One of the biggest surprises today at Comic Con came at the end of the Fox panel when, unscheduled, a very special guest appeared. Coming straight from filming in Australia, Hugh Jackman leapt onstage to introduce the first footage from Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Needless to say the crowd went absolutely mental.

What was shown was a sizzle reel of footage that will likely form the basis of the first trailer. Action-packed isn’t even the word for it and several scenes, including appearances from other well known mutant characters, drew forth a storm of applause.

The footage begins with Jackman’s Logan and Liev Schreiber’s Victor Creed (aka Sabertooth) huddled in a prison cell in army fatigues (Creed’s fingernails are noticeably claw-like). Danny Huston’s William Stryker stands before them.
Stryker: “You were sentenced to death for decapitating a senior officer. Your sentence was carried out by a firing squad at 10:00 hours. How did that go?”
Cut to the two tied to stakes and a squad of soldiers opening fire.
Cut back to the cell.
Logan: “It tickled.”
Logan and Creed are seen escaping, followed by a shot of Logan silhouetted by a huge explosion as he walks towards the camera.
Stryker: “My name is Major William Stryker. Tired of denying your true nature?”
Creed: “What do you care?”
Stryker: “Oh I care. I care because I know how valuable you are. I’m putting together a special team. With special privileges. So tell me, how would you like to really serve your country?”

As this is said a variety of images flash across the screen, including Logan with bone claws, an acrobatic Taylor Kitsch as Gambit with his staff glowing at both ends, Silverfox, The Blob and a very brief shot of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool – although he looked more like a normal Ryan Reynolds in a red t-shirt than the masked/scarred Deadpool of the comics.

Cut to: Images of the adamantium injection tank from X2.
Creed: “We didn’t sign up for this.”
Creed: “Who do you think you are?”
Creed: “This is what we do.”
Stryker: “Become the animal.”
Stryker: “Embrace the other side.”

Cut to: a series of images of Logan undergoing the Weapon X experimentation, being submerged in the tank and having adamantium bonded to his skeleton. We see an x-ray image of the metal going into his skull. His claws pop out – now metal-coated – and he springs from the tank in a classic Weapon X look with the adamantium injection spikes still protruding from his body. He attacks everyone around him.

Unidentified Voice: “We’re making him indestructible.”
Cut to: Logan as a boy, bone claws extended.
From there the action heats up with Wolverine clashing several times with Sabertooth in some impressive action sequences (Creed flies through the air, claws first, in one). There are also more images of The Blob and Gambit. Logan in a jeep, which explodes, flinging him into the air where he latches onto the front of a helicopter with his claws.

Cut to: a close up of Logan facing off against Sabertooth
Logan: “I’m gonna cut your god damn head off. See if that works”
He pops his claws.

Jackman went on to say that they’ve just wrapped so nothing’s finished yet but he did say that fans can expect a large amount of “berserker rage” from the film and thanked geeks everywhere, without whom he “wouldn’t have a career.” He also singled out Wolverine creator Len Wein (who happened to be sitting next to Empire) for a very special thanks.

Now, whatever misgivings fans may hold over the film, there’s no denying they saw an impressive sequence, and if the rest of the film is as good as what was shown today then Wolverine may turn out to be a worthy X-sequel after all.
James Dyer

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The Transporter star Jason Statham takes the wheel in director Paul W.S. Anderson's remake of the Roger Corman classic about a hyper-violent cross-country race that breaks all of the traditional rules of the road. The time is the not-so-distant future, and as America's prisons begin overflowing with violent criminals, the powers that be devise a grisly game that will free up space in the cells on and entertain the masses at the same time. Jensen Ames (Statham) is a three-time speedway champion with a dark past. A survival expert and ex-con whose sordid history comes back to haunt him when he is framed for a murder he didn't commit, Ames is forced to choose between donning the metallic mask of a mythical racer known as Frankenstein or languishing away on Terminal Island -- America's most notorious penitentiary. Over the course of the next three days, this unlikely champion will get behind the wheel of a nightmare machine outfitted with machine guns, grenade launchers, and flamethrowers in a desperate attempt to outrun some of the most violent criminals ever imprisoned. Should Ames be the first to cross the checkered flag, he will win his freedom; should he come in second, however, death would be preferable to a grim future in a cramped concrete cell. Co-stars include Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez, and Tyrese Gibson, who takes over the role of Machine Gun Joe, made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the original. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide


Cast: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson, Natalie Martinez
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Genres: Sci-Fi Action, Science Fiction

Actor reportedly injures hand; officers say he was clearly intoxicated at scene.

Shia LaBeouf was injured in a car crash on Sunday morning (July 27) and was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence, according to The Associated Press.

Sergeant S. Wolf of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told AP that the "Indiana Jones" co-star was the driver of a vehicle that was involved in a collision at 3 a.m. Sunday morning. Wolf said LaBeouf, his passenger and the other driver were all injured, although he said he did not know the extent of their injuries. Wolf also said officers at the scene reported that LeBeouf was clearly intoxicated, and said it was unknown whether the actor will face felony or misdemeanor charges; TMZ, citing unidentified law-enforcement sources, reported later Sunday morning that LaBeouf will be cited and released on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI, and that neither the actor's passenger nor the other driver were seriously injured.

