Studio Went Super-Secret to Protect Batman

Lobbyists dig in over controversial SOPA measure

(NEWSER) - A battle is heating up on Capitol Hill over a controversial new bill targeting online piracy. Yesterday Google, Facebook, Yahoo and other web companies took out full-page newspaper ads railing against the House’s recently introduced Stop Online Piracy Act, even as supporters sung its praises at a hearing. “The problem of rogue Web sites is real, immediate and widespread,” said sponsor Lamar Smith. The bill is backed by lobbyists from media and even pharmaceutical companies, who say piracy costs them $135 billion a year, the Washington Post reports. More»

Sorry, Transformers fans

(NEWSER) - The summer blockbuster: proof that, when it comes to movies, budget is often inversely proportional to quality. In Time , Everett Rosenfeld and Gilbert Cruz reflect on the worst of the worst:

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Director Michael Bay’s only priority: explosions.
2. Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace: “This is the story of a man with too much power and the terrible things he did”—that is, George Lucas.
3. Sex and the City 2: Our heroes go to the Middle East and “proceed to act closed-minded and condescending.”

Behind only 'Harry Potter' and 'Spider-Man 3'

(NEWSER) - Transformers: Dark of the Moon notched a smashing weekend, pocketing an eye-popping $372 million from around the globe and grabbing the No. 3 opening weekend of all time. The third in the franchise pulled in $162 million domestically, but it's proving to be a blockbuster overseas, notes the Hollywood Reporter. The weekend's take is behind only Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million) and Spider-Man 3 ($382 million). Click here for a roundup of reviews for Dark of the Moon. More»

Baidu.com provides links to illegal sites, says report

(NEWSER) - The US has listed China's top search engine—one of the 10 most popular websites in the world—as one of the most "notorious markets" for pirated software and media, Reuters reports. Baidu.com, the most popular website within China, was again singled out by the US trade representative's office as a site that provided links to pirated material. More»

Sam Worthington leads 'Young Hollywood' pack

(NEWSER) - Which of Hollywood’s young guns can claim the title of most likely to get you to the multiplex? Entertainment Weekly crunched the numbers to find out. Here they are by name, age, and box office average:

1. Sam Worthington, 34, $329.6M
2. Daniel Radcliffe, 21, $244.7M
3. Taylor Lautner, 18, $186.6M