'Man of Steel,' '300' Reveal Posters Heavy on Dude Appeal

Tuesday was a big day for super dude-y movie posters of upcoming Zach Snyder action flicks.

First, Mondo released two sets of posters for sale inspired by "Man of Steel" by artists Ken Taylor and Martin Ansin.

Taylor's poster depicts a young Clark Kent running through a field towards his farmhouse. The sparing use of color -- only the boy's red cape -- pops the innocent, yet dramatic rural scene.

The more traditional comic book movie poster by Ansin shows the hero in space, hovering above the Earth that he has sworn to protect. In beams are other characters from the film, a mix of friends and foes. Ansin's poster will go on sale Friday and will include a limited edition metal variant.

See photos: 35 Star-Studded, Super Dramatic 'Man of Steel' Images of Henry Cavill and Cast

In related bro-movie-poster-news, Warner Bros. Pictures and Snyder released a new one for "300: Rise of an Empire." Coincidentally (or not if you saw the bloodshed in the original "300"), the eye is drawn directly to the color red, which in this case is a tidal wave of blood.

A beaten up and exhausted Spartan catches his breath on the rocky cliff in the foreground. Don't expect the sequel to be rated PG-13.

'Black Swan' Interns Win Partial Summary Judgment Against Fox Searchlight

Two interns who said they worked on the 2010 film "Black Swan" that sued Fox Searchlight for allegedly violating minimum wage and overtime laws scored a legal victory on Tuesday, when a judge partially granted their motion for summary judgment.

In a 36-page memorandum and order, U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III found that Eric Glatt and Alexander Footman acted in the capacity of employees covered by New York Labor Law and the Fair Labor Standards Act, rather than unpaid interns, and partially granted their motion for summary judgment.

Also read: 'Black Swan' Sued for Using Unpaid Interns

Pauley also certified a class action in the matter.

Glatt and Footman initially sued Fox Seachlight in 2011, seeking unpaid wages and attorneys' fees. They are also asking that Fox Searchlight's internship practices be discontinued.

A spokesman for Fox Searchlight did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment.

"Unpaid interns are becoming the modern-day equivalent of entry-level employees, except that employers are not paying them for the many hours they work," their suit claims. "This practice runs afoul of basic wage-and-hour laws."

Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Inherent Vice’ Starting to Boost L.A. Production

Paul Thomas Anderson‘s crime drama “Inherent Vice” has started to boost location production in Los Angeles, which has seen its typical scarcity of high-profile titles so far this year.

The Warner Bros. title, starring Joaquin Phoenix, has totalled 13 days of permitted production last week, according to the FilmL.A. agency, and is set to continue shooting in Los Angeles until Aug. 2. “Vice,” based on the Thomas Pynchon novel of the same name, is set in Los Angeles in the late 1960s.

Owen Wilson, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Reese Witherspoon and Martin Short also star in pic.

Permits for “Inherent Vice”  thus far have covered a San Fernando Valley warehouse, a storefront on Slauson Boulevard, driving shots in the Canoga Park area, driving shots in canyon roads above Malibu and a warehouse in Chinatown.

The Zac Efron-Seth Rogen comedy “Townies” was one of the most active Los Angeles film productions this year with 74 days in the four weeks before it wrapped last month.

Other recent shoots in Los Angeles the year are an eclectic mix — “Bukowski,” “Captain America: Winter Solider,” “10 Things I Hate About Life,” “Dark Skies” and “Walk of Shame” — with the total paling in comparison to the activity level in the mid 1990s before lucrative incentives began luring production elsewhere. The latter three films received the California California’s Film and Television Tax Credit, which is smaller than those of rival states with a maximum of 25% of the budget.

At the Producers Guild of America’s Produced By conference on Sunday, Film Finance exec John Dellaverson said only 87 of the 586 features films bonded by Film Finance over the past six years have been shot in California. Georgia, Louisiana and New York are the top locations for independently financed films, he added.

“Purge 2″ has received the California tax credit conditionally last week for Blumhouse Prods. Universal came on board to develop the horror-thriller on Monday.

Overall off-lot production in Los Angeles last week totalled 658 days, up 11% over the same week in 2012, according to FilmL.A.  Feature films totalled 135 days.

Can Raunchy Comedy 'This Is the End' Bring Hip to Heartland Box Office?

"You'll laugh until you throw up," warns Sony's worldwide president of distribution Rory Bruer about his studio's new comedy "This Is the End."

He was kidding, hopefully, but that take seems appropriate for Seth Rogen's raunchy and gross R-rated comedy, which is getting a two-day jump on "Man of Steel" at the box office, hitting theaters nationwide Wednesday.  Sony will get the ball rolling with screenings starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at 2,300 theaters, before expanding to 3,055 locations. 

The waves of online buzz surrounding "This Is the End" will translate into box office success, the analysts say, projecting around $30 million over the five days, despite the debut of Warner Bros' Superman reboot on Friday. If there's a question regarding its box-office fate, it's how it will go over in Middle America.

"This Is the End" combines very low-brow humor with a very high concept (no "Pineapple Express" pun intended).

Also read: 'This Is the End' Review: Night of the Living Judd Apatow Ensemble (Video)

The plot from Rogen and Evan Goldberg revolves around James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and Michael Cera playing obnoxious versions of themselves and dealing with the end of the world -- at a party.  Rihanna, Emma Watson and Mindy Kaling make cameos.

"This may be an apocalyptic horror-comedy-drama, but it's also an insider Hollywood movie, and those don't usually play outside the bigger cities," said Exhibitor Relations VP and senior analyst Jeff Bock. "It will be interesting to see if Apatow's Avengers are big enough names to make this work as a straight comedy in the mainstream."

