"Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen and comedy writer Phil Johnston just sold a pitch for a spy-spoof project to Paramount for a figure in the high-six to low-seven range, reports Variety. 

The pitch concerns a "Bond-like spy forced to go on the run with his long-lost brother, a moronic soccer hooligan."

And Paramount, currently the only studio to not cross the $1 billion mark internationally this year, are in need of a hit.

Perhaps the studio sees hope in Baron Cohen, whose 2006 film "Borat" earned $261,572,744 worldwide. Hopefully, the spy spoof will do better than the actor's latest film "The Dictator," which had a production budget of $65 million but grossed barely $60 million domestically.

No word yet on whether Baron Cohen would play the spy, the brother or even both in the film, as the actor did have a dual role in May's "The Dictator." But both spy spoof roles appear to lend themselves to British actors, and if he decides to play just one, it would be fun to see Baron Cohen play against his Borat/Bruno-type as a suave spy.

Johnston, who has previously written screenplays for "Cedar Rapids" and the upcoming Alexander Payne movie "Nebraska," will now work with Baron Cohen to pen the full script for Paramount.

SEE ALSO: This weekend's box office roundup >

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Universal may not be first to the party, but they're just happy to be there this early. 

According to Deadline, the studio just passed the $1 billion mark at the domestic box office—a number it took them a full year to reach in 2011. In 2010 and 2009, they didn't even hit the mark, but this year the studio reached the milestone a full three months faster than at any point in their history.

Disney, Warner Bros., and Sony have already reached the milestone earlier this summer, thanks largely to a trio of superhero films you may have heard about—"The Avengers," "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Amazing Spiderman," respectively.

But Universal did it the old fashioned way, with star-driven hits (Mark Wahlberg appears in two of their five biggest hits of the year) and calculated risks (foul-mouthed teddy bears come to mind). Four of their films were $100 million-plus earners, with two coming in the first quarter of 2012, and another two in the summer. 

In February, the Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington action film "Safe House" delivered better than expected numbers, followed a month later by their biggest earner of the year so far "The Lorax" which debuted to over $70 million on its way to a $214 million finish. "Snow White and the Huntsman" won the battle of the Snow White movies, netting a cool $154 million. The real winner for the studio is "Ted" which passed the $200 million mark this weekend and will surpass "Lorax" as their highest-grossing film of the year in a couple weeks. 

Other middling successes for the studio include "Contraband," "American Reunion," and "Savages." All will finish within the $70-50 million range. 

Less-performing films on their 2012 roster include "Wanderlust," "The Five-Year Engagement," and "Big Miracle," all earning between $30-15 million. 

Universal does have one glaring miss this year, the box-office bomb, "Battleship," though even that domestic dud may be saved by overseas grosses. 

The studio currently has four of the top 15 films of the year, more than any other studio, and five films still to be released in 2012, including this Friday's "Bourne Legacy." 

2013 looks promising as well, with new installments in the "Despicable Me" and "Fast & Furious" franchises leading the way. 

SEE ALSO: Sony passed the $1B mark last week >

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Bruce Willis and a nuclear bomb would not be able to protect the world from annihilation by a giant asteroid, according to a study which questions the scientific integrity of Michael Bay's 1998 blockbuster Armageddon.

In the film Willis, an oil drilling expert, is able to save the planet from imminent obliteration by flying around the moon, landing on the surface of the asteroid which threatens Earth and detonating a hydrogen bomb at its centre.

The heroic act, made possible by Willis's drilling expertise, splits the asteroid into two even halves which drift apart and fly relatively harmlessly past either side of the planet, saving humanity from extinction.

But now the effectiveness of the solution has been called into question by a group of physics students who claim mankind does not possess a bomb big enough to do the job.

A mathematical analysis of the situation found that for Willis's approach to be effective, he would need to be in possession of an H-bomb a billion times stronger than the Soviet Union's "Big Ivan", the biggest ever detonated on Earth.

Using estimates of the asteroid's size, density, speed and distance from Earth based on information in the film, the postgraduate students from Leicester University found that to split the asteroid in two with both pieces clearing Earth would require 800 trillion terajoules of energy.

In contrast the total energy output of "Big Ivan", which was tested by the Soviet Union in 1961, was only 418,000 terajoules.

