The Bride! is one of those 2026 movie releases that a lot of audiences missed in theaters but may check out now that it’s streaming at home. Maggie Gyllenhaal's dark romance flick divided critics and sadly lost millions at the box office. Still, I say it's definitely worth a watch. Now, in honor of the film's arrival on HBO Max, I'm reviving CinemaBlend's chat with the cast about Christian Bale’s notable role as Frankenstein’s monster, including one of his most eclectic attributes.

Christian Bale's Frankenstein Transformation Shocked His Co-Stars

Just ahead of The Bride’s release back in February, CB had the chance to speak with all the big stars in the movie along with writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal. More specifically, when we chatted with Penelope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard about their first time seeing Bale as the iconic monster, Cruz said this:

The Oscar-winning actress had a good idea of what Jessie Buckley was going to look like as the modern take on the titular character from the 1935 The Bride of Frankenstein movie. However, Cruz was amazed by the person in front of her when Bale came out in full costume, and I can understand her feelings. As for Sarsgaard, he had this to say:

Needless to say, both Sarsgaard and Cruz had their observations when Bale appeared before them in costume. You can check out their comments in the interview clip below:

In the movie, Sarsgaard takes on role of Jake Wiles, a police detective, while Cruz plays his assistant, Myrna Malloy. Throughout the film, both characters pursue The Bride and “Frank”. All in all, Frank proves to be quite an interesting character -- right alongside the film's titular protagonist -- and there's one quirk that really needs to be discussed.

Why Is Christian Bale's Version OF Frankenstein’s Monster Such A Big Movie Buff?

Aside from Christian Bale’s electrifying transformation as the famed movie monster, I was really moved by his take on the brute in smaller respects. Something that really caught my eye was the imposing character's obsession with going to the theaters and watching films. Here’s what Bale told us about this unique piece of the beloved creature's characterization:

It’s a great point, and this is an element I never thought viewers would get in a new adaptation of Frankenstein. As the actor added:

This cerebral kind of thinking is what makes Bale one of the most thoughtful actors of his generation. And, of course, credit goes to Maggie Gyllenhaal for molding this iteration of the monster. When we sat down with Bale, he also shared his thoughts on The Bride! being a love story and what’s going on with the movie’s ending. Check out our conversation with the Academy Award winner below:

There've been a lot of versions of Frankenstein’s monster over the years, but it’s pretty special to see the Batman actor put his spin on it in a story that focuses on him getting a companion in The Bride! Christian Bale clearly went all out on the role between the physical transformation and thinking deeply about what it would be like to be a lonely monster in 1936 Chicago. This certainly won’t be the last Frankenstein adaptation, but it's my hope that Bale's version will be held in high regard as the years go on.

Do yourself a favor by checking out Bale's stellar work in The Bride! now. It's a fun film, and it has cult status written all over it.

Alongside such literary icons as Sherlock Holmes, Hamlet, and James Bond, one of the most oft-adapted characters for live-action (and otherwise) is the anatomical monstrosity simply known as Frankenstein’s monster. Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel has proven to be a seemingly unstoppable inspiration over the last 116 years, starting in the silent era with J. Searle Dawley’s Frankenstein, with James Whale’s 1931 adaptation and its 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein viewed as the true classic iterations. But only because 1930s audiences didn’t get to meet Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride.

If they had, they likely wouldn’t have known how to handle themselves around the whirlwind of Jessie Buckley’s constantly in-motion character, who adopts several different personas throughout the movie. She’s a gangster moll, a supernatural totem to feminism, and an extension of our current understanding of Mary Shelley’s radical (for the time) philosophies and motivations. She’s never only any one of these things, but rather an all-encompassing force to be reckoned with by those who adore her, fear her and wish her dead.

No one feels more strongly about the Bride than Christian Bale’s creature, who has lived a covered-up existence on the fringes of society, with the pangs of loneliness becoming increasingly louder with time. To seek his ultimate mate, he visits Annette Bening’s Dr. Euphronious, a more empathetic and level-headed “mad” scientist in place of Ernest Thesiger’s more clearly antagonistic Dr. Pretorius from The Bride of Frankenstein. Everyone gets far more than they bargained for (audiences included) when this resurrected coupling tears loose.

Maggie Gyllenhaal had more to bring to the screen than just a monster movie remake, and it’s impossible to nail down exactly what the finished product is. “A darkly hilarious true crime monster movie” comes close, but isn’t quite enough. Maybe it’s best to just say The Bride! is a motherf--king masterpiece.

The Bride! pays loving tribute to a wide array of Frankenstein-centric fiction.

While not a direct take on the Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester-starring The Bride of Frankenstein, The Bride! does draw from certain story beats and themes, including the initial conceit of Mary Shelley herself being the character who kicks the narrative off (also played by Buckley). Instead of narrating objectively from the background, Shelley instead injects her raging spirit into the body of the somewhat able, and mostly non-willing host Ida. She goes so far as to use the term "possession," and it's an apt one.

The Bride! is not beholden to its two most obvious pieces of source material , however, and it almost surreally incorporates an inspired assortment of nods to the Monster's pop culture impact as a whole. Without being so exhaustive as a spoof movie in that respect, Gyllenhaal still weaves a surprising number of on-the-busted-nose references into some of this film’s most vital scenes, and such moments left me downright giddy. It’s like when modern Batman stories make sure the infamous Shark Repellant used by Adam West’s Caped Crusade is featured in the background somewhere.

From more obvious projects like Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein to more cult-level films like Frankenhooker, this movie celebrates them all. Was I disappointed to not see anyone eating Frankenberry cereal at a breakfast table? Certainly – though I’m willing to concede that it happened when I wasn’t looking. The love for this universe’s lore carries on right into the credits’ familiar ditty.

Christian Bale is a surprisingly charming and sympathetic monster, but this is Jessie Buckley’s movie from the first minute to the last.

As both Patrick Bateman and Batman — him again? — Christian Bale exuded the same amount of ego through two very different prisms, and his performance in The Bride! comes from the opposite end of that self-confidence spectrum, albeit with similar inclinations to use violence as a means to an end. He is the Monster, after all, so all he's ever been seen as is a freakish outsider when he's not fleeing torch-wielding mobs.

All he's really looking for is a friend to share his interests, the biggest of which is a long-gestating obsession with the singing-and-dancing Hollywood megastar Ronnie Reed, as portrayed by a most debonaire Jake Gyllenhaal. Reed's movies are the buoy that stops Frank from hitting rock bottom, both emotionally and physically, and there's a natural desire to see him get what he wants, even knowing that it will result in a wave of murderous mayhem. Despite so many past iterations out there, Bale's Frank is a beast all his own, inspiring laughter, longing and horror in equal doses.

But let's not beat around the bush(y hair) here. Jessie Buckley could have been acting opposite babies and tennis balls on strings, or opposite the greatest actors of the past 116 years, and The Bride! would still be her movie through and through. As Mary Shelley, the actress is cynical, patronizing and proud, strengthened in those scenes by Maggie Gyllenhaal's black-and-white camerawork, which utilizes shadowy filmmaking tricks from horror cinema's earliest days.

As Ida, both before and after her death and resurrection, Buckley bounces from charismatic to vulnerable with an almost childlike temperament. It's in part due to her loss of memory, which Frank is happy to replace with his manufactured version of their relationship details. I'll let you guess how well that goes in the long run.

The best of all worlds comes when Mary's vindictive spirit takes over Ida's broken brain, causing her to sporadically rattle off at the mouth with rhyming streams of consciousness as one accent morphs into another from across the pond. All the awards buzz that Buckley has earned for Hamnet will not fade away once The Bride! has been awakened.

Ida’s kinetic journey veers down a trail of brutal and influential justice across the country, Bonnie Parker-style.

Not that this movie solely hinges on just those two characters' multi-leveled performances. Once The Bride! brings Frank and Ida together (with Mary), the story shifts in part from creature feature to crime spree thriller. Ida's unlawful connections to Chicago mobster Lupino, which lead to her corporeal conclusion, return to haunt her after Dr. Euphronious brings her back, resulting in a shocking act of violence that cements their fate as fugitives and sets up a dangerous precedent for the rest of the movie.

Enter Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard), whose partner Myrna Mallow (Penélope Cruz) is more adept in every way, despite not being given the proper consideration for earning the badge. The amount of times she has to defensively stand up for herself amidst seas of male cops would be comical if it wasn't 100% drawn from reality. In that way, Myrna's journey works in conjunction with Ida's, as she and Wiles both have reasons to not pursue the pair of monstrous murderers making national headlines.

Frank and Ida easily share space with Natural Born Killers' Mickey and Mallory as sensational cults of personality whose anti-establishment views are embraced by others regardless of their more malicious actions. Perhaps the more pointed comparison would involve the aforementioned film's own inspiration, real-life criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, though The Bride! very pointedly makes sure to ground the public influence in Ida's "I am woman, hear me roar" vibes as opposed to glorifying murders.

Really, everything about this movie works for me. Buckley's hair and black-stained makeup are instantly iconic. The choreography and dance numbers are energetic and never out of place. The way Frank's love of the movies becomes a visual storytelling element is bizarre and magical. Cruz and Sarsgaard are magnetic enough to lead their own two-hander spinoff. (Possibly chasing an invisible man...?)

From the first second to the last, however, the biggest share of the accolades have to go to Maggie Gyllenhaal. From bringing the Riot Grrrl energy to showcasing the unflinching violence to spinning a remotely plausible love story with these two misbegotten souls, the filmmaker pulls off a tour de force with her second feature that won't easily be replicated.

Through all my praise, I know The Bride! isn't for everyone. And to those who speak the loudest against it: watch out for splinters while holding those torches and pitchforks all day long.

We’re talking about Presumed Innocent Season 2 and the Season 1 finale today, so major, and I mean MAJOR, spoilers are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, go back and watch the series with an Apple TV+ subscription.

After eight weeks of tuning into Presumed Innocent on the 2024 TV schedule, we finally found out if Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) was guilty of killing Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve). And the truth was a shocker. Now, following the renewal of the Jake Gyllenhaal-led legal thriller, the question becomes: How will they move forward now that we know who did it?

For some context, Presumed Innocent is a book-to-screen adaptation of Scott Turow’s book of the same name. It does have a sequel, called Innocent, that takes place two decades after the events of the first story. However, it’s unclear how Season 2 of the series will work, all we know is it will focus on “an entirely new case.”

With that in mind, I think there’s only one good way to move forward with this series, and it’s not by adapting the second book, it’s by turning Presumed Innocent into an anthology series.

The Last Thing I Want To See Is More Of Rusty's And His Family

Let’s start where Season 1 ends. In the finale of the rightfully critically acclaimed Presumed Innocent, there were twists on twists as it was revealed that Rusty’s daughter Jaden (Chase Infiniti) killed Carolyn with a fire poker. This came right after her father admitted that he tied his former lover up because he thought his wife, Barbara (Ruth Negga) had killed her, and he wanted to throw law enforcement off so she wouldn’t be a suspect.

