Sean O'Connell
The Background: Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. He joined the staff as a freelancer in 2011, and gradually climbed the ranks as he helped the site grow in stature. Currently, he manages the site’s junket and interview opportunities. He also co-hosts CinemaBlend’s official podcast, ReelBlend, with fellow Critics Choice Association members Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. Sean has had his byline published in various respected publications including USA Today, The Washington Post, and Fandango. He’s also the author of three nonfiction books: Release the Snyder Cut, detailing the controversial saga of Zack Snyder’s Justice League; With Great Power, an in-depth retelling of Spider-Man’s history in Hollywood, and; Bruce Willis: Celebrating The Cinematic Legacy Of An Unbreakable Hollywood Icon.
What He’s Into: Sean is a basketball fanatic, and divides his love evenly between the NBA (the Charlotte Hornets are his team) and college basketball (where he drives the bandwagon for the Kentucky Wildcats). He spends most weekends watching his two sons play basketball, and still can't believe they've outgrown him. Sean also loves cooking, and thinks there’s no better feeling than preparing a meal for someone and watching them enjoy it. If Sean didn’t write about movies, he’d probably be involved full-time in the music scene somehow. He grew up playing guitar, switched to drums, and now plays bass for a power-punk garage band called Confetti Cannon. His all-time favorite TV show is Breaking Bad. His all-time favorite movie is Spider-Man: No Way Home. His all-time favorite book is Stephen King’s IT, and his all-time favorite snack is fudge-covered Oreos that he keeps in the freezer.
What He’s Excited About Right Now: The building blocks of James Gunn's DC Cinematic Do-Over, and the overwhelming stack of other people's books he's about to dive into. now that he finished work on his own Bruce Willis book.
Latest articles by Sean O'Connell
‘This Is Literally The Worst Film Ever Made’: George Clooney’s Hilarious Story About Getting A Role For A Film That Went Horribly Wrong
By Sean O'Connell published
George Clooney's latest film, The Boys in the Boat, turned out much better than this one.
Reacher Star Alan Ritchson Starts His Own Meme For The Show’s Best Line Of Dialogue, And I’m All In On The Idea
By Sean O'Connell published
Reacher Season 2 has delivered some unforgettable moments. This line has to be the best, and Alan Ritchson gives it new life.
Michael Keaton Made Batman Returns’ Writer Cut Very Specific Jokes From The Sequel, And I Think He Was Right
By Sean O'Connell published
Batman Returns' writer talks about a line of jokes he wanted in the sequel, until Michael Keaton stepped in.
Deadpool 3's Hugh Jackman Shares A Wolverine Behind-The-Scenes Photo, And The Attention To Detail Has Me Excited
By Sean O'Connell published
Hugh Jackman just shared a behind-the-scenes Wolverine shot, and one word in his Tweet has me fired up for Deadpool 3.
'That Was F---ing Scary': Jamie Dornan Opens Up About A Fifty Shades Of Grey Stalker Who Showed Up At His Home
By Sean O'Connell published
Jamie Dornan rocketed to success thanks to Fifty Shades of Grey, but that fame came with scary obstacles.
The Best Thriller Movies Of 2023, Ranked
By Sean O'Connell published
Thrillers come in all shapes and sizes, especially in 2023.
Spider-Man Fans Announce New Plan To Push For Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4, And I Have Strong Thoughts
By Sean O'Connell published
Spider-Man fans have a plan in place for 2024 to raise awareness for Spider-Man 4, and I have to weigh in.
The 30 Best War Movies
By Mike Reyes, Rich Knight, Sean O'Connell, Eric Eisenberg, Philip Sledge, Hugh Scott, Mick Joest, Dirk Libbey published
Whether they're focusing on battles or other complex aspects of military conflicts, these are the best war movies of all time.
One Cool Thing About Reacher Season 2 You May Not Have Noticed, But I Can't Get Enough Of
By Sean O'Connell published
I have been loving Reacher Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video. And this one gimmick is really helping the show exceed expectations!
'Rebel Moon' Video Review: Get Ready For More Snyder Cut Controversy
By Katie Hughes, Sean O'Connell published
What the first part of Netflix's "Rebel Moon" got right, and everything it got wrong.
Zack Snyder Calls His Rebel Moon Director’s Cut ‘A Different Movie’ Then The One That’s Going To Netflix, And Now I Have Major Questions
By Sean O'Connell published
There's a director's cut of Rebel Moon that Zack Snyder will release... later. This just raises a ton of new questions for me.
James Mangold Compares Logan’s Ending To Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, And Tells Us The ‘Most Important Thing’ He Could Say About Indy
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives James Mangold got the chance to direct two final installments in the sagas of classic characters, but talks about how they compare.
The 25 Best Sports Movies
By Sean O'Connell, Mack Rawden, Philip Sledge, Nick Venable, Dirk Libbey, Jason Wiese, Mike Reyes, Kelly West published
Hollywood loves telling sports stories. These are the 25 best movies set in the wide world of sports.
Alan Ritchson Gives Us A Very Blunt Reason Why Reacher Season 2 Moved The Book's Setting From Las Vegas To Atlantic City
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives If you read Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble, you may realize Reacher Season 2 changed the story's location. Here's why.
How An iPhone Helped Oppenheimer’s Costume Designer Make Pivotal Decisions On Christopher Nolan’s Period Film
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer straddled the line between decades, creating a visual obstacle for his costume designer.
Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Trailer Explodes With Action, And Actually Gives Me Hope
By Sean O'Connell published
Eddie Murphy is back as Axel Foley for a fourth Beverly Hills Cop movie, and the trailer is giving me hope.
Reacher's Alan Ritchson Promises The Season 3 Book Will 'Make People Very Happy,' But Adds A Caveat That Has Me Concerned
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives We know that Alan Ritchson is doing Reacher Season 3. Here's what he tells me about the book... and the location.
The Classic Christmas Movie That Inspired Jeff Kinney's Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Series
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives Jeff Kinney recently told us the Christmas classic that inspired his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and I can totally see that.
I Asked James Wan How He Felt About Jason Momoa Sharing Video Of Ben Affleck On The Aquaman 2 Set, And His Answer Is Hilarious
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives Leaks on comic book movie sets like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are rampant. And sometimes, the culprit is the star of the movie.
Poor Things: Emma Stone And Yorgos Lanthimos Dig Into Intimate Sex Scenes, First-Day Fears, And Why Preparation Isn't Always Helpful
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos joined our ReelBlend podcast to dissect their partnership, and their latest creation, Poor Things.
I Wish Indiana Jones Got To Stay In Ancient Italy, But Dial Of Destiny's Director Tells Me Why They Decided Against It
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives Now that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is on Disney+, 4K, and Blu-ray, I had to ask James Mangold about his ending.
A Fun Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Theory Just Got Shot Down By Phil Lord And Chris Miller: ‘That One Is A Happy Accident’
By Sean O'Connell published
Exclusives There was a fun Miles Morales theory connecting Spider-Man to Into the Spider-Verse. But Lord and Miller told us exactly what's up.
The Prey Director Saw Those Hilarious Ryan Reynolds Deadpool 3 'Leaked' Photos, And He Had An A+ Response
By Sean O'Connell published
How many characters will be in Deadpool 3? All of the characters? Even the Predator?