Universal

Sequels are awesome, plain and simple. Returning to familiar characters and worlds we love is like covering yourself with a warm blanket, although when a sequel is bad it can be like a blanket covered in potato bugs and lice. Studios love sequels because seven times out of ten they open huge, no matter how good they are.

With that in mind, here's 50 of your favorite titles all preparing to get new installments. Some of them are deep into pre-production while others have barely gotten out of the pitch stages, but you'll be salivating at the thought of some of these sweet babies finally making their way to the screen.

'Paranormal Activity 5'

Paramount

Attached: Unknown
Status: The law of diminishing returns seems to have caught up to Paramount's annual license to print money, and even though the last "Paranormal" grossed half its predecessor, producer Jason Blum is gonna keep pumping out a new scarifying unit. While Katie Featherston will no doubt make an appearance in possessed form, the true comeback kid is original writer/director Oren Peli, who will craft the script for the first time since "PA1," but only time will tell if he'll come back to direct as well. His follow-up directing effort, "Area 51," has yet to see the light of day, either for blowing the lid off Roswell or (more likely) 'cause it stinks. | Read More
Release Date/Year: October 25, 2013

'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'

Attached: Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Jason Clarke, Andy Serkis
Status: Director Rupert Wyatt pulled off the hat trick of making "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" a solid hit despite Tim Burton poisoning the well a decade prior. His original vision for the sequel involved "Full Metal Jacket"-style combat between humans and the ape uprising, but this cool-sounding idea didn't gel with Fox brass, who hired "Cloverfield" helmer Matt Reeves to take over. Pre-production is moving along steadily, with a healthy James Franco-less cast crowed by MVP Andy Serkis as the Che Guevara-esque monkey revolutionary Caesar. | Read More
Release Date/Year: May 23, 2014

'Jurassic Park IV'

Attached: Colin Trevorrow
Status: Here's a project with a history. Since the early 2000s a fourth entry in the JP franchise has been in steady development, with an early script by William Monahan and John Sayles that featured (we s**t you not) hyper-intelligent talking dinosaur commandos with guns. Yeah. That idea went to the dirt farm, and recently Mark Protosevich ("Thor") and husband/wife team Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes") produced a concept that clicked with the studio. Manning the production is Trevorrow, whose "Safety Not Guaranteed" showed an assured grasp of sci-fi and comedy. With "Jurassic Park 3D" wetting people's appetites, now all that's left is to reunite the original trio of Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum and we'll be all set for nostalgia overload. | Read More
Release Date/Year: June 13, 2014

'Transformers 4'

Attached: Mark Wahlberg, Jack Reynor
Status: At first he thought he was out, and then they pulled him back in. Michael Bay seemed like he was through with this series after he essentially leveled Chicago in "Dark of the Moon," but clearly he still has feelings for Optimus Prime and company. Sans Shia, the franchise will move forward in a not-quite reboot/not-quite sequel fashion, with Bay's "Pain & Gain" star Wahlberg leading the charge of the Autobots for this go-round. This fourquel will shoot in Detroit, which luckily comes pre-destroyed, and supposedly involves humans building their own Transformers and having to deal with the repercussions of that, ala "The Terminator." YAWN. | Read More
Release Date/Year: June 27, 2014

'Dumb and Dumber To'

Attached: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels
Status: Peter and Bobby Farrelly haven't hit a home run in a while, and their "Three Stooges" movie was tepidly received at best. Carrey's star seems to be waning these days as well, which is why it makes sense that the old gang get back together to track Harry and Lloyd in their older-but-not-wiser years. Part of the story is rumored to involve one of them having fathered a child in the past, and having to find said child in order to get a much-needed kidney transplant. Unfortunately Daniels' run on "The Newsroom" and Warner Bros. reluctance to give it the green light may keep it from reaching screens despite a finished script. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2014

'The Expendables 3'

Lionsgate

Attached: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jackie Chan
Status: Sly Stallone's love letter to his generation of bare-knuckled cinematic badassery continues to thrive, hence a third entry appears to be in the cards. Besides nabbing Chan's chop socky for an extended role, Nicolas Cage is also in the running to bring his brand of crazy. Steven Seagal was approached but will not be in the film, and Stallone has stated his script will revolve around younger recruits to the mercenary game. Supposedly Stallone's wishlist also includes Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Wesley Snipes and Sigourney Weaver.| Read More     Release Date/Year: 2014

'Vacation'

Attached: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate
Status: In a series that has already survived three sequels and some direct-to-DVD atrocities, doing a soft reboot in the spirit of the original doesn't seem like such a bad thing. Hot writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein ("Horrible Bosses") were brought on to write and later asked by New Line to direct it as well, with "Hangover" star Helms as an all-grown-up Rusty Griswold leading his own clan across country. Fans are hopeful for an Anthony Michael Hall cameo, but with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo doing "Vacation" Super Bowl commercials as the Griswolds it doesn't seem like a stretch to have them in on it too, perhaps dying en route like poor Aunt Edna. | Read more
Release Date/Year: 2014

'Zoolander 2'

Attached: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Jonah Hill
Status: While Stiller has reprised really really really good-looking model Derek Zoolander on SNL numerous times since 2001, a bona fide sequel has sparked to life in the last few years. A script was written by Justin Theroux ("Tropic Thunder") featuring Derek and Hansel (Wilson) feeling old and irrelevant in Europe. Will Ferrell's villainous Mugatu will have a prominent role if it gets made, but right now Stiller seems to be occupied with his "Walter Mitty" remake. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2014

'Marvel's The Avengers 2'

Attached: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson
Status: Phase 2 of the Marvel movieverse will begin this summer with "Iron Man 3" and culminate in another nerdgasm team-up likely to surpass the staggering grosses of the first "Avengers." Master of arms Joss Whedon will return to the director's chair and offer quips aplenty, but as for who will enhance the already considerable group dynamic is unclear. Edgar Wright's "Ant-Man" is scheduled for 2015 as well, so that character may be involved, but persistent rumor has mysterioso android The Vision in the frame to do some avenging. With scripting nearly complete, it's only a matter of time before we know if Downey Jr. can be wooed back into the fold for one last go-round as ol' shellhead. | Read More
Release Date/Year: May 1, 2015

'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Attached: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Status: Perhaps the most long-awaited sequel in history, and one we were told over and over would never happen, Lucasfilm was sold to Disney late last year to the tune of $4 billion with the promise of strip-mining the "Star Wars" legacy, a key selling point for the studio. Indeed, the plan is to churn out a new trilogy and at least three solo films (literally: one will be about Han Solo) over the course of six years. Considering fans have had decade-long breaks between trilogies, that's a serious feast or famine scenario. Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3") is scripting this follow-up to "Return of the Jedi" with the aid of OT script vet Lawrence Kasdan, and director J.J. Abrams will boldly go where he's already gone before in that other "Star" franchise. Make no mistake — this is the big one, folks. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Summer 2015

'Pirates of the Caribbean 5'

Disney

Attached: Johnny Depp
Status: Depp has one of the fullest dance cards in Hollywood, but that doesn't mean he's adverse to earning a nine-figure payday, which he's rumored to get up front for his participation in the next installment of Disney's flagship franchise, pun very intended. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" scribe Jeff Nathanson will again bring nothing to the table for a long-running adventure series that sunk its potential long ago.
Release Date/Year: July 2015

'James Bond 24'

Attached: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris
Status: With the biggest-grossing Bond ever under his belt, "Skyfall" director Sam Mendes has moved on to greener pastures, leaving a vacated director's seat for some new lucky so-and-so to make their mark. Who could add new life to what has become, at least by "Skyfall," an almost self-reflexively meta-franchise? Not Danny Boyle (ain't interested), not Chris Nolan (busy with "Interstellar"), maybe Ang Lee, perhaps Tom Hooper, but we'd really love to see Martin Campbell come back after crafting the greatest Bond movie ever, "Casino Royale." | Read More
Release Date/Year: Fall 2015

'The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun'

Attached: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
Status: We loved the hell out of Steven Spielberg's first "Tintin" flick, which played like the "Indiana Jones" sequel we always wanted. The plan was always to have Spielberg's producing partner (and unofficial co-director) Peter Jackson take the reigns on Part 2, but given the Kiwi's ever-expanding commitments to two (then three) "Hobbit" movies the date for motion capturing keeps getting pushed. Scripting is being done by British TV vet Anthony Horowitz and rumored to be based on Herge's twin stories "The Seven Crystal Balls" and "Prisoners of the Sun," with the inventive Professor Calculus at the center of things and an expanded role for bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Christmas 2015

'Avatar 2 & 3'

Attached: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Status: Yeah, did you know the most successful movie of all time was gonna get a sequel? Huh. James Cameron made enough money off the first one to build his own space fleet but is currently deep into scripting the return to Pandora, which will reportedly explore the oceanographic wonders of the planet as well as neighboring planets in that system. We likely haven't seen the last of the big bad mining corporation or Sigourney Weaver's Grace Augustine. Reportedly each of the two back-to-back sequels will tell a self-contained story free of cliffhangers but will form an overarching trilogy. No story specifics yet, but expect exponentially larger battles and perhaps some cute Na'vi babies. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2015/2016

'Mission: Impossible 5'

Attached: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton
Status: "Ghost Protocol" was the most successful entry in the series, with the Burj Khalifa-climbing antics taking it to new heights. Christopher McQuarrie has become Cruise's go-to guy in recent years, penning "Valkyrie" and the aborted "Top Gun 2," not to mention directing him in the modestly successful "Jack Reacher." Now Paramount is courting him to write the script for a fifth "M:I" with an eye to direct. Also returning to the fold is J.J. Abrams, who will continue to oversee the series as producer despite commitments to a galaxy far, far away. 