The series ends with the family staying together and promising to not tell anyone about what happened, because the trial was over and Rusty had been named innocent.

While I thought the turns at the end and the reveal that Jaden did it was jaw-dropping and interesting, the last thing I want to see next is the continuation of this family’s story. I don’t want to watch them deal with this secret, and I think their story has run its course.

Not only do I not want to see a child deal with the repercussions of murder, but I also don’t think there’s a point in stretching out the Sabichs' story.

As viewers, we got closure about who did it, we saw Rusty fully admit that even though he didn’t murder Carolyn, he’s still pretty terrible, and their family is moving on. So, why reopen old wounds and drag out a story in Season 2 when an anthology series feels like a better way to go?

Season 2 Of Presumed Innocent Could Pick Up Where It Left Off, Adapt Innocent Or Become An Anthology. I’m On Team Anthology

Now, Presumed Innocent could simply adapt Innocent for Season 2, jump forward 20 years, and we could watch Tommy (Peter Sarsgaard) and Rusty battle it out in court over the death of Barbara. However, if they did that, I think the show would have to end afterward.

If they were to pick up where they left off, I fear they’d reach a similar impasse. Maybe they could get another season out of the fallout of finding out Jaden killed Carolyn. However, as I stated, that feels like we’d be unnecessarily dragging out a story that clearly ended.

So, enter the anthology idea. We know Presumed Innocent Season 2 will take on a new case, and that could mean the series is going to leave Season 1 in the past and move on to a totally new story.

Whether Season 2 is in a completely new universe with entirely new characters and the same cast, a la American Horror Story, or a new case in a different city that’s within the same cinematic universe as Season 1, like The White Lotus, I think either could work. And with an anthology, the show would be better and it would leave the option open to do more than two seasons.

Taking on a new impossible morally grey case, like Rusty’s, each season that focuses on the complications of something like a prosecutor’s co-worker and lover dying, is fascinating. I’d love to see the show take on a new mystery that’s just as hard to crack and emotionally wrought as this first one. The best way to do that is by making Presumed Innocent an anthology like The White Lotus.

I Think Presumed Innocent Season 2 Should Take A Page Out Of The White Lotus’ Book

As you likely know, The White Lotus' cast and location change each season as it centers around a new White Lotus hotel, with a few casting exceptions.

Season 1 took place in Hawaii, and Season 2 was in Italy and featured a new mystery, with the exception of Jennifer Coolidge reprising her role as Tanya. Now, The White Lotus’ Season 3 ensemble will travel to Thailand, with Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda returning after she appeared in the first season.

In most ways, this show is an anthology. Each season focuses on a new mystery and a new set of morally grey characters. There are connections from story to story, and they’re within the same connected universe, however, each season is also distinctly its own and can stand alone. I want Presumed Innocent to be like that.

For the most part, I want a new case with an entirely new cast of characters. They could take the series to New York or LA to focus on a new high-profile and complex case that is just as intense as Rusty’s. However, by making it all within the same universe, there are opportunities to bring characters back.

For example, Peter Sarsgaard’s prosecutor Tommy Malto was a fascinating character, and it’d be interesting to see him try a new case or be involved with an investigation that has nothing to do with Rusty. They could have him move to a new city – kind of like how Coolidge’s character traveled to a new White Lotus in Season 2 – and it’d be great!

Overall, Presumed Innocent Season 2 would be its own new thing. New case, new drama, and new characters. However, if it’s in the same universe as Season 1, it can connect in small ways by bringing in a character here and there – like Sarsgaard’s Tommy.

Presumed Innocent is one of Apple TV+’s best shows, and I think to stay that way it needs to do something big and bold for Season 2. Rusty’s story ran its course, the mystery was solved, and an anthology is a way they can guarantee a fresh, daring and dramatic sophomore season.

Of course, all of this is speculation, and we don’t know how exactly Presumed Innocent Season 2 will happen. However, I have my fingers crossed that we’ll get an anthology. No matter what, though, we’ll be sure to update you once we know more about the next installment of this thrilling legal drama.

When I read that the Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent got renewed for a second season, my immediate reaction was “What on Earth will Season 2 be about?” At the moment, Season 1 is airing on the 2024 TV schedule, and we don’t know if Jake Gyllenhaal’s Rusty will be convicted of murder or if he’ll be deemed innocent. With that mystery up in the air, and considering that this always felt like a limited series, I’m curious to see how Apple TV+ continues this show. However, there are a few ways it could happen. 

Before we hop into ideas for how the critically acclaimed Presumed Innocent could continue, it’s important to note that when Apple TV+ announced this news, it did not disclose if Gyllenhaal would be back as the lead character Rusty in Season 2. However, he was confirmed to be returning as an executive producer, and we know that the series will focus on “an entirely new case.” So, with that in mind, I see two ways this series can go forward.  

They Could Adapt The Second Book In The Presumed Innocent Series

Before I lay out the possibility of this option, be warned, that there are spoilers about the books Presumed Innocent and Innocent ahead. So, if you want to watch the last two episodes of Season 1 with an Apple TV+ subscription on July 17 and 24 without this knowledge, keep scrolling.

Presumed Innocent is a book-to-screen adaptation of Scott Turow’s bestselling novel from 1987. In 2011, the sequel book, Innocent, came out. So, it stands to reason that Season 2 will follow that story. 

To keep things as vague as possible, Innocent follows Rusty (who is currently played by Gyllenhaal) and Tommy Malto (Peter Sarsgaard in the series) as they are pitted against each other two decades after the Carolyn Polhemus case. This happens after Rusty’s wife dies unexpectedly, and he goes on the defense again. 

This feels like the most obvious way to continue the story. 

Notably, the press release announcing the renewal didn’t confirm any cast for Season 2, and all it stated was that it would follow a brand new case. So, if an Innocent adaptation happens, they could bring Gyllenhaal, Sarsgaard and co. back. They could also hire older actors to play these characters. 

Or, this might not happen at all, and the show might go in a totally different direction. 

They Could Make Presumed Innocent An Anthology Series 

Now it’s time to put on our tin-foil hats for a second. While an Innocent adaptation feels the most logical, what if Presumed Innocent takes a turn and we get an anthology series?

I’m of the opinion that Rusty’s story should end with this case. I’m not a fan of prolonging stories, and I feel like Season 1 of Presumed Innocent was meant to stand alone. 

So, going into Season 2, I’d love to see the cast return as totally new characters in a completely new world for a case that makes us question who should be “presumed innocent” and guilty. 

Or, as Deadline reported, the show could approach a second season like The White Lotus. Meaning, that while we mostly get an entirely new unconnected story and cast, there are characters that link the seasons together. 

Whether it’s a true anthology or a semi-anthology, I think this would be a fascinating direction to take the show. While I’d love to see Tommy and Rusty battle it out in court again, I also don’t really want to see Gyllenhall’s character go on the exact same journey he just went on. I’d prefer something different. Making this show an anthology would solve that issue. 

Overall, I’m of the opinion that Presumed Innocent is one of the best shows on Apple TV+ right now, and I’m thrilled we’re getting another season. As we learn more about the direction of Season 2 and who will be involved, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. 

It has been more than a decade since the 2011 release of Green Lantern, the movie based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name that was, at one point, supposed to kick off the massive cinematic universe. And even though the movie was a critical and commercial failure that forced DC and Warner Bros. to change their plans (and cancel any future installments), the actors who appeared in the movie have gone on to have a great deal of success both in front of the camera and behind it.

I recently watched the movie with my nephews for the first time since its release, and I couldn’t help but be blown away by the number of great actors in the Green Lantern cast. One thing led to another and now I’m here, sharing with you what everyone, including Ryan Reynolds, has been up to as of late. Well, besides dogging on the movie at every opportunity.

Ryan Reynolds (Hal Jordan)

Ryan Reynolds led the Green Lantern cast as hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan, who became the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps after being chosen by Abin Sur in the intergalactic peacekeeper’s final moments.

Though no stranger to fame by the time he joined the cast of the ill-fate superhero movie, Reynolds’ star power has only grown in the 11 years since its release, and it doesn’t look like that is going to slow down anytime soon. In the past few years, Reynolds has starred in Detective Pikachu, Free Guy, Red Notice, and action-packed and emotionally-heavy The Adam Project. And with Reynolds’ Deadpool joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the near future, it looks like he’ll keep on playing superheroes for quite some time.

Blake Lively (Carol Ferris)

Blake Lively appeared in the Green Lantern cast as Carol Ferris, the vice president of Ferris Aircraft who had a complicated history with Hal Jordan.

Besides killing it on social media with her former Green Lantern co-star and husband Ryan Reynolds and getting caught up in his ongoing "feud" with Hugh Jackman, Lively has spent the past decade doing much of what she did in the first part of her career: appearing in a variety of movies that showcase her versatile acting talents. In the past few years she’s appeared in movies like The Shallows, Café Society, All I See Is You, A Simple Favor, and most recently, the 2020 action thriller, The Rhythm Section.

Peter Sarsgaard (Hector Hammond)

Peter Sarsgaard showed up in Green Lantern as Hector Hammond, the intelligent yet easily corruptible scientist who turned into one of the movie’s main antagonists after being exposed to Parallax’s fear energy, which caused his brain to grow exponentially and give him deadly powers.

The Golden Globe-nominated actor (Shattered Glass) continues to be one of the more prolific film and TV actors in the years since Green Lantern’s release, appearing in recent small-screen and streaming series like The Looming Tower, Interrogation, and Dopesick. And that’s on top of his recent film work, which includes The Lost Daughter, The Survivor, and Matt Reeves’ recently released, The Batman, which saw him play corrupt Gotham District Attorney Gil Colson.

Mark Strong (Thaal Sinestro)

Mark Strong appeared throughout Green Lantern as Thaal Sinestro, Hal Jordan’s reluctant mentor within the Green Lantern Corps who was weary to trust the new recruit before making a dreadful decision of his own.

A few years after appearing in Green Lantern, Strong took on a more likable role in Kingsman: The Secret Service, portraying Merlin, a role he would reprise three years later in 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle. More recently, Strong has appeared in Shazam!, 1917, and Cruella. He is set to appear in Adam Sandler’s upcoming sequel, Murder Mystery 2, on Netflix at some point down the line. Strong has also worked on other Netflix projects, including Home Game and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Angela Bassett (Amanda Waller)

Although not one of the best Angela Bassett movies, the Golden Globe winner (What's Love Got to Do with It) was outstanding in her portrayal of government agent Amanda Waller in Green Lantern, five years before Viola Davis portrayed the ambitious and cutthroat character.

