House of the Dragon wrapped with its strongest Game of Thrones connection yet back in August, with plenty of questions still unanswered. More of the Targaryen family tree's civil war is on the way, and details are few and far between about what comes next. As it turns out, even the cast doesn't know much about House of the Dragon Season 3, but Emma D'Arcy's idea for a change for Rhaenyra is fun to think about while the wait continues and the 2024 TV schedule winds down.

The Stars Don't Know Jack

Otto Hightower is one character whose future is not only unclear, but House of the Dragon never explained what happened to him in the second half of Season 2 after he was fired by Aegon and left King's Landing. Whether or not the hit fantasy show will shed much light on what went down off screen remains to be seen, and actor Rhys Ifans couldn't explain either. Speaking with Inverse, Ifans shared:

Considering that the Greens went even further off the rails after Aegon fired Otto and replaced him with Criston Cole, it should be interesting to see how Otto's loyalties have shifted... or not shifted, since it's hard to imagine him being so alienated from his family that he'd flip to support the Blacks. Alas, fans will have to wait even longer than Ifans to find out.

And even the actors who were in more of Season 2 than Rhys Ifans was don't have answers. During a New York Comic Con panel (via Variety), Tom Glynn-Carney – a.k.a. Aegon – said that he knew "Not a jot, not a letter" about any Season 3 scripts, while Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen) weighed in:

Considering that Daemon's hallucinatory arc was one of the biggest departures from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood source material in Season 2, even reading the book might not give him much insight on the next steps for his character! Fabien Frankel, who plays Ser Criston Cole, dropped more of a tease than his co-stars could:

House of the Dragon's Criston Cole was another character notably different from his book counterpart, far beyond how Season 1 changed one of Cole's kills from the source material. His arc wasn't what George R.R. Martin's called out in his grievances against Season 2, though, and Frankel didn't spoil the "things" he's heard about Season 3.

Emma D'Arcy's Fun Idea

Whether or not Emma D'Arcy knows any more than their co-stars about what the House of the Dragon team has planned for Season 3, the star has a fun idea that would be a shift from what Rhaenyra did for the war effort in Season 2. Speaking with The Guardian, D'Arcy shared what they enjoy about the show and what they'd like to see change:

While Rhaenyra hasn't stayed entirely out of the fray with the war effort, her contributions have been on dragonback. As she was reminded, the Blacks' claim rested entirely on her, so it would have been unwise for her to risk her life by flying off into battle on a regular basis. Could Season 3 find a reason for Rhaenyra to take up a sword?

Unfortunately, while Emma D'Arcy is bound to find out sooner than most, fans will remains in the dark for the foreseeable future. It's unlikely that House of the Dragon could return any sooner than 2026. For now, you can always revisit the first two seasons streaming with a Max subscription, as well as all eight seasons of Game of Thrones.

Spoilers for the second episode of House of the Dragon’s second season are ahead! If you haven’t seen the episode, you can stream it with a Max subscription, and then catch new ones every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

You know, when House of the Dragon returned on the 2024 TV schedule, the last show I expected to compare it to was The Kardashians. However, here we are. We’re talking about the similarities between Otto Hightower and Kris Jenner now, and the thing is, the fans who pointed this out are hilariously on point.

Yes, you read that correctly, following the second episode of Season 2 – which saw Otto trying to work his PR magic to save the Greens following the death of Rhaenyra’s son in the Season 1 finale and the assassination of Aegon and Helaena’s kid in the Season 2 premiere – the man is being compared to Kris Jenner. The parents really work around the clock to build an empire, and in Otto’s case, he was using the death of his son’s child to make The Greens look better amid the impending civil war. So, I think @_AngelicaJ9 was pretty on point when they posted this:

Otto Hightower is collected and calculated, which is pretty similar to how Kris Jenner runs her show. And while the Kardashians’ mother is not dealing with murder and war crimes to build up her empire with her kids, the creative way she goes about managing is not totally dissimilar to the former hand of the king, as @itshelenwhat posted:

Also, like Kris Jenner, Otto’s whole business involves his family. His empire has been carefully constructed because of how he’s positioned his daughter in the castle and his relationships with his grandchildren. To that point, I think @Targ_Nation made a hilariously great point when they posted:

Otto Hightower really was working all the PR angles in this episode, and sadly for him, it didn’t work out. His erratic grandson ended up firing him and hiring the hated Ser Criston Cole as his hand. One fan made the connection between Rhys Ifans' character and the Jenner-Kardashian matriarch by posting this amazing GIF from Otto’s conversation with Aegon:

Now, with Otto out as hand to the king, it’s unclear what his next move will be. However, one thing is for sure, he’s going to work really hard to scheme his way back to the top and use his A+ managing skills to reclaim power. Will it work? I don’t know. However, if he’s anything like Kris Jenner, he’ll continue to manage, parent and play the long game. As @OdunEweniyi said:

With Ser Criston Cole being a major wild card in the show now and the man who took Otto’s job, I imagine Alicent’s father will be coming for him. He’s a master at manipulating his kids and ultimately scheming to get what he wants. Like Kris Jenner’s kids, the Targaryens’ seem like a wild bunch who can be hard to manage, however, she makes it happen and Otto will too.

To see how Otto’s status as the ultimate momager of Westeros evolves, you can catch new episodes of House of the Dragon every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max. To keep up with Kris Jenner and the Kardashians, you can stream new episodes of The Kardashians every Thursday with a Hulu subscription.

This story contains minor spoilers for the final two episodes of House of the Dragon. 

While the Greens are a pretty serious bunch on House of the Dragon, off-screen the actors seem like a very goofy group. This proved true when Olivia Cooke, who plays Queen Alicent Hightower, posted a behind-the-scenes photo dump following the Season 1 finale. All the photos are hilarious, however, I think the best ones are for sure the awkward Hightower family photos. 

In honor of the final episode of one of the most talked about shows on the fall TV schedule, Cooke posted a series of nine goofy photos and a video on her Instagram from the set of King’s Landing. Check them out: 

My personal favorite is photo number eight, which is Cooke and her on-screen dad Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans. It looks like an awkward Christmas card photo, and honestly, I would really like to get on the Hightower mailing list if this is the content we’re going to get. The two are standing awkwardly apart from each other with a Christmas tree in the middle. While the father-daughter duo are intense on screen, and really don't share any heartfelt moments together, it’s nice to see these two goofballs having a good time on set together when they're not in character. 

Before HOTD, Ifans' filmography included some goofier characters. Notably, he starred in one of Julia Roberts’ best rom-coms Notting Hill as Hugh Grant's odd and funny roommate Spike. So, it makes perfect sense that he’d pose for hilariously awkward photos with Cooke. 

Along with Ifans, the actress also posted awkward photos with other costars like Emma D’Arcy, Fabien Frankel, and Paddy Considine plus many photos of Phia Saban, who plays Alicent’s daughter Helaena Targaryen. Speaking of Saban she also posted a fabulous Hightower family photo, check it out: 

I must admit, all these fun photos are welcome and warranted after the intense episodes of House of the Dragon. This is especially true when it comes to the Hightower plot, like the wild events of Episode 8, including Otto’s devious plans and that foot fetish scene between Larys and Alicent. Each week their plans get more devious, and each week I dislike them even more. However, it’s nice when the actors post some fun BTS content to lighten the mood. 

As I said, this post from Cooke comes after the explosive Season 1 finale. Even though the Hightowers weren’t really in the episode, Prince Aemond was, and let’s just say he did something that really brought the mood down. Not that it was high in the first place, but it brought it down even further. So, seeing Cooke’s silly photos made me feel a million times better, and continued to show how fun the cast of the Game of Thrones prequel is. 

We’ll have to wait a while for Season 2 of House of the Dragon, however, while we wait you can check out all of Season 1 with an HBO Max subscription. Plus you will always have the cast’s social media accounts to keep you entertained with their awkward and hilarious photos, especially when it’s coming from Olivia Cooke.

When Game of Thrones came to an end in 2019, it was only a matter of time before spinoffs and prequels were built off of the highly successful series, because of its talented Game of Thrones cast and skillful story (at least until Season 8). And while a sequel series is actually in the works right now, the prequel, House of the Dragon, is coming out soon, featuring several never-before-seen key Targaryen figures. 

With such a large ensemble - and I mean this list is huge - I’m sure that somehow, someway, you have seen the House of the Dragon cast before. For those who are wondering why these people look so familiar, here are some of their biggest shows and movies before joining the world of Westeros.  

Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen)

First up, we have Paddy Considine, who portrays King Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon. Considine has been around in Hollywood for many years and appeared in films such as A Room for Romeo Brass, Last Resort, In America, My Summer of Love, Doctor Sleep, 24 Hour Party People, Dead Man’s Shoes, and so many more. 