Release Date/Year: 2015

'Finding Nemo 2'

Pixar

Attached: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres
Status: Soon after Andrew Stanton's "John Carter" face-planted at the box office, the Pixar great went immediately back to his comfort zone with a sure-to-please sequel in order to keep his dark masters at Disney happy. The news was great for Brooks as well, who reportedly signed a very lucrative deal to revive the voice of Marlin, and we suspect another celebrity will be brought in to voice a more grown-up Nemo. This is exactly the kind of get-out-of-jail-free card Stanton needs in the wake of a massive bomb, and his deal stipulates he'll get another shot at live action afterwards. | Read More
Release Date/Year: 2016

'Kung Fu Panda 3'

Attached: Jack Black
Status: With Pixar cashing in on sequel after sequel, it's starting to make rival DreamWorks look a little less mercenary in their creative endeavors. It helps that, under the helpful guidance of Guillermo del Toro, the studio has been having a creative renaissance in recent years, enough to rival Pixar. The last two "Kung Fu Panda" films were dynamite, and this threequel brings director Jennifer Yuh Nelson back to the fold. Most interestingly, this will be the first American animated feature co-produced in China, with roughly one-third of the animation being done over there ... under the watchful eye of Chinese censors, of course. |Read More
Release Date/Year: March 18, 2016

'Ghostbusters III'

Attached: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
Status: After "Ghostbusters II" was supposedly an unhappy experience for all involved (including the audience), a third film has remained elusive. Aykroyd wrote a script set in Hell in the mid-'90s with Ben Stiller in mind for the lead, but Bill Murray's lack of interest kept the proton packs uncharged. In recent years Sony has attempted to reignite the project, throwing writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg at it to no avail. Recently scribe Etan Cohen, who crafted a not-too-shabby "MIB 3," was brought in to do damage control on the script, although word is Bill Murray will have none of it, despite occasionally suggesting he might. If it does happen, Ivan Reitman would direct again, and the baton would be passed to a new generation of spirit chasers a la Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, et al. | Read more
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Army of Darkness 2'

Attached: Sam Raimi
Status: A fourth "Evil Dead" always seemed destined for the land of "never gonna happen," and it turns out that feeling was correct. An "Evil Dead 4" isn't going to happen … it's going to be called "Army of Darkness 2!" The 1992 cult classic brought a new level of silly to the Deadite universe, with Bruce Campbell's Ash giving us plenty of sugar while fighting off the medieval dead. Recently Raimi confirmed that he and brother Ted Raimi have begun writing a preliminary script, and with the announcement that Sam is stepping away from the "Oz" property it could very well wind up being his next picture. Perhaps fans need only read the words of the Necronomicon in order to summon it … | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Bill and Ted 3'

Attached: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter
Status: It's one thing when fans berate filmmakers into begrudgingly making a sequel, but it's a whole other joy to see the actors and creators themselves take the initiative to will a sequel to life. That's what seems to be happening with "Bill and Ted," as Reeves and Winter have been beating the drum to make it happen for several years. The writers of "Excellent Adventure" and "Bogus Journey," Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, have written the script and Dean Parisot ("Galaxy Quest") is on board to direct. The story has the now middle-aged duo still trying to write a song to change the world and will see them hop back in the phone booth traveling to the Stone Age. Respectfully, the late George Carlin's Rufus will not be recast.                                                                                                                                                                                                 Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Chronicle 2'

Fox

Attached: Unknown
Status: The idea of a found footage superhero movie turned out to be a highly lucrative one, hence FOX commissioned original writer Max Landis to pen a sequel. Unfortunately, Max's papa John Landis let it slip that FOX wasn't keen on the new evolution Max wanted to take the story in. He has stated that, in an interesting twist, the actual found footage content of the first movie will play a significant role in the second, possibly involving people using the film to look for clues about the mysterious meteor or to track the whereabouts of lone survivor Matt Garetty (Alex Russell). | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2'

Attached: Robert Zemeckis
Status: Here's another one that's been a long time coming, originally discussed as a prequel called "Roger Rabbit: The Toon Platoon" until Spielberg became antsy about satirizing Nazis. Disney changed it into a "Star is Born"-type story about Roger's ascent in show business, but a really crappy CGI test and ballooning budget forced them to cancel the project altogether. Director Robert Zemeckis recently tried to revive it as a direct sequel with original writers Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman, although Bob Hoskins' retirement from acting threw another banana peel under the film. P-P-P-P-P-PLEASE!

Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Beetlejuice 2'

Attached: Tim Burton
Status: In development since the early '90s when it was originally titled "Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian," the sequel has been dead and buried in development hell for ages until screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith was brought in to resurrect the ghost with the most. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder both seem game to reprise their roles as Beetlejuice and goth chick Lydia, although neither Geena Davis nor Alec Baldwin have been confirmed to continue their haunting as the Maitlands. Supposedly the story will be set in the present, over 25 years after the original took place.
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'The Legend of Conan'

Attached: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Status: Arnold starred in two outings as the willful Cimmerian warrior, where he taught us what is best in life ... but what about what is best in death? In the early '00s original director John Milius (with the help of the Wachowski Brothers) wanted to capture the later period of Robert E. Howard's Barbarian when he was "destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow." The resulting script, "King Conan: Crown of Iron," was scuttled after Ahnuld went off to governate California, but now that he's back in the movie game he wants to cap his career with a last hurrah as Conan. Paul Verhoeven of "Total Recall" has expressed an interest in making it, but a director will not be chosen until after writer/producer Chris Morgan ("Fast Five") completes his draft. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Untitled Pee-wee Herman Project'

Attached: Paul Reubens
Status: Back in the '90s Reubens was desperate to escape his Pee-wee persona, but over the last few years he's been more than happy to clip on the bow tie and get back to his most iconic character. Although several scripts were written, including one set in The Playhouse aimed at kids and another one aimed at adults, it took comedy powerhouse Judd Apatow to get Reubens back to "Big Adventure" basics: a road movie. Paul Rust, a.k.a. the dude from "I Love You Beth Cooper," is penning the script with Reubens and filming is expected to happen imminently. An ideal director would be someone like Michel Gondry, who has been approached in the past.

Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Prometheus 2'

Fox

Attached: Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace
Status: Okay, so "Prometheus" was not the be-all, end-all of "Alien" prequels, and there's some pretty dumb stuff in it, like that scientist who just LOVES the penis snake vagina worm thing that winds up eating his face. It also was STUNNINGLY gorgeous to look at in 3-D and had the showstopping C-section scene. In other words it was a mixed bag, but a mixed bag that made money, so FOX and Ridley Scott are pursuing a sequel that will take Dr. Shaw (Rapace) and the head of android David (Fassbender) to "Paradise," the mere name of which sounds frightening as all get-out. Thankfully, writer Damon Lindelof, responsible for much of the lamer stuff in the first one, will not be back. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Smiley's People'

Attached: Gary Oldman
Status: Tomas Alfredson's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was a brilliant character study of how a life of espionage is really no life at all. Oldman completely disappeared into the part of the cunning, taciturn British intelligence officer George Smiley, earning some of the best accolades of his career, so it's no wonder there was immediate talk of following it up with John le Carre's sequel novel "Smiley's People." Alfredson and screenwriter Peter Straughan are expected to be back, as is most of the stellar cast that didn't bite the dust in the first one.
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Oz the Great and Powerful 2'

Attached: James Franco, Mila Kunis
Status: Sam Raimi's trippy trip into L. Frank Baum territory has become this year's first smash hit, with Disney already starting development on a sequel. Writer Mitchel Kapner is already figuring out what to do next with Franco's huckster wizard, with dozens of books by Baum and others to pilfer from. Unfortunately Raimi, who balanced the tongue-in-cheek spectacle so expertly, will not be back. | Read More 

Release Date/Year: Unknown

'21 Jump Street 2'

Attached: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum
Status: Hill and Tatum's surprising chemistry led to "21 Jump Street" being 2012's first tried-and-true sleeper hit. Luckily this irreverent take on the old FOX TV show about high school narcs left things open for an obvious sequel where the boys do some damage in college. Unfortunately, Johnny Depp probably won't return for another cameo, seeing as how his Tom Hanson hilariously ate a bullet. Hill confirmed that he and original screenwriter Michael Bacall were writing it last summer, but directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have yet to commit. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Indiana Jones 5'

Attached: Harrison Ford
Status: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas really s**t the bed on that last one, but they want to make it up to us. Strangely, another punch to the gut doesn't sound like proper recompense, but George Lucas seems determined to make it happen. Last time he spoke of it Lucas mentioned that they were still in the process of looking for a good maguffin for Indy to go after, and that even though he was retired from making blockbusters he might make an exception for "Indy 5." Thing is, Disney now technically owns the property, and have stated that "Star Wars," not Indy, is their big priority.
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires'

Fox

Attached: Ron Perlman, Paul Giamatti
Status: "Bubba Ho-Tep" has slowly become of the last decade's most prominent cult titles, and Don Coscarelli's joke title at the end credits has slowly been inching towards reality … but not without some serious snags. First, original star Bruce Campbell dropped out for ambiguous "creative differences." Then, when Ron Perlman took over the role of Elvis the funding dried up, despite a very enthusiastic Paul Giamatti keen to play Colonel Parker. Hopefully The King can get back on his feet and kill him some vampires.

Release Date/Year: Unknown

'TRON 3'

Attached: Olivia Wilde, Cillian Murphy, Garrett Hedlund
Status: Yes, "TRON: Legacy" didn't exactly set the world on fire, but it did okay enough that Disney is seriously considering going back to finally get one of these damn "TRON" movies right. Joseph Kosinski has "Oblivion" on the way, and we imagine the success or failure of that Tom Cruise vehicle will have a big hand in whether or not the helmer will return to the gaming grid for more light cycle chases and Bruce Boxleitner cameos. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Hot Tub Time Machine 2'

Attached: Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke
Status: What many people were figuring would be the next "Hangover"-size comedy smash became just a moderate hit at the box office but made enough of a profit on DVD for MGM to consider greenlighting a sequel. Thing is, John Cusack apparently wants nothing to do with it, or they want nothing to do with him. Something like that. Steve Pink will again direct a script by himself and Corddry … now all they need is a big star from the '80s to anchor it all. Paging Matthew Broderick? | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Independence Day 2 & 3'

Attached: Will Smith, Bill Pullman
Status: You'd have thought that a sequel to one of the biggest sci-fi hits in history would be a no-brainer, but somehow Will Smith and director Roland Emmerich just lost track of the time, and now here we are 17 years later and still nothing to show for it. Smith's full dance card has been the big issue, as well as his asking price of $50 million for the two films — tentatively titled "Independence Day Forever" — but producer/writer Dean Devlin may also be developing a version without Smith. Somehow betting the farm on Bill Pullman coming back doesn't seem the best strategy. Some have surmised that Smith's character may now be the President in the timeline of the film, which would be an interesting switch.
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Super Troopers 2'

Attached: Broken Lizard, Brian Cox
Status: Who wants a mustache ride? One of the early '00s' brightest indie comedies had many pegging comedy troupe Broken Lizard as the second coming of Monty Python, but duds like "Club Dread" and "The Slammin' Salmon" kept that from actually happening. Jay Chandrasekhar and the rest of the gang hope to jumpstart things with a sequel, which finds the boys getting into trouble while patrolling the Canadian border.

