New to the site! Do you see Rob? He’s in the background!

Thank you to @NikkiReedAddict for the picture!

Thank you to Elite Affiliate Diario Twilight for the tip!

David Cronenberg, a 19th century police detective and flesh-eating zombies have helped Ontario’s film and television industry reap a record $1.26-billion for the provincial economy last year.

The figures mark a 31% increase or $300 million from the previous year and are the best results recorded since the Ontario Media Development Corporation started gathering data in 1986.

The real success story, Karen Thorne-Stone, president and CEO of the corporation, said Tuesday, is that domestic production accounts for almost 70% of all activity. She cited the success of home-grown television shows such as the police dramas Flashpoint and Murdoch Mysteries.

“It means we have stability in the system and our talents in front and behind the cameras are employed,” she said after delivering a lunch-time speech at The Economic Club of Canada.

The figures, which were released Tuesday, also show a 165% increase in domestic feature film spending, thanks in part to Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis and Resident Evil: Retribution (its predecessor, Resident Evil: Afterlife, is Canada’s top-grossing film, having taken in $300-million worldwide).

Canada’s film industry has boomed over the last decade or so as foreigner took advantage of the sagging Canadian dollar. But for years, folks in so-called Hollywood North feared that the opportunities would dry up once the dollar came closer to par with the U.S. dollar.

“Ontario is no longer the discount location,” Thorne-Stone said. “People are coming here because we have quality, reliability and world-class talent … Even as we watched the Canadian dollar rise, to notice that the phone is still ringing and projects are still coming, that’s very heartening.”

Toronto competes with Los Angeles, New York, London and Vancouver when attracting large productions. Donna Zuchlinski, the corporation’s film commissioner, said the low dollar helped the develop the infrastructure and the crews in the province. “But as the crews matured and the infrastructure grew, it was the reputation that we had that superseded where the dollar was at,” she added.

She pointed to resources such as Pinewood Toronto Studios, the largest studio complex in the country which accommodates big blockbuster movies, and the province’s leadership in 3D technology; films such as Tron, Harry Potter and Twilight: Breaking Dawn came to Ontario for post-production and visual effects work.

“If you look at A Dangerous Method for example, you might not think there is any CGI element to it at all but we did tons of work here in Toronto on getting the look of that period of Western Europe right through CG enhancements,” said Martin Katz, the Toronto-based producer of Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method. “As each part of the industry grows, it helps to shoehorn other parts of the industry.”

In comparison to Ontario’s film industry, Vancouver historically has received more foreign productions than Canadian-based work, making it more vulnerable to the rises and falls of the dollar. However, Susan Croome, BC Film Commissioner, said last year was “a solid year” in B.C. with blockbusters such as the latest Mission Impossible and Superman films being filmed in the province.

“Canada is recognized as being a very stable, safe place to do business,” she said. “Clients want to go with a sure bet with high quality and people who deliver on our promises.”

The B.C. Film Commission will release its numbers later this month.

BY THE NUMBERS

$165.9-million The contribution to the economy from domestic feature film production in 2011 due to co-productions such as Resident Evil: Retribution, Foxfire, Cosmopolis and Silent Hill: Revelation 3D

$231.6-million The amount reaped from foreign feature film production. While the number of foreign feature films dropped slightly, budgets were larger including two of the biggest films ever shot in Ontario: Total Recall and Pacific Rim.

$626.7-million The contribution from domestic television series including Rookie Blue, The Firm and The L.A. Complex, shows which were also picked up by U.S. networks.

25% The Ontario Production Services Tax Credit which includes all eligible Ontario production costs

Daniel Radcliffe had a good weekend, but where does his career stack up against that of another actor who’s likewise trying to prove his worth outside of a somewhat-popular franchise?

Let’s take a look.

It’s Harry Potter’s Radcliffe vs. Twilight’s Robert Pattinson:

ROUND ONE: THE ART-HOUSE DEBUT

Radcliffe’s December Boys came and went in 2007; Pattinson’s Little Ashes came and went in 2009.

And while Little Ashes wound up making eight times as much money domestically as December Boys, December Boys wound up making about four times as much money internationally as Little Ashes.

Shall we call it even?

No.

The Winner: Pattinson. Radcliffe might have had to appear on screen for the first time in his Potter career without his Potter glasses, but Pattinson had to overcome a black dye-job and a Salvador Dali mustache.

ROUND TWO: THE WIDE-RELEASE DEBUT

Radcliffe’s The Woman in Black very nearly took No. 1 in the latest box-office campaign, with a surprisingly strong $21 million.

Pattinson’s Remember Me, a 2010 film, debuted in fifth place, with a so-so $8 million.

Radcliffe gets points for having the smarts to go with a period piece (which put his Potter vibe to good use, and proved much less jarring than, say, seeing him kick it in a rom-com) and a money genre (no, haunted house movies never do get old).

Pattinson gets points for having the bravery to go with a non-money genre (romantic drama), and for having the star power to turn the $16 million film into a $56 million worldwide money-maker.

