The Dark Horse comic "R.I.P.D." would seem like perfect movie fodder: It's popular, it involves juicy  crimes and concerns people long dead who are still able to dole out justice. Oh, and Ryan Reynolds, he of rapidly growing fanboy credibility, is attached to star in it.

Universal, which has a deal with the publisher, thinks it's a good idea too, and has been trying fervently to get the movie going. The film, whose title stands for Rest In Peace Department, centers on two dead cops with dark secrets who patrol the underworld.

But the last few weeks has seen the kind of action befitting, well, a comic book. The entertainment site Pajiba notes today that McG has been circling and could shoot the film after his current romantic comedy, "This Means War."

At one point little more than a week ago, it actually looked like McG could make "R.I.P.D." as his next movie. He liked the property, and he, producers, the studio and Reynolds were all simpatico.

But then the rain turned to a deluge. After weeks of uncertainty, Fox decided to make "This Mean War." McG, who has long made "War" a priority, couldn't put it aside for  "R.I.P.D.," so he went immediately to begin prepping the Sam Worthington-Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy.

That puts Universal and producer Neal Moritz back to the director drawing board (there had been talk of Rawson Marshall Thurber early on, but he's is out of the picture, as is the initial director, David Dobkin, who at most will produce). The studio could still wait until McG frees up and shoot the movie sometime next summer. But we hear it's eager to get moving and could well begin the hunt for a new director now, with the idea of shooting in the winter.

Then again, there's really no need to rush it. From what we hear there may not be a shooting script, and Reynolds' schedule is an issue too. (With "Green Lantern" about to wrap, he looks to shoot buddy comedy "The Change-Up" and Robert Rodriguez's "Deadpool" -- that one is looking very likely -- over the coming months, and also has to go out to promote "Lantern" in the spring.) So he probably will have a quick slot at the beginning of 2011, and then not be free until late spring or summer.

Besides, this isn't exactly easy material -- it's dark but character-driven, and having a star and director get along may be more important than getting it going a few months earlier. Would still be pretty great to see it hit the screen, though, whenever it happens.

--Steven Zeitchik

http://twitter.com/ZeitchikLAT

Photo: RIPD. Credit: Dark Horse

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So all those relentless Les Grossman promotions for the MTV Movie Awards finally made (a little more) sense today, as Paramount announced that it was developing a movie with Tom Cruise based on the Grossman character, who of course first appeared two years ago in "Tropic Thunder" and returned at the awards show on Sunday.

There are seemingly a dozen reasons why this wouldn't seem to be a good idea, starting with the fact that the character is based on a single joke that, no matter its satiric value, doesn't seem capable of carrying an entire feature.

Characters based on sketches, no matter how viral or beloved, also tend to make wobbly and unsuccessful features ("MacGruber" studio Universal may be able to share a little wisdom about that). Movies that spin off minor characters from hit comedies aren't faring much better these days (again, Universal can share some insight after the middling performance of "Get Him to the Greek").

And comedies about studio executives, while perhaps an appealing idea to the people who decide whether to make movies -- Paramount president Adam Goodman had fun with it, offering an "Everything I learned in this business, I've learned from Les" statement -- rarely appeal to those who watch it. (Here the producers of "What Just Happened" may have something to add).

Still, you have to at least admire the canny synergy of it all -- trot out a few promos for a cable awards show and, once it goes viral, develop a movie around it. And all of it based on a nearly forgotten scene-stealing cameo. Somewhere, Bronson Pinchot is calling his agent.

There's a faint hope that if it's not just 90 minutes of over-the-top Hollywood caricature -- and say, more of a fleshed-out satire a la "Entourage," with the real entertainment business blurring with the fictitious one -- it may, just may, have some bite. The Grossman movie is also a chance to see Tom Cruise try comedy, something he does with impressive aplomb in the upcoming "Knight & Day." And if nothing else, a Grossman movie will cut a wicked trailer.

-- Steven Zeitchik

http://twitter.com/ZeitchikLAT

Photo: Tom Cruise as Les Grossman. Credit: MTV Movie Awards

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Last year we wondered whether the predictable populism of the MTV Movie Awards signaled a dark future for the Oscars, what with the latter show feeling the ratings heat and doubling its best-picture nominees. It hasn't (so far), but after Tivo-ing our way through this year's Summit-sponsored "Twilight" commercial -- er, MTV Movie Awards -- we can't help wondering something else: if the show fails even on its own blatantly commercial terms.

Sure, there will always be a YouTube-able moment or two, and the frequent swearing and requisite same-sex kisses (Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, Scarlett Johansson and Sandra Bullock), will keep the Parents Television Council busy for a while. And the revival of Les Grossman, as out of left field as it is, probably will achieve its not-so-hidden goal of unleavening Tom Cruise's image just as he gets set to release a big summer action comedy.