Considine has also had success in television. His biggest roles thus far have been starring in the third season of Peaky Blinders, and roles in shows such as The Outsider, The Third Day, Red Riding, Informer, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, and more.  

Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen)

Next up, we have Matt Smith, who plays Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon. Arguably, Smith is most known for his role as The Doctor in Doctor Who, and has become one of the most beloved versions of the character in the series. Other people might know him for his portrayal of Prince Phillip in The Crown cast. 

Aside from his famous television roles, Smith has appeared in many movies and other shows. Some of his biggest roles include starring in the Morbius cast, and he's also appeared in Womb, Terminator: Genisys, and the 2021 thriller, Last Night in Soho, along with many other movies. On television, he also had a role in the TV series, Party Animals.

Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower)

Olivia Cooke plays Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, and she’s appeared in plenty of movies and TV shows prior to her role in the HBO series. Cooke had a main role in the horror TV show, Bates Motel (which is almost more disturbing than Psycho, which it’s based on), as well as in the miniseries, Vanity Fair. She also had a role in one of the episodes of Modern Love. 

In terms of movies, Cooke has starred in several, including the horror film, Ouija, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Limehouse Golem, Thoroughbreds, Ready Player One, Sound of Metal, and so many others. 

Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen)

While I personally don’t think anyone is going to quite beat Daenerys Targaryen, Rhaenyra Targaryen is pretty close, and she is played by Emma D’Arcy in House of the Dragon. D’Arcy is still just getting started with her movie and television career, but has appeared in movies such as Misbehavior and Mothering Sunday. 

She also appeared as part of the main cast of the TV shows Wanderlust, Wild Bill, Hanna, and Truth Seekers. 

Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake”)

Next up on the least, we have Steve Toussaint, who plays Lord Corlys Velaryon, otherwise known as The Sea Snake in House of the Dragon. In terms of films, Toussaint has been in plenty, including Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Judge Dredd, Shooting Dogs, and Flight of Fury, among others. 

Toussaint has also appeared in many TV shows in both major and minor roles. These include, but aren’t limited to Doctors, CSI: Miami, New Tricks, the teen drama, Skins, Line of Duty, Lewis, the miniseries Tut, Death in Paradise, and many others.  

Eve Best (Princess Rhaenys Targaryen)

We have another Targaryen here. Portraying Rhaenys Targaryen in House of the Dragon is Eve Best, who has had plenty of time in the business appearing in both film and TV. Some of her most prominent film roles include those in the Academy Award-winning film, The King’s Speech, Someone You Love, United, and A Woman of No Importance. 

Best has also had a good amount of success in television, too, having a main role in the TV series, Nurse Jackie, and a main role in the Netflix original series, Fate: The Winx Saga. She’s also had parts in several other TV shows, like The Shadow Line, The Honorable Woman, and more. 

Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole)

Next up, we have Ser Criston Cole, who is portrayed by Fabien Frankel in House of the Dragon. Frankel is relatively new to the business, as his only film credit thus far has been in the holiday movie, Last Christmas (which, funnily enough, starred Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys in Game of Thrones).

Frankel has appeared in a number of things on TV, including the TV series The Serpent, and the TV film, NYPD Blue, but his role in House of the Dragon will be one of his biggest roles yet. 

Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria)

Playing Mysaria in House of the Dragon is Sonoya Mizuno, who has appeared in plenty of amazing shows and movies before. She’s starred in films such as Ex Machina and the sci-fi flick, Annihilation. She also had smaller roles in the musical films La La Land and Beauty and the Beast, as well as the amazing romantic comedy, Crazy Rich Asians.

Mizuno has also had success in TV, having main parts in two miniseries - the Netflix original, Maniac, and the Hulu original, Devs, which starred Nick Offerman. 

Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower)

Otto Hightower is played by Rhys Ifans, who has had so much success in both movies and television. I personally know him as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (as I adore the Harry Potter series), but Ifans has done so much in movies. Some of his biggest roles are in Notting Hill, Enduring Love, Kev & Perry Go Large, The King’s Man, The Five-Year Engagement, and other films. 

Ifans also starred as The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man, and reprised the villain in Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Ifans has done plenty of television as well, starring in shows such as Elementary and Berlin Station, as well as Sali Mali, where he was the narrator. He was also a part of the Season 2 cast of Temple. 

Milly Alcock (Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen)

While we already went over the older Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, we’re going to look at the younger version of her now in House of the Dragon, portrayed by Milly Alcock. The young actress has only appeared in one movie so far, called The School, but she’s made her name in television. 

These shows include, but are not limited to, parts in Pine Gap, Fighting Season, A Place to Call Home, Upright, Reckoning, and The Gloaming. I can only imagine what she’ll do next. 

Emily Carey (Young Alicent Hightower)

We covered older Alicent, now let’s move onto younger Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, played by Emily Carey. She’s appeared in several films, and played a young Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. She was also Anastasia in Anastasia: Once Upon a Time, and the young version of Wendy Darling in The Lost Girls. 

Her biggest role in television was playing Grace Beauchamp on the British drama series, Casualty, but she's also appeared in the Netflix series, Get Even, as well as Houdini and Doyle.  

Sian Brooke (Aemma Targaryen)

You thought we were done with Targaryens? Ha, that’s a laugh. Check out three more, starting off with Aemma Targaryen, who is played by Sian Brooke in House of the Dragon. Brooke has made a name for herself in television, appearing in many main and recurring roles in shows. 

Some of her biggest have been playing Eurus Holmes in Sherlock (alongside star Benedict Cumberbatch), Doctor Foster, The Terror, the miniseries Not Safe For Work, the TV shows Cape Wrath, Dinotopia, All About George, and many, many others. She most recently appeared in Trying and the miniseries No Return, both in 2022. 

Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen)

Phoebe Campbell plays Rhaena Targaryen in House of the Dragon. Campbell is pretty new to the industry. She hasn’t appeared in any movies yet, but did have minor guest roles in shows like The Last Dragonslayer and Midsomer Murders. It’ll be exciting to see her on a show as big as this. 

Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen)  

Baela Targaryen is portrayed by Bethany Antonia in House of the Dragon. She’s appeared in films such as Pin Cushion and There’s Always Hope, and had roles in shows such as the Get Even TV series on Netflix, and two miniseries, Stay Close and Nolly. 

Harry Collett (Jacaerys Velaryon)

Last but not least, we have Jacaerys Velaryon, who is portrayed by Harry Collett in House of the Dragon. He’s had parts in movies such as Ethel & Ernest (which was a voice role), Dead in a Week or Your Money Back, and Dolittle, and had a small role in Dunkirk. 

He had a recurring role as Oliver Hide in Casualty, and a guest role on Galavant, as well as a voice role in The Hive. 

Keep in mind that there are plenty of other faces in House of the Dragon, but these are the main cast members that I’m sure you’re going to be watching for ages on end, and I know I can’t wait to see what they do with this new HBO series, and what they accomplish in the future. 

Using real life historical figures like Grigori Rasputin in a movie like The King’s Man should always lead to a delicate balance between comedy and the truth. After all, the Kingsman Cinematic Universe has always been quick to cut its stylized violence with some randy humor here and there. It’s that balance in the light of actual historical events and figures being used that saw co-writer/director Matthew Vaughn cut about an hour of the film in the final edit, including a scene where Rhys Ifans’ Russian monk would have used a “very large penis” as a weapon.

The anatomical details are, believe it or not, based on what has been written in the history books. Even with that grounding present, Matthew Vaughn had mentioned in his interview with CinemaBlend that three “triple R” rated moments of Rasputin madness had to be cut. Armed with this knowledge, I set off to ask Mr. Ifans if he had a favorite from the bunch, which led to a conversation that broke co-star Djimon Honsou with laughter. Here’s the scene that was described: 

Rhys Ifans is certainly the person you’d want to talk to when it comes to the real Grigori Rasputin, as The King’s Man’s press notes have Matthew Vaughn citing him as an obsessive. It made him a natural fit for the role, especially after Ifans put it out into the world that he wanted the part. So if anyone was going to wield that mythically-large organ, Mr. Ifans is the type of person you’d want on the other end. 

When discussing those infamous Rasputin scenes, Matthew Vaughn had also mentioned that Rhys Ifans was a bit upset that those moments didn’t make the cut. While the may very well resurface, as Vaughn has mentioned in the past that he'd like to potentially assemble extended versions of Kingman Cinematic Universe entries, Ifans does see why those scenes were cut. Further elaborating on how accurate The King’s Man was in its handling of Rasputin, the actor had this to say: 

The balance between over-the-top energy and more period appropriate tones was something that Matthew Vaughn pursued constantly, right down to the soundtrack. During the press conference for The King’s Man that took place the same day as these interviews, the director admitted that he had another musical cue in mind for Rasputin’s big dance battle with Orlando (Ralph Fiennes), Shola (Djimon Honsou), and Conrad (Harris Dickinson); which is featured as a centerpiece of the trailers and commercials in the overall marketing campaign. What was eventually used was a sort of Tchikovsky mixtape, including segments of Swan Lake and The 1812 Overture. However, if he had gone with his original, anachronistic instincts, the Boney M. disco hit “Rasputin” would have been the cue of choice. 