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With such insufficient power, the only way for the Armageddon mission to work in reality would be to detonate the bomb at the outer edge of the Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system beyond Neptune's orbit where Pluto is located.

The Kuiper Belt is filled with icy bodies and Pluto-like dwarf planets but has very few high-iron content asteroids like the one featured in Armageddon, making it highly unlikely that one would originate from so far away, they added.

Ben Hall, one of the authors of Could Bruce Willis Save the World?, published in the Special Physics Topics journal, said: "I really enjoyed the film Armageddon and up until recently never really considered the plausibility in the science behind the movie. But after watching it back I found myself being more sceptical about the film in many areas.

"Directors attempt to make films scientifically accurate, but find that a lot of trouble is run into in what can and cannot be done, thus leading to falsification in the science to make movies more interesting or visually appealing to the audience."

In a follow-up study the four students also calculated that the Hubble Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope available in the 1990s, would only realistically have been able to detect the asteroid at a distance of eight billion miles – almost the exact point at which it would need to be split.

Even in the unlikely event the asteroid was picked up in an image from the telescope, which has less than 0.02 per cent of the sky in its field of view, this would leave no time for Bruce Willis to reach it, the students said.

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The first official photo of two-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis embodying Abe Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, for Steven Spielberg's upcoming historical drama "Lincoln" was just released by Entertainment Weekly.

The picture confirms what we knew from the paparazzi photos last year—that Day-Lewis has nailed the look.

Spielberg has said that the movie takes place during the final four months of Lincoln's life as he fights to maintain the outlawing of slavery.

He also appears to be taking in a show at a theater in this pic from EW…

To stay in character, Day-Lewis was referred to as "Mr. President" on set, according to EW.  Will "four score and seven years ago" be the new "I drink your milkshake?" Your move, John Hawkes and Joaquin Phoenix. 

"Lincoln" is due out November 9. 

SEE ALSO: Early reviews are in about the Scientology-inspired film "The Master" >

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Jennifer Lawrence, the 21-year-old actress who brought "The Hunger Games" protagonist Katniss Everdeen to life in the book series' first film, is now negotiating a $10 million paycheck for the sequel "Catching Fire," The Hollywood Reporter is reporting exclusively.

Lawrence, who was reportedly paid just $500,000 (plus bonuses based on box-office performance) for the first "Hunger Games," helped the film gross $683.8 million worldwide this spring.

But now the Oscar-nominated, barely of drinking age actress wants 20 times more money to shoot the sequel.

According to THR:

The actress is in the final stages of negotiating a rich deal to return for 'Catching Fire' that will pay her somewhere in the $10 million range, according to sources close to the deal. The figure is a combination of salary, bonuses and escalators. Depending on the box-office performance of the film, she could earn much more ...

Lawrence’s co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth also are said to have renegotiated their contracts, but each will receive far smaller raises, according to sources. Lawrence, whose gritty performance was central to the film, is seen as the marquee star.

But these kind of renegotiations are common for major film franchises, such as "Twilight," in which the cast received significant salary increases in subsequent movies.

In June, "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart earned the number one spot on Forbes' list of highest-paid actresses, after being paid an estimated $12.5 million per film for the last two in the franchise.

22-year-old Stewart was the youngest actress on this year's list, followed by 16-years-older Kristen Wiig.

But now Lawrence and her pay raise aren't too far behind, despite reportedly just losing out to Stewart for the coveted lead role of Peyton Loftis—a young woman in 1950s Virginia desperate to escape the confines of her dysfunctional home life—in "Lie Down in Darkness," an adaptation of William Styron's gritty 1951 novel of the same name.

Not that Lawrence or the "Hunger Games" franchise are hurting for cash.

Target recently announced they too will join on Katniss' bandwagon and sell and start to sell upscale collectors items to coincide with the first film's DVD and Blu-ray release on August 21.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, items will include a $999, 14-K gold Mockingjay pin, a $349 leather hunting jacket that resembles one worn by Katniss, and a lithograph autographed by 10 of the cast members for $699.

It's a departure for the retailer, who are known for their competitively low prices—but only 100 of each item will be available for purchase, and they will only be available on Target.com.

But not to exclude their regular customers, Target will also sell a range of "Hunger Games" memorabilia, from jewelry to picture frames, at more reasonable prices ranging of $6.99 to $37.99.

