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. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for more than a decade-and-a-half, and after 30-plus movies, TV shows, and specials, we’ve seen a ton of great actors play fan-favorite comic book heroes and villains. There are even actors who have played more than one character in the expansive franchise. But at the same time, there’s an even larger group of talented big-screen stars who haven’t donned a cape, mask, or spandex in the best Marvel movies. Here are 32 actors we still want to see in the MCU…

Ryan Gosling

For one reason or another, Ryan Gosling has yet to play a character in the MCU. One of the most talented and beloved actors of his time, the Barbie star would be perfect to play several characters ranging from Nova to Mr. Fantastic to even Earth-616’s Norman Osbourne if they wanted to have a younger actor take on the role of the famous Spider-Man villain. 

John David Washington

John David Washington has previously said he’d be open for an MCU role, and it’s probably going to happen sooner or later, considering the son of Oscar winner Denzel Washington is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. The Tenet and The Creator star has the range to handle just about everything thrown his way, be it as a villain or the next great Marvel hero.

Margot Robbie

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Margot Robbie join the list of actors to appear in the MCU at some point down the line, it’s just a matter of finding the right character for the beloved actress to play. There have been rumors about a Sue Storm role over the years, but Robbie would also be great playing villains like Lady Deathstrike.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel has established himself as one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood thanks to outstanding performances in movies like The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, and his 2023 work with Wes Anderson. Watching the Lion star take on someone like Reed Richards or even Doctor Doom would be awesome, and he could honestly handle both.

Keanu Reeves

Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has played iconic action characters like Johnny Utah, Neo, and John Wick. How cool would it be to see the eternally young actor join the MCU as someone like Dracula, Ghost Rider, or even Silver Surfer? We would even settle for a small voice role as a random one-off character.

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy showing up in the MCU would be a massive get for the cinematic universe as it works towards the two upcoming Avengers projects, especially if he were to play Doctor Doom. While other actors would probably be better suited for the physicality of the iconic Marvel villain, Murphy would be perfect for the psychological aspects of the character. Add in his experience from playing Scarecrow in the Dark Knight trilogy and you have a perfect fit.

Vanessa Kirby

Vanessa Kirby has said in the past that it would be an honor to play Sue Storm, but the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actress could also handle a more sinister role if given the chance. Just imagine Kirby playing someone like Lady Death or even Black Cat if we get another Spider-Man movie.

Cynthia Erivo

How Cynthia Erivo hasn’t landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is somewhere between a travesty and a mystery, because the multi-talented actor has everything you want in an actress to play your next comic book star. Just imagine the Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royale actress showing up as Storm whenever the X-Men are eventually introduced to the franchise. That would be electric to say the very least.

Antonio Banderas

Though Ant-tonio Banderas, Scott Lang’s ant in Ant-Man and the Wasp is already a thing in the MCU, the actor on which the flying arthropods was based has not had a chance to appear just yet. This needs to change and we need to see Antonio Banderas show up at some point down the road. He’s got the skills and intangibles to pull off someone as big as Galactus, a character comic book fans have been dying to see for years now.

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield has been one of the more interesting actors of the past decade thanks to unforgettable roles in movies like Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Book of Clarence, and the MCU would be better off if he joined the fray. There was talk in early 2024 of Stanfield replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, which could work, but he could also bring to life X-Men staples like Cyclopes or even Gambit.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise flirted with the idea of playing Tony Stark way before Robert Downey Jr. rejuvenated his career in the MCU-launching Iron Man, but we never got to see the Top Gun: Maverick star play the iconic billionaire playboy philanthropist. Though it never came to fruition, we’d still love to see the Hollywood legend show up in the MCU, even if he only briefly played an alternate version of Iron Man.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz has played great villains in everything from the James Bond movies to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, but he’s never played a big bad in the MCU. That should change, sooner rather than later, and he could be a great fit for someone like Norman Osborn or Doc Ock if we get more Spidey movies. He has the charisma, skill, and look for either of those roles.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain showed up in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but since that’s outside of the MCU (for now, anyway), she’s fair game. There’s been the Sue Storm talk over the years, but the Interstellar star could also take on someone like Jean Grey and try her luck with the Dark Phoenix character.

Alan Ritchson

Okay, imagine Alan Ritchson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom. In addition to having a ridiculous physique, the Jack Reacher star can also be cerebral and mysterious, kind of like his character from Fast X. He would be a formidable foe, that’s for sure. And if not, we’d love to see Ritchson take on someone like Rhino or Juggernaut and breathe new life into those characters.

Pedro Pascal

There’s been a lot of talk about Pedro Pascal being the frontrunner for Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four’s eventual MCU debut, and that would be awesome. The star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us has shown over the years that he has what it takes to lead a successful franchise, and he has enough talent and charisma to pay one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes.

Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder became a star-in-the-making after the 2022 release of Prey, and the star of the Predator spinoff prequel could very well make an impact in the MCU if given the opportunity. Lady Hellbender, Lyja, and Silver Fox are just three of the Marvel characters she would be well-suited to play.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has long stayed out of the superhero realm, though he has made a career out of playing characters who are pretty much comic book characters. That being said, we’d love to see the two-time Oscar winner take on a role like Magento or Bahsenga, the warrior shaman who was the first to adopt the Black Panther mantel.

Emily Blunt

Her husband, John Krasinksi, has already appeared in the MCU, albeit briefly, as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see Emily Blunt show up at some point, either for a similar-sized role or in a larger capacity. According to Deadline, the Oppenheimer star turned down a chance to play Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and was reportedly approached to play other famous characters in the years following. 

Gary Oldman

We’ve seen Gary Oldman play Jim Gordon masterfully in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but the Academy Award-winning actor has yet to show up in the MCU. It would be so cool to see the legendary actor enter the fold as Dr. Xavier in the eventual X-Men movie, and it would be just as awesome to see him play a more villainous role like Mephisto or even Dracula, with the latter being a throwback to his turn in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons has been everywhere for the past few years. Well, everywhere besides the MCU. The Breaking Bad and Killers of the Flower Moon star has shared the screen with Marvel actors like Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian Bale over the years, and it’s only a matter of time before he follows suit and shows up as a comic book character. This guy has Sabretooth written all over him…

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti has already been in Sony’s Marvel movies thanks to his portrayal of Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but we’d love to see more of the beloved actor. It doesn’t have to be anything over-the-top like a mech suit, but instead something like a government official who tries to get in the Avengers’ way or is tempted by a big bad.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has "superhero" written all over him. The Physique, the charm, the million-dollar smile, he has it all. It’s only a matter of time before someone swoops him up and makes him the next great comic book hero, and that someone could be Marvel. Nova, Cyclops, or even a young Magneto would be great fits for the Anyone But You star.

Tati Gabrielle

Since making her acting debut a decade ago, Tati Gabrielle has given commanding performances on shows like You, Kaleidoscope, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, to name a few. The actress, who also has experience in video game adaptations like Uncharted and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, would be perfect for the MCU in the coming years, especially if she could land a role like Storm, Black Cat, or other fan-favorite characters.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem is an actor with an incredible skillset and the ability to play both nuanced and over-the-top characters, which would make him perfect for something in the MCU. The No Country For Old Men star would be a great fit for the iconic Galactus whenever the villain is introduced in the future.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike has played all manner of characters over the years, and that makes her a perfect fit for the MCU moving forward. Her dynamic range and ability to play both good and evil roles masterfully would be perfect for comic book staples like Emma Frost and Liandra Nermani, both of whom are tied to the X-Men franchise.

Lily Gladstone

Lily Gladstone became an overnight sensation upon the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, and rightfully so. We’re not saying it’s going to happen, but the Golden Globe-winning actress would be perfect in the MCU. Imagine Gladstone playing Indigenous characters like Silver Fox or Kushala.  

Iwan Rheon

Iwan Rheon technically appeared on Inhumans back in 2017, but this doesn’t mean we don’t want to see him show up in an MCU movie at some point in the future. The Game of Thrones actor, who didn’t appear in as many episodes as you’d think, played Maximus on the short-lived ABC series, so he could reprise his role or he could take on something new. However, it wouldn’t be nearly as intense as Ramsay Bolton.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis has already made her mark in the comic book world with her portrayal of Amanda Waller over in the DCEU, but this doesn’t mean she can’t jump over to the MCU and play an equally menacing character. The Oscar winner has already led a blockbuster with The Woman King, so she is more than capable of doing the same in a Marvel movie.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris has already shown up in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with her portrayal of Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage where she was crushed by a falling cathedral, but there’s no reason she couldn’t just play another version of the character in the MCU or take on a completely different role entirely.

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson is appearing in Joker 2, and it would be really cool if the legendary actor also landed a role in the MCU somewhere down the road. The Harry Potter and The Banshees of Inisherin star would be perfect for a role if the Thor franchise is to continue, even if it meant voicing someone like Beta Ray Bill. 

Iko Uwais

Iko Uwais, star of the phenomenal Raid movies, has the acting ability and fighting skills to be a big hit in the MCU if given the chance. In the event this does happen, we’d hate for Uwais’ talents to be wasted like they were with his extremely small role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis retired after 2017’s Phantom Thread, but we’d love to see him step in front of the camera again in an MCU movie. The There Will Be Blood and Gangs of New York star would be a killer option for a character like Galactus and drink up all the planets like a big milkshake.

Who knows if we’ll see any of these actors show up in any of the upcoming Marvel movies, but with the way the MCU has shown us over the years, don’t count anyone out.

Fashion can truly make an impression with any character you’re trying to get across; especially with the figures we’re about to discuss. Clothing is definitely not optional, it’s a way of life for some of the snazziest dressers in all of cinematic history. So straighten your tie, smooth out your sweater, and slip on your glasses to take a look at these shining examples of sartorial supremacy.

James Bond (The James Bond Movies)

How can you not admire the costume design throughout every era of James Bond movies? No matter your chosen actor for the job, 007 has made his way into the world with a fine style that matches his cutting wit. His fashion is forever.

Holly Golightly (Breakfast At Tiffany’s)

Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) became a fashion icon for the ages in 1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It’s certainly not hard to see why, as Hubert De Givenchy and Edith Head’s talents gave this movie its signature looks; chiefly among them some little black dresses that launched a thousand party outfits.

Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Casino)

How mythic is the wardrobe of Robert De Niro’s Sam “Ace” Rothstein from Casino? There are whole YouTube videos and posters designed to show them off. Not to mention even some of the oversized glasses that Martin Scorsese’s protagonist wears during the film have become the stuff of legend. Better still: Ace isn’t afraid to wear pink, and it suits him to a tee.

Lorelei Lee (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)

Sure, as a musical showgirl, it was technically the job of Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) to always be on point with her looks. But at the same time, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes certainly snazzed her up in everyday life, thanks to some beautiful use of patterns and color. And of course, who could forget the iconic pink dress Monroe wore during “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend?”

Django (Django Unchained)

Once he entered the world of bounty hunting, Django (Jamie Foxx) took a lot of the advice Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) gave him to heart. And part of that package was the note that your wardrobe is basically your costume for the moments in your life. Everything from rough and tumble western wear to a natty blue velvet suit with ruffles resulted from that viewpoint, and we’re all the greater for it.

Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

If one is going to help make the decisions that puts cerulean sweaters on the backs of those who pretend to hate fashion, one needs to look like they’ve earned that right. The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) definitely earned that right, and then some. While Streep gave up Method acting because of the character’s miserable nature, her style never looked anything less than top-flight.

Caesar Flickerman (The Hunger Games Trilogy)

Oh Stanley Tucci: the respected actor that, early in his career, was a beefcake model for Levi’s. The man’s style sense has never left him, with Caesar Flickerman from The Hunger Games trilogy being one of his more outlandish cases of style. Bursting with color that matched his energy, it’s hard to hate Panem’s prince of propaganda.

Cruella DeVil (Cruella)

Cruella reinvented the Disney villain from 101 Dalmatians into someone who dug a lot more than Dalmatian spots. Emma Stone’s titular icon of villainy actually changed her tone in this reimagining, setting her sights on revenge in the fashion world, and adopting a sort of punk rock couture aesthetic to do so. Vengeance looked amazing in her hands.

Jinx (Die Another Day)

Yes, Halle Berry’s freezing James Bond entrance in Die Another Day showed her rocking an impressive bikini. But her outfits throughout the rest of the film didn’t slouch either, especially the red leather number that kept her warm in the ice palace of Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). Though it probably also came in handy that time she was nearly carved up by lasers too. 

Charon (The John Wick Movies)

The entire John Wick universe is dressed to the nines, exuding a style profile that puts most action movies to shame. But if I were to highlight anyone, I’m afraid it’d have to be Charon, played by the late great Lance Reddick. Then again, The Continental is one of those places where you always have to be on your fashion game; so maybe this choice was easier than I thought.

Emily Nelson (A Simple Favor)

Paul Feig’s cinematic adaptation of A Simple Favor saw Blake Lively dipping her toe into all corners of the fashion spectrum. Through looks borrowing from both traditionally masculine and feminine modes, it all looked deadly beautiful throughout her neo-noir character’s arc. 

The Protagonist (Tenet)

Inspired by Sean Connery’s James Bond fashion, Tenet costume designer Jeffrey Kurland crafted fashions for The Protagonist (John David Washington), as well as his accomplice Neil (Robert Pattinson) that evoked the classic era of 007. Kind of fitting for a movie where incremental time travel is the game, and Christopher Nolan’s discipline for panache is also very much present. 

Astrid Leong (Crazy Rich Asians)

Astrid Leong (Gemma Chan) has a heart of gold, and the fashion sense to match it. Throughout the entirety of Crazy Rich Asians, she never failed to show up in some of the most gorgeous outfits; even in moments where her heart was breaking in devastating detail. Every time she’s on screen, it’s like watching a fairy tale.

Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)

When you’ve got a character that’s described as “the man in the cool beautiful shirts,” your costume design needs to measure up. Director Baz Luhrman’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby used the talents of costume designer Catherine Martin to do just that, giving Leonardo DiCaprio’s interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tragic character the finest threads money could buy. 

Tracy Chambers (Mahogany)

Mahogany’s Tracy Chambers (Diana Ross) has aspirations to be a fashion designer herself. So it’s only fitting that she not only found her way into modeling, but also onto this list of snazzy dressers. Epitomizing the color and opulence of the disco era, her cautionary tale saw Tracy looking absolutely fabulous, even in her most dire moments. 

Nigel (The Devil Wears Prada)

If you haven’t heard it before: Stanley Tucci is a man of great fashion. One of the best examples of this is the role of Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada. While he’s a bit nicer spreading the gospel of fashion than his boss Miranda (Meryl Streep), Nigel doesn’t let up in his keen eye for style in the process.

Jackie Brown (Jackie Brown)

Whether she’s coming home from flying the friendly skies, or keeping one step ahead of her criminal compatriots, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) always looks fantastic. Of course, her striking blue uniform for her day job is what’s always stuck out in Quentin Tarantino’s film. That being said, Ms. Grier’s civilian clothes are no slouch either, especially in that food court outfit where she’s stylishly wearing a Kangol cap.

