Robert Pattinson, as Edward Cullen, is featured on the cover of this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly. Twilighters, take note, R. Pattz’s cover is one of three collector’s covers that is being published this week. No word on who or what is on the other two covers but I suspect that Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan will prolly have her own cover as well. Here is Rob’s cover and a portion of the mag’s coverstory:

The last thing the filmmakers behind Twilight want to hear is that their movie is the next Harry Potter. Sure, it occupies the release date once held by the boy wizard. But while the seven-book Potter series has sold 400 million copies and generated $4.5 billion in worldwide box office receipts, Twilight is working off a global fan base that has purchased only 17 million books. ”We’re not even 5 percent of Potter sales. We’re not even a toenail on that body,” says director Catherine Hardwicke. ”Ours is a character film, a little more sophisticated teenage Romeo and Juliet.” But Twilight is likely to be anything but a tragedy for Summit Entertainment, the fledgling studio behind the film … Twilight — a possible four-film franchise — could transform Summit into a real player. To hit it big, though, the vampire romance needs to lure moviegoers beyond the series’ core fans. Teenage boys are an obvious target, and Hardwicke has peppered her film with gravity-defying fight scenes. ”There are action sequences in the book, and as a director, you want to make everything more cinematic,” she says. Early tracking of the movie suggests that tween boys like the Cullen vampires almost as much as girls do. That should help Twilight reach at least a $20 million opening weekend — the number the studio probably needs to please in-house accountants. What it requires to greenlight the sequel, New Moon, is another story. Summit won’t comment, but Hardwicke guesstimates Twilight must gross $150 million for the studio to approve a follow-up, which will require extensive special effects and location shooting. ”This has to be a crazy hit,” she says. ”Nobody can say that it can do that well right now.”

I am pretty confident Twilight will make more than $20 million bucks in its opening weekend. I think it’s wise to downplay how the movie may do before it actually opens (so as not to look foolish down the line) but I predict that the movie will be a big hit. Twilighters strike me as the kind of fans that would go back to see the movie over and over and over again. I’m not worried about the movie’s success at all … unless the filmmakers totally botch the story. Angering said Twilighers would kill the movie faster than a stake thru the heart. Author Stephanie Meyer says she loves the movie so … what more endorsement do they need? Big hit, I’m sure of it. In fact, my guess is that it will be a *dazzling* weekend at the box office come November 21. So my question to all y’all is … Edward gets one of the collectible EW covers and I think it’s a safe assumption to think Bella will get her own cover … but who get’s the third? Is it worth getting all three?

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David Beckham and Marc Anthony left the wives at home last night and made their way out to the Staples Center together to cheer on the LA Lakers basketball team. While the photos aren’t particularly interesting in and of themselves, I am quite taken with the stark side-by-side comparison of the two men:

Seriously, if I were Marc Anthony I would never, ever want to be photographed next to David Beckham … ever. I’m just saying. BTW, the Lakers beat the Clippers 106-88.

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Here are a few adorable pics of Suri Holmes-Cruise keepin’ dry in rainy NYC this week by utilizing her cute ladybug umbrella:

I gotta say, even tho those terrible Rihanna Umbrella jokes are way over … like, way over … I think the sight of Suri with her little ladybug umbrella really makes me want to coo ella-ella-ella over all the cuteness. While I still have my doubts that this cute little child isn’t really a wind-up toy, I must admit that she is seriously the cutest.thing.ever. with umbrella in hand.

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

Actor Tom Lenk, who some of y’all may know from his stint as Andrew Wells on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, has come out of the closet in the new issue of The Advocate magazine. After a failed attempt to come out publicly on the recently canceled FOX series Do Not Disturb, Tom is talking to The Advocate about his coming out. Here are a few pics of Tom in the mag and a report on his coming out from After Elton:

