Zombie love ruled at the box-office last week, but can the heartfelt undead defend themselves against fighter jets, poison pills and identity theft? Taking in nearly $21 million, Warm Bodies will have to hold up against the Jason Bateman-Melissa McCarthy comedy Identity Thief, the pharmacological thriller Side Effects from director Steven Soderbergh and the IMAX 3D re-release of Top Gun.

With the last few months being fairly top-heavy will horror/thriller releases, we’re willing to bet that Identity Thief will steal itself the top slot with a much needed dose of comedy. Despite being the critical darling of the group, however, it’s difficult to say whether Side Effects will find its audience.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Identity Thief

Side Effects

Top Gun (IMAX) 3D

Warm Bodies

What will you go see this weekend? Drop us a line and let us know!

Moviegoers showed plenty of love for the new zombie romantic comedy Warm Bodies this weekend, as the film grossed some $20 million to take top honors at the box office.

The picture, starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer, beat out last weekend’s no. 1 movie Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, while Silver Linings Playbook continues to inch closer to the $100 million mark, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Unfortunately for Sylvester Stallone, his new release Bullet to the Head did not have a very good weekend. Based on a French graphic novel about a hit man who partners up with a detective, Bullet grossed $4.5 million, just shy of finishing in the top five.

Oscar heavyweights Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained, Les Miserables and Lincoln each enjoyed another strong weekend, with Steven Spielberg’s film surpassing the $170 million mark.

Last week, Celebuzz spoke to Hoult about Warm Bodies‘ unique genre.

“It could have easily got ridiculous and become a parody . . . I think it’s finding that right balance, which [director Jonathan Levine] is really good at doing with all of his films,” he said.

“Eventually oyu’ve just got to give it a go and hope for the best. And it was a really fun set to work on — we had really great actors like Teresa and Rob [Corddry].”

What did you see at the theater this weekend? Write your own review below.

Actor Nicholas Hoult is best known for his role as the precocious teen Marcus in 2002′s About a Boy. But all that could change with his starring turn in this Friday’s Warm Bodies.

In Warm Bodies, Earth’s zombie population has drastically increased and what humans are left have become the undead’s sworn enemy. Hoult plays R, a zombie who falls for the human Julie (played by Teresa Palmer). This romantic comedy’s refreshing take on the well-tred zombie genre outs Hoult in the spotlight, as the film marks his first real leading man appearance on the big screen.

To celebrate the film’s upcoming release, Celebuzz pulled together some fun facts you need to know about this rising star.

Since landing in Hollywood, the British Hoult has found Hollywood success relatively quickly.

Roles in the blockbuster X-Men: First Class and the awards favorite A Single Man showcased the actor’s range, and his now-defunct relationship with Jennifer Lawrence always seemed to keep him in the headlines.

Check out our gallery of all things Hoult above, then watch the actor go full zombie in the trailer for Warm Bodies!

It’s probably no easy task to create a coming-of-age film around a character who no longer ages. By virtue of being, you know, well, dead. But Warm Bodies offers up a romantic comedy about a zombie in love – a zom-rom-com, if you will – in which a beautiful, blonde-haired survivor played by Teresa Palmer stirs the passions of the undead Nicholas Hoult.

Is love all that anybody, alive or dead or somewhere in-between, ever truly needs?

This clever twist on the genre film is earning high marks from critics thusfar in a month that’s already proven financially successful for the horror genre. Hopefully this flick will see some living, breathing love at the box-office.

Tasha Robinson, AV Club

“On paper, much of this story was about the protagonist’s internal life, in a way that turned him into a colorfully realized version of an every-teen: awkward at expressing himself, occasionally horrified at the gap between his feelings and his actions, uncertain where each new development might lead, but excited by every new hint of hope and of escape from the dreary, mundane daily plod. Onscreen, it’s a mildly comedic but bluntly told story about how teen romance magically cures zombie infection.”

