The Lord of the Rings is one of the biggest film franchises ever, not only in terms of its success, but also in terms of its scope. It was necessary to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s incredible world to life. Even 25 years after the first film in the franchise was released, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings still has people talking.

Every frame of the trilogy is its own work of art, but Viggo Mortensen has no question what his favorite scene in the film is. In a recent conversation with Empire, Mortenson and Sean Bean discussed the death of Boromir. One of the most memorable scenes in the entire trilogy. Mortensen explained that the character’s death was actually looking to be quite complex until Sean Bean made it simple. He explained:

I’ll admit it’s been a while since I’ve watched The Lord of the Rings, but I’ve always loved that scene too. Earlier in the film, it looks like Boromir could even become a villain, but in the end, he does exactly what his job in the fellowship is. He protects the One Ring.

That said, I certainly didn’t recall that you never actually see an arrow fly into Boromir when he’s killed. And yet, looking back at the scene, that’s exactly what you get. However, due to a solid performance by Bean and well-edited shots, you can still feel those hits.

For an actor who is known for dying in movies, Boromir is perhaps Sean Bean’s greatest death scene. Bean called it his favorite on-screen death. Not just for the fantastic way that Bean performs the killing shots, but for the scene after, where Aragorn and Boromir share a moment as he dies. Viggo Mortensen says it's his favorite part of the entire trilogy...

Boromir has had a lasting impact on The Lord of the Rings films, which is striking considering how little he’s actually in them. It’s probably because of this scene that the character still means so much in the films.

It’s been eight years since decorated actor Daniel Day-Lewis retired from acting, but now he’s returning for a project he wrote with his son. Anemone — a psychological drama hitting the 2025 movie calendar on October 3 — is the directorial debut of Ronan Day-Lewis, who co-wrote the movie with his father. Critics have screened the film ahead of its release, and while their opinions vary, most agree on the talents of its stars and the potential of its director.

Anemone’s trailer promises a tense atmosphere, as Daniel Day-Lewis plays Ray Stoker, a shut-in whose visit from his brother Jem (Sean Bean) dives into complicated family dynamics. In CinemaBlend’s review of Anemone, Eric Eisenberg says Day-Lewis hasn’t lost an ounce of his dramatic skill and gravitas during his hiatus. The actor and his co-stars give phenomenal performances, Eisenberg says, rating it 4 out of 5 stars and writing:

Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm rates it 6.5 out of 10, saying Daniel Day-Lewis gives an “acting showcase for the ages” in a movie full of powerhouse performances. In the end, though, we may remember Anemone as the promising first step in Ronan Day-Lewis’ great career to come. Mathai continues:

Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire calls Anemone “a miserable movie top to toe,” with an ending that doesn’t quite come together, but between Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance and the promise shown in his son’s talents, you can forgive some missteps. Lattanzio gave the movie a B, writing:

Owen Gleiberman of Variety is less impressed with the project overall, though he does note flashes of talent in Ronan Day-Lewis. In the end, he says Anemone just sits there, and Daniel Day-Lewis’ return to acting means a lot less than it should. Gleiberman continues:

Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com rates Anemone just 1.5 out of 4 stars, saying that while Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean are “practically incapable” of delivering a poor performance, Ronan Day-Lewis’ first attempt at the helm leaves much to be desired. The critic says:

Critics overall feel mixed about this one. From more than 40 opinions shared on Rotten Tomatoes, Anemone has garnered 56%. If Daniel Day-Lewis’ first movie in eight years has you intrigued, be sure to catch it when it hits the big screen on Friday, October 3. After that, we’ll have to see if Daniel Day-Lewis sticks around for more or goes back to retirement.

Daniel Day-Lewis is widely and appropriately recognized as one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen. While never one to be described as prolific, being very super selective in choosing parts, he spent decades as one of the film industry's most reliably brilliant stars, and he was nominated for six Academy Awards between 1990 and 2018 (winning three of them). His absence from the movie world since his retirement eight years ago has been felt, his last performance having been in Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread – but at long last he is back, and fans everywhere can now preview his upcoming 2025 movie Anemone via the feature's first trailer.

It was back in October of last year that we learned that Daniel Day-Lewis was making a new movie, and it wasn't wholly surprising to learn that his comeback project was very personal. He co-wrote the screenplay for Anemone with his son Ronan Day-Lewis (who is also directing), and the work is an exploration of family with a focus on a pair of adult brothers.

Set in Northern England, the story follows a man (Sean Bean) who ventures into the woods with the intent of reconnecting with his estranged brother, who lives in the wilderness as a hermit (Daniel Day-Lewis). As they reconnect, they try to heal wounds caused by a life-changing event that happened decades earlier. The cast also incudes Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley.

While Daniel Day-Lewis' work in the movie industry goes back to 1971 when he had an uncredited role in the John Schlesinger-directed drama Sunday Bloody Sunday (his first credited part in a theatrical film was 1982's Oscar-winning Gandhi), Anemone will mark only the second time that he has been credited with a behind-the-scenes role after producing the original score for 2005's The Ballad of Jack and Rose. This screenwriting credit is his first.

For Ronan Day-Lewis, Anemone is his debut as a feature writer and director, though he previously directed a short film titled The Sheep And The Wolf in 2018, and he directed the music video for the song "Snow And Sun" by the band Sargasso in 2019.

The movie is already set for distribution from Focus Features, and it will be arriving in theaters on October 10, but Anemone will first start to build hype on the festival circuit. A specific premiere date has not yet been announced, but the film will be making its world premiere at the New York Film Festival, which is set to be held between September 26 and October 13. After that (assuming the word of mouth is strong enough), we can probably expect the title that is repeated a lot throughout awards season.

It's fascinating to consider that one actor holds the record for doing a certain thing on screen more than any other, such as dying. In fact, a list ranking actors with the most onscreen deaths in movies and TV shows was released recently, and the first actor to come my mind when I learned about this was probably the same person you first pictured: Sean Bean.

Indeed, the English actor and subject of countless memes referencing his many ill-fated roles is mentioned on the list, but he is not ranked nearly as high as I (and likely you) would have assumed. So, just where does Sean Bean fall on this list of actors with the most onscreen deaths, and who has the honor of being Number One? Let’s find out.

Sean Bean Is The 25th Most Killed Actor

Sean Bean has been acting for more than 40 years, and during that time, has played many memorable roles that do not make it to the end of the story. Most notably (according to a fun little guide to the actor’s onscreen deaths I found on Reddit), his Bond villain from GoldenEye, Alec Trevelyan, is crushed by a falling satellite; his Lord of the Rings movie character Boromir is shot by arrows in The Fellowship of the Ring; and he only lasted one season on the Game of Thrones cast as Eddard Stark before he was beheaded.

With these and plenty more examples, you might be shocked to discover that, on the official list of actors with the most onscreen deaths from GameZinger (via The Mirror), Bean sits at #25 with 25 deaths in films and 13 in TV shows, totaling to just 38, which makes him tied with Willem Dafoe and Bruce Willis. Well, I would say that is certainly a fictional death streak to be proud of, which only makes me wonder who could possibly be sitting 24 rungs above the ladder and with how many deaths total.

Number One Is A Prolific Voice Actor

With 111 total onscreen deaths, including 69 cinematic demises and 42 on the small screen, the actor holding the record at Number One is Frank Welker. If you do not recognize the name, you will surely recognize his voice, as he is known for playing countless iconic animated characters, including Scooby-Doo. However, Mystery Inc.’s great dane is not among his deceased characters, which include his multiple roles in the Transformers franchise, including Megatron.

Beneath him in second place with 92 deaths is Danny Trejo, which makes sense when you consider he has more than 400 acting credits, including the ‘90s action movie classic Heat and a couple of the best episodes of Breaking Bad (both of which see him die in memorable ways). The list also includes fellow Lord of the Rings star Christopher Lee, Eric Roberts of The Dark Knight fame, and Ron Perlman, and the leading female on the list is another prolific voice actor named Tara Strong, who has voiced quite a few DC characters who have met a bitter end.

You want to hear another surprising pop culture statistic? According to the Netflix docuseries History of Swear Words, the actor who holds the record for dropping the most F-bombs onscreen is… not Samuel L. Jackson, but Jonah Hill with 376 utterances to date. I guess the lesson here should be to never assume that what you expect will always be the correct answer.

If you’ve spent any time on the internet, you know the ongoing joke: Sean Bean dies... a lot. From getting beheaded in Game of Thrones to catching arrows as Boromir in The Fellowship of the Ring (which Bean says is his favorite demise), to facing explosions or betrayal in countless other roles, he has practically built a résumé featuring some of the most memorable cinematic deaths. Now, as he promotes his upcoming 2025 TV series, the actor is sharing his thoughts—and yes, he’s aware of the hilarious memes surrounding his many deaths.

In a recent interview with Radio Times while promoting his gritty new BBC crime drama This City Is Ours, the Black Death actor opened up about his infamous onscreen death toll, and his reaction is both refreshingly self-aware and surprisingly zen. He shared:

Classic Bean—delivering truth with a wink. It really makes sense. Whether he's dying as a hero (The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones), a villain (GoldenEye), or tragically (The Island, The Field, Patriot Games, and Equilibrium... should I continue?), the actor's onscreen deaths have become iconic. However, they have also overshadowed his exceptional ability to portray characters with real depth—often those that call for a memorable exit.

It turns out Bean never set out to be the guy who dies in every movie; it just kind of happened. When you’re constantly cast as intense, morally gray, or straight-up doomed characters, it comes with the territory. And while it might’ve once not given him pause, in recent years, reportedly, he’s begun to turn down roles where he dies—just to mix things up. And who can blame him? At this point, audiences start counting down the moments the second he walks onscreen.

Still, there’s something endearing about the fact that the South Yorkshire native, despite all the viral jokes and cinematic send-offs, has kept his sense of humor—and more importantly, his love for complex characters—fully intact.

Set in the heart of Liverpool, This City Is Ours is a gripping crime drama that showcases the best of British TV. The show revolves around Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), a guy caught up in a dangerous drug-smuggling operation while trying to create a better life with the woman he loves, Diana (Hannah Onslow). Sean Bean plays Ronnie Phelan, Michael’s mentor and the brutal gang leader pulling the strings, all while getting his son Jamie (Jack McMullen) ready to take over the family business.

Will Sean Bean make it through in one piece in this new show from the BBC? Guess we’ll have to wait and find out! If you’re curious about how to watch the show, you can stream all the episodes online on BBC iPlayer. The whole eight-episode series dropped as a box set on March 23.

Some of the most famous memes on the internet come from some of the oddest places. Often you may recognize the star, or the movie or TV show, the memes come from, but the original context is completely lost on you. With this list we are going to help explain what the original context was for these famous memes.

John Travolta In Pulp Fiction

This is one of the more obvious ones. The meme is John Travolta looking around confused. It comes, of course, from Pulp Fiction, when he walks into the Wallace's house to pick up Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) for their date. When he first walks in, Mia is nowhere to be seen, but she can be heard over what seems like an intercom system or sound system. He is confused about where Mia is.

Charlie Day In It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

The "Pepe Silvia Conspriracy is what gives us the great meme of Charlie Day on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia standing wide-eyed in front of a bulletin board with a red string drawn across "evidence" that he's co-worker Pepe Silvia isn't real. it comes from the Season 4 episode, "Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack."

Nicolas Cage In Vampire's Kiss

There is no better actor from which to get great memes than Nicolas Cage, especially in those scenes where Cage goes completely bananas. In Vampire's Kiss, we get such a scene when Cage is just starting to lose it after he hooks up with a vampire who bites his neck.

Gene Wilder In Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

The "tell me more" meme, known officially as "Condescending Wonka" features Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka comes from a scene when Wonka isn't being condescending at all. He's just excited to show the kids the Ever-Lasting Gobstopper.

Patrick Stewart In Star Trek: The Next Generation

There is no question that the Patrick Stewart/Jean-Luc Picard facepalm from Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of the most widely used memes in the history of the entire internet. Curious, it comes from a very brief moment on the show. It's seriously like half a second when he does it. it comes from the Season 3 episode titled "Deja Q" and unsurprisingly, he's stunned by Q.

Leonardo DiCaprio In The Great Gatsby

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the actors people most love to use in a meme and one of his most famous is from the first party scene in The Great Gatsby as he's finally introducing himself as the great Gatsby. Of course, it's matched with great fanfare in the movie, which is sadly missing from the meme (obviously).

Steve Carell In The Office

Steve Carell has had some classic memes made from his expressions on The Office but none more used than the classic shot of him yelling "NO!" It will be no surprise to fans of that Carell's character Micheal is reacting to the return of his nemesis in the office, Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein).

Sean Bean In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

At the Council of Elrond in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Sean Bean's character Boromir declares that "One does not simply walk into Mordor." So a meme was born as the look on Bean's face is perfect for describing anything that isn't easy.

Homer In The Simpsons

The scene of Homer Simpson disappearing into the bushes, used for all kinds of memes to show embarrassment, is, incredibly, over 30 years now. The scene comes from a Season 5 episode called "Homer Loves Flanders." The scene is specifically parodying the Terminator in Terminator 2 and his shape-shifting as Homer chases after Flanders.

Spider-Man In Spider-Man

The famous Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man meme comes from way back in the 1960s and the Spider-Man cartoon that aired for one season in 1967. In the episode, the villain disguises himself as Spider-Man and they confront each other outside the police station.

Robert Redford In Jeremiah Johnson

Jeremiah Johnson is not one of Robert Redford's most remembered movies. In fact, there is a decent chance it would be forgotten completely if not for the famous meme of Redford with his bushy beard looking back over his shoulder seemingly approving something, as the meme makes it out to be. In the movie, he's nodding approval after having trapped a beaver.

Joaquin Phoenix In The Joker

One of the most recent memes to really take off is the scene from The Joker of Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character dances on some stairs as he embraces the villain he has become. The stairs themselves have become a popular tourist spot and famous filming location in The Bronx.

Ice Cube In Friday

It's a statement that has come to mean so much more than the fleeting scene it was originally in Friday. Felicia is the annoying neighbor who is always looking to get over on someone but isn't very good at it. After begging the main characters for a whole bunch of stuff, finally, Craig (Ice Cube) says curtly, "Bye Felicia" and a meme was born,

Willem Dafoe In Spider-Man 3

Willem Dafoe In Spider-Man 3 is really great, especially as Norman Osborn, the alter-ego of The Green Goblin. Famously he tells Peter that he is "something of a scientist himself" and that moment is one that has lived on as one of the most popular memes on the web, used to tell people that "someone is quite the something."

Keanu Reeves In Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Long before the internet was part of everyday life, people were celebrating Keanu Reeves for his famous "Whoa!" in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. In the years since, that celebration has only grown and now it's one of the most widely circulated memes in the world, usually used to signify the same thing it is in the movie, pure surprise. In the scene, it's when they discover all both Bills and Teds are thinking of the same number.

Laurence Fishburne In The Matrix

What if I told you that the line "What if I told you" doesn't actually appear in The Matrix? Would that blow your mind? The reason most people think it does is because of the famous meme of Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus. Morpheus is explaining what the matrix is in the scene, but he never says those words.

James Van Der Beek On Dawson's Creek

The famous "Dawson" crying meme comes from a moment on Dawsom's Creek so brief if you blink at the wrong time, you'll miss it. It comes from a scene in the Season 3 finale when Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) break up. the meme has had a far longer impact on popular culture than the show, it turns out.

Tim Robinson On I Think You Should Leave

Tim Robinson's saying "You sure about that" has quickly become one of the most used memes around, especially on YouTube. It comes from a Season 2 episode of one of the best Netflix original shows, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson where Robinson is playing a stereotypical pitchman on an infomercial.

Jeff Goldblum In Jurassic Park

Ah yes, we've finally come to the "Jeff Goldblum shirtless in Jurassic Park" meme. The scene is after Goldblum's character Dr. Ian Malcolm is injured in the T-Rex attack and he is resting and trying to recover while criticizing what's happening around him.

Woody And Buzz In Toy Story 2

The famous meme of Woody And Buzz from Toy Story 2 has been used for every kind of meme imaginable when trying to explain something to someone. In the movie, it doesn't really have anything to do with that. The scene is when Woody has lost his hat right before leaving with Andy for summer camp and they are desperately looking for it as Buzz seems unconcerned about it all.

Wayne Knight In Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park really is a meme-able movie and one of the most famous ones is Wayne Knight of Seinfeld fame laughing and pointing away from another character. In the scene, he is mocking Dobson (the man in the shades and the hat) for thinking anyone in the beach bar cares what they are doing there. In Meme form, it's used to mock anyone, really.

Bruno Ganz In Downfall

Bruno Ganz in the amazing movie Downfall is a different kind of meme as people rewrite the subtitles of the epic scene in the German movie to fit whatever they are angry about, from sports to casting decisions in the MCU. In the movie, of course, Ganz plays the evil man with a tiny mustache as he is freaking out towards the end of World War II and it's clear he and the Germans have lost.

Ray Liotta In GoodFellas

This famous meme comes from a very famous scene in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. In the scene, Ray Liotta's character Henry Hill is reacting to a funny story told by Tommy (Joe Pesci). It's used for just about everything as a meme, but in the movie, Tommy is very angry at Henry for not explaining how Tommy's funny. Funny how? Funny like a clown? The meme is, that's for sure.

Leonardo DiCaprio In Django Unchained

The very famous meme of Leonardo DiCaprio laughing in Django Unchained is from a shot so brief it's amazing anyone picked up on it to even make it a meme. It's obviously from the dinner party and DiCaprio's character is laughing at his own joke, which makes the meme even better.

Jordan Peele In Key And Peele

Jordan Peele has become better known for his direction of amazing horror movies these days than as half of the brilliant comedy duo Key And Peele, but his most famous comes from the latter. In the sketch, his wife is asking him about his browser history, and the crazier and crazier the searches get the more he starts to sweat until it's pouring like a faucet out of his head.

Wagner Moura In Narcos

"Sad Pablo" has become very popular since Wagner Moura's amazing performance as Pablo Escobar in Narcos. The various memes on him looking sad or contemplative are taken from many moments on the show, but very rarely from when he is actually sad, Mostly they are fleeting moments of the drug kingpin thinking about his next move.