SEE ALSO: Universal sets record for fastest climb to $1B in studio's history >

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The film adaptation of E.L. James' best-selling "50 Shades of Grey" is slowly coming together. 

Universal, who bought the rights to James' trilogy in March for $5 million, and producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti have narrowed their short list of potential screenwriters down to four unexpected names.

The candidates are Veena Sud,, Karen Croner, Kelly Marcel, and Dan Fogelman, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

• Sud is best know for developing the recently-cancelled "The Killing," and is penning a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "Suspicion." 
• Croner is adapting the Jean Hanff Korelitz novel "Admission" for Tina Fey and Paul Rudd to star in.
• Marcel is a writer and actress who created the short-lived Fox series "Terra Nova." She's also scripted "Saving Mr. Banks," a Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson film about to begin shooting. 
• Fogelman, while the most experienced of the group, isn't exactly in his wheelhouse with the sexual material. His writing credits include the animated kids films "Bolt" and "Cars 2," which did earn an impressive $559,852,396 worldwide at the box office.

Notably absent from the list of potential writers is Bret Easton Ellis, who had been lobbying for the job all summer via his Twitter account. 

When the "American Psycho" writer heard he didn't make the "50 shades" shortlist, he tweeted his feelings.

SEE ALSO: Publisher shells out seven figures for 'Fifty Shades' hopeful >

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"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" will not debut its 48 frames-per-second technology on every screen showing the film, reports Variety. The 48fps 3D version will get a limited release, with the standard 24 fps screening widely. 

"The Hobbit" is the first major film to use the technology, which received a mixed reception during an extended preview of the movie at CinemaCon in April. Warner Bros. held their 48 fps footage at Comic-Con for fear of fanboys' negative reactions. 

As director Peter Jackson told the Huffington Post at Comic-Con, 48fps "is something that becomes a real joy to watch, but it takes you awhile."  

The director went into further detail on the planned wide release of the technology. "When this movie comes out and people see it at 48 frames, they're actually going to get the experience that I've had for the last 18 months," he explained to the Huffington Post. "I'm a film guy. I've grown up all my life going to the movies, and I think 48 frames is great. So I've got to believe I'm not stupid. I have to believe it."

Warner Bros. is not backing away from the technology, but plans to "test the market" with a limited release, according to Variety. If the audience enjoys it, expect a larger 48 fps 3D release for the second and third films in Jackson's new Middle Earth trilogy. 

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" reaches theaters December 14. 

SEE ALSO: Yes, 'The Hobbit' is now a trilogy >

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James Cameron, director of "Avatar" and "Titanic," has announced that his company, Cameron Pace Group, will provide aspiring Chinese filmmakers with the use of 3D technology.

This announcement follows Cameron's partnership with two Chinese-owned film distributors: Tianjin North Film Group and Tianjin Hi-tech Holding Group. Together, they have formed CPG China Division. 

Cameron has assured the public that this is not an attempt by him "to tell Chinese film makers how to make movies." He is merely, "going to help them make a transition to 3D production technology as cost effectively as possible, and in a way that doesn't inhibit creativity," reports Reuters.

The director has long been a staunch supporter of 3D films but only managed to break through in his most recent 2009 hit, "Avatar." The film grossed $2.8 billion in box offices worldwide.

With "Avatar" fresh on his resumé, Cameron is confident that this is just the beginning of a "media revolution."  "We're on the verge of a kind of media revolution. And we certainly have the enabling technology, we have the methodology, we've honed our skills," the Oscar-winnig director tells Reuters,

This is just the latest move by Hollywood to get a foothold in Chinese entertainment.

Last week, DreamWorks Animation announced they would be joining with their Chinese partners to create Oriental DreamWorks.

According to Xinhua News, they plan to build a $3.2 billion (RMB 20 billion) theme park in Shanghai, where fans of "Kung Fu Panda" will be able to enjoy "entertainment facilities, animation exhibitions and commercial developments including hotels and shopping areas" in Shanghai's trendy Xuhui district."

In fact, "Kung Fu Panda" was received so well by Chinese viewers ("Kung Fu Panda 2" earned $74.6 million at the Chinese box office) that Oriental DreamWorks also announced that they would be teaming up with China Media Capital, the Shanghai Media Group, and Shanghai Alliance Investment Limited to co-produce the third installment of the hit movie franchise.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney also cemented their position in the booming Chinese entertainment industry after starting construction on their own Walt Disney theme park, Channel News Asia report. The project is estimated at $3.7 billion and is scheduled to be completed in 2015. It will also be located in Shanghai's Xuhui district. 

