Marvel Kills Off Superhero Icon in 'Avengers Vs. X-Men'

The crossover storyline saw one of comics' most recognizable characters felled by a friend.

There’s been a serious casualty in Marvel’s latest crossover comic book event, Avengers vs. X-Men.

[Warning: Spoilers for Avengers vs. X-Men No. 11 are below.]

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In the latest issue, Professor Charles Xavier dies when one of his prized former students, Scott Summers (better known as Cyclops), kills the mustant visionary. But in Cyclops' defense, he had been taken over by the Phoenix in a previous issue.

Marvel says it did not plan Xavier’s death when initially plotting the event. But as writer Brian Michael Bendis pushed forward with the story, “it became obvious that this had to be the last stand of Charles Xavier,” Marvel editor-in-chiefAlexo Alonso told the Associated Press.

In Fox's X-Men films, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X was killed by a Phoenix-powered Jean Grey in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand.

It’s an adage among comic book aficionados that “no one in comics stays dead” (with a few notable exceptions). With that in mind, fans took to Twitter to express doubt that Xavier will stay dead for long.

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“A Moment of Silence for Professor Charles Xavier, who has now died for the 38th straight time or so. #AVX,” tweeted Jimmy Kimmel Live writer Jeff Loveness.

“Professor Charles Francis Xavier is dead. Again. RIP Professor X. We'll see you again in about a year or so,” observed another skeptic.

Marvel and Bendis have said Xavier’s death will provide story fodder for upcoming X-Men comic books, which will examine the fallout from the mutant leader’s demise.

Universal Picks Up Hot David Guggenheim Script 'Black Box'

UPDATED: Scott Stuber's Bluegrass Films and Madhouse Entertainment are attached to produce the action thriller from the writer of "Safe House."

Universal has emerged the winner of a big bidding war for the latest spec by David Guggenheim, the Us Weekly editor-turned-hot Hollywood scribe.

Scott Stuber's Bluegrass Films and Madhouse Entertainment are attached to produce the thriller, which is titled Black Box.

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The script went in Wednesday to all the studios and quickly drew bids from every major studio except Disney. The all-day bidding war came down to DreamWorks, Warner Bros. (with Bradley Cooper attached to star and produce via his 22nd & Indiana banner) and Universal (which produced Guggenheim's Safe House).

The story is kicked into motion when Air Force One goes down over America. An investigator’s life is put in jeopardy when he discovers the plane's black box, which contradicts the official cause that the plane went down due to technical issues.

The script is described as being tonally in the vein ofEnemy of the State, the 1998 Tony Scott-directedWill Smith thriller, and Three Days of the Condor, the classic 1975 political thriller that starred Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.

Sources said the deal was in the high-six figures.

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With this latest sale, Guggenheim remains at or near the top of the heap when it comes to spec sales, a market that has become increasingly troubled in the last half-decade as branded and comic book movies have become studios’ choice of material.

His first spec, Safe House, made his name and got made into the hit Denzel Washington-Ryan Reynolds film. His spec Medallion was picked up by Millenium and made intoStolen, an action thriller starring Nicolas Cage and Malin Akerman that is awaiting release. He also sold a pitch called Puzzle Palace that was acquired by Summit with McG attached to direct. "Every thing he writes, sells!" said one exasperated but amazed exec.

He is repped by Paradigm, Madhouse Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham.

TALAASH first trailer: Aamir-Rani-Kareena's intriguing outing

After an intriguing first teaser of Aamir Khan starrer TALAASH - THE ANSWER LIES WITHIN the makers have come up with a riveting first theatrical trailer of the film, which releases along with BARFI! on 14th September 2012. If the first teaser perplexed us to the core, the theatrical is surely going to set us scratching our brains! 

The trailer begins with a stern, serious, dogged cop Aamir Khan (Inspector Shekhawat), who will go to any length to unravel the truth -from roughing up the gangsters to diving underwater to interrogating prostitutes, taking up a mysterious case - Accident or a Crime? The case is intricate as Aamir rightly says ''Yeh Bahut Hi-profile case Hai Kuch Bhi Baahar Nah Jaana Chhaiye...''. Aamir on his mission to figure out the baffling truth bumps into a prostitute Kareena Kapoor (Rosy), who shows her willingness to help him.

And if this was not enough there comes a new twist in the tale, now Aamir is forced to confront his shrouded past, an apparent clue to all his questions. Rani Mukherji, who plays Aamir's wife, is clueless about his engagements. She complains that he never expresses himself. Aamir finds himself in a fretful situation while searching for the reason behind an accident.

Aamir plays a cop after a long time. However, unlike BAAZI and SARFAROSH , which had action and/or patriotic theme as its base, TALAASH has a suspense thriller setting.

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After a power-packed performance in GANGS OF WASSEYPUR and KAHAANI,Nawazuddin Siddiqui is once set to beguile with his act in TALAASH.

The first look poster and teaser were launched way back in January. The film was supposed to release somewhere in May-June but our perfectionist got busy with his TV show 'Satyamev Jayate' and postponed its release. The whodunit is directed by Reema Kagti and produced by Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Siddhwani's Excel Entertainment in association with Aamir Khan Productions and Reliance Entertainment. The film is jointly written by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti.

