. Honestly, I just love how it makes you feel. It feels real. You get to actually do it, and then at the end, you’re not like I faked it.’ I faked a lot. It was hard. I hurt myself, but it was fun.”

The epic showdown between Snow White and the Evil Queen turned out to be an exhausting shoot for both Stewart and Theron, who eventually teamed up to make filming a little easier on themselves.

“By day two, we kind of looked at each other and were like, ‘We don’t need to start this scene from the beginning to get into it. What’s the shot? Oh, we’re already on the ground? No, no, no, we’ll just be here on the ground,’ ” Theron said.

Though their fights took a lot out of them, the metal costumes ended up being even more harmful. “The costumes were actually more damaging than the fight sequences,” Theron said. “I was way more bruised from my costume than I was from her.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “Snow White and the Huntsman.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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‘You’ll be playing Jeffrey Jones,’ director jokingly tells Depp, referring to actor in original flick.
By Kara Warner

Johnny Depp

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/ Getty Images

We’re fully aware of the fact that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have very full schedules at the moment, given all their various projects like “Dark Shadows,” Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” Depp’s “The Lone Ranger,” another “Pirates of the Carribean” movie, etc. But can we get Burton to free up his schedule sometime soon in order to film a “Beetlejuice” sequel already?

Because Burton has already expressed interest in exploring another “Beetlejuice” film with star Michael Keaton and “Shadows” screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith, when MTV News caught up with the busy director and frequent collaborator Depp recently, we threw in a question about what chance there might be in seeing Depp in the film, if it ever happens.

“Ugh,” Burton replied, playfully scoffing at the question.

“Yeah, Tim,” Depp reacted, adding emphasis for his friend to answer the question.

“This is my last movie,” Burton continued as both of them chuckled at the idea. “You’ll be playing Jeffrey Jones,” he said to Depp, which sent the actor into further giggles.

“Yeah,” Depp laughed. “I can play Jeffrey, I think.”

“We can make it work,” Burton said.

Now, whether Burton meant that Depp should play the character that actor Jeffrey Jones originated in “Beetlejuice” or that he should actually play Jeffrey Jones, that’s up for interpretation.

On a more serious note, writer Grahame-Smith is definitely planning on delivering a script to Burton this year.

“I am hopefully going to write it this year,” Grahame-Smith told MTV News recently. “I’ve gone and met with Tim Burton about it, I’ve gone and met with Michael Keaton about it. In theory everybody would be open to it if the script is good, so now it’s just my job to make sure the script is good.”

Additionally, Grahame-Smith is also in favor of including a role for Depp.

“I may not be able to avoid it — [Burton] may make me do it,” he said of Depp getting involved.

Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.”

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

‘I think he’s going to do great,’ Banks tells MTV News of Francis Lawrence.
By Kara Warner

Elizabeth Banks

Photo: MTV News

Although “The Hunger Games” has been out in theaters for well over a month now, the $600 million behemoth is still making headlines via box-office records, a director change-up and casting speculation — not to mention the fact that the crowd-pleaser is set to make a fine showing at our 2012 MTV Movie Awards with its eight nominations.

When MTV News caught up with castmember Elizabeth Banks recently as she promoted her latest movie, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” we asked for an update on the “Catching Fire” casting rumors, as well as her thoughts on new director Francis Lawrence. More specifically, though, is there room in “Fire” for her “Expecting” husband Ben Falcone (of “Bridesmaids” fame)?

“Yes, he’s Finnick,” Effie Trinket herself joked. “I’m here to announce that he’s replacing President Snow.”

“Right,” agreed Falcone. “Yes.”

“You are the new president of the Capitol,” she informed her co-star.

“Yes. No thanks, Donald Sutherland,” Falcone joked of the actual President Snow.

Getting serious for a second, we then asked Banks what she thinks of Lawrence taking over directorial duties on the film’s sequel, “Catching Fire.”

“[I'm] very excited. I mean, I can’t wait,” Banks said. “I haven’t met him, but we’ll see. I think he’s going to do great.”

Banks’ fellow “Hunger Games” co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have also weighed in on their new director, echoing Banks’ excitement.

“Francis is extremely talented, and everyone I’ve talked to says he’s the best guy in the world,” Hutcherson said. “So I think he’s going to bring a lot.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.