SAN DIEGO — Watching the romance play out between exceptionally pretty people Shailene Woodley and Theo James in the latest dystiopian young adult novel to be adapted for the big screen, is something plenty of fans are looking forward to watching. But author Veronica Roth steered clear of the sexier scenes when it came time to visit the set of the movie.

"I kind of intentionally kept myself away from set on days when they were doing anything smoochy because I feel like that's just awkward, like that's just voyeuristic somehow," Roth told a packed Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. That's probably the opposite of how most of us would do things, but hey, the lady created those characters, so it's her prerogative.

"Divergent" is set in a dystopian future Chicago, a walled-in, ruined city where the population is divided into five factions that devote themselves to personality traits like bravery, selflessness, and intelligence. Woodley's Tris is a selfless teen who transfers to the daredevil faction, and James plays her mentor. It shouldn't be a spoiler to say that a romance eventually blossoms.

Roth was joined at the panel by Woodley, James, director Neil Burger, and a ton of their supporting cast members to present the very first footage of the film, which is scheduled to come out March 21, 2014. Here are five takeaways from the panel, which brought the cast together in one of their very first public appearances:

Theomania
James might be the most handsome human specimen to hit the Hall H stage in quite ...

If fans thought Avril Lavigne would soften with age, they were very wrong. On Lavigne's just-released new single, "Rock N Roll," she proudly declares, "I am the motherfreaking princess."

The upbeat, pop-punk song, the latest release from her forthcoming album, is a boisterous declaration of rebellion on which the 28-year-old Mrs. Chad Kroeger puts up her "middle finger to the sky" to "let 'em know that we're still rock and roll."

In the wake of the release, Lavigne's dedicated legion of fans has proudly jumped on the "Rock N Roll" bandwagon, upgrading her royal status to "queen." @YafitAsus wrote, "@AvrilLavigne What a fun!!! I jump. I dance. I'm so happy! Rock N' Roll so amazing Avril! I so love it! I so love you! THANK YOU MY LOVE."

Now that the track is out, fans can't wait to see what kind of video the newlywed might dream up. "@AvrilLavigne Rock N Roll sounds amazing!!!!" @AdmireBieber wrote. "So excited to see how the video's gonna look."

The track, sonically and thematically, picks up where her first single, left off, thanks to its sing-along chorus, rocking beat and carpe diem attitude.

Lavigne opened up to MTV News about it back in May, chatting about and how she doesn't feel she needs to embrace age on her music. "It's about wanting to be young forever," she shared. "Doesn't matter what age you are; it's all about your spirit, state of mind. And I know I certainly don't want to grow up, so there are more songs on the record like ...

When it comes to producing and mixing music, we don't usually think of Ed Sheeran. After all, the kid only needs a guitar and his loop pedal and he's set. No soundboard needed.

But when you ask him about the state of music production these days, he has a wealth of ideas — especially when it comes to famed producers Timbaland and Pharrell. Ed thinks they're doing something fishy behind our backs.

"I think Timbaland and Pharrell must have this kind of secret meeting every year where they go, 'We're gonna change disco music this year,' " the VMA-nominated Sheeran told MTV News.

Timb and Skateboard P have been in the producing game for a minute, both catching on in the '90s, working with the biggest stars and even making their own albums. So how would a meeting between the two legends go down? Sheeran showed us through a bit of roleplay.

"You know what," Ed began, as Pharrell. "That stuff on the radio sounds shit, so I'm gonna work with Daft Punk and Robin Thicke, and you're gonna work with Timberlake and Jay-Z and we're gonna change the game for this year."

Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky:' Dated Disco, Or A Bold Reinvention Of Dance Music?

Despite the sensitive side Sheeran bases his songwriting off, there is a part of him that raves for dance music. And with Pharrell and Timbaland leading its reincarnation, he's hoping other producers will follow suit.

"They made disco music a genre again — like with 'Suit and Tie,' 'Blurred Lines' and with 'Get Lucky,' " he ...

SAN DIEGO— A video of Jamie Foxx in this glowing blue Electro getup from "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" announced that the web-slinger's new foe had arrived at San Diego Comic-Con, but anyone who has been paying attention to the news surrounding the sequel starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone knows that he isn't the only baddie showing up to the party.