Thomas Crown (The Thomas Crown Affair)

Billionaire by day and thief in his downtime, The Thomas Crown Affair’s titular rogue is always sharply suited for the occasion. Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond movies certainly set a similar expectation, but this 1999 remake gave the actor some room to roam; even if he wasn’t contractually allowed to be seen in traditional black tie. 

Foxy Cleopatra (Austin Powers in Goldmember)

Borrowing from the rich fashion history of blaxploitation heroines, Austin Powers in Goldmember gave Foxy Cleopatra a whole lot of looks for a whole lot of woman. Then again, when you’ve cast Beyoncé as your female lead, it’s kind of hard to make her look anything other than stunning. Still, an abundance of color and flare is seen through every costume change in this spy movie spoof.

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

‘80s business attire was a unique beast that had stock brokers ready to step out into the night once the closing bell had rung. Using GQ and Esquire as a bible, it’s no wonder how American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) always looked as sharpened as a kitchen knife. Though spare a thought for the man’s dry cleaners, as he does have a bit of a temper.

Niobe (The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions)

Pretty much everyone in The Matrix is a snazzy dresser, especially when they're in The Wachowski's cyberspace playground which gives the film its title. But extra credit has to be given to Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith), as she's not a simple black-and-white dresser. With a long red coat that sets her apart from the rest, reflecting her colorful wardrobe in the real world, The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions were a bit brighter when she battled it out on screen.

Marvello Rubini (La Dolce Vita)

There are certain fashion touchstones of cinema history that will never, ever go out of style. And one such look is the classic suit and sunglasses worn by Marcello Mastroianni’s Marvello Rubini, in one of the greatest Italian movies of all time, La Dolce Vita. You can never go wrong with that black suit, but the eyewear that Federico Fellini's protagonist wears throughout the picture really clinches the win every time.

Elle Woods (Legally Blonde)

Pink is a hard color to work with because, in the wrong context, it could be seen as much too loud. Meanwhile, Legally Blonde icon Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) never met a shade of this pigment she didn’t like. Her signature hue throughout both films, this legal eagle soars high in the sky with flying colors; and it never goes out of style. 

Danny Ocean (Ocean’s Eleven)

A friend once told me, “no one looks as cool as Danny Ocean getting out of prison.” Judging by the look George Clooney’s Ocean’s Trilogy mastermind is rocking at the beginning of that first movie, it’s hard to argue. It’s even more difficult to argue that through all three films, the man isn’t bringing his A-game every single time he steps out.

Annie Hall (Annie Hall)

Blazing a trail for women’s fashion, Annie Hall’s eponymous figure took what was traditionally seen as “men’s clothing” and used it as her own statement to the world. Played brilliantly by Diane Keaton, her keen fashion sense was matched by her wicked wit, more often than not being deployed against lovelorn Alvy Singer (Woody Allen). 

Frank Abignale (Catch Me If You Can)

What is it about confidence crooks that gives them such brilliant fashion sense? Perhaps when Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken) told his young son Frank Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) about how those Yankees pinstripes bedazzle the competition, he was onto something. As a result, Catch Me If You Can’s “real fake” is seen kitted out in everything from pilot’s uniforms to orange sweaters, and he’s always looking dapper as a result. 

Reynolds Woodcock (Phantom Thread)

“Meticulous” is one word that sums up Phantom Thread’s Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis). Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark comedy about romance, fashion, and all the illnesses in between saw the Academy Award-winning legend retire in literal style, playing a fashion designer who would never step foot out the door with even a hair out of place.

Ginger McKenna (Casino)

Martin Scorsese’s Casino shows Las Vegas through some of its most tumultuous years. And one of the indicators of how time passes is in the fashion, as Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone) goes from good-time gal to the trusted wife of casino manager Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert DeNiro). Gliding through the years with an effortless eye, Ms. Stone’s costumes maintain an air of control, even when her character seems to be losing that very grasp in life.

Cher Horowitz (Clueless)

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is the ‘90s, period. A fashionista who made something like yellow with black plaid into a work of art, our Clueless hero is anything but when she’s putting together her outfits. Who could ever forget the first time they saw some of Cher’s most signature looks in play?

Jules Winfield (Pulp Fiction)

The look of a simple black suit cannot be understated, especially when someone like Samuel L. Jackson is the person wearing it. As imposing fixer Jules Winfield in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Jackson wears this outfit for most of the movie’s running time; save for those sequences taking place after one catastrophic accident. Even in a random t-shirt and shorts, the man knows how to make an impression and keep all the Fonzies in the room cool. 

Rachel Chu (Crazy Rich Asians)

While Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) isn’t from the same sort of world as the family of her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding), that doesn’t stop our Crazy Rich Asians lead from engaging in a makeover. As the film progresses, and through some friendly makeover advice from her best friend (Awkwafina), confidence and fashion are both boosted in equally impressive ways.

Trent (Swingers)

Most would remember the lead characters of Swingers for their big band revival threads that play a big part in their trip to Vegas. However, if you look at the styles that Trent Walker (Vince Vaughn) displays throughout the movie, he is a true example of making anything work. Even his outbursts in a late-night dining situation look sharp, as he knows how to crush a look when he’s relaxed or when he’s switched on. 

If you were looking for some style icons to look up to for a near-future wardrobe refresh, look no further than these movie mavens. With all sorts of looks at work for all types, there’s bound to be something here that could give you the upgrade you’ve been hoping to achieve. And now that you’ve read through this handy guide to such delights, don’t you think you’ve earned it?

Death isn’t always a guarantee, even in the world of the James Bond movies. Though it’s pretty certain that Daniel Craig’s 007 is indeed done and dusted, thanks to his recent departure from the role after No Time To Die. However, another Bond actor isn’t totally convinced he’s taken his final bow, as Christoph Waltz has recently questioned if his incarnation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld is truly dead. 

I was as shocked as you probably are reading that statement, but when I spoke with Mr. Waltz amid Prime Video’s press day for The Consultant, that’s exactly what came up. When I’d asked for his reaction to returning for the fifth and final chapter of Daniel Craig’s James Bond run, only to die in short fashion, Christoph Waltz shared these thoughts with CinemaBlend: 

If that isn’t a truly Blofeld answer, I don’t know what is. The mental gymnastics to connect the dots alone would be enough to send 007 fans into conspiracy theory mode. Which, undoubtedly, would also open the door for theories that if Blofeld could survive Rami Malek's evil nanobot plot, then Commander Bond could have walked away unscathed from his date with detonated destiny. 

The long and the short of it is that the Christoph Waltz incarnation of Blofeld supposedly died because of Project Heracles: a DNA-targeting weapon. That's the same device that caused Commander Bond to sacrifice himself, because once a person is carrying those nanobots, they can't get rid of them. (Cue the somber Hans Zimmer music, and tearful goodbye before the largest explosion in movie history blasts 007 to smithereens.)

What's worse, anyone with the DNA signature of that person would be at risk, which meant that Bond's daughter, Mathilde, would also be in the crosshairs. So if Blofeld could withstand the attack that came from his No Time To Die interrogation, the danger to anyone in Bond's life goes away. That, in turn, makes his sacrifice a bit hasty, and would definitely have people talking. 

Then again, considering how we last saw Ernst Stavro Blofeld on screen, his condition does seem to play towards Christoph Waltz's doubts that he'll be back. In case it's been a while since you've seen the 25th James Bond movie, here's a shot of that moment: 

Yeah, that's not exactly a look that screams, "Ernst Stavro Blofeld will return," but stranger things have happened. Admittedly, I’m not sure whether this answer, or Christoph Waltz’s defense of two controversial Bond moments, would drum up more controversy. Though this isn't to say that anyone, myself especially, would be against this Blofeld having more dastardly adventures down the road. 

That's especially true for me after hearing the Academy Award winner glow about how he’d love to return to play the archenemy of 007, and leader of SPECTRE. Some had questioned whether or not Christoph Waltz was truly having any fun with the role, especially in the early days when he had to continually deny he was even playing Blofeld in the first place. I think we can definitely put that subject to rest, as Waltz sounds far from burdened in terms of his newfound connection to the longest running cinematic franchise in history.

You can't deny how he lit up when discussing all things James Bond, so unless he's breaking out those Oscar winning chops, I think it's safe to say he's indeed game to come back. The notion of seeing more of his Blofeld would be welcomed, should Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson see it fit to bring him back. Which is a discussion that ultimately opens up the usual can of worms between 007 castings: who exactly will be brought back in the new era of Bond?

It’s always a question that’s asked when the inevitable changing of the tuxedoed guard takes place, and it’s extremely vital at this point in the James Bond franchise. Just as we’ve gotten a new MI6 family, the current Commander has checked out and left the prime job vacancy up for grabs. It’s led folks like current Q Ben Whishaw questioning a potential return, and unfortunately presuming that the answer will be no.

From where I’m standing, keeping the MI6 family, as well as Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld, wouldn’t be a terrible decision. We’ve already seen James Bond canon play it fast and loose in the past, with Daniel Craig’s serialized story being a rarity of tightly connected continuity. Perhaps the world would be open to such a concept once more, especially if the new tone and casting for the next Bond era played towards the lighthearted/spectacle drive nature some wish would return.

If that were the case, Christoph Waltz would especially be welcomed, as a more Hans Landa-style Blofeld might make people even more excited to see him again. And there wouldn’t be a need to worry about Spectre’s “Brofeld” twist rearing its head again because ,if Ernst Stavro Blofeld and James Bond could forget they had ever met once before, like in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, then they could surely do it again. 

As always, James Bond will return. We just don’t know when, with which face, and what allies and foes will be along for the ride. In the meantime, if you want to dig into some more gleeful Christoph Waltz villainy, I highly recommend binging The Consultant, which is currently streaming for those holding a Prime Video subscription. That also happens to be the current streaming home of Waltz's latest Bond movie, No Time To Die, so you could also choose to revisit his character's moment, forming your own theories for how the evil Blofeld could have cheated death yet again.

Looking back on the Daniel Craig era of James Bond movies, there are quite a few topics that easily kick up conversation in a room full of fans. Two of those topics come from the tail end of the actor’s recently-ended tenure in the tuxedo, as both Spectre and No Time To Die have moments that cause great debate to this very day. So who better to ask for their thoughts than the author of James’ pain, and a man connected to one of those controversial 007 moments, Christoph Waltz himself!

Christoph Waltz’s Thoughts On No Time To Die’s Explosive Ending

I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Mr. Waltz during the press day for his dark comedy Prime Video series The Consultant. Playing another mysterious mastermind in the character of Regus Patoff, the Academy Award winner is once again showing his aptitude for playing a villain so satisfied with their own evil that you can’t help but watch with a smile.

That glee translates to Christoph Waltz’s actual persona, only instead of trying to use this happiness to rule the world, he employs it in service of being a fantastic conversation partner. So when I asked him how he felt about No Time To Die’s literally explosive ending, which saw Daniel Craig’s James Bond killed on screen, Waltz gave the decision a huge vote of praise, as he shared these feelings with CinemaBlend:

As we continue to wait for the next era of James Bond to be cast, fans all over are still debating how No Time To Die ended, and whether it’s a good idea or a horrific stain on the franchise. No matter the viewpoint, Christoph Waltz does make a good case for how it shouldn’t “ruin” the 007 franchise, as continuity of story has mostly been a fast and loose subject at best.

The Daniel Craig run of Bond movies are the first since the Sean Connery era to actually tell somewhat of a connected story, and things continued pretty handily after that point. Although when it comes to potentially hot takes, Waltz has another opinion that might shake and/or stir the martinis of many 007 fans. Let’s move on to the subject of Spectre, specifically the twist that many have referred to with a rather apt nickname: “Brofeld.” 

How Christoph Waltz Feels About Spectre’s “Brofeld” Twist

In case you’ve forgotten about the equally controversial James Bond twist from Daniel Craig’s fourth adventure, Ernst Stavro Blofeld turned out to be 007’s adopted stepbrother. I’m one of the Bond fans who actually enjoys this twist and defends it on a rather regular basis, which is how I learned that humorously fitting nickname to a moment that many have lampooned.

Christoph Waltz is also in favor of Spectre’s big reveal, and he has another really good reason behind just why he’s Team Brofeld. As our conversation continued, he gave me the following feedback that explained just why this supposedly problematic moment was alright in his book: 

James Bond’s personal history and death will never not be hot topics that people love to discuss through their own frame of reference. The Daniel Craig movies proved that point better than any other era of Bond history, especially when its finale was well inspired by On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the supposed OG problem child of the series. 

As we wait to see how the future of the franchise unfolds, every and any talking point in 007 history could find its way back to the table, with everyone choosing their favorites to support their case for where the saga should go next. Thanks to Christoph Waltz, proponents of the Craig era now have more fuel for their arguments supporting 007’s death and the Brofeld twist, authoring some fresh pain in the eyes of their would-be opponents. Which, when you think about it, is the ultimate Blofeld move.

Whether you want to catch Christoph Waltz’s darkly hysterical performance in The Consultant, or if you want to revisit his role in No Time To Die, there’s one platform that has you covered. Both of those titles are available to those holding a Prime Video subscription, so there’s no need to delay when digging into either. 

Every once in a while, there comes a movie I am so hyped for that I literally count down the days until it gets here. For a long time, it was the Harry Potter series. Then I started to convert that energy to movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But as I’ve gotten older, I also have that same energy for a certain filmmaker whenever he releases a new project, and that’s Guillermo del Toro. 

A master of fantasy and horror, del Toro is one of my idols in the movie world, and someone I truly look up to in terms of what I believe is a great moviemaker. And now, he’s coming out with a new film on Netflix, his adaptation of Pinocchio that he’s been working on for years. And let me tell you – the cast is stacked. 

From people who have appeared in several del Toro movies before, to brand new actors, here is where you might have seen (or heard) the Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio cast before. 

Ewan McGregor - Sebastion J. Cricket

First up on the list, we have Ewan McGregor, who plays Sebastian J. Cricket in Pinocchio, and McGregor has been around in the business for years. Most people might know McGregor from his role as Obi-Wan in the Star Wars franchise, a role he reprised in 2022 in the Disney+ original series, Obi-Wan Kebobi, but McGregor has done so much more in the world of movies and television that you might know. 

For example, McGregor has an amazing voice, and he performed in the movie musical Moulin Rouge!. He’s also appeared in many other films, including Big Fish, Trainspotting (and its sequel), Black Hawk Down, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Ghost Writer, Angels and Demons, Christopher Robin, and more. He was also in Birds of Prey, as well as the Stephen King adaptation, Doctor Sleep. In terms of voice-acting, he played Lumiere in the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and was the main protagonist in the film, Robots. 

McGregor hasn’t done as much on television, but his starring roles are significant. He played two of the main characters in the third season of Fargo, and starred in Halston, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award. 

David Bradley - Geppetto

Gepetto is the man, the myth, the legend in Pinocchio who creates the titular boy, and he is voiced by David Bradley. Another of Hollywood's familiar faces, Bradley has been around in the industry for a long time. Some of his biggest roles include playing Filch in the Harry Potter franchise, as well as Lord Walder Frey in Game of Thrones, but he’s done so much more. 