The edgy, intriguing TALAASH is all set to hit the screens on November 30, 2012! 

Yash Chopra's Shahrukh Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer titled JAB TAK HAI JAAN

The wait is finally over and now all the speculations can also rest! As the Yash Chopra directed and Shahrukh Khan-Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma starrer, which did the rounds of news for its title, has finally & officially got a name. The much touted movie is named as JAB TAK HAI JAAN.


YRF released two posters from the film one bearing a title of the film and the three leading actors from the film - Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma and the second one shows Shahrukh Khan shown riding a Royal Enfield bike in army attire. It is also accompanied with a small poetry reflecting strong emotions which reads: 

Teri aankhon ki namkeen mastiyaan
Teri hansi ki beparwa gustaakhiyaan
Teri zulfon ki lehrati angdaaiyaan
Nahi bhoolunga main
Jab tak hai jaan, Jab tak hai jaan
Tera haath se haath chodna
Tera saayon ka rukh modna
Tera palat ke phir na dekhna
Nahin maaf karoonga main
Jab tak hai jaan, Jab tak hai jaan 

CHECK OUT: Yash Chopra's SRK-Katrina starrer - commemorating his five glorious decades

Yash Chopra is making a comeback into direction after eight years with JAB TAK HAI JAAN. The film definitely promises to be a masterpiece as it has industry stalwarts like Oscar winner music maestro A R Rahman, who has composed the music of the film, veteran writer & filmmaker Gulzar, cinemateography by Anil Mehta and produced by Aditya Chopra. 

JAB TAK HAI JAAN is scheduled for a November 13th 2012 release. 

Jennifer Lopez: Not Missing 'American Idol' Yet

At the same time, the former judge says: "It was hard for me to move on."

Two months after exiting American Idol, Jennifer Lopez isn't looking in the rear-view mirror.

"Am I missing Idol? Not yet. I miss it in theory right now. It was hard for me to move on, I really loved it. But no, not yet," Lopez tells THR. "I'm on tour and I'm having a great time doing that and I will miss it when I see it on TV and remember all the great moments I had there. But right now ... I got my hands full."

Lopez embarked on her first major world tour alongsideEnrique Iglesias this summer after announcing her Idoldeparture following two seasons at the Fox competition's judges' table. The 11th season wrapped up in May, after which judge Steven Tyler also jumped ship, citing allegiance to his band,Aerosmith.

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Meanwhile, Lopez left to focus on her music, her acting and other endeavors. She's working behind the scenes, too, as a TV producer, having recently sold a drama pilot, The Fosters, to ABC Family; she's also partnered with the Hispanic cable channel nuvo TV on new programming including a backstage docu-series on upcoming European leg of her tour.

Back at Idol, changes are afoot: Iglesias is no longer in the running to become a judge, according to a THR source. The show plans to announce a revamped judge quartet comprised of Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson in time for the audition process, which will launch at the end of this month.

Sam Bacile, Filmmaker Behind Anti-Islam Movie that Sparked Riots, in Hiding

The American ambassador to Libya was killed, along with three others, during protests against an American-made, low-budget film condemning Muslims.

(AP) LOS ANGELES — An Israeli filmmaker went into hiding Tuesday after his movie attacking Islam's prophet Muhammad sparked angry assaults by ultra-conservative Muslims on U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya.

Speaking by phone from an undisclosed location, writer and director remained defiant, saying Islam is a cancer and that the 56-year-old intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion.

Protesters angered over Bacile's film opened fire on and burned down the U.S. consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. In Egypt, protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy in Cairo and replaced an American flag with an Islamic banner.

U.S. ambassador to Libya killed

Bacile, a California real estate developer who identifies himself as an Israeli Jew, said he believes the movie will help his native land by exposing Islam's flaws to the world.

"Islam is a cancer, period," he repeatedly said in a solemn, accented tone.

The two-hour movie, Innocence of Muslims, cost $5 million to make and was financed with the help of more than 100 Jewish donors, said Bacile, who wrote and directed it.

The film claims Muhammad was a fraud. An English-language 13-minute trailer on YouTube shows an amateur cast performing a wooden dialogue of insults disguised as revelations about Muhammad, whose obedient followers are presented as a cadre of goons.

It depicts Muhammad as a feckless philanderer who approved of child sexual abuse, among other overtly insulting claims that have caused outrage.

Muslims find it offensive to depict Muhammad in any manner, let alone insult the prophet. A Danish newspaper's 2005 publication of 12 caricatures of the prophet triggered riots in many Muslim countries.

Bacile was apologetic about the attacks, but blamed lax embassy security and the perpetrators of the violence.

"I feel the security system (at the embassies) is no good," said Bacile. "America should do something to change it."

The film was dubbed into Egyptian Arabic by someone Bacile doesn't know, but he speaks enough Arabic to confirm that the translation is accurate. It was made in three months in the summer of 2011, with 59 actors and about 45 people behind the camera.

The full film has been shown once, to a mostly empty theater in Hollywood earlier this year, said Bacile.