Spoiler alert: No one says “you sunk my battleship” in “Battleship.” But director Peter Berg has a very good explanation for that. No one said it in the movie because the Regents didn’t sink the Navy’s battleships.

But before you get all up in arms about the omission, there is an homage to the famous admission of defeat from the Battleship pencil and paper game in the feature film. Fans just might miss it during their first go around.

“We have a version of it though. There was a reference to the line,” Berg promised in a recent interview with MTV News.

According to Berg, the reference is something along the lines of, “Ain’t gonna sink this battleship, no way.” When asked why he didn’t just say the classic line anyways, he said, “They don’t sink our battleship. Sorry.”

That’s not to say that there never was a version of the script where “you sunk my battleship” was said. It just didn’t end up working in the final cut of the film.

“We played around. I mean, we’ve said the line, we didn’t say the line, and then I sort of had this idea that maybe we should come up with a different way of respecting the line but, you know what, they didn’t sink the battleship,” Berg said. “There are a lot of ways you could have done it. We chose our way.”

Do you approve of Berg’s reference to the Battleship board game? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags battleship

Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks Ed Herman Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe

If you’re a fan of “Game of Thrones,” the photo you see below should make you very, very happy. Your mind isn’t playing tricks on you: that is indeed Jerome Flynn as the sellsword Bronn, taking aim with a fire-tipped arrow at an unseen enemy with Blackwater Bay at his back. That’s right: the Battle of Blackwater is on!

It’s the first official photo from “Blackwater,” the highly awaited episode of “Game of Thrones” season two that finally, finally, thrusts viewers into the thick of an all-out battle (as in on screen, no getting-knocked-out-and-skipping-the-fight trickery) between Joffrey’s allies in King’s Landing and the forces of Stannis Baratheon. “A Song of Ice and Fire” mastermind George R.R. Martin wrote the episode, only adding to the list of reasons why fans are losing their minds in anticipation of the hour.

Before we get to “Blackwater,” we’ll have to encounter “The Prince of Winterfell” in this Sunday night’s episode ? but whether we’re talking about Prince Bran or “Prince” Theon is a matter of some debate. We’ll certainly be tuning in either way. Here’s a look at Tyrion and Varys from that episode.

Tell us what you think of the new “Game of Thrones” photos in the comments section and on Twitter!

Tags Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin

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Perhaps looking for some actual Heavy Metal Lovers, Lady Gaga has tapped reunited British rockers the Darkness as the opening act on the first ? though we’re willing to bet not last ? leg of her Born This Way Ball, which kicks off August 14 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Darkness confirmed the news Tuesday morning (April 10) on their official site (which, in a very Darkness move, is called TheActualDarkness.com), writing that they were “honoured [British spelling, extra classy] to announce their addition to the bill as main support for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Ball tour 2012.”

The glammy, hammy rockers ? best known for theatrical hits like “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and “Growing on Me” ? burned bright before imploding in 2006, but announced a reunion (and plans for a new album) just last year. And as a way of kickstarting the next chapter of their career, frontman Justin Hawkins appeared in a well-received Samsung commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLV, in which he starred as a Spandex-clad pied piper who rescued folks from the monotony of everyday life. So, you know, it was basically a documentary.

It’s not clear if the Darkness will serve as the opening act on all of Gaga’s Euro dates (a spokesperson for the band did not respond to MTV News’ request for comment by press time), but, thanks to the Mother Monster herself, we now know that there are European dates for the much-discussed BTW Ball.

Gaga unveiled the first 21 shows early Tuesday morning on her Twitter account. After kicking off August 14 in Bulgaria, she’ll make stops in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Germany, France and the U.K. before wrapping October 6 in Barcelona.

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Lady Gaga was one of the big winners on Saturday night at the 23rd annual GLAAD Media Awards, taking home the prize for Outstanding Music Artist for her Born This Way? album. The show honors various branches of the media that represent the LGBT community.

The show was hosted by “Glee” stars Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera and included guest spots from Dakota Fanning, “Jersey Shore” nice guy Vinny Guadagnino,? talk show host Wendy Williams, “Top Chef” star Padma Lakshmi and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir.

Broadway veteran Bernadette Peters and TV star John Stamos presented the Vito Russo Award to Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for their work on the NBC musical series “Smash.” The Russo award is presented annually to openly LGBT media professionals who have made a difference in promoting equality. In accepting the award, Meron said the pair, who were also behind the Oscar-winning movie musical “Chicago” and “Hairspray,” have spent a long time trying to “fight, persuade and manipulate” Hollywood into including LGB characters in their work.

Also on hand was openly gay 17-year-old high school student Katy Butler, who received a special award from Weinstein Company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein for her work in launching a Change.org campaign last month to argue for a PG-13 rating for the upcoming documentary, “Bully.”