Some of his biggest movies include The Intended, Harry Brown, The Young Messiah, Jolt, and others. In television, he worked with del Toro before in the animated series Tales of Arcadia, but has appeared in many other shows, like The Strain, Mount Pleasant, After Life, and Thieves Like Us, among other guest appearances. 

Gregory Mann - Pinocchio And Carlo

Of course, we have to have Pinocchio in Pinocchio, and he is voiced by Gregory Mann, who also voices Carlo in Pinocchio. Gregory Mann is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, with his only credit thus far being in the 2019 version of Cats, but I’m sure that as time goes on, you’ll get to see him more and more. 

Burn Gorman - Priest

Moving on, we take a look at Burn Gorman, who plays Priest in Pinocchio. Like many of the cast members on this list, he has been in many movies and TV shows – and has worked with Guillermo del Toro in the past. Gorman was a part of the Pacific Rim movies, and had a role in Crimson Peak. Some of his other films that you might have seen him in include The Dark Knight Rises, Fred Claus, Watcher, Enola Holmes, and Imperium. 

Gorman has also had a very recognizable career in television, appearing in shows such as Torchwood, Turn: Washington’s Spies on AMC, as well as The Man in the High Castle on Amazon. He also appeared in the Halo series on Paramount, was a part of The Offer cast, and was in The Expanse. Truly, all over the map, this one. 

Ron Perlman - Podesta

Next up is Ron Perlman, who plays Podesta in Pinocchio. Perlman is another actor who has done so much in the world of movies and TV, but he’s also a really good voice actor, too - with almost too many roles to even talk about. My personal favorite is when he voiced the Stabbington brothers in Tangled. 

Other than that, Perlman has made a lot of films. Some of his biggest roles are in the 2021 movie, Don’t Look Up, Drive, the Hellboy films, Alien: Resurrection, Quest for Fire, and several more. Perlman is also a frequent collaborator with del Toro, and has appeared in many of his movies, including Cronos, Blade II, Nightmare Alley, and Pacific Rim. 

In television, he had a main role in the Beauty and the Beast TV series, and was a big character on the popular FX drama, Sons of Anarchy. 

John Turturro - Doctore

Moving on, we take a look at John Turturro, who voices Doctore in Pinocchio. Another major player in the world of Hollywood, Turturro has appeared in many movies, including Do The Right Thing, Five Corners, The Big Lebowski, The Jesus Rolls, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Transformers film series, and even 2022’s The Batman. 

In terms of television, most recently, Turturro took a role on the popular Apple TV+ series, Severance, but has appeared in many other shows including Monk, The Night Of and The Plot Against America. 

Finn Wolfhard - Candlewick

Candlewick in Pinocchio is played by Finn Wolfhard, someone who really got his start in Hollywood by playing Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things, a role he has continued to play to this day and will continue to do so in Season 5 of the show. However, Wolfhard has also appeared in several movies during his career so far, including the IT films, The Goldfinch, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (which is getting a sequel) and The Addams Family animated film. His career is still so new – but I’m sure we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of him as time goes on. 

Cate Blanchett - Spazzatura

Another star on this list, Cate Blanchett voices Spazzatura in Pinocchio. I could go on for hours about Blanchett and how brilliant of an actress she is, but we’ll be swift and say that she’s appeared in many amazing movies. For a highlight of what she’s done and what you might have seen her in, she was in The Lord of the Rings franchise as Galadriel, Elizabeth and its sequel, Hamlet, The Aviator, Blue Jasmine, Carol, Notes On A Scandal, and so many others. 

Blanchett also voiced a main character in the How To Train Your Dragon franchise, and was a part of many other recent films, too, such as Nightmare Alley, Cinderella, Ocean’s 8, and Thor: Ragnarok, where she played Hela, Thor’s sister. 

The actress has also appeared in a few television shows as well, such as Heartland, Stateless, and the miniseries, Mrs. America, but movies are where she frequently shines. And, I can’t wait to see what she does with this role. 

Tim Blake Nelson - Black Rabbits

Tim Blake Nelson voices Black Rabbits in Pinocchio, and Nelson has been in the business for some time. He’s worked on many films including Minority Report, Lincoln, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Syriana, Old Henry, and, like many others on this list, Nightmare Alley. And that’s just a highlight of some of his best. 

Nelson has also done some work in television. Most recently, in 2022, he was a part of the cast for Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, but he’s also worked on shows such as Watchmen and Lost Ollie. 

Christoph Waltz - Count Volpe

Christoph Waltz is a name I’m sure many of us are familiar with, since he’s such an amazing actor, and of course, he’s voicing Count Volpe in Pinocchio. Waltz has done so much in the industry. He’s primarily known for his breakout role in the Quentin Tarantino film, Inglorious Bastards, but has appeared in many other movies, including Django Unchained, Carnage, The French Dispatch, Spectre, and No Time To Die. He was also in Downsizing. 

Waltz has also done some work in television as well. While he primarily appeared on German television shows for many years, he’s also had guest appearances on American shows like Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and had a role in Most Dangerous Game. 

Tilda Swinton - Wood Sprite And Death 

Last but not least, we have Tilda Swinton, who voices both the Wood Sprite and Death in Pinocchio. Swinton is certainly a star of Hollywood, and has appeared in many, many films where you might have seen her. Some of her best include Orlando, Caravaggio, The Last of England, War Requiem, Young Adam, Julia, Constantine, We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Chronicles of Narnia series, and so many more. 

She’s also appeared in several Wes Anderson movies, including The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch, and Moonrise Kingdom. She also portrayed the Ancient One in Doctor Strange and Avengers: Endgame. In television, she’s had guest appearances on shows such as What We Do In The Shadows, Getting On, and What If…?

Truly, a cast of stars is here and they are bringing it in Pinocchio. And who knows? You just might have found a new show or movie to fixate on starring these incredible actors. So many amazing projects to pick from – where will you start? 

Considering how Christopher Nolan’s goal with his live-action Batman movies was to bring Batman into the real world, it was always safe to assume we would never see Mr. Freeze face off against Christian Bale. However, as Matt Reeves’ approach appears to be making Batman’s world real, it does not seem like too much of a stretch that we could see the chilling foe face off against Robert Pattinson.

The director of The Batman has even said that he sees potential for the tragic villain - whose real name is Dr. Victor Fries - to have a place in his grounded, new vision for the Dark Knight. If Mr. Freeze’s return to the big screen for the first time since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s very campy and punny portrayal in Batman & Robin is destined to happen under Matt Reeves’ watch, I have a few idea of who might be a perfect choice to bring the role to life, staring with someone well-versed in playing tragic figures already.

Bryan Cranston

Like many of the best faces in Batman’s rogues gallery, Mr. Freeze is a villain by circumstance - driven to crime in order to find a cure for his ailing wife, whom he has put under cryogenic slumber with the same chemicals that accidentally turn him, literally, cold-blooded. Another iconic example of a character whose desperate commitment to his family led him down a path of destruction is Walter White, played brilliantly in the Breaking Bad cast by four-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston - who might also be good as a Marvel villain some day. If there is one person best equipped to portray Freeze’s tragic evolution, it has to be him.

Giancarlo Esposito

Bryan Cranston is not the only former Breaking Bad cast member to cross my mind when considering who could be the next Mr. Freeze. Ever since Giancarlo Esposito played drug lord Gus Fring on the hit drama and later on its prequel spin-off, Better Call Saul, he has become a reliable go-to for playing TV bad guys, from Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian to Vought CEO Stan Edgar on The Boys. I think it’s time his knack for portraying villainy gets the big screen treatment, and his potentially frightening Freeze he would be the perfect entry point.

Mads Mikkelsen

An actor known for frightening audiences on both the small screen (such as in the Hannibal cast in the title role) and the big screen (including as Kaecilius in Doctor Strange or the new Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) is Mads Mikkelsen. However, in his lighter roles - like in the Oscar-winning dramedy Another Round - the Danish actor has shown he can effortlessly tap into an audience’s fuzzier side and earn its sympathy. Channeling both sides of his acting range would be key to pulling off Mr. Freeze, making him an excellent choice.

Christoph Waltz

We have also seen Christoph Waltz play both honorable and unscrupulous characters, and to Academy Award-winning glory (each time in a Quentin Tarantino movie, too). However, between the charming bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained and the dastardly Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, I think the latter remains his defining role and Tarantino’s favorite of the characters he has written. I think it also provides a glimpse at what a more cunning and calculating Mr. Freeze could look like, and that is an interpretation I would kill to see.

Ben Mendelsohn

You may remember all of Ben Mendelsohn’s great, antagonistic performances in Star Wars: Rogue One or Captain Marvel (which turned out to be a misdirect, of course) or his Emmy-winning role on Netflix’s Bloodline. What you might not remember is that he also played a bad guy in The Dark Knight Rises - namely a construction company owner who attempted to assume control of Wayne Enterprises with the help of Bane (Tom Hardy). I think it would be fun to see the Aussie return to Gotham City as a more prominent villain, and with his penchant for playing blood-curdling bad guys, nailing Mr. Freeze, for him, would be a breeze.

Benicio Del Toro

Another veteran of both the Star Wars movies (as DJ) and the Marvel movies (as The Collector) is Benicio Del Toro, who brought a distinct eccentricity to each of his standout roles in those respective franchises. Eccentricity is not a word often associated with Mr. Freeze, who has typically been portrayed as over-the-top silly (such as on the 1960s Batman TV series) or stone cold serious (most famously in some of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes as voiced by Michael Ansara). I am curious to see an iteration that finds that sweet spot in the middle and the Academy Award winner might be able to make that work really well in Matt Reeves’ Batman universe.

Michael Fassbender

Another actor you may remember from the Marvel movies (just not of the MCU continuity), but may have forgotten was also in a DC adaptation, is Michael Fassbender. The German-born, English-raised actor’s villainous roles from each are entirely different, with the X-Men movies’ Magneto being very sophisticated and driven by a morally questionable sense of righteousness, and Burke from the 2010’s misbegotten western Jonah Hex being a sadistic freak. The former of those character traits is already essential when portraying Mr. Freeze, while the latter could be an interesting one for the Academy Award nominee to also experiment with for a new interpretation. 

Mark Strong

I will admit that this choice is almost a little too easy since Mark Strong already has extensive experience with comic book movie roles. In fact, two of them are notable DC villains - namely Sinestro (before going bad, that is) in 2011’s Green Lantern and Dr. Sivana in Shazam! from 2019. However, that and his physical appearance alone (I mean, does he not look exactly like Mr. Freeze from Batman: The Animated Series brought to life?) are enough for me to consider him as a fantastic choice for the role.

The mere idea of any of these tour de force actors cast as Mr. Freeze makes me even more excited and hopeful for his big screen return. If he is destined to be one of the potential villains in the sequel to The Batman, I cannot wait to see what ideas Matt Reeves has in mind.

Depending on how you look at it, it's either been just over twelve months or more than 50 years since The Umbrella Academy's core squad tried to reverse JFK's assassination in Season 2. Given all things COVID-related, the long wait for Season 3 was somewhat expected, but news about the upcoming season has been sporadic at best. Thankfully, star Elliot Page dropped a pretty major update that could indicate when we might see new episodes. And it looks like co-star David Castañeda has signed on for a new streaming TV show, so what does that mean?

Elliot Page's Umbrella Academy Season 3 Update

For everyone who can't wait to get back into wacky adventures with both the old school Hargreeves squad and the finale-revealed Team Sparrow Academy and all of those cast additions, take some comfort in knowing that Season 3 is quite possibly on the cusp of wrapping up the filming stages of the production. Here's what Elliot Page had to say, which admittedly isn't overflowing by way of details:

C'mon, Elliot! At least give us a cap logo or some T-shirt imagery that probably doesn't have anything to do with The Umbrella Academy's third season, but can still be used as mindless speculation! This is all we have to survive on in these desperate times! Okay, so maybe it's not quite that dire just yet, since there's no lack of superhero action both on the small screen and in theaters.

Of course, it's entirely possible that just because Elliot Page will soon be finished with his time filming The Umbrella Academy Season 3, that doesn't mean every other cast member will also be done when Page will. There might be a particularly complicated scene being saved for last that doesn't involve Vanya. Or perhaps Page's character doesn't make it to the end of the season alive. Which, by all means, is the same kind of fate that could explain this next bit.

David Castañeda Has Joined Another TV Show

While David Castañeda hasn't offered fans any updates about Season 3 in the immediate past, the actor did find himself another starring role on a heightened streaming drama. In this case, we're talking about Emmy-nominated short-form thriller The Most Dangerous Game, which was formerly a Quibi original series before the company folded and sold its IP to Roku. The Most Dangerous Game joins the previously renewed Reno 911 and Die Hart within Roku's now-growing lineup of exclusive content, with Castañeda joining Season 1 co-star Christoph Waltz in a lead role, with Liam Hemsworth having starred in the prior season.

Like the story its name is derived from, The Most Dangerous Game features Christoph Waltz's dubious Miles Sellers giving someone a chance to secure riches if they're able to survive a day of being hunted down. According to Roku's announcement, Season 2 will feature David Castañeda as a hard-luck fighter named Victor Suero, whose brotherly instincts kick in hardcore when he finds out his sister is in trouble. As one probably guessed, Victor will be the one agreeing to Miles' cold-blooded offer, although one can probably also assume that creator Nick Santora will find ways to subvert expectations to keep things interesting in Season 2. The first change viewers can expect is for the action to shift from Detroit to New York City.

It's unclear at this point whether Roku will keep The Most Dangerous Game as a short-form series, or the company plans to expand the episodic runtimes for Season 2. Considering David Castañeda is a busy actor on the film side of things as well as the streaming TV side, Umbrella Academy fans should start hoping for the shortest season possible, at least for the sake of Diego Hargreeves' chances of surviving to Season 4 and beyond.

Will we get to see The Umbrella Academy Season 3 by Spring 2022? Will Elliot Page and David Castañeda's characters survive the introduction of the Sparrow Academy? Will Colm Feore's extraterrestrial Reginald Hargreeves ever remember his alt-timeline children? As it went with Season 2, we'll just have to give it some time before we find out. In the meanTIME, check out all the awesome 2021 Fall TV shows popping up in the coming months.

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I remember when Brad Pitt was easily the biggest name in the Inglourious Basterds cast (despite not actually being the main character) when it first came out in 2009. Arguably, he still is, but after Christoph Waltz earned his first Oscar, Diane Kruger became a household name, and Michael Fassbender and others started doing superhero movies, Quentin Tarantino’s World War II epic (very, very loosely inspired by the 1978 B-grade period piece The Inglorious Bastards) soon became a star-studded modern classic. Those stars have had a lot of notable movies, TV shows, and more on their plates since changing history with a loud bang, so, let’s see what they are up to these days, starting with our American hero.

Brad Pitt (Lt. Aldo “The Apache” Raine)

Technically, this superstar first collaborated with his Inglourious Basterds director for 1992’s Quentin Tarantino-penned, Tony Scott-directed True Romance before playing Lt. Aldo Raine (one of Brad Pitt’s most badass characters), and his Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood role as Cliff Booth.