Yet at a certain point it's worth asking what all the shameless plugs and "Twilight" self-congratulation really achieves. We ask this not from a cultural standpont -- though, given how MTV once defined youth culture instead of merely holding up a mirror to it, there's a question to be asked there too -- but in regard to the show's own goals.

The more craven bits, far from selling the films, often just drew attention to how creatively bankrupt they really are. Is someone actually more likely to see "Grown-Ups" after watching Sandler, Spade et al. trot out their lukewarm shtick? (If they are, it's only because an hour later they saw Will Ferrell's "Other Guys" shtick and realized it could be worse.)

Last year, the show flogged such summer hopefuls as "Bruno" and "Land of the Lost," and we saw how much that helped. For all the unabashed marketing, the MTV Movie Awards doesn't seem to get many people to talk about movies. It's probably not an accident that the biggest conversation piece from last night wasn't about a film but about the frequent swearing.

When they weren't failing movies that may be doomed anyway, the plugs were redundant. There's probably no person whopping and hollering at the relentless "Twilight" nods and teases who wouldn't have seen "Eclipse" anyway. (And if MTV and/or studios are trying to show that the next generation is ready for their awards-show moment, they may want to try something else, unless you go for Kristen Stewart acceptance-speech gems like this one: "I guess I agree with you. Twilight is awesome. Woo.")

The few films that could benefit from a boost are the ones least likely to get it. You can almost sense Steve Carell's and Paul Rudd's reluctance at having to turn up to present so younger people will pay attention to "Dinner for Schmucks." They did put on their best game face, but a teen stampede to the box-office we will probably not see as a result of their appearance.

The Academy has long resisted turning it into a plug-fest for movies currently in theaters, for reasons of artistic integrity. But they may be doing those movies a favor. Even typical awards-show sentimentality -- like when Ken Jeong mentioned from the podium that his wife had survived breast cancer -- came off awkwardly.

The one moment that felt uncontrived and in the spirit of MTV's leading-not-following roots was when Rain won the Biggest Bad [Guy] award for "Ninja Assassin" over MTV perennials like Sam Worthington and Angelina Jolie. It passed quickly and unremarkably.

There's no ethical issue in making an awards show a celebration of commerce instead of art. (The Golden Globes does it pretty much every year.) But once you've decided you're going to turn a kudos program into a commercial bazaar, you may want to do a better job selling.

-- Steven Zeitchik

http://twitter.com/ZeitchikLAT

Photo: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. Credit: Christopher Polk / Getty Images

It's hard to believe it's been a year since "The Hangover" premiered in theaters -- and at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, director Todd Phillips already was talking about the comedy's sequel.

"We start shooting in the middle of October, and it's coming along great," said the director, dressed in an all-white ensemble. "There's no real movement except we're doing it."

In the meantime, Phillips and cast members such as Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms all keep in touch, the director said.

"Yeah, we've become really close," he said. "We've all gone through this together."

-- Amy Kaufman (Twitter.com/AmyKinLA)

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We recently spent some time with Sean "Diddy" Combs" when we interviewed him about his new role in "Get Him to the Greek," where he plays a zany, maniacal record executive. Apparently Diddy was a fan of the story, because he came over and plopped a wet one right on our cheek in the middle of the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards -- so pardon the sloppy camerawork here!

More important, he showed off his bright gold grill. So why the new teeth bling?

"I have the No. 1 comedy in the world, and my teeth turned to gold!"

-- Amy Kaufman
twitter.com/AmyKinLA

When Jason Segel came down the red carpet at this year's MTV Movie Awards, we weren't sure what to ask him about first. The man's been keeping busy: In addition to his role on "How I Met Your Mother," he'll voice a character in this summer's "Despicable Me" and will co-star in the Jack Black comedy "Gulliver's Travels" later this year.

So how does he spend his coveted down time?

"I just sleep, mostly," he told us on the red carpet.

We were also, of course, curious about his thoughts on "Get Him to the Greek," which was directed by his buddy Nicholas Stoller, who also worked on Segel's "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

"It's very exciting, they've been working hard on that. I'm just so proud of everyone involved," the very-tall Segel said. "Nick was at the helm of it, but I wrote some of the music and helped produce it a bit. But between Jonah and Russell and Nick, they didn't need much help."

-- Amy Kaufman

Twitter.com/AmyKinLA

Photo: Jason Segel arrives at the MTV Movie Awards. Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

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Monday evening marks the premiere of the new "The Karate Kid," and the film's stars, Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, told us they're ready for the movie to hit theaters.

"It's gonna be great," said Will Smith's son, who was wearing a studded jacket bearing the movie's symbol.

And how was it working with the legendary Chan?

"Oh, it was great. He's a great person, and he's a little bit weird," Smith joked. "His hair doesn't move."

-- Amy Kaufman
twitter.com/AmyKinLA

Photo: Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. Credit: Mike Nelson / EPA