Another decision of historical accuracy over crazy theatrics won out, with the final sequence playing out rather beautifully. But Matthew Vaughn’s decision process must have filtered through to the marketing department, as a fun promo centered around Rhys Ifans’ Rasputin was cut using that very song. It may not be anywhere near as wild as destroying a massage table with a penis, but the concept shown in the ad below is a rather inspired “what if” scenario in the world of Kingsman: 

There’s a fine line between messy shootouts with exploding wheels of cheese and letting a historical figure do some damage with his dong. Manners certainly made this movie what it is, as the line between filth and fun is a firm one in the King’s Man branch of the franchise. As this installment ends on a note that sees another infamous figure joining the great game, that sort of approach will need to be kept in play should The King’s Man 2 become a reality. It’s in the plans for sure, and if the fans want to see it happen, Matthew Vaughn will gladly step up to the bar and make it so. In which case, one has to wonder what horrifically funny scenes he’ll dream up, only to keep hidden away for another day.

It all depends on how The King’s Man fares at the box office, as the film is currently open for business. If you’ve already seen the movie and want to catch up on some of the other movies that will close out the year, head over to the 2021 release schedule. You’d be surprised what’s waiting for you at a theater near you, especially in this crowded week.

In 2015, a year dominated by spy movies, the one that stood out for its sheer originality and bold zaniness was Kingsman: The Secret Service - based on Mark Millar’s popular Icon Comics series - which spawned an even more bizarre sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, two years later. Co-writer and director Matthew Vaughn has returned for a third installment called The King’s Man, which will focus on the origins of the titular intelligence agency during the early 20th Century.

Of course, as is the case for most prequels, The King’s Man cast employs a whole new (and very exciting) ensemble, including two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes. We shall start with him as we explore who is playing who (a phrase that may actually have more than one meaning in this case) in one of the most anticipated 2021 movies. 

Ralph Fiennes (Orlando, Duke Of Oxford)

Leading The King’s Man cast as Orlando, a Kingsman member (and the Duke of Oxford), is Ralph Fiennes, who has previous experience in comic book movies (Alfred in The LEGO Batman Movie) and spy movies (James Bond’s “M” since Skyfall). Of course, his most famous franchise is the Harry Potter movies, in which he played the ruthless Voldemort. 

The Shakespearean-trained performer is one of cinema’s most respected British actors today with two Oscar nominations (Schindler’s List in 1993 and 1997’s The English Patient) to prove it. His resume is full of plenty more Oscar-nominated films such as The Constant Gardener from 2005, Martin McDonough’s dark comedy In Bruges in 2008, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, and the animated Kubo and the Two Strings, just to name a few.

Harris Dickinson (Conrad Oxford)

As Ralph Fiennes’ onscreen son, Conrad, in The King’s Man, we have Harris Dickinson, who made his critically acclaimed feature-length film debut in the coming-of-age, LGBTQ+ drama Beach Rats in 2017. The British actor was cast as real-life kidnapping victim J. Paul Getty III in the FX miniseries Trust the following year. 

Also in 2018, he played a telekinetic teen in The Darkest Minds, but had an even bigger year in 2019 when he joined Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance cast as Gurjin and appeared in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil as Prince Phillip. In 2022, Dickinson will appear in another sequel (The Souvenir Part II) and the star-studded mystery drama Where the Crawdads Sing.

Gemma Arterton (Polly Wilkins)

Previously working with Ralph Fiennes in Clash of the Titans before appearing on The King’s Man cast as the trigger-happy Polly Wilkins is Gemma Arterton. The fellow Brit already knows a thing or two about kicking some ass onscreen. 

Gemma Arterton previously appeared in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla in 2008, the video game movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in 2010, and 2013’s action-packed reinterpretation of a Grimm Brothers’ classic, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, as Gretel. Outside of action movies, Arterton has also appeared in comedies like Netflix’s Murdery Mystery and led the cast of the FX/BBC produced, miniseries period drama Black Narcissus in 2020.

Rhys Ifans (Grigori Rasputin)

Playing an exaggerated version of Grigori Rasputin in The King’s Man is an almost completely unrecognizable Rhys Ifans. Like Ralph Fiennes, Ifans is also a veteran of comic book movies (Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012 and 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home), the Harry Potter movies (Xenophilius Lovegood), spy movies (Oliver Stone’s Snowden, if that counts), and playing Oxford-based royalty (Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous in 2011). 

Ifans is also well known for playing Hugh Grant’s roommate in 1999’s Notting Hill and starring in period pieces like Elizabeth: The Golden Age. The fantasy genre has also been a recurrence in Ifans’ career and which will continue with HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones prequel, House of Dragons.

Matthew Goode (Morton)

Our next (and certainly not last) comic book veteran on The King’s Man cast is Matthew Goode. The British actor started getting noticed as Mandy Moore’s love interest in Chasing Liberty and Scarlett Johansson’s cuckolded love interest in Match Point before playing Ozymandias in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen in 2009. 

Goode has also done various period pieces both on the big screen (such as 2008’s Brideshead Revisited and The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch in 2014) and the small screen (he landed recurring roles on both the Downton Abbey cast and on Netflix’s The Crown). In 2022, the Silent Night star will reprise his role as the vampiric Matthew Clairmont on the romantic supernatural drama A Discovery of Witches for its third season.

Tom Hollander (King George/Kaiser Wilhelm/Tsar Nicholas)

Juggling three roles in The King’s Man (namely King George, Kaiser Wilhelm, and Tsar Nicholas) is Tom Hollander. This actor began to gain notoriety as part of the ensemble cast of Robert Altman’s 2001 murder mystery Gosford Park and 2005’s Pride & Prejudice adaptation before playing an antagonist of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies called Lord Cutler Beckett. 

In fact, Tom Hollander has played a number of antagonistic characters, such as Lance Corkoran on the acclaimed AMC miniseries The Night Manager and the unhinged Gary in Netflix’s Bird Box in 2018. Among his better known roles as of late, Hollander played long-time Queen manager Jim Beach in Bohemian Rhapsody and made his comic book adaptation debut on HBO Max’s animated Harley Quinn series as the voice of Alfred Pennyworth in 2020.

Daniel Brühl (Erik Jan Hanussen)

Yet another The King’s Man cast member with previous comic book adaptation experience is the Spanish-born, German-raised Daniel Brühl, who plays real-life Austrian-Jewish charlatan Erik Jan Hanussen in the film. American audiences began to take interest in Daniel Brühl after he played Nazi soldier turned autobiographical movie star Fredrick Zoller on Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds cast. 

However, he is even better known internationally by now as Zemo in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War and on Disney+’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast in 2021. He also has two Golden Globes for 2013’s competitor driver biopic Rush and TNT’s suspenseful period drama The Alienist and made his directorial debut in 2021 with the Berlin-set social commentary Next Door, which he also stars in.

Djimon Hounsou (Shola)

As Kingsman agent Shola, we have Djimon Honsou, who has starred in Marvel movies (and lent his voice to Disney+’s What If…? cast) as the Kree warrior Korath. However, he has also appeared in DC movies Constantine, Aquaman, Shazam!. 

Djimon Hounsou also has two Oscar nominations for Steven Spielberg’s Amistad and the International crime thriller Blood Diamond and also starred in the Best Picture-winner Gladiator between them. The King’s Man is only the latest franchise endeavor that Hounsou has participated in after starring in How To Train Your Dragon 2, Furious 7, and A Quiet Place Part II most recently.

Charles Dance (Herbert Kitchener)

As real-life, World War I-era British Army officer Herbert Kitchener, we have Charles Dance, whose long and esteemed career is filled with connections to most of his fellow The King’s Man cast members. He played a Bond villain in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only, starred in Gosford Park and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and  was Tywin Lannister on the Game of Thrones cast. 

Charles Dance also had a recurring role on Netflix's The Crown and will soon star on the streaming platform's series adaptation of the DC comic The Sandman. Dance has also worked with director David Fincher on Alien 3 and the 2020 Netflix original Mank, was part of the Underworld movies cast, and played the main human villain of Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019.

Saving the world has not looked so old school since… well, the first Kingsman movie, probably. For that, you need an ensemble who know what they are doing and that describes The King’s Man cast to a T.

After seven release date changes, The King’s Man is finally getting its day in theaters, and the reviews are in. The Matthew Vaughn-directed prequel will take audiences back to where the Kingsman organization began, a century before the events of 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Ralph Fiennes stars in the third installment of the Kingsman franchise as the Duke of Oxford, alongside Harris Dickinson, Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou and Stanley Tucci. 