He later starred in more grounded World War II-era dramas (2014’s Fury and Allied in 2016), sort of followed X-Men movies star Michael Fassbender’s footsteps by making one of the funniest superhero movie cameos as Vanisher, and even became The Jim Jefferies Show’s Weatherman on Comedy Central. Pitt is reuniting with Deadpool 2 director David Leitch for 2022’s Bullet Train (also starring his Lost City of D co-star Sandra Bullock), is teaming up with Damien Chazelle for the first time with Babylon, and has many upcoming producer credits, such as an adaptation of the horror graphic novel, Black Hole.

Mélanie Laurent (Shosanna Dreyfus)

I believe Inglourious Basterds’ true hero is Shosanna, played by Mélanie Laurent - who was previously known best for having Pierre Laurent, voice actor for the French-language version of The Simpsons, as a father. Playing the resilient Jewish refugee led to roles in more American films, such as the Academy Award-winning Beginners in 2010, the 2013 magic show/heist thriller combo Now You See Me, Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy the same year, a true Nazi-hunting story called Operation Finale, and two Netflix movies - including 6 Underground with Ryan Reynolds and Oxygen in 2021.

Laurent still stars in and even helms French-language films to this day, including The Mad Women’s Ball (premiering exclusively on Amazon Prime September 17, 2021), but also a new English-language directorial feature in the works, called The Nightingale, starring sisters Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning.

Christoph Waltz (Col. Hans “The Jew Hunter” Landa)

Other than Hitler, of course, the biggest thorn in Aldo and Shosanna’s sides is Col. Hans Landa - played to Academy Award-winning perfection by Austrian-born Christoph Waltz, who also worked almost exclusively in Europe before Inglourious Basterds. Quentin Tarantino directed him in a second (and more heroic) Oscar-winning performance from 2012’s Django Unchained, before Waltz revisited his villainous talent in comedies like Horrible Bosses 2 or even series like Quibi’s Most Dangerous Game, to name a few, in addition to another kindly mentor role in Alita: Battle Angel from 2019.

Next, Waltz is starring in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, reprising his Bond villain role in No Time to Die, playing Mikhail Gorbachev opposite Michael Douglas’ Ronald Regan in a miniseries about their 1986 meeting, and is voicing a fox for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, most notably.

Diane Kruger (Bridget Von Hammersmark)

Secretly working against Landa and the Third Reich is German actress Bridget von Hammersmark - played by German actress Diane Kruger, who actually broke into American cinema pretty early before landing starring roles in films like Troy (opposite Inglourious Basterds' Brad Pitt) and the National Treasure movies with Nicolas Cage. She would then go back and forth between playing more heroes (such as a Texas detective on FX’s The Bridge), more antagonists (like in the 2013 Stephenie Meyer movie The Host), and another World War II-inspired femme fatale in Robert Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen from 2018.

Netflix’s The 355 was originally set to be next of Kruger’s 2021 movies before it was postponed to the 2022 movies schedule and, unless Quibi’s serialized Swimming with Sharks remake does not find a new home soon, you will likely see her next in the romantic drama, First Love.

Eli Roth (Sgt. Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz)

While better known for directing and cameoing in horror movies, Eli Roth was appointed by friend and collaborator Quentin Tarantino (who helped produced the Hostel movies) to star in Inglourious Basterds as Sgt. Donny Donowitz and direct Nation’s Pride - the film-within-a-film where its premiere is the setting of the explosive third act. The director has since branched out slightly beyond his typical gore fests to dabble in the action genre (his 2018 Death Wish remake with Bruce Willis), and even family films (The House with a Clock in its Walls) and documentaries (Fin - his upcoming investigation of shark deaths). Speaking of, his AMC docuseries History of Horror has been renewed for a third season you can expect in 2021, and his adaptation of the popular video game Borderlands is expected to hit theaters the following year.

Michael Fassbender (Lt. Archie Hicox)

Appearing as British Army officer and Basterds ally Lt. Archie Hicox for less than 20 minutes in Inglourious Basterds was enough to pave the way for Michael Fassbender to become one of the most acclaimed and busiest actors of his time. Soon after, he would be cast in the Marvel movies (not the MCU, however) as Magneto, earn two Oscar nominations (for the Brad Pitt-produced 12 Years a Slave, and the Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs), tried his hand at video game movies with Assassin’s Creed, and joined the Alien movies franchise as two different android characters.

Fassbender will next star in Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, appear in a feature-length sequel to the hit Kung Fury short, work with director David Fincher on The Killer, and rumors suggest Mel Gibson’s The Wild Bunch remake may be his latest western.

Daniel Brühl (Fredrick Zoller)

Playing Nazi turned film star Fredrick Zoller in Inglourious Basterds also proved to be a star-making turn for Daniel Brühl, whose biggest role in the American mainstream had been a small part in The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007. His next antagonistic role in a period piece was Formula One racer Niki Lauda (opposite Chris Hemsworth) in Rush before later playing a respectable 19th-Century psychiatrist on the TNT series The Alienist, for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Brühl recently played Baron Zemo a second time in Disney+’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, will star in a different sort of comic book flick with Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service prequel The King’s Man, and is re-enlisting into the German Army for the First World War with a new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

Til Schweiger (Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz)

While a fair share of American audiences might not have known Til Schweiger before Inglourious Basterds burned the name Hugo Stiglitz into their brains, he has been acting in English-language releases since the late 1990s, including 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life opposite Angelina Jolie, and the raunchy Rob Schneider comedy Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo in 2005.

Despite his subsequent fame from films like 2011’s The Three Musketeers or Muppets Most Wanted in 2014 (both also starring Christoph Waltz), the German actor and filmmaker’s most recent American film appearance was in Atomic Blonde from 2018. However, he is still working steadily in front of and behind the camera and will soon appear alongside the likes of Ben Foster and Michael Caine in Medieval - a retelling of Jan Ziska’s defeat of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire in the 14th Century.

B.J. Novak (Smithson "The Little Man" Utivich)

Also known for his work in front of and behind the camera is B.J. Novak, who was best known as a writer, director, and star of The Office cast before playing the unfortunately nicknamed Smithson Utivich in Inglourious Basterds. He would later follow-up his tenure as Ryan Howard by trying his hand at comic book movies (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), biopics directed by John Lee Hancock (Disney’s Saving Mister Banks in 2013 and 2016’s The Founder), and other TV shows like HBO’s The Newsroom or The Mindy Project, which his friend Mindy Kaling created and starred on.

Novak created an anthology series called The Premise (formerly known as Platform) that is premiering to FX in September 2021 and is working on his feature-length debut as a writer and director with the horror film Vengeance, which is currently set for a 2021 release as well.

Mike Myers (Gen. Ed Fenech)

Another Inglourious Basterds star who broke out on a popular comedy series is Saturday Night Live cast veteran Mike Myers, who became one of the most famous comedians in the world thanks to characters like Wayne from Wayne’s World as well as lending his voice to the Shrek movies as the titular Ogre. Thus, it was quite surprising for the almost completely unrecognizable Canadian to make a cameo in a Quentin Tarantino movie until going undercover become more of his thing, such when he hosted the Gong Show reboot as Tommy Maitland or appeared in Bohemian Rhapsody as a fictional record producer. Myers is currently working on Oscar-nominated Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell’s next film and developing a Netflix original comedy series reportedly called The Pentaverate, but whether or not we should expect Austin Powers 4 remains to be determined.

Few filmmakers know how to put a movie cast together as well as Quentin Tarantino. In terms of using each actor appropriately and to the best of their talents, and propelling a few members into extremely successful careers, the Inglourious Basterds cast just may be his masterpiece.

Back when the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was gearing up for its supposedly final entry, the casting of Skyfall villain Javier Bardem was a fortunate stroke of casting genius. Playing the role of Captain Armando Salzar, Bardem’s role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales couldn’t have fit him better. Which makes the fact that fellow James Bond villain Christoph Waltz was also up for that role all the more interesting in hindsight.

As progress was being made towards directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg’s entry in the Johnny Depp iteration of Disney’s blockbuster saga, Waltz was being considered for the baddie in the 2017 film’s cast. But as Express brings up in their telling of the tale, it wasn’t too long before Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales secured Javier Bardem. The reason being Christoph Waltz had turned down the role.

Looking back at the history of this Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, it looks like the casting change up led to a bit of a rewrite to fit Bardem’s casting coup. Originally, it was reported that Christoph Waltz was being considered for the villain who, at the time, was to be named Captain Brand. So it wasn’t like Disney was considering the Austrian-German actor for a role that was always planned to star a Spanish actor.

So why did Christoph Waltz pass up on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales? Well, it seems like the James Bond franchise was the cause of that matter, at least that’s what the timing involved in the film’s casting would suggest. Waltz’s potential casting was mentioned towards the end of 2013, while Javier Bardem’s candidacy circulated around the October 2014 timeframe. Within a month of that news, Christoph Waltz was announced as joining the cast of Spectre, with December of that year marking the start of filming.

Running down the entire plot of this Pirates of the Carribean merry-go-round, it feels like Disney wanted a Bond villain for their project, and didn’t even know it. Until, of course, they actually replaced a future 007 antagonist with the most recent to tangle with Daniel Craig’s iconic hero. It’s a tale of two different paths that yield wildly different results; which is exactly where the fate of the entire franchise seems to be sitting this very moment.

In a post Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales world, two paths are developing from one similar world. Though instead of dueling James Bond adversaries, it’s a case of two comic book performers, as both Karen Gillan and Margot Robbie are both tipped as being the way forward for the next age of Pirates movies. Time will tell which scenario wins out, and one day we'll be able to look back on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and laugh about how it weighed two potential candidates from a very familiar background.

Following close to two decades of anticipation, producer James Cameron finally delivered with 2019's Alita: Battle Angel. Based on the early 1990s cyberpunk manga series by Yukito Kishiro, Alita was a long-brewing passion project for the Titanic/Avatar filmmaker, and he realized his vision through director Robert Rodriguez. 

Starring Rosa Salazar in the lead role, along with Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, and Ed Skrein in the supporting cast, this sci-fi blockbuster was a huge movie, and it found a loyal fanbase since its release last year. Whether or not a sequel is imminent is unclear, particularly since it's not certain how much of a profit the film made. But whether or not the Alita sequel comes to be, there will likely be many movie lovers who'll want to know what this cast has in the works. Therefore, here's what the cast of Alita: Battle Angel is doing now.

Rosa Salazar (Alita)

As the title character herself, Rosa Salazar got her own starring vehicle as Alita in Alita: Battle Angel. While this breakthrough part is currently her most famous and well-recognized role, Salazar is also known for her performances in The Maze Runner sequels, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, CHIPS, NBC's Parenthood, Bird Box, Man Seeking Woman, and American Horror Story Season 1. The Canadian actress also earned acclaim for her performance in the indie romantic dramedy, Night Owls. 

Following Alita's release, Salazar was seen in the lead role of Amazon Prime's Undone. She was also in an episode of CBS All Access' Star Trek: Short Treks and heard in episodes of Dirty Diana and Big Mouth. Salazar also starred in the indie drama, No Future, which recently debuted in the film festival circuits. Next, she'll be seen in Pink Skies Ahead and Netflix's upcoming series, Brand New Cherry Flavor.

Christoph Waltz (Dr. Dyson Ido)

In the role of Dr. Dyson Ido, the cyborg-scientist who becomes Alita's father figure, Christoph Waltz provides an emotional parental performance in Alita: Battle Angel. Best known for his Oscar-winning performances in Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, respectively, the Austrian actor has seen his profile rise significantly over the course of these past ten years. Some of his most noteworthy performances appear in The Zero Theorem, Big Eyes, Spectre, Downsizing, Water For Elephants, Carnage, and Muppets Most Wanted. 

Following his performance in this sci-fi blockbuster, Waltz has been seen in the Quibi series, Most Dangerous Game. He's also been on the festival circuits with Rifkin's Festival and Georgetown, the latter of which Waltz also directed. Next, Waltz will reprise his role as Blofeld in No Time To Die. He also stars in The French Dispatch, and he'll lend his voice to Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio.

Keean Johnson (Hugo)

As Hugo, a scrap dealer and Alita's love interest, Keean Johnson played one of the key roles in Alita: Battle Angel. This role is one of his first major film performances, as he's more commonly associated with his TV work. He starred in Spooksville, Nashville, The Fosters, and Guidance. Following his role in Alita, Johnson is most commonly known for his role in HBO's Euphoria. He was also recently seen in Midway, We Summon the Darkness, and Low Tide. Earlier this year, Johnson starred in Cut Throat City and Emperor. Next, the actor will be seen in The Ultimate Playlist of Noise.

Mahershala Ali (Vector)

Playing the part of Vector, an influential entrepreneur at The Factory with some criminal intents, Mahershala Ali provided one of his most prominent roles following his Oscar-winning performance in Moonlight. Shortly after Alita's release, Ali won his second Oscar for his role in Green Book. He is also known for his work in House of Cards, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hidden Figures, Crossing Jordan, The 4400, Luke Cage, and more. 

Most recently, Ali starred at the forefront of HBO's True Detective Season 3 and he appeared in the second season of Hulu's Ramy. Next, Ali is expected to lend his voice to the new series, Invincible, and he's currently slated to play Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether that's a show or a movie is still left either unclear or undetermined.

Jennifer Connelly (Dr. Chiren)

As Dr. Chiren, Dr. Ido's estranged wife and a cyborg-engineer who works with Vector, Jennifer Connelly played a prominent role in Alita: Battle Angel. The actress is best known for her Oscar-winning performance in A Beautiful Mind, as well as her lead roles in Requiem for a Dream, Labyrinth, Career Opportunities, House of Sand and Fog, and Phenomena. Connelly is also known for her work in Hulk, The Rocketeer, Dark City, Blood Diamond, Noah, and He's Just Not That Into You, among other films. 

Following her time in Alita, Connelly joined the main cast of TNT's Snowpiercer, based on the Bong Joon-ho movie of the same name, and the show was already picked up for another season. The newest episodes are expected to come out sometime in later in 2020. Next, Connelly will be seen in Top Gun: Maverick, which is currently slated for July 2nd, 2021.

Lana Condor (Koyomi)

Playing the part of Koyomi, a friend to Hugo and Tanji, Lana Condor received one of her most high-profile early roles in Alita: Battle Angel. While the talented young actress is also known for YouTube channel and her work in X-Men: Apocalypse, she rose to fame through her lead role in Netflix's To All The Boys I Loved Before, and its sequel, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, from earlier this year. She's also recognized for her supporting turn in Patriots Day. 

Following her role in Alita: Battle Angel, Condor became the star of Syfy's Deadly Class and lent her voice to the English dub of Rilakkuma and Kaoru and the final season of BoJack Horseman. She also starred in the coming-of-age rom-com, Summer Night. Next, Condor will star in the third, presumably final sequel, To All The Boys: Always And Forever, Lara Jean.

