Much to Ben Stiller’s chagrin, the cat is now officially out of the bag about Tom Cruise’s cameo in “Tropic Thunder” (check out our new Ben Stiller interview here). This morning, the New York Times reported at length about Cruise’s performance in Stiller’s upcoming big summer comedy. So the surprise is gone. Oh, well. But I am here to tell you that it will do nothing to detract from your enjoyment of “Tropic Thunder” when it opens August 15. And it all comes down to one man. No, not Cruise. Robert Downey Jr.

I’ve seen “Tropic Thunder” and as I’ve been telling anyone who will listen since, Robert Downey Jr.’s performance is absolutely one of the funniest I have seen in years.

As you’ve seen from the trailer by now, Downey plays an actor so committed to his craft that he’s altered the pigment of his skin to play an African-American soldier in Vietnam. But this is so much more than a stunt performance. We’re far too early for me to reveal any specific moments from the performance but I will say that Downey is mesmerizing from his first moments in the film (he appears alongside a high profile star in a movie within a movie that is kind of genius).

This is clearly going to be a huge year for Downey between “Iron Man” and co-starring in “Atonement” director Joe Wright’s latest, “The Soloist.” But as much as the latter may sound like Oscar-bait, I am here to tell you that his turn in “Tropic Thunder” is worthy of awards consideration. It’s a role we’ll be talking about for years to come. Trust me.

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

- Guillermo del Toro, Brendan Fraser, and Chris Carter among attendees as full line-up released for Comic-Con NY. (Coming Soon)

- Wither go thee Robin? Chris O’Donnell back with a role in “Max Payne.” (Entertainment Weekly)

- Would you like to play a game? Trailer released for the direct-to-DVD “War Games 2.” (/film)

- Ben Stiller picks up “The Return of King Doug,” about a man who must return to the fantasy world he abandoned. (Hollywood Reporter)

- Hayden Panettiere to kiss and tell in “Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List.” (Variety)

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

- Djimon Hounsou goes crazy over a comic book trilogy, and it could be…Conan? (CHUD)

- Protego! Daniel Radcliffe reportedly under constant protection after death threats. (Metro UK)

- A slew of pictures from the set of “X-Men Origins” pop up online. (Just Jared)

- Alternate ending for “I Am Legend” gets leaked. (/film)

- First look at Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and (holy crap) Robert Downey Jr. from “Tropic Thunder.” (EW)

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

When we spoke to comic superstar Will Ferrell for his new film “Semi-Pro,” one of the biggest nagging questions we wanted answered was the status of that long-rumored sequel to Ben Stiller’s ode-to-male-modeling, “Zoolander.”

“Yeah, there was a little talk,” Ferrell admitted. “I brought it up to Ben really five years after the fact. Just for whatever reasons, it’s just not crystallizing.”

One of the biggest obsticles for the actor? How his evil designer Mugatu could fit into the plot. “That’s the other thing,” Ferrell says, sighing. “I mean, Mugatu, what do you do with that guy? Would he still be obsessed with that?”

To read (and watch) the full “MTV Rough Cut: Will Ferrell” interview, click here.

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]

The cast continues to come together for the highly anticipated sequel to “Night at the Museum.” We knew the film, subtitled “Escape from the Smithsonian” once again starred Ben Stiller, this time alongside newcomers Hank Azaria and Amy Adams, but now we know some other familiar faces are returning, plus who the villain is.

“I am playing a fictional Egyptian pharaoh that comes to life,” Azaria revealed to MTV News. “I’m the villain in the movie and have all sorts of nasty plans for modern society and poor Ben Stiller gets caught in the middle of it.”

As for the rest of the cast, Azaria says that recent addition Amy Adams will in fact be playing Amelia Earhart and that many of the original cast are set to return. “Owen [Wilson] is coming back and so is Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais. And there’s other fun folks too who haven’t officially signed on yet playing historical figures,” he teased.

Thomas Jefferson? Queen Elizabeth? Who do you want to see in “Night at the Museum 2″ and more importantly, who should play them?

[Source : MTV Movies Blog]