Over the course of the past few years, Bassett has joined the list of other actors who have appeared in both DC Comics and Marvel movies with her turn as Ramonda in Black Panther, a role she will reprise in the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is scheduled for a November 11, 2022 release. Her other recent film work includes Soul, Gunpowder Milkshake, and the 2021 Tina Turner documentary Tina. Bassett is also currently one of the stars of the successful Fox first-responder drama, 9-1-1.

Tim Robbins (Robert Hammond)

Tim Robbins showed up in Green Lantern as United States Senator Robert Hammond, the father of Hector Hammond and part of the reason for his transformation.

In the years since the release of Green Lantern, the Academy Award-winning actor (Mystic River) has gone on to appear in a number of film projects, including A Perfect Day, Marjorie Prime, VHYes, and Dark Waters. During that same stretch of time, Robbins had major roles on shows like The Brink, Here and Now, and Castle Rock (his second appearance in a Stephen King adaptation, the first being The Shawshank Redemption). Robbins is next set to appear on the upcoming Amazing Prime Video series, The Power.

Temuera Morrison (Abin Sur)

Temuera Morrison, who has one of the most recognizable voices and faces in science-fiction and comic book adaptations, took on the role of Abin Sur, the Green Lantern who crash-landed on Earth and gave his powerful ring to Hal Jordan before dying in Green Lantern.

Morrison, who first played Jango Fett in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones before providing the voice for his character’s clone Boba Fett in the special editions of the original Star Wars trilogy, returned to play the young bounty hunter on the Disney+ original series The Mandalorian in the show’s second season. After that, Morrison led a show of his own with the spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett. Outside of the galaxy far, far away, Morrison has portrayed Jason Momoa’s on-screen dad, Thomas Curry, in Aquaman and will reprise the role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Flash, both of which are scheduled for release in 2023.

Geoffrey Rush (Tomar-Re)

Academy Award winner (Shine) Geoffrey Rush popped up in Green Lantern as Tomar-Re, the bird-like member of the Green Lantern Corps who provided Hal Jordan with guidance throughout his early days of being an intergalactic hero.

A veteran of film, TV, and the theater, Rush has spent the past few years appearing in movies like Final Portrait, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Storm Boy, shows like Genius, and stage productions of King Lear. The two-time Golden Globe winner (Shine, The King’s Speech) is next set to appear in the Groucho Marx biopic Raised Eyebrows, which will see the actor take on the role of the famous entertainer, according to Variety.

Michael Clarke Duncan (Kilowog)

Michael Clarke Duncan appeared in Green Lantern as Kilowog, the massive drill sergeant for the Green Lantern Corps who whipped Hal Jordan into shape when the human first joined the group’s ranks.

Sadly, the Academy Award-nominated actor (The Green Mile) passed away at the age of 54 on September 3, 2012, just a little more than a year after Green Lantern opened in theaters. Duncan’s final film credits include In the Hive, A Resurrection, From the Rough, and The Challenger, all of which were released following his death. His posthumous TV credits include Ultimate Spider-Man and Fish Hooks.

Taika Waititi (Thomas Kalmaku)

Before he was making superhero movies of his own like the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waiti showed up in Green Lantern as Thomas Kalmaku, a Ferris Aircraft engineer. 

In the past few years, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker has written, directed, and starred in movies like Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, while also appearing in The Suicide Squad, Free Guy (also with Ryan Reynolds), and several others. Waititi’s upcoming projects, outside of his return to the MCU, include Lightyear and Next Goal Wins, the latter of which he wrote and directed.

Clancy Brown (Parallax)

Providing the voice for the villainous Parallax in Green Lantern was none other than Clancy Brown, whose list of credits (both live-action and voice work) could go toe-to-toe with just about anyone out there.

In the past few years, Brown has appeared in movies like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Promising Young Woman, shows like Billions, The Crown, The Mandalorian, and Dexter: New Blood, and voice roles in programs like Invincible, What If…?, and The Patrick Star Show, voicing Mr. Krabs once again.

Jay O. Sanders (Carl Ferris)

Jay O. Sanders appeared in Green Lantern as Carl Ferris, the founder of Ferris Aircraft.

Recently, Sanders has made appearances in movies like Search for the Super Battery, The Assistant, and the A24 film, When You Finish Saving the World. The longtime actor has also shown up on shows like Blindspot, Sneaky Pete, The Sinner, and Manhunt: Deadly Games in just the past few years.

As you can see, the Green Lantern cast has mostly remained quite busy in the past several years since the movie released, so while it may not have set the box office on fire, it certainly didn't hurt any careers.

Light spoilers for The Batman lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman has been the beneficiary of some major buzz as of late. The film has received highly positive reviews from critics, and fans really seem to be connecting with Robert Pattinson’s emo-esque take on the hero. It feels like almost everyone has thoughts on the movie, and even a number of celebrities have taken to social media to share their takes. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum Clark Gregg can count himself among those who’ve watched the movie and, apparently, he wants to talk about THAT interesting similarity between his Marvel character and one of the DC movie’s.

For years, Clark Gregg played Agent Phil Coulson, the warm (yet formidable) S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who helped unite the Avengers and then went on to lead his own team of operatives. Due to the character’s popularity, the name Coulson has become quite recognizable by fans. So like Gregg, some may have been a little thrown off to discover that The Batman (which will soon be available to stream with an HBO Max subscription) has a character with a name that’s fairly similar to Phil’s. You can see how the actor responded via his Twitter post:

It’s an intriguing, and slightly chuckle-worthy coincidence, and it’s totally on brand for the actor to point out such a small detail. And fans seem to have thoughts on the similarity as well. One commenter’s viewing of the Matt Reeves-directed film seems to have been heavily impacted by the development: 

In The Batman, Gil Colson (an original character played by Peter Sarsgaard) is Gotham City’s district attorney. The weaselly Colson is one of the many corrupt public officials in Gotham and, due to his illegal activities, he lands on the Riddler’s radar in a bad way.

Gil really is a far cry from the infallible Phil Coulson, which is why one fan thinks the agent would have a puzzling reaction to learning someone’s name is similar to his own. Check it out:

Amid the character comparisons, many seem to be out in full force to show their love for Nick Fury’s most trusted operative. One Coulson devotee evoked a comic book panel to defend Phil against any kind of Gil comparison:

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of Phil Coulson love, and there’s been plenty of it as of late. This is partly due to the fact that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. recently joined the Disney+ family. The long-hoped-for development drew a positive response from Clark Gregg along with some of his co-stars. 

Some may continue to ponder the similarity between the names Phil Coulson and Gil Colson moving forward. I wouldn’t overthink it, though, because hey, coincidences do happen, especially in the realm of superheroes.

If you’ve yet to do so already, you can check out The Batman in theaters now.

Peter Sarsgaard is a pretty respectable actor in Hollywood with a long list of formidable cast credits. He’s one of those names and faces you know you’ve seen time and time again in films, with both large and supporting roles throughout the last few decades. Well, now that he’s married to Maggie Gyllenhaal, he’s apparently becoming one with nature. Ahead of the debut of The Batman, in which he has a starring role, Sarsgaard reflected on having sex with a tree under the direction of his wife for a Netflix project. 

That’s not a euphemism for anything, Peter Sarsgaard actually gets down and dirty with a tree for a Netflix short called Penelope, which is directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. In an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Sarsgaard talked about the experience, and apparently “it totally makes sense” in the context of the short. Here’s what the Shattered Glass star had to say on the matter:

To be honest, I don’t know if the fact that it was his own tree makes the situation better or worse. There is a whole new level of comedy in the way that it was Peter Sarsgaard's own wife who directed this kind of scene, though. Maggie Gyllenhaal is no stranger to weird, though, as she’s also a wide-ranged actor and starred alongside her brother Jake Gyllenhaal in the iconically odd Donnie Darko and basically did 50 Shades of Grey before 50 Shades of Grey did with HBO’s Secretary. 

Peter Sarsgaard will (re)enter the DC universe in The Batman as District Attorney Gil Colson opposite Robert Pattinson’s debut as Batman next year. Interestingly enough, Sarsgaard is following in his wife’s footsteps in that regard, as Maggie Gyllenhaal had her own stint with the Batman franchise by playing Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight. 

In addition to the Netflix short Penelope, Maggie Gyllenhaal directed Peter Sarsgaard in The Lost Daughter, which will arrive on Netflix this December. Gyllenhaal won’t be taking part in The Batman neither as an actress or a director, so there most likely won’t be any making love to trees in Gotham. However, if you’re interested in watching the new version of Gotham City's Caped Crusader, you can catch The Batman in theaters on March 4th. 

Jake Gyllenhaal’s next film is almost here. The actor next stars in The Guilty, which also features Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Christina Vidal, Eli Goree, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Dano, and Peter Sarsgaard. With a screenplay by Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective), the thriller tells a story of a demoted cop (Gyllenhaal) assigned to a call dispatch desk who is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman.

The movie, directed by Antoine Fuqua, will have a limited theatrical release this Friday, September 24, before streaming on Netflix on Friday, October 1. Critics have started releasing their reviews after The Guilty’s premiere at TIFF, so let’s take a look at what they’re saying.

While CinemaBlend’s official review hasn’t been released yet, our very own Mike Reyes shared his thoughts on Gyllenhaal’s performance. He was quite impressed, noting that Gyllenhaal makes the most of his role as Joe Bayler. He also complemented the direction from Fuqua and the fact that while the main actor is clearly the lead and plays his part with a manic intensity, he doesn’t necessarily shortchange the other actors. Overall, Reyes said:

Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly thought audiences would be better off watching the original The Guilty, the 2018 Danish drama that this Gyllenhaal-led thriller is a remake of. Greenblatt argued that the concept and the camera work are both too claustrophobic, and that the main character of Joe lacks too much logic. She even thought that the movie couldn’t even commit to the main twist. She noted:

Siddhant Adlakha from IGN considered The Guilty riveting at times, but not devoid of issues. He thought Gyllenhaal was great in this, for the most part, one-man show, and noted that the actor is at his best here. But that one-man show aspect provided some challenges, as the attempts of the movie to involve any other characters or locations aren’t committed to enough. Adlakha thought the thriller could have made some great social commentary, but it was too restricting in its narrative to do so. Overall, he thought the crime flick was very close to the original version, but might be worth a watch based on the leading actor, saying:

A.A. Dowd also considered Gyllenhaal’s performance a defining factor in watching this movie. He also noted the comparison between the remake and the 2018 original, and pointed out that the small additions to add depth to the main character don’t make much of a difference. Dowd commented:

While Kate Erbland also acknowledged the comparison between the original and the remake, she thought Gyllenhaal’s performance made the remake stand out. She also enjoyed the ‘Americanized update,’ like some of the production. But Erbland also thought that the thriller defied logic in too many instances and that the script could have been crisper. She said:

Well, it seems that critics can mostly agree that Jake Gyllenhaal's performance in The Guilty might be worth a watch. You can catch the thriller in select theaters this Friday, September 24, and on the big red streaming service Netflix next Friday, October 1.