SEE ALSO: Here's the real reason why News Corp wants an Hispanic channel >

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Disney just had the most profitable quarter in the entertainment giant's history—with net income rising to $1.83 billion during its third fiscal quarter, compared to $1.48 billion during Q3 last year.

Surprisingly, it had little to do with the studio division's "The Avengers"—the third-highest earning film of all time. Some sections of the business media seemed to think "Avengers" was the main factor in the quarter.

While "Avengers" has currently grossed $1.5 billion worldwide, it is Disney's Parks and Resorts operation which is propping up the company's revenues right now. Movie revenue was flat at $1.6 billion. Parks revenue was up 9%, to $3.4 billion.

Disney said that spending at its domestic resorts increased 8 percent, while overseas parks and the Disney cruise line saw a 21 percent sales rise. Most of that coming from Cars Land, the theme rides at Disney's California Adventure park, which is a part of Disneyland.

The movie studio unit looks positively healthy compared to Disney's Interactive division, however. DI revenues were down 22 percent to $196 million—after an increase of 13 percent in Q2.

After the $200 million write-off that was "John Carter" in Q2, home DVD sales of "The Avengers" during the rest of the year may help in future quarters. Luckily, CEO Robert Iger revealed Tuesday that Marvel has secured a deal with "Avengers" director/writer Joss Whedon to write and direct a sequel to the hit film.

SEE ALSO: James Cameron looks to China for next 3D venture >

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• Remember 80s sitcom creature "ALF"? Well thanks to producer/ puppeteer Paul Fusco and his vision board, Sony Pictures Animation has acquired the show rights and will proceed to develop a movie mixing live-action and CG elements á la "The Smurfs."

• Director Michael Polish has such a "Blue Crush" on Kate Bosworth that he finally popped the question—and she said yes! The actress let the news slip in her new travel blog post for Vogue, beginning the piece by writing, “On our first day in Seoul, my fiancé, Michael Polish, and I venture out to Changdeokgung Palace.”

• Kathie Lee Gifford is being skewered by fans this week after the TV personality said in a recent interview with Family Circle magazine, "I'm not a perfect mom, but my kids haven't been arrested, in rehab or kicked out of school, so I must be doing something right!" Which then prompted haters to take to Gifford's Facebook page, posting comments such as "Kathy do you know the first thing they teach you in family counseling for loved ones of addicts? The three C's; you DIDN'T cause it, you CAN'T cure it, and you CAN'T control it."

• AMC Networks reported improved second-quarter earnings Thursday, posting a profit of $41.5 million for the latest quarter, compared with $27.2 million in the year-ago period. Thanks in part to "Mad Men" and "The Walking Dead," quarterly revenue rose 12.2 percent to $328 million.

• After they were spotted feeding each other pizza on the Upper East Side, sounds like Katie Couric and financier John Molner are officially a couple.
• Fellow TV host (and Simon Cowell ex-gf) Terri Seymour, 38, was also spotted smooching a new man: 22-year-old model, Clark Mallon.
• Former "Hills" star Kristin Cavallari and her Chicago Bears fiancé Jay Cutler have welcomed their first child together—“We are thrilled to welcome Camden Jack Cutler into the world,” Cavallari tweeted Wednesday. “He was born this morning weighting 7lbs 9oz. Everyone is doing great!”
• Kimye should stick to doing whatever it is they do. Watch the couple try to act in this MTV Video Music Awards promo below:

SEE ALSO: Why everyone who thinks "The Avengers" saved Disney's Q2 is wrong >

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Two internal memos from the Motion Picture Association of America have been leaked and published on the blog Torrentfreak, outlining just how far the MPAA is willing to go to win the public debate on movie piracy.

In the memos, both dated July 19, the MPAA outlines how its members should handle discussions with reporters, including a list of questions that journalists may ask in an interview and suggested answers. A second memo urges members to "seek allies and third parties" who can explain its position to the public.

To read the memos in their entirety, click here.