Director Marc Webb was kind enough to stop by MTV News Comic-Con headquarters the night before the big Hall H panel, where he'll possibly showing footage from the recently wrapped film, and early in his talk with Josh Horowitz, he addressed concerns that "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" would suffer from the same problem other superhero sequels have had: too many villains.

"I'll tell you that the main villain in this movie is Electro," Webb said. "These movies are sort of on-going, and there are hints and teases of what's going to unfold in the future, but we were very focused on that simple conflict between Spider-Man and Electro. Electro is, to me, a really captivating and interesting villain because at this point, Spider-Man is really good at being Spider-Man. There is a level of virtuosity that is really fun to make and really fun to watch. Those abilities need to be challenged."

And from the way Webb talks about the electrifying villain as played by Foxx, it sounds like Spider-Man will have his hands full. "If you think about it, [Electro] is god-like in his power," Webb said. "He can disembody and go into electrical sockets. If you ...

The retired and extremely dangerous spies of "Red" are back. Bruce Willis leads the charge on the action-comedy sequel directed by "Galaxy Quest" veteran Dean Parisot, with an all-star cast in tow: returning players John Malkovich and Helen Mirren, plus new marquee names like Anthony Hopkins and Cathereine Zeta-Jones.

But even with a star-studded array of talent, "Red 2" isn't a homerun for everyone. Critics are divided right down the middle on the sequel, its familiarity appealing to someone and repelling to others. If you're looking for more of the same, it sounds like you'll enjoy "Red." If not, well, you won't.

Read on for highlights from the "Red" reviews.

The Story
"Willis once again plays Frank Moses, a 'Retired, Extremely Dangerous' CIA agent who now mock-enthusiastically shuffles up and down the aisles at his local Costco in an effort to stave off the boredom of domestic anonymity. His girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), who is decidedly less excited about accumulating enormous quantities of perishable goods, is thrilled by the prospect of some bona fide action after Frank's longtime pal Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) shows up, insisting that Interpol is after them. But when Marvin's conspiracy theories prove true, the three of them set out to find who's been pursuing them and why, eventually reconnecting with former colleague Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Frank's ex-girlfriend Miranda (Catherine Zeta-Jones) as they simultaneously discover an international plot to set off a nuclear weapon in the heart of Russia — which they are going to be blamed for, if they can't stop it." — Todd Gilchrist,

A lot of artists like to say they do things their way. But if, or when Macklemore & Ryan Lewis take the stage to pick up some hardware at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, they could truly make history for DIYers.

You see, with the exception of a few artists on independent labels over the past few years (Matt and Kim, Childish Gambino, Duck Sauce, Mims), nearly every nominee in the 30-year history of the VMAs has been on a major label or major affiliate. But, Mack & Lewis are not just on an independent label, they are the label, which puts them in a completely different stratosphere.

The Seattle duo are tied with Justin Timberlake for the most nominations this year with six each &#8212 a fact that gives Mack great pleasure.

"Technology is obviously changing music," he told MTV News, about what allowed the pair to release The Heist on their own Macklemore label and score three #1 hits and accompanying videos over the past year. "The availability for people to film their own music videos in 2013 is so much more advanced that it was 10 years ago. Fifteen years ago it was almost impossible to film your own music video without the backing of a major label. I think that that's the dope thing."

First, they scored a #1 with their massive hit whose low-budget video has been viewed more than 376 million times on YouTube on its way to scoring a nom for the coveted Video of the Year ...

After scoring a runaway hit with the gritty 2011 thriller "Drive," actor Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn are re-teaming for another synth-pop infused romp in

Set in a neon-drenched Bangkok, the film follows the drug-smuggling Julian (Gosling), whose unhinged mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) convinces him to avenge the murder of his brother. (A plot which Gosling told MTV News reminded him of a certain video game.)

Yet, while "Drive" sped into critical-darling territory following its debut at the Cannes International Film Festival, "Only God Forgives" seems to be stalled at the start. Check out what the critics have to say.

The Story
" 'Only God Forgives' doesn't have a script so much as a body count. Its characters, even the one played by Gosling (his name is Julian), don't pretend to be more than one-note abstractions. Julian's brother kills a teenage prostitute, and is then murdered for the crime, at which point his dragon-lady mother, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas), shows up. The seedy, neon-lit Bangkok streets are depicted as a place of depravity and no mercy but also martinet control, in which Chang must restore order by taking vengeance on Crystal's war of vengeance." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The "Drive" Comparisons
"The last time the Danish director manned the wheel of a Ryan Gosling vehicle, the result was a near-masterpiece of genre hybridization. So it's more than a little disappointing to report that 'Only God Forgives,' the pair's second collaboration, is no 'Drive.' In fact, it sometimes plays like a grotesque parody of that 2011 triumph, with ...