The winner: Actually, let’s call this one even. Radcliffe’s weekend was strong, but so is Pattinson’s leading-man mojo.

ROUND THREE: THE BOTTOM LINE

By Box Office Mojo’s count, Radcliffe has been the star of 10 movies that have combined to gross $2.4 billion domestically; Pattinson has been the star of eight movies with a combined domestic gross of $1.4 billion.

The winner: Radcliffe, obviously.

THE VERDICT

If and when Radcliffe produces another non-Potter hit, then he’ll have the title outright, but for now he shares it with Pattinson, who has proven his worth by selling tough-to-sell movies.

23. Voldemort rises

The Scene: Harry and Cedric touch the Triwizard cup together, only to find themselves transported to the graveyard at Little Hangleton where a re-born Voldemort is waiting…

The Awesome: Poor old Cedric meets his maker in one of the first shocking death scenes of the series. It won’t be the last…

Mention begins at 6:43…

It might be “understandable” for Katy Perry to skip out on attending the People’s Choice Awards, but you, friend, have no excuse.

However, if for some reason you missed out on the small-screen party, we got you covered. Not only do we have a full recap of the awards show as a resource, but we’ll also give you some of the bigger highlights, which include haircuts, Harry Potter and no-shows (other than K.P.).

1. Robert Pattinson’s Hair: What just happened?! We already endured that unpleasant time when he got a funky new cut, but now the ‘do that made him famous is practically all buzzed off! Doesn’t he know he can’t just make such drastic changes before consulting with the fans first?

I’m over a week late, but Happy New Year, Twi-hards. I hope you all had a great time covering yourselves in glitter and playing pin-the-tail on the R.Pattz, or whatever it is you choose to do on New Year’s Eve.

Last year during this time, I urged you to make the resolution to watch more “Twilight” because “Eclipse” was only No. 4 in the 2010 box office numbers. Sadly, you didn’t listen to me. “Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ came in fifth in 2011, behind even “Kung Fu Panda 2.” C’mon, people! That’s just sad. Resolve right now to make “Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ top the 2012 box office numbers, like the last installment of “Harry Potter” did this year. We can’t lose to those Pot-heads … again.

Enough with the browbeating, it’s time to look ahead at an exciting year for “The Twilight Saga” cast. Not only will they be completing the best movie franchise of all time, but they’ll be flying out on their own with new, more adult projects. Here’s a look into their future.

Robert Pattinson

R.Pattz showed up at 2011′s Comic-Con with f—ed up hair and caused hundreds of Twi-hard teens to experience minor heart palpitations. “Has our only reason for living gone crazy?” they wondered. Their worries eased when they found out it’s only a haircut for his character in this year’s “Cosmopolis,” a film based on prolific writer Don DeLillo’s 13th novel. It’s being directed by dark genius David Cronenberg (“A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises”), so Pattinson may finally have a shot at winning critics over with his serious side.

In March, we’ll finally get to see the long-promised movie “Bel Ami.” From the trailer, it seems like a Victorian period piece oin which Pattinson gets to make love to Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas. I can’t wait.

Dear Ted:
The People’s Choice Awards crept up on me this year, and I’m very surprised to see Breaking Dawn excluded from all categories. It’s not even mentioned once! What happened here? Now I know the critics pretty much raked it over the coals, but the fan response was pretty huge! Making it one of the biggest movies of the year! Personally, I loved it, so I’m a little hurt to see it snubbed.
—Very Baffled

Dear No Break for Breaking Dawn:
We were surprised, too, since Rob, Kris and the rest of the Twi-crew snagged four awards in 2011, but Harry Potter seems all the rage for 2012. But remember, part two of H.P. is stealing the spotlight, and we’ve still got a whole ‘nother half of Breaking Dawn to get excited for. Me thinks Breaking Dawn will feel the love, just perhaps in 2013. Better luck at the Teen Choice Awards!

mention 1:50

Harry Potter has bitten the dust; the Twilight Saga is staggering to a close. While the film industry gets used to the idea that two of its biggest cash cows will no longer be delivering, 2012 marks the moment that a clutch of very rich, very famous actors, all in their late teens and early 20s, will be let loose on the cinematic world, to run their careers as they like.

Three of the most bankable names on the planet are Potter graduates: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. Another three are from Twilight: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. The Potter kids have been locked into their series for longer, and have had to negotiate a very public adolescence.

Arguably, it’s Pattinson who looks to be making the most interesting moves. At 25, he’s the oldest, and cut his teeth as Cedric Diggory in the Potter films. In the past he has demonstrated a literary/artistic bent (he played Salvador Dalí in his last pre-Twilight film, Little Ashes), and he’s going down that road again next year, with Bel Ami (released 2 March), an adaptation of the Maupassant novel. Later in the year we should be getting Cosmopolis, another literary adaptation (of Don DeLillo’s 2003 novel), which has Pattinson as a mega-rich asset manager stuck in a limo for 24 hours. The director is David Cronenberg, so chances are this will be pretty special.

