In a number of action sequences feature Tony Stark fighting off opponents with only a few pieces of his armor rather than the whole suit. Remarkably, however, Gwyneth Paltrow said the third installment in the immensely popular franchise had all the pieces lined up before shooting began.

"The great thing about '3' is that [director/writer] Shane [Black] and [writer] Drew [Pearce], we had a complete screenplay when we started, and that was great," Paltrow told MTV News. "The other two movies, we were writing as we were going, we were improvising the whole thing, and it was a much more difficult process."

While Paltrow's revelation sounds damning of the first two "Iron Man" movies and their creators, she insists that a variety of unavoidable circumstances, not a lack of creativity, demanded that approach. "It was no one's fault," she said. "It was just because of timing and this and that."

Paltrow also said that starting production with a script that not only featured a beginning, middle and end, but one that gave the characters a lot of substance, made her job as an actress much easier once she stepped onto set.

"When you start with a screenplay that's really, really well-thought-through and is dealing with deeper meanings and it works on a hugely commercial level, but goes a lot deeper — it was easy. It was, 'Oh, this is all here this time. This is great!' I could just think about what I'm doing and fill it all in."

"Iron Man 3" is now in theaters.

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Boston's biggest artists are set to perform a benefit for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. New Kids on the Block, Aerosmith, James Taylor and Dane Cook among others are heading to Beantown on May 30 for Boston Strong: An Evening of Support and Celebration.

While additional artist will be announced in the weeks to come, Jason Aldean, Boston, Jimmy Buffett, Extreme, Godsmack, The J. Geils Band, Carole King and Steven Wright are all confirmed to perform at the benefit. Proceeds will go to The One Fund Boston, whose founders, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, created to assist Bostonians "most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on April 15," according to a press release.

NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg said he hoped the event would entertain and inspire. "Like so many other proud Bostonians who have been extremely generous, we are honored to step up and do our part to help the victims and their families," Wahlberg said. "Hopefully this event will not only raise money, but spirits as well."

Other Boston natives who might be called upon — or volunteer — to perform include Frank Black, Bobby Brown, Aimee Mann, Al B. Sure, Rob Zombie and Amanda Palmer, the latter of whose poetry drew attention on the internet in the days after the April 15 bombings. Meanwhile, acts such as Neil Diamond and Kenny Chesney have already joined the fund-raising efforts: Chesney launched his own fund to benefit the Boston Medical Center, while Diamond announced that he will donate all of the ...

In a virtual life that has already raised eyebrows — from sexually charged flirting with rapper Drake to unpredictable sensitivity about which photos of her are used by media outlets — former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes upped the ante this week with a series of provocative photos and beefs that drew concern from fans and friends alike.

Bynes kicked the week off by posting a new series of selfies of her half-shaved head, seemingly taken at a gym, followed by a sudden change of heart about Drizzy, who she'd previously wished would .

On Tuesday, she took a veiled shot at the rapper, writing that she was "loving" his "far apart eyes." Just a short time later, Bynes uploaded a side-by-side image of herself and the MC with the message "@drakes kinda ugly huh?"

Bynes, 27, who appears to be taking her fashion cues from hardcore femcee Blac Chyna, threw a couple more shots at the Young Money star before moving on to a series of provocative bathroom shots in which she was wearing just a bra and leggings. "About to put on makeup!" she wrote on Wednesday. "I weigh 135, I've gained weight! I need to [be] 100 lbs.!"

That series of three lingerie snaps drew more than 700,000 views, just under the total for the topless photos she uploaded on Thursday with her hands covering her ample assets. What followed was a series of topless images in ...

The seventh movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will be packing theaters all weekend long as it blasts its way toward a possibly record-breaking opening weekend.

The film is packed with more twists and turns than previous Marvel movies, with certain plot points offering up some of the biggest surprises in the franchise's history. But the specter of "Marvel's The Avengers" hangs over both Iron Man and "Iron Man 3." Tony Stark is haunted by the preceding film's alien invasion, while the film tries its hardest to differentiate itself by getting more personal.

But when the smoke clears and the armor is plugged in to charge, where does "Iron Man 3" rank? Is it the best of the "Iron Man" trilogy? Does it come close to "The Avengers"? Do Captain America, Hulk or Thor's solo films give it a run for its money? We rounded up a panel of specialists to put "Iron Man 3" in its place.