In the meantime, if you're looking for some more Jake Gyllenhaal, look no further.

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It's no secret that comic book movies are everywhere. The genre has proved itself endlessly profitable over the years, with a variety of shared universes adapting these stories into live-action movies. Batman is arguably the most popular superhero of all time, so he's been brought to theaters a variety of times. Fans are eager to see what Matt Reeves will bring to the table with The Batman, especially after the movie's first footage went viral. Actor Peter Sarsgaard is playing District Attorney Gil Colson in the upcoming movie, and recently explained why Reeves is such a great director.

While information about The Batman's plot have been kept under wraps, the cast and crew have offered very cryptic teases about the highly anticipated DC blockbuster. Peter Sarsgaard previously praised Matt Reeves' vision for the movie, and now he's further explained what the Planet of the Apes director is bringing to the table. In his words,

Well, this is exciting. The development stage for The Batman was a long one, but it looks like that time with the material might have helped Matt Reeves' vision for the blockbuster. He's clearly thought out every facet of his Gotham City, and the movie's firs trailer teases that unique take on the material. Unfortunately, the wait for The Batman is going to take longer than expected.

After its release, The Batman will get a prequel series on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Production on The Batman was just starting up when sets around the world were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production has since resumed across the pond, although there have been additional set backs. As a result, the film has already been pushed back twice, with a current release date set for March of 2022. As a reminder, you can watch the chilling first trailer for The Batman below.

This version of Gotham City is notably scaled back from the version previously seen in the DC Extended Universe, adding a sense of realism to the project. The Batman will follow a version of Bruce Wayne that is only two years into his career as a superhero, and watch as he comes face to face with his first bonafide villains. This includes Paul Dano's Riddler, Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman, and Colin Farrell's Penguin.

As for Peter Sarsgaard, he's playing Gotham City DA Gil Colson. While he won't be wearing a costume or doing battle with Bruce Wayne, it's clear that Matt Reeves has a very specific plan for each moment of The Batman. Only time will tell how the story pans out, and we're sure to get more information about the highly anticipated blockbuster as it slowly approaches theaters.

The Batman is currently set to arrive in theaters on March 4, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.

The joy of being a cinephile is that the magic of movies never wears off – but there is also an inflection point where a particular drawback reveals itself. As unique as a collection of 100 random films can be, there is practically a guarantee that you can find certain narrative tools and applied affectations shared between them and used in analogous ways, and when your brain starts to catalog all of them and recognize patterns. And this means that with just a particular move or choice, a story can reveal its entire hand in an instant and become obvious.

A gun introduced in the first act will appear before the end of the third. A random news broadcast is most definitely never random. If a shady individual tells a protagonist not to trust anybody, then they are the one who should not be trusted.

When a movie opts to not subvert these tropes, it can be immensely frustrating – which brings us to Veena Sud’s The Lie. While I won’t get into specifics for spoiler reasons, this is a film that very much telegraphs its pitch in the first act, and goes almost exactly where most audiences will predict. In the majority of cases this would be a death knell, as unpredictability is one of the most beloved aspects of the cinematic experience, but this is an instance where the feature has enough merit to be called worth checking out for an exploration of interesting themes and a collection of sharp performances from the leads.

A remake of Sebastian Ko's 2015 film We Monsters that has been slated as one of the two films launching October 2020’s Welcome To The Blumhouse series on Amazon Prime, The Lie is a story centered on a fractured family of three. Teenager Kayla (Joey King) is stuck in the middle of the fracas between her recently-divorced mother, Rebecca (Mireille Enos), and father, Jay (Peter Sarsgaard), and all three of them are still getting used to the new way of life. It’s a challenge… but then things get infinitely worse one fateful snowy day.

As Jay, a wannabe musician, is driving his daughter to a ballet retreat, they see one of Kayla’s friends, Brittany (Devery Jacobs), waiting at a bus stop and agree to give her a ride given that they are going to the same place. In the car the girls begin to fight, and the unexpected happens when Jay pulls over to let the girls have a roadside bathroom break in the woods. Waiting by the car he hears screams through the trees, and when he finds his daughter he also discovers a nightmare: Kayla has killed her friend by pushing her off an icy bridge.

Not wanting to see his daughter’s life ruined, Jay immediately goes into defense mode and drives her back home, and while initially his plan is not to involve Rebecca, that approach quickly falls apart due to their odd behavior and her observational skills as a lawyer. Also wanting to protect Kayla at all costs, Rebecca agrees to take part in the cover-up, and it winds up leading the family to places from which they can’t come back.

The Lie keeps you engaged by pressing the gas pedal on its big overarching question.

On the horror scale, The Lie is clearly more psychological than slasher, but finds a prime well for its scares in its setup: how much of your own future would you give up in order to protect the future of a person you deeply care about? To love somebody is to give them a part of yourself, and it can be terrifying to have that part of yourself out of your control – as this film demonstrates with its circumstance. It’s a story grounded in a relatable reality, and while the characters don’t always make the most brilliant moves, they’re excused in the stress and panic, and there is a smart escalation of drama in the narrative.

The story is all about emotional response to serious circumstance, and Peter Sarsgaard, Mireille Enos, and Joey King are great.

For Rebecca and Jay, The Lie operates as a character study that examines their reactions in the fallout of the atom bomb dropped by their daughter, and both Mireille Enos and Peter Sarsgaard do excellent work with the material. These leads aren’t exactly people who you instantly sympathize with, as the cold truth of the matter is that they are trying to cover up the murder of a teenage girl, but the actors make you care by deeply illustrating the intense affection they have for their daughter and driving home the reality that unconditional love can trounce rationality.

Joey King is given entirely different material to work with, and it works in its own way. Kayla doesn’t precisely have the most relaxed disposition after committing murder, and her manic attitude does quite a lot to add to the drama. Not only do Rebecca and Jay have to worry about covering her tracks from the crime scene, but as her behavior becomes more erratic she becomes a liability in the cover-up. It’s a believable, well-performed emotional journey that also interestingly takes on different weight when examined with the whole movie in mind.

There is no denying that the end of The Lie is problematic and predictable.

There is a lot to appreciate about The Lie, but one also can’t ignore that its ending lets a whole lot of air out of the tire. It would be surprising if less than 75 percent of the audience could predict what the conclusion of the film would be solely based on events that transpire in the first 30 minutes – and that’s probably being generous. There are moments where you question the forecast a little, as the narrative occasionally tilts in alternate directions, but really it’s always on the same road, and when you arrive at the destination it’s hard to feel anything more than disappointment.

The Lie first premiered over two years ago, playing at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, and it’s not tremendously hard to see why it sat on a shelf for as long as it did: it doesn’t present that much to be excited about. What it could be good for, though, is for staying in for the night searching for an interesting horror movie to stream in the run up to Halloween – which is exactly what the Welcome To The Blumhouse series is for. It won’t blow your mind, but it’s an engaging 97 minute diversion.

When we got the news that Robert Pattinson would be playing the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, the first reaction was pretty much, “Wait, what?!” Then, when it began to sink in, it was only natural to wonder how exactly he would approach playing one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. Though we’re still a long ways away from seeing Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne in action, one of his castmates is already hyping up his “amazing” performance in the upcoming movie.

Peter Sarsgaard plays a district attorney named Gil Colson in The Batman. While we’re still not exactly sure how his character even fully fits into the movie’s storyline, it sounds like at the very least he got to share some screentime with Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne. That means he also has some authority to speak on exactly what we might be able to expect from his performance -- and it sounds like we should keep our expectations high (via The Hollywood Reporter):

Peter Sarsgaard is crazy talented so, if Robert Pattinson has his blessing, that’s probably a good sign that we can look forward to his performance. On the other hand, we’ll have to add “interesting” to the long list of maddeningly vague words that The Batman’s cast and crew have used to describe the upcoming film.

The mystery surrounding Matt Reeves’ movie was already at an all-time high when it began production earlier this year, as we tried to cobble together each and every hint the cast and crew threw our way. With the extended pause in the shooting schedule because of the global health crisis, it feels like the anticipation for the movie and what it’s going to look like has only grown.

The good news is that The Batman should be back in production soon. We’re still getting tons of fun hints from the cast and crew -- and hopefully, once they’re rolling again, Matt Reeves will offer some more teasers from the set. That could (hopefully) include even more glimpses at Robert Pattinson’s “interesting” take on Batman.

As of right now, The Batman is still scheduled to hit theaters on October 1, 2021.

The DC live-action universe is an ever-changing place, one that often keeps the fans on their toes. A ton of projects have been announced over the years, with the disappointing performance of Justice League putting a wrench into those plans. The Batman sat in development hell for a number of years, especially following the exit of Ben Affleck as director and star respectively. But the movie has finally started principal photography, and now actor Peter Sarsgaard has teased what to expect from his mysterious character.

The secrets of The Batman are being kept by those involved, as security on comic book movies are notoriously tight in order to avoid spoilers. Matt Reeves assembled a killer cast to occupy Gotham City, including a trio of iconic Batman rogues. Peter Sarsgaard has been one of the more chatty members of the cast, playing a district attorney named Gil Colson. Now Sarsgaard has teased more about his character's personality, saying:

Well, that's intriguing. Gotham City is an intrinsically corrupt city, which is part of why Batman is so necessary to keep the peace. While Peter Sarsgaard isn't necessarily going to be a masked villain for the Dark Knight to fight, he may represent a very different type of evil within the city.

Peter Sarsgaard's comments to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are sure to excite the rabid comic book fans out there. Batman is arguably the most popular superhero of all time, so each film adaptation comes with a ton of hype and pressure. Sarsgaard has been praising Matt Reeves' vision for The Batman, and smart money says there are big plans for his mysterious character Gil Colson.

When Peter Sarsgaard was cast in The Batman, rumors and fan theories immediately began swirling around the internet. One of the most popular theories is that he might be playing the iconic Batman rogue Two-Face. While that's seemingly been shut down, both Gil Colson and Harvey Dent worked in Gotham City's legal system. Could he end up being a different from of Two-Face by the movie's end.

Rather than giving Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne one villain to fight throughout The Batman, as he's already facing off against a trio of iconic foes. Zoe Kravitz' Catwoman, Colin Farrell's Penguin, and Paul Dano's Riddler will already give the Dark Knight his share of troubles. But since Matt Reeves is crafting an ensemble project, every new casting announcement comes with its own share of rumors about more villains.

Filming for The Batman is in full swing, with Matt Reeves and company methodically releasing glimpses into the movie's design before it can be leaked. We've seen our first look at the new Batsuit and Batmobile, and smart money says more bits of information will arrive in the coming months.