The memos come after the criminal prosecution of U.K. citizen Richard O'Dwyer, the founder of search engine TVShack, who could soon be extradited to the U.S. to be tried for copyright infringement.

The 24-year-old, whose case was brought into the limelight when Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales denounced the U.K. Home Office's decision to extradite him, currently faces up to five years in jail.

The MPAA writes that the brains behind TV-Shack is not just “a regular college student who likes playing with computers,” rather, he's a criminal who should be punished—and Wales should mind his own business.

Here are some of the juicier quotes from the MPAA's internal positioning paper:

• We think it’s presumptuous of Mr. Wales to claim to speak for the “general public.”
• This case isn’t about Internet freedom. It’s about a man profiting from theft.
• Being 24, posing for newspaper photo shoots in a cartoon sweatshirt, and having your mother and Jimmy Wales speak for you, does not mean you are incapable [of] breaking the law.

 SEE ALSO: Dish CEO says customers don't care about AMC because "they live on farms and ranches" >

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“Houston, we have a problem”: there are countless movie quotes that have become a part of the common lexicon, but are being misquoted.

In fact, in "Apollo 13," no one says “Houston, we have a problem." The line is actually "Ah, Houston, we've had a problem.” Similar, but different just the same.

We've looked back at the "Star Wars" films, classics such as "The Wizard of Oz" and scanned AMC's FilmSite, IMDb and Cracked to compile a list of 15 movie quotes most people have been saying wrong since each film's release.

Can you guess the proper Darth Vader quote from "The Empire Strikes Back" or Dustin Hoffman's famous line in "The Graduate"? 

It's time to break the vicious cycle.

“Frankenstein” (1931)

“Dracula” (1931)

Popular Quote: “I want to suck your blood!”

ACTUAL Quote: Nothing. The line was never uttered.

“Tarzan, The Ape Man” (1932)

Popular Quote:  “Me Tarzan. You Jane.” 

ACTUAL Quote:  

“Jane: (pointing to herself) Jane.

Tarzan: (he points at her) Jane. 

Jane: And you? (she points at him) You?

Tarzan: (stabbing himself proudly in the chest) Tarzan, Tarzan.

Jane: (emphasizing his correct response) Tarzan.

Tarzan: (poking back and forth each time) Jane. Tarzan. Jane. Tarzan…”

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Film enthusiast Allen Fuqua has combined his passion for movies and travel by recreating movie scenes around the world.

His project Movie Mimic has over 60 scenes that Fuqua has duplicated with the help of friends and strangers.

Fuqua has given us permission to feature a selection of his work and a glimpse of experiencing traveling in a unique way.

'Inception' at Da Stuzzi, Paris, France

Movie: Inception
Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Location: Da Stuzzi, Paris, France
With: Teresa Cabanillas Gutiérrez 
Photographer: Jazz Gabriel

'Inception in Paris, France

Movie: Inception
Actor: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Location: Paris, France
Photographer: Jazz Gabriel

'Drive' at MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, CA

Movie: Drive
Actor: Ryan Gosling
Location: MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, CA
With: Mike Ladiona
Photographer: Kevin Thomas

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SEE ALSO: Trailer for bin Laden movie 'Zero Dark Thirty' from 'Hurt Locker' director >

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In this week's trailers, Clint Eastwood returns to acting to scout baseball prospects with Amy Adams, who plays his daughter, and Justin Timberlake, her love interest.

While Friday Night Lights' Coach Taylor hunts Osama bin Laden, a How I Met Your Mother star goes back to college and Dawson returns to the creek. "Frankie Go Boom" just tries to include someone from every sitcom.

Also, Paul Rudd sits on a toilet in a movie trailer for the second time this year, Kristen Stewart forgets her top, and Gerard Butler hits on soccer moms. 

"3, 2, 1… Frankie Go Boom" - September 10 on iTunes, October 12 in theaters

Ignore the title and check out the cast.

Between Bridesmaids star Chris O'Dowd, New Girl's Lizzy Caplan, The Good Wife's Chris Noth, Happy Endings' Adam Pally, and Sons of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam and Ron Perlman (in drag!), there is literally something for every demographic of current pop culture. 

"Liberal Arts" - September 14

Ted Mosby finally finds love! Josh Radnor directs, writes, and stars in his second film following 2010's "happythankyoumoreplease" and this time brings the talented Elizabeth Olsen with him.