Ed Skrein (Zapan)

In the role of Zapan, a sword-wielding bounty hunter cyborg with a vendetta against Alita, Ed Skrein provided a menacing antagonistic role in Alita: Battle Angel. Prior to his work in Robert Rodriguez's blockbuster, Skrein was best known for his role in Games of Thrones, as well as his villainous turn in Deadpool. He was also at the forefront of The Transporter: Refueled. Outside of acting, Skrein is also a musician; he released a studio album, The Eat Up, in 2007. Around the time Alita: Battle Angel came to theaters, Skrein also received praise for his work in If Beale Street Could Talk. 

Following Alita's release, Skrein has since starred in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Midway, and Born a King, the latter of which went to film festivals last year. He'll next appear in Naked Singularity, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, and Prisoners of the Ghostland.

Jackie Earle Haley (Grewishka)

As Grewishka, an imposing criminal cyborg who works as Nova's personal assassin and enforcer, Jackie Earle Haley provided an intriguing supporting turn in Alita: Battle Angel. A former child actor best known for his role in The Bad News Bears films, Haley's acting career was revived when he starred in Little Children, for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. He'd go on to provide memorable performances in Watchmen, Shutter Island, and 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street, and he starred in Dark Shadows, Lincoln, 2014's RoboCop, The Dark Tower, London Has Fallen, and more. 

He also made his feature directorial debut with 2015's Criminal Activities. Haley appeared in several episodes of Human Target, Preacher, The Tick, and Narcos: Mexico. Most recently, Haley starred in No Future and Death of a Telemarketer, both of which hit the film festival circuits earlier this year.

Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Tanji)

In the role of Tanji, Hugo's scrap-dealing friend and criminal accomplice, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. played a notable supporting character in Alita: Battle Angel. In the past few years, Lendeborg Jr. has amassed an impressive filmography which includes Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Brigsby Bear, Love Simon, and Bumblebee. He also starred in episodes of Wu-Tang: An American Saga and Day by Day. Most recently, he was seen in John Leguizamo's Critical Thinking earlier this month. Next, Lendeborg Jr. will star in Bliss and Night Teeth.

Eiza Gonzalez (Nyssiana)

Playing the part of Nyssiana, a wanted cyborg assassin, Eiza Gonzalez gave life to one of the most memorable characters in Alita: Battle Angel. The film/TV actress first gained popularity through her role in the musical telenovela Lola, érase una vez. She also starred in the lead role of Nickelodeon's Sueña Conmigo. From there, Gonzalez starred in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, which is where she first started collaborating with director Robert Rodriguez. She was then seen in Jem and the Holograms, Baby Driver, and Welcome to Marwen. 

Following her role in Alita, Gonzalez has most notably appeared in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Bloodshot, and Cut Throat City. Gonzalez is also in I Care A Lot, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. Next, Gonzalez is slated to star in Godzilla vs. Kong and Love Spreads.

Edward Norton (Nova)

In the role of Nova, Edward Norton made a quick blink-and-you-might-miss-it cameo in Alita: Battle Angel. It's apparent that he was there to tease his looming role in the proposed sequel, though it's still not clear when that'll happen or if it'll come together now that 20th Century Fox is owned and operated by Disney. Nevertheless, should this rumored sequel come together in the near future, Norton will likely play a key role in the proceedings. He's a well-respected actor with several prestigious credits and accolades to his name, notably through his outstanding performances in Primal Fear, Fight Club, American History X, 25th Hour, The Illusionist, Moonrise Kingdom, Birdman, and more. 

He's also known for his work in The Incredible Hulk, The Bourne Legacy, Red Dragon, Rounders, and more. Most recently, he directed, starred in, and adapted Motherless Brooklyn. He'll next be seen in The French Dispatch.

Who is your favorite Alita: Battle Angel character and/orcast member? Are you hopeful for the sequel? Be sure to let us know in the comment section!

Action films might be commonplace in the current film climate, but some projects have especially captured the public's attention. Last year's Alita: Battle Angel was one of those projects, resulting in a rabid fandom that has been patiently waiting for news of a possible sequel. The movie made a whopping $404 million at the box office, so it seems like a logical next step for Alita 2 to be green lit. But actor Christoph Waltz believes he may know why the budding franchise hasn't moved forward yet.

Christoph Waltz played Dr. Dyson Ido in Alita: Battle Angel. He's the title character's father figure and mentor, helping to prepare her for the epic battles that come her way throughout Robert Rodriguez's beloved blockbuster. While the cast and fans all seem excited about the potential sequel, Waltz offered one possible reason why it hasn't moved forward: Disney's acquisition of Fox. When asked if he'd reprise his role, he recently said:

Well, there you have it. While Christoph Waltz would be happy to appear in Alita: Battle Angel 2, and continue the title character's cyberpunk journey on the big screen. But this decision is ultimately in Disney's hands, as the House of Mouse acquired all of 20th Century Fox's properties, including Alita. Is the property just not Disney friendly?

Christoph Waltz' comments to Collider may disappoint the many Alita fans who are hoping that a sequel will start production sooner rather than later. But despite the movie's breakaway success and strong fanbase, there hasn't been any indication if/when Battle Angel's sequel might become a reality. As far Waltz himself, he's concerned that Disney might simply be disinterested in continuing the story, therefore killing the franchise before it could really begin.

Disney's acquisition of Fox has a ripple affect through entertainment, for both TV and movies. It still remains to be seen how this will affect major blockbusters like Deadpool, Avatar, and Alita. There's a different set of minds deciding whether or not Alita: Battle Angel will ever been seen on the screen again. And as such, fan campaigns for the sequel will likely continue until an official verdict is found.

Alita: Battle Angel is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

There may be little known about what to expect from Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as 007 in Bond 25, but this much is true -- it’s been a far from dull shoot. Between Craig suffering an ankle injury while shooting in Jamaica to an on-set explosion gone wrong -- and rumors upon rumors about drama between the cast, crew, and director Cary Fukunaga -- it seems like it’s always tea time. And it's time for another spill.

Christoph Waltz, who played the iconic Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in 2015’s Spectre, was apparently spotted on the set of Bond 25 at Pinewood Studios over in the UK. Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye reports that Waltz was shooting scenes over at the location, and when a visitor recognized him he insisted "you haven’t seen me."

Welp, looks like Christoph Waltz doesn’t have the Jedi mind trick powers he thinks he does, because this cat is already out of the bag: Blofeld may be back in the 2020 Bond! The end of Spectre did leave the potential for the Spectre leader to return and now perhaps he will. However, considering this proof is only based on one word of a visitor, we’ll have to tone down our excitement for now until more details are released.

Back in December, Cary Fukunaga shot down rumors about Blofeld and Q returning to the franchise since the script was still in development, but he did say if there was space for them in the story, he would “absolutely want them there." Ben Whishaw’s Q has since been named as part of the cast, along with Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine, Ralph Fiennes’ M, Naomie Harris’ Moneypenny, and Rory Kinnear’s Tanner. Why wouldn’t Blofeld join in as well?

Sometimes filmmakers fail to announce specific casting details in service of the story or in order to pull off good old-fashioned surprise twists (like Far From Home’s amazing surprise cameo). If so, the Bond 25 production is doing a shoddy job of it! Christoph Waltz simply saying “you haven’t seen me” is kind of a sad excuse for a line of defense. Maybe he should have gone with the cloaks the Captain Marvel cast had to often don on set.

Christoph Waltz has shown his interest in returning to his Bond role on the condition of Daniel Craig also reprising his famed role as well. Blofeld was kept alive and arrested in his last run-in with Bond and had a major role to play in the franchise’s bigger plot. The Playlist reported that he’ll return in a Silence of the Lambs type situation with Seydoux’s Madeleine visiting him in prison to get information from him about Bond 25’s main villain, played by Rami Malek.

Rami Malek’s character is rumored to have a plot involving genetic warfare, but does he have a connection to Blofeld as well? Bond 25 doesn’t hit theaters until April 2020, so find your nearest cat to pet as you wait.

Cary Fukunaga has barely gotten started on Bond 25 and he's already shaking and stirring The Rumor Mill. The director recently addressed reports -- in one instance, from one of the actors -- that Christoph Waltz's Blofeld and Ben Whishaw's Q would not be returning for the 2020 film.

Cary Fukunaga's response came during a Philippine Daily Inquirer profile. The answer to his question on the Blofeld rumor is Christoph Waltz himself. Last year, the Spectre star told an Italian movie news site that he would not be in Bond 25. It's not a lost-in-translation issue either, because you can see Waltz answer in English in a red carpet video.

Granted, Christoph Waltz said that a year ago, and a lot has changed since then. Director Danny Boyle left Bond 25 as director, and Cary Fukunaga was hired to take over. It's not clear yet how many changes will be coming with that, but Fukunaga did just say that they weren't even finished with the new script.

Back in May, Ben Whishaw -- who has played Q since Skyfall -- told The Hollywood Reporter he was contracted to be in the next film, but that was as much as he knew. At that time, Danny Boyle was still attached. Since Cary Fukunaga and company are now reworking the script, it's not clear who will land where.

It's at least safe to say Daniel Craig will be back as James Bond, for what is expected to be his final 007 film after Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre. Other than that? Cary Fukunaga gave the Philippine news site more information on his vision:

Props to him for that Road to Perdition shout-out. I might make an argument for Paul Newman, but my arm could easily be twisted toward Daniel Craig. Anyway, Bond 25 is meant to start production in March 2019 for its current February 14, 2020 release date. It was initially scheduled to begin production right about now for an October 2019 release date, but that was pushed back after Danny Boyle left.

Now we'll just have to wait and see who gets Bond's Valentine's Day 2020 love, once the script for the untitled Bond 25 is complete. Here's what's still ahead at theaters in the rest of 2018, plus the many films ahead in 2019.

The Bond franchise is gearing up for some significant changes in Bond 25. Not only will it be Daniel Craig's final outing as the beloved secret agent, but it also seems that the most recent incarnation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld may not return as well. When Christoph Waltz was recently asked about a possible return for Bond 25, the Inglourious Basterds star said:

This might come as a bit of a disappointment to some fans that were hoping to see more of Christoph Waltz's version of Blofeld in the next entry in the James Bond franchise. Much of his on-screen time in Spectre was spent building up his eventual reveal as the iconic Bond villain, and the film's ending was seemingly meant to set up his long-term presence as an enemy of 007. However, it looks like the powers that be are going in a different direction, and while Blofeld may return, Waltz won't be in the role (his comments about a "new name" seem like a giveaway).

While this creative decision may be somewhat disheartening for fans hoping to see more Christoph Waltz in this universe, it's still not entirely surprising. As James Bond's most well-known bad guy, Blofeld has been played by almost as many actors as the womanizing British agent -- ranging from Donald Pleasance's iconic, scarred version of the character, to Charles Gray's more down-to-Earth take.

Christoph Waltz's remarks to Talky Movie only add to the growing sense that the folks behind Bond 25 want to try and do something different this time around. Unlike Skyfall and Spectre, the film will not be directed by Bond veteran Sam Mendes, and the shortlist of possible replacements includes Blade Runner 2049's Denis Villeneuve, Hell or High Water's David McKenzie, and '71's Yann Demange. Moreover, there have also been rumors suggesting that Hollywood heavy-hitter Christopher Nolan is in the running to direct Bond 25 as well.

Aside from the behind-the-scenes changes that appear to be taking place in the world of James Bond, the currently-planned story for the sequel sounds like an exciting twist on the traditional James Bond narrative. In fact, it looks like we could be due for a loose adaptation/remake of the On Her Majesty's Secret Service, in which we see James Bond's quiet, happy life with Léa Seydoux's Dr. Madeleine Swann (a stand-in for Tracy di Vicenzo) cut short when an attack by a blind villain (and possible Blofeld lieutenant) leaves Swann dead. From there, the film may see Bond go on a Taken-style revenge rampage, in one of the most personal Bond stories ever committed to film.

CinemaBlend will keep you posted with more information related to the development of Bond 25 as new details are made available to us. Until then, take a look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide to learn more about anything and everything debuting on the big screen over the next year!

After spending over a decade in development hell, Alita: Battle Angel has finally been making progress towards its trek to the big screen. First Robert Rodriguez officially took over as director on the cinematic adaptation of Battle Angel Alita manga, and then the movie cast Rosa Salazar as the main protagonist. Now it's being reported that Inglorious Basterds star Christoph Waltz is being eyed to co-lead the movie.

Waltz is currently in early talks to star in Alita: Battle Angel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. If cast, he will play Doctor Dyson Ido, the cybersurgeon who becomes Alita's mentor. As noted in the article, considering Waltz's track record of playing villains and other kinds of nefarious characters, playing a supporting protagonist will be an interesting change of pace. While there will be plenty of action to entertain fans, THR also noted that Alita: Battle Angel's main story will serve as a backdrop to "themes of self-discovery and the search for love." The manga was published from 1990 to 1995, and it was adapted as a two-episode OVA (original video animation) in 1993.

Like the popular manga graphic novels, Alita: Battle Angel will follow a young cyborg named Alita on a dystopian Earth in the 26th century. She is discovered in a scrapyard by Dr. Ido (known in the manga as Daisuke Ido), but has no memory her past life. Fortunately, Alita retains her incredible martial arts skills, leading to her embarking on a career as a bounty hunter. If the movie follows the source material closely, Dr. Ido will not only rebuild Alita and mentor her, but he'll also build a father-daughter relationship with her. That means he won't be too keen on her decision to track down bad guys for a living. That said, Ido also has a history of hunting criminals, so it's possible that Alita: Battle Angel may explore this aspect of him, as well as his past living on the floating city of Tiphares.

Adding Christoph Waltz would be a major score for Alita: Battle Angel, which is finally gaining steam after all these years. The movie was originally James Cameron's baby, but after so many delays and his new focus on the Avatar franchise, he's now passed on the directing reins to Robert Rodriguez. However, Cameron will still produce the project with his Lightstorm Entertainment partner Jon Landau. Waltz's recent movie roles include playing Blofeld in Spectre and Leon Rom in The Legend of Tarzan. He has played good guys on occasion (King Schultz in Django Unchained comes to mind), but this sounds like his most benevolent America role yet. Either way, Waltz's status as a Hollywood star would definitely help draw crowds.

Alita: Battle Angel is slated to be released in July 2018.

Christoph Waltz is one of those actors who has seemed to become typecast. He's the guy you call if you need a scary foreign villain in your movie. However, he recently got to show off his comedy chops, along with his ability to play a Las Vegas stage magician. Check out the Academy Award winner alongside Jimmy Kimmel as they "audition" for Siegfried and Roy: Magic Secrets.

While we're not sure that we'd hire Christoph Waltz to play either Siegfried or Roy (For the record, Siegfried was the blonde one) we'd be more than happy to cast him in the next comedy we're putting together. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Waltz was lamenting the fact that he's perpetually cast as the villain, which was the setup for the audition bit. Kimmel's accent is gloriously terrible, as the words "not the magician" somehow become "nazi magician," a phrase which gets his audition partner more than a little upset. Waltz's great comedy comes from his utter offense at everything that Kimmel is doing with his terrible accent. The Austrian-born German citizen, of course, could perform the audition in German, so his offense is more than a little understandable.