Release Date/Year: Unknown

'The Girl Who Played With Fire'

Sony

Attached: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara
Status: David Fincher barely left his stamp on 2011's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" remake, and if you've seen the Noomi Rapace original you know there's not much different except the ending and the amount of money they blew. Contract negotiations with Daniel Craig have apparently soured to the point where Sony has discussed with writer Steven Zaillian the possibility of making it without his Mikael Blomkvist character. It also seems that interest in Stieg Larsson's books has waned, but Fincher remains somewhat committed, exclaiming that "We've got to make it our own thing." | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Venom'

Attached: Josh Trank
Status: Although this would be less of a sequel to "Spider-Man 3," where Venom slithered into his first big screen iteration, it may not be entirely a reboot either. "Hunger Games" director Gary Ross was originally signed to direct a script by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese but has since been nudged out/replaced by "Chronicle" helmer Josh Trank, who will have to wait until his duties on the "Fantastic Four" reboot have been fulfilled. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Bridget Jones's Baby'

Attached: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant
Status: Hot "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig was originally brought in to revive the nearly decade-absent Bridget but ultimately decided that a Brit would do greater justice to Helen Fielding's romantically flustered heroine. Peter Cattaneo, who made "The Full Monty," was brought in, but so far the greenlight from Universal has been less than forthcoming. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Triplets'

Attached: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Eddie Murphy
Status: So here's the deal: The first time Arnold had a short brother; now he has a black one. Hilarity! Eddie Murphy has been put forward as the likely co-star for this over-25-years-later follow-up on Julius and Vincent where they discover yet another genetically mismatched sibling. Ryan Dixon and Josh Gad will script, the latter presumably writing in his trailer between setups on sitcom "1600 Penn." | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Clerks III'

Attached: Kevin Smith
Status: After threatening us with a book or a possible Broadway musical, wake-n'-baker Smith finally put his nose to the grindstone and began typing away on a modestly-awaited third installment on March 8 of this year. The publicity-happy Twitterer even posted a photo of the cover of the first draft. "I jumped out of bed at 4:20 this morning and started writing CLERKS III," he wrote. "It's been like hanging out with old friends. And after 2 hours of tapping the keys and giggling, I have come to a conclusion ... CLERKS III will be the best film I'll ever make." Well aren't we pleased with ourselves? | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Snow White and the Huntsman 2'

Universal

Attached: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth
Status: Trampire antics aside, the first "Snow White" was a solid four-quadrant hit for Universal, who's aching for a franchise that doesn't involve Vin Diesel and cars. In a bit of posturing swagger the studio hired big gun writer David Koepp ("Jurassic Park," "Spider-Man") to begin drafting a sequel before the first came out, but there was always question about whether or not Stewart would headline again. With her return now confirmed, its clear Universal knows where their bread is buttered and left cheatin' director Rupert Sanders with only his divorce to occupy him. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Blade Runner 2'

Attached: Ridley Scott, Hampton Fancher
Status: Dear sweet lord, please don't let this actually happen. "Prometheus" proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that, while still a visual master, story-wise the 75-year-old Ridley Scott is completely off his rocker. More than any other film on this list, "Blade Runner" has the most geek cache ... and would also be the most harmed by a sequel, good or bad. Let's hope that this is nothing more than Scott's make-work project for original screenwriter Fancher. Harrison Ford has been mooted as a possibility to return as either Rick Deckard or another, older Replicant.

Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Bad Santa 2'

Attached: Billy Bob Thornton
Status: Terry Zwigoff's misanthropic 2003 comedy was a surprise smash that never needed a follow-up, and given Billy Bob's spotty track record since then we're not itching to see a cheap, potentially direct-to-DVD cash grab. In a move that shows just how artistically inclined they are, Dimension Films hired two writers (Johnny Rosenthal and John Phillips) to draft competing scripts, with the winner going into production. Classy. Thornton keeps saying this is a go-project, but we'll ask Santa to put a stop to it if he can. We've been really good, honest. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Terminator 5'

Attached: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Status: We don't know if the mercenary strip-mining of this franchise will continue unabated, but there is definitely interest in making another one of these, even after the last "Terminator" proved to be anything but a "Salvation." What we do know is that John Connor has become the Rusty Griswald (i.e. played by a different actor each time) of the series, so expect Ashton Kutcher or someone of his ilk to step into Christian Bale's shoes. The screenplay is being penned by James Cameron's right-hand lady Laeta Kalogridis along with "Drive Angry" helmer Patrick Lussier, and the Governator seems prepared to come back in some capacity, most likely in a home for retired T-800s. | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'The Lost Symbol'

Attached: Tom Hanks
Status: Hopefully visionary helmer Mark Romanek ("Never Let Me Go") can inject some much-needed pizazz into what has become a lurching, fatigued series under Ron Howard's guidance. The original "Da Vinci Code" got by on the popularity of the book, but by "Angels and Demons" people had gotten tired of Catholic conspiracies and Hanks' weird hairdo, hence it only made about half the original's haul. If Hanks can get away from his Broadway turn in "Lucky Guy" long enough to reprise Robert Langdon once again, it could pave the way for Dan Brown's forth book "Inferno" as well.|Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Sherlock Holmes 3'

Warner Bros.

Attached: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law
Status: Downey's trusty "Iron Man 3" writer Drew Pearce is on the case, but director Guy Ritchie could return only after he takes on the TV adaptation "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." (possibly starring Tom Cruise). With arch-villain Moriarty vanquished at Reichenbach Falls in "Game of Shadows" there's really no big baddie left to fight … except Holmes' addiction to cocaine.                                                   Release Date/Year: Unknown

'The Thomas Crown Affair 2'

Attached: Pierce Brosnan
Status: While the 1999 "Thomas Crown" was a straight-up remake, the sequel aims to remake another classic '60s caper flick, "Topkapi," and at one time was known as "The Topkapi Affair." This double remake attached mad Dutchman Paul Verhoeven ("Robocop," "Basic Instinct," "Showgirls") as the new director, likely to enhance the glitzy middle-aged sensuality quotient. Now with Verhoeven out of the picture and original helmer John McTiernan facing a jail sentence, it's gonna take some new blood and a helluva lot more star power than the former Bond to bring this project back to life.
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Horrible Bosses 2'

Attached: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jamie Foxx
Status: The zany comedy about three schmucky guys getting back at their bosses played like "Nine to Five" with dudes and did boffo business. The tricksy trio are gonna be back to even more scores with perhaps even higher-grade celeb bosses than last time. Seth Gordon will return to direct and John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein will again write, but at what point do these guys stop being oppressed workers and start being just straight-up bullies? | Read More
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'Austin Powers 4'

Attached: Mike Myers
Status: This one scares us a lot. Granted, just about any time the number "4" is next to a title we start to worry, but considering the shagadelic British spy became annoying somewhere around the middle of the first movie, we're not looking forward to it. Mike Myers running the spy spoof ever further into the ground might be his only option after "The Love Guru," but we'd much rather see Wayne and Garth in their 50s. Thankfully this is still only a germ of an idea being noodled with/pitched in Myers' head.
Release Date/Year: Unknown

'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage'

Attached: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson
Status: An attempt was made to supplant Vin Diesel's extreme sports spy Xander Cage with a doughy Ice Cube for the first sequel "State of the Union," but the idea of a new xXx for each installment went the way of the dodo when it tanked. Well if it ain't broke don't fix it, so the plan is to bring back Diesel and original helmer Rob Cohen, with recent masterminds of the "Terminator" franchise John Brancato and Michael Ferris providing the screenplay … that is, if anybody still cares.
Release Date/Year: Unknown

Warner Bros.

This week sees the release of Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Slayer," which has survived a long delay, conversion to 3-D, and a retitling  (Jack was originally a "Giant Killer"), but now must face its biggest trial by fire: The Audience.

The rather old-fashioned children's adventure feel of "Jack" is going to feel rather old-hat in comparison to the flurry of fairy tale films that film-goers have been bludgeoned with in recent years, mostly because it doesn't offer much of an ironic or modernized spin on the fable.

Maybe that's a good thing?

Let's take a look back at some past films that really took our childhood favorites in edgier, sexier directions.

'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters' (2013)

What They Changed: Well, it's not so much what they changed but what they extrapolated on. After the title brother and sister have their famous encounter at the gingerbread house, they go on to become somewhat traumatized (and diabetic) survivors hellbent on kicking some witch ass.
Did It Work? Naw. Tommy Wirkola may have turned zombie mythology on its head with "Dead Snow," but most of the comedy here falls flat, while the action involving anachronistic guns and other weaponry feels like a Saturday Night Live Digital Short stretched to 90 minutes. Who's the producer? Former "SNL" alumni Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.

'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012)

Universal

What They Changed: Another Grimm fairy tale heroine is transformed into an ass-kicker for the benefit of a movie-going public who need everything reimagined until it looks like a dark, Playstation version "Lord of the Rings."
Did It Work? Meh. Our favorite trampire Kristen Stewart gives her usual half-hearted performance in service of commercial helmer Rupert Sanders' CGI-enhanced soullessness. Only The Mighty Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, comes out looking alright, while a whole cadre of the UK's finest thesps (Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost) are forced to degrade themselves for a hefty paycheck. Eye-roll.

'Red Riding Hood' (2011)

What They Changed: The tale of Little Red Riding Hood gets a reworking into yet another supernatural revamp of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians." Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is the doe-eyed bait for a werewolf running rampant in a medieval village after years of truce. Which of the townspeople could it be?
Did It Work? Not really. Perhaps feeling burned by not getting another shot at the "Twilight" franchise she herself christened, director Catherine Hardwicke upped the visual quotient without really improving on the acting department, despite having vets like Gary Oldman and Julie Christie right there… right there!

'The Princess and the Frog' (2009)

What They Changed: The first story in the Grimm pantheon, "The Frog Prince," gets a 20th century upgrade in this 2-D animated delight that finally gives us the first bonafide African American Disney princess.
Did It Work? Yes! The spoiled princess is now a waitress in 1920s New Orleans, and by tapping into the age-old fable of a prince turned into a frog the writers cleverly twist it by having the woman who kisses him herself turn into a frog. Some rousing musical numbers by Disney stalwart Randy Newman keep things spicy down on the bayou.

