Entertainment Weekly’s second annual Comic-Con preview package features Iron Man 2 on the cover.  After Iron Man blasted Robert Downey Jr. back to stardom, the superhero returns to the big screen to battle new villain Mickey Rourke, size up Scarlett Johansson, and prove the first time wasn’t a fluke. The success of Iron Man (which opened at $99 million and went on to take in $318 million) caught many people by surprise, and now four months later, Downey is no longer the underdog. “There are a lot more invisible eyes on us now,” he says.

When Marvel Studios first announced the sequel, no one was sure what the movie would be about. Downey, director Jon Favreau, screenwriter Justin Theroux, and the rest of the creative team struck upon the idea of introducing two very different foes for Stark. On one side is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a fast-talking weapons manufacturer who fancies himself the next Tony Stark; on the other, Vanko, who, while incarcerated in a Russian prison, creates his own battle-suit, which shoots devastating, whip-like beams. Hammer and Whiplash join forces to take Downey’s character Tony Stark down. Rourke, for his part, wanted to instill some lightness into the role of the heavy. “I told Favreau, ‘I don’t want to just play him as a one-dimensional p—-,’” Rourke says. “He let me have a cockatoo, who I talk to and get drunk with while I’m making my suit.”

Just as the deals were being hammered out, Terrence Howard – who had played Stark’s best friend – fell out of the sequel in a public salary dispute. The role was re-cast, with Don Cheadle stepping in. “We had to make some tough deals,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says. “When they got public, you go, ‘That sucks. OK, you want a peek behind the curtain? Here you are!’” Says Cheadle, “Terrence and I couldn’t be more different. We address it head-on in the movie in one exchange. We’re not trying to fool people.”(Cheadle admits he didn’t know much about Marvel’s superhero before the first movie came out: “I always thought Iron Man was a robot.”)

Adding more flesh and blood to the new movie, Scarlett Johansson joined the cast as Stark’s mysterious new assistant, Natasha, who has an alter ego of her own, Black Widow. That introduction inevitably sparks romantic tension between Stark and former assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who’s been promoted to CEO of Stark Industries. “The men want it to be, like, ‘Ooh, the girls are fighting over Tony,’ but it’s not as standard as that,” says Paltrow. “There’s a weird male catfight fantasy.” Downey doesn’t disagree: “Our signature as a superhero franchise is that we’re horny. Not, like, can’t-bring-your-kids horny, but just…horny.”

With these new ingredients, the question remains whether Iron Man 2 will soar like the first film or show signs of rust when it hits theaters next May 7. “People are going to be more critical,” says Downey. “That’s their prerogative….In a way, there’s no way to win, except to win. Big.”

Buy Vanity Fair Italy Here!

I have a feeling Kate Winslet shot this partially nude photo for Vanity Fair Italy prior to this year’s Award Show season.

The stunning actress admitted at the SAG Awards:

“To be honest with you, I’m more nervous through this award season than I have ever been before in my life,” she told People, where she took home the Actor for her role in The Reader. “I’m still not used to it at all.”

To keep her sanity, Winslet has decided not to put any undue pressure on herself, saying she’s “not exercising at all, and I’m eating whatever I like.”

It seems to be working. “Pressure? Gone!” she says. “That’s how I’m going to get through it.”

But how’s her body holding up?  We shall see.  No pressure Kate.  Love ya!

Tough times on the newsstand for the venerable Vanity Fair.  It’s May issue featuring the gorgeous Gisele Bundchen’s nearly naked sold 280,000 single-copy sales — the lowest-selling issue of the publication in nearly two years.

What was Vanity Fair’s response to the tough sale?

This is the shocking response:

“It might be that she’s losing her looks,” spokeswoman Beth Kseniak joked to the New York Observer.

For anybody who is public relations, please note this is the exact opposite response one should provide in this type of situation.

You never – never – never – blame your cover model for bad sales and joke about her “losing her looks.”

This comment makes Vanity Fair look mean and pathetic.

Do you think any other model or celebrity would want to pose for Vanity Fair with the possibility of this comment being made about their looks or career?

I don’t think so!

A public apology should be made to Gisele by Vanity Fair.

Thoughts?

Lady GaGa graces the cover of the latest issue of Rolling Stone naked!

Well, not totally naked.  There are bubbles covering up her private areas.

Check out the never-before-seen footage of Michael Jackson’ 1984 Pepsi commercial accident.

In an interview in August’s Harper’s Bazaar, Lauren didn’t bite her tongue once when asked about Montag. Below are some of our favorites.

When asked about Heidi’s Playboy cover: “They’re [implants] not going to pay for themselves”

What about Spencer and Heidi’s fame-whoring? “I don’t call magazines and let them know about things so they can write stories.”

The Swine Flu masks Speidi wore while vacationing in Mexico? “I don’t know if it was so funny because people really were being affected by that disease.”

]]> http://coverawards.com/2009/07/17/news_michael_jackson_magazine_covers_31797-2/feed/ 1 http://coverawards.com/2009/07/17/news_coverawards_details_zac_efron_19729/ http://coverawards.com/2009/07/17/news_coverawards_details_zac_efron_19729/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:51:20 +0000 Mark Pasetsky http://coverawards.com/?p=22266 Zac Efron’s Details’ Cover was the first magazine cover posted on CoverAwards.   (Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 11:15 am.)

They’ve grown very close to the Escapade singer and Janet looks ready to become a mother.

Plus – the mag brings you inside the battle to keep them together  and away from Debbie Rowe.

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Leelee Sobieski is engaged to menswear designer Adam Kimmel.

You can catch Leelee in Public Enemies, opposite Johnny Depp in theatres now.

No wedding date has been set.