The Batman is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 25th, 2021. In the meantime check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The DC-live action universe is in a good place right now. Following the disappointing performance of Justice League, releases like Aquaman and Shazam! helped the DCEU get back on its feet. Birds of Prey officially hits theaters this weekend, although fans are similarly as excited about Matt Reeves' The Batman. The long gestating blockbuster has a killer cast attached, including Peter Sarsgaard who is playing Gotham DA Gil Colson. Sarsgaard recently explained why he loves working with Reeves so much.

Matt Reeves has been attached to The Batman for years, so it's exciting to see production finally starting up for the blockbuster. While some fans doubted whether or not Batman's first solo movie in the DCEU would ever happen (especially after Batlfeck left), it sounds like Reeves is actually killing it as director, since Peter Sargaard recently praised his work on the highly anticipated movie, saying:

That's certainly going to ease any DC naysayers who might be out there. Because while it seemed like The Batman was stuck in development hell, Matt Reeves apparently has total control over the upcoming movie's creative path. Although just what we should expect to see onscreen remains a total mystery.

Peter Sarsgaard's comments to SiriusXM are just the latest update the Magnificent Seven actor has made about The Batman. While he's careful to not actually reveal any details about the upcoming movie, Sarsgaard has been helping build up anticipation with vague comments about the upcoming movie's tone. This time the praise went to Matt Reeves' skill as a director, who should hopefully result in a strong installment in the DCEU.

Matt Reeves' control over The Batman should hopefully help the movie's quality, as there are a ton of characters to service throughout its runtime. At least three different villains will have roles in the blockbuster, and new incarnations of Bruce Wayne and James Gordon must also be introduced to audiences. So not having too many cooks in the kitchen is key.

Later in his same interview, Peter Sargaard described the movie's gritty tone and emotional story. As he put it,

Honestly, The Batman needs to get here yesterday. The movie has so much going for it, and it sounds like Matt Reeves has really methodically approached the story. Considering he had years to get it together, this makes a great deal of sense. And with filming under way for The Batman, the movie is finally becoming a reality.

The Batman will arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

With all the love that true crime TV shows have gotten in recent years – both on the docu-series front and on the scripted drama side – streaming service CBS All Access has a dark and twisted entry in the sub-genre with the new series Interrogation. Starring The Batman's Peter Sarsgaard and Outsiders' Kyle Gallner, Interrogation is based on a shockingly complicated murder case, and it was specifically created for streaming with a unique concept that should definitely give viewers more to talk about.

Below, we've got Interrogation's cast list, a spoiler-free synopsis, a quick guide to the show's DIY viewing set-up, and CinemaBlend's review of the show. But first, here's when you can watch!

Interrogation Premiere Date: Thursday, February 6 (3:01 a.m. ET)

All ten episodes of Interrogation's first season will be released at once, but be sure to keep reading to learn why there are more ways than one to watch it.

Interrogation Cast List

Because episodes are connected to the titular characters, not everyone within Interrogation's ensemble appears in equal measure throughout the season, with characters like Vincent D'Onofrio's Ian Lynch getting showcased in just a handful of episodes.

With Andre Royo and Chad Coleman listed above, be sure to keep an eye out for other former co-stars from The Wire throughout the season.

What Is Interrogation About?

Largely based on a real-life case that stretches across more than two decades – though with names and certain details changed – Interrogation essentially begins with the maddeningly brutal murder of Mary Fisher, whose son Eric was charged and imprisoned for the heinous crime. Maintaining his innocence through years in prison, Eric's biggest opposition is initially the on-the-rise Detective David Russell, who wavers little in his stance on Eric's guilt. With waves of new evidence that alternately help and damn both sides of the law, Interrogation aims to put viewers in the detective chair as they watch the conflicting narratives bolstered by interrogations taken from the existing police files.

Interrogation's Unique Viewing Order

CBS may be very well-known for its long-lasting procedurals, but Interrogation creators John Mankiewicz and Anders Weidemann have reinvented serialized sliced bread with this one. Basically, Interrogation's premiere and finale serve as the first and last episodes, but the middle eight installments were intentionally crafted to be watched in any order that the viewers choose. (Not that there's anything wrong with the default set-up.)

Each episode is named after a different character who factors heavily into that chunk of the story, which is one manner that could influence viewers about which episode to watch next. For instance, hearing Dr. Marjorie Thompson's name in one episode may inspire viewers to watch the episode bearing her name, thus revealing information they wouldn't yet have if they'd watched other installments first. So audiences will likely have very different perceptions and suspicions about the various characters depending on the order in which the eps were watched, with the season finale solving the mysteries and detailing the aftermath.

Interrogation Trailers

Though CBS All Access gave Interrogation a straight-to-series order back in November 2018, the show's first big public splash came during the Television Critics Association winter press tour in January, where the first trailer was revealed, along with further information from the creators and cast. You can watch the trailer below.

A trailer like that obviously can't dig too deeply into specific characters, what with so many to showcase, so Interrogation also released a secondary promo specifically focused on Peter Sarsgaard's Det. David Russell, a family man who appears incapable of distrusting his gut, no matter what the consequences. Check out that video below.

Stay tuned for more trailers and closer looks at the main characters as those videos get released.

CBS All Access' Interrogation - Review

With unmistakable shades of Rashomon and Memento's unreliable protagonists ever-present, CBS All Access' Interrogation is a whirlwind of a whodunnit that aims to inject something fresh into TV crime dramas. Interrogation puts more responsibility on viewers to pay attention and seek out the connections and proof needed to figure out the decades-old murder, with a structure inspired by the non-sequential way investigators approach unsolved cases. Though one's mileage may vary on the viewing order, Interrogation is gripping, shocking, and will leave audiences wowed that it all came together.

To be sure, Interrogation works best if one thinks of it as a disturbing crime drama first, while keeping the watch-in-any-order gimmick tethered to the back of the mind. That outlook not only allows for easier enjoyment of the talented ensemble cast, but it also helps keep the story more grounded in a way that doesn't paint the characters too harshly.

As husband and detective Peter Russell, Peter Sarsgaard oozes the same kind of quiet stoicism that he usually excels with, though his charisma gets tainted in places as the story progresses. Kyle Gallner's Eric Fisher, meanwhile, is the complete opposite of stoic is his youthful years as a foolishly confident, long-haired drug addict who routinely takes advantage of his perpetually forgiving parents.

To that end, one of the strongest elements of Interrogation's first season is the frustratingly hopeful and empathetic performance delivered by The Expanse's David Strathairn. His Henry Fisher is the kind of parent everyone should have to a certain extent, in that he never gives up on Eric, never stops believing in him, and never stops giving up his own sense of happiness and safety in order to make Eric's life just a tiny big better. It's a heartbreaker to watch.

With each new episode comes a new character and/or a new perspective on the case that causes viewers to think back and recontextualize everything they've seen to that point. Other important faces include Vincent D'Onofrio as Sgt. Ian Lynch, who sticks with the case years after the original conviction; Kodi Smit-McPhee as Eric's rebellious and intimidating outsider friend Chris Keller; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the loud-mouth dealer-with-connections Trey Carano.

It is because this cast is filled with such strong actors that Interrogation's episode-order conceit works as well as it does, even if a lot of people will probably bypass it to watch the website's default order. What the show does best, in a sense, is prove just how unreliable people are as witnesses even when they're talking about their own experiences, and how fragile and thin the balance is between objectivity and subjectivity. (Also, that said unreliability goes up ten-fold when heavy drug use is involved.)

For instance, watching Det. Russell's actions in one episode will have a completely different meaning for the viewer depending on what episodes they watched before that. A previous episode with a sympathetic scene for Russell would cloud one's mind in a completely different way than if the previous episode featured Russell being morally corrupt. My mind is still blown that the episodes were wholly conceived like this, goading viewers to make judgment calls on characters in such brazen ways.

Like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and other branching-narrative projects, Interrogation couldn't have properly existed a decade ago, and thus John Mankiewicz & Anders Weidemann deserve special credit for trying something new, especially under the CBS umbrella. Perhaps it isn't the peak version of this any-episode-order TV series, but Interrogation has laid out the blueprints for any other show willing to attempt that complex creative process. The dark and twisty mystery deserves the attention of CBS All Access subscribers everywhere, and offers another promising look at the streaming service's future beyond the Star Trek universe.

Interrogation will debut all ten episodes of Season 1 on CBS All Access on Friday, February 6, at 3:01 a.m. PT.

Although it was originally primed as a platform for Ben Affleck’s Batman to shine on his own, The Batman has gone through a lot of changes in the last several years. Now completely separate from the DC Extended Universe, Matt Reeves’ take on the Caped Crusader will look at a younger Batman who’s still getting the hang of being Gotham City’s protector, but has already gone through the traditional origin story motions.

We’re a little over a year away from The Batman hitting theaters, but casting news has already started trickling in, and the first trailer was shown at DC FanDome. So let’s go over who’s part of the lineup for one of Warner Bros’ most anticipated DC movies so far. And before going further, Jonah Hill will not appear in the movie. Things just didn’t work out during the negotiations phase.

Robert Pattinson

It makes sense that the first name to be attached to The Batman would be the actor playing the eponymous protagonist. Most of you know Robert Pattinson best from his time as Edward Cullen in the Twilight film series, but he’s also made a name for himself in plenty of smaller fare, including Cosmopolis, Queen of the Desert, Life, The Lost City of Z, Good Time and The Lighthouse. The Batman marks Pattinson’s return to the world of franchises, and along with the movie taking place during Bruce Wayne's second year of crimefighting, Matt Reeves has said that this story will highlight the character’s detective skills, something hasn’t been done often in earlier Batman movies.

Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright already has some comic book adaptation cred on his resume as the voice of Uatu the Watcher in the upcoming animated Disney+ series Marvel’s What If… ?, but now it’s looking like he’ll get to leave his mark on DC Comics as well. It was reported in late September that Wright was in talks to play James Gordon in The Batman, and according to later trade reports, he has indeed signed on, which explains his teasing tweet. You might recognize Wright for playing Felix Leiter in the Daniel Craig-led James Bond film series, Beetee in the Hunger Games film series or Bernard Lowe in the HBO show Westworld, among many other things.