Christine Taylor In A Very Brady Sequel

"Sure Jan" is a pure classic. Obviously, it's Marsha Brady and she is indeed talking down to her sister Jan in the scene in A Very Brady Sequel, which is a pretty underrated comedy based on the original show from the 1960s. In the scene, Jan is making up a story about her imaginary boyfriend, George Glass and while everyone else in the family believes her, Marsha certainly does not.

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Carl Weathers In Predator

In the meme, all we get is two very muscular arms gripping hands in a very masculine handshake. One arm belongs to Arnold Schwarzenegger and the other to Carl Weathers. It comes from a scene in the first Predator movie. When the two characters, who are old friends, first see each other before the mission to seek and destroy the titular enemy.

It’s a Trap! In Return Of The Jedi

This is probably the most famous meme of them all, or at least the one that most people are going to know where it comes from. The origin story here of Admiral Akbar in Return Of The Jedi after the fleet has jumped in the battle above Endor. His famous line is, of course, "It's a trap!"

Bill Skarsgård In It

In what has to be the creepiest popular meme around, Pennywise, as played by Bill Skarsgård in It, is looking up out of a storm drain. It occurs after one of the kids chases his paper boat as it floats down the gutter and into the sewer.

Leonardo DiCaprio In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Proving that everyone loves a great Leonardo DiCaprio meme, one of the more popular ones lately is of the actor from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood as he points at the TV because he's about to be on. Not seen in the photo is Brad Pitt, who is also in the scene watching with DiCaprio.

Nicolas Cage In Wicker Man

"NOT THE BEES!" is one of Nicolas Cage's most unhinged lines from a totally unhinged movie, The Wicker Man. It's a movie that seemingly only exists for the memes. There are a lot of options in the movie, that's for sure.

There are a lot of TV shows right now, whether they're already out or part of the 2024 TV premiere schedule. A lot of the excellent television series tend to lean more towards an adult audience. Usually, that means intimate scenes are involved in some way -- and that means an intimacy coordinator is used.

But intimacy coordinators aren’t only for television shows. They’re for films as well, and what really makes intimate scenes in movies and TV shows great nowadays is because of them. But what exactly is an intimacy coordinator? And how did they even start popping up? Here's everything we know about the profession.  

How Did Intimacy Coordinators Come To Be? 

The first question I'm sure you have is this: How did intimacy coordinators start and what are they? Well, the answer is actually pretty simple — intimacy coordinators guide, assist, and help actors in performing intimate scenes in movies and TV shows, and it really took off during the #MeToo Movement. 

While it was a huge time in Hollywood, for those who don't remember, it was when many women came forward to expose how Hollywood executives had mistreated them due to sexual harassment. Of course, the movement spread further than the small and big screens to industries outside of entertainment, but there's no denying the impact Hollywood had, thanks to big names coming forward with their stories of sexual abuse. 

Eventually, TV networks really began to start making changes. According to Rolling Stone, in October 2018, HBO was really one of the first networks to begin the process and began adding "intimacy coordinators" to help with every explicit scene – i.e., someone to guide the process and make it comfortable for both participants within the scene. One of the first shows they were used on was The Deuce, and then many of the network's other shows began to hire them. 

This was a change that really began to evolve. HBO is probably one of the most explicit networks out there. Some of their biggest shows, like House of the Dragon, Euphoria and more, have several intimate scenes, and now intimacy coordinators would be hired in the future. 

Due to the critical acclaim that many of these shows received regarding their intimate scenes and the steps taken to improve the process, more shows and networks began to include intimacy coordinators. 

Sex Education Was The First Netflix Show To Hire One

Netflix is one of those streaming platforms that feels like it has a show for everyone, and one of those is Sex Education. While it's undoubtedly one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix for older audiences, there's another reason why you should love it so much – and that's because it was the first Netflix show to start including an intimacy coordinator. 

During the second season of the show, the dramedy started using intimacy coordinators to help the cast. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in October 2020, Sex Education cast member Asa Butterfield said that the coordinators – specifically theirs, Ita O'Brian – helped the cast "find their boundaries" when it came to explicit scenes:

The show itself is known for its positive take on sexuality and the exploration of what you want to feel, and honestly, having an intimacy coordinator is a huge step up to making these scenes feel authentic and real, but not as intimidating (or possibly abusive) as they used to be. 

Bridgerton's Intimacy Coordinator Says That With Guidance It Has A "Different Feel"

Another Netflix show that I want to point out regarding intimacy coordinators is Bridgerton. The show just finished its third season, and there's already a Bridgerton Season 4 on the way. But since the show's beginning, there have always been intimate scenes, and an intimacy coordinator has been there to help them along. 

The intimacy in Bridgerton has always felt different from other shows. In an interview with Today in April 2022, the coordinator, Lizzy Talbot, also shared the same idea, saying that the intimacy in Bridgerton has a "different feel" in comparison to many other shows, mainly because it often takes place from the women's perspective:

These different looks can often change the way that we view explicit scenes, and intimacy coordinators are there to help the actors and guide them in the right direction. 

Some Actors Encourage It – Others Do Not

While the idea of an intimacy coordinator sounds great, some actors have opposed it. For example, former Game of Thrones cast member Sean Bean said in an interview with Variety in August 2022 that intimacy coordinators "spoil the spontaneity" of filming a sex scene.

However, other actors have said that it's lovely to have them on set as their guide. In fact, Rachel Zegler, in response to Sean Bean's comments on intimacy coordinators in a tweet on X in August 2022 stands by them and says she was "grateful" to have one on set when she was the star of the West Side Story cast: 

It really depends on who you ask within the industry.

The Hope Is That Intimacy Coordinators Become "The Standard"

While intimacy coordinators have been steadily gaining steam and becoming a necessity within modern Hollywood, they aren’t yet at the point where they’re hired for every single production that requires intimate scenes.

In an interview with The New York Times in March 2023, intimacy coordinator Jessica Steinrock shared how she makes actors feel comfortable on set. Karyn Kusama, a director for a show she works on – Yellowjackets – praised the coordinator and says that she hopes one day, these types of practices will become the "standard" for all of Hollywood:

With how much television and film have evolved over the last several decades, intimacy coordinators are just one of the many steps taken to better improve the filmmaking process. And honestly, I am here for this change – and for all actors to be much more comfortable when filming such vulnerable scenes. That's the kind of respect they deserve. 

Across the entire history of the James Bond movies, the actors playing 007 have been as compelling as the adversaries that opposed them on screen. In the spirit of those menacing performances, we’d like to highlight 32 actors who have played the villain in the Bond canon.

Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No)

The first villain in 007 history, the titular Dr. No helped introduce the world to SPECTRE’s brand of villainy through actor Joseph Wiseman. Notable credits of the Canadian actor include a ‘50s adaptation of Les Miserables, as well as an appearance in an early season of Law & Order. 

Robert Shaw (From Russia With Love)

While most movie fans would remember Robert Shaw from films like Jaws or The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, the man was also one of the most memorable James Bond villains ever. Playing Red Grant in From Russia With Love, Shaw’s SPECTRE agent was the first, and one of the best, dark mirrors to 007 himself. 

Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger)

Though he was vocally dubbed over in his role as Goldfinger’s titular villain, Gert Fröbe’s appearance was nonetheless imposing in the early era of Sean Connery’s James Bond. Coincidentally, Fröbe would also land a part in another Ian Fleming adaptation: the Dick van Dyke-led musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

Adolfo Celi (Thunderball)

Adolfo Celi is one of those James Bond villains that you may do a double take upon seeing them. But rest assured, the polyglot performer was the villain in both Thunderball and Operation: Kid Brother, menacing both Sean Connery and his brother Neil during the 1960’s. 

Donald Pleasance (You Only Live Twice)

Donald Pleasance certainly needs no introduction to fans of the best horror movies of all time, thanks to his role as Dr. Loomis in the classic run of Halloween movies. But his iconic career also holds the distinction of the actor being the very first version of Ernst Stavro Blofeld we see on screen. 1967’s You Only Live Twice ushered in the character, who eventually became James Bond’s cinematic arch-nemesis. 

Telly Savalas (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)

While Telly Savalas was the second incarnation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, some would argue that he was indeed the most menacing and charming. With a career that included films such as Kelly’s Heroes, and TV series like The Twilight Zone and Kojak, his spot in George Lazenby’s lone Bond movie only further proved his versatility. 

Charles Gray (Diamonds Are Forever)

Though Charles Gray appeared as an ally to James Bond in You Only Live Twice, that didn’t stop the powers that be from casting him to be the third variant of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 007 legacy. His balance of smarm and campy menace would serve him well later on, as The Criminologist in the film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Yaphet Kotto (Live And Let Die)

Even American acting legends like Yaphet Kotto found their way into the James Bond ecosystem. A veteran of projects like Alien and Homicide: Life on the Streets, Kotto was also the iconic Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big in Live and Let Die, serving as the first antagonist in the era of Roger Moore’s James Bond. 

Christopher Lee (The Man With The Golden Gun)

Sir Christopher Lee’s iconic acting career had him playing roles like Dracula and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings saga. However, his role as Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun is rather impressive for some other James Bond-related reasons. Not only was Lee a cousin to author Ian Fleming, but he was also one of the original actors considered for the role of 007.

Julian Glover (For Your Eyes Only)

A performer deeply canonized in the trenches of geekdom, Julian Glover has held roles in both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, as well as a recurring spot in HBO’s Game of Thrones. That last connection is all the more exciting when you consider that For Your Eyes Only not only had Glover in its cast, but Tywin Lannister himself, Charles Dance, was also present. 

Christopher Walken (A View To A Kill)

While most people probably wouldn’t bat an eye at Christopher Walken playing a James Bond villain, most folks would more than likely be hard-pressed to answer the question of if he ever did. This makes Walken’s role in A View to a Kill even more exciting to behold, as the Dune: Part Two actor actually got to challenge Roger Moore in his final turn as 007.

Sean Bean (Goldeneye)

Fans of actor Sean Bean love to play an infamous game whenever they see the veteran of The Lord of the Rings and Snowpearcer on screen: “Does Sean Bean Die In This Movie?” Well, Goldeneye may have been the movie that started that craze, thanks to a string of opportunities in the decades that ensued answering that question with a resounding yes.

Jonathan Pryce (Tomorrow Never Dies)

Worldwide audiences probably best know Jonathan Pryce from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, as he played the father to Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann. However, deep-fried fans of the Brazil actor’s work also know that Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies as one of the most effective Bond Villains. 

Sophie Marceau (The World Is Not Enough)

In one of the best plot twists ever, Sophie Marceau’s Elektra King goes from Bond Girl to Bond Villain in The World is Not Enough. Prior to that head-turning reveal, Marceau had been seen at the box office in the classic epic Braveheart, as well as the David Spade comedy vehicle Lost & Found. 

Toby Stephens (Die Another Day)

Toby Stephens’ Gustave Graves is another fantastic example of the “dark mirror” villain archetype at work. However, playing the eccentric Die Another Day villain seemed to allow the future star of Black Sails and Lost in Space to do something most 007 baddies don’t get to do: play James Bond through a series of BBC radio adaptations. 

Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale)

When he helped kick off Daniel Craig’s James Bond era, Mads Mikkelsen kind of fell into the role of Casino Royale’s sinister Le Chiffre. Of course, in the years since, he’s been seen as everything from a loving father in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to the cannibalistic psychiatrist that gave NBC’s Hannibal its title.

Javier Bardem (Skyfall)

Striding the line between charming and chilling, Raoul Silva from Skyfall is a role that actor Javier Bardem was born to play. And that’s even after considering the fact that Bardem’s career had already seen him in projects like No Country For Old Men and Collateral. But even with that sort of clout at his disposal, one of his big scenes with Daniel Craig was almost cut.

Christoph Waltz (Spectre)

When Christoph Waltz was announced as starring in Spectre, all of the rumors pointed to the breakout star of Inglorious Basterds as the modern Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Considering he had quite a few baddies on his resume by that point, it’s kind of amusing to imagine a world where he wasn’t the Daniel Craig-era incarnation of 007’s greatest silver screen foe.

Andrew Scott (Spectre)

Andrew Scott is too good at playing a villain. Before he became Fleabag’s “hot priest” or even set eyes on the complicated figure at the heart of Netflix’s Ripley, Scott’s time as Moriarty for Steven Moffat’s Sherlock probably helped cast him as the hidden evil known as C in Spectre. 

Rami Malek (No Time To Die)

You don’t have to have won an Academy Award to play a modern James Bond villain. Though it may have helped Rami Malek land his No Time To Die role as Safin, an assassin who’s looking to wreck the world in his own special way. Malek’s casting came after years of roles like HBO’s The Pacific and the Night at the Museum movies giving him quite the shining star. 

Lotte Lenya (From Russia With Love)

A prolific singer and artist before and after her time in the James Bond series, Lotte Lenya only further entrenched herself in entertainment history in From Russia With Love. As the dominating Rosa Klebb, Lenya was one of the first lieutenants of SPECTRE seen going head-to-head with 007. 

Luciana Paluzzi (Thunderball)

Italian actress Luciana Paluzzi’s role as Fiona Volpe in Thunderball gave James Bond one of his most formidable femme fatales. Ms. Paluzzi’s portrayal would eventually win her roles on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as well as its spinoff The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. Coincidentally, one of Luciana’s previous credits was in a film directed by Dr. No director Terrence Young. The name of that film? No Time To Die. 

Curt Jurgens (The Spy Who Loved Me)

As the antagonist in The Spy Who Loved Me, actor Curt Jürgens terrorized Roger Moore and Barbara Bach in a caper that brought together British spy and Soviet operatives alike. A Eurpoean film star prior to his James Bond casting, Jürgens’ career in world domination came later on in his career. 

Joe Don Baker (The Living Daylights)

Charles Gray and Joe Don Baker both hold a very important distinction in the James Bond legacy: they’ve both played heroes and villains in that very same series. In Baker’s case, his appearance as heel Brad Whittaker in The Living Daylights put him in a prime position to return in the Pierce Brosnan run as 007’s American ally, CIA agent Jack Wade.

Robert Davi (License To Kill)

You’ve seen and heard Robert Davi in everything from the Halo video games to the cult classic Showgirls. And right on the man’s impressive resume is a spot in the James Bond Hall of Fame, as License to Kill’s Franz Sanchez. His approach to playing a Bond villain was so in sync with Timothy Dalton’s 007, that it remains one of the best adversaries in the series.

Louis Jourdan (Octopussy)

As the roguish villain Kamal Khan, French acting legend Louis Jourdan’s part in Octopussy only added to an already prolific career. Jourdan’s talents were also seen in TV series such as Charlie’s Angels and Columbo, as well as films like The Return of Swamp Thing. 

Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace)

How’s this for a coincidence? Before he played the main villain in Quantum of Solace, actor Mathieu Amarlric actually co-starred with Daniel Craig in Steven Spielberg’s Munich. Years later, the water-focused supervillain would become a part of the Wes Anderson repertory cast, through roles in The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch. 

Michael Lonsdale (Moonraker)

The late great Michael Lonsdale made the role of Hugo Drax a very imposing figure in the Roger Moore-led adaptation of Moonraker. Years down the line, the French thespian would find himself co-starring with two other 007 actors, thanks to 1986’s The Name of the Rose and 2005’s Munich. Lonsdale starred alongside Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, respectively.

Charles Dance (For Your Eyes Only)

Believe it or not, Charles Dance once seemed to be in line to audition to replace Roger Moore as the 007 of the ‘80s. The man who would be Game of Thrones’ Tywin Lannister seemed perfectly positioned to do so after playing a henchman in For Your Eyes Only, but eventually declined to chase that opportunity. 

Famke Janssen (Goldeneye)

Before she became one of the actors that ushered in the age of X-Men being a successful film franchise, Famke Janssen made a name for herself against Pierce Brosnan’s Commander Bond. Starring as the henchwoman to Sean Bean’s Goldeneye baddie, her darkly comic menace is as legendary as her costuming. 

Robert Carlyle (The World Is Not Enough)

Scottish actor Robert Carlyle played the functional villain in The World is Not Enough, as his heavy Renard pushed James Bond further into a web of danger, intrigue, and nuclear weapons. And yet, his performance in this movie is relatively tame, considering he made his name as the uber-violent Begbie in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting just three years prior.

Jesper Christensen (Casino Royale)

Mr. White was always the man behind the man, through both Quantum and SPECTRE’s runs in the Daniel Craig 007 stories. And Jesper Christensen was present to play that role in three of the five entries that made up that arc, appearing in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Spectre. 

Is it really May if it doesn’t start with Justin Timberlake being trolled over “It’s Gonna Be May?” The answer, in this day and age, is no. Every April 30 and May 1 the memes roll in, and we all get a kick out of *NSYNC and the way “Me” is pronounced in their hit song “It’s Gonna Be Me.” Now, Joey Fatone has spoken up about his favorite meme surrounding the boyband’s hit song, and it features Timberlake and Game of Thrones.

While *NSYNC went viral earlier this year for their reunion at the VMAs, every single year they go viral for their song and the fact that "me" sounds like "May" in it. Speaking about the annual internet tradition, Fatone told People about his favorite memes of the track, and the one he sent to Justin Timberlake. The singer said:

If you Google “Game of Thrones ‘It’s Gonna Be May’” what comes up is a horrendously Photoshopped image of Sean Bean’s Ned Stark with Justin Timberlake’s face on it. Then in classic meme font, the post says:

You know, it’s like “Winter is coming,” it’s hilarious! However, unlike Winter, May always comes and we aren’t waiting seasons for it. Like Winter though, the inevitability of the “It’s Gonna Be May” memes coming is real, and the fact that this is true is hysterical. 

I like to picture one of the Night’s Watchmen in the Game of Thrones cast, like Jon Snow, on The Wall waiting for May to come. Or, it’s really funny to think about them saying “May is coming” in that thick Northern accent. All around, the more you think about this meme, the better it gets.

Now, the history of this meme also makes the GOT spoof better. The story behind “It’s Gonna Be Me” begins in the recording studio where Timberlake was asked to pronounce “may” instead of “me” because the Swedish producer Max Martin told him to. While on Hot Ones, the singer said:

Oh yeah, it was memorable all right! Now, it’s been 24 years since the song’s release, and the memes are still going strong. They’re so strong in fact that they crossover with other pop culture juggernauts like Game of Thrones.