To read the entire article, click here!

April

The first real blockbuster of 2011 arrived on April 29 when Fast Five raced to an $86 million opening weekend on its way to $209.8 million. Looks like the “summer movie season,” which already begins early in May, will now include late April as well. The month’s two other success stories were both aimed at kids. Rio soared to $143.6 million total, while Hop hopped to $108.1 million, thanks to its proximity to Easter. Water for Elephants earned a modest $58.7 million, a bit underwhelming considering the popularity of the book. Insidious finished close behind with $54 million, but with a tiny $1.5 million budget, the horror flick was one of the most successful films of the year, and it outperformed Scream 4, which failed to revive the ghostface franchise with $38.2 million. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family made a Madea-esque $53.3 million, which was better than the medieval James Franco comedy Your Highness ($21.6 million). April had two outright bombs: Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil, the first of many underperforming animated sequels, and Disney’s Prom — both films earned $10.1 million. Oh, and to be totally subjective for one second, the totally underrated Hanna made a just-okay $40.3 million. That is a total shame!

November

In what came as a surprise to absolutely no one, November’s top release was the penultimate Twilight movie, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, which has earned $272.7 million so far, and may finish just below $280 million. That’s a bit short of 2010′s Eclipse, which sucked up $300.5 million, but it’s still huge, and Summit’s not worried — they still have the sure-thing Twilight finale ready for theaters in 2012. No other movies even came close to Breaking Dawn, as November proved to be an exceedingly weak month at the box office. In 2008-2010, November movies pulled in an average of $1.2 billion each year. This year, partially due to a very weak Thanksgiving frame, November films have only earned $855 million. Swords-and-sandals actioner Immortals slashed up $82.2 million, while Eddie Murphy/Ben Stiller comedy Tower Heist stole a middling $76.4 million. Both films carried a $75 million price tag. The Muppets, budgeted at $40 million, proved more successful, although the film fell quickly after its five-day opening of $41.5 million, and it has earned $78.9 million so far. After this point, things get very grim. Adam Sandler made a rare misstep with Jack and Jill, which grossed $71.1 million — well short of his $100 million standard. Happy Feet Two found a chilly $60.3 million, less than a third of the original Happy Feet‘s $198 million cume. Two other family films did even worse. Hugo, which is rumored to have cost about $150 million, has earned $45 million and won’t likely make it much further. Arthur Christmas only unwrapped $44 million against a $90 million budget. J. Edgar couldn’t overcome negative buzz and took in a sad $36.3 million. The film will be passed in no time by The Descendants, which has platformed all the way to $35.2 million and has ample life remaining. Fellow Oscar-bait limited releases haven’t fared as nicely, but its a bit too soon to rule out My Week With Marilyn ($7.8 million), The Artist ($3.4 million), Melancholia ($2.4 million), or A Dangerous Method ($1.1 million).

Top 10 Highest Grossing Movies in 2011

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – $381.1 million
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $352.4 million
3. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – $272.7 million
4. The Hangover Part II – $254.5 million
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – $241.1 million
6. Fast Five – $209.8 million
7. Cars 2 – $191.5 million
8. Thor – $181 million
9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $176.7 million
10. Captain America: The First Avenger – $176.7 million

“Harry Potter” and “Twilight” sequels were among the top-grossing movies of the year, but fans of the two series weren’t just spending their money at the box office.The franchises are listed on this year’s edition of eBay’s “Top Shopped” report, which ranks the pop culture moments and trends that “captured shoppers’ attention — and cash — in 2011.”

“Harry Potter” and “Twilight” rank second and third, respectively, behind the NFL. More than 446,000 Harry Potter items were sold on eBay, compared to 297,330 items connected to the Twilight series, including 11,352 Robert Pattinson items and 4,020 Kristen Stewart items.

1. NFL
2. “Harry Potter”
3. “Twilight”
4. Call of Duty
5. Green Bay Packers
6. iPad
7. Sade
8. Justin Bieber
9. “Glee”
10. Charlie Sheen

Source

Like you, we’re pop-culture obsessives.

That’s why from stars revealing baby bumps on live TV to the end (or near-end) of two of the most monumental movie franchises in recent memory and the deaths of a pair of the aughts’ quirkiest, most singular personalities, MTV News brought you everything you needed to know about the bold-faced names that mattered to you most in 2011.

We looked back at the many big stories of the year and came up with a list of our Top 10 Newsmakers of 2011:

2. “Breaking Dawn, Part 1″ Arrives

The second-to-last episode in the vamps-and-werewolves series was picked apart like a Thanksgiving turkey, with our experts delving into every scene in the trailer, every morsel of pre-release information on the now-famous wedding and birth scenes, the box-office records it smashed and each note of the soundtrack. Even with bloodsuckers, faeries, shape-shifters and zombies crawling out of every nook and cranny in Hollywood, the tale of Edward and Bella endured.