Zoë Kravitz

Back when The Dark Knight Rises was casting its Catwoman, Zoë Kravitz was told she was “too urban” for the role, and Anne Hathaway was chosen instead. Now Kravitz is getting the opportunity to bring Selina Kyle to life in The Batman. Funny enough, this will be her second time playing Catwoman, as she voiced the character in The LEGO Batman Movie. Kravitz previously contributed to the Marvel mythos for playing Angel Salvadore in X-Men: First Class and voicing Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. She also already has a relationship with Warner Bros through Mad Max: Fury Road and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Paul Dano

Since things didn’t work out with Jonah Hill, Paul Dano is was hired to play The Riddler instead in The Batman. This version of the question mark-obsessed foe will be named Edward Nashton instead of Edward Nygma, and considering the movie’s noir tone, one can imagine he’ll be more serious and intimidating than Jim Carrey’s Riddler from Batman Forever. Dano’s notable credits include Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood, 12 Years a Slave, Prisoners, Swiss Army Man and Escape at Danemora. As seen in the first trailer for The Batman, this Riddler lacks the green, question mark-covered suit, instead opting for a creepier, military-like look.

Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis has already left his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe from his two-movie tenure as Ulysses Klaue, and he’s since moved over to Sony’s Marvel Universe to direct Venom 2. Now he’ll get to take part in the DC Comics film world, as Matt Reeves has confirmed that Serkis will play Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman. It’s rare that you see a Batman story unfold without Bruce Wayne’s trusty butler and father figure involved, and considering that Reeves and Serkis had already worked together on the latter two Planet of the Apes reboot movies, having Serkis bring Alfred to life in this continuity is an inspired choice.

Jayme Lawson

It's been confirmed that The Batman has added Julliard graduate Jayme Lawson, making her a newcomer along the lineup of familiar faces. After it was initially reported that she'd be joining, naturally a lot of fans started speculating on who she'd be playing, with some wondering if Lawson had been tapped as Barbara Gordon. We've since learned that Lawson is playing Bella Reál, a Gotham City mayoral candidate. Bella isn't an established character from the comics, but it's entirely possible that she could end up being someone familiar to fans (akin to what was done with Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises). Still, getting to star in a superhero movie right after graduating one of the most prestigious acting schools in the world is a huge win for Lawson.

John Turturro

The villains in The Batman we’ve mentioned so far fall under the ‘freak’ category, but John Turturro’s character, Carmine Falcone, is a more traditional sort of criminal. Introduced in Batman: Year One, Falcone is one of Gotham City’s most powerful mob bosses when Batman first hits the scene, and he featured prominently in Batman: The Long Halloween, where a serial killer named Holiday gunned down members of his family and organization over the course of a year. It’s been rumored that The Batman is an adaptation of The Long Halloween, so if that’s true, Turturro’s Falcone might find his operation being assaulted by someone other than a costumed vigilante. This will be Turturro’s third time performing in a major franchise, having previously appeared in the Transformers and Cars film series.

Peter Sarsgaard

Having previously contributed to the DC movies sphere by playing Hector Hammond in Green Lantern, Peter Sarsgaard is now hopping over to Gotham City for The Batman. Initially THR’s sources speculated that Sarsgaard could be playing either a corrupt cop named Wasserman or a district attorney. It turned out to indeed be the latter, although contrary to fan speculation that was strengthened by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sarsgaard’s wife, posting a picture of him with half of his hair gone after a “shave,” Saarsgard is not playing Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face. Instead, he'll be playing Gotham City D.A. Gil Colson, another character who's completely new.

Colin Farrell

This one took a long time to be officially confirmed. It was first reported back in November 2019 that Colin Farrell was in talks to play Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, in The Batman, but it wasn’t until the beginning of January 2020, right around the beginning of principal photography, and after a photo of Farrell on set was leaked, that Matt Reeves confirmed his involvement. This will be Farrell’s second time appearing in a comic book movie, having previously played Bullseye in 2003’s Daredevil. Farrell already has the approval of Danny DeVito, who played Penguin nearly three decades ago in Batman Returns., and he looks nearly unrecognizable as "Oz."

Barry Keoghan

While Barry Keoghan has been acting professionally for nearly a decade now, most of you likely first noticed him in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk or Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Dear, both of which came out in 2017. Along with appearing in projects like Chernobyl and the upcoming The Green Knight, Keoghan scored his first bit of comic book media cred starring as Druig in Marvel’s Eternals. Now it looks like The Batman will mark his second comic book movie, as Slashfilm reports he was cast to play Officer Stanley Merkel, who was introduced in Batman: Year One as James Gordon’s first partner. So perhaps Keoghan’s Merkel and Wright’s Gordon will be working closely together.

Alex Ferns

If you live in the U.K, you like know Alex Ferns best for his role as Trevor Morgan in the series Eastenders, while his other notable credits include River City, 24: Live Another Day, The Legend of Tarzan and Chernobyl. Ferns was reported to be appearing in The Batman in January 2020, and sure enough, he is spotted in the first trailer. It’s clear just looking at the above image that Ferns is playing someone in a position of power; that individual is Commissioner Pete Savage. So it’s a good bet that James Gordon will inherit Savage’s job either during the events of the movie or later on in this film series, whether it’s because Savage’s corruption is exposed or he meets an untimely demise. Maybe both!

Gil Perez-Abraham

While he’s a newcomer compared to most of the previously mentioned people, Gil Perez-Abraham has already collected some notable credits. These include guest spots on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Madame Secretary, Pose and Orange is the New Black, as well as movies like Anya and The Farewell. As of now, Perez-Abraham's The Batman character hasn’t been identified, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be an ally or enemy to the eponymous hero.

Charlie And Max Carver

Twins Charlie and Max Carver have appeared alongside each other in projects like Desperate Housewives, Teen Wolf, The Leftovers and Fist Fight, though they’ve also starred separately in various other movies and TV shows between them. According to The AV Club, the Carver brothers are back together in The Batman, and while we don’t know who they’re playing yet, there are some villainous twins whose shoes they could fill. Already there’s speculation that Charlie and Max could either be Tom and Tad, a.k.a. the modern incarnations of the Trigger Twins, who’ve been part of the Batman rogues gallery since the early ‘90s, or Min and Max, who worked for Two-Face in Batman: The Animated Series. Given the rumor at one point that Mad Hatter would show up in The Batman, maybe they could even be Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

Rupert Penry-Jones

British audiences are familiar Rupert Penry-Jones from shows like Spooks, Whitechapel and Silk, while TV watchers in the U.S. might recognize him from The Strain and Black Sails. For The Batman, Penry-Jones is playing Gotham City mayor Don Mitchell. Interestingly enough, The Batman trailer released at DC FanDome has already revealed how Mitchell specifically factors into the main story, but I won’t divulge any spoilers here. Just keep a close eye out during the first half of the preview.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more casting updates concerning The Batman, which swoops into theaters on October 1, 2021. You can also find out what other DC Comics movies are in development with our handy guide.

Have you heard? The Batman has started filming in London, England! Ever since Robert Pattinson was cast as Gotham City’s Caped Crusader, the movie’s cast has been slowly put together, and while most of the actors’ characters had been identified, we’ve had no idea who Peter Sarsgaard will be playing… until now. And no, it won’t be Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face, as had been heavily speculated.

In its official announcement of The Batman beginning principal photography, Warner Bros laid out who comprises the main cast, and Peter Sarsgaard is identified as Gotham District Attorney Gil Colson. So like Harvey Dent, Sarsgaard’s character will work as Gotham City’s chief prosecutor and ideally fight injustice rather than be a force of corruption like so many within the city’s government usually are, but unless Matt Reeves is planning on heavily twisting the source material, don’t expect Gil Colson to have acid thrown on half of his face.

The Batman marks Peter Sarsgaard’s second time performing in a comic book movie, having previously played Hector Hammond in 2011’s Green Lantern. However, unlike Hector, Gil Colson isn’t an established DC Comics character, i.e. he hasn’t appeared in the comics or other media before now.

That said, there is a character from Batman: The Animated Series named Gil Mason who was Gotham City’s deputy commissioner, but was secretly in cahoots with Two-Face. So although their jobs are different, maybe Gil Colson will be partially inspired by Gil Mason. It wouldn’t be the first time a Batman: The Animated Series character has been tweaked for a movie, as Ben Mendelsohn appeared in The Dark Knight Rises as John Daggett, a variation of Roland Daggett.

Regardless, the ‘Peter Sarsgaard as Two-Face’ guesses can be put to rest, though that doesn’t necessarily mean we couldn’t still see the character in The Batman. Since this movie is set in the early years of Bruce Wayne’s crimefighting career, it’d be easy enough to set Harvey Dent up as a hotshot prosecutor. If something happens to Gil Colson, Harvey can step in as the new Gotham D.A., thus putting him on the path to one day becoming Two-Face.

For now though, there’s no indication that Harvey Dent is present in The Batman, so unless he’s being kept as a surprise, we’ll have to wait until The Batman 2 for him to surface, assuming he even shows up in this Batman film series. The character, whether as a civilian or in full Two-Face mode, has previously been played by Billy Dee Williams in Batman, Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever and Aaron Eckhardt in The Dark Knight.

As for the rest of The Batman’s cast, along with Robert Pattinson and Peter Sarsgaard, it includes Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone and Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál.

The Batman swoops into theaters on June 25, 2021, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how it’s coming along. You can also look through our DC movies guide to learn what other superhero movies are on the way.

After a long and rough start, Matt Reeves' The Batman has been surprising us on a pretty regular basis with casting info. And, Reeves himself has been using his Twitter feed to update fans on many of the casting decisions made so far. Just today he posted a welcoming gif of actor Peter Sarsgaard to let us in on his casting, but we all have the same question now: Who, exactly, will Sarsgaard be playing in The Batman? Well, I'm betting on a certain coin-loving villain who never starts off as one.

This take on the tale of The Dark Knight is said to feature a more in-depth look at Batman's skills as a detective, as well as using a rogue's gallery approach to the baddies it will use. So, instead of one or two major villains menacing the movie, and the typical set up or quick removal of a third evil-doer, The Batman has been said to have at least six Big Bads scheduled to pop up all over the place and cause tons of trouble for Bruce Wayne's alter-ego.

Over the summer, rumors of just who these villains could be showed up, and while the whole list hasn't been confirmed by Matt Reeves or anyone else close to the production, three of those villains have been cast so far. Right now, we have Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, as well as John Turturro as crime boss Carmine Falcone (who was not originally rumored). From that first rumor we're still looking to see who might play Firefly, Mad Hatter and Two-Face. And, I have to say, if you look at Reeves' announcement tweet, Peter Sarsgaard does look like a certain lawyer turned supervillain:

OK, so Peter Sarsgaard doesn't look like a well-trained criminal mastermind in this gif, but he does look like an attorney. I mean, am I right, or am I right? (I'm clearly right.) While I have no idea what project of Sarsgaard's this is from, it should also be noted that, while the caption doesn't say he's playing Harvey Dent / Two-Face in The Batman, an astute Twitter follower of Reeves' did point out that there are two faces in the image. OMG. I just got the good kind of chills you guys.