The latest issue of The Advocate features icon Harvey Milk on the cover, but a minor icon of geekdom, Tom Lenk (who played Andrew on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), also makes news by officially coming out in the issue … It probably doesn’t come as that big of a shock to fans of Buffy that Tom is gay, which probably isn’t fair, as no doubt Lenk is capable of playing a wide-range of characters. Nonetheless, Lenk pinged quite a few gaydars including Buffy creator Joss Whedon, who told The Advocate that Andrew hadn’t been planned as gay, but when Lenk auditioned they decided to take the character that way since “Tom has a bit of a fey thing going on in his persona that, you know, you can’t really deny.” … Lenk says his coming out now was supposed to be timed to coincide with his first television same-sex kiss. The Buffy alum had been cast as the boyfriend of Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s character on Fox’s Do Not Disturb. Alas for Lenk, DNR didn’t make it past its second episode before Fox showed mercy on us all and canceled the sitcom. Lenk also discusses his less-than-pleasant childhood growing up in Camarillo, California, a town north of Los Angeles, where he was “constantly tormented”, how theater was his escape, and how, post-Buffy, he learned his own management company was mocking him behind his back for being less than butch. Despite the setbacks, Lenk stays optimistic about his future. And as Whedon says about Lenk, “He’s very, very f**king talented.” Here is hoping Lenk finds the right vehicle to express that talent.

I have actually been very fortunate enough to know Tom for a couple of years now. We met casually just before I moved to LA and got to know each other very well since that time. He is seriously one of the funniest people I know. While I am very proud of him for stepping forward and coming out so publicly in this way, I’m not at all surprised that he decided to make this announcement in this way. It cannot be easy to consider that coming out as a gay person could greatly impact your livelihood but Tom is a resilient man and I am confident that his talent will outshine the simple matter of his sexuality. Folks who have been reading by blog for years may recall that I have talked at length about how much I love Tom’s Buffy character Andrew. I still contend that Andrew and Anya (Emma Caufield) are the absolute funniest characters on BtVS. Much props and respect goes out to Tom Lenk for making this brave step out of the closet. I never thought it would be possible to care for my friend more … I guess I was wrong :)

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Last night thousands of protesters took to the streets of LA and Sacramento, CA (among other cities) to protest the passing of California Proposal 8. My friends and I joined the folks in West Hollywood while Pink reader Courtney participated with her friends in Sacramento. This fight for equal rights is not going to end any time soon. While the US made great strides in Tuesday’s election of Barack Obama as our new President, the passing of proposals in California, Arizona, Arkansas and Florida to strip away the rights of the GLBT community shows how much work we have yet to do in order to create a more perfect union and offer liberty and justice for all Americans. Here are some of photos my friends and I took at last night’s protest rally in West Hollywood:

Three groups have petitioned the California Supreme Court challenging the passage of Proposition 8, contending the ballot initiative banning gay and lesbian marriages was “improperly used.” Californians passed the measure 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent in Tuesday’s general election, countering a state Supreme Court ruling in May that said the state constitution guarantees gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Passage of Proposition 8 sent protesters into the streets of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The three groups are asking for an immediate stay or an injunction to prevent the initiative from taking effect. They said “such radical changes” as outlawing gay marriage cannot be made by ballot initiative, but must, “at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.” The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights argued in papers filed with the high court that the ballot initiative process “was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone.” It did that “by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group — lesbian and gay Californians,” the groups said in a written statement. The organizations filed the legal challenges on behalf of Equality California and six same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday’s election, but would like to be able to marry now. In a separate statement released Wednesday, the three groups stated their conviction, which is shared by California’s attorney general, that California must honor the marriages of the 18,000 lesbian and gay couples who have already married … About 750 to 1,000 protesters staged a half-hour sit-in outside CNN’s Los Angeles bureau on Sunset Boulevard. The demonstrators chanted slogans and banged on the building’s glass doors but then dispersed without incident. Hundreds also gathered on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall, according to an AP report. Some held candles and carried signs that read, “We all deserve the freedom to marry.” Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres said she is “saddened beyond belief” over the proposed amendment. DeGeneres, who wed actress Portia de Rossi in August, said in a statement Wednesday to The AP that she, “like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step toward equality” by electing Barack Obama as president. DeGeneres says that with the passage of California’s Proposition 8, “we took a giant step away.”

