What happens when two of Hollywood’s most creative minds team up to make a movie? The answer is Super 8, written and directed by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Lost) and produced by Steven Spielberg (credits unnecessary, don’t you think?) opening in theaters on June 10. In the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, the two filmmakers come together at Abrams’ office in Santa Monica for a wide-ranging discussion about their recent collaboration and their surprisingly long history of working with each other. The relationship began nearly 30 years ago when Abrams — then a teenage wannabe filmmaker growing up geeky in Los Angeles, along with his best friend Matt Reeves (who co-created Felicity with Abrams and directed Cloverfield) — were hired to repair the 8mm Spielberg shot during his youth. “I remember working on this one film and getting to the credits where it said: ‘Written and directed by Steve Spielberg.’ Not ‘Steven.’ Steve Spielberg!” recalls Abrams. “I told Matt: I am totally going to cut one of these ‘Steve Spielberg’ frames out of this film and keep it for myself, but Matt talked me out of it.”
“People only called me Steven after my first screen credit,” replies Spielberg. “I prefer Steve, but those days are long gone.” READ FULL STORY »
Having delivered the craziest morning-after in cinematic history with 2009′s The Hangover, the team behind the Hangover Part II knew they needed to up the ante for the sequel. But how do you top the mayhem of a rampaging Mike Tyson, a live tiger, Tasers, roofies, and general Las Vegas debauchery? Apparently you go to Bangkok.
Jack Sparrow doesn’t usually feel regret, though he does at times feel lost. Fans of the devil-may-care seafarer may know what it’s like to be there with him.
Potter fans, take heart: The top-grossing movie franchise of all time will not end with a whimper. “The new film is just a relentless action movie,” says Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. “It Just. Does. Not. Stop.” In this week’s cover story, we visit the stars and filmmakers on the set and learn secrets of the final, climactic installment, which hits theaters July 15. Such as? Well, for one thing, the final showdown between Harry and evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in a wand duel at Hogwarts will be a little different from what author J.K. Rowling described in her 2007 novel. This time, the chase leads through Hogwarts and culminates in a very physical brawl as the two foes “apparate” (i.e., teleport) toward and away from each other. 
Released in December 1996, Scream was a sleeper hit that grossed just $6 million in its first weekend but went on to rake in $103 million in the U.S. The winking, self-aware thriller, directed by A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Wes Craven, followed a group of teens well versed in the rules of horror films — and spoke to a young audience just as savvy about the genre’s clichés. It yielded two sequels, which amassed $101 million and $89 million, respectively. In total, the franchise surpassed more than half a billion dollars internationally. On April 15, after eleven long years, it’s finally returning to theaters, along with original cast members Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell.
Twilight-fans, take heart: Robert Pattinson is every bit as good-looking and thick-maned as he appears onscreen. But don’t confuse him with his brooding characters — the 24-year-old actor is surprisingly open, chatty, and quick to laugh. Pattinson talked with EW last week about his upcoming film Water for Elephants (in theaters April 22), in which he plays a traveling-circus veterinarian who falls for the show’s star attraction, played by Reese Witherspoon. He also discussed what his future might look like once he’s finished with Twilight. “You can never really predict what an audience wants or how to maintain a career,” he says, “other than doing what you think is cool.” But, Pattinson laughs, “Generally, what I think is cool is what everyone else hates.” 