Overall, the last day of April and the first day of May are always a good time, because it's a silly reminder of the banger that is “It’s Gonna Be Me.” 

While the GOT meme insinuates that the memes are a bad thing, they’re not, they’re always funny. Personally, I can’t wait for 2025 to see them arise again. But for now, I’ll be listening to Justin Timberlake sing “me” in a way that sounds like “May” on repeat, and streaming Game of Thrones with a Max subscription. 

Bryce Dallas Howard knows how to keep a secret, whether it’s the plans for a supercharged new dinosaur, or the secret identity of a master spy. The latter mystery saw her help bring Argylle to the 2024 movie schedule, and Ms. Howard is already returning to the world of making it all up thanks to her role in a new film with Orlando Bloom and Sean Bean. And this announcement has already lead to a predictable, technically Game of Thrones related, comment/question.  

Howard is reuniting with her Jurassic World Dominion director Colin Trevorrow for this project, as he’s one of the co-writers behind this Prime Video UK original. Here’s how Bryce celebrated kicking off production on the film, which is currently going by the title Deep Cover:

As one of the two leads alongside Orlando Bloom, there’s already a lot to look forward to with this project. Though I have a feeling we might see a title change in the future, as some might think we’re talking about a reboot of one of the best Laurence Fishburne performances ever committed to the screen. 

Rather this Deep Cover is a comedy where an improv group has been drafted to help the police run “low level sting operations.” But as further reporting from Deadline indicates, the more this band of performers says yes, the deeper they find themselves diving into danger.

Some aren’t so convinced that this is an open and shut case where Bryce Dallas Howard, or any of her Deep Cover co-stars, are guaranteed safety. That much applies to Sean Bean, as fans of Game of Thrones or almost any other project he’s been involved in know that he tends to die…a lot. Which makes the following fan comment on Ms. Howard’s post both funny and concerning: 

When we’re able to write a feature ranking Sean Bean’s best death scenes, that’s a sign that this sort of questioning is to be expected. The death of the honorable Eddard Stark in Game of Thrones’ first season was merely the kill that snapped it all into place for pop culture. So it feels rather valid for someone to question just how safe Sean Bean is in Deep Cover. 

The bright side to that sort of thinking is that the film’s writers may have already thought about this. Which means that this comedy involving an improv group has room for many death scenes to be improvised, whether it’s Sean Bean, Bryce Dallas Howard, or Orlando Bloom suffering those slings and arrows. In which case, Bean would be able to coach his co-stars in the art of a proper death, seeing as he’s had quite a bit of experience.

Deep Cover doesn’t look to have a release date set at the moment, but the Prime Video UK production is presumed to be headed for a streaming exclusive debut. So all of you Prime Video subscription holders around the world will eventually be able to stream it for yourselves; we just don’t know when. In the meantime, you can catch Bryce Dallas Howard facing danger in Argylle, a former streaming exclusive that made the jump into its current theatrical release.

It usually doesn’t take too long for an actor in Hollywood to find themselves fit into a mold. Whether it’s Jason Statham making action movies or Mads Mikkelsen playing villains, it’s not uncommon to see actors go through similar experiences on screen with very different characters. Sean Bean has been known as the actor who dies on screen, but apparently that’s been the case with Queen Latifah as well, and she’s done with that.

Sean Bean, the actor who dies on screen a lot, has said in the past that he’s started turning down roles where his character dies in the movie. It’s not that he has any specific issue with dying on screen anymore, Bean is a particular fan of his Fellowship of the Ring exit, but he knows that it’s happened so much that Bean now says him dying in a movie has become predictable, and he doesn’t want people to expect his characters to die. In a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show (via Insider) Queen Latifah reveals that she actually includes a clause in her contracts that her characters will not die. Her reasoning is a bit different, however. She wants to be around for the sequel. Latifah explained…  

As reasoning goes, it’s hard to argue with Queen Latifah’s point of view here. We live in a world where franchise filmmaking is where all the money and attention is going. Most major tentpole films, that pay the most money, are also looking for the potential of making more than one movie. If you survive the first one, there’s a pretty decent chance you’ll be in the next one. But if you die in the first movie that’s the end of the jobs and the paychecks.

Queen Latifah certainly isn’t wrong about her early deaths either. When Latifah started to make her transition from the world of music to the big screen in the late ‘90s, she played several characters who died. In three of her first five films, Set It Off, Sphere, and The Bone Collector, she doesn’t make it to the end credits. To be fair though, only of the last of those, being based on a book series, had any real chance of becoming a franchise, but the movie was not well received.  

If she truly has made a point to avoid dying on screen, it happened shortly after that as she tends to survive movies since then. Of course, if she truly has has a clause in her contract requiring her character’s survival, then she’ll have the opposite problem of Sean Bean, in that nobody will ever expect her character to die, which might kill the tension.  

Everyone who remembers Game of Thrones, or who just remembers a lot of the talk surrounding the HBO hit, can easily think back on how well-known/controversial the show was for its sex scenes, violence, and how those two things were sometimes combined. The drama has now been followed by a popular prequel series, House of the Dragon, which in only five episodes has also garnered lots of attention for several scenes of an intimate nature. GOT star Sean Bean made news in August when he said he thought intimacy coordinators, who have increasingly become the norm for productions, “ruined” the “spontaneity” of sex scenes, and now HOTD’s intimacy coordinator has responded to his comments.

What Did House Of The Dragon’s Intimacy Coordinator Say About Sean Bean’s Comments?

With it now being rather common for intimacy coordinators to help actors and directors work through intimate scenes on shows like Outlander or the sometimes sex scene-filled Bridgerton, a lot of people who work on those types of series have spoken up about how they help. But, there are also those like Bean who feel the process of working with them stifles creativity or the realism of intimate scenes on screen. House of the Dragon’s intimacy coordinator, Miriam Lucia, opened up to Deadline about his comments in relation to Emily Carey’s (who plays Alicent Hightower) words about filming HOTD sex scenes for their show, and said:

The use of intimacy coordinators is something that became more common after the #MeToo movement, where a number of women reported being sexually assaulted and harassed at work, including several actors like GOT star Emilia Clarke noting how they felt forced to comply with requests to do things during the filming of intimate scenes that they were uncomfortable with. Carey told Newsweek that working with Lucia was “amazing,” because the idea of performing in her intimate scenes had her “scared.”

Lucia has been doing this work for about five years, and like the intimacy coordinators for other productions, noted that many in the film and television industry are still relatively unsure about what intimacy coordinators do and why they’re needed:

Actors like Emma Thompson, who filmed sex and nude scenes for a recent film and worked with an intimacy coordinator for them, spoke up about the importance of using the professionals after Bean’s words went public. And, with other performers like Gemma Whelan saying filming GOT sex scenes was a “frenzied mess,” it’s probably best that intimacy coordinators are now being used on a regular basis so that everyone feels as comfortable as possible while doing such vulnerable work.

Among the many things actors get to play make believe with on movie and TV sets is sex, which can become quite uncomfortable for some actors if it's not approached with care. In recent years, intimacy coordinators have become more prominent in productions such as Netflix’s regency romance Bridgerton, and they also became part of Outlander’s latest season. Game Of Thrones actor Sean Bean recently made comments against intimacy coordinators, saying it can “spoil the spontaneity” on set, leading to a ton of backlash. The latest response to his comments comes from Cruella and Love, Actually actress Emma Thompson. 

Thompson filmed nude and sex scenes for the movie Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, which is about a widow who hires a sex worker. The actress previously opened up to CinemaBlend about the importance of the “right atmosphere” for her and Daryl McCormick to feel good about getting intimate on a set following previous negative experiences on sets. In light of her recent experience, the actress was caught up on Sean Bean’s controversial statements and asked about her own thoughts. In her words: 

The conversation occurred on the Australian Fitzy & Wippa radio show (via Variety), where one of the hosts brought up how Sean Bean “didn’t really appreciate the work of the intimacy coordinator because he said that it spoiled the spontaneity.” While Emma Thompson had not heard his comments nor knew who Sean Bean was, she did not agree and pointed out how the presence of intimacy coordinators can really contribute to the safety actors feel on set. She continued with the following: 

Sean Bean was part of one of the most sex-heavy shows in HBO’s Game Of Thrones, where he played Ned Stark until the character’s death in Season 1. Bean's comments about intimacy coordinators on set were given early this month to The Times, and he also said that turning sex into a “technical exercise” would make the natural way lovers behave “ruined.” However, Bean's statements were challenged by his own Snowpiercer co-star Lena Hall, as in his experience, she had been “up for anything.” 

Lena Hall took to Twitter after his comments went viral to clarify she is not up for anything, but shared that her experience with Sean Bean was positive and he made her feel “comfortable.” Hall also said that while she felt like she didn’t need an intimacy coordinator in the context of Snowpiercer scenes they shot, she finds them to be a “welcome addition to the set.”  

Other actresses who have chimed in on this topic include West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler, who shared being grateful for having one on set of the musical, and Amanda Seyfried, who recently recalled being placed in uncomfortable positions earlier in her career and perhaps would have appreciated one on set at the time. 

As this conversation in Hollywood continues to be talked about by more actors, you can check out Emma Thompson’s latest film Good Luck To You, Leo Grande with a Hulu subscription. 

When it comes to some of the biggest films of the last decade, one that always pops up in my mind is The Martian. The Academy Award nominated movie told the story of a lone astronaut who had to find a way to survive on Mars after mistakenly being left for dead by his team, and told a tale of perseverance and strength. 

But with a film that was so well-received and with many stars headlining it, one might be wondering where the cast of the feature adaptation of Andy Weir's popular novel might be today. Well look no further, as this is what The Martian cast has been up to, and what they have going on in the next couple of years. 

Matt Damon (Mark Watney)

First up on this list is Matt Damon, the star of The Martian, who plays Mark Watney. From his Academy Award-nominated role, Damon has gone on to star in several movies that you might recognize. He had a funny cameo role in Thor: Ragnorok, a role he's expected to reprise in the upcoming 2022 movie release, Thor: Love and Thunder. 

Besides that, he’s also had starring roles in films such as The Great Wall, Stillwater, and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel. And he reprised his famous role as the titular character in Jason Bourne. Besides his upcoming appearance in Love and Thunder, Damon is also going to be appearing in the new Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer. 

Jessica Chastain (Commander Melissa Lewis)

Next up, we have another big-time star, Jessica Chastain. Since her role as Commander Melissa Lewis in The Martian, Chastain has appeared in a number of movies and been a part of television as well. 

In terms of films, she was in The Zookeeper’s Wife, It: Chapter Two, a part of The 355 cast, won an Academy Award for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and more. She was also in the miniseries, Scenes From a Marriage, and in the TV series, George and Tammy. 

Coming up, she is going to be in several films, including The Good Nurse, Memory, The Division and Mother’s Instinct, so keep an eye out for this talented actress. 

Kristen Wiig (Annie Montrose)

Kristen Wiig portrayed Annie Montrose in The Martian. Known for her hilarious yet moving comedic roles Kristen Wiig has done plenty of movies since the film. She was in the 2016 version of Ghostbusters, closed off the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, was one of the villains in Wonder Woman 1984, was in the comedic hit, Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar and more. 

She’s also appeared in TV shows as well, including a recurring voice role in the adult animated series, Big Mouth, voiced Jenny Hart in Bless the Harts, and was in MacGruber. Coming up, she’s going to continue her role in the Despicable Me franchise in the upcoming Despicable Me 4, and she'll also be appearing in Mrs. American Pie on Apple TV+.

Jeff Daniels (Theodore “Teddy” Sanders)

Now we have Jeff Daniels, who played Teddy Sanders in The Martian. Daniels has been in many TV shows since his appearance on The Martian. He did have a big role in the film Allegiant, but TV is where he really shined in recent years. 

Daniels had a part in the miniseries, Godless, The Looming Tower miniseries, and recently starred in the Showtime series American Rust. Coming up, he’s going to be appearing in a new Netflix limited series called A Man In Full. 

Michael Pena (Major Rick Martinez)

Michael Pena played Major Rick Martinez in The Martian, and has been quite active in his career. He had a voice role in The Lego Ninjago Movie, had a fun part in Ant-Man as well as its sequel, was in the latest rebooted version of A Wrinkle in Time, had a big role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and most recently was a part of the Moonfall cast.

He also had a huge role as Kiki Camarena in the TV series, Narcos: Mexico. Next up, he will be in the upcoming film, Secret Headquarters, as well as reprise his role as Luis in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson)

Sean Bean played Mitch Henderson in The Martian. Bean has been very active in television, and has appeared in many shows. He appeared in Legends, Wasted, Broken, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Oath, Medici, Curfew, World on Fire, Time, and most recently, Snowpiercer, all in main or recurring roles. Talk about a big-time actor.

He’s also appeared in films like The Young Messiah or Dark River, but television is where Bean really shined. Coming up soon, he’s going to be in another new BBC series called Marriage, as well as a new movie role in Knights of the Zodiac.

Kate Mara (Beth Johanssen)

Kate Mara played Beth Johansson in The Martian, and has grown her career even more since then. In terms of movies, she’s appeared in such hits like Captive, Morgan, The Senator, Ghostwriter and more, but television is also where she’s been able to show her talents. 

She had a voice role in Moonbeam City, played Zoe Barnes in the House of Cards cast, portrayed Patty Bowes in the Ryan Murphy drama, Pose, and starred in the miniseries, A Teacher. Soon, she’s going to be in a new TV miniseries for FX called Class of ‘09. 

Sebastian Stan (Dr. Chris Beck)

Sebastian Stan has only continued to grow in popularity since his role as Dr. Chris Beck in The Martian, appearing in many TV shows and movies. One of his biggest roles is playing Bucky Barnes, otherwise known as The Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role that he reprised for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast. 

Other than the MCU, Stan has been active in both movies and television. Some of his biggest roles were I, Tonya, where he received critical praise for his performance, Destroyer, The Devil All The Time, Monday, The 355, the Hulu original movie, Fresh and more. He’s also dived back into TV for a bit to play Tommy Lee as part of the Pam & Tommy cast on Hulu. Coming up, he's set to appear in the film Sharper. And in 2020 he was listed among the stars of the film The Brutalist, though we haven't seen updates on that project since. 

Aksel Hennie (Dr. Alex Vogel)

Next up, we have Aksel Hennie, who played Dr. Alex Vogul in The Martian. He’s appeared in films such as The Congo Murders, The Cloverfield Paradox, The Doorman, The Middle Man and more. He’s also had roles in TV shows such as White Wall and Nobel. 

In the next couple of years, he will be in a new film called Immortal. According to Deadline, the film began production in September 2021. 

Mackenzie Davis (Mindy Park)

Mackenzie Davis played Mindy Park in The Martian, and she’s appeared in films such as Blade Runner 2049, Freaks of Nature, Tully, Terminator: Dark Fate, the 2020 Christmas film, Happiest Season and more. She’s also had roles in TV shows like Halt and Catch Fire, as well as the miniseries Station Eleven. She even played Yorkie in the famous Black Mirror episode, “San Junipero."

In 2020, Variety included her among the cast of an upcoming film called Alpha Gang. 

Benedict Wong (Bruce Ng)

Benedict Wong's star has continued to rise over the last several years since The Martian released and he played Bruce Ng. His biggest role thus far has been playing Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently as part of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cast, but Wong has done plenty of other TV shows and movies too. 

Some of his highlights include a big role in the film Nine Days, a role in the Raya and the Last Dragon cast, a starring role in the TV series, Deadly Class, a voice role in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and more alongside his many appearances in Marvel. Coming up, he’s going to be in the new Disney+ Marvel show, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and in a Netflix TV series called The Three-Body Problem.

Donald Glover (Rich Purnell)

Donald Glover played Rich Purnell in The Martian. Besides his accomplished music career as Childish Gambino, Donald Glover has appeared in many movies, including Solo: A Star Wars Story, Guava Island, The Lion King, and more. 

He’s also been the creator and star of his own FX series, Atlanta, which as of writing this, just wrapped up its third season. Soon, he’s going to be starring in a TV series called Mr. & Mrs. Smith based on the movie of the same name. 

Chen Shu (Zhu Tao)

Chen Shu portrayed Zhu Tao in The Martian, and since then has appeared in a variety of TV shows and movies. These include, but aren’t limited, to the movie Fell in Love Like a Star, the miniseries A Love for Separation, the TV series, Peace Hotel, the TV series Behind the Scenes, the film Cloud Mountain and more.

Eddy Ko (Guo Ming)

Eddy Ko played Guo Ming in The Martian, and has appeared in a couple of films, including Beyond Redemption, The God of Wealth, and The Thousand Faces of Dunjia. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor)

Last but not least, we have Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has also continued to make a name for himself since his role as Vincent Kapoor in The Martian. Since the film, he appeared in Triple 9, Mary Magdalene, The Lion King, The Old Guard, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and portrayed Baron Mordo in both Doctor Strange and its sequel. 

He also had a role in the TV series, The Man Who Fell to Earth. Among his upcoming projects are The Pod Generation, The Old Guard 2, and Rob Peace (the latter which he's expected to direct, per a report from Variety in 2020.) 

With so many stars, it’s hard to sometimes keep track of all the amazing stuff that they’re doing, but it's clear everyone's been busy with interesting movies and TV shows since the sci-fi film released in 2015. 

Sean Bean may have only starred on Game of Thrones for one season before poor Ned Stark lost his head in King's Landing, but the first Lord of Winterfell was never forgotten by those he left behind. Bean himself didn't keep up with what happened on Game of Thrones in the long run after Ned was killed off, and he only recently found out how the show ended despite the controversial finale airing more than two years ago now. After being spoiled on the ending, Bean had a pretty classic reaction that Ned Stark would probably appreciate.

Speaking with The Times, Sean Bean initially explained that he didn't know how Game of Thrones ended, but also didn't mind being spoiled on what happened, saying that he'll "have forgotten" by the time he gets around to watching the full series. When he found out that Thrones ended with Bran Stark becoming the King of Westeros and Sansa becoming Queen of the North fully independent from the other six kingdoms, Bean had a simple reaction:

In the grand scheme of the Game of Thrones series finale, Winterfell and the North remaining independent as Sean Bean noted is probably one of the less divisive twists. Sansa had spent the series learning the ropes about ruling from some of the best and worst in Westeros, and she deserved a win after everything she went through. "Good for them" indeed!