"It's a return to form after the stuttered, wandering second movie, and stands up to 'The Avengers.' Tony Stark's not even bothering with a suit anymore — Iron Man has become a collection of bits and pieces which whizz onto him at random, seemingly of their own choice. His villains, as well, are scattered and impossible to predict and piece together, whilst his only constants — Pepper, his mind and, uh, alcohol — all come and go. But these disparate, complicated parts of the story are welded together fearsomely by Shane Black, whose script and direction keeps the Iron Man in fine form, ...

After six seasons on The CW's "Gossip Girl" — which concluded with the revelation that his character Dan Humphrey was actually the titular female blogger — actor Penn Badgley is breaking from the tony Upper East Side with his biopic in which he portrays musician Jeff Buckley.

The film opens a small window onto the life of Buckley, who died at the age of 30, accidentally drowning in Tennessee's Wolf River. "Greetings" takes place over about a week-long period as the younger Buckley prepares to perform at a tribute concert for his father, Tim, who was a celebrated figure in the folk music world and also died at a young age (28 years old).

The role is a departure for Badgley, who not only flexes his acting muscles but also his vocal cords. And it was a project that held special significance for the 26-year-old.

"Jeff was a certain kind of influence on me when I was a teenager," Badgley told MTV News. "I grew up being really passionate about music to the point that I would call it my first passion over acting, so you know, it was somebody who I respected and admired."

Badgley was particularly buoyed by the fact that the film didn't sensationalize the life of a man he so admired and respected.

"It was a story being told in an incredibly delicate and artful way, respectful way, not exploiting his tragic end or anything of that kind of typical mythic rock-star stuff," he said. "And as an actor I was thinking, I really want to do ...

Thirty Seconds To Mars have already proven that they're capable of elevating the usually staid "lyric video" to new heights — both literally and figuratively — with their epic, aptly-named clip.

And now, they're carrying on that loft tradition with another text-based video, this one for the LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS track "Conquistador." Like the "Air" video, this one relies exclusively on stunning, wide-screen imagery — swirling storm-fronts and tidal surges, driving rain and crackling lightning, animals straining in slo-motion — though this one isn't quite as ephemeral. Instead, it's powerful, primal pounding along in time with the song's massive guitars, stabbing strings and thundering drums.

"This is a fight to the death!" Jared Leto declares on the chorus, and as the song crashes and careens around him, that sentiment seems oddly fitting. And when paired with the elemental imagery, the point is driven home with the subtlety of a sledgehammer: This is Thirty Seconds To Mars at their biggest, their baddest ... and anyone who's a fan of the band knows that's no small statement, either.

After watching the "Up in the Air" lyric video, we declared it to be "as good as any actual music video you're likely to see any time soon." And then Mars followed that up with the equally-epic Will "Conquistador" get the same wide-screen treatment? We can't say for sure ... though, based on this lyric clip alone, it certainly deserves it.

Vanessa Hudgens invited fans on a neon-colored fever dream in and she's keeping the aesthetic alive in her just-released music video for featuring L.A. girl group YLA.

While the video never enters Harmony Korine levels of naughtiness, the clip (co-directed by the actress) is a spectacle of grainy footage, bright colors, quick shots, funky effects, flashing lights and pretty ladies. The video's '90s rave-culture vibe certainly mimics the grinding Rock Mafia-produced dance track, which features vocals from Hudgens as well as YLA.

For Hudgens' part, she's singing the provocative tune to camera, her dark hair pulled back. She's wearing a midriff-baring black tank and a thick gold choker, lip-synching lines like "Can't you feel my hot sex" before it all breaks down into a musical mess of synths and beats.

"The video is '90s-inspired, gritty, with a vision of crazy lights and colors. It's so different than everything else out there. I love it!" she told E! News about the clip, which she shot in a friend's basement in Manhattan Beach, California.

One of the girls in YLA, Laura New, also happens to be friends with Hudgens, giving her pal's vision two thumbs up. "We all wanted a retro feel to it," New said. "Then Vanessa had some really great ideas, and we all went for it. ... She got behind the camera and was fixing lights and made it happen."

While Hudgens has focused on acting the past few years, the actress seems to be making the move back to singing since releasing "Spring Breakers" in ...