Other winners included: “Dancing With the Stars” (Outstanding Reality Program), for including the story line of transgender dancer Chaz Bono last season, the HBO film “Cinema Verite” (Outstanding TV Movie or Mini Series), a film focused on the life of a black lesbian teenager, “Pariah” (Outstanding Film — Limited Release), “Battle Against Bullying” from ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (Outstanding TV Journalism Segment) and the “Batwoman” comic book by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman (Outstanding Comic Book).

More awards will be handed out on April 21 in Los Angeles and June 2 in San Francisco.

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Unless you happen to be madly in love with Taylor Kitsch or Brooklyn Decker, some of you have no doubt written “Battleship” off as a cheap imitation of “Transformers.” How can an alien invasion action film based on a board game be all that entertaining, right? Well, we have a feeling you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The opening scenes between Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgård were flawlessly executed as the pair’s brotherly chemistry and Kitsch’s off-kilter charm win the audience over in the first few minutes. The film continues with non-stop action once the Navy hits the sea, and continues its intrigue as the movie incorporates the board game layout into the battles.

It’s a summer flick that’s sure to entertain, so here are our five reasons to see “Battleship.”

Because It’s Wickedly Funny
From the opening of the movie to the very end, laughs reign in the film. The comedy is brought in by Kitsch’s slacker persona and his interactions with Skarsgård, but the supporting cast keeps you entertained as the battle for earth heats up. In action films, humor is sometimes tossed to the wayside in favor of more explosions?don’t get us wrong, there are still plenty of those?but this cast effortlessly delivers funny lines at the perfect moments.

Because There Are Tons Of Explosions
The movie is titled “Battleship.” If there weren’t crazy-awesome explosions, this would be a film about yahtze. We don’t claim to be special effects experts, but we can certainly tell when they come off believable. From the moment Kitsch yells to Rihanna, “Light it up!” to the end when the final missiles are launched, you’re sure to be entertained by the action.

Because It’s Rihanna’s Acting Debut
By now you probably know that the “Talk That Talk” singer makes her acting debut. Most young stars do the reverse and start out as actors (even Justin Timberlake started out on the Mickey Mouse Club acting and singing before he joined NSYNC), but when has Rihanna ever followed a trend? As the musician continues to blow up the music charts, she lights up the screen playing a total badass handling some heavy artillery. She’s the gal Hopper goes to when he needs some serious firepower and she always delivers.

Because There’s A ‘Friday Night Lights’ Reunion
This film certainly had its own scene stealer. Kitsch’s “Friday Night Lights” co-star Jesse Plemons provides a laugh almost everytime he’s on camera with his facial expressions or one-liners. In the NBC series, Kitsch played Tim Riggins and Plemons was Landry Clarke. The dynamic between their characters in “Battleship” is just like their roles in “FNL.” The “John Carter” actor is a self-assured captain-type with the arrogance to match and Plemons is an uncertain sailor questioning the antics around him. This will certainly amuse fans of the show.

Because You’re Curious
Let’s be honest, there’s at least a small part of you that wants to know who’s going to say, “You sunk my battleship.” And you may be surprised by how it’s incorporated into the film. Cliffhanger! And don’t you want to see how they pulled it off? When they literally were working from nothing, they came up with a full plot line based around a children’s board game. Credit is due, my friends.

Did we convince you? Will you see “Battleship” this weekend? Sound off in the comments and on Twitter!

Tags Alexander Skarsgard, battleship, Jesse Plemons, rihanna, Taylor Kitsch

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What was clearly intended as a jokey tweet lamenting the rigorous diet and exercise routine she is currently undertaking to prepare for her 110-date Born This Way Ball has put Lady Gaga in the crosshairs of some angry fans and eating-disorder organizations. On Tuesday, the pop star tweeted, “Just killed back to back spin classes. Eating a salad dreaming of a cheeseburger #PopSingersDontEat #IWasBornThisWay.” Some fans thought the tweet wasn’t exactly keeping with the pop star’s “You’re perfect the way you are” message and that her choice of the “#PopStarsDontEat” hashtag could be misinterpreted as encouraging eating disorders because she posits herself as a role model to her fans.

The National Eating Disorder Association even weighed in, hitting its own Twitter account to write, “Huh? This is the same person who recently implored girls to stop dieting?”