Jordan Hoffman, ScreenCrush

“Warm Bodies is a supernatural teen love story with a brain. (Excuse me. . .BRAINS!) It is hardly a memorable film, and certainly a step back for director Jonathan Levine after the masterful 50/50, but it’s cute, and if you are a high schooler looking for a date flick or slightly older and chaperoning your niece you could do a hell of a lot worse.”

Michael Phillips, The Chicago Tribune

“We’re a long way from the manic, repulsive, jolly slapstick of Zombieland. This is more like a sensitively bent version of a Nicholas Sparks novel, where lovers must overcome significant social obstacles before moving on to the bed. At one point we hear R remind himself: ‘Don’t be creepy … don’t be creepy,’ as he tries to pass for human among actual humans. Hoult has a nice, sympathetic quality at such moments, though the whole of Warm Bodies, in both its comic and dramatic strains, lacks a certain…what? Ooomph? Intensity? Invention?”

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

“This is a bloody fresh twist on the most popular horror genre of this century, with none-too-subtle echoes of a certain star-crossed romance that harks back to a certain bard who placed a certain young Romeo under a certain balcony. I kinda love this movie. Warm Bodies is a well-paced, nicely directed, post-apocalyptic love story with a terrific sense of humor and the, um, guts to be unabashedly romantic and unapologetically optimistic.”

Sheri Linden, Huffington Post

“Warm Bodies, the latest permutation of the zombie screen phenomenon, places heart over horror and romantic teen angst over sharp social commentary. The low gore quotient and emphasis on young love might disappoint genre purists, but for those open to the idea of a gently goofy mash-up, the film is strong on atmosphere and offers likably low-key, if somewhat bland, charms. As a date movie for teens and twentysomethings that nods toward edgy fantasy while favoring down-to-earth mellowness, the Summit release is primed to hit the box-office sweet spot.”

Watch the trailer for Warm Bodies and then let us know — what did you think of the zom-rom-com?

Warm Bodies occupies a rarified nexus between genres – horror and comedy — that demands a delicate balance of tone and content in order to succeed.

One of the film’s stars, Analeigh Tipton (Damsels in Distress), tells Celebuzz that she and her collaborators were well aware of the responsibility they faced in making the movie both scary and funny, without emphasizing one too much over the other.

“We definitely had an awareness of the fragility of what we were dealing with,” Tipton explains. “Because it can go oh so badly.”

Tipton says that director Jonathan Levine gave them a compass to follow when trying to maintain the right balance. “[Jonathan] knows what’s cool,” she says.

“He is in himself just like a cool guy, like intimidatingly so. So you kind of guess, and if something was funny, he would laugh.”

In Warm Bodies, Tipton plays Nora, the best friend of Teresa Palmer’s character Julie Grigio. She says that was an additional challenge tackling a role that exists largely to help build the integrity of the zombie-infested world within the film, because she was required to both support another character and create a memorable and unique one for herself.

“Any supporting role, such as the best friend, can tend to go into a more stereotypical realm of what that is,” she says. “But Jonathan was great about allowing us the freedom to contribute some roundedness into [our characters].”

“He did that for me by letting me go into all of these great, different comedic tones, from compassionate comedy to a little bit darker,” she continues. “That’s a fun opportunity to get to do.”

Watch the rest of Celebuzz’ exclusive interview with Analeigh Tipton, as well as the theatrical trailer for the film. And then let us know in the comments section below – what do you think of the film’s balance of horror and comedy?

All Hollywood actors find themselves negotiating various rungs on the ladder to success. Currently, Teresa Palmer is making her way to the top.

The Aussie actress has done the whole slow and steady thing with her career, appearing in several high-profile projects and, in doing so, elevating both the material and her profile. Case in point: A leading role in this Friday’s zombie rom-com, Warm Bodies.

To celebrate the film’s release, and its crazy talented (and attractive) leading lady, Celebuzz kicks off its new feature, Buzzworthy, with a look at why Palmer deserves all of our attention.

Since getting “discovered” in 2006 on the street in her hometown, Palmer quickly found herself on the “Next Big Thing” list.