The red-band trailer seemed to promise plenty of the wit and violence that has attracted fans to the series, but what did the critics have to say? We’ll start with the CinemaBlend review, as our own Mike Reyes gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, noting that while The King’s Man takes a slightly more serious tone than its predecessors, the film still brings plenty of antics and cheeky charm. 

Hoai-Tran Bui of SlashFilm rated the movie 5 out of 10, finding problems with its tone. The film’s somber use of real historical events, including World War I, clashed with the comic book-like hyperviolence. And while “weird” was likely part the goal, it didn’t hit the mark in its intended way.

Anna Smith of Deadline agreed that The King’s Man was tonally confusing but had its good moments. The dramatic wartime scenes effected palpable grief, and Rhys Ifans’s Rasputin was “gloriously theatrical,” but other aspects were either confusing or underdeveloped.

Vikram Murthi of IndieWire agreed with the other critics that the prequel brought a more serious tone than the other two Kingsman movies. He graded the film a C, saying he wouldn’t have minded the second half’s devolution to an “overstuffed shoot-em-up” if the action sequences hadn’t been so "dull."

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter, on the other hand, found a “lurid fascination” in the movie’s revisionist history and a lot to like. even if parts of the first half suffered from lethargic pacing.

It seems like the critics — like the early reactions — are split. They all seem to agree there is a tonal shift in this movie that is more serious than the previous two, but where the disagreement lies is how successful the film pulled off the series’ signature humor against the backdrop of World War I.

You’ll be able to form your own opinion on the prequel when The King’s Man hits theaters December 22. And be sure to take a look at our 2022 New Movie Release Schedule to start planning for next year.

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Fans of HBO's mega hit Game of Thrones were super pumped when the series ended and the network announced several potential spinoffs / sequels / prequels from the fantasy series were in the planning stages. House of the Dragon has been rolling along quite well, with the show being confirmed for a 2022 release in December. Now, we've gotten the first photos from the new series, and they show off our first looks at Matt Smith's prince, the Sea Snake, and more.

You can bet that people are plenty excited to get any looks at House of the Dragon which might be possible before the premiere, especially since we still have quite a wait ahead of us. The show is based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, and tells the story of the House of Targaryen 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. If you were unaware, and the title didn't clue you in, now you know the series will be packed to the (sometimes evil) rafters with those of a white-blonde hair persuasion! So, let's dive in with our first glimpse of star Matt Smith in costume as Prince Daemon Targaryen, along with his co-star, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Game of Thrones prequel:

Oh. My. GOODNESS! I'm getting Game of Thrones flashbacks already, aren't you? I can just imagine how disappointed these two would be in Dany...or, maybe not. We know how many of those Targaryens were actually trash goblins, right?

D’Arcy's Rhaenyra is actually the king’s first-born child, and has the purest of pure Valyrian blood coursing through her veins. As such, she is a dragonrider. There's a sense among most people that Rhaenyra has everything one could need, but seeing as how she wasn't born a man, she would probably beg to differ. One can only hope that she'll be using a dragon or two to get her point across, amirite?

Matt Smith's Daemon is King Viserys' younger brother and the heir to the throne. He shares more than the Targeryen locks and a last name with his niece, though, as this "peerless warrior" is also a dragonrider. It's said that he also has the "true blood" of the dragon, "but it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…" I will take this to mean that good ol' Daemon is going to make some massive missteps during House of the Dragon, and as long as we don't have to watch Smith's head get fried by molten gold (at least not before the Season 1 finale) then I'm on board with all of his shenanigans!

This is Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as The Sea Snake. I will admit, this image made me very excited at first, because I thought we were getting a black Targaryen. Alas, twas not to be, but I really should have known better with all of their forced in-breeding, correct? At any rate, I wasn't too far off, because Lord Corlys here is of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline which is just as old as that of House Targaryen.

His nickname of The Sea Snake is due to his time as the most famous nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros. On top of those accomplishments, Corlys turned his house into a very powerful one, which has more money than even those dammed Lannisters, and the Velaryons also have the largest navy in the known world. I am SO ready to watch this man (and hopefully his family) in action!

Here we have Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower and Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower on House of the Dragon. This father / daughter duo has a lot of power in Westeros, as Otto is The Hand of the King and Alicent is considered the most beautiful woman in all of the Seven Kingdoms. You'll be glad to know, though, that Alicent doesn't rely on her looks. Raised in the Red Keep, she also has great political acumen along with all the grace you'd expect from one who's close to both the king and his inner circle. Otto, for his part, is a dutiful servant and very loyal to the king, but he has serious doubts about Daemon's position as heir, and feels he's a real threat to the realm.

Even with only five characters being revealed, we can all probably tell that House of the Dragon is going to be just as juicy and intrigue-filled as its parent series, so let the countdown to the premiere begin!

We don't know exactly when House of the Dragon will debut in 2022, but for more to watch in the meantime, check out our guide to 2021 summer TV premieres!

Although 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man isn’t the worst of the web-swinging hero’s five movies, it did have its fair share of detractors. Frequent criticism was aimed at Curt Connors, a.k.a. The Lizard, who many felt was a lackluster and bland antagonist. Well, not to worry, fans who were disappointed, actor Rhys Ifans feels the same way, not just about his character, but the movie as a whole.

Ifans had a different idea about what the role entailed after studying the source material, but as he explained to Total Film (via ComicBookMovie), how the final product did not turn out the way he liked. Ifans stated:

While it’s highly unlikely a PG-13 movie intended for kids would feature the main villain eating his family, Ifans does bring up a good point. In the Spider-Man comics, the duality of Curt Connors and The Lizard has been explored frequently in stories over the decades, and it would have been interesting to see this foil adapted more prominently. The meek Connors vs. the savage Lizard. In the movie, however, Connors was a standard, cut and dry villain following his transformation.

In The Amazing Spider-Man, Ifans’ Connors was a biologist working at OsCorp researching how animal attributes could be used to enhance human health. When he injected himself with a serum created using his former partner Richard Parker’s notes, he was successful in regrowing his amputated right arm. Unfortunately, one of the side effects was turning him into a giant, humanoid lizard, and he started to believe that all of humanity should experience the same "perfection" he did. He subsequently detonated a bioweapon in New York to turn its citizens into lizard-like creatures, but he was stopped by his young mentee, Peter Parker, a.k.a. good ol’ Spidey, and his victims were all cured. When we last saw Connors, he was languishing in a psychiatric hospital telling the mysterious Gentleman to leave Peter alone.

Even if Sony's Amazing Spider-Man series had continued, it’s unclear if Ifans would have returned to play Lizard in one of the sequels or Sinister Six given how disappointed he was with his role. As for the future of Spider-Man on film, Ifans doesn’t seem to care what comes next. When asked what he thinks about Wall-Crawler’s reboot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he had no opinion, only saying saying he hopes there’s emphasis on the ‘boot’ since "it needs a kick up the arse." Well, should the new series of Spider-Man movies decide to reimagine Lizard, let’s hope they do a better job with him than The Amazing Spider-Man did.

From the beginning, with his break out role as the quirky best friend to Hugh Grant's character in Notting Hill, Rhys Ifans has made a career out of being mad as a hatter. With more recent films like Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part I and The Amazing Spider-Man, Ifans has used that madness to his advantage in key roles for each respective franchise. As Xenophilius Lovegood and Dr. Curt Connors, the actor injected a sort of required paternal wisdom into a character that's generally unstable and morally neutral. If there were ever a role that would seem like the culmination of all of this work and skill, it would surely be that of the father to The Mad Hatter of Alice In Wonderland. It's just a shame that it's in Through The Looking Glass, the sequel to Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.

The Wrap exclusively reported that Rhys Ifans is signed on to join fellow franchise freshman Sacha Baron Cohen, as well as returning players Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Mia Wasikowska in the role of Zanik Hightopp. Zanik's pre-required character quirk is that he "cannot hide his bright colored hair beneath a top hat." Why he cannot hide his hair will probably be another one of those life lessons that we'll learn about once Alice completes whatever quest she's going on in Through The Looking Glass, much like how her heroism helped The Mad Hatter get his groove back in Alice In Wonderland.

The original Alice In Wonderland was a relatively tame and uneven affair that bored me to death, but seeing as it made over $1 Billion dollars through magic and more than likely blackmail, Disney obviously wants a sequel. Of course, since Tim Burton has moved on to weirder, Danny Elfman scored pastures with this fall's Big Eyes, there's a chance that Through The Looking Glass might function better under another director. Fortunately, that vacancy is filled by James Bobin, who has proven himself not only with reviving a dormant franchise but also at making a much improved sequel with The Muppets franchise.

