As good as he is as the god of thunder, Chris Hemsworth hasn’t really found his place in Hollywood outside of the “Thor” movies. But for his next non-Marvel film, he’s getting help from one of the all-time great directors.

Michael Mann returns after almost six years away from feature films with “Blackhat,” a cyber thriller that casts Hemsworth as the buffest MIT grad of all time.

The movie has a familiar set-up: after a serious hack, the government turns to an imprisoned hacker (Hemsworth) for help catching the mad man behind everything.

I’m rooting for both Mann and Hemsworth on this one, since they could both use the win. We’ll find out for sure in January, when “Blackhat” hits theaters.

Kevin P. Sullivan

Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I'm there. All three would be ideal.

@KPSull

After months of speculation and way too many hashtag jokes, the second season of HBO’s “True Detective” is officially shaping up.

Vince Vaughn is officially joining Colin Farrell, who recently confirmed reports that he would take on one of the lead roles for creator Nic Pizzolatto’s next yarn.

HBO also revealed a vague logline (via The Hollywood Reporter), which lines up with the details we’ve previously heard. “Three police officers and a career criminal must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.”

On top of that, character details for Farrell and Vaughn’s roles further clarify the story. Farrell will apparently play a cop named Ray Velcoro, who’s described as “a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him.”

The description for Vaughn’s character may connect some dots. Frank Semyon is “a career criminal in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner.”

There are two more detective roles that have yet to be confirmed. One appears to be locked down by “Friday Night Lights” alum Taylor Kitsch, but there has yet to be an official word about his involvement. The other is reportedly a female role, which has attracted actresses like Elisabeth Moss, Rosario Dawson and Rachel McAdams.

As previously reported, “Fast & Furious 6″ director Justin Lin will direct the first two episodes of season two.

The second season of “True ...

The third “Taken” movie — which you should definitely know is called “Tak3n” — is hitting theaters in January, and USA Today has a first look at photos, an interview with ass-kicker extraordinaire Liam Neeson, and some details about the story.

This time around, the particularly skilled, former CIA agent Bryan Mills finds himself framed for a murder, and he has to go on the run from the bad guys and the authorities.

And from the way Neeson talks about “Takthreen,” it sounds like this is the last round for the late-blooming action star.

“It’s a rollicking good story, but I think this is the end,” he said. “I feel audiences saying, ‘Come on, he’s 62, enough is enough,’ I’m very sensitive to that and if I pick up that vibe it will all stop. And I’ll start playing dads or grandfather. But I keep myself pretty fit and my knees are still great. And it’s fun.”

“Tak3n” opens in theaters on January 9.

Kevin P. Sullivan

Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I'm there. All three would be ideal.

@KPSull

Rotten Tomatoes has built an express lane for finding out whether a movie sucks or will change your life. The service has become the standard for critical opinion now that there are thousands of movie reviews published every week — and without celebrity voices like Roger Ebert around anymore — because of how easy it is to use. You don’t have to go further than the site’s front page to get an instant snapshot of a given week’s releases.

But those percentages and tomato icons may not mean what you think.

Understanding the Meter
To calculate a Tomatometer percentage, the site rounds up reviews by critics who have been approved based on set criteria. According to a rep for the site, critics designate whether their reviews are considered positive (fresh) or negative (rotten), and in cases where it’s more difficult to tell, the Rotten Tomatoes editorial staff reaches out to critics for clarification.

The number of positive reviews is then divided by the total number of write-ups considered, and then you get the movie’s Tomatometer rating.

People love Rotten Tomatoes because it’s easy to use. The Tomatometer gives the false sense of understanding many knowledgeable opinions by looking at a single number. That percentage and the Fresh status that can come with it (anything over 60 percent) have become highly regarded measures of film quality to the point where DVD covers boast of the certification and it’s a fanboy rage-inducing act to ruin a movie’s perfect score.

The problem is that ...

Deleted scenes are hard to avoid. It doesn’t always come down to a simple need for a shorter movie. Sometimes a scene can slow the pace down too much or not mesh tonally with the other sequences.

Related: This ‘Frozen’ Deleted Scene Would Have Completely Changed The Movie

No matter the reason why they were cut, there are deleted scenes that are so good that it’s hard to believe anyone could approve removing them. I understand that sometimes there isn’t a choice, but it’s still unfortunate.

Though these great scenes were cut, they live on in the DVD extras and in the post below.

1. Boromir’s Story in “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”

This flashback sequence lives on in the Extended Edition of “The Two Towers,” but it adds so much to Boromir, Faramir and Denethor that it’s a shame it didn’t make the theatrical cut.

2. The Mouth of Sauron in “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King”

While this sequence ripped straight from J.R.R. Tolkien’s book doesn’t add too much, besides another decapitation for the tally sheet, the creature effects are really cool.

3. Luke Talks to Biggs in “Star Wars”

Sometimes it’s not enough to be told that Luke and Biggs are best buds. This scene from early in “Star Wars” would have established the friendship sooner.

4. Luke Builds His Lightsaber in “Return of the Jedi”

It’s a small thing, but this scene of Luke tinkering with his green-bladed saber would have helped establish him as a Jedi ...