She is consistently one of, if not the, best thing in anything she does. It’s only a matter of time before she finds a Hunger Games-level of success to give her household name status similar to that of her peer, Jennifer Lawrence.

Get to know why Palmer is one to watch in the gallery above, then check her out below in our exclusive clip for Warm Bodies!  

Jonathan Levine’s new movie Warm Bodies asks audiences to believe that an attractive, able-bodied young woman could fall in love with a zombie – as in a real-deal, brains-eating dead guy. Who kills and eats her still-living boyfriend, no less.

But Teresa Palmer, who plays young crush object Julie Grigio, says that it was an easy prospect for her to imagine, thanks to the appeal of the actor she was starring opposite.

“It’s kind of easy when you’re acting opposite Nicholas Hoult,” she tells Celebuzz. “He’s so endearing.”

Hoult’s character R does indeed devour Julie’s boyfriend, played by Dave Franco (21 Jump Street). But even Palmer says that the character’s post-meal demeanor is too pleasant to resist.

“R, the character, is charming and sweet and nurturing and gentle and wants to take care of me,” she says. “One of the lines he keeps saying in the movie is ‘safe – keep you safe,’ and that is just so sweet!”

What do you think of Palmer’s assessment of her co-star, Nicholas Hoult? Is he a hunk, even in undead form? Watch Celebuzz’ exclusive video interview with Palmer and then let us know in the comments below – could you fall for a guy whose diet consists entirely of brains?

Young Adult fiction isn’t just a literary subgenre, it’s a cultural phenomenon. Since Twilight changed the moviemaking landscape, Hollywood has been hungry to get in on the action, trying to bring countless best-sellers to the screen in search of box office glory.

But while the stars of the upcoming zombie-themed romance Warm Bodies would love to see their film become the next big thing in teen entertainment, they also insist that they’re not trying to ride any of their successful predecessors’ coattails.

Teresa Palmer, who plays reluctant “girlfriend” to zombie R (Nicholas Hoult) who’s regaining his humanity via his interest in her, said, “We are embracing comparisons to these big franchises like Twilight and Hunger Games – because they’re hugely successful! But I think Warm Bodies does stand alone.”

“I’m really excited and it’s overwhelming, and at the same time I’m trying not to have huge expectations.”

Co-star Dave Franco explained that the film will certainly appeal to fans of those series, but it should also capture the interest of moviegoers outside their target demographic.

“I don’t think anyone expects anything else to have the success of something like Twilight,” he confessed. “If it does, that’s amazing, but I think what sets it apart is that it will take that audience, but then it takes a whole separate demographic that would never go to a Twilight movie.”

“This feels like it’s definitely going more towards guys and girls rather than just young girls in the sense that it feels more like a coming of age story.”

Watch the video above for more details from Palmer and Franco, as well as comments from co-stars Analeigh Tipton and Rob Corddry. And then let us know – how eager are you to see the film? Is it your next big fantasy-romance obsession? Discuss it in the comments below!

Young Adult lit fans worried that Twilight’s Bella and Edward might be the movies’ last supernatural-fantasy couple can rest easy: Warm Bodies is set to be the next great romance featuring two characters not just from different walks of life, but different species.

In the upcoming film, Nicholas Hoult plays R, a zombie who takes a shine to Julie (Teresa Palmer), the girlfriend of one of his latest meals. The duo make an unlikely but unexpectedly charming pair after R brings her back to his lair, vowing to protect her from his brains-eating brethren even as he shows her the post-living world he’s created for himself in an abandoned airplane.

But in a new clip exclusive to Celebuzz, R and Julie find their burgeoning romance tested after the prejudices of others – namely, Julie’s father, General Grigio (John Malkovich) – threaten to keep them separated, permanently, by putting a couple of bullets into R’s undead head.

Audiences know Hoult from his turn as Hank McCoy, a/k/a Beast, in X-Men: First Class, while Palmer made a case for changing the name of I Am Number Four as the title character’s ass-kicking companion, Number Six. Writer-director Jonathan Levine wrung both comedy and drama out of the true-life story of a cancer patient’s efforts to fight off his disease in 50/50, after introducing himself to the world with the ‘90s-set dramedy The Wackness.