Regardless of directorial talent, I'm not sure this is really that compelling of a project to move forward with. True, not as many people know about the sequels to the original Alice In Wonderland story. That much was confirmed when the new film itself acted as a sort of sequel in and of itself to the original adventures that we all learned about as children. But do we really want to know more about this world? Just because the film crossed a billion dollars doesn't mean the world is clamoring for more. At any rate, a new director and the refreshing quirkiness of Rhys Ifans might be enough to make Through The Looking Glass a film worth watching.

Through The Looking Glass breaks loose on May 27th, 2016.

Looking at his earlier work, I admit I wouldn't have imagined Rhys Ifans going on to have the career he's having today. Picturing him as the offbeat roommate in Notting Hill or the wiry, Welsh kicker in The Replacements, I guess I expected a series of similarly goofy roles for the actor, but he's proven my expectations wrong in all the right ways in the last decade, expanding his career beyond that of a film's comedic relief or the lead's sidekick, and earning an Emmy nomination and a BAFTA award in the process. Showtime may benefit from his talents, as Ifans is set to join Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathryn Hahn in the network's comedy pilot Trending Down.

Written and executive produced by Shalom Auslander (This American Life) and developed by Ken Kwapis, Trending Down will star Hoffman as Thom Payne, a man facing his own obsolescence after his advertising agency is taken over. The pilot is described as "a blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture." Is Thom Payne the kind of guy who's unable or unwilling to keep up with the direction of advertising in this ever-changing society? With the setting in mind, I automatically think of Mad Men, but Trending Down will presumably be modern-day, not to mention a comedy.

Showtime announced this week that Ifans will play Payne's boss Jonathan Clow. No additional information was given about him beyond that, so is he a contributing factor to Payne's feelings of obsolescence? Or is he a supportive guy who sees the value in experience from Payne, even in "our youth-obsessed culture"? That remains to be seen, assuming Trending Down makes it beyond the pilot stage. Hahn is set to play Payne's wife.

As mentioned, some of Ifans earlier credits include Notting Hill and The Replacements. He went on to with the BAFTA and Emmy nomination for the TV movie Not Only but Always. More recently, he played Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Winton Childs in The Five-Year Engagement. He stepped it up to show us his darker side in the villainous role of Dr. Curt Connors and The Lizard for The Amazing Spider-Man. While he's done some television, we know him better for his feature rules, so it'll be an interesting shift for the actor if things go well for Trending Down.

The pilot is set to start shooting on the East Coast this fall. Showtime notes that Trending Down is the third pilot pick-up from the network this year. It follows The Vatican and The Affair. The premium cable network gave series commitment to Penny Dreadful earlier this year. With Dexter on the way out and Californication showing its age, it's good to see Showtime looking to build on its crop of quality original programming. With Hoffman, Hahn and now Ifans on board, Trending Down certainly has plenty going for it in terms of on screen talent.

Rhys Ifans now has dozens of titles to his name, but Notting Hill still proves to be a fan favorite. While director Marc Webb does note Notting Hill as well, it’s Ifans’ ability to present a darker side and his Shakespearian pedigree in Enduring Love that influenced him to cast Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Eager to find out why his parents disappeared when he was a child, Peter Parker’s (Andrew Garfield) search brings him to Oscorp where his father once worked alongside Dr. Curt Connors. Desperate to find a way to regrow human tissue and restore his missing arm, the threat of the termination of his research leads Connors to recklessly inject himself with his serum, successfully bringing his arm back, but also turning him into a gigantic lizard.

Rather than simply get the day off when Dr. Connors shifted into lizard mode, Ifans himself did work to influence the computer-generated performance. When Ifans wasn’t working closely with the effects team, he was spending quality time with “Kermit,” the green sock that enabled the filmmakers to remove Ifans’ arm in post-production. However, even with getting a firsthand look at what it takes to make all of this movie magic happen, seeing the final product on the big screen was the most exciting part of the process for the actor.

Hear all about that and more from Ifans himself in the interview below and be sure to catch The Amazing Spider-Man for yourself in theaters today!

Regardless of intense action or amazing digital effects, moviemaking largely comes down to story telling and that’s why Marc Webb was the man to direct The Amazing Spider-Man.

The film focuses on the origins of Spider-Man. As a young boy, Peter Parker’s (Andrew Garfield) parents up and leave without any explanation. Years later, he’s still living with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben (Sally Field and Martin Sheen) and has no idea why his parents disappeared. However, between tracking down his father’s old briefcase and getting bitten by a radioactive spider while in the lab of one of his father’s former co-workers, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), he’s closer than ever to discovering what made his parents abandon him.

Yes there are high-flying stunts and a massive lizard, but having come off of a film like (500) Days of Summer, Webb certainly knows a thing or two about making a grounded movie, and it’s a good thing because The Amazing Spider-Man came with quite a few technical challenges that forced Webb to alter his standard filmmaking process. Check out everything Webb had to say about working with 3D technology, his honest thoughts on whether we needed another Spider-Man movie or not, working with his stars and more, and be sure to catch The Amazing Spider-Man in theaters on Wednesday, July 3rd.

How do you go from (500) Days of Summer to The Amazing Spider-Man? When you were offered the job, did anyone explain the reasoning behind that to you?

Marc Webb: You’d have to ask them what crazy, silly, insane ideas they had, but for me, I was a Spider-Man fan and intrigued by that. It was certainly an intimidating prospect, but my curiosity won out ultimately. I remember thinking about it one night and I was like, the 17-year-old version of myself would kick my ass if you had this opportunity and didn’t take it. That was what launched it. And I think the most important part of Spider-Man is Peter Parker and Peter Parker is an infinitely relatable character and he has that sort of domestic quality and there’s these little moments, whether it’s between him and Gwen or him and Aunt May, that are really relatable and that’s why he’s my favorite superhero. (500) Days of Summer was based on the small moments between two people and finding dimension in that and that was the foundation for The Amazing Spider-Man as well.

Even with this clear plan in mind, when you step onto this massive set with all this action is there an intimidation factor there?

I suppose it would be easy to get lost in that, but I don’t want to do the same thing over and over again. I’m the kind of guy who likes to take creative risks. That’s just who I am and I enjoy trying to challenge myself and the idea of that was really appealing.

In terms of creating the action, I’m a fan of action movies, but action scenes are just scenes like any other scenes. The characters are maybe a little bit different at the beginning than they are at the end, it either advances the plot or it deepens your knowledge of the character and it was fun to explore that. I have to be careful about how I describe it because there was such heat for the dance sequence in the third Spider-Man movie and I don’t want to conjure things, but in a way, shooting action is kind of similar to dance. It’s about movement and capturing certain kinds of movement and I spent a lot of time in a previz environment where there was a lot of trial and error with trying to capture certain kinds of behavior, action and intensity with those characters. And it was really fun!

How did the technical differences here affect your preparation process?

I had time to prepare the technical parts of it. The 3D was tricky because the cameras are really big and it mandates a certain kind of film language. If I was going to do it in 3D, I wanted to make the 3D feel legitimate, authentic and organic to the film, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how to do that. There’s what I called the three V’s of 3D, velocity, volume and vertigo, and I wanted to use those elements and design the sequences around those things. It was a pretty methodical process.

On top of all that, you’ve still got Sam Raimi’s movies, which were not so long ago. Are those kind of like the storm cloud over your head?

Yeah, it’s tricky, but my rationale was, if you look at Harry Potter it’s a closed canon. There’s a handful of books and there’s a beginning and an end to that story. Spider-Man has been going on for 50 years and there’s so many parts of that universe that are interesting to explore and there are always new illustrators, there are always new writers and artists that are working on those comics and I just felt like, why not do that with the movie? As far as going back to the beginning, I think my Peter Parker was different and there are certain things that I felt obliged to explore that I wanted the audience to understand and follow, and I think the only way to do that was to go back to the inception of that character, which is, to me, getting left behind by your parents when you’re six or seven-years-old. It’ll have a huge impact on your life and I wanted to see that and experience that from the ground up.

Hypothetically, had you not been given this job and you just heard there was another Spider-Man movie in the works, do you know what your unbiased thoughts on that might have been?

I’ll tell you what my thought process was initially; I was like, that’s kind of strange. I went through that process, but I thought, is this something I would want to see? That’s a question I seriously asked myself and I was like, well, yeah. Of course! Why not? And I think Spider-Man is a character who belongs on screen and there’s so many parts of it whether it’s the 3D or the Gwen Stacy saga or The Lizard or Peter Parker’s parents, there’s so many parts of the story that I wanted to know about that I was curious. That was my axis point. That’s why I did it.

Another thing that really sets your movie apart from the other three is Andrew’s version of Peter. Toby Maguire was a great Spider-Man, but Andrew so clearly gives 100% of himself to the role. Is that something he achieved on his own or was there any coaching on your part?

