Mark Ruffalo as The Incredible Hulk in “The Avengers”

Photo: Marvel

“The Avengers” sure did assemble! Marvel’s superhero film is still the reigning champion of movie theaters after it smashed box-office records in its first two weeks. Now, it’s rising to the top of the worldwide charts, recently staking claim to the ninth spot, passing George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.” It’s currently the highest earning film of 2012 domestically, stealing the title from “The Hunger Games,” which opened in March.

At present, the Joss Whedon-directed summer flick has raked in more than $1 billion across the globe, and the numbers keep rising. The popularity of the movie is overwhelming, but a few questions still remain. For starters, how high will the film go?

Gitesh Pandya, the editor of Box Office Guru, told MTV News, “I see Avengers climbing up to #4 on the all-time worldwide blockbusters list by the end of this weekend. That would put it at roughly $1.2 billion, which is astounding. It should pass the final ‘Harry Potter’ to finish its run as #3 all time, which alone is just incredible.”

Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations agrees: “By the time ‘Avengers’ is done kicking box-office butt, it will easily be the #3 film of all time. Only ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’ will be left untouched, as James Cameron is a superhero unto himself. Both [films] made history by debuting over the holiday season, where popcorn flicks are few and far between. [And] unfortunately for ‘Avengers,’ summer blockbusters invade every weekend, and theaters will soon be flooded with competition.”

The competition Bock is referring to is obviously Christopher Nolan’s final Batman installment. “You know what happens when you leave Batman for dead? He gets angry, rises from the dead and pops you right in the kisser,” he said. ” ‘The Avengers’ versus ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has all the trappings of a big-time Hollywood drama. Let’s face it, ‘TDKR’ is probably the most anticipated threequel since ‘Return of the Jedi.’ All bets are off!”

Boxoffice.com‘s Phil Contrino agrees that Nolan’s film could beat out “The Avengers” in the battle for overall domestic earnings, but ultimately won’t top the opening weekend or worldwide sales for two reasons. It just doesn’t have the widespread family appeal that Captain America and Iron Man brought with them, or the 3-D prices to give it a boost.

With “Battleship” sailing into theaters this weekend, Pandya expects “Avengers” to drop by around 40 percent. “[That will put it in] the neighborhood of $60 million,” he said. “That’s a great hold for a movie this big.”

But as far as Earth’s mightiest heroes becoming the highest — or even second-highest — film of all time globally, Contrino doesn’t believe it will happen. “When you burn so bright for one weekend, the only place to go is down,” he said.

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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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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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.

Phillip Phillips on “American Idol”

Photo: Michael Becker/ FOX

With “We’ve Got Tonight,” Phillip Phillips may have punched his ticket to next week’s “American Idol” finale.

Phillips’ performance at the close of Wednesday’s (May 16) episode stole the show and earned a standing ovation from the judges. All night, Randy Jackson spoke of having big “moments,” and Phillips’ gentle take on the Bob Seger classic definitely qualified as one of those performances.

“That was the perfect song at the perfect time and your best performance on the show ever!” Jackson told Phillips after the song. Jennifer Lopez said it was like a “lullaby,” and Steven Tyler said he “nailed it” and praised him for his passion during the song.

Phillips’ “We’ve Got Tonight” came at the end of a two-hour show that saw the contestants visiting their hometowns and being treated like returning heroes. The episode also saw Joshua Ledet retain his momentum, while Jessica Sanchez slipped a bit, proving it may be tough for her to make it to the final two.

Contestants sang three songs each: One chosen by the judges, one of their own choosing and one picked by Jimmy Iovine.

Ledet opened the show with Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” which also earned a standing ovation from the judges. (Not surprising, they picked the song.) “Out of 70,000, there’s only one American Idol. And you sang like that one tonight,” Tyler told Ledet after the song. He followed it with John Lennon’s “Imagine,” dubbed “brilliant” (by Jackson) and “controlled” (by Lopez) and finished with Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama,” his suggestion from Iovine. It was another hit.