MTV Buzzworthy has an Open Letter To Lady Gaga While it seems clear that Gaga was joking ? who hasn’t dove into a salad wishing it was something else? ? the comment does appear out of character for the star, who has spoken publicly about her own struggles with an eating disorder as a teen. Using that particular hashtag might have been a poor choice, but it’s safe to say Lady Gaga wasn’t knowingly making light of eating disorders ? and, otherwise, wasn’t she mostly just encouraging exercise and healthy eating? Gaga tweets often about all sort of less-than-healthful habits, from drinking (“after 12 margaritas my phone was confiscated”) to, well, other things (“princess xena of xanaxland has lil secrets in her inbox”). Why she is being scrutinized for making an observation about something we already know ? that celebrities engage in intense fitness regimens to meet the unrealistic expectations placed on their appearance ? is kind of a mystery. But, you know, totally appropriate and necessary reason for outrage, everyone. Sound off on Gaga’s #PopSingersDontEat tweet in the comments below!

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Lady Gaga lives to provoke and push the envelope. But not everyone is up for her antics. The “Americano” singer has been forced to cancel her sold-out June 3 “Born This Way Ball” show at the 52,000-seat Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia after Islamic hard-liners and conservative lawmakers said her sexy costumes, suggestive dance moves and “vulgar” style could corrupt the nation’s youth.

According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for the national police said on Tuesday (May 15) that the permit for the show has been denied after religious conservatives worried that the concert could undermine the nation’s moral fiber. Some of the critics actually threatened to use physical force to prevent Gaga from getting off her plane. Though Indonesia is a secular state, it has the world’s largest population of Muslims and a small extremist fringe of religious leaders has been more vocal in recent years.

“She’s a vulgar singer who wears only panties and a bra when she sings and she stated she is the envoy of the devil’s child and that she will spread satanic teaching,” said Salim Alatas, the Jakarta head of hardline Islamic Defender Front (FPI), according to Reuters. “This is dangerous.”

Local police worried that they might not be able to guarantee security at the show and suggested to national police that the permit for what was to be Gaga’s biggest gig on her current Asian tour be pulled. Every seat at the Karno stadium had been sold, with half of them going in the first two hours.

The AP reported that permits for shows are typically issued three weeks before concerts in Jakarta, so it is not uncommon for tickets to be sold well ahead of receiving a final permit. Gaga’s Asian tour started last month and the Indonesian flap is not the first bump she’s faced along the road. Gigs in South Korea? were 18-and-over because conservatives in that country also raised objections over the concert’s content.

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As expected, Justin Bieber’s new single “Boyfriend” has made an impressive debut. After dropping last Monday, the song has sold 520,000 downloads in its first week.

The number is particularly meaningful since it places him at #2 in all-time first-week singles sales. Flo Rida’s track “Right Round,” featuring a then up-and-coming Ke$ha, has the Biebs beat, according to Hits Daily Double. Flo’s track sits at #1 with 636,000 units moved. Other big sellers include the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” with 465,000 in downloads (#3), and Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” selling 447,000 (#4).

Not only are fans gobbling up the single, but his real-life girlfriend, Selena Gomez, has given the song two thumbs up. “Is it my ring tone? No. I didn’t even know you could make it a ring tone,” Gomez told E! News. “It is a great song.”

Bieber is hardly resting on his laurels. The teen star is back in the studio working on Believe. He explained on Twitter that the album, for which “Boyfriend” is the lead single, will go there. “Here making music addressing the past and the rumors, clearing it all up in the music. Im putting it all out there on this album. #BELIEVE,” he tweeted.

He also tweeted out silly videos of himself acting goofy on mock-up sets of the “Boyfriend” video, which he shot last week. In one, he stands in front of a green screen of icy land and in another he stands in front of a green screen of a fireplace.

Of course, Bieber already shared that there really will be fire and ice in the video. “The concept of this video, I mean it’s not like a steady concept,” he explained to MTV News on the Cali-based set in between shots. “It’s not like ‘Justin follows this girl to this spot.’ No, it’s a bunch of amazing scenes: Like a fire scene, we have an ice scene.

“It’s kind of like bouncing back and forth,” he said. “And then there’s scenes of me and just a bunch of girl dancers, and just some great shots, great artistic shots, great shots of me smiling. It’s fun.”

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by Matt Adler

Sacha Baron Cohen?s ?The Dictator? has invaded theaters, featuring His Excellency, the incomparable Admiral General Aladeen, in his feature film debut.

But the beloved Admiral General is far from the only despot to reign over the big screen throughout the years, so as a celebration of this momentous occasion in his glorious reign, we thought it might be instructive (not to mention entertaining) to take a look a back at some of filmdom?s other most feared (or mocked) tyrants.

Pharaoh Rameses II
A heavyweight among our lineup of autocrats, Rameses II has roots that are not just historical, but biblical to boot. But it was the screen presence of Yul Brynner that brought him to life in modern times, as the vindictive and arrogant Pharaoh in 1956?s “The Ten Commandments,” who just doesn?t know when to quit, even after Moses (Charlton Heston) tells him to ?Let my people go!?