It’s interesting because Peter Parker’s relatable. He’s like all of us. That’s the whole point of the character. Andrew goes so deep for a character who’s ostensibly like all of us, he really disappears and he sort of hypnotizes himself. He’s got an incredibly powerful acting sensibility. There was an intellectual process that goes in beforehand and there’s a lot of talking about the impact of his parents leaving and what it means to be an outsider and an outsider by choice, what that means in the context of this movie versus the comics. But then once we started shooting, he kind of disappears and goes into a place. There’s certainly conversations and coaching and discussions that went on all the way through that process, but when you’re on set and you’re in the scene, it’s about finding truth and reality, and there’s a process to his acting that goes pretty deep and that’s what I think allows him to express himself in that way.

Is he the kind of actor who can turn it on and off?

Yeah, he’s not pathological. [Laughs] But he goes into a place and it’s a really fantastic thing to watch. And it’s really great when he interacts with Emma Stone, with that Gwen Stacy character, it ceases to become acting and it becomes behavior. I think there’s a lot of actors that are trying to nail the lines, particularly with young actors, but he goes to a place where it’s about non-verbal communication. My sister-in-law’s a psychologist and one of the things they train psychologists to do is to look at non-verbal communication. People are saying things, but what they say is not really how you access who they are and Andrew understands that in a really profound way.

I can totally tell. It’s so obvious from beginning to end with him.

I feel like Daniel Day Lewis does it and a lot of comedians do it. Like Emma Stone does that, too, and all the Judd Apatow guys, because they’re sort of playing themselves a lot of times and they’re really funny, charismatic people. They disappear simply because it’s somewhat close to who they are a lot of times. Jonah Hill is a great actor in his own right and can do other things rather than just comedy, but it’s that muscle that very naturalistic comedians have, but it’s used for a different purpose. Though Andrew can be very funny.

I could see that with Emma! In certain scenes, all of a sudden she’d have a certain line or body language that reminds you that this is the actress we’ve come to know and love over the years.

Oh, yeah! She’s fantastic because she can do real very well, but also she’s a great improviser. There’s that scene in the hallway between the two of them …

I knew you were going there!

It’s great! “I was touching up stuff.” “You were touching up stuff?” Totally improvised! [Laughs] That’s what happens when you have actors that are alive in a scene and available to react to spontaneity, mistakes and attempts and that was in a movie that has an obligation to scope, bigness, action, fighting and flying through the air, to find little spontaneous moments, which I think in (500) Days of Summer we were allowed to do that too, that’s what gives it its identity. There’s a scene where she’s keeping Denis [Leary] out of her room and the first part of that was written and then the whole thing about cramps, she came up with that on the spot!

The cocoa part was written?

The cocoa part was written.

That felt so natural! I was sure that was something someone just came up with!

No, that was written I think by Steve Kloves, but it was built upon. Emma did that last thing, which I think is hilarious. I remember sitting behind the monitor just feeling like an amazing gift had just been given to all of us.

How about her relationship with Andrew in the movie?

When you’re casting actors, you can’t just throw people together. Even if they’re good actors, sometimes they don’t have a good vibe and we screen tested Andrew and Emma together and there was just some magic multiplier effect. She’s very fast and he can react really well, and she can react really well and there was something about that energy. She could make him funnier and he could encourage her in some of the darker more intense stuff. There was this chemistry. I don’t know how to describe it. It just felt right.

And how about working with Rhys? You’ve got a character who’s live action half the time and then digital for the rest, so what’s it like merging those two to make them both feel like real people?

I had been a fan of Rhys from obviously Notting Hill and stuff, but in Enduring Love I think there’s this really interesting darker side and he’s got this other Shakespearian pedigree. We screen tested him with some other materials, which may be on the DVD. He felt bold enough to do things that were theatrical, but he did it in an earnest and grounded way. In terms of creating the CG performance, we used some of his facial nuances, his voice and his behaviors to inform that character. It’s tricky. The second part of the movie, yeah, his scale is large, [laughs] very large and it’s difficult to reconcile that with a naturalistic human performance, not simply with The Lizard, but with the people that he’s interacting with.

Is he there while you’re shooting those scenes?

Yeah, he was there for a lot of that and then we would record him in the edit room next door to where we were in the lunch room and sometimes we were on a motion capture stage. There were a lot of different techniques that went into creating that performance.

Can you tell me about working with John Schwartzman? He’s shot quite a number of big productions, so did he have any creative technical insight that really helped?

He hadn’t done 3D before so we spent a few months doing the rounds, studying and trying to understand what the value and what the specifics of 3D were. We both are huge lovers of film, anamorphic film formats, but because I wanted to shoot it in stereo, film wasn’t really a legitimate option and so we tried to find the best cameras that would make that experience as fluid as possible. He did a lost of testing with Red cameras, Alexas and F35s and all the cameras and formats that were available at the time and we ultimately decided on the Reds. We had really fantastic supporting from Jim Jannard and the people at Red to make that as smooth an experience as possible and I was very pleased with that. 3D is a new world and there was a little bit of trial and error, but once we got shooting, it was actually very smooth.

What does it take to make the Red a 3D camera?

You have to put it on a rig. We used the threality rig, which is a perpendicular rig, and then you have a mirror that splits the image and shoots the image into both cameras at the same time and you just carry it around usually on a super technocrane or a handheld rig and that’s that. It’s just kind of a slightly bigger version of the normal camera.

How about the workflow? Does it slow down the process at all?

We had DITs and stereographers on the set so there was a pretty big footprint, but we just had to anticipate that.

How about your routine as a director? Working with 3D, do you need to use different preparation methods or bring different tools to set?

It really fundamentally changed the way I shot scenes, particularly in the second half of the movie. You can’t just throw on a little camera and shoot 18 cameras at a time. You have to be very specific about the shot selection, you don’t want edge violations where people are half on screen, you have to be careful about focus, you have to cut in a slower more methodical way. All that requires a level of foresight and technical preparation to make sure you don’t violate the rules of 3D

Does that ever infringe on simply telling a story?

There’s give and take with every different kind of filmmaking. I had that conversation with James Cameron very early on. I said, “Well, do you sacrifice a little bit of the resolution,” and he’s like, “You have to decide what’s gonna make the shot dynamic. Is it gonna be the resolution or is it gonna be the fact that you have depth?” Every film has its own language and this is a way to explore that language. In the crane sequence or in the final sequence, there’s moments where you feel a sense of dimension and vertigo, and sometimes you’re sacrificing other little nuances earlier on to exploit that bigger picture.

With a movie like this there’s always the idea of making more, so is another Spider-Man on your radar right now?

It’s really fun and it’s really exciting and I love the people that I work with, but it also takes a huge chunk out of your life. We’ll see. I just gotta finish the movie and then we’ll figure it out. I haven’t done anything else in the last two years so we’ll see.

Serena, the adaptation of Ron Rash's 2008 novel, has already landed an excellent pair of leads in Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, and today it roped in some amazing supporting actors as well.

Rhys Ifans, who is set to have a great year with both The Five-Year Engagement and The Amazing Spider-Man coming out in a few months, and Toby Jones have been added to the cast of the upcoming thriller, which is being directed by Susanne Bier. The story, set in 1929 North Carolina, is about a pair of newlyweds who start up their own timber business and stop at nothing to make sure that it grows. But when Serena (Lawrence) discovers that she can't have children of her own, she takes it out on her husband's illegitimate son. According to Variety, Ifans will play an Appalachian guide named Galloway who becomes Serena's protector after she saves his life. Jones, who co-stars with Lawrence in the upcoming The Hunger Games, will play the local law enforcement, Sheriff McDowell, who is keeping a close eye on Cooper's character's dealings.

The project was originally in development with Darren Aronofsky at the helm and Angelina Jolie set to star in the title role. 2929 Entertainment is producing the film with co-financing from Studiocanal. Though the trade doesn't mention when the movie will go into production, though previous reports have said "soon."

I was already on-board with this movie once I read the plot description, but the cast they are assembling is utterly fantastic. Bier has some solid titles in her resume and it will be interesting to see what she does with this one.

Superhero characters are traditionally revealed in trailers or characters posters, and occasionally in early leaked images of toys that the studios might not have total control over. But I think this is the first instance of a big reveal happening in the form of a Pez dispenser. Comic Book Movie got their hands on what appear to be real Pez dispenser designs for tie-ins to The Amazing Spider-Man, and it gives us our first look at the part-CGI character of The Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans. Spidey is there too, but after tons of set photos and official images we pretty much know what Andrew Garfield's version of the character is. Check out both Pez dispensers below:

Now, keep in mind a lot of things-- this could easily just be a mock-up made by the Pez people in hopes of approval by Sony, and as we all know, toys don't always accurately represent what the character will actually look like in the end. But at Comic Con over the summer Sony provided some early glimpses at The Lizard in some advance Amazing Spider-Man footage, and by all accounts this look at the Lizard matches up with what people saw there. No, the character doesn't look anything like Rhys Ifans, but that's never really the point.