In a summer where most of the spectacle exists for you to watch it as wide-eyed as possible, "The Conjuring" promises to offer thrills that will have you squinting from between your fingers. Based on the real-life case files of Lorraine and Ed Warren, the film follows the Perron family as they move into a new home and find themselves terrorized by a supernatural menace. James Wan, who already terrified audiences with "Saw" and "Insidious," directs.

But how good is Wan at wringing thrills out of similar kinds of material after so many movies? And how scary is "The Conjuring" in comparison to other recent scary movies? MTV News assembled a cross section of reviews from web critics who offered their thoughts about Wan's work, the Warrens' story, and the prospect of wowing audiences as well as the next big blockbuster.

How Does 'The Conjuring' Compare To Recent Horror Movies?
""The Conjuring" scared me more than any other movie in recent memory. For full-on fear and dread, the kind that makes you start squirming at the beginning of the scene, because you know someone's about to open a door they shouldn't, this movie starts creepy and maintains a hold on your spine for the next 112 minutes." — Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

But What Sets It Apart From Other Haunted House Movies?
"A 'B story' is what prevents The Conjuring from becoming yet another basic but forgettable tale of creaky floorboards and mysterious whispers. You know the 'paranormal experts' who show up in virtually all of the haunted house movies? Well, in ...

SAN DIEGO — Holland Roden might occasionally sport copper-colored hair, but that doesn't mean the star is next in line to play one of pop culture's most famous redheads. Despite what the Internet might say, the actress tells MTV News that she's not planning on joining prequel as Mary Jane Watson.

"I got about five phone calls in one day congratulating me," Roden told us during MTV's San Diego Comic-Con live stream, but the well-wishes were premature since she hasn't even auditioned for the role. Shailene Woodley was originally cast as Peter Parker's love, but after the "Divergent" star shot her scenes, her role was cut from the film and rumors are flying that she will actually be replaced when MJ makes her debut in the third "Spider-Man" film.

Since it's unclear whether Woodley will still play the role, there's still a chance that Roden could snag the iconic part, but right now it's just a rumor that persists thanks to a well-meaning pal. "One of my very, very, very best friends didn't decide to consult me before he [talked about it]," she said. "We're both in the business but we don't necessarily talk about the business, so I think he just assumed it was true and he said it in an interview and then it spread like wildfire."

The actress wanted to clear things up on Twitter, but her publicist advised her that it would probably cause more confusion — which is probably true, judging from the reaction of several of Roden's "Teen Wolf" costars. Definitively, though, ...

Move over, Dave Navarro. Guys like the Jane's Addiction guitarist may have popularized nipple rings in the '90s and early 2000s, but if Tyler Posey from "Teen Wolf" has anything to say about it, the 2010s will be defined by nipple tattoos.

"I decided it's time, it's time," Posey said of his nipple tattoos, showing them off after MTV Geek correspondent Steven Smith asked about them during MTV.com's live stream from San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday (July 18).

The 21-year-old actor, who leads the darker/sexier television take on the classic Michael J. Fox movie from 1985, was flanked by giggling cast mates as he explained himself. "My nipples have been too bare for too long."

After he pulled up his shirt to reveal both his pecs and his "ink" live on the Interwebs, Posey's TV best-friend Dylan O'Brien (a.k.a. Stiles Stilinski) couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch his pal, who did not enjoy it.

"I didn't like that at all. It felt weird," Posey said, with a laugh. "Aw, sorry buddy," O'Brien said, quite unconvincingly.

Posey then pointed to his arms. "I have the arm tattoos, too. Just gotta represent, man."

Of course, Posey's tattoos (and the replicas handed out later during the show's Hall H panel) don't require their recipients to endure any pain, save perhaps for the pain of embarrassment. That's because they are — surprise! — temporary tattoos, crafted and given away to promote season three of MTV's "Teen Wolf," which premiered in June.

Thursday also saw the debut of a brand new midseason trailer, as the action ...