While Christoph Waltz's career hasn't been entirely devoid of comedy, he is still best known for his villainous roles. He came to most people's attention following his role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Bastards and since then has gone on to play the villain in Spectre, as well as his current film The Legend of Tarzan. Of course, knowing him from these serious dramatic roles is part of what makes seeing him doing comedy so funny. He's the last person you'd expect to do a late night comedy sketch that has him dressing up like a Las Vegas lounge act.

Unfortunately, if you're hoping to see Christoph Waltz do a slapstick comedy, you'll need to wait a while. His next film, only a couple of weeks away, is the period drama Tulip Fever. After that, he's got a role in the finally filming Downsizing, a social satire that sees people shrink themselves in order to join dedicated communities of small people. While that film will likely have some humor, it may not be of the laugh out loud variety. We can always hope that the Siegfried and Roy biopic becomes a reality down the road.

Are you ready to preorder your tickets to Siegfried and Roy: Magic Secrets? Let us know what you think of the audition process.

With a rich history that’s now over 100-years-old, and, according to IMDB, over 200 movies with Tarzan in the title, it’s little surprise that Warner Bros. has decided to throw $180 million behind another reboot of the character with The Legend Of Tarzan.

Obviously, the studio has rather high hopes for The Legend Of Tarzan as they’re releasing it in the height of the summer blockbuster season. They’re hedging their bets that it will be able to swing from vine to vine for several weeks and not only amass a healthy box office return, but will also kick start a brand-new franchise that will prove to be very, very lucrative.

All of that was thrown into a bit of chaos just a couple of months ago when rumors emerged that Warner Bros. wasn’t completely happy with what The Legend Of Tarzan’s production had left them with. This issue wasn’t helped by the revelation that director David Yates had moved onto Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them just after The Legend Of Tarzan’s post-production had begun.

But all of these problems dissipated with the release of the stunning first trailer for The Legend Of Tarzan, which suggested that the blockbuster will be a moody, thrilling, and action-packed waltz through the jungle and a modern examination of the titular character and his doting wife Jane.

But what else do you need to know about The Legend Of Tarzan? Well, luckily, you can have a look through our handy guide below to learn about the blockbuster, which could be the surprise hit of the summer.

What Is The Legend of Tarzan Release Date?

Movie fans need to get really excited, because the end of June and July in 2016 possesses a genuine feast of cinematic delights for those of us that like visiting the multiplexes. Not only is there Finding Dory, Central Intelligence, Independence Day Resurgence, Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond and Jason Bourne within the space of a few short weeks, but over the same weekend we’ll have to make the impossible decision of whether to take in The Legend Of Tarzan or Steven Spielberg’s take on Roald Dahl’s The BFG. While moviegoers will adore having this option, the respective studios (Warner Bros. for The Legend Of Tarzan and Disney for The BFG) will be well aware that they have a battle on their hands to dominate the oh so important opening weekend. Unfortunately for The Legend Of Tarzan, their task to topple The BFG is a big ask. As the most popular mainstream director in the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg has built up a sturdy reputation that means every new release from him is met with an immediate intrigue from audiences. In fact, the last Spielberg film to approach anything near to a flop was 1997’s Amistad, which grossed just $44.2 million from a $36 million budget. But, with Steven Spielberg making a special effects driven, big-budgeted action adventure for all the family, that is based on an established novel from one of the most beloved writers of recent memory, it’s hard to see how The BFG will fail. The Legend Of Tarzan’s only chance of eclipsing it will be if it’s met with an impressive critical response. But, if that doesn’t happen, it could gust out of cinemas just as quickly as it entered them.

What Is The Legend of Tarzan Rating?

From the looks of the footage released so far, The Legend of Tarzan will be a pretty intense film. And yet, the filmmakers have managed to make the movie one that a large audience will be able to see without too much trouble. The film has currently gained a PG-13 rating, and since the movie comes out in just a couple of months, it’s unlikely that any editing will be done that would change that to an R rating. So, as long as your young teens are accompanied by an adult, they should be fine audience members for this action/adventure film.

What Is The Legend of Tarzan Story?

Rather than starting at the origins of Tarzan in the jungle and working forward in a linear fashion, writers Adam Cozad & Craig Brewer and director David Yates have decided to begin The Legend Of Tarzan with Alexander Skarsgård’s titular character as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke. In fact, according to the synopsis for The Legend Of Tarzan, it has been years since Lord Greystoke lived in the jungles of Africa. Instead, he has since become gentrified and he now has a nice, casual life alongside his wife Jane Porter (Margot Robbie) in England. But it wouldn’t be a Tarzan film if we didn’t see our muscle-bound hero amongst the green and gorillas. And after being invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary for the British Parliament, Lord Greystoke is thrust back into the life he left behind and begins to turn back into Tarzan. He's a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge that has been orchestrated by Christoph Waltz’s Captain Leon Rom, a sneaky Belgian. The first trailer for The Legend Of Tarzan suggests that most of the action is going to take place in the jungle, with its plot also seemingly revolving around the myth of the man that has built up since Lord Greystoke moved to England. Which was probably pretty obvious from the film’s title.

The Writers

Warner Bros. has been plotting a Tarzan reboot since back in 2003. John August tried to bring to life a modern-day big-budgeted adaptation, while Guillermo del Toro, John Collee, Stephen Sommers, and Stuart Beattie each worked on different variations that were inspired by Pirates Of The Caribbean and would incorporate parkour and high-energy action. Finally though, Warner Bros. decided to hire two writers, Craig Brewer and Adam Cozad, to write separate drafts for The Legend Of Tarzan, which have now seemingly been merged together. This is also a ploy that Warner Bros. used for Wonder Woman. Out of this writing team, Craig Brewer has found the most success, having previously written and directed Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan, and Footloose. Meanwhile, Adam Cozad is hardly a novice to the screenwriting game, with his previous screen-credit coming in the shape of 2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Obviously it’s impossible to know if this approach will produce cinematic gold, or an uneven and truncated final product. That’s why the appointment of the perfect director was key. Luckily Warner Bros. got someone who has been there, done that, and got the t-shirt straight from the Hogwarts megastore.

The Director

More than any other, Warner Bros. is famously a studio that likes to maintain their working relationships with writers and directors. So, when they were after a mainstream director to oversee their Tarzan reboot and, hopefully, the first installment of many in the franchise, it was hardly surprising that they turned to David Yates. Yates reportedly beat The Hunger Games’ Gary Ross and Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang’s Susanna White to claim the job, and you can imagine that his main selling point was his work directing the final four Harry Potter films, The Order Of The Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. David Yates’ role in stabilizing the Harry Potter franchise and building it to a rousing conclusion, while at the same time bringing a solid tone and getting increasingly impressive performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, often goes unmentioned. But Warner Bros.' decision to have him oversee both The Legend Of Tarzan and the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is proof that they noticed. The first trailer for The Legend Of Tarzan teases that David Yates has only grown more confident with his action set-pieces and set-ups. While Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them doesn’t look half-bad, either.

Tarzan

Alexander Skarsgård has been tasked with playing the titular character in David Yates’ new incarnation of Tarzan, with the 39-year-old True Blood and Generation Kill actor beating out the likes of Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, and Charlie Hunnam to take the part. Rather alarmingly, there was previously a rumor that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was going to dive head first into a cinematic career with the role, but that, thankfully, proved to be unfounded. There was actually precedent for such a casting, though, as Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller played Tarzan in over 12 films between 1932 and 1948. Despite the past, thankfully Warner Bros. recognized that an actual actor was needed for the part, and the Swede soon set out on a rigorous four month training regiment to get his body in tip-top shape. Talking about his version of Tarzan, Alexander Skarsgård explained to USA Today:

Obviously, since most of his career has been spent working in television, there are still some concerns over his leading man credentials. But, there’s no denying that he certainly looks the part.

Jane Porter

What makes Margot Robbie’s meteoric rise to becoming a bona-fide Hollywood leading lady remarkable is just how at home the 25-year-old Australian looks as an A-lister. Possessing a beauty that in previous centuries would have led countries to go to war, with The Wolf Of Wall Street and Focus Margot Robbie went toe-to-toe with Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith, respectively, and effortlessly rose to the occasion. That’s only the beginning though, and 2016 is set to be the year that she reinforces her credentials. Of course there’s her performance as Harley Quinn in Warner Bros.’ other rather huge summer blockbuster Suicide Squad, but, with Tarzan’s wife Jane Porter in The Legend of Tarzan, Margot Robbie is playing a character that’s equally as iconic in pop culture history. Yet, there are absolutely no concerns that she won’t do the character justice. Director David Yates previously promised that Margot Robbie's Jane Porter is far from a "passive partner to Tarzan" before adding:

In fact, a merging of her old-school glamour and beauty, with a modern toughness and complexity that was previously missing from Jane, is perfectly suited to both the character and The Legend Of Tarzan.

George Washington Williams

While Margot Robbie and Alexander Skarsgård will be doing most of the heavy lifting with The Legend Of Tarzan, the film possesses an impressive supporting cast for assistance. Not only is there the Academy Award nominated actors Djimon Hounsou and John Hurt, but there’s Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent, too. However, it’s the supporting presence of Samuel L. Jackson that will undoubtedly impress viewers the most. In The Legend Of Tarzan Samuel L. Jackson plays George Washington Williams, the pioneering American Civil War veteran, politician, minister, lawyer and journalist who repeatedly broke ground in African-American history. George Washington Williams visited Congo shortly before his death, where he helped to spur an outcry over the treatment of people in the country. It will be exciting to see what Samuel L. Jackson can do with such an influential figure, especially since this is the first time that George Washington Williams has ever actually appeared on screen.

Captain Leon Rom

The Legend Of Tarzan’s roster of Academy Award nominated actors doesn’t just stop at four though. That’s because they’ve also got two-time winner Christoph Waltz in the villainous role, playing another character based on a real-person, Leon Rom. Rom sounds like a downright despicable individual, as not only has it been speculated that he was the main inspiration for Kurtz in Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness, which was later turned into Apocalypse Now, but he allegedly used to keep severed heads of Africans in his flower bed, and even murdered individuals for the smallest of offenses. Having portrayed the SS-leader Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds and Blofeld in Spectre, Christoph Waltz is quite adept at portraying wicked individuals. But this might just be his most detestable yet.

History

Of course, The Legend Of Tarzan has a long and storied to try and not just match, but emulate. Originally created by Edgar Rice Burroughs years before cinema even evolved into talkies, the first Tarzan story, Tarzan Of The Apes, was released in print in 1912. In the ensuing decades, the feral child that was raised in the African jungle would go on to appear in innumerable novels and stories. Meanwhile, Hollywood recognized the mainstream appeal of the character when films were still silent, but, starting in the 1930s, a popular Tarzan movie franchise and serial was launched that lasted all the way through the 1960s. However, since then the appearances of Tarzan on the big-screen has only been sporadic. 1981’s Tarzan, the Ape Man and 1984’s Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes both fared well. But, the most recent version was Disney’s 1999 animated adventure Tarzan, which is mostly remembered for featuring an agonizing Phil Collins theme song. This could help Warner Bros. in their cinematic cause, though. Because the established legacy and identity of Tarzan mixed with the complete lack of a recent incarnation of the beloved character means that there should be an intrigue and clamoring to see a worthwhile Tarzan film. And, the first trailer for The Legend Of Tarzan suggests that, for the first time in decades, we’ve got just that.

One of the movies that has consistently remained on our radar over the last few years is Alexander Payne’s comedy/drama Downsizing.  Centering on a man from Nebraska, Downsizing tells the story of a segment of the population who opt to have their bodies reduced in size so they can join tiny communities around the world. It’s an absolutely bonkers concept, but one that has attracted the acting talents of performers such as Matt Damon, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Neil Patrick Harris, Alex Baldwin, and Hong Chau.

A new report from Indiewire confirms that, after a string of delays, Alexander Payne’s Downsizing will finally movie forward. The wait seems to be worth it, because the film has clearly managed to assemble an all-star cast that would catch just about anyone’s eye. Leading the ensemble is veteran actor Matt Damon; the man behind Jason Bourne and Will Hunting will portray Nebraska man who decides to improve his life by shrinking his body, although few other character details have come forward.

Of course, Matt Damon isn’t the only Hollywood A-lister taking part in Downsizing, let’s put the rest of the cast under the microscope and take a closer look.

The female lead of Downsizing, Reese Witherspoon obviously needs no introduction. Star of Election and Legally Blonde, Witherspoon won an Oscar in 2006 for her role in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, and received another nomination in 2015 for her role in Wild. She’s relatively picky when it comes to her roles, so we can likely assume she has great deal of faith in Downsizing.

If Christoph Waltz doesn’t completely terrify you then you likely haven’t seen a single one of his movies. The Austrian-German actor has remained a constant fixture within the Hollywood landscape ever since he first gained his mainstream recognition with Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. He’s developed a knack for portraying villains, so we can likely expect him to do the same in Downsizing.

Few actors have nailed the triple threat so effortlessly as Neil Patrick Harris. The former child star has become an icon since his starring role in the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and has since gone on to receive critical acclaim on the Broadway stage as well. In terms of silver screen work, he has most recently appeared in David Fincher's Gone Girl opposite Ben Afflek and Rosamund Pike.

Downsizing will strike a balance between comedy and drama, so it makes perfect sense for the film to enlist Alec Baldwin. The former Jack Ryan has a long list of funny and serious roles on his resume – most notably his stint as Jack Donaghey on the hit NBC series 30 Rock.

Likely the least recognizable name on this list, Hong Chau is a Hollywood up and comer who has cut her teeth in numerous small screen roles. More notably, she recently appeared as Jade in the indie hit Inherent Vice. She's definitely making an impression, and we cannot wait to see what else she does in the future.

It goes without saying that we couldn’t be much more excited for Downsizing. The film has assembled an all-star cast, and yet we really don’t know much about it. We will just have to wait for more details till the movie hits theaters in late 2017.

Warning: Spectre spoilers below

Look, we aren’t going to beat around the bush on this one: Spectre was a massive letdown of a Bond movie. That being said, it still set the stage for some potentially great showdowns between James Bond and Ernst Stavro Blofeld. For the latter role as longtime franchise villain, Christoph Waltz is reportedly on board to return – but he has some concessions.

Numerous UK tabloids and news sites have been reporting that Christoph Waltz will only return to the Bond franchise as Ernst Stavro Blofeld if Daniel Craig returns as James Bond. His primary reason for this is the maintenance of “continuity,” despite the fact that this is something the 007 movies have ever exactly been great at maintaining. Waltz is a stellar actor with an impeccable resume; one would hope that if he opts to return to the Bond franchise that he will be given more screen time, as opposed to being hidden behind a plot twist that fans saw coming a mile away.

It makes some degree of sense to make this sort of request. Daniel Craig’s Bond and Christoph Waltz’ Blofeld share a greater personal history together unlike any iterations of the characters before them ever did. Establishing such a personal connection with Craig’s Bond in Spectre only for him to be recast in the next movie would probably not instill much confidence in audiences.

That being said, whether or not Daniel Craig returns to the franchise remains to be seen. Over the last few months, we have heard conflicting reports; some indicate that Craig wishes to play the character as long as he is physically able to, while others indicate that the actor no longer has any wish to play the womanizing, martini drinking spy.