To contrast, Bran being named King of the Six Kingdoms is probably the most controversial element of the series finale, aside from Jon assassinating Daenerys after she went full Mad Queen Dany on the citizens of King's Landing. It's just too bad that there was no way to get Ned's reaction to everything. Sansa was poised to eventually become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms by marrying Joffrey when Ned lost his head in Season 1; taking her place as Queen of the North without needing or seemingly even really wanting a husband shows just how much she changed after surviving all the way through to the end of Season 8.

The surviving Stark kids (including Jon) went in different directions in the series finale, with Bran staying in King's Landing, Jon being exiled to the North beyond what remained of The Wall with Ghost for killing Dany, Arya deciding to travel, and Sansa remaining as the Stark in Winterfell. I can't help but feel that Ned would be proud that she took her place as ruler of an independent North, even if she might not have been the one of his kids he would have guessed would ever do such a thing.

The story of that particular generation of Starks is seemingly done for now (unless George R.R. Martin gets around to finishing The Winds of Winter as the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel saga that inspired Game of Thrones), but more Westeros action is on the way to HBO thanks to the House of the Dragon spinoff that will premiere in 2022.

The new show will be Targaryen-centric rather than focusing on the North, but the events of House of the Dragon set the stage for what would happen centuries later in the Game of Thrones timeline, so it should be must-watch for Thrones fans. For now, you can find the full run of Game of Thrones, including Sean Bean's time as Ned Stark, streaming on HBO Max.

HBO’s Game of Thrones is one of the most influential television shows of all time. The sweeping epic fantasy is based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Both the show and novels are known for their penchant of killing off major characters without the skip of a beat. Fans of the show (and books) may remember that one of the more shocking deaths came at the end of Season 1. Those of us who were floored by the death of Ned Stark aren’t alone, however. Sean Bean, who played the Stark patriarch in the show, recently shared exactly what was going through his head, before his character was due to lose his own.

The shocking moment was no doubt difficult for Sean Bean, as his character Ned was considered the main protagonist of Season 1. Fans and Bean were attached to the character who was sentenced to execution at the last moment by Joffery Baratheon (Jack Gleeson). Bean recently shared just how difficult it was to film Ned Stark’s final moments:

Horror and disbelief were not surprising considering the last-minute death sentence. In his interview with EW, Sean Bean went on to describe the multi-faceted heartbreak that his character was going through in his final moments. Bean has become accustomed to having his characters killed on screen, but is now turning down roles where his character is killed off. He went on to describe how some of the other actors involved reacted to the scene:

While book readers knew of Ned’s fate long before the show aired, those who went into Season 1 unspoiled were surely shocked that a big budget show would wantonly kill off a major character so early. Although many of us had no idea how big Game of Thrones would end up being for HBO, Ned’s death was arguably the first, and not last, moment that elevated the show to new heights.

Even with Ned’s early exit from Game of Thrones, the show went on for a total of eight seasons. The final seasons were notably marred by critics, fans and even those involved with the show. Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss caught a lot of flak online for their involvement with the project and how the final seasons were handled.

The pair have since moved on from HBO and are now working on their next project, The Three-Body Problem, with Netflix. Described as nonlinear, the show will span multiple characters and decades as humans await an invasion by alien lifeforms.

While The Three-Body Problem has yet to secure a release date, HBO recently announced when to expect its Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. The show is still in production, but knowing George R. R. Martin’s pace of writing, fans are probably expecting its arrival before the release of Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, the final entries into the Song of Ice and Fire novels.

Among the actors who make up the Wolfwalkers cast, Sean Bean is, admittedly, one name you are most likely to recognize. However, he is just one voice out of many to take note of when streaming the AppleTV+ original film.

Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, the animated movie follows a young girl aspiring to be a hunter just like her father, who has been tasked to eliminate a pack of wolves for an Irish village in the mid-17th Century. However, she has a change of heart after befriending a girl from a tribe of humans known as “wolfwalkers,” who are not only said to be able to communicate with, but actually take the form of the animal by night. Things become even more complicated when she finds herself becoming one of them.

Wolfwalkers completes Cartoon Saloon’s trilogy of hand-drawn films inspired by folklore legends, which began with Best Animated Feature Oscar nominees The Secret of Kells from 2009 and 2014’s Song of the Sea. This is Sean Bean’s first time working with the Irish animation studio, who have been known to use some of the same actors in their films (including the masterminds behind the project), and this film is no exception. To get a better idea of whose voices you should expect to hear when the film film drops on Apple TV+ on Friday, December 11, we take a closer look at the cast, starting with its young central heroine.

Honor Kneafsey (Robyn Goodfellowe)

Leading the cast of Wolfwalkers as the voice of a young hunter who suddenly becomes her prey at night is 16-year-old Honor Kneafsey. Robyn Goodfellowe is the first voice acting role for the British actress who has starred in various projects for the big and small screen alike, such as a pair of brief appearances on Sherlock and arguably her best known performance in Neftlix’s 2017 romantic holiday comedy A Christmas Prince and its sequels as Princess Emily.

Eva Whittaker (Mebh Óg MacTíre)

Making her feature-length film debut in Wolfwalkers is Eva Whittaker as the voice of Mebh Óg MacTíre - a free-spirited girl from the titular tribe whom Robyn strikes up an unexpected friendship with, leading to her unexpected metamorphosis. The 11-year-old actress has previously appeared in a Stranger Things-esque comedy short called The Girl at the End of the Garden in 2019 as well as a few TV commercials from her native country of Ireland.

Sean Bean (Bill Goodfellowe)

Ireland is where Bill (Sean Bean), accompanied by his daughter, Robyn, has been chosen to journey to in hopes of ridding a village of the numerous wolves that have put its locals in fear. Voicing a renowned hunter in a period fantasy seems like a natural fit for the British, 61-year-old star of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Game of Thrones (for the first season, at least). Hopefully, his Wolfhunters character does not come to a bitter end - which is the same fate most of Bean’s characters tend to suffer.

Maria Doyle Kennedy (Moll MacTíre)

Sean Bean also delved into more cosmic fantasy in 2014 with the Wachowskis’ Jupiter Ascending alongside Maria Doyle Kennedy - an Irish actress also known for films and TV shows of a great variety, such as the 2016 musical Sing Street, the BBC’s Emmy-winning sci-fi drama Orphan Black, and the hit Scottish fantasy series Outlander on Starz. She provides the voice of Moll MacTíre, the leader of the titular wolfwalkers and mother of Mebh.

Simon McBurney (Oliver Cromwell)

Maria Doyle Kennedy has tried her hand at horror with The Conjuring 2 alongside Simon McBurney - an English veteran actor and no stranger to fantasy roles either, including Kreacher in the first half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Runyan Millworthy on Carnival Row - an Amazon Prime original series. The 63-year-old is the voice of Oliver Cromwell, the main antagonist of Wolfwalkers who is also referred to a “The Lord Protector” by members of his kingdom in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Tommy Tiernan (Sean Óg Woodcutter)

Playing one of the Kilkenny natives, Sean Óg Woodcutter, in Wolfwalkers is Tommy Tiernan, who is one of Ireland’s most successful stand-up acts and comedic actors, where he is know from the sitcom Small Potatoes, starring opposite Game of Thrones’ Aiden Gillan in a 2018 biopic about Irish comic David Allen, and more recently as the father of the central character in Derry Girls. However, Americans may recognize him from the 2017 video for Ed Sheehan’s “Galway Girl,” which fellow Irish performer Saorse Ronan is the star of.

Jon Kenny (Ned Stringy Woodcutter)

Tommy Tiernan also appeared on the popular Irish sitcom Father Ted, as did native Jon Kenny, who also voices a member of the Woodcutter clan. Wolfwalkers is the second collaboration with Cartoon Saloon after Song of the Sea for the 63-year-old actor and writer, who is also known for the 1998 adaptation of Les Misérables and the late Alan Parker’s Oscar-nominated period piece Angela’s Ashes in 1999.

John Morton (Stumpy Woodcutter)

Playing another one of the the Woodcutters from Kilkenny in Wolfwalkers is John Morton, who actually was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, where he has also found success an actor, writer, and director best known for comedies like his feature-length directorial debut Skegs & Skangers in 2002. However, he has also played a grown-up Max in a spin-off short from Where the Wild Things Are, an imaginary Charlie Chaplin in the 2006 fantasy Lily’s Bad Day (which he also wrote) and, most recently, co-created a six-episode, 19th-century crime thriller in 2020 called Dead Still, which stars many actors both Irish and American audiences may recognize.

Paul Young (Sheep Farmer)

John Morton has also collaborated on a number of projects with Paul Young, who is not only credited as the voice of a sheep farmer in Wolfwalkers, but is also a producer on the film, as well as the CEO and co-founder of Cartoon Saloon. In addition to several other voice roles and writing credits, he also produces the Netflix animated series Puffin Rock (starring Chris O’Dowd), the Amazon Prime original cartoon The Bug Diaries, and shares an Oscar nomination with fellow Cartoon Saloon pioneer Tomm Moore for Song of the Sea.

Nora Twomey (Bridget)

Additionally known as a co-founder of Cartoon Saloon and producer on Wolfwalkers is Nora Twomey, who provides the voice of a housekeeper named Bridget in the film. She also lends her voice to and co-directs The Secret of Kells with Tomm Moore; is the sole director of the Angelina Jolie-produced Oscar-nominated animated feature The Breadwinner; and co-created another recent Cartoon Saloon series called Dorg Van Dango.

What do you think? Will you be listening more carefully to the voices you hear when you watch Wolfwalkers, or are you more interested in that uniquely striking, hand-drawn animation? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the magical AppleTV+ exclusive film, as well as even more inside looks at the cast members of your favorite (or most anticipated) movies and TV shows, here on CinemaBlend.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Snowpiercer. Read at your own risk!

Snowpiercer's long-awaited and long-delayed first season is in the books, and after that wild ending, fans may be eager to learn what's in store for the already confirmed Season 2. Luckily, CinemaBlend got some key info about the show's future from showrunner Graeme Manson and actor Steven Ogg, and TNT was kind enough to throw everyone a bone with an early look at the mostly filmed second season, which provided visual confirmation that Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings vet Sean Bean will be part of the action.

As for who Sean Bean will be playing, it's looking very much like Melanie's worst fears are coming true: Mr. Wilford did not die when the Snowpiercer left him behind. Instead, he apparently joined another train that has now successfully latched on with the Snowpiercer. Check out the mini-trailer below to see his debut, and continue for our exclusive chat with showrunner Graeme Manson and Steven Ogg about what other characters will get a spotlight in Season 2.

Yes, Ruth's dream has come true in that Mr. Wilford has seemingly returned, though it remains to be seen what his arrival will mean for the rest of the train. Will he adhere to the order that was just established by Layton and Melanie, or will he try to shake things up even more and put Tailees and Third well below the rest once more?

That's a mystery we'll continue to ponder during the rest of 2020, though I did speak to Snowpiercer showrunner Graeme Manson about which already introduced characters will get more to do in Season 2. Manson revealed that some characters who weren't seen much during Season 1 will indeed get more screen time and, at least in some cases, become a larger part of the story. In Manson's words:

With Nolan Grey and the Jackboots gone, Roche has inherited the top security position on Snowpiercer as head of the Brakemen. We can only speculate how Roche's story will build up in Season 2, though I would imagine there will be suspicions about whether he'll be loyal to the order established by Layton and Melanie, or if he'll choose to side with the newly arrived Mr. Wilford.

As far as LJ and Osweiller are concerned, I can't think of a worse pairing to come together on this train, but at least we can be sure that whatever they'll get into will be entertaining! Part of me hopes the two might cause less trouble after finding each other, but considering he's a corrupt Brakeman and she's a murderous psychopath, I doubt anything resembling noble will happen.

When I spoke to Steven Ogg about Pike's absence in Snowpiercer's debut season, he assured me his character will get a lot more screen time in Season 2. Overall, Ogg spoke very highly (if in largely vague terms) about the upcoming season, and not just because he'll have a larger part to play in the TNT drama.

It seems like Pike and Roche will both play much larger roles in Snowpiercer's central drama in Season 2, which isn't entirely surprising given the latter half of the now-concluded season. Beyond Roche's attempt to maintain order following Layton's revolution, Pike has shown a couple of times now that he's an opportunist. If there's a way for him to get ahead after Mr. Wilford's arrival, it's looking like he'll take that opportunity. For now, we can only wait and see!

Snowpiercer Season 1 is in the books, and now the wait is on for Season 2 at TNT. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the series, and for more news happening in the world of television and movies.

Warning! The following will contain spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Snowpiercer. Read at your own risk!

Snowpiercer Season 1 came to quite an exciting ending on TNT, and in what feels like par for the course, the finale left us with some questions to ponder. Some might even say they're just about the biggest questions of the season, since Layton's short rule over the titular train may be in jeopardy thanks to an unexpected arrival that sets up Season 2.

The emergence and alleged return of Mr. Wilford (played by Sean Bean) was crazy enough, but what's even crazier are all the potential implications that his arrival sets up. I'll get into all that below, of course, as well as some of the other plot points that inspired our final batch of questions going into the possibly long wait for Season 2.

Was The Revolution All For Nothing?

The biggest casualty of Mr. Wilford's return may be Layton's new order for the train, which had only just gotten put into place. Wilford will arrive on a train that's operating differently from the way he attended, and he's presumably coming from a train that had maintained the familiar First-Third Class hierarchy. But did Wilford have Tailees on his train, and were they allowed to stay? Will he allow Layton (who isn't based on Thomas Jefferson to the best of our knowledge) to interfere with the state of the train he's been on? If that's the case, it's hard not to think the entire revolution was all for naught.

Is There Any Real Future Between Layton And Zarah?

Layton and Zarah momentarily bonded after agreeing to provide a good future for their child, but it seemed like a romantic relationship was actually far removed from the equation. It may be that Layton still hasn't let go of the fact Zarah left him for Third, or that she sold Josie out to Melanie after the child was threatened. In either case, this seems like one pairing that is shouldn't inspire any romantically hopeful hashtags, though that could change in Season 2.

Is Wilford A True Genius Or A Con Man?

A couple of episodes ago, Melanie and Ruth shared their thoughts about who Mr. Wilford was, and their viewpoints varied drastically. I was inclined to believe Melanie saw Wilford as something of a fraud and con man, because Ruth seemed out of the loop on so many things, but that capture of the train gave me pause. If Wilford was merely an incapable idiot, how did he manage to run a completely separate train that has survived just as long as the one run by Melanie and the engineers? Is it possible both of the women were partially right, with the truth about Wilford lying somewhere in between?

Will Melanie Be Reunited With Her Daughter?

Season 1 ended with Melanie outside the Snowpiercer after she failed to stop Mr. Wilford from attaching his newly revealed train. Because of that, she missed meeting her daughter, who'd fallen into Mr. Wilford's care since the trains departed. I'm not wholly convinced Melanie is done trying to uncouple the trains, mind you, and after seeing what she's been capable of in the past, think she could be successful. My question is, will she break the trains up without ever realizing she missed a chance to see the daughter she thought was dead? How tragic would that be?

Okay, So Is That Melanie's Daughter?

The Season 2 teaser had me relatively certain that Sean Bean is playing Mr. Wilford, but is that girl claiming to be Melanie's child really who she says she is? Melanie said her daughter and parents weren't at the platform like they were supposed to be, so maybe Wilford found them to get leverage on Melanie. On the flip side, Snowpiercer has taught me that the apocalypse can make people desperate and eager to do whatever it takes to survive, so who's to say that a conniving Wilford didn't coach some random girl to pose as Melanie's daughter? It would be the perfect way to manipulate her after his shocking arrival, and if Wilford is the man Melanie has teased, such a ploy sounds like it would be in his wheelhouse.

Will Ruth Turn On The Snowpiercer?

When it was first thought that Mr. Wilford was on his way, no one was more excited than Ruth. She's going to be his greatest ally on Snowpiercer if he wants it, and is likely more than willing to do his bidding, provided it's not too extreme. Ruth does have a moral compass, though I question how much it has been affected by recent events and the change in the train's hierarchy. I mean, she pulled a gun on Layton in front of children, so it's not like she's in the most stable of moods at the moment.

How Many More Trains Are There?

The appearance of a second train was pretty mindblowing, and now I'm questioning just how many trains might be in rotation. I know the graphic novel Le Transperceneige detailed several trains were running, so can we assume several more trains are still operating seven years after departure? And if those trains are fully independent of the Snowpiercer, what might their bottled-up societies be like in comparison?

Does Anybody Feel Bad For LJ?

I'm sorry, but are we really supposed to feel bad for LJ? She was a key part of this revolution, yet didn't take a moment to foresee that she would lose her parents in the Tail and Third's coup of the train? I don't feel bad, especially considering she was chopping off penises not that long ago. She deserved to get put out of her car and lost within the train, though that may make her all the more dangerous whenever she seeks to be in the spotlight again.

Am I Supposed To Know How The Mirrored Train Car Works?

I've seen it a few times now, and I'm still in the dark about the mirrored train car works, along with Miss Audrey's whole schtick. I understand that she does some spiritual healing, but those spiritual sequences are a real trip. Are those moments just Snowpiercer showing us what's happening in character's heads, or is that train car stocked with high-budget special effects? I'm fine with either answer, but I feel like I need that insight to effectively gauge the character of Miss Audrey as a whole.

Snowpiercer Season 1 is complete, and Season 2 is on the way to TNT at some point in the future. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more details on the series, and the latest news happening in television and movies.

The Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring is almost 20 years old. Despite it's age, it and the other Lord of the Rings movies have been an abundant harvesting ground for memes, including Boromir’s speech at the Council of Elrond. Now, Peter Jackson reveals a funny story behind this meme-able speech.

Lately, Peter Jackson and many other Lord of the Rings stars reunited on Josh Gad’s YouTube Channel to discuss the movie trilogy. During their talk, Peter Jackson highlighted how Sean Bean had almost no time to prepare for his famous speech and the trick he used to pull it off. Here’s what Peter Jackson said:

Clearly, one does not simply memorize a whole speech on short notice. So, Sean Bean did the next best thing and cheated a little, putting the speech on his knee. Props to Sean Bean for making that scene work with so little time and for giving us one of the greatest memes of all time.