Of course, this would not be the first time we've seen either Harvey Dent or Two-Face in live action if Peter Sarsgaard is, indeed, taking on that coin-flipping role. Billy Dee Williams played Dent in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989, Tommy Lee Jones brought him screaming to life in Batman Forever (1995), Aaron Eckhart had the part in The Dark Knight (2008) and we also saw the character on Fox's Gotham.

I can easily see Peter Sarsgaard starting off as Gotham's hot shot District Attorney, only to get horribly scarred by acid or in some other painful way, lose his mind and start making all his decisions based on the toss of a coin. Sarsgaard might not look very intimidating in the above gif, but he's played his fair share of dangerous individuals, and would certainly be up to the challenge of switching personalities on a dime. (Or, quarter, because that's what people use for coin flips, right?)

Of course, we will likely have to wait a bit until we get real confirmation (as opposed to a sly hint) of who Peter Sarsgaard is playing in The Batman, which opens on June 25, 2021. Until then, be sure to check out what you can catch on the big screen in 2020!

Over the last few years, we have seen the true crime genre take off in a significant way, as dramatizations of recent real-life events are hot topics on prestige TV. Now, Hulu has gotten in on the action, with executive producers Lawrence Wright, Dan Futterman, and Alex Gibney adapting Wright's book The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 for the streaming platform. As repurposed for TV, The Looming Tower can feel slow and dry at times, but it's also a powerful and often infuriating display of how law enforcement bickering ultimately helped destroy thousands of lives.

Chronologically speaking, the real story of The Looming Tower begins in 1998, in an America far more concerned with the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal than with anything big happening overseas. As Al-Qaeda begins ramping up its efforts for a major attack on American soil, we're introduced to FBI head honcho John O'Neill (Jeff Daniels), who enlists the aid of agent Ali Soufan (Tahar Rahim) to assist him in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden (or "UBL"), but not without constant stonewalling and withholding of information by CIA officer Martin Schmidt (Peter Sarsgaard). What follows is a three-year quagmire characterized by both preventable attacks with real victims and constant infighting that conveys just how disconnected from each other many of our most prominent law enforcement and intelligence agencies truly are.

One early element worth noting is how frustrating The Looming Tower is depicting the lead-up to September 11, 2001. The rift between the CIA and the FBI permeates every episode, with the bulk of the story focusing on characters arguing over who has jurisdiction and legal rights to any and all specific pieces of intelligence.

In that way, it's impossible to look at that story and not see how The Looming Tower _is wholly relevant to the modern era, despite the fact that its core story is almost 20 years old. The show features numerous scenes of characters discussing the political ramifications of specific courses of action, while consistently cutting back to Al-Qaeda members planning the attacks, and we're always reminded of the tangible consequences that lie just around the corner if no action takes place. _The Looming Tower may depict the pothole-filled road to 9/11, but it also serves as a clear and disturbing parable that in some ways mirrors the same issues continuing to plague the government years later.

When you look at a show like The Looming Tower, one of the first things that jumps out is the cast. The always excellent Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard are the two heavy-hitters in this ensemble as FBI officer John O'Neill and the CIA's Martin Schmidt, respectively, and much of The Looming Tower's dramatic tension comes from the growing divide generated between these two men and their unyielding organizations. The distinction between these two men couldn't be more apparent: O'Neill is thoroughly flawed, but ultimately well-intentioned in trying to do the "right" thing while also creating a stable life for himself. Meanwhile, Schmidt is ceaseless in his commitment to his work (and his cult-like influence over his CIA underlings), which seems to stem more from his desire for control than any desires to make the right call in the war on terror.

Working beneath O'Neill and Schmidt are two other main characters that we follow through the bulk of the investigation: Tahar Rahim's Ali Soufan and Bill Camp's Robert Chesney. As Soufan, Rahim delivers a calm and measured performance as a young Muslim man trying to navigate the politics of an American law enforcement agency that's actively hunting young Muslim men. Meanwhile, Camp provides arguably the best performance of the entire series, portraying Chesney as a tired and drained man with a variety of hidden law enforcement talents, somewhat in the vein of Better Call Saul's Mike Ehrmantraut.

Despite that handful of notable performances, though, few others in The Looming Tower's cast jump out as clear standouts, which admittedly comes across less as sloppy storytelling, and more a matter of intentional design. The Looming Tower is all about the sheer number of moving parts involved in the lead-up to 9/11, and which is better personified by a constantly in-motion ensemble than something purely character-driven. Even when instantly noteworthy cameos happen, such as those from The Shape of Water's Michael Stuhlberg and Alec Baldwin, we're almost always watching understated performances that don't rely on scenery chewing.

This ensemble-focus lends a sense of realism to how The Looming Tower's narrative unfolds, but it can also be hard to shake the feeling that the show is purposefully dry and impersonal. Series co-creator Alex Gibney has largely become known for his work on documentaries Going Clear and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and the stiff, exposition-oriented emphasis on facts and reports dominates The Looming Tower's tone. It can be a welcome change of pace, certainly, especially when emphasizing the fact that events prefacing 9/11 were not characterized by foot chases and fist fights. However, that approach also means the story lacks a certain amount of kinetic energy and urgency as that infamous date draws near.

What makes The Looming Tower fundamentally work as a series is its profoundly disturbing implications about the divisions and infighting in government and law enforcement that allow tragedies like 9/11 to go unthwarted. The dense and complex story sometimes plays more like a bitter history lesson or an exposition-heavy reenactment than an emotionally-investing TV drama, but that shouldn't take away from the importance of this tale.

The Looming Tower Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu, so make sure to head over to the streaming service and check it out for yourself. You can also hop over to CinemaBlend's midseason premiere guide to get more information on all of the other shows that are going to debut this spring, and you can listen to the most recent episode of The Cord Cutter Podcast to hear our thoughts on the latest and greatest streaming content.

The following contains a spoiler for Antoine Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven, so if you haven't yet seen it, steer clear, and head to a theater, where it's currently playing.

Bartholomew Bogue. The dude just SOUNDS like a snake. And, as played by Peter Sarsgaard in the latest interpretation of The Magnificent Seven, he IS a snake -- a thieving bully of a real-estate baron who intimidates the denizens of a quiet, small mining town into selling their property for pennies on the dollar, just so Bartholomew Bogue will stop making their lives a living hell.

You will spend the bulk of Antoine Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven begging for someone -- anyone -- to shoot this evil bastard... and someone eventually does. Only, when I sat down to interview Sarsgaard at the Toronto International Film Festival, I asked him how the filming of his confrontation went down, and it turns out he had a very specific demand:

The Magnificent Seven, much like Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (on which this is based) features a band of cowboys -- some good, some not quite good -- who agree to assist the helpless townsfolk who find themselves under the thumb of a tyrant. And because the Seven are led by Denzel Washington's mysterious Chisolm, it only serves the story that he be the one to ultimately take Bogue down.

If you have seen The Magnificent Seven, you know that there's a physical confrontation between the two men in the burned church from the beginning of the movie. It's prolonged, and it's violent. And from what Sarsgaard tells us, it was supposed to end with Chisolm shooting Bogue in the crotch. At least, that's what Denzel would have preferred. Here's Peter Sarsgaard, recollecting this pivotal scene from The Magnificent Seven. Again, he talks about a few SPOILERS, so be warned:

The Magnificent Seven stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Peter Sarsgaard and Haley Bennett in a classic tale of Old West vengeance. It's directed by Antoine Fuqua, he of Training Day, The Equalizer and King Arthur. It is in theaters as we speak.

The idea of a Magnificent Seven remake was initially met with jeers and cynism, but now that Sony Pictures continues to beef up its cast with an all-star ensemble, public opinion is swaying. The latest addition to join this remake of a remake is Peter Sarsgaard, and if his body of work is any indication, he's going to make a great antagonist.

Variety first reported the news of Sarsgaard, who's known for roles in Lovelace (playing a scumbag pornographer), Green Lantern (as the mentally unstable Hector Hammond), Jarhead, Orphan, and Flightplan, among many others. According to the trade, he'll play the film's main villain, that of the robber baron named Bartholomew Bogue.

The original Magnicent Seven, released in 1960 as a remake of director Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, followed seven gunslingers who protect a small Mexican village from a gang of outlaws led by the baron. In Antoine Fuqua's rendition, as reported by Deadline, Bogue kills a man in the village, after which his victim's wife enlists the help of the heroic gunmen. The Mexican village is also said to be replaced by a frontier mining town.

Including Sarsgaard, this version of The Magnificent Seven boasts some flashy talent. Flight's Denzel Washington, Guardians of the Galaxy's Chris Pratt, Boyhood's Ethan Hawke, Daredevil's Vincent D’Onofrio, Washington's Equalizer co-star Haley Bennett, Elite Squad‘s Wagner Moura, G.I. Joe's Byung-Hun Lee, and Magic Mike's Matt Bomer have all signed on for roles. Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa, was said to be in the film, but he ultimately dropped out because his character didn't have much to do or say, according to Deadline.

With Fuqua at the helm, the script was initially penned by True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto, though it was recently reworked by John Lee Hancock. The original film starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and Eli Wallach, and led to multiple sequels and a television special on CBS. Watch the trailer for the original below, though, presumably, the remake will be a bit darker and grittier.

Should the remake prove to be successful, and considering the current Hollywood climate of remakes and reboots, it seems likely that the studio is already mulling over the idea of branching this out into a sprawling new franchise.

The Magnificent Seven is set to ride into theaters on January 13, 2017.

Despite offering quite a few shows that are lacking in the ratings, NBC is still managing to bring in some pretty big talent. This week, the network announced that both The Killing’s Peter Sarsgaard and Weeds’ Mary-Louise Parker have signed on to star in the brand new miniseries, The Slap, based on an Australian project of the same name that hit the airwaves down under in 2011.

Way back in January of this year, NBC jumped on the trend of announcing a couple of straight-to-series pick-ups. The big news that day was the network’s Oz-based Emerald City series. Luckily, in the story we also included news about The Slap, an 8-episode miniseries described as a “complex drama,” which is fascinating considering the central plotline on the show follows the relatively simple idea of a man slapping another person’s kid who happens to be misbehaving. It’s the aftermath that will clearly be messy, with a lawsuit igniting and plenty of family drama to boot. Now, with a few big names signed on, the promising premise is becoming an even more attractive pick-up for NBC.

According to Deadline, Peter Sarsgaard will star in The Slap as Hector, the patriarch of a family whose life is not as perfect as it might seem on the surface. During a party, he falls for his wife’s teenaged receptionist, which is a pretty skuzzy move. He may be a creep, but he’s not the guy who slaps the kid. That honor will go to Hector’s cousin.

While it might seem like an easy fit, Parker will not be playing Hector’s wife in The Slap. Instead, she’ll play Hector’s pal Anouk, a writer on a TV show. We don’t know much about her personality or her role, except for the fact that she will be dating the lead of the fictional TV series she writes for. Other big names involved with the series include The Kids Are All Right director Lisa Cholodenko, who is set to direct the first two episodes, and Brothers & Sisters writer John Robin Baitz, who is writing the miniseries.