What do you think of this first look at The Lizard? Are you hoping this is a pretty accurate representation, or do you think the Pez people got it horribly wrong? Chime in below and let us know what you think.

Rhys Ifans admits up front that he didn't expect to get the role of Edward de Vere in Anonymous. He's the gangly, goofy guy who played Spike in Notting Hill and Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter; why would anyone bring him in as the noblemen who, at least in the theoretical world Anonymous presents, secretly wrote all of Shakespeare's plays? He went in to talk to the film's director Roland Emmerich about the part and told him that the easy choice was to cast him in the goofball role of Shakespeare himself, the dim and fame-hungry actor played in the movie by Rafe Spall. But the brave choices was to make Ifans de Vere.

Emmerich made the brave choice, and the result is one of the best performances of Ifans's career, in one of Emmerich's most unusual movies. As de Vere, also called the Earl of Oxford, Ifans is a haunted nobleman who dreams of being a poet but is stuck as a lawyer and a political power broker instead. Under the guise of the callow Shakespeare, de Vere wrote plays skewering the political situation of Elizabethan England, not to mention sonnets and plays that spoke of his furtive love for the Queen herself (played at different ages by Joely Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave). Ifans owns the role with his massive height and sad eyes; even if you don't believe that Oxford was the secret author of Shakespeare, you believe in this charter.

As it turns out, Ifans doesn't even necessarily believe Oxford was the real author, but as he told me in our conversation at the Toronto Film Festival, it doesn't really matter. You can read our interview below, in which he talks about the Oxfordian theory, the leap it was for him to play a heroic figure, and how with The Amazing Spider-Man coming up next summer, he still feels kind of amazed that anyone ever actually sees his movies. Anonymous opens this Friday.

Do you have to believe in the Oxfordian theory to play this character?

No. I don't necessarily believe it was the Earl of Oxford who was the author of those works, but I am convinced it wasn't William Shakespeare. And I think that's important about the film is that it presents a very valid debate. Any great body of work, and this is without question the greatest body of work in the last 500-600 years that we're presented with in the Western world, has to be placed and set in a historical context. And that's what the film does. And if that creates a debate among academics and students, then I think that's healthy.

Are there outraged literary scholars angry at you guys?

Not yet, but I'm waiting for them, and I think it's very exciting. And I do genuinely think it's important. My feeling is that these works are an amalgamation of many writers, in the same case as you look at any screenplay and it is never just one person. It's a collaboration. All that's important to me-- nothing can disguise the fact that this is absolutely great writing. Life-changing stories and poetry and language, and that's there. The body of work is there. It will never go away.

You were saying that you told Roland Emmerich it was brave of him to cast you in the lead. Why was it a risk?

I think the natural, lazy choice for a director would be to cast me as William Shakespeare, as Rafe Spall.

Because he's a goofball in this?

Yeah. That would be a walk in the park for me. And Roland was brave enough, or foolish enough- and he said to me, which part would you like? I said, "The part I'd probably be offered is that of WIlliam Shakespeare, but the part if you were brave and courageous would be the Earl of Oxford." And that's what happened.

Is taking a lead role like this a career direction hanger , or just a new challenge?

I never think career. You guys think career. I'm just a dancing girl. But I'm very proud of this film and my performance in it. It's what I've wanted to do for years. Spike [his character in Notting Hill] was a landmark for me, but it's been a set of wings and a ball and chain as well. I think this goes some way to present me as something other than the scantily clad buffoon.

You've got this, and you're on the poster and it's a big fall release, but Spider-Man is also looming. Those feel like two hugely different career directions. Does it feel like a good overall change?

I never think like that.

But you do recognize that a change is happening?

Absolutely. I'm always flabbergasted and overwhelmed by the audience a film reaches. I always look at a film like the cast and crew, and a good time was had. And then it comes out, and it's like "Fuck, man, all these people are going to watch this."

You were in Elizabeth: The Golden Age as well, and the Shakespearean period looms so large in movies. Why do you we keep returning to it?

It's a period in history where Western thought came into fruition. It was in a place of great flux. The world was changing in the same way as now. If you had to find a period in history that would equate to what the Internet has presented us with now, it would be Elizabethan England. It was a world in flux. That's why it's powerful.

Do we have the power now to recreate something like that?

We're in it, we're participants in it. We're in an age of enlightenment, and we have a choice as a society which path to take. That was exactly what was happening in Elizabethan England. That's why it's attractive to us.

Roland Emmerich’s next film, Anonymous has been slated for a release next Friday for quite some time. And now that the release is upon us, despite months and millions spent on trailer marketing, Sony has decided not to give the film the wide release we we’ve all been expecting.

Deadline has it that the film, which stars Rhys Ifans and Vanessa Redgrave, will be released in a paltry 250 theaters, less than a tenth as many theaters as average first run films see. The decision comes from Sony execs who believe that the film may not see success in its opening weekend which would curse what early reviewers as well as the Sony execs are calling a great film. Instead, this smaller opening will allow people to see and love the film, then follow it up with strong reviews and word of mouth. Actually, this doesn’t sound like too bad an idea, as word of mouth is always the best form of marketing.

No specific reasoning is given as to why they feel like the film may flop if it opened wide, but we can speculate. One reason is almost certainly the controversy behind it all. Anonymous purports that William Shakespeare was not the author of his many works, instead they were penned by the nobleman Earl of Oxford. Whether this is true or not will likely forever be a mystery, but for some this would be like insisting that it wasn’t Jesus who was crucified. Shakespeare’s works are sacred to many, and this could deter viewers.

Another theory is that Roland Emmerich’s name alone would turn people away. His last film, 2012 made metric shit-tons of money, but was a critical failure on a pandemic scale and people could simply see his name and feel like they’re in for another two hours of schlock. The trailer will prove that this isn’t the case, but upon hearing groans from an otherwise interested crowd when the name “M. Night Shyamalan” appeared during the trailer for Devil, it stands to reason that a recognizably bad name can make all the difference.

Anonymous will almost definitely see a wide release in the coming months leading up to the holiday season, but for now we’ll have to wait until Sony feels like it’s generated enough buzz with the smaller opening. Keep your eyes open for screenings near you starting next Friday.

When I talked to Rhys Ifans yesterday about his impressive star turn in the new drama Anonymous, I swear I wasn't going to bring up Spider-Man. Yes, the British actor is playing the villainous Lizard in next year's The Amazing Spider-Man, and yes, no matter how well Anonymous does, it's likely to be seen by but a fraction of the global audience who turns out for Spidey. I know it's what the people want to hear about, but you have to try and stay on topic when talking to someone who is both currently promoting a different movie and can't talk much about his heavily secret superhero movie anyway.

But then we got to talking about the costumes in Anonymous, how the 16th century cloaks and swords he wears as the Earl of Oxford-- a man who many believe was the true author of Shakespeare's plays-- helped him define the character. It seemed a perfect moment to ask about the CGI motion-capture suit he wore for some scenes as The Lizard, when Dr. Curt Connors transforms into the nine-foot high beast. And to my surprise, Ifans was actually glad to talk about the experience of wearing the suit, of insisting on standing in for the CGI Lizard on set, and how his own facial expressions will translate into the character. Take a look below.

I love the mental image of Ifans on the set of this $200 million production, wearing cardboard on his head and a skintight green suit. Of course that's not what we'll see on the screen, but when the astonishing CGI Lizard arrives onscreen in The Amazing Spider-Man next summer, I hope the silly side of it pops into your head just a little.

I'll have much more from my great interview with Ifans when Anonymous gets closer to its October 28 release. In the meantime, you can catch up on everything else I've been up to at the Toronto Film Festival here.

Of all the amazing-looking films premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September, I'm perhaps the most perversely curious about Anonymous, the Elizabethan drama from none other than Roland Emmerich, master of apocalyptic mayhem in movies like Independence Day and 2012. Not only is it set in the hoity-toity Elizabethan era, but it's actually about Shakespeare, or rather, the anonymous playwright who actually wrote Shakespeare's most famous works. Between the whiplash-inducing contrast of Emmerich making a historical drama and the bizarre use of Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place" in the first trailer, Anonymous looks entirely unpredictable, and that's what I like about it.

The mystery keeps deepening in another new, presumably international trailer that popped up online today. The Radiohead is back, along with a lot of shouting about the power of words and the imperious presence of Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Elizabeth I. Take a look below.

The one thing that's a little maddening about these trailers is that they don't make it all that clear who the players are-- who is the author writing Shakespeare's words instead of him? Why are there cannons being fired? How exactly is Elizabeth involved? The trailer does a good job conveying atmosphere, though, and the sense that this is an Elizabethan drama cranked up to a new level. What can I say, I'm still intrigued, and maybe still hoping a world-ending tidal wave might come into play. Anonymous will premiere at the festival in Toronto before opening worldwide on September 30, so expect to be hearing much more about it very soon.