While memes are usually meant for laughs, other devoted fans have used the medium to explain entire story theories. For a long time, one Lord of the Rings complaint has been about how they could have just used Gandalf’s eagles to deliver the ring into Mount Doom. Since one cannot simply walk into Mordor, why couldn't they just fly? Or so the reasoning goes. But, one fan counter-memed with a theory that Gandalf initially had this in mind. This is just a taste of the memes we’ve seen.

Lord of the Rings, of course, isn’t the only meme-able movie playground for fans. Star Wars is about equal to the level of devotion fans have given when creating memes. From Admiral Ackbar’s “It’s a Trap!” to the countless Baby Yoda memes, these great memes can’t stop, won’t stop coming. Movies and memes just go together like peanut butter and jelly.

As for Peter Jackson, he has long since moved on to different movie projects. Still, fans are always eager to know if he’ll ever consider returning to The Lord of the Rings world and create more movies. The short answer is that it’s unlikely, but not off the table. There's always a chance he could be involved in some capacity. For instance, Amazon is producing their a Lord of the Rings prequel series and have reached out to Peter Jackson to see if he wants to be involved. Here’s hoping Amazon’s Lord of the Rings prequel can provide even more great meme fodder for fans to create.

It has been nearly 20 years since audiences first met and fell in love with the stellar and expansive cast of The Lord Of The Rings. Over the course of three epic movies released in sequential years, the Middle Earth saga became one of the most beloved and successful franchises in cinematic history, partly thanks to the all-star cast. But in the years following the conclusion of Peter Jackson's crowning achievement, what have cast-members like Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Orlando Bloom been up to?

Well, quite a bit, actually. In the 17 years since the release of The Return Of The King, everyone from Viggo Mortensen to Andy Serkis have gone on to become household names after spring-boarding into stardom for their appearances in J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece. And while we will have to wait a little longer than expected to see the cast of the Amazon's Lord Of The Rings series in action, let's take a look back at the original cast and everything they've been up to since completing their journey.

Cate Blanchett (Galadriel)

Cate Blanchett's voice is one of the first audiences hear in the prologue of The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, during which time her character, Galadriel, explains the creation and history of the Rings of Power. Throughout here appearances in the trilogy, the wise elf provides guidance to Frodo and other members of the fellowship. Over the past 17 years, the Australian-born actress has starred in dozens of feature films, stage productions, and television series, during which time she has won two Academy Awards (Best Supporting Actress in The Aviator; Best Actress Blue Jasmine). In addition to a number of dramatic roles, Blanchett has also popped up in Thor: Ragnarok, Cinderella, Ocean's 8, and is currently working with Guillermo del Toro for Nightmare Alley, a psychological thriller co-starring Bradley Cooper.

Liv Tyler (Arwen Undómiel)

Liv Tyler was at the peak of her career when she starred as Arwen Undómiel in The Lord Of The Rings. Daughter of the powerful Elven leader Elrond, Arwen proves herself to be quite handy throughout the trilogy, including saving Frodo from the black riders and striking up a love affair with future king, Aragorn. Since she completed her role in Peter Jackson's trilogy, Tyler has had a great deal of success in her professional life, with appearances in films like The Strangers, The Incredible Hulk, and Ad Astra, as well as television series like The Leftovers and Harlots. Tyler also has a starring role in the Fox action procedural, 9-1-1: Lone Star, which also stars Rob Lowe.

Orlando Bloom (Legolas)

One of the nine key members of the Fellowship of the Ring, the Sindarian Elf Legolas was a vital character in the The Lord Of The Rings thanks to his cool, calm, and collected demeanor and his impeccable archery and swordsmanship. Brought to life by a young Orlando Bloom, Legolas quickly became a fan favorite. Just as one saga was coming to an end for the English actor, another began with the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise that only boosted Bloom's star appeal. Bloom's latest completed film, The Outpost, was supposed to premiere at the 2020 South by Southwest Film Festival, but the festival, and screening, was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to his movie roles, Bloom is also the star of the Amazon original series Carnival Row, which is currently in production on Season 2.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)

The de facto leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the main protagonist of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Aragorn proved time and time again why not all hope is lost for man. Brought to life by the superb acting prowess of Viggo Mortensen, the "King" is character worth remembering. Mortensen followed up his Middle Earth appearances with a long list of roles that includes A History Of Violence, Captain Fantastic, and Green Book, which netted Danish-American actor an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 2019. Mortensen recently made his directorial debut with Falling, a drama in which he stars alongside Lance Henriksen and Laura Linney.

Andy Serkis (Gollum)

Andy Serkis became a massive star after his gripping and frightening take on Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Over the course of three movies, audiences loved and hated this oddly sympathetic character, making Serkis a household name in the process. The English actor has continued to be one of the busiest figures in the film industry since the conclusion of the trilogy 17 years ago, including appearances in Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and The Planet Of The Apes reboot trilogy. The actor and motion-capture mastermind is currently directing the thrilling Venom 2 and starring in The Batman, both of which instantly become better with Serkis attached.

Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins)

Elijah Wood has been a name in Hollywood for about as long as I can remember. Even before he showed up as Frodo Baggins, nephew of Bilbo and carrier of the Ring, Wood was a major child actor and has continued to follow suit with some of the wildest roles in cinema. In recent years, Wood has shown up in everything from the 2019 psychdelic horror film Color Out Of Space to oddball dark comedy I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, and just about every odd role in between.

Ian McKellen (Gandalf)

Throughout all of the Lord Of The Rings movies (and The Hobbit as well) Sir Ian McKellen kills it as the legendary wizard Gandalf (both grey and white). From the first time audiences catch an eye of Gandalf sitting atop a wagon of fireworks, it was easy to tell that there was a lot to love with this character. But it's not all fun and games with Gandalf, as the wizard proves to be powerful and stern throughout the journey to destroy the Ring once and for all. Much like Gandalf, McKellen has quite a track record, including his most recent appearances in The Good Liar, Ian McKellen On Stage, and Cats. Yes, Gandalf was in Cats.

Miranda Otto (Éowyn)

Introduced in The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, Éowyn, a noblewoman from Rohan, quickly became one of the most badass characters in Peter Jackson's trilogy. Her role was expanded in The Return Of The King where she took on one of the nine Nightriders and gave the empowering line, "I am no man" as she cut him down. Miranda Otto, the Australian actress behind the role, has been quite busy in the years following her time in Middle Earth, including most recently in the Netflix series, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, where she portrays the young witch's aunt, Zelda.

Hugo Weaving (Elrond)

Elrond, one of the first of the Elves to be featured in the prologue of The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, was one of the Elven leaders in Middle Earth who provided guidance and counsel for Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship before and during the quest to destroy the Ring. Hugo Weaving, the man behind the role, is mostly known for the role of Agent Smith in The Matrix and its sequels, but the acclaimed actor has also appeared in V For Vendetta and Captain America: The First Avenger. Weaving is set to appear in three films in 2020: Measure For Measure, Loveland, and Lone Wolf, all three of which are in post-production.

Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee)

Sean Astin was already a star before he signed on to play Samwise Gamgee in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, mostly notably for his appearances in The Goonies, Encino Man, and Rudy to name a few. His take on Samwise, the friend and sidekick of main protagonist Frodo Baggins, brought a great deal of humor, charm, and surprisingly enough seriousness to the trilogy. Astin has remained busy over the years, including an amazing role as Bob Newby in Stranger Things. Astin is next set to appear in the American crime thriller Adverse at some point in 2020.

Sean Bean (Boromir)

Is there a movie/television show where Sean Bean doesn't die? Patriot Games, Goldeneye, Game Of Thrones, and countless others all feature some pretty gruesome deaths involving the English actor. Well, add The Lord Of The Rings to that list as Bean's character, Boromir, dies in the final moments of The Fellowship Of The Ring. This noble character was a far-stretch from some of Bean's previous roles and cutthroat and power-hungry villains, but laid the groundwork for his portrayal of the ill-fated Ned Stark in Game Of Thrones. Bean is currently set to appear in Posessor, a 2020 horror film from Brandon Cronenberg, the son of body horror legend David Cronenberg.

John Rhys-Davis (Gimli)

John Rhys-Davies is best well known for his role of Gimli, the foul-mouthed and strong-willed dwarven warrior who served as an instrumental member of the Fellowship of the Ring. The Welsh actor also known for his performance in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, has appeared in dozens of roles following his time in The Lord Of The Rings, including his spin at the Brine King in the 2018 DCEU blockbuster Aquaman.

Dominic Monaghan (Meriadoc Brandybuck)

Dominic Monaghan has been one of the most successful actors who achieved fame in The Lord Of The Rings. Featured in all three movies as the lovable and hilarious Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, Monaghan, alongside Billy Boyd, brought some much-needed comedic relief to some of the trilogy's darkest moments. In the years following the release of The Return Of The King, Monaghan has starred in Lost, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker. And since 2012, Monaghan has even hosted his own nature series: Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan.

Billy Boyd (Pippin Took)

Wherever Merry went in The Lord Of The Rings, Pippin Took was sure to be right by his side or not far behind. Pippin, the fun-loving Hobbit with the voice of an angel worked his way into the hearts of millions of the trilogies fans thanks to that charm and innocence. Billy Boyd, the actor behind the famous character has had a successful acting and music career in the years following his appearances in The Lord Of The Rings, including a couple one-off performances on the hit fantasy series Outlander.

Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins)

Actor Ian Holm had one hell of a career in the decades leading up to his portrayal of an older Bilbo Baggins in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, on the silver screen, on television sets around the world, and the stage. Holm would continue to add titles to his filmography in the years following his take on Bilbo, including Garden State, The Aviator, and The Hobbit, where he reprised his famous role. The English actor hasn't done much since he finished the filming of The Hobbit: The Battled Of The Five Armies, but at 88 years old, I don't blame him for taking it easy after all these years.

Well, that's what the cast of The Lord Of The Rings has been up to over the past 17 years. It's safe to say that each and every one of the actors who lent their talents to the legendary fantasy trilogy have been quite busy since then.

Sean Bean is joining Snowpiercer Season 2, even before Season 1 finally shows up on TNT. There's a good chance Bean won't die in his new role, since he recently made a point to say he's been turning down roles where his character dies because that's become too expected. He has "died" so many times we've even ranked his on-screen deaths.

At any rate, let this news make you even more excited for the Snowpiercer TV series, which has been in development for ages and will finally premiere in spring 2020.

Deadline didn't have details on Sean Bean's role, other than to say he'll be a new series regular in Season 2, which is now in production.

Snowpiercer Season 1 stars Hamilton's Daveed Diggs and Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly. The TNT series is based on that amazing 2013 movie starring Chris Evans, but also that film's original source material, the 1982 French graphic novel Le Transperceneige.

Snowpiercer's dystopian story is set about seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland. We follow the remaining survivors, who ride a perpetually-moving train that circles the globe, as class warfare and survival politics play out. Snowpiercer Season 1 also stars Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand, and Jaylin Fletcher.

The Walking Dead's Steven Ogg and Girl Meets World's Rowan Blanchard have recurring and guest roles in Season 1 but they have already been promoted to series regulars for Season 2.

I haven't read the graphic novel but I saw the Snowpiercer movie, so I'm trying to imagine how Snowpiercer Season 1 might leave things to allow for Sean Bean to show up as a new series regular in Season 2.

Whatever the case, it'll be great to see Game of Thrones' Sean Bean back on screen for another series regular role. Not that he's been idle. You may have seen him in The Oath Season 1 on Sony Crackle. He was also in another near-future-dystopian series in Curfew, which aired earlier this year on Spectrum. Bean also recently co-starred in the World on Fire war miniseries. On the film front, Bean has a role in the sci-fi thriller Possessor, which should be coming to theaters in 2020.

The Snowpiercer TV series has taken a long, winding, dramatic role to the screen. It had several delays from creative differences and production issues. In May 2019, Snowpiercer was announced for a 2020 second quarter release but on TBS instead of TNT. At that time, Season 2 was already ordered. However, the network decision was reversed in September, so Snowpiercer will premiere on TNT when it arrives in the second quarter of 2020, aka the spring.

Are you planning to watch Snowpiercer when it premieres this spring on TNT? Now that we know Sean Bean will be in the second season, I suppose that is pretty good incentive to watch the first. Keep up with everything still airing on TV this year with our handy 2019 fall TV premiere schedule.

When Sean Bean plays a character, you typically know they're not long for the world. Whether it's fantasy, drama, action escapism, comedy, horror, or what-have-you, there's always a safe bet that Sean Bean's character is likely not going to make it out alive. It has become such a common, reoccurring part of Bean's diversified career that the veteran actor is reportedly turning down roles where his character dies, in order to stop this trend from continuing throughout his career. Nevertheless, Sean Bean has amassed a career with a perplexingly high volume of on-screen character deaths.

By design, there is something a bit morbid about discussing and possibly celebrating the on-screen deaths of Sean Bean's various film/TV characters. Thankfully, while the actor has made some reported efforts to not be typecast as the dead guy, Bean is generally open, honest and self-effacing about the number of times he has died on camera. He has discussed his own personal favorite screen death, and he admits that he doesn't take the comments about his death scenes to heart. The actor also admits that he has done so many that he has forgotten about a few of them, which isn't surprising. In any case, Sean Bean has had at least 23 on-screen deaths. Since that trend might end soon, we are looking at some of Sean Bean's most noteworthy demises.

Naturally, be warned there will be at least a few spoilers for some of Sean Bean's biggest and most recognizable movies/TV shows throughout this list. Kinda obvious, but it's important to note ahead of time.

5. John Ryder's Death In The Hitcher

Like many horror remakes before and after it, 2007's The Hitcher hasn't gotten as much notice or fanfare as its predecessors. Still, there is one way in which it stands out, and that's by its memorable final moments for Sean Bean. Again, Sean Bean is in villain mode, playing John Ryder, who seems innocent when picked up from the side of the road, but proves to be a vicious serial killer hellbent on killing again. Not if one woman can help it, though.

Before the movie draws to its conclusion, there is a poetic shot where our lead woman is met with the morning sun as she wields a shotgun in hand. John Ryder is on his knees on the road, and with one swift bang to the head, it's lights out for good. It's a well-composed shot and it's a pretty badass moment in a film that otherwise may be well forgotten. It won't go down as one of the actor's finest roles, but I'd say it's a pretty strong death for Sean Bean.

4. Sir Ulrich's Death In Black Death

When your movie is called Black Death, there's a good chance you know things won't go well for your character by the end of the picture. The title gives it away, basically. Of course Sean Bean would be in a movie called Black Death. It's a little on-the-nose, but it's only befitting of the actor's bizarre legacy. Sure enough, in the role of Sir Ulrich, Bean doesn't make it to the end of the film with his life intact. But Bean's demise is still shocking.

When you have a title like Black Death, you can't simply be shot or stabbed, beaten or bruised. No, when it comes to Sir Ulrich, the character's death is much more extreme. Specifically, the character finds his limbs tied up and tugged in both directions, resulting in Bean's body being torn apart by two horses going in opposite ways. It's a gnarly way to go, to say the least. It's certainly not a pretty death, but it is an extremely epic, dramatic way to go.

3. Alec Trevelyan's Death In GoldenEye

Traditionally, Bond villains don't make it out on the other side. When you're involved with world domination and/or global terror, drastic measures are required, and that often involves 007 allowing bad guys to meet their maker. Such a fate befell Alec Trevelyan, played by Sean Bean, in GoldenEye. The movie that is considered one of many return-to-forms for the famous, long-standing film franchise, it gave Pierce Brosnan his first (and his best) turn as the super spy, while also allowing Sean Bean to relish his bad side as one of the movie's supervillains. Obviously, his stance was a short-lived one.

As it turns out, Alec Trevelyan, a.k.a. 006, is presumed dead for half of GoldenEye, only for it to be revealed that he is still alive and well throughout the course of the film's second half. Nevertheless, when it comes to his second death, it is definitely definitive. Notably, the character falls and is crushed to his death. Ouch. In any case, this sequence isn't the first time Sean Bean died onscreen, but it's most certainly one of his most famous on-screen deaths.

2. Boromir's Death In The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring

If it's not the untimely departure of our next pick, there's a good case to be made that Boromir's death toward the final moments of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring might be Sean Bean's most well-known on-screen passing. Especially since Boromir wasn't someone who met death lightly. In the final moments of the first film in Peter Jackson's epic trilogy, based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, Boromir found himself valiantly trying to rescue Merry and Pippin from a group of orcs. Unfortunately, this noble gesture cost the character his life, as he's killed by many flying arrows.

In what would go down as one of the most memorable death scenes in the whole trilogy, Boromoir takes arrow after arrow to the chest as he continues to swing his sword and fight each and every orc that crosses his path. Boromoir didn't go down without a fight. It'd be almost comical if the emotion in the scene wasn't so high. It's a noble, valiant and honorable death for the character, and it marks a sad conclusion for Boromoir inside this epic tale.

1. Ned Stark's Death In Game Of Thrones

Outside of possibly one other famous example mentioned earlier, the death of Ned Stark in the first season of Game of Thrones might go down as the most famous on-screen death in Sean Bean's career. Once primed to be the main character in George R.R. Martin's acclaimed fantasy series-turned-television juggernaut, the highly-watched HBO series pulled the rug under everyone (who wasn't already well-attuned with the book series) when it was revealed that Ned Stark would meet his demise before the season finished its finale. It's rare for that to happen, but this death in particular made it clear to viewers everywhere that Game of Thrones meant business when it involved many of its most noteworthy characters. Anyone could die now.

In the popular series, Ned Stark was the Lord of Winterfell, and he was considered a honorable patriarch of House Stark. His undying sense of honor and loyalty, however, soon led to his own death. At the end of the first season, King Joffrey orders Ned Stark to be beheaded, even after Ned makes a bold confession to save his daughters' lives. The character is killed instantly in this moment, but he does make a return in Season 6 and Season 7 in visions from Bran. Nevertheless, similar to the character's shocking death at the end of the first book, his death in Season 1 is a surprise — though it did get more people noticing just how many times this prolific actor found himself killed or left for dead throughout his varied acting career.