TMZ reported on Sunday that LaBeouf allegedly made an illegal left and struck the other car at the corner of La Brea and Fountain avenues in Hollywood, which caused his vehicle to roll. The site reported that the actor badly injured his hand and will need surgery. TMZ cited an unidentified source as saying LaBeouf will be in the hospital "for a while."

The actor has had less serious legal difficulties in recent months. Last fall he was arrested at a Chicago Walgreens drugstore for criminal trespass after refusing the leave the premises. In February he received a ticket for illegal smoking, and a bench warrant was briefly issued for his arrest after he and his lawyer failed to show up for a court appearance regarding the ticket.

When the mischievous antics of a precocious 12-year-old girl result in the outcome of the United States presidential election hinging on the vote of her apathetic, likable loser of a father, the man who thought that life had long since passed him by is reluctantly thrust into the national spotlight in this political-themed comedy starring Kevin Costner. Bud Johnson (Costner) is your typical American -- a simple man and loving father who never would have thought he had the power to change the world. Though when election day finally arrives and Bud prepares to cast his ballot, his over-achieving daughter Molly proves the catalyst for a stunning series of events that place the fate of the free world in the hands of a man more comfortable slinging cases of beer -- her father. The two candidates will be portrayed by Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer, with Nathan Lane and Stanley Tucci set to play their campaign managers. George Lopez also stars as a local TV-station manager that has to deal with the political factions as they set up camp in the small town. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast: Kevin Costner, Madeline Carroll, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez
Director: Joshua Michael Stern
Genres: Political Satire, Comedy

Explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid Himalayas. Rick is joined in this all-new adventure by son Alex, wife Evelyn and her brother, Jonathan. And this time, the O'Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service. Doomed by a double-crossing sorceress to spend eternity in suspended animation, China's ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent terra cotta army. But when dashing adventurer Alex O'Connell is tricked into awakening the ruler from eternal slumber, the reckless young archaeologist must seek the help of the only people who know more than he does about taking down the undead: his parents. As the monarch roars back to life, our heroes find his quest for world domination has only intensified over the millennia. Striding the Far East with unimaginable supernatural powers, the Emperor Mummy will rouse his legion as an unstoppable, otherworldly force... unless the O'Connells can stop him first.

Genres: Action/Adventure and Sequel
Release Date: August 1st, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for adventure action and violence.

Christian Bale turned himself in to London police early Tuesday (July 22), after allegations of assault were made against him, and was released from custody several hours later. He was not charged.

The "Dark Knight" star, who was in London to promote the film, was allowed to attend the U.K. premiere at a Leicester Square theater Monday night because he made an appointment to turn himself in the following morning. The alleged incident took place on Sunday night at the actor's hotel, the Dorchester on Park Lane, and involved Bale's mother Jenny and his sister Sharon, who went to the police in Hampshire to make a report.

"Christian Bale attended a London police station today on a voluntary basis in order to assist with an allegation that has been made against him to the police by his mother and sister," the actor's spokesperson said in a statement. "Mr. Bale, who denies the allegation, co-operated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and has left the station without any charge being made against him by the police."

After being held for more than four hours, Bale was released on the condition that he returns to the station at an unspecified date in September, a London Metropolitan Police spokesperson told MTV News. The spokesperson declined to reveal the conditions of his release, termed as "bail" in the U.K. — although no money is exchanged, as it would be in the U.S. "He has been bailed," a London Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, "pending further investigation into two separate inquiries," referring to the reports from Bale's mother and sister.

At Monday's premiere, Bale told MTV U.K. that the movie was a success because it is a "perfect storm."

"The hype has been good, the reviewers have responded, you've got great portrayals, you've got a great cast, and a great director in Christopher Nolan," Bale said. "And of course you've got Heath Ledger giving a fantastic portrayal of the Joker. He deserves all the credit that people are giving him."

Bale was slated to meet with journalists to promote the film further at his hotel on Tuesday.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars showcases an entirely new look and feel to the galaxy far, far away--combining the expansive scope of the Star Wars Saga with state-of-the-art computer-generated animation. On the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil, fans young and old will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin's padawan learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains--led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and General Grievous--are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and the fate of the Star Wars universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and astonishing new revelations that fill Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Cast: Anthony Daniels, Matthew Wood

Director: Dave Filoni

Genres: Science Fiction

Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), pampered action superstar, sets out for Southeast Asia to take part in the biggest, most-expensive war movie produced. But soon after filming begins, he and his co-stars, Oscar-winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey), comic Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) and the rest of the crew, must become real soldiers when fighting breaks out in that part of the jungle.

Cast: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr., Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Danny R. McBride, Steve Coogan, Bill Hader, Nick Nolte

Director: Ben Stiller

Genres: Action Comedy, Comedy, Showbiz Comedy