Taking place at Radnor's real-life alma matter, Kenyon College, the film surrounds his character's return to college, where he falls in love with a student 15 years younger than him. 

"Trouble with the Curve" - September 21

Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, and Justin Timberlake make for one heck of a cast, really hitting all major quadrants. It's a very calm trailer, basically trusting the film will find it's audience. Which it should, with a baseball backdrop and Eastwood's return from self-imposed retirement.

Plus, it's got a classic old-Eastwood line in the vein of "Gran Torino's" "Get off my lawn:" "Get out of here before I have a heart attack trying to kill you."

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With two newcomers this week, Batman's run at theaters comes to a halt after three weeks at the top of the box office. 

Given "The Dark Knight" earned $26m in week four, it's no surprise that the next big anticipated summer film took reign over "The Dark Knight Rises" this week. 

Will Ferrell made a comeback at theaters this week after his last comedy "Casa de mi Padre," which earned $8m worldwide.

Out of the top ten this week is Disney and Pixar's "Brave." After an eight-week run, the film has grossed $374.4m. 

Also, "Nitro Circus the Movie 3D," based on the MTV series, makes its debut earning $1.1m. In comparison, the similar "Jackass 3-D" earned $50.3m opening weekend.

It's a tie for tenth place this week. Here's this week's biggest winners and losers at the box office.

10. After six weeks, "The Amazing Spider-Man" barely holds on to the top ten with $2.2m. The reboot has earned $690m worldwide. 

10. "The Watch" drops five spots and 66.3 percent at theaters to tie with the webbed hero at $2.2m even.

9. "Step Up Revolution" has yet to break its budget of $33m in the U.S. In week three, the dance film earned $2.8m bringing it to a domestic total of $30.2m.

8. "Ted" continues to bring in the laughs with another $3.2m. Seth MacFarlane's debut film has earned $323.1m worldwide. 

7. The fourth installment of "Ice Age" falls three spots this week earning $6.7m. 

6. After one week in theaters, the "Total Recall" remake featuring Colin Farrell drops four spots and 68.3 percent earning $8.1m. The film, which cost an estimated $125m to produce, has grossed $71.6m to date. 

5. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" drops two spots this week with $8.2m. 

4. Newcomer "Hope Springs" featuring Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep earned $15.6m, slightly above early estimates of $14m for the weekend. 

3. "The Dark Knight Rises" was finally knocked off its pedestal after a month coming in third with $19.5m. During week four, "The Dark Knight" grossed $26.1m. TDKR has now earned $835.4m worldwide. 

2. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis' "The Campaign" had a big opening weekend earning $27.4m. The political comedy didn't beat out "Anchorman" ($28.4m), "The Other Guys," ($35.5m), or "Step Brothers" ($30.9m). 

1. "The Bourne Legacy" performed as expected with $40.2m. Compared with earlier flicks in the franchise, "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "The Bourne Supremacy" earned $69.2m and $52.5m respectively opening weekend. This is still a rise over the $27.1m grossed by the original "Bourne Identity" its first weekend.

SEE ALSO: MEET DEBORAH ANN WOLL – The Sexy Red-Headed Vampire On "True Blood" >

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Michael Bay's next "Transformers" movie can't come soon enough for studio Paramount.

Universal, Disney, Sony, and Warner Bros. all passed $1 billion at the domestic box office already this year. But Paramount is far behind. The studio has released six films so far this year, to varying degrees of success.

So far, the studio's 2012 domestic total gross is $581 million, though roughly $150 million of that is due to holiday 2011 holdovers like "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and "The Adventures of Tintin."

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted made $211 million, and is the Paramount's only successful movie so far. The studio can still rely on its kiddie franchise to post big numbers for them, as the third film in the franchise actually made more than the previous installments, all but guaranteeing a fourth.  

The rest of Paramount's slate, however, stunk up the multiplex:

1. The Dictator - $60 million. The Sacha Baron Cohen comedy didn't reach its production budget stateside, but is likely saved by more than $100 million in foreign grosses. 
2. Titanic 3D - $58 million. Even if the studio expected more for this 3D re-release, they can't be too upset after only paying for the 3D conversion, prints, and advertising. 
3. The Devil Inside - $53 million. With a budget around $1 million, this one is pure profit for the studio after opening in January with a stunning $34 million opening weekend.
4. Katy Perry: Part of Me - $25 million. The gross may not be too high when compared to a movie like "Madagascar," but concert movies are cheap to make, and with a $12 million budget, this one should finish in the green.  
5. A Thousand Words - $18 million. The only "bomb" on this list is the latest from Eddie Murphy, and the studio seems to have seen it coming. They moved the movie's release date several times before settling on March 2012.