Also read: 'This Is the End' Red Band Trailer Features Michael Cera, Jason Segel and Rihanna's Deaths (Video)

Judd Apatow isn't directly involved with "This Is the End," but his influence can be felt, with many of the featured players having collaborated with him on films including "Superbad," "40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" and TV's "Freaks and Geeks."

"I don't think this will do 'Superbad' numbers," Bock said, "because while this will attract the hipper kids, I don't know that it will be in the wheel-house of teenagers in Iowa." "Superbad," also written by Goldberg and Rogen, took in $120 million in 2007.

Sony doesn't need "This Is the End" to be a blockbuster, since the production budget is just $32 million. And Bruer didn't seem worried about connecting with the Heartland, or anywhere else for that matter.

"This movie is the best marketing tool we could have," he said. "It's an amazing ensemble cast and it's honestly among the funniest movies I've ever seen."

The Wednesday opening should help, Bruer said.

"The word of mouth on this movie has been and will be great, and the extra two days should give us some real momentum for the weekend."

The 16 Most Ridiculous Things Kanye Said In His New York Times Interview

The thing about Kanye is that he’s great. The other thing about him is that his grasp on reality is so loose, you’re always afraid he’s going to slip off into that special place reserved for chronic stoners and people who’ve been committed. Given that new album Yeezus is coming out next week and everyone seems to love hearing Kim Kardashian’s future baby daddy talk about any ole thing, there’s a quite lengthy New York Timespiece with the “visionary.” Without context, or further ado, we present the 16 most amazing things Ye said during his Malibu hangout (read: interview) with reporter Jon Caramanica, in case you haven't already read them on Twitter.

• "I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus."
   
• “I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.”
   
• "I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things."
   
• "The longer your ‘gevity is, the more confidence you build. The idea of Kanye and vanity are like, synonymous.”
   
• "It’s only led me to complete awesomeness at all times. It’s only led me to awesome truth and awesomeness. Beauty, truth, awesomeness. That’s all it is."
   
• “I was on the junior team when I was a freshman, that’s how good I was. But I wasn’t on my eighth-grade team, because some coach — some Grammy, some reviewer, some fashion person, some blah blah blah — they’re all the same as that coach.”
   
• “You know, if Michael Jordan can scream at the refs, me as Kanye West, as the Michael Jordan of music, can go and say, ‘This is wrong.’”
   
• “I am in the lineage of Gil Scott-Heron, great activist-type artists. But I’m also in the lineage of a Miles Davis — you know, that liked nice things also.”
   
• "I was wearing like, a Juicy Couture men’s polo shirt. We weren’t there, like, ready for war."
   
• “I looked at Justin, and I was like: ‘Do you want me to go onstage for you?’”
   
• "I don’t know if this is statistically right, but I’m assuming I have the most Grammys of anyone my age, but I haven’t won one against a white person."
   
• "I’m the type of rock star that likes to have a girlfriend, you know?"
   
• "Like, this is my baby. This isn’t America’s baby."
   
• "This one Corbusier lamp was like, my greatest inspiration...I’m a minimalist in a rapper’s body.”
   
• “Like, I want the world to be better! All I want is positive! All I want is dopeness! Why would you want to control that?”
   
• "I would go up the escalator [at Virgin music stores] and say to myself, ‘I’m soaking in these last moments of anonymity.’ I knew I was going to make it this far.”

Mumford & Sons Cancels Shows as Bassist Undergoes Emergency Surgery

Mumford & Sons announced in a statement on itswebsite Tuesday the cancellation of three concerts due to a medical emergency with bassist Ted Dwane.

The Dallas, The Woodlands and New Orleans shows will be postponed while Dwane undergoes an operation to treat a blood clot near his brain. The band was set to headline the shows, which were all sold out.

Mumford & Sons has been touring the South promoting 2012 album "Babel," which won the Grammy for Album of the Year and debuted at No. 1.

Also read: Gotye, fun., Mumford & Sons Take Top Grammy Awards

Here is the statement in its entirety:

To our fans -
Our friend and bandmate Ted has been feeling unwell for a few days, and yesterday he was taken to a hospital to receive emergency treatment. The scans revealed a blood clot on the surface of his brain that requires an operation. Ted is receiving excellent care and we are being assured that he will recover quickly from surgery.

Sadly we have to postpone three upcoming headline shows planned for this week in Dallas on Tuesday 6/11, Woodlands on Wednesday 6/12, and New Orleans on Thursday 6/13. All dates will be rescheduled and will be announced as soon as we can; all tickets for this week’s events will be honoured at their rescheduled dates. We have no plans to cancel or postpone any other appearances along this current tour.

Vikings Adds Law & Order Vet to Season 2 Cast

A New York ADA and a tribute from District 2 are becoming Vikings.

Linus Roache, best known as the Law & Orderfranchise’s Michael Cutter, and Alexander Ludwig, of The Hunger Games, will be on board for the drama’s second season.

Roache will play Ecbert, King of Wessex, “a man full of strength, knowledge and undisguised ambition,” History announced Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ludwig’s Bjorn is the smart, brave warrior son of Ragnar Lothbrok (played by Travis Fimmel).

RELATED | Vikings Creator Drops Season 2 Hints!

Executive producer Michael Hirst teased Ragnar’s interaction with Ecbert when he spoke with TVLine at the end of the show’s freshman season. “Wessex is a much bigger kingdom in England and has a much more powerful king,” he previewed, “so it’s going to be interesting how that pans out.”

In addition to playing legal eagle Cutter on Law & Order and its SVU offshoot, Roache has appeared on the British soap Coronation Street and in the Titanic miniseries. Newcomer Ludwig has had roles in Race to Witch Mountain and the upcoming Grown Ups 2.

The highly rated series’ 10-episode Season 2, slated to bow in 2014, begins production this summer.