'The Brothers Grimm' (2005)

What They Changed: Far from a proper biopic, Terry Gilliam's fantasy mashup posits 18th century folkloric scholars Wilhelm and Jakob Grimm as silly con men "Will" and "Jake" (Matt Damon and Heath Ledger), going from town to town cooking up fake exorcisms to bilk yokels out of their loot… until they meet a real witch. The inspiration for "Cinderella," "Hansel and Gretel," "The Princess and the Pea," and more are casually thrown into the adventure mix.
Did It Work? Mostly. This was an immensely troubled production (chronicled in Bob McCabe's fascinating book "Dreams and Nightmares") and it shows, with Gilliam frequently on autopilot. However, the film does contain some of his best sequences, whether it's a truly nightmarish gingerbread man eating his own hand or a cat being accidentally splattered by a Rube Goldberg torture device.

'Sleepy Hollow' (1999)

What They Changed: Washington Irving's classic American fairy tale of supremely superstitious schoolteacher Ichabod Crane is transformed into an episode of "CSI: 19th Century New York." Crane, as played by a pale-faced Johnny Depp, is now a dashing police constable and man of science, investigating a series of gruesome beheadings in Sleepy Hollow that turn out to be a Hessian Horseman risen from the grave!
Did It Work? You bet! Director Tim Burton's revisionist fairy tale is part Italian horror film, part gothic romance, with a ripping mystery at the center. Christopher Walken's scenes showing off his pearly white chiseled down to sharp fangs are the stuff of resplendent night terrors.

'Ever After: A Cinderella Story' (1998)

20th Century Fox

What They Changed: All the bippity boppity boo magic is stripped away in favor of a more grounded, realistic story set in Renaissance-era France in a semi-serious farce that's more Shakespeare than Disney.
Did It Work? Errr, kinda. Barrymore proves immensely likable, and Agelica Huston deliciously detestable as her evil stepmother Baroness Rodmilla, and the production design is nothing if not sumptuous. Andy Tennant's direction, on the other hand, is about as inspired as one would expect from a guy who came out of television.

'Hook' (1991)

What They Changed: J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan," the boy who wouldn't grow up, grows up. Because this was the early '90s, Peter has become a slick yuppie lawyer (Robin Williams) with two neglected kids and cell phone with a really long antenna (that was cutting edge back then). Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) snatches the children to Neverland, where Peter has to reconnect with his inner-child in order to defeat the snarling pirate… who talks like Terry Thomas.
Did It Work? Uh, no. What should have been the easiest, most undefended three-point layup in Spielberg's career turned into one of the schmaltziest cheesefests in his starry filmography. All the sets look fake as hell, Robin Williams overacts like a squirrel on crystal meth, and the mohawked Lost Boys skateboard their way right into lamewad history. Bangarang!

'The Company of Wolves' (1984)

What They Changed: Essentially an erotically-charged version of "Little Red Riding Hood" with the sex and lycanthropy greatly enhanced, it centers on a young girl named Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) whose grandmother (Angela Lansbury) knits her a red shawl and tells her to beware of strange dudes in the forest. Of course, she meets a strange a strange dude, grandmothers get eaten, etc…
Did It Work? Oh yeah. "Interview with a Vampire" director Neil Jordan creates a hauntingly spooky atmosphere while emphasizing the young girl's sexual rite of passage angle. The best part has to be a dreamy sequence when a wolf actually comes out of the MOUTH of a big bad wolfman.

Universal

After all the talk of trampirism on the part of Kristen Stewart for her dalliance with "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders, when it came down to choosing Sanders or Stewart for the film's sequel, Universal knew where their bread was buttered.

In an interview with Indiewire to promote her all-nude, all-the-time performance in Walter Salles' "On the Road," controversial "Twilight" starlet Stewart confirmed that she will indeed headline the "Snow White" sequel, most likely titled "Snow White and the Off-White Wedding Gown."

"Oh, it’s gonna be f**kin’ amazing," Stewart exclaimed about the new entry. "No, I’m so excited about it, it’s crazy. I’m not allowed. The other day I said that there was a strong possibility that we’re going to make a sequel, and that’s very true, but everyone was like, 'Whoa, stop talking about it.' So no, I’m totally not allowed to talk about it."

When pressed on whether this second go-round meets the high artistic standards we've come to expect from a woman who starred in five films about abstinent vampires, Stewart replied in the cautiously affirmative.

"Oh my God. F**k, yeah," she said. "Absolutely. And we’ve got a really amazing… [smiles] So, yeah. It’s all good. [laughs]"

"Snow White and the Huntsman" grossed nearly $400 million at the worldwide box-office, and though initial plans had centered around Chris Hemsworth's burly Huntsman taking the focus, he may have to settle for his humble duties as the God of Thunder for now.

Disney / Universal / Sony

As we established in our list of the 25 Best Movies of 2012, it was a pretty great year at the multiplexes.

But in what you are about to read below, well, there is no "good."

Some of these actually didn't do too badly in the box office and one might incite some rage from a certain fan army (sorry guys, but our whole staff agreed!), but either way, we want to know what you think. Read up on our 10 clunkers of 2012 and hit up the comments section below with your two cents.

10. 'Dark Shadows'

Warner Bros.

"Dark Shadows" lost at its own game. It seems like Tim Burton meant to harness the power of kitsch in his big screen adaptation of camptastic '70s soap opera "Dark Shadows," flirting with the border of "so bad it's good" territory... and overshot his mark by a mile. Great actors go horribly wasted in this wandering mess of a movie, and the fact that it looks pretty cool only serves to highlight how badly this vampire story bites: Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Chloe Moretz and some great-looking sets almost have to try to make me hate them. If I didn't know better, I'd assume they tried pretty hard. — Brooke Tarnoff

9. 'One for the Money'

Lionsgate

This movie stars Katherine Heigl – what more do you need to know? OK, well, just in case, you should know that her character Stephanie Plum gets into the bail bonds business and her first assignment puts her on the trail of her ex. Delightful, right? Something tells us Heigl, who notoriously departed from "Grey's Anatomy" amidst much drama despite earning an Emmy award for her performance, did this film the exact reasons the title says. — Breanne L. Heldman

8. 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'

20th Century Fox

Who thought this was a good idea? Does the Great Emancipator really need to add demon slaying to his resume? This movie is 105 minutes of cringe-worthy cheese that takes itself too seriously while portraying the secretly rockin' nightlife of Honest Abe while he pursues a lifelong vendetta against the forces of evil. Oh, and the Confederate Army. Who are also vampires. Maybe the producers heard about Spielberg's "Lincoln" in pre-production and figured they had to find a way to top it. Maybe they just thought it was a funny joke to make audiences sit through nearly two hours of that slop. Maybe they're really just self-loathing vampires themselves. The world may never know. (And, spoiler alert, the ending implication that Abe may have been a vampire himself and thus survived assassination? Rude.) — Kase Wickman

7. 'Playing for Keeps'

FilmDistrict

Ah, the story of a morally tarnished athlete who finds his heart of gold on the soccer field, amidst his young son's teammates and a bunch of MILFs. What could be finer... other than EVERYTHING? Gerard Butler isn't inherently terrible — he was kind of good in "300," if memory serves — but he keeps returning to reductive rom-com drivel. Whatever this says about his acting ability pales in comparison to the message it sends about his taste. (That message, if it wasn't clear: bad.) — BT

6. 'John Carter'

Disney

You gotta feel a little bad for the nice, talented folks behind this turkey: writer/director Andrew Stanton, the Pixar pro who shepherded this through development as a passion project; Taylor Kitsch, the "Friday Night Lights" alum making some bum movies; Willem Dafoe, who's awesome because he's Willem Dafoe. But anytime you spend 250 precious million dollars on a movie, you'd better hope it works. And "JC" doesn't one bit. From its risky usage of a hero Confederate to its "Phantom Menace"-like ETs to its overall utter convolutedness, "Carter" is an incoherent, disjointed mess that left movie fans of all stripes scratching their heads. — KP

5. 'Snow White and the Huntsman'

Universal

More like "Snow White and the Hunts-mehhh." Kristen Stewart is great at posing and making tough faces while wearing just-for-ladies armor on a red carpet, but a master thespian she's not. K.Stew has only a handful of lines in this two-hour drudge of a film, and Chris Hemsworth, while great at grunting and looking handsome, is not so great at enunciating. The best part of this movie was watching Charlize Theron as the evil queen Ravenna, melting in and out of various shapes while screaming like a banshee. She's a crow! She's a lady again! She's a puddle! This is great! Oh, now we're back in the woods with Bella and Thor. Zzzzzz. Pass. — KW

4. 'Red Dawn'

Lionsgate

It's never a good sign when a movie sits on the shelves for a few years (jeez Louise, how many spring/summer/fall previews was this thing included in?). But "Dawn" almost looked like it could benefit from its shelving (due to MGM's financial woes), as stars Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") and Josh Hutcherson ("Hunger Games") blew the hell up amid the delay. But nope. America saw "Dawn" for what it was, another wholly unnecessary remake that not only doesn't improve on the original, but taints our memory of it (not that the '84 Swayze edition was a masterpiece). And don't get us started on the amazingly offensive "ethnicity tweaks" done in post-production. What were you thinking? — KP

3. 'Man on a Ledge'

Summit

Possibly the worst thing about this movie — and trust me, that's saying a lot — is how good Elizabeth Banks is in it. She never appears to be acting; she seems uncannily real in every role, like human tofu picking up the flavor of whatever movie she's in. In this case, it just serves to make everything around her seem even more false, including the implausible plot, the wooden performances, the ridiculous dialogue and Sam Worthington's mullet. Which, by the way, is the second worst thing about this movie. A mullet? For crying out loud. — BT

2. 'That's My Boy'

Sony

This is an Adam Sandler movie: are you shocked to find it on this list? We didn't think so, but just so you have the ammo for properly mocking this clunker, here's what you need to know. As a young teen, Sandler's character knocked up his teacher (Eva Amurri) and became an instant celebrity. Now, after nearly 30 years, he's a broke nobody with a beef with Vanilla Ice and a son (Andy Samberg) who refuses to acknowledge any relation to him. Believe it or not, it all goes downhill from there, with hijinks including infidelity, severe alcoholism and incest. Hilarious, right? — BH

1. 'The Devil Inside'

Paramount

Among our staff, we've been to literally thousands of advance screenings, many of them "promotional," which, as you may know, is when a studio gives out passes to moviegoers as opposed or in addition to movie critics. These audiences tend to be kind to the movies — far more kind than cranky critics, that's for sure — but the promotional screening we attended for this clunker marked the first time EVER we witnessed a crowd boo the film during its end credits. Proof that the mockumentary/found footage approach doesn't always work, "Devil Inside" just feels phony, with shoddy acting, forced scares and an anti-climactic, utterly ridiculous ending that deservedly brought out the boo birds. — KP

The Worst Movies of 2012 Review Themselves

So here, it is, our salute to the greatest flavor savers, 'staches, soul patches and beards that graced the screen this year, broken down by month.