Rhys Ifans will likely take a big step up from "recognizable character actor" to "worldwide star" next summer, when The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters and Ifans becomes known to the world as Spidey's latest foe, The Lizard. Given that villains don't tend to stick around superhero franchises for the next installment, this will probably be Ifans's first and last outing in the series, but he might be going for backup by jumping on board another franchise in the meantime. The Telegraph, yet another British newspaper that specializes in Bond 23 rumors, writes that Ifans will appear in the film, though they don't have any details beyond that.

The fact that Ifans is mentioned alongside Javier Bardem as a new cast member suggests he might be replacing Ralph Fiennes, who has been rumored for a role for months. Of course, the Telegraph doesn't get into that possibility, instead focusing on the fact that Ifans and Craig starred together in 2004's Enduring Love, an adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel in which Ifans played Craig's stalker. Actually, they've got a pretty good quote from Ifans to go along with it, so, alright, fine, let's play along:

Another kiss in Bond 23 seems unlikely, but then again, you never know that those Bond villains will come up to throw the super spy off his game. So far as we know filming is still set to start this fall in time to make the release date of November 9, 2012, so as fall gets closer we may finally find sweet relief from this endless barrage of casting rumors. So far every single one of the names that have surfaced are pretty agreeable, including Naomie Harris as a potential Moneypenny, so it's not even like we can get all worked up about the rumors while waiting for confirmation. Clearly director Sam Mendes is eyeing a pretty reputable pool of candidates, so it's time for him to just pick a few and let us get excited about who he's actually chosen.

Set to start up production later this month, Nicholas Stoller's Five-Year Engagement already has a great core of actors signed on including the always likable Jason Segel, Emily Blunt and Alison Brie. Now the production is adding both Anna Farris' husband and The Lizard. Variety reports that Chris Pratt has signed on and Rhys Ifans is currently in talks for a part in the upcoming comedy. The plot centers on Segel and Blunt who play a couple who experience ups and downs over the course of their relationship. The roles to be played by Pratt and Ifans are unspecified.

I must admit that I was kind of confused when I heard that Ifans would be playing the villain in The Amazing Spider-Man as I have always seen him as a comedian first-and-foremost, so it's great to see him return to his natural genre (that's not to say that I don't have high hopes for him in the Marc Webb Spidey movie). This definitely sounds like it will be one to look forward to.

It's a bit presumptuous to say when we're only five days in, but 2011 may end up being a really great year for movies. Browsing through our 2011 preview, there's an endless number of titles with high potential to keep us entertained for the next twelve months. Today we are lucky enough to have images and first looks from three of those titles.

Sony has sent over official stills from three of their upcoming films, including Ruben Fleischer's 30 Minutes or Less, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride; Jake Kasdan's Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake and Jason Segel; and Roland Emmerich's Anonymous, starring Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave. You can check out all three images below. Click on the image to see it full size and then hit the link underneath each one to read all about the movies in our Blend Film Database.

For more info on 30 Minutes or Less, click here

For more info on Bad Teacher, click here

For more info on Anonymous, click here

Just an hour ago, we learned that Martin Sheen will be the man to play one of the most influential people in Spider-Man's life - Uncle Ben Parker. But while Ben makes an impact on his young nephew both by dying and teaching him that with great power comes great responsibility, one could argue that Peter's Aunt May plays an even bigger role. She's his mother figure and he only acts after weighing how his actions will affect her life. Now Sony may have found that piece of the puzzle as well.

THR reports that Sally Field is now in talks to play Peter Parker's Aunt and caregiver in Sony's Spider-Man reboot. May is, of course, Ben's wife and considering she is only four years younger than Sheen and has experience playing loving, mother figures (like in Forrest Gump), this casting is, again, a slam dunk. The film also stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans and is directed by Marc Webb.

I'm still waiting for Sony to screw up something in the casting, but it has yet to happen. Every actor chosen thus far has been great and I personally can't wait to see what they can do with the roles. If I have to make one complaint, it would be that I've never seen Field play a weak or a frail character, which May typically is, and she is significantly younger than her Sam Raimi counterpart, Rosemary Harris (we're talking 21 years here). Regardless, I'm sure they have Sony and Webb have something up their sleeve that can explain it, and even if it's just immense acting talent, that's more than fine.

The role of Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man series is both important and unimportant. On the one hand, Ben is the man who teaches young Peter Parker that with great power comes great responsibility and has been the central father figure in the series. On the other hand, the most significant thing that happens to character is that he dies, the event that turns Peter Parker into the crimefighter we know and love. Because of this, the casting of Cliff Robertson in Sam Raimi's films made sense - he wasn't an A-list actor whose talents were wasted, but had more than enough gravitas for the role. With that in mind, the choice for the new Ben Parker is quite strange.

THR reports that Martin Sheen of Apocalypse Now and The West Wing fame, is currently in negotiations with Sony to star in the rebooted Spider-Man franchise as Uncle Ben. The cast already includes Andrew Garfield in the title role, Emma Stone as the beautiful blonde Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as the main villain (rumored to be The Lizard). The film is being directed by Marc Webb and is scheduled to commence shooting next month.

Martin Sheen is most certainly an excellent actor and could play the role of Ben in his sleep, but it does beg the question whether his talents are being appropriately used. His character isn't guaranteed more than ten minutes of screen time unless there are multiple flashback sequences. With that in mind, it's hard to ignore how stellar a cast they are building for this film. I'm still not entirely convinced that Sony needed to restart the whole thing, but it looks like they're doing it right.

Outrage surrounding the useless Spider-Man reboot seems to have subsided after what might have been the most enraging announcement of the year. While many still feel like starting a new Spider-Man franchise is wasteful, the cast is shaping up in a way that’s impossible to scoff at.

The cast is already comprised of some great talent starting with the up and coming Andrew Garfield, who you can catch currently in The Social Network and Never Let Me Go; Rhys Ifans as The Lizard, who you’ll be able to see in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, who you can see in Easy A and well...everything.

Along with looking for their Mary-Jane, Sony is now looking to fill the role of a few kids, specifically young Peter Parker and Billy Connors, son of The Lizard. Moviehole made the announcement early this morning. The nature of the roles isn’t fully described, but we do know that Billy Connors, in the comics at least is a cancer survivor that The Lizard goes after in order to hurt his alter ego Dr. Curt Conners.

We’ll keep you informed as more important roles get filled like Mary-Jane, Peter’s aunt and uncle, and any other characters who may allude to future villains as I’m sure Sony is looking for another franchise here. Chances are that since the studio was so anxious to cram Venom into Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 that we’ll soon here about casting for Eddie Brock. Just a hunch.

Any Spidey fans out there have predictions for what we might see in this?

On Monday, the news came down that Welsh actor Rhys Ifans would play the new villain in Sony's Spider-Man reboot, directed by Marc Webb and co-starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. What we didn't know, however, was who he was going to play. Was he to be The Vulture? The new Green Goblin? Carnage? We had no idea - until now.

The Wrap is reporting that The Lizard, also known as Professor Curt Connors, will be the main baddie in the new webslinger film. This will be the first time the character has been portrayed on screen, though Dylan Baker played Connors in the Sam Raimi films. In the comics, Connors is one of Peter Parker's professors, who during an experiment, mutates himself into a giant, alligator-looking monster who roams the sewers of New York City. Just as Webb described in Monday's press release, he is a character very close to Peter Parker, making their final conflict quite complicated.

While I love the fact that the reboot will introduce a villain not seen in Raimi's films, it's hard not to feel sorry for Baker. He spent two movies building up the character, keeping his arm tucked away in his shirt only to get replaced. Then again, nobody said show business was easy.

We still don't know which character will be the central villain of the new Spider-Man movie will be, but now we know who will play him. Sony announced today that they've cast Rhys Ifans, the British actor known for his breakout role in Notting Hill as the slacker roommate, as well as for performances in Pirate Radio and this year's Greenberg.

According to the press release it was actually Ifans' performance in the upcoming Sony film Anonymous, directed by Roland Emmerich of all people, that got him the job:

And while they're not going to tell us who the villain will be, director Marc Webb had some vague things to say about how the villain's relationship to Spider-Man himself is the key to the character:

There's been rampant speculation for months now about which character from the Spider-Man rogue's gallery might be the central focus here; one of the last, craziest rumors had Phillip Seymour Hoffman possibly playing Venom, the black-suited baddie embodied by Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3. Ifans is certainly a versatile enough actor to tackle pretty much any character, though it is worth wondering if they cast him for the British accent, or maybe the comedic chops? We still don't real know what kind of tone Marc Webb might be establishing with the film, and it wouldn't surprise me if they wanted to let the villain be a little funny-- it's why we all loved Alfred Molina as Doc Oc, don't you think?

I'd expect Ifans' role to be confirmed sooner or later, but feel free to speculate in the comments below in the meantime.