“You have this perfect marriage of knowing exactly what you’re doing and letting completely go at the same time,” Lopez told him after his unkempt performance, which saw him dramatically remove his jacket, as well as his in-ear monitors. “There’s spontaneity, you don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know it’s going to be out of this world.”

Sanchez’s up-and-down night was typified by Jackson’s critiques: He called her version of Mariah Carey’s “My All” “one of the best times a Mariah song has ever been performed on TV,” but later said her version of Jackson Five’s “I’ll Be There” — also once memorably performed by Mariah — was only “OK.” “There was never a moment-moment. It’s like, you know, I mean, it needed like a moment-moment-moment.” (In Jackson-speak, that means she didn’t quite deliver.)

Sandwiched between the two, she took on Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” which is more than a little familiar to one of the three judges. Tyler rose to his feet afterwards, telling her she “took a great song and made it greater,” while Lopez called it “crazy” (in a good way). And Jackson? “Dude, you delivered, man, yo, whoa, I’m like yo, all right, all right.” Our thoughts exactly, Randy.

Phillips closed so strong it hardly mattered what came before. (Voters have short attention spans, you see.) After his first song, Madcon’s “Beggin’,” Tyler said Phillips “could be a new Springsteen,” while Jackson commented he felt he was at a Phil Phillips concert. All three judges agreed his middle performance of Matchbox Twenty’s “Disease” was underwhelming, but by his home-run song was a performance all but forgotten.

One of the performers is headed home — this time not in a good way — on Thursday’s episode, which is also set to feature a performance by Adam Lambert.

What did you think of “Idol” on Wednesday? Let us know in the comments!

Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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T.I. Brings The Grand Hustle To ‘RapFix Live’

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Get Ready For ‘MTV First: Usher’!

Usher will premiere exclusive clips from his performance at Fuerza Bruta this Wednesday at 7:54 p.m. on MTV.

MTV Rough Cut: ‘Snow White And The Huntsman’

Usher’s “Fuerza Bruta” performance

Photo: MTV News

Don’t get it twisted: Just because Usher is known for smooth dance moves and rock-hard abs, it doesn’t mean he didn’t have to push himself for his short run in the trippy, off-Broadway show “Fuerza Bruta.”

For one night last month, Ush played the show’s lead, Running Man, and offered lucky attendees an advance listen to his June 12 album release, Looking 4 Myself.

As fans will see in the exclusive clip — and on Wednesday night’s “MTV First: Usher” at 7:54 p.m. ET — “Fuerza” required Usher to use every muscle of his body as he danced, ran, jumped and tumbled his way through the show, where no one speaks, instead telling the story through bright lights, music and dance. MTV News had a front seat as Usher rehearsed for his onstage appearance in April, and when we chatted with him on set, he opened up about using the physicality of the show to tell the story of his album.

“It’s not often that you’re able to give somewhat of a visual or an emotional kind of basis of what your songs mean,” he said. “A lot of times we’re running through life and we’re trying to find ourselves, and I feel like that was somewhat of what the messaging was with the show, but it was really artistic.

“This is more artistic an album than I’ve had in history and I felt like, yeah, it would be a physical challenge, yeah it would be a lot for me, but [I want to] at least try it,” he added. “There are many times I’d seen the show and I’d only hoped that I would make it happen. It looked it really hard, they made it look easy, but it was obviously hard. But, of course, I’ve been training and it came at a perfect time.”

Watching Usher do all those acrobatics may have had fans wondering whether it was all that difficult for him since he makes it look so easy. He joked, “I work hard, baby.”

Usher will dish on the show, his album and more during “MTV First: Usher,” all set to take place on Wednesday at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. He will introduce exclusive footage and his new single, the Pharrell-produced “Twisted,” and will stick around for a meaty interview with MTV News’ Sway Calloway to discuss his new album and more on MTV.com.

The performances featured in “MTV First: Usher” were shot exclusively by MTV News during a special album-listening experience with the off-Broadway show “Fuerza Bruta” in New York City.

Be sure to catch “MTV First: Usher” tomorrow at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com!

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