January

Liam Neeson in "The Grey"

We're not sure whether the beard makes the eyes or vice versa, but can we just say that we shiver in awe of their combined effect? Neeson's character in the film may have a way with killing wolves, but we're only human — and we are slayed.

February

Denzel Washington in "Safe House"

Denzel may not be impressed, but we find his well-groomed chin warmer very impressive.

Runner-up: Daniel Radcliffe in "The Woman in Black"

It may have taken magic for Daniel Radcliffe to grow this five o' clock shadow, but we're proud of him nonetheless. We didn't know you had it in you, Harry!

March

The Lorax in "The Lorax"

He's essentially a mustache with arms. What 'stache can compete with that? (Oh, don't look at us like that, Lorax.)

April

Jason Segel in "The Five-Year Engagement"

Segel's Yosemite Sam-inspired misery 'stache was LOLarious and pathetic in all the right ways. All that's needed to complete a giant bunny sui— no, wait, never mind. Bunny suit included. Done.

May

Sacha Baron Cohen in "The Dictator"

Say what you like about his comedy, the man can wear a great big bushy beard like no other.

June

Chris Hemsworth in "Snow White and the Huntsman"

Rescuing damsels in distress? Check. Rocking the scruff? Check-plus.

July

Christian Bale in "The Dark Knight Rises"

Your years as a shut-in have treated your beard kindly, Mr. Wayne.

August

Zach Galifianakis in "The Campaign"

Galifianakis earns our vote for proudly owning his Ron Swanson-style cookie duster. The man is basically Ned Flanders come to life and turned ginger — he needs something to celebrate, don't you think?

September

Jeff Daniels in "Looper"

Traveling through time has many advantages. A man can learn his fate, change history and discover the secrets to growing a magnificent beard. Well played, Jeff Daniels. Well played.

October

Ben Affleck in "Argo"

Ben Affleck knows a thing or two about writing, directing, acting, earning awards nominations and, oh yeah, wearing a beard. Smirk: justified.

November

The Cast of "Lincoln"

From Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Daniel Day-Lewis and all the cast members in between, the mid-19th century really exposed us to some extraordinary facial accessories. Really, that beard is probably the most exceptional achievement of Lincoln's presidency. (Ahem.)

December

Christoph Waltz in "Django Unchained"

The man literally twirls his mustache at one point and delights in complimenting another man on his similarly stylish facial hair — how could we not give him the win?

Runner-up: Hugh Jackman in "Les Miserables"

Not even a convict beard and dramatic weight loss can dim Hugh Jackman's beauty. In fact, we argue that that scraggly mess hanging from his lower jaw only accentuates Mr. Jackman's fine features. And if you don't agree, then all the more for us.

(And, no, we didn't forget "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Those dwarves just go to show that there is such thing as too much of a good thing.)

Warner Bros.

"The Hobbit" hits theaters this Friday and besides all the hobbits, orcs, elves, humans, dragons and Gollums, there's also a group of sturdy folk who form the backbone of the movie: Dwarves.

This isn't the first time dwarves have been portrayed in film, of course — and it's not the first time that little people have been played on screen by regular-sized folks, either. But "The Hobbit," with its band of stout and heroic dwarven heroes, is undoubtedly one of the most prominent portrayals of little people in Hollywood's long and checkered history.

So that got us thinking: Where is "The Hobbit" going to end up ranking on the scale of most positive to most demeaning portrayals of little people in film? To help you decide that for yourself, here's a quick continuum of nine prominent movies featuring little people, ranked from most positive to most demeaning.

1. 'The Station Agent' (2003)

Miramax

Back before he was known as "Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage," Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage rose to fame on the strength of his role as Finbar McBride in the 2003 indie "The Station Agent." A reclusive man who finds solace from an unkind world in his love of trains, Fin is a complex and moving depiction of the emotional toll society sometimes exacts on outsiders. The fact that Fin is a little person informs the character but is only part of his persona, which immediately elevates "The Station Agent" above just about everything else Hollywood has given us. Plus, you know, it introduced us to the genius of Dinklage. That's a double win.

2. 'Time Bandits' (1981)

Anchor Bay

A bit of typical madcap whimsy from director Terry Gilliam, "Time Bandits" focuses on a group of six dwarves who, tired of their station in life, decide to become time traveling pirates, searching the centuries for untold treasure. Sure, being crooks isn't necessarily taking the high road, but these little people (one of whom is portrayed by Kenny Baker, best known as R2-D2 in "Star Wars") turn out to be loyal and courageous (if somewhat cantankerous) heroes. Plus, that job they are sick of? Turns out they're God's assistants. And that doesn't look too bad on the resume, whatever your size.

3. 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' (1999)

New Line

Okay, so the role in question in this blockbuster hit is basically a joke about Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) having a little person duplicate of himself. But the difference between "Austin Powers" and some of the other supposed comedies on our list is that Verne Troyer was very much in on the joke. As Mini-Me, he more than held his own, delivering jokes and punches to Austin Powers' face with equal verve. All the proof you need is in the fact that he was brought back with a greatly expanded role in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" three years later.

4. 'Total Recall' (1990)

Carolco

Arnold Schwarzenegger's sci-fi hit is fondly remembered for a number of different things, but near the top of just about everyone's list is Debbie Lee Carrington's portrayal of Thumbelina. We have kind of mixed feelings about the character; on the one hand, she's an awesome, ass-kicking fighter who takes down bad guys with knives, machines guns and pretty much whatever else happens to be available. On the other hand, she's also a hooker, which plays into some old, unfortunate and somewhat inexplicable stereotypes. Overall, though, this one has to land on the plus side of the column just for Carrington's panache. You go, girl.

5. 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012)

Universal

In many ways, "Snow White and the Huntsman" is similar to "The Hobbit." There are several good things about the way the dwarves are portrayed in the film, as they are loyal, heroic and steadfast. But the film was engulfed in controversy due to the fact that all seven roles were filled by regular-sized actors even though CGI and make-up made them almost entirely unrecognizable anyway. The Little People of America joined several acting groups in protesting and boycotting the film in response. The on-screen results certainly could have been worse, but the studio's off-screen handling of the situation could have been much more sensitive, which is why this one lands smack dab in the middle of our list.

6. 'Freaks' (1932)

Universal

Before "Freaks" hit theaters in 1932, director Tod Browning ("Dracula") was a Hollywood superstar. After it hit theaters, his career was over, as the film sparked such shock and outrage that it was banned in some countries for the next three decades. "Freaks" tells the story of a little person named Hans who marries a regular-sized lady; when it turns out that she's just using him to get his inheritance, Hans' friends in the circus sideshow take a brutal and terrible revenge. The film used real circus "freaks" and gets points for showing their tight-knit community as well as for becoming a cult classic in the '60s and '70s for holding a mirror up to society. Still, we have a gut feeling that you could get a little more positive than a movie called "Freaks." Just saying.

7. 'The Terror of Tiny Town' (1938)

Columbia Pictures

Now we're full on into exploitation territory. "The Terror of Tiny Town" is one of the most reviled and critically panned movies ever. Hitting theaters in 1938, the movie is a western comedy featuring a cast comprised entirely of little people. It's basically over an hour of short jokes, with the little people engaging in one embarrassing farce after another. Still, it did at least employ an entire cast of little people. And as terrible as "The Terror of Tiny Town" is, sadly, it's not even close to the worst thing Hollywood has done. For example ...

8. 'Midgets vs. Mascots' (2009)

First Look

This straight-to-DVD exercise in stupidity has a pretty simple premise: Five little people compete against five corporate and sports mascots for money. What ensues is, well, exactly what you'd expect: Dudes in Styrofoam gladiator costumes mud-wrestling little people for yuks. How low exactly does this film go? Well, it features a full frontal sequence starring the late Gary Coleman. Ron Jeremy, Jason Mewes and Scottie Pippin are also among those who now owe the world an apology.

9. 'Tiptoes' (2003)

Sony Pictures

It's hard to fathom what anyone was thinking when they made the indie drama "Tiptoes," especially since it stars a legitimately excellent cast: Gary Oldman, Kate Beckinsale, Patricia Arquette and Matthew McConaughey are all in it, as is Peter Dinklage. So, honestly, it shouldn't be one of the most excruciatingly embarrassing films ever made. But it is. Why? Well, the plot is basically about a regular-sized guy (McConaughey) who spends his life hiding his secret shame — that the rest of his family are little people. And the worst part isn't even the sequence where he pitches a fit when he discovers his newborn child is a little person; it's the fact that his brother isn't played by Dinklage, but rather by Oldman, who literally played the part on his knees to emulate the height difference. Yes. Read that again. It sounds like a gag that would have been rejected by "Tropic Thunder" for going too far, except it really happened, in a real movie, with a real Oscar-nominated actor. Ladies and gentlemen: The most demeaning film about little people ever made.

Chris Hemsworth worked the rugged look in every possible way this year: outdoors guy, Norse god, huntsman and, now, homemade soldier. His rippling muscles and blue eyes alone prove there's something in the Aussie water.

This week he's trading in his mighty "Thor" hammer for an assault rifle in "Red Dawn," keeping America safe from invading communist forces.

Sure, Chris' younger brother Liam enjoyed some time in the spotlight this year with '"The Hunger Games," but between "Snow White and the Huntsman," "The Cabin in the Woods," "The Avengers" and now "Red Dawn," the elder Hemsworth is the only one we want to cuddle with out in the wilderness.

See for yourself with Chris' Hot People Looking Hot gallery. Trust us, you'll forget all about the threat of the North Korean army after going through these pics.

Warner Bros. / Warner Bros. / Universal

NEXT: What was the worst movie of the summer? >>

PREVIOUS: What movie was the biggest surprise of the summer? <<

Sony / Warner Bros. / Universal

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PREVIOUS: Who was the standout male this summer? <<

This poll will close on Aug. 30, 2012, at 12 p.m. ET

Universal

UPDATE: Okay, everyone just hold their horses. Kristen Stewart might be in the "Snow White and the Huntsman" sequel, and she might not be. Universal has issued the following statement:

"We are extremely proud of 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and we're currently exploring all options to continue the franchise. Any reports that Kristen Stewart has been dropped are false."

Since "all options" are being explored, might we suggest "Snow White and Snow White," starring K.Stew and Lily Collins? You know you'd go see it.

