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Brad Pitt To Star As Mob Enforcer In 'Cogan's Trade'

Project will reteam actor with his 'Assassination of Jesse James' director Andrew Dominik.
By Josh Wigler


Brad Pitt
Photo: Steve Granitz/ Getty Images

Brad Pitt is used to organizing high-stakes heists thanks to his involvement in the "Ocean's Eleven" series, but for his latest role, he'll have a lot more in common with Andy Garcia's corrupt casino owner than with his own smooth-operating Rusty Ryan.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pitt has signed on for the comedic crime story "Cogan's Trade," reteaming with his "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" director Andrew Dominik on the project. The report notes that additional "Assassination of Jesse James" castmembers are being considered for the heist comedy, including Sam Rockwell and Casey Affleck, while actors Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem are also potentially up for roles.

Based on a novel of the same name written by George V. Higgins, "Cogan's Trade" tracks Jackie Cogan's career as an enforcer who takes out the necessary trash when hired by the mob. The plot centers on Cogan as he's tasked with investigating a heist that goes down during a high-stakes poker game that's under protection from members of the mob. Cogan's keen awareness of other people's strengths and weaknesses serves him as he proceeds to thwart the poorly planned plot with all the surgical precision an expert mob enforcer has at his disposal.

Although "Cogan's Trade" could well be Pitt's next starring role, there's also word that the actor could find his way into "The Gray Man," a different film adaptation of a novel. It's about a CIA operative who becomes a hired killer and is targeted for death by killers more powerful than he is. Deadline reports that Pitt would star in the adrenaline-filled thriller packed with assassinations, betrayals and hidden family secrets.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Rihanna Was 'Shocked' Eminem Wanted To Work With Her

'What? Eminem wants to do a song with a pop artist? With me?' singer recalls thinking when offered 'Love the Way You Lie.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway


Rihanna
Photo: Matt Harper/ MTV News

It's less than two weeks until Rihanna releases Loud, which will feature Eminem on the sequel to their smash "Love the Way You Lie." But when Rihanna initially found out that Em wanted to feature her on his Recovery album, she was "shocked."

"That's the first thing I thought. I was like, 'What? Eminem wants to do a song with a pop artist? With me?' 'Cause, you know, he always raps and talks sh-- about pop artists and pop female artists," she told MTV News. "So it was more of a shock to me than anything, and then that was the first thought. The second thought was, 'Of course I'll do a song with Eminem.' That's just something that doesn't come around every day. And then thirdly, I heard the song, and I just loved it."

She might have loved it from the second she heard it, "but I didn't know how intense the song would be to people," she continued. "I didn't know. I didn't expect them to connect with that song the way they did. It was incredible to see."

Rihanna said her fans' passion for the song made her have even a stronger connection to it. "They got really emotional, and you automatically connect, because now you both have in common [something] that you wouldn't have been able to know if you didn't have this song to bridge that," she said. "This song, it gave a voice to victims, but what I really enjoy about this song is not only how cleverly written it is ... but the fact that [Eminem] confronts himself on this record is the biggest thing for me."

What did you think about "Love the Way You Lie"? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Beyonce Says She's 'A Feminist, In A Way'

Singer also talks about retiring alter ego Sasha Fierce and starting a family, in You magazine.
By James Dinh


Beyoncé
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ Getty Images

Whether it's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" or the Destiny's Child classic "Independent Women," most of Beyoncé's catalog consists of strong female-empowerment anthems. So it's no surprise that the singer considers herself to be a feminist.

In an interview with the U.K.'s You magazine, the pop star opens up about the importance of female companionship, not needing to hide behind Sasha Fierce and her much-talked-about baby plans.

"I think I am a feminist, in a way. It's not something I consciously decided I was going to be; perhaps it's because I grew up in a singing group with other women, and that was so helpful to me," she told the magazine. "It kept me out of so much trouble and out of bad relationships. My friendships with my girls are just so much a part of me that there are things I am never going to do that would upset that bond. I never want to betray that friendship, because I love being a woman and I love being a friend to other women."

Most recently, Beyoncé has certainly made her share of female friends in the industry. In the past year, the singer has collaborated with Lady Gaga ("Video Phone" and "Telephone") and Alicia Keys ("Put It in a Love Song").

While the singer might always have female besties, there's one thing she's cut out of the picture: alter ego Sasha Fierce. Earlier this year, the pop star revealed that she "killed" Sasha, and now she said the alter-ego absence is due to her newfound self-awareness.

"I don't need Sasha so much anymore, because these days, I know who I am. It takes time to figure out who you are, and I am still discovering different things about myself. As I am exposed to different experiences, I think, 'Oh, I like this. I didn't know I liked this,' " she explained. "That's the journey of life that is so exciting. More and more, I know who I am, I know what I like, I know what I want, and that makes me feel so free."

In fact, B already has her eye on some personal life goals. "My ambition is to continue to learn about the world and to eventually have a family," she said. And while Beyoncé remained coy about when she and husband Jay-Z will expand the Carter family, she hinted that there's really "no dates, no times" to motherhood. "It will happen when I am ready."

What is your favorite Beyoncé female-empowerment anthem? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Usher's VMA Performance To Be Worthy Of A 'King'

Awards-show executive producer teases Ush's 'best televised dance routine' in years.
By James Montgomery


Usher's VMA rehearsal on September 9
Photo: Ciel VanderVeen/MTV

LOS ANGELES — The success of Usher's "OMG" is as much a testament to his unyielding popularity as an artist as it is his ability to, well, dance his ass off. That's particularly apparent in the Video Music Award-nominated video for the song, which features Ush and a bevy of beauties popping, locking, pivoting and posing in ways we never thought possible. Quite simply, the man can move.

So when it came time to plot out his VMA performance, well, Usher's team -- and the brain trust behind the show -- didn't have a whole lot of trouble coming up with a concept. The dancing was going to be front and center. The only question was: How could they take things to the next level.

"We all sat in a room and came up with a concept for the stage, and then we took that concept to Usher," VMA executive producer Dave Sirulnick told MTV News. "We said to him, 'We want to do the best televised dance routine that you've done in years. Let's show why you're the king.' "

And Ush's Sunday night performance is very much an affair worthy of royalty. Full of eye-popping moves, hip-dipping dancers and more special effects than a Hollywood blockbuster, it makes full use of not just the epic VMA stage (which practically engulfs the entirety of Nokia Theater), but the space behind it.

While we can't give away too many details, based on the rehearsals we saw Thursday, the off-the-wall choreography is only part of the attraction. There are lasers and LED lights, stunts, slides and even some props. Like we said, it's kind of like a Hollywood blockbuster. And kind of a coronation too. After all, Usher is the king.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. The party starts with MTV News' VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through Sunday.

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James Franco Says '127 Hours' Blurs Line Between Acting And Experience

James Franco didn't really get his arm crushed under a boulder while filming "127 Hours" with "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle... but at some points during production, it sure felt like he had. Based on the real-life story of mountain climber Aron Ralston, who got pinned beneath a fallen rock in Utah and had to amputate [...]

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