Jason Bateman Makes Us Momentarily Excited for ‘Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium’

Out on Friday, the Dustin Hoffman–Natalie Portman comedy Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is the first release from Fox Walden, a joint venture between Fox and Walden Media created to produce family-friendly films. What’s it about? Last night at the movie’s premiere, we asked co-star Jason Bateman to tell us about his character. “In this movie I play a magician, and I chop up three women, and I miss on the third one. There’s blood everywhere,� he said on the red carpet at the DGA Theater. “And then sort of like a detective thing happens after that. I get incarcerated and there’s like a trial at the end where later I am absolved of all guilt, and I get out,� he continued. “Now that’s a spoiler alert, so careful what you write.�

But Bateman wasn’t the only celebrity who lied to us last night. We spoke with Portman at the after-party (after we’d realized Bateman had been bullshitting) at Brasserie 8 1/2, which was decorated to look like a Target store. In Magorium, her character’s life changes suddenly when she unexpectedly inherits a magic toy shop. But has the real-life Portman been in a similar situation? “Well, that time I got knocked up!� she told us. “No, I’m just kidding.� Hilarious! —Bennett Marcus