Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood Issue hits stands Feb. 9 — with Kristen Stewart and Carey Mulligan gracing the cover — just in time to celebrate today's Oscar nominations. The magazine highlights the bond between great actors and directors like Precious actresses Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique with their director Lee Daniel, all of whom received nods. Annie Leibowitz captured Penelope Cruz sharing a loving embrace with her longtime friend and director in Broken Embraces, Pedro Almodóvar, though she was recognized for her work in Nine, and the boys of The Hangover Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms clowned around with director Todd Phillips. The magazine also captured Avatar creator James Cameron at work behind the camera as well as Quentin Tarantino posing with an Inglourious Basterd — check out all the photos here.

Vanity Fair rounded up nine of the brightest young stars for its annual "Hollywood Issue." Kristen Stewart led the way on the cover with Abbie Cornish and Carey Mulligan, while Amanda Seyfried, Evan Rachel Wood, Emma Stone, Rebecca Hall, Mia Wasikowska, and Anna Kendrick rounded out the gang — check out lots more photos at the magazine's website. Anna Kendrick represented team Twilight with Kristen, though she opened up about her crazy year of promoting movies with both Robert Pattinson and George Clooney. When asked about who she talks about more, Anna said, "At this point it's George. I've given up on talking about Rob. I usually say, 'He's great.' Team Kristen!" Looks like there are lots of leading ladies to root for in the upcoming issue, which hits newsstands nationally on Feb. 9.

Photos courtesy Annie Leibovitz exclusively for Vanity Fair

To see a video from behind the scenes of their shoot, just read more

Kittens in casts. Babies nudged to laugh every five seconds. Stuffed teddy bears left at killing-spree sites. We are so surrounded by the tyranny of cute that even multibillion-dollar corporations have cute names like "Google" and "Twitter," and the uncute business of insurance is represented in ads by a cute lizard with an English accent. (And yes, I too am guilty of spreading cuteness.)

What's up with the cute? Writer Jim Windolf has had enough and decided to try to get to the bottom of what he calls the "self-infantalization" of Americans. His conclusion? There's a dark, manipulative side to cute. If you want to know what it is, read more

Mario Testino photographs a naked Stephanie Seymour for the December issue of Vanity Fair, proving beauty (and looking this good at 41) is the best revenge. [Vanity Fair]

Source: Mario Testino/Vanity Fair

Robert Pattinson headed to Japan this weekend, as the cast of New Moon begins to promote the film before its release on Nov. 20. Earlier this year, Robert took a break from work on Remember Me to pose at a photo shoot for December's Vanity Fair — and here's a peek at the final product! We also have a preview from Rob's interview, in which he opens up about Kristen, their rumored romance, and all the attention he receives. Here's more:

• On Kristen: "She’s influenced how I've done all the Twilight stuff. It's quite nice to have someone who is genuinely indifferent to the whole spectacle of everything."
• On rumors of their relationship: "It doesn't make any difference what you say. . . . I've literally been across the country [from Kristen], and it’s like 'Oh, they were on secret dates!' It's like 'Where? I can't get out of my hotel room!'"
• On all the uproar surrounding him: "I guess I'm not the type of guy cut out to do a franchise . . . I'm not much of a crowd person."

The full issue hits newsstands next Tuesday, but the full article with photos will be on the magazine's site Wednesday. Plus, every Monday this month, the magazine will be posting more photos from the shoot on its site. For now, make sure to check out outtakes from Rob's shoot as well as more interviews with his costars.

Rachel Bilson and Kristen Bell slipped on their charity t-shirts and headed out to a Guess, Vanity Fair, and Invisible Children event in LA last night — check out how to get Kristen and Rachel's looks here. Rachel divulged a few details on her upcoming How I Met Your Mother appearance — stay tuned for that on PopSugar Rush — and how much she loves her new Philip Lim bag. When asked about tying the knot, Rachel just said there's "no planning. Not yet." Kristen chatted a bit about her Halloween plans, or lack thereof at this point, despite being a big fan of the holiday. Inside the bash, the girls hung out together and mingled with the crowd during their Thursday night out to support the cause.

For more photos of Rachel and Kristen just read more

Penelope Cruz has made headlines lately due to speculation over her possible pregnancy, but she's on the cover of November's Vanity Fair to discuss her two upcoming films, Nine and Broken Embraces. She showed off her sexy back and even touched on Javier Bardem, revealing that he's the superior air guitarist in the relationship. Here's more:

• On being a worrier: "I've always been a worrier. Since I was a little girl I've always felt that if I had a moment of peace I'd wonder: Are you sure you can afford to feel like this?"
• On working with Almodovar again: "Pedro would push me to the limit. He really knows how to press all my buttons. You can only go into something like that when it's somebody you really trust. I always feel like he's my safety net. Like I can fly and go far, because he's going to catch me. The biggest [panic] attack I had during the movie was the scene where, for the first time, Lena [her character] makes the decision to try to become an actress. I don't know what happened to me that day, but before and after we filmed I could not breathe."
• On hanging out at her mom Encarna's hair salon as a child: "It was my first acting school. I would pretend to be doing my homework, but I was real­ly observing the women. I found their behavior mesmerizing — what they were hiding, how they left feeling a little different after they'd been helped to become a little more like whom they wanted to look like. They treated the place a little bit like a psychologist's office."
• On comparing kissing Scarlett Johansson and Charlize Theron in movies: "No matter how I answer that I will be in trouble. Both were pretty beautiful partners."

Check out more photos and the full article on their website and when the issue hits newsstands in NY on Sept. 30 and nationwide on Oct. 6.

Photo courtesy Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott exclusively for Vanity Fair