Of course, even if Christoph Waltz decides not to return to the 007 franchise, they can still use the Ernst Stavro Blofeld character. Over the course of decades many actors ranging from Donald Pleasance in You Only Live Twice to Telly Savalas of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service played the character. The character of Blofeld was finally killed by Roger Moore's iteration of Bond in the 1970s during the events of For Your Eyes Only; it wasn't until the release of Spectre that the iconic British agent and his longtime foe met again on screen. Ultimately, it has us wondering if the modern age even needs a Blofeld for Bond to contend with, or if the character belongs in Bond's campy past.

Only time will tell for sure if either of these men returns to the iconic franchise. The DVD release of Spectre is currently slated for February 9.

I liked Spectre. Sure, it’s no Skyfall, but for 2 hours and 30 minutes it thoroughly entertained me. At the points, when its flaws were painfully obvious, I decided to internally tell myself in the broad Italian American accent that my mind surpisingly adopted, "Fuhgeddaboudit," and enjoyed the blockbuster film in the escapist manner it was intended.

As the countless negative American reviews have revealed, that hasn’t been the case for some critics, with the general consensus being that Spectre is cumbersome and bland. Does this mean that Daniel Craig’s James Bond reboot now needs to be rebooted back to the classic incarnation of yesteryear? At this point, it’s too early to tell. But here are 6 big changes that the Bond franchise could make with Spectre's follow-up that should appease the naysayers. WARNING: They almost certainly won’t stop the complaining, because, sometimes, people are just like that. Oh yeah, and there are also SPOILERS ahead. So don’t read on if you haven't seen Spectre.

New Director

I love Sam Mendes. Not only is his eye the cinematic equivalent of an Andrea Pirlo pass – elegant, beautiful, and he produces things that only he could have both spotted and executed – but if I was shooting a plastic bag floating in the wind and needed someone to make it poignant, almost magical, he’d be my first call. With both Skyfall and Spectre, Mendes has eked out what I consider to be the two most compelling James Bond performances ever. I believe that Daniel Craig needs, needs, needs to bring his Bond to a resolute end that doesn’t end with him living happily ever after. In order to do this, Sam Mendes’ poignant, classy beauty should be replaced by a more rugged and direct filmmaker. I’m thinking Danny Boyle. Just because, well, he’s Danny fucking Boyle.

It Shouldn’t Be Connected To Past James Bond Films

There’s a line close to the end of Spectre where Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld tells Craig’s Bond, "I’ve put you through quite the ringer haven’t I, James?" It made me think, "Has he? Really?" It was obvious that the villain wasn't just talking about the antics of Spectre, because he made it clear that he was the architect of all of the heinous things that have happened to James Bond starting with Casino Royale. But it was impossible for me to be overly impressed with Christoph Waltz’s villainy because Casino Royale was released nine years ago. The fact that Spectre tried to use Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, and Skyfall’s villains, as well as the character’s own past, to try and make Blofeld more imposing just didn’t work. And the constant references to these films just felt superfluous. Of course there was another reason why Christoph Walt’s Blofeld wasn't as potent as he could have been…

More Scenes With The Villain

What is it this year with blockbusters and their tepid villains? OK, I admit that when Christoph Waltz was actually on screen he was deliciously and magnetically evil, but there just wasn’t enough of him. Instead, Sam Mendes rather infuriatingly kept him at arm’s length for much of the film. First we got to see his back. Then his face was obscured by the shadows. In fact, even when he originally talked he whispered to his assistant. If Christoph Waltz then featured prominently in Spectre for the rest of the film, that might have been a good introduction, but instead, Bond chased around the world for over an hour looking for clues to track him down. All this meant that Blofeld felt underused. There was yet another issue why audiences had every right to feel aggrieved with Blofeld though…

No More Lying To The Audience

OK, this isn’t just Spectre’s fault. Spectre gets the brunt of my frustration because of the fact that Star Trek: Into Darkness insisted Benedict Cumberbatch wasn’t Khan, only for that to be a downright lie. This was also the case for Christoph Waltz in Spectre, who continually, and at times rather vehemently, denied he was Blofeld, only to end up being Blofeld. Here’s my issue: Why lie? Doing this only has a negative effect on the film. Not only does it suggest that those involved needed to trick their audience to somehow increase their enjoyment, but as soon as you learn that they were lying, you're instantly taken out and lose focus of the film. Especially since you can’t help but tell those around that you always knew they were lying. It’s a sly, idiotic trick that needs to come to an end.

More Gags And Wit, Less Waffle And Heart

Spectre is written by Jez Butterworth, John Logan, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade, with the latter trio having also penned Skyfall. And you can tell, which is both a good and bad thing. Like its predecessor, Spectre is wonderfully structured and has a flowing rhythm and enjoyable energy that keeps it bouncing along nicely for its entire run time. Unfortunately, Spectre also doesn’t sparkle with wit or humor. Sure, there are gags, they’re just not laugh out loud funny. Instead, they’re the sort you smile at just to be polite. Plus, characters repeatedly use waffling imagery to describe situations, and dialogue regularly goes on for just one line too long. Meanwhile, the fact that Daniel Crag’s James Bond was still lovelorn and seemed to walk away happily ever after with Lea Seydoux’s Dr. Madeline Swann was too heartfelt. Sadly, especially since Seydoux was so magnificent, it was so heartfelt and out of place that I was hoping for an On Her Majesty’s Secret Service type ending to befall Swan. Maybe we’ll get it at the start of the next film.

Time To Look Forward, Not Back

This one’s a little bit harder considering James Bond’s esteemed cinematic history. However, it’s not just directed to the filmmakers, who, in Spectre, failed in their attempt to build a mini-Marvel-esque universe by referencing Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, and Skyfall. It’s also aimed at the fans and critics that perennially judge James Bond against his prior films and incarnations. Any slight alteration to the character is instantly seen as the equivalent of a swift kick in the groin. Of course, living up to these comparisons has helped make James Bond so great and what he is today, but it hindered Spectre. Instead of being celebrated for just how gloriously fun and entertaining it is, Spectre has been criticised for not matching the traits of its past. The car, women, gadgets, and villain have all been attacked, which is rather funny since a decade ago the first three were being used as examples as why Bond was obsolete in comparison to Jason Bourne. Despite these insipid traits, Spectre is still a hugely enjoyable film, and as long as James Bond's latest adventure is satisfying, thrilling, and a compelling slice of escapism then it should be celebrated, not chastised for trivial reasons.

The latest James Bond adventure, Spectre, touched down in U.S. theaters this past weekend (it’s been out in the U.K. for a week or so), where it roundly trounced its closest box office competitor by roughly $30 million. Though the reviews haven’t been as over-the-moon as they were for the last installment, Skyfall, it’s already earned more than $296 million worldwide.

The 24th Bond film, Spectre is also hugely indebted to the rest of the franchise. Barely a scene passes by where it doesn’t nod at, allude to, or straight up reference a movie that came before. As people are obviously interested in Spectre, and it’s not likely to surrender the box office throne until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 2 arrives on the scene, we thought what better time to run through some of the references we noticed.

One, these are just the ones we noticed on our first viewing. There are sure to be many that we missed, so let us know what you saw that we didn’t, or if you think we’re grasping at straws. Two, things are going to get way, way SPOILER-Y beyond this point, so maybe don’t read on if you haven’t watched Spectre yet.

Dr. No

It’s a pretty minor thing that Spectre does, harkening back to James Bond’s first big screen adventure, 1962’s Dr. No. While it obviously owes a great debt to this film, it also appears that Christoph Waltz’s villainous Franz Oberhauser goes to the same tailor as the megalomaniacal madman of the title, or at least they shop at the same store, as the two wear similarly styled Nehru jackets.

From Russia With Love

One of the best scenes in Spectre is a sprawling fistfight on a train between Daniel Craig’s Bond and Dave Bautista’s hulking henchman, Mr. Hinx. Though it encompasses more of the train, and has been appropriately adrenalized for modern audiences, this is similar to the Orient Express throwdown between the super spy and Robert Shaw’s Grant in 1963’s From Russia With Love.

Goldfinger/The Spy Who Loved Me

Nearly mute henchmen are a favorite hallmark of the James Bond franchise, and the aforementioned Mr. Hinx shares DNA with two of the most memorable entries in the canon. Bautista’s character is a nod to Harold Sakata’s Oddjob in 1964’s Goldfinger, as he scarcely utters a sound. With his razor tipped thumbnails, he also shares DNA with Richard Kiel’s Jaws who first appeared in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, as his signature weapon resembles, well, Jaws’ metallic jaws.

Thunderball

One of the key scenes that first appeared in the Spectre trailers is a shadowy meeting of the titular international criminal organization that takes place in an out of the way castle or manor. This is a recreation, though played with a heavier stylistic hand, of a scene that first showed up in Thunderball in 1965, and it essentially introduces SPECTRE and their nefarious dealings to the Daniel Craig years.

You Only Live Twice

Here’s where we give away the big twist of Spectre, one many already suspected and that has already been ruined many other places. They pull a bit of a Star Trek Into Darkness move here, and though they’ve been denying it all along, Christoph Waltz’s Franz Oberhauser is indeed Ernst Stavro Blofeld—they actually do handle the reveal as well as possible here. While 1967’s You Only Life Twice isn’t his first appearance, Waltz’s version winds up with a nasty face scar that is the signature look of Donald Pleasance’s iteration in the film.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

One of the first Spectre images was of Daniel Craig in the snow with a gun, which is reminiscent of 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby’s only turn in the role. Both films also feature a remote medical facility inexplicably located on the top of a mountain, which plays a key role, and they share a down-the-mountain chase, isolated gondola scenes, and even a dilapidated barn.

Diamonds Are Forever

In 1971, Blofeld got another run at taking over the world, this time, however, he was played by Charles Gray, who not only lacks the gnarly facial scar, he has a full head of hair, as opposed to the traditional bald look the character rocks. It may be a bit of a stretch, but with Waltz’s similar do, and lack of face wound for the vast majority of Spectre, we couldn’t help but be reminded of Gray’s Blofeld.

Live And Let Die

Spectre has one of the best openings of any Bond film ever. Set during massive Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico City, the action begins by tracking Bond through the crowd as he hunts his quarry. To blend in, he wears an ominous skull mask and top hat, which are evocative of those worn by the voodoo priest Baron Samedi in Roger Moore’s first shot at Bond in 1973, Live and Let Die.

The Man With The Golden Gun

Roger Moore chasing Christopher Lee’s villain Francisco Scaramanga through a demented funhouse of mirrors in The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974 is one of the most visually distinctive moments in the entire franchise. This scene is alluded to in Spectre when Bond must race through the derelict skeleton of the bombed-out MI6 building during the climactic moment.

Moonraker

In 1979, Moonraker took James Bond somewhere he’d never been, and has never been since: outer space. While Spectre doesn’t go quite that far, when we finally see Oberhauser’s lair in the middle of the African desert, there is a sweet control room that looks eerily similar to the one from the earlier film—it certainly has a retro futuristic air that pictures technology as imagined by an earlier generation.

For Your Eyes Only

Part of the opening of Spectre involves an epic helicopter sequence where James battles his enemies, perches precariously on the aircraft’s skids, and even dangles from an open door in an attempt to avoid plummeting to his death. Much of this action is directly inspired by a similar scene in For Your Eyes Only in 1981 where Roger Moore performs a similar aerial dance.

The Living Daylights

Both Spectre and Timothy Dalton’s first go round as Bond, 1987’s The Living Daylights, both go down partially in Tangiers, but it’s really more of an aesthetic similarity that binds the two. Though it ultimately didn’t stick, and people tend to remember him as a lesser Bond, Dalton’s version was darker and grittier than earlier iterations, especially following hot on the heels of Roger Moore’s take. They went a different direction with Pierce Brosnan, but in Dalton, you can see the groundwork for Craig’s version of the iconic character.

License To Kill

Much like his counterpart in Spectre, Dalton’s second time in the James Bond role sees his agent get grounded by his superiors, ordered to stand down, but instead he goes rogue, taking matters into his own hand and kicking some ass on the side. James has always had a bit of a rebellious streak, playing by his own rules and whatnot, but these are two of his most openly defiant moments. Hell, here he even gets his license to kill revoked. That has to sting, but it doesn’t, you know, stop him from killing or anything.

Tomorrow Never Dies

One of the big action set pieces in Spectre involves James behind the wheel of an appropriated airplane, chasing some bad guys down a mountain in the snow. While they’re very different scenes, Pierce Brosnan blasting away at a snow-bound Russian arms bazaar in cockpit of a jet in Tomorrow Never Dies, calls this moment to mind. Spectre also includes a role that is almost identical to Terri Hatcher’s in the earlier film. Monica Bellucci shows up for little other reason to have sex with James and disappear from the plot entirely. At least Hatcher’s character has closure, sure, she dies, but we never do learn what happened to Bellucci—she’s supposed to go with Felix, but that’s the last we hear of her—and the dangling thread is never resolved.

The Daniel Craig Bond Movies

This entry is the most obvious. Spectre closely follows Skyfall, and in fact, M’s death from that film serves as the impetus for the action this time around. The Daniel Craig films have always felt at least somewhat separate from the rest, existing as their own thing, like a soft reboot. While there have always been connections between his films, the latest endeavor feels very much like the culminating chapter.

Spectre comes together to not only reference the earlier movies, but goes to great lengths to show that Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall are threaded more closely together than we ever suspected. We see images of familiar faces like Vepser Lynd and Le Chiffre pop up all over the place, Mr. White from Quantum of Solace is integral to the story as his daughter is one of the main characters, and we flash back to Silva from Skyfall. These are just a few of the ties between the films, and like I said, Spectre watches very much like a conclusion to the saga.

WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for director Sam Mendes’s Spectre. If you haven’t had a chance to see the film yet, we recommend clicking away to another one of our awesome stories on the site.

Daniel Craig’s James Bond may have a license to kill, but it was not a power that he utilized in the final moments of Spectre. Though he could have easily put a bullet in the brain of Christoph Waltz’s Franz Oberhauser (a.k.a. Ernst Stavro Blofeld) – 007’s adopted brother and orchestrator of "all his pain" – he decided to spare his life. Of course, one thing that comes from letting the villain live is the potential to have him featured in a sequel – so a big question arises: would Waltz be willing to reprise the role? If the story is right, it looks like the answer could be yes.

Before Spectre arrived in domestic theaters this past weekend, I had the chance to sit down with Christoph Waltz during a special press day in Mexico City, Mexico, and it was at the end of the interview that I asked him about potentially coming back as Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Because the James Bond movies aren’t really plotted out in advance, Waltz couldn’t speak to anything specifically, but he did explain what the ultimate deciding factor is:

You can watch Christoph Waltz talk about a possible return to the James Bond world in the video below:

While the very ending of Spectre has left audiences to wonder how exactly the Daniel Craig chapter of the franchise will continue after this point, if it does, I wouldn’t mind seeing the return of Blofeld – able to go from being a prisoner back to his position as chief puppet master of terror. The latest movie made such a big effort setting him up, and then sparing him at the end, that not bringing him back would seem kind of silly.