There are a few reasons for why Paramount is nowhere near the $1 billion mark, but the biggest one is it simply hasn't released enough movies. Compare the studio's modest six films to Warner Bros.' 11. 

This wasn't by design though. Two major releases were pushed back to 2013 for various reasons. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" was moved to January 2013 where it could benefit from Jeremy Renner being better established as an action star, and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" was pulled just weeks before its expected release for a 3D conversion and to expand rising star Channing Tatum's role. 

This should set the studio up for a bigger 2013, which will also feature Brad Pitt's "World War Z," J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" sequel, and "Anchorman 2." 

Posting a $1 billion 2012 is still possible, though. With seven films still to be released, including "Paranormal Activity 4," Tom Cruise's "Jack Reacher," Dreamworks' holiday pic "Rise of the Guardians" and Denzel Washington's Oscar buzz-y "Flight," the second half of the year could be stronger than the first. 

SEE ALSO: Universal fastest to $1B in studio history >

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Master YouTube video editor James Chapman has put together 100 clips of the most memorable maniacal movie laughs throughout film history.

With the tagline "Some good, some bad. All insane" Chapman starts with "Batman and Robin" and works his way up to "The Muppets."

To see an entire list of the films used, click here.

Watch the below video, it may make you laugh—or cry.

SEE ALSO: These 5 lousy movies are why Paramount will be the last studio to hit 1B at the box office >

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The unpaid interns of the entertainment industry will not go quietly!

Two interns, Alex Footman and Eric Glatt, sued Fox Searchlight last fall for violating minimum wage and overtime laws. 

Now, the plaintiffs are looking to "broaden the scope of the case to include all interns who participated in Fox Entertainment Group's internship program," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The pair's new lawsuit now names two additional plaintiffs. Eden Antalik was a corporate FEG intern while Kanene Gratts worked as an intern on the movie "(500) Days of Summer."

The lawsuit claims that further investigation shows "the same hiring, personnel and company policies that applied to Searchlight interns applied to all interns who participated in FEG's internship program."

In response to the original suit last October, the company blamed any "intern abuse" on "Black Swan" director Darren Aronofsky and his production company, saying they were never Fox Searchlight interns. 

In July 2010, 20th Century Fox and other Fox entertainment units started paying their interns $8 per hour, but were unpaid before that time, even though they had to fill out I-9 forms, sign confidentiality agreements, and were considered employees.

Similar cases were filed against Conde Nast, Hearst, and "The Charlie Rose Show." At Conde Nast, the company reformed its internship programs to add a $550 stipend, per semester.

SEE ALSO: Unpaid interns forced to work like unpaid interns >

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Just because Tom Cruise and Kristen Stewart may be Forbes' highest-paid actors of 2012, that doesn't necessarily mean they're worth the most in Hollywood. 

After paychecks, taxes, and expenses, how much money do the stars have left afterwards? 

Deutsch LA compiled different celebrities' net worths in mobile game High Rollaz, allowing users to guess the value of celebrities from Penelope Cruz to Drew Carey, who ranks surprisingly high.  

We went through the game and crossed checked amounts with celebritynetworth.com to find out how much the most popular celebrities are worth. You may be shocked by who has more coin in Hollywood. 

All figures are estimates taken from celebritynetworth.com

27. Katie Holmes: $25 million

While married to Tom Cruise, Holmes' acting career stalled in indie films and box-office duds including "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark."

Now, with new film "Molly," and romantic comedy "Responsible Adults," the former "Dawson's Creek" actress is ready to get her acting career back on track.

26. Martin Sheen: $50 million

Sheen voiced a character in hit game "Mass Effect 3" and was in two recent films: 

• "The Amazing Spider-Man"
• "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"

25. Kristen Stewart: $55 million

The "Twilight" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" star was named Forbes' highest-paid actress this year. 

However, she that may soon change provided her recent tryst with "Snow White" director, Rupert Sanders.

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