Doctor Evil
Now, granted, the esteemed Doctor Evil doesn?t actually have a nation or throngs of subjects to rule over. But he does have a doctorate from Evil Medical School, absolute control over a global megacorporation, a passel of fearful lackeys eager to obey his every whim (or else get dropped into a pit of fire), and he?s come pretty close to conquering the world on a few occasions, throughout the “Austin Powers” film series. Combine all that with a management style that competes with some of the worst bosses in history, and you?ve got the makings of a tyrant that moviegoers won?t soon forget.

Big Brother
Big Brother. A phrase so iconic, it?s made it into our lexicon, not just as the name of a reality show, but as a synonym for absolute control over our daily lives. So who better to appear on a list of film tyrants than the original Big Brother, from the film adaptation of George Orwell?s classic novel “1984″? The movie brings to life Orwell?s warnings about totalitarianism, and as portrayed in the film by actor Bob Flag, Big Brother isn?t so much of a person, as an idea; you are being watched, and therefore you must obey.

Emperor Palpatine
Sometimes a tyrant doesn?t just prove their bonafides through their harsh rule, but by the means they came to power. Certainly that?s the case in the films of the Star Wars Universe, where an ambitious Senator named Palpatine secretly used his powers as a Dark Lord of the Sith to subvert democracy, lure a young Anakin Skywalker to the dark side, exterminate his opponents, and set himself up as the Galactic Emperor. In the end, as tyrants tend to do, he meets a violent end, but not before cementing his place in movie history.

Adenoid Hynkel
Sacha Baron Cohen isn?t the first person to have taken a look at real world dictators and decided they need to be taken down a peg or two. 1940?s “The Great Dictator,” starring screen legend Charlie Chaplin (who also wrote and directed the film), mercilessly ridicules the pompous Adenoid Hynkel, a not-so subtle parody of the real-life dictator who at that very time posed a threat to the entire world. Although the world would eventually discover the full and horrific extent of that dictator?s ambitions, Chaplin?s gutsy move to take on one of the world?s most feared men proved that comedy can be one of the greatest weapons in the fight against those who rely on unquestioning obedience.

Who is your favorite film tyrant? Let us know what you think in the comments section below or hit us up on Twitter!

Tags the dictator

Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

“The Avengers” sure did assemble! Marvel’s superhero film is still the reigning champion of movie theaters after it smashed box-office records in its first two weeks. Now, it’s rising to the top of the worldwide charts, recently staking claim to the ninth spot, passing George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.” It’s currently the highest earning film of 2012 domestically, stealing the title from “The Hunger Games,” which opened in March.

At present, the Joss Whedon-directed summer flick has raked in more than $1 billion across the globe, and the numbers keep rising. The popularity of the movie is overwhelming, but a few questions still remain. For starters, how high will the film go?

Gitesh Pandya, the editor of Box Office Guru, told MTV News, “I see Avengers climbing up to #4 on the all-time worldwide blockbusters list by the end of this weekend. That would put it at roughly $1.2 billion, which is astounding. It should pass the final ‘Harry Potter’ to finish its run as #3 all time, which alone is just incredible.”

Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations agrees: “By the time ‘Avengers’ is done kicking box-office butt, it will easily be the #3 film of all time. Only ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’ will be left untouched, as James Cameron is a superhero unto himself. Both [films] made history by debuting over the holiday season, where popcorn flicks are few and far between. [And] unfortunately for ‘Avengers,’ summer blockbusters invade every weekend, and theaters will soon be flooded with competition.”

The competition Bock is referring to is obviously Christopher Nolan’s final Batman installment. “You know what happens when you leave Batman for dead? He gets angry, rises from the dead and pops you right in the kisser,” he said. ” ‘The Avengers’ versus ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has all the trappings of a big-time Hollywood drama. Let’s face it, ‘TDKR’ is probably the most anticipated threequel since ‘Return of the Jedi.’ All bets are off!”

Boxoffice.com’s Phil Contrino agrees that Nolan’s film could beat out “The Avengers” in the battle for overall domestic earnings, but ultimately won’t top the opening weekend or worldwide sales for two reasons. It just doesn’t have the widespread family appeal that Captain America and Iron Man brought with them, or the 3-D prices to give it a boost.

With “Battleship” sailing into theaters this weekend, Pandya expects “Avengers” to drop by around 40 percent. “[That will put it in] the neighborhood of $60 million,” he said. “That’s a great hold for a movie this big.”

But as far as Earth’s mightiest heroes becoming the highest ? or even second-highest ? film of all time globally, Contrino doesn’t believe it will happen. “When you burn so bright for one weekend, the only place to go is down,” he said.

Check out everything we’ve got on “Marvel’s The Avengers.”

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies ? updated around the clock ? visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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