Watch Celebuzz’ exclusive clip for Warm Bodies, which breaks down the world and the characters within the film. And then let us know in the comments below – how excited are you for a new movie about forbidden love?

With Breaking Dawn – Part 2 wrapping up the Bella-Edward-Jacob saga (for the time being) and so many new movies competing for the attention of fans in search of fantasy-oriented romance, it’s tough to know what’s worth watching. But Summit Entertainment, the folks responsible for the Twilight series, are hoping to strike gold again with the zombie-themed Warm Bodies – and they’re offering you a chance to see the movie early.

Based on the novel by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies follows the relationship between a zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) and Julie Grigio (Teresa Palmer), the girlfriend of one of his victims. The movie isn’t officially being released February 1, 2013, but read on below to find out how you can see it before anyone else this week!

Summit is partnering with Celebuzz to offer lucky fans across the country an opportunity to RSVP and attend a screening of the film in 19 different cities. RSVP at THIS LINK to find out if there’s a screening available in your area.

Please keep in mind that once screenings fill up, no one else will be able to attend, as indicated by a red circle with a strikethrough. People will need to print their pass and bring it with them to the screening for admittance.

Screenings are available on a first come, first serve basis, but tickets do not guarantee admission. But once you RSVP, make sure you let your friends and fellow fans know that you’re attending with the hashtag #WarmBodies.

We hope to see you there! If you need any further enticing to RSVP, watch the film’s theatrical trailer below!

Cute couple alert! Scott Speedman and girlfriend Teresa Palmer put their relationship on display by holding hands while walking around New York City Tuesday afternoon. Scott has been dating the Australian actress (and I Am Number Four star) for a few months, according to reports. 

The actor — who won our hearts with crush-worthy performances  in Felicity and Underworld — will  be appearing in the upcoming film The Vow with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. The movie is based on the true story of a woman who wakes up from a coma with memory loss and doesn’t remember her husband.

Based on the trailer, Scott plays the other man who comes between the couple. Check it out below:

The Vow is scheduled for release in February 2012. 

For more movie trailers, news and pics, be sure to follow Celebuzz on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

In Topher Grace‘s upcoming awesomely’ 80s film Take Me Home Tonight, he stars as a slacker who finds himself having one the craziest nights of his life — all while trying to woo his dream girl.

To celebrate the film and all things ’80s, Topher along with co-stars Anna Faris and Teresa Palmer (who also stars in the film I Am Number Four) make an appearance in the Atomic Tom’s music video for a cover of  one of the decades most popular songs “Don’t You Want Me” and take on some seriously iconic moment of film — all from the 80s.

Celebuzz also asked Topher a few questions about his favorite ’80s memories — check out his answers (along with the video) after the jump!

Celebuzz: What is the best ’80s movie?
Topher Grace: I loved, and this movie was really influenced by the great John Hughes films of the ’80s, The Breakfast Club, 16 Candles and especially Ferris Beuller’s Day Off.  I also really love Cameron Crowe’s work then – Say Anything, which he directed, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which he wrote. Also, we wanted to add in a dash of Less Than Zero to give the film more of a sense of realism.

CB: What was your favorite re-enactment that you did for the video and why?
TG: I loved doing Ghost and Dirty Dancing with Anna [Faris] because I truly believe she is the most talented comedian working today, and she’s such a cool person to hang with.

CB: Favorite totally ’80s TV show?
TG: Maybe you can tell from my impression in the video but I was a big Family Ties fan.

Take Me Home Tonight comes out on March 4. Will you head to the multiplex to see it? Let us know in the comments!

Check it out, you guys. Teresa Palmer is rockin’ one of those two-piece dresses. You know, from the 90′s. And somehow the girl is makin’ it work.

Click through the gallery to see her FTW the red carpet. And for more fantastical fashion check out our coverage at Fashion FAILs & FTWs.