While a slap might seem like a gimmicky starting point for a family drama, it’s the sort of storyline that has worked for NBC in the past. The network has tackled a similar issue before in another of its family-based dramas. Several seasons ago on Parenthood, one of the lead characters hit a man in line at a store after he made some derogatory remarks about his autistic kid. That incident still came up in subsequent seasons and provided a memorable storyline to tie in with all of the relationship drama and fuzzy feelings fans have come to relate to that series. I haven’t seen the Australian series The Slap is based on, but it seems like the slap could have the same function in the miniseries.

The only thing I’m a little sad about is that The Slap has a definite end point. I’m sure the story will be told much more compactly in 8 hours, but I think many people would be happy to see Mary-Louse Parker back on TV in a more permanent gig.

Slowly but steadily, the cast of the upcoming pornstar biopic Lovelace has grown to include some very notable names, including Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Hank Azaria and Bobby Cannavale, not to mention stars Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard. While the film has yet to receive a release date, production has begun and we now have our first look at Seyfried as Linda Boreman, posed happily with her husband Chuck Traynor (Sarsgaard).

Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, Lovelace will tell the story of adult film star Linda Boreman, or Linda Lovelace, as she was credited in her acting work, which included the famous 1972 X-rated movie Deep Throat. Entertainment Weekly posted the first look photo, which has the two leads smiling happily from the front seat of a vintage car, likely fitting to the 1970’s timeframe in which the story and film take place.

The happy image above seems contradictory to what we know of Boreman’s story. The actress admitted later in her life that she was abused and pushed into her career as an adult film star by her husband. So, either the smile is just an act, or maybe the photo depicts a happier moment from their marriage. Possibly even right at the very beginning, judging by the way Seyfried is holding up her hand, which sports a wedding band.

Entertainment Weekly has a slightly bigger version of the photo, as well as as a picture of the actual Linda Boreman, for those of you who’d like to see how well Seyfried matches the woman she’s portraying, here.

Over the years there have been many projects about Linda Lovelace in development, but in the last year it has gotten fairly crazy, largely because just about every actress in Hollywood has been rumored to play the former porn star turned anti-porn activist. It began with Lindsay Lohan being attached to the movie titled Inferno, and got a bit nuttier when Lohan was replaced by Malin Akerman. Then another project, titled simply Lovelace appeared on the scene and both Kate Hudson and Olivia Wilde were rumored for the lead role. Now, however, it seems that both projects are close to having their leading ladies in place.

According to Variety, Amanda Seyfried, who toplined last weekend's sci-fi flick In Time with Justin Timberlake, is now negotiations to play the lead in Lovelace. What's more, Peter Sarsgaard, who was last seen this past summer as the bulbous-headed Hector Hammond in Green Lantern, is in talks to play Chuck Traynor, Lovelace's former husband and pornographer who also served as her pimp. The part of Traynor previously belonged to James Franco when Kate Hudson was attached, but Hudson became pregnant and apparently the deal was off. The script for the film is based on Eric Danville's book The Complete Linda Lovelace, which was adapted by W. Merritt Johnson and Andy Bellin. The project is being directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, who directed last year's Howl.

It's actually understandable why so many actresses would be interested in playing Lovelace. Her life was filled with tragedy and there is a great deal of dramatic potential for a biopic. We'll just have to wait and see if Amanda Seyfried is up for the task.

Green Lantern is inevitably going to have some incredibly amazing visuals that take place on other planet, pushing the limits of CGI, but we must not forget that there is something is some cool stuff taking place on our home planet as well that's made using practical effects. I am, of course, talking about Hector Hammond, who is played by Peter Sarsgaard. Most of the marketing has focused on the outer-worldly elements, including aliens like Tomar-Re, Kilowog and Sinestro, but now Hector has gotten his own poster.

Arriving over on the movie's official Facebook page, I'm not sure if it's the eyes or the half-cocked smile, but this is one seriously creepy poster. Hammond looks like he's filled to the brim with malevolence and it is all together terrifying. Even better, this is before his head balloons up to the size of a football field and transforms him from a normal looking guy into a true monster.

Check out the poster below. Green Lantern arrives in theaters on June 17. For more on the film, be sure to check out our Blend Film Database.

Without a word of warning, apparently Warner Bros. has decided that that January 19, 2011 is “National Superhero Day.” Earlier this morning came the gigantic, huge announcement that Tom Hardy will Play Bane and Anne Hathaway will play Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises (see my feature on the subject here) and now we have a little taste of Green Lantern for you.

French website Cinema Teaser has posted a new photo from the upcoming Martin Campbell-directed intergalactic superhero flick that’s due out in June. In the still we see Hector Hammond and Hal Jordan (played by Peter Sarsgaard and Ryan Reynolds) hanging out what appears to be some kind of party. In the background, over Hector’s shoulder, you can also see Senator Hammond, Hector’s father, who is played by Tim Robbins. Considering the size of Hector’s head, we can probably assume that this picture is from fairly early in the movie, before either one of them discovers that there are actually aliens out there.

Check out the image below and head over to Cinema Teaser to see it full size.

When the first trailer for Green Lantern dropped last week, everybody was focused on Ryan Reynolds' CGI suit and how great it didn't look. Completely ignored, though, was Peter Sarsgaard's Hector Hammond who not only was costumed using make-up, but looked damn good. Perhaps that's why we shouldn't be surprised that the newest image from the film focuses on him instead.

Bleeding Cool has discovered a magazine scan of one of the film's main baddies, and I personally couldn't be more happy with the character's appearance. It's not exactly easy to have a character whose trademark is his giant head and make it not look goofy, but they've really made something special here. Hammond's head looks bulbous and gross (like he's about to enter a Rocky Dennis look-a-like competition) and that's exactly what they needed to do. Looking at what they were able to do with the character it makes it all the more depressing that they decided to go with the CGI costume for the lead.

Check out part of the image below and head on over to Bleeding Cool to see the full thing. Also, for more about Green Lantern, head on over to our Blend Film Database.

Current super hero hog, Ryan Reynolds is starring in next years Green Lantern and we've recently learned about his fully CGI suit, but what about the rest of the cast? Resident baddie Dr. Hector Hammond, to be played by Peter Sarsgaard, has a heinously huge and comedic noggin the likes of which may or may not play well on screen. So what is a production to do?

Well the answer is use make-up and make a heinously huge, disgusting looking prosthetic and strap it to your actors' dome, obviously. Sky Showbiz got their hands on a spy image of Sarsgaard traipsing around the back lot with his supposed make up on and it looks pretty intense. Removing the comic book aspect seems to have changed the dynamic of the character from silly to gross.

We have to remember though that this is early and there's probably going to be some heavy CG work so being overly critical of it is a fools errand at this point. Plus, there's always the possibility that this is some mongoloid production assistant just on his way to craft services. Anyway, take a look and sound off about what you think about where the character is headed.

Till now everyone has pretty much assumed that Sinestro would be the villain of the upcoming Ryan Reynolds powered Green Lantern movie. In fact, when we learned last week that Mark Strong was on board to play the character, many reporters announced it as “Mark Strong to Play Green Lantern Villain”. Not so fast.

No one involved with the production has ever actually said Sinestro would be a bad guy, only that he’d be in it. In fact they’ve already announced the movie’s villain and it’s a psychic powered baddie named Dr. Hector Hammond, played by Peter Sarsgaard. That news broke last week here. So does that mean two villains? Probably not.

Coming Soon caught up with Green Lantern director Martin Campbell who dropped hints about the true nature of the character by saying, “we all know Sinestro, for an example, is a character who goes over to the dark side, and of course, Carol, played by Blake Lively, in later versions becomes a bad guy as well. I think people will be able to see forward to the characters that in the comic went on to (become bad guys)... but people will be ahead of us on all that I think.”

It sounds like Sinestro will only be in the film to set up a sequel where he goes evil. Not a bad move really, especially when Peter Sarsgaard is more than up to the task of handling the duties and obligations of pure evil.

Amidst the relative avalanche of news surrounding the recently deceased Spider-Man 4, there's another superhero franchise being born that you should keep firmly on your radar. Green Lantern has finally emerged from its location struggles and started making some pretty serious moves in the casting department, which for a time was limited to just Ryan Reynolds in the leading role.

Last week, Blake Lively was announced as Reynolds' leading lady Carol Ferris, and just yesterday we found out that the great Peter Sarsgaard would show off his psychic abilities as Dr. Hector Hammond, villain extraordinaire. Today, strong rumors are brewing over at HitFix that Jackie Earle Haley will be appearing in the film as Sinestro, despite that very same rumor being debunked late last year.

Nothing has been officially announced, but apparently the relationship between Haley and the studio is a strong one, so DC would like to extend their friendship into this project. Early trailers for A Nightmare on Elm Street are certainly proving Haley's worth as a villain, so fans of the Green Lantern should be excited he'll soon be attached to this franchise. His turn as Rorschach in Watchmen was impressive and as the recovering pedophile Ronnie McGorvy in Little Children he was astounding in his first role in 13 years.

The only concern is that unless handled properly, the film could fall victim to Spider-Man syndrome by overstuffing itself with villains. But from the sound of things, Sinestro won't be a huge part of this first installment of the series, setting him up for larger roles in later films. Good on paper; now as long as they'll execute on that, we'll be in for a treat.

If you're not excited about An Education, you haven't been paying attention. One of the most acclaimed movies of the Sundance Film Festival and already considered a lock by many for a Best Picture nominee, it's hitting the festival circuit later this year and will debut in theaters on October. I've been hearing hype for so long without seeing a single minute of film, but now, at least, there's a trailer to show off what everyone's gotten so worked up about.

And yes, it looks fantastic. Based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, the film stars Carey Mulligan as a teenage girl who starts a relationship with an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) amid the stuffy social confines of 1960s England. You can see everything else you need to know in the trailer, which you can watch below or see in high-res at Yahoo! Movies. It's definitely worth a look.

If you're not a rabid Oscar watcher or film festival devotee, you may not yet be obsessing over An Education, Lone Scherfig's film that was the hit of Sundance and is poised to be one of the major awards contenders next fall. I haven't seen it yet, so I have no idea how it stands up to the hype, but the publicity campaign is going forward in earnest with the newly revealed one-sheet, posted at Movie City News.

The film, based on Lynn Barber's memoir and adapted by none other than Nick Hornby, stars Carey Mulligan as a 16-year-old girl growing up in 1960s England and starting an affair with an older man (Peter Sarsgaard). The poster doesn't quite capture that whole age-inappropriate thing-- Sarsgaard is Photoshopped within an inch of his life-- but still looks great regardless. Check out a smaller version below.