These are only a handful of the deaths that have resulted in Sean Bean's perplexing legacy. As noted prior, it's happened nearly a couple of dozen of times on both the big and small screen, and several more of them were explored and briefly considered for this feature. Alas, it would seem that the actor isn't looking to die onscreen again anytime soon. Once the trend was well-spotted and comically mocked, the actor decided it would be in his career's best interest if he didn't find himself killed in brutal or stark fashion for quite some time, so who knows when he may be able to put his talents to use again?  After all, it's never fun to be typecast. That's certainly true if you're typecast as a dead guy.

Nevertheless, if you want to watch all the various ways in which Sean Bean's characters have died throughout the progression of his career, you should be sure to check out the video montage found below. Naturally, one should put a NSFW tag here, but you should know the drill. One simply doesn't just watch Sean Bean die. You watch him die over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Do you have a personal favorite death scene from Sean Bean? Let us know what you consider the best or most memorable scene with Bean.

This poll is no longer available.

Game of Thrones may be over, but House Stark reigns on! Between Maisie Williams co-founding a social networking app, Sophie Turner’s star-studded status as X-Men’s Jean Grey and wife to Joe Jonas, and Kit Harington and Richard Madden reuniting for The Eternals, Ned Stark has a ton to be proud of. He may not have been beside them every step of the way, but Sean Bean has happily witnesses the rise of his TV children. Now he’s endorsing Madden to be the next James Bond. In his words:

Such kind words for Richard Madden from Sean Bean! The actor has recently risen up the ranks in rumored new James Bond actors to take up the mantle, following Daniel Craig’s last hurrah with No Time To Die. Other names in the ring have included Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy and Henry Cavill. Madden does uniquely stand out since he hasn’t had the high-profile movie roles the others have had on the big-screen. Watching Superman, Loki or Venom’s Eddie Brock sip martinis wouldn’t make for as believable James Bonds, don’t you think?

Sean Bean also makes a strong case for Richard Madden’s acting chops to The Sun, detailing a balanced combination of skills needed for a James Bond actor. “Presence” being a key ingredient. Bean should know. He once played a Bond villain in 1995’s GoldenEye, opposite Pierce Brosnan.

Both Sean Bean and Richard Madden were important characters in Game of Thrones, but had unpleasant deaths early in the show's run. Ned Stark's death was a pivotal point later in Season 1, and Rob Stark's unfolded in Season 3. Since then, Bean has been actively turning down roles where he dies and Madden has enjoyed watching the HBO series as a viewer.

But with an upcoming role in Marvel’s Phase Four, Madden may be all booked up. The Robb Stark actor has just signed on to play Ikaris alongside Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry and Kumail Nanjiani in The Eternals. Who knows, the superhero team could be the next Avengers!

Also, there’s no telling when another James Bond will be announced. Daniel Craig just wrapped No Time To Die, his fifth and final appearance as 007. The movie will tie up the stories from Skyfall and Spectre when it hits theaters in April 2020.

What do you think? Would you like to see Richard Madden play James Bond next? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Sean Bean is a great actor that fans of both movies and television love. However, when it comes down to it, he's best known for dying on screen. For some reason, a lot of his characters end up dead, many of them long before the story as a whole is over. It's become a joke, but it seems that for Bean himself the joke is over because he's started turning down roles that include him dying in the movie.

The issue for Sean Bean isn't that he necessarily has a problem with his character dying. It turns out that he's turning down the roles where he dies because "Sean Bean dies in the movie" has become so predictable. He doesn't want simply appearing on screen to give away how the story is going to end for his character. According to Bean...

It's a fair point. When audiences have seen Sean Bean die on screen 21 times, the more shocking fate for his characters is when they survive the entire movie. Nobody wants to know how the movie is going to end and if you assume Sean Bean's character is going to die as soon as he appears on screen, it takes away the drama that death is supposed to have.

Looking at the complete list of Sean Bean deaths provided by The Sun, where Bean made these comments, it seems that he hasn't actually died on screen since being beheaded in the Season 1 finale of Game of Thrones back in 2011. That's eight years of surviving, but considering his deaths go all the way back to the mid-1980s, it's going to take a while before he's able to put a dent in his reputation for death.

Regarding that Game of Thrones death, Bean says he was happy with it, as, at the time he wasn't interested in being on a long running series. Although, he does admit now, following the show's success, that he sort of wishes he had been able to stick around.

Considering the situation, it seems like Sean Bean wasted an opportunity back in 1995 when he played the villain in the James Bond movie Goldeneye. In that film, Bean's character appears to die early in the film, only to be revealed to be alive, and the mastermind, later on. Of course, he ends up dead by the end anyway.

It feels like that kind of setup would be great for a Sean Bean movie now. Make it look like he dies. Fans will buy in easily, because Sean Bean. Then bring him back in a surprise twist later that fans likely won't see coming, because Sean Bean.

Sean Bean's next project is a BBC series called World on Fire, in which Bean already confirms that he lives. Beyond that, we'll have to wait and see.

There's a wide, wonderful world of streaming out there and sometimes it helps to have a tour guide! I'm always looking for new titles to stream, and I hope you are too so we can recommend them to each other.  Each week I plan to toss out some new TV series and movies (probably more TV than film) with an emphasis on lesser-known titles.

'Cause I don't know that you need anyone to recommend shows like Stranger Things or Black Mirror when Netflix is already doing a great job of getting them in front of your eyeballs.

Netflix seems to be the #1 streamer for viewers -- but you tell me if that's not your jam -- so I will probably have more Netflix recommendations than others. But I'll also regularly throw some other streamers into the mix, including titles I found on Hulu, Amazon, CBS All Access, Acorn, Shudder, and more. I may also not be the only one recommending things, which is good news if you think I have terrible taste. Other CinemaBlend editors may take a stab at suggesting things, and you should feel free to suggest back.

I'm starting my recommendations with five international shows. I hope you aren't afraid of subtitles (just say no to dubbing!) because three of the five are not in English. So come journey with me around the world and experience some of the best content our talented neighbors have to offer.

3%, Netflix

This Brazilian series set in a dystopian future is Netflix's first Portuguese-language original series. 3% Season 3 just dropped its eight episodes on June 7 and I have been scouring the internet for any news on Season 4 after the finale cliffhanger.

The first season of 3% came out in 2016 and I can't recall how Netflix got me hooked, but it was probably through the Hunger Games-like premise. In this future, people in the Inland live in poverty, with just a select few living in luxury in the Offshore. When each person in the Inland turns 20, he or she has a chance to make it to the Offshore by going through The Process, a series of challenges and tests that only 3% pass.

This intelligent, thought-provoking show is what The Hunger Games (and Divergent, and other dystopian stories) should have been. We follow the candidates through each difficult task, and can imagine what we'd do in each scenario. Ethics are tested, and deeper mysteries unfold about each contestant and the Offshore itself. The series is cleverly designed, with each episode centering around a particular theme. Season 1 has eight episodes and you could easily binge them over a weekend and keep going for more. Then you'll probably join me in asking Netflix for Season 4.

Watch 3% on Netflix.

Accused, Acorn TV

You don't know Sean Bean as an actor until you've seen him in Accused Season 2's "Tracie's Story." He's magnificent. This British anthology series isn't new, but I just got a chance to watch it on TV through Acorn TV. I'm old school and still haven't cut the cord. (I can watch Netflix on my tablet but hate to watch any series on my phone.) I have a Comcast subscription, and can stream Netflix and Amazon through the apps on my TV. Through Amazon, I can watch Acorn titles and found Accused.

The BBC One series ran for two seasons from 2010-2012, with each episode following a different "accused" main character as he or she awaits judgment. The episodes show how the accused got into that situation, and episodes end by revealing the verdict.

Christopher Eccleston had the first episode in Accused Season 1 and won awards for his performance. That high bar was met later in Season 2 when Sean Bean played bored English teacher Simon, who comes alive at night as transvestite Tracie. Tracie's story is beautiful and tragic and I dare you not to fall madly in love with her -- and with Sean Bean's performance. He rightly won more awards for this work, and I've love to see him continue to stretch like this.

Watch Accused on Acorn.

Occupied, Netflix

This political thriller might be the strongest series I've ever watched on Netflix. It's also apparently the most expensive Norwegian production to date. And it has such a kickass theme song, I tracked it down and bought it on iTunes -- which is not something I do frequently.

Occupied Season 1 premiered in 2015, set in a very near future where the world is facing an energy crisis. Norway's new prime minister, Green Party leader Jesper Berg, cuts off fossil fuel production in favor of plans for thorium-based nuclear power. The European Union panics in the face of that decision and agrees to a "velvet glove" invasion of Norway, led by Russia. So the series follows the quiet Russian takeover of Norway -- the people who collaborate, the people who fight back, and the escalating tensions.

It's a timely (prescient, really) series any fan of House of Cards would appreciate. We're reportedly getting an Occupied Season 3, so don't worry about being left on a cliffhanger if you get hooked.

Watch Occupied on Netflix.

Harlots, Hulu

I almost replaced this with Amazon's Fleabag, which just finished Season 2, but Phoebe Waller-Bridge's fourth-wall-breaking comedy seems to be getting enough attention on its own. Harlots never seems to get enough credit, in my opinion, and even though I already wrote about it as one of the best Hulu shows of 2018 I'm sliding in another plug.

The Handmaid's Tale tends to dominate Hulu talk, but after I streamed Handmaid's Tale Season 2, Hulu had an ad for Harlots and it caught my attention. Now I don't care much about Handmaid's Tale, but I've gotten addicted to the ballsy badass women of Harlots and I can't wait to see them again when Season 3 premieres July 10.

Harlots is set in 1760s London, following women whose best option for advancement is in prostitution. Samantha Morton and Lesley Manville play delightfully dueling brothel owners, with Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay straying very far from Lady Sybil as London's top prostitute. Liv Tyler joined the series in Season 2 and she'll be back for Season 3. Alfie Allen has also joined the show for Season 3 after ending his role as Theon on Game of Thrones. There's a lot of depth and serious drama to Harlots, but overall you can count on these ladies for a good time.

Watch Harlots on Hulu.

Call My Agent, Netflix

I considered putting in a recommendation for the German-language Netflix thriller Dark, which is streaming Season 2 on June 21, but first I have to watch that mind-bending series myself. (It's on my list!) Instead, I've happily binged the entertaining and addictive French dramedy Call My Agent, following the escapades of talent agents in Paris.

Call My Agent has been compared to Ricky Gervais' British sitcom Extras, and the comedy always features star-studded guest appearances from French actors -- including Juliette Binoche, Monica Bellucci, Isabelle Huppert, Jean Dujardin, and more. I haven't understood a word of French since high school, but following along with this show has been nothing but a joy. I just hope it continues into Season 4.

Watch Call My Agent on Netflix.

If you're open to more international programming on Netflix, in addition to Dark, you could try Japan's lovely and very binge-friendly time-travel series Erased, or India's popular thriller series Sacred Games. Keep up with Netflix's new releases with our 2019 premiere schedule, and bookmark all the TV and streaming dates for new and returning shows this summer.

I'm a big fan of U.K. shows, comedies in particular, so I'm hoping to recommend more of those in the future. What would you recommend streaming this week?

When you play HBO's Game of Thrones, you win or you die. We know Sean Bean's Ned Stark sure as heck didn't win, and now that we're up to the final Season 8, Bean thinks maybe only one of Ned's children will reach the finale. Here's what he said when asked which of his TV kids will make it to the end:

A Girl will rule? By the way, sorry, Sansa and Bran Stark, who are also still alive but not even mentioned by their dad. Instead, Sean Bean only name-dropped Jon Snow and Arya Stark to Mashable, pointing to his young daughter as the most likely to not only live, but rule on the Iron Throne.

Game of Thrones started with six Stark children, who all got their own direwolves. Sadly, we lost eldest son Robb and youngest son Rickon. Only Jon, Sansa, Arya, and Bran are still alive as we enter the final six episodes of the series.

Arya actress Maisie Williams had posted she was the last woman standing at the end of Season 8 filming, so maybe Sean Bean was even right. But it doesn't seem like an Arya thing to rule.

Arya could easily take over -- just ask the Freys. Oh wait! You can't! But she's more the behind-the-scenes loner type. Sansa seems to have a taste for leadership, and Robb really took to it before the Lannisters sent their regards at the Red Wedding.

Jon Snow is not Ned Stark's biological child, but Ned raised Jon as his own. No matter what, Jon is Ned's son. Jon keeps being named leader everywhere he goes, even though his goal was always just to be a ranger like his Uncle Benjen Stark. It would be very Jon-ish to sacrifice himself in a final battle, although I'm certainly not rooting for that fate.

Sansa has grown so much across the past seven seasons. If Winterfell is threatened by the White Walkers, the Lady of Winterfell would likely fight to the end. Again, not rooting for that, but Sean Bean may be right to think all of the remaining Starks won't make it. There are major battles ahead, as we know.

Since Bran Stark is now Three-Eyed Raven, it stands to reason he'll not only live to the end of the series, but long long LONG afterward. But we'll see.

For now, Sean Bean is placing his bets on his tomboy daughter turned assassin, Arya Stark. Bean made his comments while promoting his new role as "The Undying" in the upcoming game Hitman 2, which plays off the actor's reputation for always dying on screen. This should probably come full circle with Maisie Williams cast to play an assassin charged with killing Sean Bean. Maybe in a new Netflix series?

Sean Bean previously mentioned a reunion for the whole Game of Thrones cast in an upcoming Conan O'Brien special. So we can look forward to that, in addition to the final six episodes of Game of Thrones, which should premiere in the first half of 2019 on HBO. Keep up with more TV shows in our fall 2018 premiere guide.

A big reunion is coming! Sean Bean has teased something Game of Thrones fans have been anxious to have happen for a long time -- a reunion special. The man who brought Ned Stark to life revealed the huge news, and, apparently, it all came up when Bean was asked if he still communicates with his Stark co-stars. Bean said:

Exciting! Sean Bean did not reveal any further details regarding who took part in the special to THR, but he did confirm the show's existence. Fans certainly have a long list of past and present cast members to choose from, though. While the cast for the shorter Season 8 is still huge, the ensemble that could be tallied up through the years is simply massive. So, when Bean says "we all got together," it makes you wonder who exactly attended. Since Bean participated, stars who did not make it to Season 8 were, apparently, on the invite list.

It appears the Starks were on the list of attendees. Sean Bean did say they all got together. Talk about a reunion! Ned Stark did not make it past Season 1, and after that, it was casualty after casualty for the Stark family. In news that Ned would rejoice about, Sansa, Bran, Arya, and Jon Snow are still among the living. Unfortunately, Ned's wife, sons Robb, and Rickon, as well as his brother Benjen have passed.

For the survivors, it has been a brutal road to remain alive. As for the reunion, Sean Bean also revealed some other details, saying:

The special was taped around a month ago, but whether it will air on HBO, or as part of Conan O'Brien's TBS show is unclear. Regardless, it will be exciting to see the stars back together. So much has happened on Game of Thrones, it will be interesting to hear the cast potentially weigh in. While the books made Ned, Catelyn, and Robb Stark's fates knowable, other characters' fates post-Season 5 haven't been so easy to guess at.

There has been Jon Snow's return from the dead and the infamous non-zig zag by Rickon Stark. Does the cast think not running in a straight line could have saved Rickon from Ramsay? It would be nice if they at least talk about past plotlines, knowing that them weighing in with details on how the show ends seems unrealistic right now, since none of the final season has aired yet. Plus, cast members who potentially participated and have knowledge of the final season would not have wanted to discuss anything spoiler-related, for fear of it getting leaked.

The reunion special was filmed in Belfast, which is the location that has been Game of Thrones' filming headquarters since the beginning. Conan O'Brien has brought cast members on his late-night talk show in the past, so that makes him a decent fit to host a reunion special.

It is safe to say that fans will likely get a nice walk down memory lane during the reunion, but we will know for sure when it airs. Game of Thrones' eighth and final season premieres on HBO sometime in 2019. The amount of fall premieres happening in the meantime should help with the wait.

There's one actor who has picked up a lot of notoriety for having elaborate deaths in movies and television shows... Sean Bean. While, yes, there are other actors who have died in more films than Bean (such as John Hurt), he is specifically known for rarely making it to the end credit scenes in a film. Well, he's about to add video games to his ever-going repertoire of on-screen deaths now that he's joined the cast of IO Interactive's Hitman 2.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and IO Interactive announced that international superstar Sean Bean has joined the cast of characters in Hitman 2 in the role of Mark Faba, an Elusive Target. Who is Faba? He's actually a rather interesting character, as a former MI5 agent who left the organization to take up the role of a freelance assassin, and managed to capture the rather intimidating nickname of "The Undying."

Faba becomes renown within the world of assassination as a master of faking his death and taking out his targets with precision. So, who better to assassinate an assassin than one of the best assassins in the world?

Players will don the role of Agent 47, who must track down and eliminate the very elusive Mark Faba, and attempt to put an end to his assassination gimmicks once and for all.

The announcement was accompanied by a live-action trailer featuring Sean Bean as Mark Faba speaking with his therapist.

The live-action trailer is really cool, as it features Sean Bean talking about the different items he could use within the therapist's office for the purpose of an assassination. He ends up shooting the therapist with a silenced pistol and speaks into a camera within the room, saying that they still haven't sent their best. It turns out that the therapist was a lure setup by Agent 47, and Faba beckons 47 to meet him in Miami. What's also neat is that all of the weapons used in the trailer can be used in the game, which are outlined over on the Elusive Target website.

We now know that you'll be able to hunt down Mark Faba in Hitman 2 within the Miami stage. However, you'll only have 10 days to take him down and only one chance to make the hit.

If Hollywood were really interested in turning the Hitman franchise into a mega-blockbuster, this would have been the story to pluck for a movie. Having a formidable Agent 47 hunting down Sean Bean's Mark Faba in an international cat and mouse game -- with the ICA attempting to cover up the assassinations in order to save face for MI5 -- would make for a great espionage spy-thriller, almost something akin to The Day of the Jackal or the Jason Bourne films.

You'll be able to dive into the decadence of death with Agent 47 and Sean Bean as Mark Faba come November 20th for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC, when Hitman 2 launches.