------------

UPDATE: Universal tells the Los Angeles Times that Kristen Stewart's Snow White could still be a character in a "Snow White and the Huntsman" sequel centered on the Huntsman.

------------

Well, maybe she did live happily ever after. The End?

It looks like Snow White's story may be over, as Universal has dropped Kristen Stewart from the planned "Snow White and the Huntsman" sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The studio has also dropped screenwriter David Koepp from the project as the sequel is shaping up to be a spin-off film that focuses solely on Chris Hemsworth's rugged and seemingly constantly mud-covered Huntsman. It's unknown whether "Snow White" director Rupert Sanders will be involved with the film, but sources close to the production say he's still attached.

Universal had no comment as to why it's decided to go in this particular direction, other than it's "currently exploring options to continue the franchise," according to a studio spokesman.

This is very strange indeed, especially since the original plan was to make two Snow White-centric films and then focus on the Huntsman for a third (a similar blueprint worked pretty well for the "X-Men" franchise after it spinned-off to a stand-alone "Wolverine" movie). Then again, "Snow White and the Huntsman" was only a so-so hit, and K.Stew commands a pretty hefty salary - not having her return could certainly shave a good $20 million off the budget.

Whatever the reason, Universal is now looking for a new writer and hopes to commence with production in July, which is the next available window for Chris Hemsworth.

(Originally published on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, at 9:09 p.m. ET)

'Snow White and the Huntsman' Photos

View Gallery »

Disney

The beautiful princess looking for love, the evil stepmother thwarting her every move, the handsome prince who comes to her rescue -- all are classic fairy tale characters that have come to life on the big screen, ever since the invention of movies.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" is just the latest cinematic re-telling of a classic fairy tale, following closely on the heels of the similarly Snow White-centric "Mirror Mirror." These types of films may be experiencing a renaissance, as there are many more movies based on fairy tales in the pipeline, with top talent attached. Here's a look at what's coming to a movie theater near you.

'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters'

Mash up action, comedy, and horror in a movie produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, and you get Jeremy Renner as Hansel and Gemma Arterton as Gretel. This memorable title is slated for release early next year in 3-D, after Paramount pushed back its March 2012 release date. It is set 15 years after the siblings' traumatic gingerbread-house incident, when they are bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.

Getty Images

'Maleficent'

In what's being billed as a Disney deconstruction of the classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty," Angelina Jolie stars as the self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil, opposite Elle Fanning as the princess. Set for release in March 2014, the project starts shooting in England next month with Imelda Staunton and Miranda Richardson costarring.

'Pan'

We pretty much guarantee Sean Bean won't be beheaded in this dark re-imagining of author J.M. Barrie's tale of Peter Pan. Bean plays Smee, a cop who aids former detective Hook (Aaron Eckhart) in his pursuit of a childlike kidnapper. AnnaSophia Robb ("Soul Surfer") joins them as Wendy, the only kid who's ever escaped the villain's clutches.

'The Little Mermaid'

Director Joe Wright ("Atonement," "Pride and Prejudice") helms this new version of the Hans Christian Andersen classic. It's the tale of a young mermaid who gives up her life aquatic to love a human prince on land, penned by Abi Morgan ("Shame," "The Iron Lady"). No cast members have been officially announced.

Also Check Out: "Snow White" and the 7 Fantasy Movie References

'Sleeping Beauty'

Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit" fame will star in this contemporary interpretation of the fairy tale, taking the iconic princess on a journey to explore her dream world while she simultaneously tries to escape it. It's still in development, with no other cast members officially announced.

'Hansel and Gretel 3-D'

This upcoming production already has a tagline: "If you end up lost in the woods, you may just find yourself." But no cast has yet been announced for this new adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale about a young brother and sister surviving a wicked witch in her gingerbread house. It's set to be shot in Germany, the origin country of the classic tale.

Warner Bros.

'Jack the Giant Killer'

Fee-fi-fo fum. We smell the blood of actor Nicholas Hoult as Jack -- you know, the one who climbs the beanstalk magically growing outside his window and battles a fearsome race of giants. Naturally, there's also a princess involved, played by Eleanor Tomlinson. Noted director Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects," "X-Men") brings it to the screen in March 2013.

'Enchanted 2'

Amy Adams will reportedly reprise her role as Giselle in this Disney sequel to the blockbuster 2007 film, which brought the fairy tale princess to real-life New York City in her quest for love. James Marsden, Julie Andrews and Patrick Dempsey are also rumored to be part of the cast again for this 2014 release.

'Arabian Nights'

Liam Hemsworth stars as Ali Baba in this new adaptation of the tale in which he rescues Persian Queen Scheherazade and her kingdom from dark powers. A 1942 version scored four Oscar nominations; an Italian version was distributed in 1974 by United Artists and won a top prize at the Cannes Film Festival that year.

'Pinocchio'

With Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth," "Hellboy") at the helm, this is certain to be a darker version of the classic children's fairy tale of a wooden puppet that transforms into a real living boy. Daniel Radcliffe is rumored to star, with a shoot planned to start next summer.

The "Twilight" gang has stayed plenty busy since launching straight into the cultural zeitgeist four years ago, and some of the franchise actors have had much more luck than others when it comes to scoring impressive and interesting roles.

One nabbed an Oscar nom, two had films in competition at Cannes this year, and another headlines an exciting new J.J. Abrams series this fall. Others have endured critical and box office flops, straight-to-DVD blunders and yes, even a Razzie "win."

Until this weekend, though, none have stretched their legs into new series territory -- but Kristen Stewart really puts her box-office muster to the test as she moves from the damp world of Forks into the clutches of Ravenna's evil queen-dom for "Snow White and the Huntsman." In celebration of her second franchise bid, we take a look at what all of the "Twilight" kids have been up to since first making their mark on modern pop culture not too long ago.

Universal

I've seen "Snow White and the Huntsman" and I'm here to tell you that, when you factor in the free air conditioning, it is not the worst way to spend two hours. (This may not apply to readers in Alaska.)

The film is beautiful to look at, ends big and features a hallucinogenic mushroom that makes you think your hands are melting off. (Faaaaaaar out.)

In "Snow White and the Huntsman" you get to spend time with Thor (he's got an axe this time, not a hammer), seven of your favorite British "That Guys" shrunk down to dwarf size (hey, it's a mini Al Swearengen) plus Charlize Theron talking to the wall.

(Okay, there's a mirror who is totes connected to the "fair-o-meter" on the wall, but she's still talking to it.)

Fantasy film fans will feel right at home watching the film, however, since there are so many moments that are directly inspired by many of our most beloved epics. If your wicked stepmother lets you out of the house this weekend and lets you see the movie, here, in chronological order, are some moments of deja vu you may experience.

Oh, I suppose super sensitive readers might consider this a tad spoilerish. Buck up! You think The Huntsman worries about spoilers?!

Where've I seen that wheat before?

DreamWorks

The opening of "Snow White and the Huntsman" presents the childhood of young Snow (Snowflake?) as an idyllic time of gorgeously rendered, semi-slow motion familial bliss. As laughter echoes on the soundtrack and parents and children frolic, there's a shot from a low angle of the fondly recalled family unit partially obscured by tall brown reeds.

Yes, it's the same exact image that Russell Crowe's Maximus from "Gladiator" flashes on whenever he thinks about his lost family! Hey, if you are gonna' pinch from something, take from an Oscar winner.

Where've I seen this escape before?

Snow White's evil step mother stashes her in a castle tower as a little kid, then next time she checks in on her she's turned into Kristen Stewart. It's a neat trick.

When the story kicks into gear, Snow escapes, and does so by crawling through the gross, dirty castle sewer. While Snow only grimaces (or, at least, I think she is grimacing – that may be Kristen Stewart's default face) I was reminded of another character who took a similar trip, but did so making wisecracks along the way.

Yes – it was Phillipe "The Mouse" Gaston, Matthew Broderick's escaping thief in "Ladyhawke!"

Where've I seen that sad, equine demise before?

After Snow escapes, she's quickly chased by the Queen's army. Man, she could really use a horse. Luckily, there's a horse (this is amazing luck kinda-sorta explained later) and she rides it for a while. (She had horseback riding lessons before her imprisonment, I suppose.)

Soon, however, the horse gets caught in the muck and she has to abandon it unless she wants to get killed, too. Tragic! And strangely reminiscent of Atreyu's horse Artax drowning in the Swamp of Sadness from "The NeverEnding Story!"

Where've I seen this young Princess tweak out before?

After Snow lets her horse turn to glue she dashes into a dark wooded area. (Some might even call it the Dark Forest.)

The further in she goes, the more ominous sounds she hears. Her heart races. Strange eyes glare at her. In terror she collapses and, man oh man, it really reminds me of something so specific... I have it just on the tip of my tongue.

Ah yes! It's the scene when Snow White freaks out in the Dark Woods in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!" Oh, waitaminute... maybe that one doesn't count.

Where've I seen this montage of wonderment before?

Fox

Later in our story, Snow White takes a chill pill and learns to love the tripped-out woods. Indeed, just a few blocks from the scary part of town is a placed filled with pixies that burst out of birds, giant tortoises with moss fur all over them and mushrooms with eyeballs. The sequence is lovely and unfolds at a leisurely place. When a character asks, "where are we?" it took quite some restraint not to shout back, a la Colonel Quaritch from "Avatar," "You're on Pandora!"

Where've I seen this line of people walking in the snow before?

Without getting into too many specifics, Snow White, her dwarves, her Huntsman (or HuntsMEN) start marching, in a line, in the snow, off to a land that is giving off Mordor-esque smoke. It's impossible not to think about "Lord of the Rings" looking at this shot, and when a dwarf starts singing, well, then it's all over.

Where have I seen that floppity Kristen Stewart before?

Toward the end of "Snow White and the Huntsman" the Evil Queen offers Snow a poisoned apple (Spoiled Produce Alert!) She bites into it and - oh no - quickly succumbs to its venom. But not before she drops to the ground and does her impression of that bluefish your uncle caught on that boathouse trip when you were seven that made you cry.

This is a gift to the hardcore K-Stew fans, the Twi-hards that'll ensure this movie does big business opening weekend. It is, in my opinion, quite reminiscent of the end of "Twilight" (or, as we now call it, "The Twilight Saga: Twilight") when Edward must delicately suck out the poison of evil James' wrist-chomp. That Edward must do so without giving over to his natural inclination to, you know, kill Bella, makes this the first "vampire dry humping" scene put to film, but that's another story.