Some celebs came out to the rally last night to show their support … including author Christopher Rice, actress Pauley Perrette, comedienne Wanda Sykes and, of course, my boy Lance Bass:

Pink reader Courtney sent in some photos from the peaceful candlelight vigil that took place in Sacramento, CA last night:

She writes: Last night I went out to support my gay friends at the vigil in Sacramento. I have to say, it was the most moving experience I’ve EVER had. The mood was bitter-sweet, yet hopeful, because this fight is very far from being over. The crowd of about 1,000 was very peaceful, and managed to scare away the 5 of 6 Yes on 8-ers that appeared across the street. The word is that another one is happening tonight at 7, so everyone come out!

Organizers in San Francisco, CA are planning a protest march in that city tomorrow night:

Please invite all of your friends. Make your own signs!
Date: Friday, November 7th.
Time: Gathering at 5:30, march will begin shortly after.
Place: From Civic Center (Market and 7th) to Dolores Park.

It is a scary prospect that some people believe that they can merely vote away the rights of a group of people just because they are the majority. Under those circumstances, any group of people could have their rights stripped away by a mere popular vote. Can you imagine what the outcry would be if Atheists banded together to vote away the rights of the religious? Proponents of the discrimination against the GLBT community may believe that they have won some battle by stripping away same-sex marriage rights — even tho their marriage rights were never in danger — but I know ABSOLUTELY that marriage equality will be enjoyed by all citizens of this country some day. It will happen. I know this because Justice demands that it will happen. Freedom from discrimination is not easily won … but it can and will be won. There is much work to be done but I am very much looking forward to the day when the same people who flooded the streets in protest last night will, once again, flood the streets in celebration of the vindication of their rights. It will happen.

Folks interested in learning more about the fight for marriage equality can find up-to-date info at MarriageEquality.org

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Last night my friends and I met up with thousands of citizens on the streets of West Hollywood, CA to protest the discriminatory passing of California Proposal 8 which strips away the right to marry of same-sex couples. I am writing a post about last night’s events specifically but I wanted to devote some time today to my amazing friends. Steph, Alek, Cecelia, Darion, Jordan, Michael and Zack came out for the protest last night and altho I didn’t get to see Michael and Zack, we were all there for the same purpose. I, amazingly, ran into an old friend from Michigan who has recently moved to LA. Mike and I were able to reconnect and I was able to introduce him to some of my LA friends at dinner. I also got to meet Pink reader Mather at last night’s protest rally. Here are a few pics from last night’s events:

We did not participate in the roving bands of protesters who took to and shut down the streets of LA. We stayed primarily where the official rally took place. My next post will focus on the protest itself.

Tonight, I’m very excited to see Madonna in concert … especially now that we know that she will be performing with both Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. There is a new report that Madonna’s stage has been damaged but that the show WILL GO ON AS PLANNED. Hopefully I’ll get to see some of you there tonight.

• President-elect Barack Obama has selected his White House Chief of Staff. He also has a new official website at Change.gov
• It’s pretty horrifying that SHE almost became Vice President of the USA.
• Hef who? Kendra Wilkinson is engaged to Hank Baskett!
• Super Xtina wants you to buy her new Greatest Hits album.
• Janet Jackson will not be rescheduling her canceled shows. Sorry bout it.
• I would say the news was worth the 96-point font.
• Disney Couture?
• Twilight badguy Cam Gigandet falls into the Gap.
• Opponents of California Proposal 8 will be protesting in front of the Mormon Temple in LA at 2pm today.
• Scarlett Johansson heaves.
• Katy Perry needs to learn how to sit on a stool.
• Ashlee Simpson still hasn’t popped just yet.
• So cute!
• Rebecca Romijn & Thandie Newton are 36, Ethan Hawke is 38, Kelly Rutherford (Melrose Place, Gossip Girl) is 40 and Sally Field is 62 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
• Yoko Ono is a fan of the new Beatles video game.
• Click HERE to find out who got the axe on this week’s ep of Dancing with the Stars.
• 70+ million people watched Barack Obama win the US Presidency.