Game of Thrones has shown some pretty gruesome and sad deaths throughout its run, but few have been more shocking than the death of Ned Stark. Ned's death was so jarring to fans that some believed it never happened and even attempted to analyze his mouth movements to see if the character uttered any clues regarding where he might actually be. Sean Bean may not know the full details of being a warg, but he does know what Ned was saying in his final moments. According to Bean, Ned was murmuring a short prayer:

Sean Bean said Ned Stark's final moments were spent praying, although he admitted he kept wording vague as he didn't know if that was actually a thing. Luckily for Bean, Ned's observance of the Old Gods of the Forest falls within the character's canon, so it's not like his revelation just destroyed everything fans knew about this Game of Thrones character. Unfortunately, Bean's revelation does definitely poke some holes in other speculation regarding the character, especially the folks who believe he warged out of his body to survive. Bean's quote also seems to imply the decision was his to implement the silent prayer, which would drastically decrease the chance the words are relevant somewhere later on in the series' plot.

Sean Bean's answer is rather anti-climatic considering the aforementioned wild theories that assumed his final words meant something else, but it does shut the door on some speculation for Game of Thrones final season. Bean's death appears to be final, and Bean has backed that up by confirming to Huffington Post that HBO has not reached out to him about reprising the role. That's not to say the network couldn't sneak him on-set in the eleventh hour of production for some quick appearance, but if HBO did that, it likely wouldn't be tied to that little prayer he muttered.

Game of Thrones will air its final Season 8 on HBO sometime in 2019. Fans can distract themselves in the meantime with a whole lot of new television featured on our midseason premiere guide that will make the countdown to 2019 fly by. HBO will have plenty of great things to watch in the meantime, including Bill Hader's Barry and an adaptation of Fahrenheit 451, both of which look amazing. For more on Game of Thrones news, be sure to check out what Maisie Williams thought after reading the show's finale, and her response to the allegations the series is filming multiple endings.

As most pop culture fans are aware, Sean Bean is an actor whose characters don't often make it to the final credits, but that tradition has been bucked quite a few times in more recent years. Bean isn't exactly heading for easy street with his new show, Crackle's crime drama The Oath, so his character Tom Hammond's fate is totally up in the air. Below, you can watch Bean's long-haired prisoner in an exclusive clip from The Oath, which is the latest drama from executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.

In The Oath, Sean Bean's Tom Hammond is a dedicated and hard-wired cop who ruthlessly heads up a gang of mostly lawful enforcers. After a deal goes wrong with an undercover FBI agent, Hammond finds himself behind bars (as seen above), which completely removes him from his powerful position. Once he's released, Tom has only one goal in mind, and that's to reclaim his throne at the head of the gang, but he'll have to take on a lot of his former underlings in order to do so.

The clip above obviously takes place in the interim between Tom's fall from morally ambiguous grace and his potential rise to morally ambiguous glory, and it's clear that Bean's badass is mixed up with some powerful people. Keeping quiet in jail is definitely his best bet, since blabbing about the "business" will only put a target on his head. Of course, smashing a guard in the face with a basketball could also put a completely different target on his head, but he doesn't look worried. He's Tom Hammond, dammit.

The Oath was created by Hawaii Five-0 writer Joe Halpin, who used to be a Los Angeles Sheriff's Department deputy, and he used his knowledge to inform this story of enforcer-heavy gangs and the secret societies that exist on all points of the justice spectrum. Also starring in The Oath are True Blood vet Ryan Kwanten, American Sniper's Cory Hardrict, Arrow's Katrina Law, The Magicians' Arlen Escarpeta and more. The series was directed by TV vets Jeff T. Thomas and Luis Prieto.

Sean Bean, whose other streaming series The Frankenstein Chronicles is out right now, is still arguably best known to TV fans as Game of Thrones' Ned Stark, and it's a role that might never be eclipsed in the actor's resume. But we're pretty sure The Oath is going to show off a lot of what the actor is best at -- with a thick accent in tow -- and in the process, it'll hopefully keep him alive longer than Game of Thrones did.

Get ready for some hectic action and drama when The Oath makes its series premiere on Crackle on March 8, with all ten episodes available to binge-watch at once, assuming viewers can handle the stress. While waiting, head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

When it comes to successful British television, Netflix does not shy away from gobbling it up to redistribute it to an American audience. The streaming service has done that with shows like Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror, and now it's adding a supernatural crime drama starring Sean Bean from across the pond to its library as well. Soon, Netflix subscribers will get to see Bean look to solve a bizarre crime as The Frankenstein Chronicles makes its way to the platform.

Netflix acquired The Frankenstein Chronicles and it's 12 previously released episodes from ITV as it shuts down its Encore channel. The show, which stars Sean Bean in the role of Inspector John Marlott, is a 19th-century reimagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with a criminal twist. The show begins with Marlott discovering a corpse comprised of the bodies of eight missing children, and really just takes off from there. As mentioned, Variety states Netflix will get the previous two seasons of the series on its platform, and also has the option of developing new episodes for the series if it should choose to do so.

This won't be the first time The Frankenstein Chronicles will reach American televisions; A&E acquired rights to Season 1 of the series back in 2015. The show didn't seem to make a tremendous splash there, but A&E doesn't typically draw a large audience, so it's likely not many eyes were on it. With the series coming to Netflix and Game of Thrones fandom at an all-time high, The Frankenstein Chronicles will get the opportunity to be premiered in front of a large audience, which will definitely make the odds of a Season 3 much better than they were before.

As far as reviews are concerned, The Frankenstein Chronicles got some generally positive buzz, although many of those same critics panned it for being very similar to the other buzzed period dramas on television. Those who are fans of Taboo, Penny Dreadful, or Ripper Street are in luck, since this show received quite a few comparisons to those programs, although outside of the show's style, the stories appear very dissimilar. When speaking of the show's high points, many pointed out the supporting cast being super strong in their performances and more than capable of holding their own alongside Sean Bean, and it was also noted that the show gives off a very chilling vibe.

With the deal reportedly inked out, The Frankenstein Chronicles should be coming to Netflix sooner rather than later. For some upcoming shows that have premiere dates and will be coming to Netflix before the year is up, head on over to our fall premiere guide. For a look ahead at what's on tap for television in 2018, our midseason premiere guide is a great source. For a list of shows that were canceled in 2017, visit our cancellation guide.

Ryan Kwanten's TV career has taken a brief siesta following his time as Jason Stackhouse on True Blood, but now he's got something sweet coming down the pipeline. In his first big TV job since the finale of the HBO series, Kwanten is jumping into 50 Cent's Crackle drama The Oath. Here's what we know so far about Kwanten's new role, and what he'll be doing in the series.

In addition to joining The Oath as a producer, Ryan Kwanten steps into the series in the role of Steve Hammond. Steve is the son of Tom Hammond (Sean Bean) and leader of The Ravens, a tight-knit gang of cops who do whatever it takes to uphold the law, even if that means breaking it. Steve's loyalty lies within his gang and family, which will undoubtedly cause issues. His father's story revolves around seeking vengeance among those in the gang who have sold him out to the FBI and put him in prison. That must make for some awkward family gatherings. Jokes aside, one has to wonder whether Steve's role as leader of The Ravens will aid or complicate his father's lust for revenge.

If the concept of cops having private gangs and cut-throat politics sounds a little far-fetched, keep in mind The Oath is created by an L.A. Sheriffs deputy. Joe Halpin's story promises to use Ryan Kwanten and crew to tell an "unforgiving" story that looks into this subculture, and the lives of those who are sworn to do good, but skate the law for various reasons. It certainly sounds different than most shows involving cops, which might be what interested Crackle in the first place as it looks to even up the odds against competition.

As of now, The Oath is only a 10 episode commitment for Ryan Kwanten, who has a couple other smaller film projects on the docket in the coming months. Kwanten has stayed busy in the past couple years with small roles and voice acting, even providing the voice for Brewster in Jake And The Neverland Pirates. Jumping in with the likes of Sean Bean, who hopefully doesn't die in this role, will give Kwanten a chance to scratch that dramatic itch he hasn't worked with much since the finale of True Blood.

The Oath has a tentative release date of 2018 on Crackle, so True Blood fans will have to wait a handful of months before they see Ryan Kwanten back at it on the small screen. For those looking to kill some time with more television, CinemaBlend has a comprehensive list of all shows premiering and returning during the summer season that are can't miss. Visit our summer premiere guide to find those shows, and fans of Kwanten be sure to read what former co-star Alexander Skarsgard had to say about his kissing abilities.

Sean Bean is an expert in cinematic death, particularly his own. He's died enough times on TV and in films that it's basically become one of the most reliable memes on the internet. Yet out of every demise he's met on the screen, Bean has one that he favors above the rest, and it's a pretty damned fine one at that. Out of all of his iconic characters, it's Boromir from the Lord of The Rings saga that he finds to be the best.

With a good portion of The Fellowship of The Ring seeing Boromir trying to procure the ring, all in the name of his kingdom's safety, it's his final moments that make him a true hero of Tolkienian lore. Sacrificing his life to indirectly allow Frodo the opportunity to escape with the ring, the Steward-prince of Gondor was shot down with multiple arrows by the Orcs hunting the Fellowship. Which makes Sean Bean's reason for playing favorites with his death at the hands of director Peter Jackson easy to peg, especially as he cites the following reasoning:

It's easy to kill a character, and it's just as simple to portray someone dying. But to give someone a redemptive and, as he described it to EW, heroic death is something that truly needs to be earned. So obviously, the challenge for an actor like Sean Bean is to play the weakness for power that Boromir has as effectively as the realization that he must atone for his actions. If he went too much in the direction of a sneering baddie, those final moments wouldn't have been as emotional. However, if he wasn't hard enough in his conflict, it becomes a predictable shortcut to an emotional reaction. But with the mix of firm humanity that Bean provided in his performance, it made the final moment seen below all the more iconic. You can watch it for yourself below.

After being crushed by a satellite, shot through a poetry book, and hung with a chain, it's the slings and arrows of Boromir's misfortune in The Fellowship of The Ring that hits him the hardest. We're inclined to agree with him, as the only death that might outweigh his Lord of The Rings demise is his Game of Thrones exit. Though, that's cut from a similar cloth, and Ned Stark doesn't get as heartbreaking a final speech as Boromir did, so Tokien still reigns supreme.

If anyone feels like reviewing the evidence and challenging that claim, you can watch Game of Thrones Season 1 on HBO Go/Now, as well as Blu-ray and DVD; and you've probably got a copy of The Lord of The Rings trilogy in your home video library somewhere.

If there's one thing that we can count on in this crazy world, it's that actor Sean Bean will die in just about any role he's given. Unfortunately, the folks over at Firaxis Games have decided to throw us a curveball, giving Mr. Bean a role that likely won't cost him his life.

If you've got a sharp ear, then you may have noticed the voice of Sean Bean narrating recent Civilization 6 trailers. That, of course, got folks wondering if he would have anything to do with the actual game. It turns out the answer is yes, and the role will almost certainly be a rare one for the legendary actor where he does not bite the big one at the end. Why not? Because it turns out he's now the voice of the Civilization 6 tech tree. Yes, when you finish research throughout any given campaign, it will be the sound of Sean Bean telling you what a fantastic job you're doing.

There is, of course, the possibility that the final task on your tech tree will be something like "destroy the world," at which point Sean Bean would likely have to offer some sort of auditory death scene. Barring that, though, the guy is just about as secure as can be taking on the role of a menu voiceover.

The original report on Bean's casting comes to us via PC Gamer, who offer a sad reminder that the role of the tech tree voice in Civilization 4 actually belong to none other than the legendary man of science, Leonard Nimoy. Following his passing, Firaxis brought actor Morgan Sheppard into the fold to tackle the job in Civilization 5. With Civilization 6, they're giving Bean's pipes a try.

In case you're curious what all of this Sean Bean dying talk is about, the guy dies in literally 30 percent of the films he's been in. We're not sure what it is about the guy, but he tends to get cast as characters that don't get to see a happy ending. While folks usually talk about best roles when discussing most actors, Bean conversations tend to revolve around best deaths. And he's died in a lot of good movies, too. From Lord of the Rings to Alien and beyond, he's kicked the bucket in about 25 films.

So I guess that means the guy can breathe easy for at least this one role. For those of you excited to dive into Civilization 6, look for it to arrive on PC and Mac come Oct. 21. In the meantime, let us know in the comments your thoughts on what little we've heard of Bean for the game so far.

Featuring narration by famed actor Sean Bean and music from John Murphy called “The Sun”, which went to the highly underrated sci-fi flick, Sunshine, the announcement trailer for Civilization VI is one of those awe-inspiring testaments to human progress.

The trailer was posted up over on the official Sid Meier Civilization YouTube channel. It's revealed that XCOM alums Firaxis Games will be handling development on the 4x strategy title and 2K Games will continue to handle publishing rights.

As far as gameplay is concerned, we don't get to see any of it. However, actual gameplay footage might not be too far off given that the game will launch on October 21st.

The combination of Sean Bean and John Murphy's inspiring music piece helped get plenty of gamers geeked for the upcoming release of the Civilization V sequel, but the real meat and potatoes is what the game will feature, which happened to be detailed over on the official Civilization website.

The game's main premise this time around is building up a lasting empire that starts in the Stone Age and goes all the way through time to the Information Age. I do wonder if you'll be able to go beyond like in Civilization: Beyond Earth?

The turn-based strategy game will feature the ability to build massive, customized cities and empire, pushed along by researching new technologies to help your civilization cultivate and expand through history.

There's also the expansion of the combat system that was taken from Civilization V, where only one unit can occupy a tile at a time. They're buffering this with new support units that can be embedded with main units, enabling players to form “Corp” units. Not everyone was happy about the unit-per-tile design, but it is what it is.

They also mention that this newest Civilization will be designed for all players, veteran and newbie alike. They have new systems and build categories for the vets, while introducing more tutorials and hand-holding mechanics for newbies.

I do hope they manage to find a fine balance in Civilization VI so they don't alienate their core fans the way EA did with Dead Space 3. It seems easy these days to come up with an awesome idea or brand (even though Civilization has been around for ages) and then destroy it by trying to grow the brand outside of its target demographic.

But given that Civilization V managed to sell 8 million copies over its lifespan, it won't be surprising to see Civilization VI hit similar numbers if they can produce magic once again that appeals to old-school players and new-school gamers alike.

You'll be able to get your hands on the newest Civilization title starting October 21st later this year, exclusively for PC.

The Final Fantasy series of video games is one of the most popular franchises in the medium, and the next game is the series, Final Fantasy XV is one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Last night, at a special event put on by publisher Square Enix, they revealed more than just new details on the game, but also a movie that will take place in the same world. Check out the trailer for Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.

We have to say the movie certainly looks impressive. While the trailer certainly relies more on visuals than explanation, the visuals look good. Several of the characters within the game will also crossover into the film, although the main character of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV will be a new character named Nyx. The film will deal with two warring kingdoms, Lucis, home of the world’s last Crystal, and Niflheim, who is trying to steal it. The Kingsglaive of the title is the elite fighting force of the kingdom of Lucis who is charged with protecting the land. The game itself will follow the king’s son Noctis, while the movie appears to be focusing on the story back at home while the game is taking place.

The movie isn’t simply looking to be a media tie-in to the game, as they’ve scored some major talent to help voice the characters in the movie. Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey, and Lord of the Rings Sean Bean will all be lending their voices to Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. Place your bets now on whether or not Sean Bean is going to survive the entire film.

This will not be the Final Fantasy franchise's first foray into feature films. In 2001 Square Pictures produced Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within which, while being a box office disappointment, was remarkable for its use of CGI, creating some of the most realistic looking animated characters ever. In 2005 Square Enix and Sony Pictures released Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children a direct-to-DVD sequel to the most popular game in the series.

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is set for a digital release by Sony this summer, ahead of the announced September release for the Final Fantasy XV game. How does your excitement for this new movie compare to your interest in the game? Will you be viewing this before picking up you pre-order?

Sean Bean may currently be very much alive on TNT’s Legends, but the actor has a reputation for getting killed off of many of the TV shows and movies he signs on for. Before his TNT gig, the actor was famously signed on to Game of Thrones, and was executed toward the end of Season 1 in a move that shocked fans who hadn’t read the books ahead of time. Now, Bean has spoken out, discussing exactly how he feels about being known as the dude who dies over and over again on the screen. Here’s what he had to say:

It’s not too bad of a legacy, I guess, to be known as the guy who dies a lot. I especially enjoy the fact that Sean Bean told the Radio Times that he actually went back and watched the clips of the times he died on TV and the big screen, noting it’s happened so often there’s a few times he had forgotten about (we’re presuming not the Boromir or Stark times). There’s actually one meme that I particularly like noting the years the actor was killed off, so let me go ahead and share this gem with you.

But honestly, just having the years isn’t enough. The man has died a record 25 times on TV and film. He died in Patriot Games, Game of Thrones, GoldenEye, and so many more. You can check out all 25 roles that led to character deaths—some are more memorable than others—below.

Bean has had a pretty good run since his Game of Thrones death back in 2011. (Although word on the street says his GOT character will be back during Seaosn 6 in this form.) He made it through some big budget movies including Jupiter Ascending, The Martian and Pixels. Plus, he made it through an entire Silent Hill movie (Revelation) without kicking the bucket, although I'm pretty sure I remember a dream death sequence in that movie, so I don't know if that really counts or not. Of course he’s still alive and kicking on the show he currently stars in, Legends, too. But who knows, that series is promising to totally retool the plot for Season 2 in the hopes that it will bring in more viewers, and if that doesn’t work, the network should know they can always go big and kill the lead off before the end of the series. I’m not necessarily advocating for that, but I’m just saying…

You can catch new episodes of TNT’s Legends on Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET.

In case you missed it, faith based movies were a big story recently as War Room, a movie that almost no one had heard about previously, and that, by almost all accounts from the mainstream media, is terrible, shocked many by finishing it’s debut weekend in the number two spot at the box office race. It then went on to take the top slot the next weekend. Realizing there is, in fact, a market for films of this nature, studios are getting more and more behind them, and FOCUS Features has released this new trailer for The Young Messiah.

As you likely inferred from the title, The Young Messiah tells the story of a young Jesus Christ, the son of God, born to Mary and Joseph, destined to die for the sins of all mankind. From what you see here in this trailer full of swelling music, that’s pretty much what you get. And here’s an interesting tidbit, this is based on the novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, written by Anne Rice, yes, Interview with the Vampire Anne Rice.