So, Fanboys - "Snow White and the Huntsman" - kind of a bargain at one ticket price if you want a second big screen look at some of your favorite moments!

Come back every Thursday for more intergalactic musings on Planet Fanboy and follow its fearless leader Jordan Hoffman on Twitter!

MTV's Sneak Peek Week is in full swing and Kristen Stewart fans are in for a rare treat, as the "Twilight" superstar sat down for an in-depth interview with Josh Horowitz and spilled the beans about every detail of "Snow White and the Huntsman."

And that's not all she and co-star Sam Claflin talked about; besides "Snow White," "Twilight" and Robert Pattinson's latest film "Cosmopolis," Stewart also spoke about her role in "On the Road" as well as her reaction to... the erotic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey?!"

Yes, it's a tour de force from MTV and KStew. So check it out. Because your mind is waiting to be blown and Sneak Peek Week is here to do it.

HSN

Just because "Snow White and the Huntsman" hasn't hit theaters yet doesn't mean you can't dress the part.

No, we're not talking about sporting some crazy raven-feather coat or heavy (and unflattering) suit of armor — we're talking about snapping up some pieces from the new HSN collection, inspired by the newest fairy tale reboot and ready to be shipped directly to your home in exchange for just a few monthly payments. (Yeah, it's a little odd, but we're still kinda into it.)

With a wide range of products at various prices, there's something for every "Snow White" fan — even those who think the evil queen's fashion sense is fairest of them all. The Love & Rock by Loree Rodkin Maltese Cross Crystal-Accented Cuff Bracelet mixes rocker attitude with a little bling without breaking the bank.

But other items, like the D.L. & Company Swarovski Enchanted Apple Candle are reserved for only the biggest fans spenders. Clocking in at a whopping $450.00, or four "easy" payments $112.50, this better be one "enchanted" candle. Like, it better do your calculus homework or something. Just sayin'.

So while some of the price points (like that one) made our blood run cold, the overall idea — and collection — is pretty darn cute. And, let's be honest, if there's anything we can do to look more like Charlize Theron or Kristen Stewart, we're in.

Visit HSN.com to check it out for yourself and get in touch with your own fairy tale style. Happy shopping!

Universal

We know by this point that the fairest of them all was not "Mirror Mirror," and "Snow White and the Huntsman" is a different beast entirely.

This kick-butt action adventure in the "Lord of the Rings" mold follows Ms. White (Kristen Stewart) as she is tracked by a dashing Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth); he eventually aids her in a fight against the sinister Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron). There's monsters and trippy effects galore in the summer's snowiest blockbuster.

1. The Queen's army is made up of the broken shards of a million recycled beer bottles.

2. Chris Hemsworth grumbles, "This would have been a lot easier if I'd brought my hammer."

3. The bridge troll briefly considers asking Snow White to prom, but loses his nerve.

4. In the post-"Game of Thrones" era, are audiences willing to embrace dwarves that aren't in the constant company of prostitutes?

5. The Huntsman gets his ass beat for not signing this guy's "Avengers" t-shirt. (It's under all the armor.)

6. Might not be a good idea to sass-talk a queen whose chair is flanked by reliefs of skeletons.

7. Now that you mention it, a position just opened up. Let's get you in touch with HR and start your paperwork ...

Universal

We haven't seen Kristen Stewart on film since last November, when she got pregnant, almost died and then opened her red eyes. True, she's in "On the Road," which premiered at Cannes International Film Festival last week; but none of us are fancy enough to visit the south of France, and who know when that indie will get a proper U.S. release?

"Snow White and the Huntsman" will probably be our only K.Stew fix until "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" in November, so it's time to get properly excited for this Grimms' fairy tale turned dark fantastical war film.

If I sound leery, I don't mean to. At first glance, yes, the film sounds absurd. However, after digging into it further, I've found 12 reasons to get excited about director Rupert Sanders' first full-length feature (even though I have no idea who he is).

1. It's not 'Mirror Mirror'

If you're lucky, you've already forgotten about this bomb that stars Lily Collins as Snow White and Julia Roberts as the Queen. It premiered in March and is so bad that "Snow White and the Huntsman" will be better simply because it's not "Mirror Mirror."

2. It's Snow White with balls

Not literally. Don't worry, Kristen Stewart does not play a transsexual Snow White (though I imagine she's quirky enough to try that role in the future). This film essentially takes the best parts of the "Snow White" fairy tale (the hot chicks, the huntsman, the heart-eating, the seven dwarves) and mashes it up with "Game of Thrones."

Also Check Out: Kristen Stewart in 8 Other Fairy Tale Reboots

3. It's half British

"Snow White and the Hunstman" is labeled a British/American production, which means you'll feel smarter just watching it. Don't believe me? Think about the other things that are British: William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, "Downton Abbey," Ricky Gervais, Robert Pattinson … Need I go on?

4. Charlize Theron gets naked in whole milk

I don't know how screenwriter Evan Daugherty saw into my dreams, but the trailer clearly depicts a naked Charlize Theron dipping herself in what looks like whole milk. It's just like "The Secret" says: If you truly believe it will happen, it will.

Universal

5. Kristen Stewart in armor

Let's be honest, a big reason we're all stoked about "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" is that we finally gets to see K.Stew stop being a delicate klutz and start kicking some ass. Well, she isn't an immortal vampire in this film, but she is still one tough chick in armor.

6. K.Stew swings a sword

See above.

7. K.Stew gets wet and muddy

Okay, sorry to get pervy again, but before Snow White straps on the armor and grabs a sword, she gets lost in the Dark Forest, aka the Muddy Forest. I'm not saying that's a turn-on for everyone, but there is a reason people pay to see women mud-wrestle.

8. Angry battling dwarves

In the Disney cartoon, the seven dwarves are bumbling, good-spirited guys named Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey. In this "Snow White," they're mean-spirited, carry violent weaponry and have names like Gort, Quert and Duir. These little guys kick some ass.

9. Nick Frost plays a dwarf

If you have any sense of humor at all, you no doubt love the films "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz" and "Paul." Now we get to see "the fat one" play a dwarf, and personally, I can't wait.

Universal

10. Chris Hemsworth gets medieval

Ever since he stormed onto the big screen with his barrel chest and Thor locks, Chris Hemsworth has been destined to get medieval on our asses. Viggo Mortensen, Johnny Depp and Hugh Jackman were all considered for the role as well, so perhaps this movie gives the young actor his launchpad to hit their level.

11. PG-13 for "intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality"

It could be better -- it could be R-rated -- but at least all you kiddies can see it now.

12. Strong reviews so far

Sure, the reviews are few at this point, but "Snow White and the Huntsman" currently sits at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. If it holds, it'll be Kristen Stewart's second-highest rated film of her career. "Adventureland" boasts a 89%.

Confessions of a (Male) Twi-Hard is a "Twilight" humor column by Ryan McKee that publishes every other week on NextMovie. Read Ryan’s introductory post here or follow him on Twitter.

'Snow White and the Huntsman' Premiere Photos

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NextMovie and a handful of other journalists from across the country caught up with "Snow White and the Huntsman" stars Kristen Stewart and Sam Claflin, thanks to the wonders of the Technology Age — or as we like to say, "The Future" — and chatted with the two about some of their experiences royal-ing it up on the London set of "Snow White."

First, we asked Stewart whether any of that raucous fight training she went through for "Snow White" and the final "Twilight" installment, "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," has carried over into her personal life ... Y'know, like with bar fights and such? "Nope," she said. In fact, she reported suffering a pretty gnarly thumb injury which looked "like a sausage" and began "hanging off."  "So... it didn't help," she answered. "But [I'm] still willing to do it. It's all good. The pain is cool, you get to watch someone in like actual discomfort rather than trying to fake it. It's cool."

We also asked the two whether they pulled inspiration for their regal "Snow White" personas from any other genre's characters, and while Claflin claimed to turned to William Shakespeare's "Henry V," which got an eyeroll from Stewart and himself, she said she saw some definite cross-over potential between "Snowy" and Joan of Arc. "She sees a light no one else does and sort of has the faith to see it through to the end," Stewart explained.

Don't miss the full interview in the video above!

NextMovie

Kristen Stewart is already known for playing one iconic literary figure, the vampire-loving Bella Swan in "The Twilight Saga." Now she's taking on the role of an even more famous heroine in "Snow White and the Huntsman," playing the lovely lady whose skin is the color of that frozen stuff that falls from the sky.

This is no ordinary retelling of the classic fairy tale. From our bedtime stories, we don't remember Snow White wielding a sword and leading a revolution against the evil queen; but Stewart's Snow isn't one to bite an apple and just lie down quietly.

Obviously, Stewart's got this "damsel not in distress" thing in the bag. What other fairy tale characters could she turn into kickass heroines? Goldilocks fighting off werebears? Jacqueline climbing the beanstalk? Our friend Old Red Jalopy had some ideas for a 8 more dusty fairy tales that could use a good Kristen Stewart reboot to the head.

More on "Snow White and the Huntsman"

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Once upon a time (well, a few hours ago) in a land far, far away (London, England, to be specific), the stars of "Snow White and the Hunstman" gathered to show off  their finery at the world premiere of this summer's fairy tale extravaganza.

Check out the gallery for pics of the lovely Kristen Stewart (Snow White), Charlize Theron (Queen Ravenna), Sam Claflin (Prince William), Chris Hemsworth (the titular Hunstman) and assorted friends as they walked the red carpet at  Leicester Square.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" arrives in theaters June 1, and everyone will live happily ever after.

The end.

Getty Images

"Snow White and the Huntsman" star Chris Hemsworth had a big weekend—and not because his hit movie "Avengers" continues to dominate the box office. Hemsworth, 28, and his wife Elsa Pataky, 35, welcomed a baby girl on Friday!

The proud parents named the new arrival India Rose, The Hollywood Reporter reveals. This is the first child for the couple, who wed in late 2010.

"We love the country and love the name," Hemsworth revealed. And how does Pataky feel? In a word: happy.

Back in January, when they first announced her pregnancy, Pataky mused, "Having the person you love by your side, and starting a family with them, is the best thing that can happen to you in this life," adding, "You can't ask for more."

That may be true, but it's "more" this couple is going to get, as "Avengers" hits the $1 billion (with a "b") mark and "Snow White and the Huntsman" opens on June 1. Between movie premieres, interviews and diaper-duty, Hemsworth may not get much of a summer vacation! Something tells us, however, that's he OK with that.

Our sincere congratulations to the happy parents!

Check out our whole gallery of Chris Hemsworth pics:

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Will Kristen Stewart dress up as her character for Halloween this year? Has Charlize Theron ever skinny-dipped?