The choice to direct a “Star Wars” movie couldn’t seem like more of a no-brainer, but for any filmmaker taking on the galaxy far, far away, it’s an enormous commitment that will no doubt demand years of his or her life.

That was very true for Rian Johnson, who was coming off the biggest success of his career with the phenomenal “Looper.” He could have made pretty much any film he wanted when he was faced with the offer. His decision to direct “Star Wars: Episode VIII” was made much easier by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and the creative team there.

Johnson talked generally about his experiences so far on “Episode VIII” and what made him say “yes” with director Terry Gilliam on the TalkHouse podcast.

The exchange began when Gilliam asked Johnson what he was doing next, a question that must thrill the “Looper” director to answer.

The most interesting bit that Johnson had to say about “Star Wars” was the discussion about balancing what he loves as a storyteller with the larger universe.

“I’ll have more perspective in a while, but it’s a balance of remembering what inspires you about it, but you can probably go to the wrong place by feeling too responsible to it,” Johnson said. “You have to keep your head loose enough to tell a story you actually care about.”

Johnson went on to say that that balance falls very much in line with what Lucasfilm wants for the new trilogy.

“Kathleen and her whole creative ...

Looks like that test footage did the trick.

Twentieth Century Fox has given the green light to “Deadpool,” an “X-Men” spin-off movie featuring the fan-favorite mutant mercenary.

The project had sat for years in development hell with Ryan Reynolds set to reprise (and redeem) his role from “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” but it wasn’t until years-old test footage leaked online to a rave fan response that “Deadpool” saw new life.

While that test footage is no longer officially available online, the clip tapped into the mix of action and meta humor that has made Deadpool a beloved character and a staple of any cosplayer gathering.

Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller are attached, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, no deals are in place.

“Deadpool” is scheduled to hit theaters on February 12, 2016.

Kevin P. Sullivan

Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I'm there. All three would be ideal.

@KPSull

“Skyfall” wasn’t just any Bond movie. Aside from the fact that it was great, the 23rd installment in the series served as a tribute to the lasting legacy of 007, and it achieved that with the help of an Oscar-winning director and a world-class director of photography.

Cinematography isn’t exactly something that strings to mind as characteristic of the spy series, but Roger Deakins’ work on “Skyfall” set a new standard, one that would need to carry through to Sam Mendes’ second Bond movie, the yet-untitled “Bond 24.” Since Deakins won’t be returning, Mendes had to find someone up to the task to match the beauty of “Skyfall,” and he’s absolutely done that.

With the news of the “Bond 24″ start date came word (via HitFix) that Hotye van Hoytema, who shot “Her” for Spike Jonze and “Interstellar” for Christopher Nolna, will work with Mendes on the next 007 movie.

Van Hoytema obviously has a big act to follow, considering “Skyfall” was by far the most beautiful Bond movie ever, but if you take a look at some of his work below, it’s clear that he’s up to the task.

“Let the Right One In”

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

“Her”

“Interstellar”

“Bond 24″ hits theaters on November 6, 2015.

Kevin P. Sullivan

Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I'm there. All three would be ideal.

@KPSull

After years of limited availability, 80 episodes of the cult TV series “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ have launched on Vimeo. Now you can get the joy of watching Joel and/or Mike, Crow and Tom Servo on a super convenient format.

You can rent each episode for $2.99 or buy them for $9.99, but before you put your dollars down, check out my list of essential episodes of “MST3K.”

1. “Gamera”

“Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.” The first of the previously hard-to-find “Gamera” series is a must-watch.

2. “I Accuse My Parents”

With this melodramatic teen crisis movie, you also get one of MST3K’s best shorts ever, “The Truck Farmer.”

3. “Mitchell”

“Joe Don Baker is Mittens.”

4. “Santa Claus”

The story of Santa Claus’ fight against Satan has to be one of the stranger movies to ever screen for Joel, Crow and Tom.

5. “The Pumaman”

“Pumaman” stands as a classic of the genre, since no superhero since then has worn slacks as a part of his uniform.

6. “Devil Fish”

You haven’t seen a true “Jaws” rip-off until you’ve seen “Devil Fish.”

7. “The Final Sacrifice”

“The Final Sacrifice” is what you get when you soak Gilligan, Darth Vader and a bloated Jean-Claude Van Damme in pure Canadian maple syrup.

8. “Future War”

No other movie points out the lack of dinosaurs in “Terminator” quite like “Future War.”

Kevin P. Sullivan

Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I'm there. All three would be ideal.

@KPSull

Last week, we found out what the Batmobile would look like in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” but style is only part of the equation. To figure out whether we love or hate Zack Snyder’s take on the Caped Crusader’s signature ride, we have to see it in action.

Thankfully, Autoblog.com posted a few pictures they snapped from the set in Detroit, giving us our first look at the Batmobile rolling, and I don’t hate it.

Granted, we obviously have to see how this thing will look on screen — I’m assuming the off color is there for easy correction in post — but just like Ben Affleck’s costume, I’m really digging the aesthetic for the Dark Knight this time around.

What do you think? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

“Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” hits theaters on March 25, 2016.

Kevin P. Sullivan

Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I'm there. All three would be ideal.

@KPSull