In this tale, Jesus Christ (Adam Greaves-Neal) is portrayed as a seven-year-old boy (before he went AWOL from ages 12 to 30) with an earthly mother, Mary (Sarah Lazzaro), and father, Joseph (Vincent Walsh), who love him. The film dramatizes their struggle as a family to come to terms with the fact that, Jesus is, in fact, the son of God, which must be something for a kid that young to wrap his head around, at the same time they have to contend with angry Romans, including Sean Bean, searching for the Messiah—I’m willing to bet little Jesus wins over Sean Bean in the end.

This struggle with learning about his true nature and accepting his role, is also something that the film is already being called out for. User’s on The Young Messiah Facebook page are already taking the movie to task as Biblically inaccurate, citing passages that state that Jesus was born knowing his relationship with The Father, not, as one user puts it, learning about his power later on, like Clark Kent in Superman.

We will have to wait and see if that has any impact on the ultimate performance of the film, which is a good ways off. But after the success of War Room, which has earned more than $40 million against just a $3 million budget, expect to see an increasing publicity push for faith based movies. Another recent entry, 90 Minutes in Heaven starring Star Wars’ Hayden Christensen, cracked the box office top ten just last weekend, so this may be the tip of the iceberg as far as marketing is concerned as big studios start to get in on this and try to tap a built in audience. Like any underserved demographic, religious folks have shown that, for the right movie, they’re willing to show up at the theater, and Hollywood is realizing there’s money to be made there.

In January, Sony’s faith-centric arm Affirm Films will release Risen, starring Shakespeare in Love’s Joseph Fiennes and directed by Waterworld and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves helmer Kevin Reynolds. They released a new trailer a few weeks ago that hit a number of mainstream channels. FOCUS Features appears to be following suit with The Young Messiah, getting a head start pushing a film that doesn’t open until Easter 2016. 

While we’re still waiting for Princess Diana to make her DC film debut in next summer’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Brothers is still moving full speed ahead on the Wonder Woman movie. With production planning to begin in November, it’s time to get to casting the rest of the players and word is they already have their eye on two great actors to play two great villains. Eva Green as Circe, the Sorceress and Sean Bean as Ares, the God of War.

Heroic Hollywood has broken the rumor and apparently some parts of it are more reliable than others. While the studio is interested in Bean and Green, they have not signed on and it's unclear if there have actually been talks with either. However, it does look like these are the villains that we'll see in the movie.

Eva Green has been putting together a pretty solid resume on TV and in the movies of late. Her role in 300:Rise of an Empire by itself looks like a resume to play a Wonder Woman villain. Circe is a sorceress who is capable of doing pretty much anything with magic. She can transform men into animals or transform herself into somebody strong enough to go up against Wonder Woman. She also has siren like abilities as she can magically attract and seduce men. We're pretty sure Green can pull that off. Our only fear would be that since we haven’t actually seen Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman yet, we’re afraid the hero might not be able to hold her own against Green on screen. If Wonder Woman ends up being as awesome as we want her to be then these two going head to head could be phenomenal.

Sean Bean as Ares, the God of War is another strong choice, even if it does predict Ares death at the end of the film. The man who was Ned Stark and Boromir should be able be a great God of War. Although, it is a bit of a demotion, as he played Zeus previously in the first Percy Jackson movie. DC's version of Ares is a god interested in plunging the world into eternal war. It's to combat this that Aphrodite creates the Amazon race, essentially making Ares the archenemy of Wonder Woman.

The two characters make sense as Wonder Woman’s first enemies since both are based on Greek mythological characters, and Wonder Woman herself draws much of her own history, as an Amazon, from the same place, so it would make sense to make her first antagonists come from that world. While we don’t know much about the script, what we have heard implies that the film will be some sort of origin story, so the enemies fit.

We’ll keep our eyes on this rumor to see if anything comes of it. If true it makes us even more excited for the Wonder Woman film. How about you?

"Sean Bean dies" is a spoiler, but if you're asking what it's a spoiler for, there are multiple answers, as Sean Bean has developed a reputation for playing notable characters who are picked off on screen. TNT seems well aware of that, as they've been promoting their new drama Legends with the hashtag #DontKillSeanBean. And that includes the above Funny or Die video, which shows that Sean Bean's not likely to be unprepared for his character's death.

To argue that Sean Bean couldn't possibly be killed off in Legends because he's the star of the show has merit. But I mean, it wouldn't be the first time. The Funny or Die video shows Sean Bean reviewing the script for Legends, trying to figure out when his character will die. Could it be piranhas or maybe some poison on the keyboard? Maybe a belly full of acid will get the job done? Sooner or later, he just has to die, right? And sure enough, they write it in. And a dude shows up with a crate full of piranhas.

As mentioned, TNT's been playing up the "Sean Bean dies" angle with their promotions for Legends. When we were at Comic-Con last month, TNT had a massive hotel-sized billboard showing off the numerous faces of Martin Odum, Sean Bean's character. The artwork included #DontKillSeanBean:

Legends premieres Wednesday, Augsut 13 at 9:00 p.m. and stars Bean as deep cover agent Martin Odum, a man who's trying to reconnect with his wife after his last assignment when he's once again called back in to go under cover. At some point in the first episode, Odum will be approached by a mysterious stranger who tells him that the reality of his life may not be as real as he thought. And then he dies. Kidding (hopefully). The series is based on a novel by Robert Littell and developed by Howard Gordon. In addition to Sean Bean, the cast includes Ali Larter, Morris Chestnut, Tina Majorino, Steve Harris, Amber Valletta and Mason Cook.

Check out the previously released trailer for Legends on the next page...

Sean Bean's Legends character Martin Odum is a lie. Or so say the posters TNT has revealed for their intriguing new drama series Legends, in which Bean plays an undercover agenda at the FBI Deep Cover Operations division. Both posters put Bean in profile as Martin Odum, who's clasping a gun and looking lost in thought. The image appears over what looks like a report where most of the words are blacked out. The few words that are visible say, "FBI operative. Psychological assessment needed. Multiple legends. Possible fugue state. Martin Odum is a lie."

The poster gets a bit clever in the way it arranges its information, working mentions of both Homeland and 24 at the top, a nod to executive producer Howard Gordon, no doubt. And in addition to the highlighted tune-in information on the bottom right, the August 13 premiere date is mentioned in the signature at the bottom and the stamp top-left. It's well worth repeating that date too, as it looks like TNT has moved Legends premiere date from its originally set August 20 spot. It's most definitely August 13. Got it?

The horizontal version of the poster includes a separate sheet that's labeled,"Report for Division of Covert Operations" and includes a classified form, in addition to the mostly-blacked out report.

You can see a high-res version of this one at the bottom of the article. Some of the blacked-out text is actually readable close up.

Executive produced by Howard Gordon, Alexander Cary and Jonathan Levin, with David Wilcox serving as showrunner, Legends stars Sean Bean as the mentioned undercover agent who finds himself plunged into a terrifying mystery relating to his own identity. The series is based on a book my spy novelist Robert Littell and will have DCO agent Martin Odum (Bean) questioning his own identity when a mysterious stranger suggests that he might not be who he thinks he is. As Martin's the kind of guy who has the ability to transform himself into a completely different person from one job to the next, identity struggles seem like a typical occupational hazard. But this one sounds like it's an even bigger deal than simply mixing up your accents.

In addition to Bean, Legends' cast includes Ali Larter, Morris Chestnut, Tina Majorino, Steve Harris, Amber Valletta and Mason Cook. You can see Sean Bean dealing with some identity confusion in the previously released trailer for Legends. TNT has the series set to premiere Wednesday, August 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Check out the full Summer 2014 premiere schedule here.

Finally, something featuring Sean Bean where he doesn't die (I don't think?). The man of many deaths lends his acting voice talents to a game that seems to be in contention for a GOTY, or at least the launch trailer from RailWorks' seems to suggest that the game is worth a look as a legitimate GOTY contender.

The actor best known for being “death in motion” does a superb job of bringing Train Simulator 2014 to life like no one else possibly could... except for maybe Patrick Stewart – heck, that man could impregnate anyone with swooning prose.

Anyway, Bean gets nitty and gritty in the launch trailer for Train Simulator 2014, he brings an Oscar caliber vocal performance to the table as if his life depended on it, and knowing that it's Sean Bean, his life probably did depend on it. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if Railworks had a gun to his head, or at least promised not to shoot during the recording of the audio session.

For those of you unfamiliar with Sean Bean, he's the man that let us know Winter was Coming in The Game of Thrones before being beheaded. He was the man that tried to best Harrison Ford in a series of patriot games before being blown to bits. He was the man that tried to ravage the hands of Frodo and take the one ring to rule them all before going down in a blaze of glory to the piercing blows of iron-tipped arrows. He was the man the man that lead a pseudo-rebellion against the system and paid the ultimate price for it. He was the man that read poetry in front of one of the deadliest Clerics and got his head blown off for the trouble. He was the man that carried the Black Death with him and died violently because of it.

Yes, before you used to think Michael Biehn and Sean Pertwee died a lot in their films, but neither compares to Sean Bean... the man of many deaths.

At least he was able to make it to the end of the trailer without dying. That should count for something.

Fans of Train Simulator 2014 can pick the game up starting today. Yes, it's now available. You probably don't care much, though, because the only important thing about this trailer was the fact that Sean Bean seemingly survived and turned in an OSCAR (or GOTY in this case) worthy performance to match.

In the minds of Bean's fans, you can always believe that Ned Stark lived on to ride trains for the remainder of his days, avoiding the northern parts of Europe and staying clear of the cold, always whispering to himself...”Winter is coming”.

You can learn more about Train Simulator 2014 by paying a visit to the official Steam page.

Things didn't work out for ABC's Missing, but the cancelled ABC drama may not be the last we've seen of Sean Bean on the small screen. The actor has been cast to fill the role vacated by Brendan Fraser in TNT's drama pilot Legends. From the description of the part, he may not be the only person playing the character.

Legends comes from Homeland and 24's Howard Gordon and follows a deep-cover operative named Martin-Odum who has the useful ability of transforming himself into other people, which likely proves especially helpful in his undercover work. But - assuming that transform means to completely take on the appearance of someone else - it seems like we'd be also seeing other people playing the part of Martin (when the character plays them). Martin's own identity plays a big role in the story, as Legends' description for the drama also notes that Martin's identity is questioned "when a mysterious stranger suggests that Martin isn’t who he thinks he is."

The pilot was originally set for NBC, but later move to TNT, after which Brendan Fraser was cast as the lead. As of last month, Fraser had exited the role due to creative differences. THR reports today that Bean has been brought in to star.

While both Fraser and Bean are associated with adventure stories - Bean for Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings and Fraser for the Mummy franchise - I associate Fraser more with comedy-action and Bean more with dramatic parts, so perhaps Bean's casting sheds some light on Fraser's exit, if they were looking for someone with a better handle on serious drama. That's just speculation, though.

Among his recent credits, Bean starred in the first season of Game of Thrones and the recently cancelled ABC drama Missing. He's also set to play the role of Zeus in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Hopefully things will work out for Legends, which sounds like a promising drama and now has a pretty fantastic lead on board.

Sean Bean is a wonderful actor and even though he's tough enough in real life to shake off a stabbing and have another pint, his characters seem to have a tough time making it out of the given project alive. In fact, it's hard to think of a major film or television series in which Bean didn't suffer some untimely end a la (SPOILERS) GoldenEye's 006, Lord of the Rings' Boromir, or, even more recently, Missing's Paul Winstone. Obviously, this is an exaggeration but it is still nice to see him land a project that seems to offer him a character with some stability.

Well, stability in respect to 'staying alive' anyway since the actor has just signed on for the lead role in the first book in Deon Meyer's "Devil's Peak Trilogy." Variety reports that Bean will star as Detective Benny Griessel in the cinematic adaptation of the book series that starts with Devil's Peak. Griessel is a recovering alcoholic who is trying to win back the trust of his family as well as solve the case of a vigilante killer with a rapidly rising body count. And I don't want to jump to any conclusions but since this is the first of a planned trilogy (the followup novels include Meyer's "13 Hours" and "7 Days") the actor might finally make it out of this one alive! Who am I kidding, he's probably doomed.

The first novel (and the ensuing trilogy) is named after the famous mountain range in Cape Town, South Africa where the stories are set. Principal photography is scheduled to take place in September. Malcolm Kohll joins Ofir Kedar as well as Michael S. Murphey's Kalahari Pictures in producing Devil's Peak, and it's worth noting that the later had a hand in bringing us the last major South African hit in Neill Blomkamp's District 9. Could they have another breakout on their hands? When asked about why he's behind the project, Kohll said that "I believe Deon Meyer will do for the South African thriller what Stieg Larsson did for the Scandinavian crime novel." And while I respect his optimism but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Here's the "Devil's Peak" official synopsis, via Deon Meyer's website:

Peter Pan is one of those classic stories that gets trotted out once every decade or so; it happened twice recently, in a glossy straightforward adaptation of the story and, more obliquely, the Johnny Depp period piece Finding Neverland. And while it's a little more unusual to see two takes on the story show up at the same time, that seems to be the trend lately-- there have been pairs of Snow White films, Wizard of Oz revamps and even biopics of John DeLorean in the works in recent years, with studios playing chicken about who will blink and cancel theirs first (in the case of the Snow White movies, they're both going for it. God help us all).

So to add to the Peter Pan origin story that Channing Tatum is developing and the prequel that Disney might make called Peter and the Starcatchers, we'll have Pan, a "dark spin" on the story that will star Aaron Eckhart and AnnaSophia Robb. According to Screen Daily the producers will sell the project at Cannes this week, with Ben Hibon directing the screenplay by Ben Magid; at one point Guillermo del Toro was going to direct the film for New Line, but at some point between del Toro's many commitments and New Line falling completely apart, this one obviously fell by the wayside. Hibon got the job last fall after his gorgeous animation work in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 got the attention of everyone, but perhaps most importantly del Toro.

Given the way they're twisting the plot, you may not even recognize this as a Peter Pan film. Eckhart plays Captain Hook as the hero, a former detective hunting down a childlike killer (most like Pan himself) with the assistance of his ally Smee, to be played by tortured Game of Thrones hero Sean Bean. Robb will play Wendy, who has survived a kidnapping by Pan and leads the hunt to bring him to justice. Totally a buzkill if you hold tight to your childhood dreams of sewing on your shadow and flying around the room, but at least more interesting than yet another story about Peter Pan and his magical life. Is it twisted to be a little interested in this? Hey, if it was dark and creepy enough to get Guillermo del Toro interested, it ought to be good enough for me.

We’re mere weeks away from what promises to be the television event of the year with HBO’s premiere of Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy has finally made it’s way to our television screens. The question is whether this adaptation could ever live up to the brilliance of the characters vying for the Iron Throne, and all those wonderfully nuanced people that surround them, in the book.

In the video below we have our first look at the series within context. Vignettes and interviews have proven that the creators know what they’re doing, and personally I’m excited for the episode penned by Jane Espenson. The first 15 minutes of HBO’s Game of Thrones is available to watch, and the faithfulness to the text while still translating to a new medium is reminiscent of what Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh did with Lord of the Rings.

Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 17 at 9:00 PM ET on HBO.

Chris Hemsworth made quite an impact as George Kirk in Star Trek, but that was still a pretty small role. Want a better idea of what to expect from Hemsworth in his leading role as Thor? Check out Ca$h when it hits DVD on August 17th.

Sam (Hemsworth) is having a hard time making a living, but he finally catches a break when luck drops a briefcase packed with cash onto the hood of his car. He and his wife (Victoria Profeta) think they’re finally getting a big break, but it turns out the dough belongs to someone else (Sean Bean), and he wants it back...every penny of it.

I was one of the few who caught Ca$h during its very limited run in theaters, and despite a major disturbance -- another theatergoer was forcibly removed by the police -- the film was quite enjoyable. Not only does Bean make for the ultimate villain, but the story takes a turn for the unexpected when he puts the couple in a very troubling position.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment will release the film this August with a small handful of special features. There will be commentary with director Stephen Milburn Anderson, deleted and extended scenes, and a making-of featurette. The box art is awfully generic, as is that clichéd yet appropriate tagline, but I assure you, the film itself is not.

Production for Roel Reiné’s Death Race 2 is underway. Please subscribe now. Universal Pictures has just announced that engines are being revved on the sequel’s South Africa set. Luke Goss, Ving Rhames, Sean Bean, Danny Trejo, Frederick Koehler and Lauren Cohan assembled for principal photography on February 13th. Shooting is still in progress but Universal will eventually make the prequel part of its DVD Originals banner, which includes films like the straight-to-DVD Bring It On series and the American Pie franchise.

The screenplay from Tony Giglio brings us back to Death Race pre-Jensen Ames. A few years into the future, the economy is crumbling and increasing violent outbursts send crime rates soaring out of control. To get a handle on all of the new menaces of society, a network of for-profit, private prisons goes into business. When Carl Lucas (Goss) arrives at the most notorious facility of all, Terminal Island, TV personality September Jones launches the lethal reality show, Death Race. With a grand prize of freedom, the offer is just too good to be ignored and Lucas signs up to get behind the wheel.

In a dream world, Universal would have arranged for the original cast to return, but Bean and Goss are excellent replacements. Rhames and Trejo will also make for perfect Terminal Island badasses. Plus, we do get one familiar face, Koehler. He played Lists, the data collector of Frankenstein’s crew in the original. A number of sources are still calling the film Death Race: Frankenstein Lives, but the studio press release makes no mention of the subtitle. It does call the film a chronicle of Frankenstein, so it’s safe to assume the film is still about the first masked driver.

Sean Bean has been playing killer bad guys for years, with little or no credit for it. He was the most unsung part of Fellowship of the Ring, but that movie doesn’t work without what he brought to the deeply twisted, conflicted character of Boromir. He’s the biggest reason why it’s the best of the three. What I’m getting at here is that Sean Bean is a badass actor, one you can’t really have too much of. So good news, the new movie CA$H has two of him.

Also involved is the most unsung part of Star Trek, Chris Hemsworth, the guy who made half the planet tear up in under five minutes of action as he sent his ship on a suicide mission to save his wife and newly born son. Together they may make something special happen. The first trailer for CA$H is great.

The film stars Bean as a bad guy who terrorizes a young couple (played by Chris Hemsworth and Victoria Profeta) when they steal his ill-gotten gains. The trailer’s below (or in HD on YouTube), check it out and keep an eye out for CA$H in theaters March 26th.