These burning questions are just a glimpse of many more asked by MTV during After Hours' hilarious "Yes/No Show," where the stars of the upcoming twisted fairy tale "Snow White and the Huntsman," were only allowed to answer yes or no to some interesting questions.

To know if Chris Hemsworth has ever had an apple martini and see what else gets brought up, check out the video and get your answers within seconds.

And be sure to tune in to MTV for the full interview on Tuesday at 7:56 p.m.

Accents are always sexy, especially when they're done while fighting off an evil queen!

"Snow White and the Huntsman" star Kristen Stewart sat down with MTV First to discuss how hard she worked on her British accent in the upcoming fairy tale thriller.

"I worked at it for a while. I was really lucky I didn't have to jump in. I would have been terrified," she says.

Be sure to tune in to MTV for the full MTV First interview on Tuesday at 7:56 p.m.

Universal

Over the course of the last five decades, the Avengers have defeated some of the most powerful foes in the universe, from the Asgardian god of lies, Loki, to the villainy of the Red Skull to the brute might of the Abomination. But today they finally met a force too powerful for even Earth's Mightiest Heroes to overcome: The power of the Twihards.

The results of our 2012 Summer Movie Poll are in and Kristen Stewart's "Snow White and the Huntsman" took top honors, earning more votes than "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Rises" combined for the title of most anticipated film of the year.

And Stewart wasn't done there, as her take on Snow White also won the title of this summer's Most Badass Babe, defeating Scarlett Johansson's "Avengers" superspy Black Widow by the convincing margin of 69 percent to 27 percent.

"The Avengers" earned some major love itself, though, winning two other categories: Best Villain, where Tom Hiddleston's Loki earned 37 percent of the vote to edge out "The Dark Knight's" Bane (32 percent) and "Snow White and the Huntsman's" Evil Queen (28 percent), and Most Badass Dude, which collectively went to the Avengers with 36 percent to 33 percent for Christian Bale's Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises."

In a bit of an upset, though, Chris Evans' Captain America edged out fan favorite Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man for the title of Most Kickass Avenger by the margin of 34 percent to 32 percent.

Warner Bros.

There were some non-"Avengers," non-K.Stew categories as well. Pixar's "Brave" easily won the pick for this year's Best Animated Movie with an overwhelming 62 percent of the vote, while Johnny Depp's "Dark Shadows" similarly dominated the Best Non-Action category with nearly 64 percent of the vote. And the Adam Sandler comedy "That's My Boy" edged out Seth MacFarlane's dirty puppet show "Ted" in the Funniest Comedy category by a 41 percent to 34 percent margin.

Despite a strong showing in several categories, "The Dark Knight Rises" managed to top just one poll: Best Sequel, which it won easily over second place finisher "Step Up: Revolution," 64 percent to 17 percent.

Here are the full results:

 Which summer movie are you most excited about?
"Snow White and the Huntsman"  53.65%
"The Dark Knight Rises"  40.52%
"The Avengers"  3.92%
"Prometheus"  1.21%
"The Amazing Spider-Man"  0.7%

What will be the funniest comedy of the summer?
"That's My Boy"  41.43%
"Ted"  34.29%
"The Dictator"  11.43%
"Neighborhood Watch"  9.05%
"The Campaign"  3.81%

Who will be summer's most badass babe?
Snow White (Kristen Stewart), "Snow White and the Huntsman"  69.46%
Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), "The Avengers"  27.01%
Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), "The Dark Knight Rises"  1.91%
Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald), "Brave"  1.18%
Raikes (Rihanna), "Battleship"  0.45%

Marvel/Disney

Who will be summer's most badass dude?  
Any one of "The Avengers"  35.93%
Batman (Christian Bale), "The Dark Knight Rises"  33.53%
Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield), "The Amazing Spider-Man"  17.96%
Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker), "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"  6.59%
Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), "The Bourne Legacy"  5.99%

Which will be summer's best sequel?
"The Dark Knight Rises"  63.95%
"Step Up: Revolution"  16.86%
"Men in Black III"  9.3%
"The Expendables 2"  7.56%
"G.I. Joe: Retaliation"  2.33%

Which will be summer's best non-action movie?
"Dark Shadows"  63.92%
"Magic Mike"  19.07%
"Rock of Ages"  8.25%
"What to Expect When You're Expecting"  7.73%
"Sparkle"  1.03%

Pixar

What will be the best animated movie of the summer?
"Brave"  62.3%
"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted"  14.75%
"Ice Age: Continental Drift"  13.11%
"ParaNorman"  9.84%

Who will be summer's best villain?
Loki (Tom Hiddleston), "The Avengers" 37.51%
Bane (Tom Hardy), "The Dark Knight Rises" 32.4%
Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), "Snow White and the Huntsman" 28.28%
Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), "The Dark Knight Rises" 1.4%
The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), "The Amazing Spider-Man" 0.4%

Which Avenger will kick the most ass?
Captain America (Chris Evans)  34.32%
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.)  32.01%
The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)  13.53%
Thor (Chris Hemsworth)  11.88%
Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)  4.29%
Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)  3.96%

2012 Summer Movie Photos

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What would a blockbuster be without a damsel in distress to save, or a femme fatale to fight? A whole lot less fabulous, that's what.

Throughout the world, the summer movies season is synonymous with chiseled male champions braving larger-than-life adventures. But judging by the crop of broad comedies and action extravaganzas being offered up in the coming months, it looks like the ladies may give their A-list counterparts of the opposite sex a run for their money.

Have a look at 20 starlets who are going to steal the cinematic spotlight.

Columbia Pictures / Universal

There are roughly seven months until our next (and final) Twi-hard fix, with "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" dropping in November. I don't write that to bum you out. It's more of an embrace-the-day statement. Appreciate these seven months of build-up because in all likelihood, these will be your last (unless you've already started obsessing over "The Hunger Games").

That said, let's get excited for summer movies season -- the season that's no longer just about blockbusters and indies that aren't good enough for award season (although it's still mostly that). When it comes to summer films starring "Twilight" actors, we're lucky enough to get two apiece from Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson; and these hot months will also feature appearances from Dakota Fanning, Ashley Greene, "Eclipse" alumnus Xavier Samuel and my imaginary girlfriend Anna Kendrick.

Half of them look like solid films, too. The other half, well, let's be honest, as a sucker for "Twilight" actors, I'm still going to support them. And why not? I need something to beat the heat, and nobody wants to see me shirtless at the pool.

Kristen Stewart

Universal

As I mentioned above, KStew has two offerings for this summer, and they're coming hot and heavy, one right after another. First will be the long-awaited adaptation of Jack Kerouac's seminal novel "On The Road," dropping on May 23. I don't simply mean it's "long-awaited" because it's been in development for two years and Twi-hards have been itching to see Stewart as a crazy teenage '40s beatnik. Hollywood has been trying to adapt the book, in one form or another, since 1957. Why has it been so difficult? It's not exactly a "clean" story arc, giving directors license to get way too artsy with it. Don't get your hopes up too much. Let's just focus on the joy of seeing KStew getting sweaty dancing to jazz, man.

If "On The Road" does disappoint, you have "Snow White and the Huntsman" around the corner on June 1, and that seems highly likely to be awesome. Stewart couldn't have played her cards much better: a notable indie dropping right before a shoo-in summer blockbuster. She'll dominate the movie press for at least those two weeks.

Robert Pattinson

Columbia Pictures

Like his lady, R.Pattz also has an upcoming art-house film and a larger budget film. "Bel Ami," coming on June 8, is based on an 1885 French novel by Guy de Maupassant and, despite costarring Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Christina Ricci, looks about as boring as it sounds. But I get why Pattinson signed on. He needs to do everything in his power to go beyond Edward.

His larger-budget film, "Cosmopolis," debuts next month at Cannes and, for my money, is the most intriguing movie on this list. It's by no means a guaranteed blockbuster like "Snow White," but it has the most dark-horse potential to be an awards winner and a cult classic. Directed by David Cronenberg ("A History of Violence," "Eastern Promises") and based on a Don DeLillo novel, it's the best chance Pattinson has to break the Edward typecasting.

Anna Kendrick

Lionsgate

While I'm not going to crunch the numbers, it's likely Kendrick will be the "Twilight" cast member who gets the most work in Hollywood. That's why it's no surprise Kendrick appears in May 18's "What to Expect When You're  Expecting," since the studio tried to squeeze as many marketable names as it could in this ensemble cast. She plays Rosie, a character "who reunites with an old flame and fellow food-truck owner and becomes pregnant." Other than that, I can't tell you more than the film's omnipresent marketing has already done.

Dakota Fanning

Getty Images

It appears as if Dakota is finally ready to step up and start being the critical darling everyone has wanted her to be since "I Am Sam" in 2001. While I don't think "Now Is Good" will win her any awards, it's a step in the right direction. She plays a girl dying of leukemia who compiles a bucket list. Topping the list is her desire to lose her virginity. Okay, I'm listening. Costarring actor Jeremy Irvine from "War Horse," the film definitely has potential. Look for it May 25.

Ashley Greene

Warner Bros.

Getting into late summer, we have Greene starring in the horror/thriller "The Apparition" on August 24. Isn't this what we expected Greene to be, a hot girl in medium-budget thrillers? She seems to have all the parts for it. She's great-looking with average-at-best acting chops. I could give you the movie's plotline here, but don't you already know what it's about? It's supernatural, it's scary and it'll open decently its first weekend and then fade away.

Xavier Samuel

Getty Images

While most of you will already be back in school by September 6, I'm still counting it as summer, especially since the Xavier Samuel vehicle "Bait" has all the elements of summer's typical no-thought, fun-time thrillers. A freak tsunami traps shoppers at a coastal Australian supermarket inside the building ... along with a pack of tiger sharks. Of course! Why didn't Alfred Hitchcock think of that?

Confessions of a (Male) Twi-Hard is a "Twilight" humor column by Ryan McKee that publishes every other week on NextMovie. Read Ryan’s introductory post here or follow him on Twitter.

To say we're excited for "Snow White and the Huntsman," which hits theaters on June 1, would be a huge understatement.

It's a classic fairy tale gone dark, complete with a gorgeous evil queen played by a totally diabolical-looking Charlize Theron and a pair of strapping fellas in Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin.

And then, of course, there's the Bella of the ball herself, Kristen Stewart.

Needless to say, we're psyched every time we get a little gander at what this film's going to look like. We figured you might feel the same, so we went ahead and created this gallery of all the "Snow White and the Huntsman" photos released so far.