Would you want to see Christoph Waltz return as Blofeld in the inevitable Bond 25? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts.

Each actor who has played the iconic role of James Bond has brought something unique to the part. Having said that, many of James Bond’s traits carry over from one actor to the next. Just because Christoph Waltz plays the villain in the most recent Bond film, Spectre doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have his own ideas for playing the character, and if people are interested in a truly different James Bond, his ideas would certainly do the trick. Why risk life and limb when one can just as easily approach conflict in a more civilized manner?

Waltz apparently wouldn’t go in for all that action-adventure stuff. Instead, he’d much rather be involved in interesting conversations over coffee.

Under most circumstances, this sounds like the most boring James Bond movie ever, but Christoph Waltz can make nearly anything entertaining so I’m not entirely convinced this wouldn’t be a great film. To be fair, James Bond has never tried to solve his conflicts through meaningful conversations in cafes, so it’s far from clear that such a plan would not be successful. Maybe just explaining what the problem is and coming to a nonviolent solution would work. Why does James Bond always assume that shooting people and crashing cars is the best option?

Besides, we have plenty of action movies but we haven’t seen something like My Dinner with Andre in years. Two hours of James Bond and his adversary drinking coffee and discussing the world and how each one fits into it, what they desire and why it’s important to them, this is compelling cinema, right? Right? Check out the full interview with HitFix below and tell me watching Christoph Waltz talk for two hours wouldn’t be a great movie.

Even if the Bond role does become available, Waltz is a bit older, at 59, then the producers will probably be looking for, so it’s unfortunate that we’ll never get this version of the role. Instead, we’ll get some young, good-looking dude who prefers shooting people to talking out his problems. Is that really the message we should be sending?

Since Christoph Waltz signed on to star in Spectre about a year ago, there has been a very specific question surrounding his character and whether or not he is the new version of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Over the last 12 months, the actor has been asked repeatedly about this possible secret identity – each time out having to dismiss the idea. You’d think that he would eventually tire of all the speculation, but apparently he wasn’t frustrated at all by the situation because he doesn’t really care about the publicity aspect of being an actor.

The two-time Oscar winner was present at a special Spectre press event this past weekend in Mexico City, and it was while I was sitting down one-on-one with him that he explained why he was so easily able to dismiss the rumors and talk about his part. While asking about maintaining secrecy, I suggested that it would be frustrating, but Waltz cut me off to explain that he didn’t feel that way at all. Said the actor,

You can watch our exchange in the video below:

When the official cast of Spectre was announced in December of 2014, Christoph Waltz’s character was introduced as being named Franz Oberhauser, but footage singling him out as the leader of the titular organization has led to constant conversations about the villain actually being James Bond’s greatest and most notorious nemesis. The rumor has been constantly denied by the filmmakers and stars, but we won’t soon forget all of the lies surrounding Benedict Cumberbatch’s role in Star Trek Into Darkness. Audiences will just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

The good news is that movie-goers won’t exactly have to wait long. The latest 007 adventure is arriving in theaters this Friday, November 6th.

It’s totally fair to say that Quentin Tarantino has his share of devoted fans, those who extoll his genius, his quick wit, and the way he laces his films with snappy pop culture references and uses that to help define his characters. And as it turns out, one of those who sing his praises is now-frequent collaborator, Christoph Waltz.

Stumping hard for his upcoming villainous turn in the James Bond adventure Spectre, Waltz stopped for a chat with Playboy. Talking with the soon to be non-nudie mag, the Austrian-German actor elaborated on his admiration for Tarantino, saying:

Tarantino is certainly known for his sharp dialogue and his deep, expansive love for film. His movies are a veritable collection of references, homage, and cap tips to the cinema that came before, some overt, others in your face — the same goes for the movies he alludes to, some are obvious and well known, while others are deep cuts, even for seasoned cinephiles.

It also makes a great deal of sense that Waltz would have a fondness for Tarantino, especially considering what the director has done for his career. Though the 59-year-old actor has been working for decades in German TV and film, it wasn’t until teaming up with Tarantino for 2009’s Nazi-hunting Inglorious Basterds that he took off in a global way. Since then he’s won two Academy Awards — for playing a terrifying Nazi officer in Basterds and a bounty hunter disguised as a travelling dentist in Tarantino’s Django Unchained — worked with big name directors, appeared in blockbuster films, and now he’s even getting to play a creepy as hell Bond villain. Any way you slice it, Waltz has had a solid last five or six years, in large part thanks to Quentin Tarantino.

In addition to menacing James Bond in Spectre next week, or the week after, depending on where you live, Waltz is also plotting a bit of a career change, or at least a shift, as he is going to direct a movie called The Worst Marriage in Georgetown. This is a bit of a departure, as he has more than 100 acting credits to his name, but has only previously helmed a German TV movie back in 2000.

Quentin Tarantino is back again later this year for the western The Hateful Eight, which opens in theaters on Christmas Day. As for Christoph Waltz, we’ll have to be satisfied with his sinister turn in Spectre.

It’s safe to assume that Quentin Tarantino is quite a stickler on set. Sure, he certainly allows creative freedom to run wild so that his actors and crew can reach their zenith, but all of this must still be done in a forthright and professional manner. Which is why I think we can all get on board with a certain on-set rule QT insists everyone involved in his productions must follow: no mobile phones.

Christoph Waltz revealed to Playboy that Quentin Tarantino is adamant no one brings their mobile phones on set with them. Waltz, who is currently doing the rounds promoting his turn in Spectre, admitted that Tarantino is very strict with this policy, leaving very little leeway for his cast and crew. Waltz explained:

It’s totally understandable why Christoph Waltz supports Quentin Tarantino in this pursuit. In fact, because of the boost that Tarantino brought to Waltz’s career, you’d imagine that the German-Austrian actor would do pretty much anything that the director asks of him.

Despite being a prolific actor on Austrian and German television for several decades, Waltz shot to fame with his role as Hans Landa, a.k.a. The Jew Hunter, in Inglorious Basterds. Tarantino originally believed that with the multi-lingual, conniving, but courteous character he had written a role that was unplayable.

However, then Waltz came along and the actor brought Landa to life in a scintillating fashion, earning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his troubles. This was a feat he repeated with Django Unchained, another Tarantino effort, and since the Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown filmmaker brought Waltz into the public eye he hasn’t looked back.

Thanks to this success, Waltz now finds himself starring opposite Daniel Craig in Spectre, the twenty-fourth edition to the James Bond franchise. And he looks just as deliciously evil as under Quentin Tarantino’s direction. 

Spectre finally hits U.S. cinemas on November 6, a full week after it has been out in the U.K. Meanwhile, Christoph Waltz is already looking to the next stage of his career, as he has just signed up to make his directorial debut with The Worst Marriage In Georgetown. 

Yes, folks. The Tarzan movie is still happening. It may end up being a disaster, assuming you believe the latest reports, but it’s happening nonetheless. Aside from the recent production drama, we’ve heard very little about the film, so when Cinema Blend was in Mexico visiting the set of Spectre, we decided to get an update from Christoph Waltz, who told us how this Tarzan film will be different from its predecessors.

There have been many cinematic iterations of the famed wild man, such as Scott Sidney’s Tarzan of the Apes (1918), Edward A. Kull’s The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935), Tarzan and the Lost City (1998), and Disney’s animated movie (1999). According to Waltz, who’s reportedly playing a villainous military figure named Captain Rom who crosses paths with the ape lord, this iteration will only be different with regards to the historic context.

During our interview, which was mostly about his role as Oberhauser in the new James Bond film, he said,

Elsewhere, reports suggest the film will see the wild man returning to the jungle years after his departure to live in modernity with Jane. Tarzan is directed by Harry Potter helmer David Yates and stars Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood), Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad), Samuel L. Jackson (Marvel Cinematic Universe), and Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy). The film is currently scheduled for release on July 1, 2016, though according to recent intel from The Hollywood Reporter, Yates still has a lot to do before then. Yates has already moved on to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — we’ve already seen Katherine Waterston’s new bob to go along with her character. The worry is that Tarzan, with a budget of $180 million, isn’t getting enough attention.

Watch Waltz’s full statements on Tarzan in our interview clip below.

Christoph Waltz next will be seen in Spectre, which sees Daniel Craig’s 007 on a mysterious but personal mission. Also featured are Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra, Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, and Ralph Fiennes as M. The film will hit theaters this November 6.

The James Bond movie franchise is now more than 50 years old, but age is in no way slowing it down. The great spy series is as popular as it ever was, and anticipation for espionage adventure is at an extreme high thanks to the forthcoming release of Spectre. The brilliant and daring 007 is ready to go toe-to-toe with his greatest nemeses, and we’re excited for every moment.

You can get a taste of what to expect with the final trailer embedded below:

So what is the new James Bond movie about? Who is making it? What are returning characters up to, and what can we expect from the series’ new faces? We’ve broken all of that down in our What We Know So Far guide below!

The Story

MGM, Eon Productions and Sony seem to have a lot of confidence in the work of John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, as they have brought them back for another round of James Bond storytelling (the second for Logan, and the sixth for the team of Purvis and Wade). The movie will begin with a big action sequence set during the Day of the Dead in Mexico City, but it will see things go seriously rough for Daniel Craig’s 007. It’s after this incident that he receives a cryptic message from a former associate that puts him on the path of a sinister organization: Spectre. We once again are in store for another globe-trotting adventure, as various clues and action sequences will take Bond to places like Austria, Italy and Morocco.

The Director

There's a long tradition of filmmakers taking the helm of more than one James Bond movie (a total of 12 directors have helmed the previous 23 installments), and Sam Mendes will be a part of that tradition with Spectre. With Skyfall, the man crafted one of the most beautiful and well-executed action movies of recent memory, so it was a surprise to very few that producers Barbra Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson reached out to him. It wasn’t a total slam dunk that he would return just a few months after his last 007 film’s release, but he’s been officially at the helm since July 2013

James Bond

Daniel Craig has now been playing James Bond for nearly a decade, and in that time we’ve seen the character go from first getting his 007 status to becoming a weathered and tired veteran. The events of Skyfall nearly pushed him to his end, but nobody ever expects the great super spy to ever give up his job protecting queen and country. Given the way things go in Mexico City, and what we’ve seen in footage, it doesn’t sound like the film will feature him having the greatest relationship with MI6, but that certainly won’t stop Bond from trying to protect it and the entire world. And while many have continued to wonder who could potentially replace Craig as the next incarnation of the hero, it doesn’t look like Spectre will be his last go-round, as he still has one more feature left on his studio contract.

Franz Oberhauser

We have been kept very much in the dark when it comes to details about Christoph Waltz’s role as Franz Oberhauser in Spectre, but as far as we can tell, he definitely isn’t Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Footage that we’ve seen and comments made from people involved with the production have suggested that the guy is the head of the movie’s titular evil organization, and apparently he has deep ties to James Bond’s past (describing himself as the author of all the hero’s pain). It also seems that he’s been lurking around in the shadows for as long as we’ve known Daniel Craig’s version of 007, but has kept hidden from site and just out of reach. As a result of this, we’re just fascinated to learn what his ultimate plan is for the super spy.

M

Skyfall saw the end come to a particular era, as Judi Dench concluded her time as M after a seven film and 17 year-long run. The end of the film also saw the esteemed mantle – representing the head of MI6 - passed on to Ralph Fiennes’ Gareth Mallory, who will now be in charge of sending Daniel Craig’s James Bond around the world to stop terror. Unfortunately, things kind of get off to a rocky start in Spectre. Not only does Bond wind up going rogue and orchestrate some kind of international incident in Mexico City, but M must also battle political forces that are working to try and close the espionage agency’s doors forever.

Eve Moneypenny

The name of Naomi Harris’ character was kept a mystery for most of Skyfall, but it was in the movie’s final moments that it was revealed that she actually plays a very key role in the history of the James Bond franchise. A part originated by actress Lois Maxwell – who starred in 15 different Bond movies during her career – Eve Moneypenny was first introduced as 007’s personal assistant, but you should expect her just to be sitting behind a desk in Spectre. Discussing the character during the production earlier this year, producer Barbara Broccoli described, "This Moneypenny is very active. She is key to the story and key to helping Bond on his mission." We’re still waiting on the "how," but that’s probably something that we won’t learn until we’re actually watching the movie.

Q

Daniel Craig’s James Bond went through two full movies without having anyone committed to outfitting him with awesome gadgets, but fortunately that’s a problem that was fixed in Sam Mendes’ Skyfall. Actor Ben Whishaw brought back the role classically played by the great Desmond Llewelyn, and he’ll be back to his old tricks in Spectre. Thus far, trailers have only revealed one new toy that 007 will get to play with – a super sleek new car – but we fully expect that the film will have plenty of surprises in store for that department. I personally have my fingers crossed for at least one thing that comes out of the super spy’s watch.

Mr. Hinx

James Bond has faced off with many notable villains over the years, but one could make the argument that some of the evil henchmen he’s gone toe-to-toe with are even more memorable. In the tradition of characters like Richard Kiel’s Jaws and Harold Sakata’s Oddjob, Spectre will introduce audiences to Dave Bautista’s Mr. Hinx. The actor has described his role being a mix of both brains and brawn, and footage from trailers have suggested that he will be a very capable adversary for Bond. The only thing we don’t really know at this point is exactly what his special kind of hook will be. He doesn’t have metal teeth, and throwing that hat probably wouldn’t be very effective, so what could it be?

Madeleine Swann

When it comes to Lea Seydoux’s character in Spectre, we know she is named Madeleine Swann, we know that she’s a doctor… and that’s pretty much it. Trailers have suggested that she has information that James Bond needs about the eponymous terrorist organization, but what hasn’t been made immediately clear is whether she is playing for the good guys, playing for the bad guys, or pretending to play for the good guys while playing for the bad guys, or vice versa. Either way, the actress is another member of this cast joining an incredible legacy – specifically the legacy of "Bond Girls" – and it’s a place in cinema history she will share with…

Lucia Sciarra

Monica Bellucci will be joining Lea Seydoux as Spectre’s second Bond Girl, Lucia Sciarra, but one could say that we actually know even less about her role. Every image we’ve seen of her, including the one above, shows her as a woman grieving the death of her husband – though the cast and filmmakers also haven’t been subtle about the idea of her being just a tad bit mysterious and holding on to one or two secrets. How will she wind up fitting into the film’s larger plot? That seems to be a card that the production is playing close to the chest, and won’t have an answer until early November.

Mr. White

After being established as a recurring villain, featured in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, Jesper Christensen’s Mr. White took a hiatus while the events of Skyfall played out – but the shady bad guy is back in action in Spectre. When we last saw him, he was escaping from James Bond after being captured and thrown in the trunk of a car – but from everything we’ve seen, it doesn’t look like he held on to freedom for very long. Footage and stills have suggested that the past few years have been super rough for him, and Bond probably had a pretty key hand in making sure of that (White was, after all, directly involved in the death of Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd). We can presume that he has very strong ties to the goings on at Spectre, and should be a pretty rich source of information for 007, provided that he cooperates.

The Theme Song

During his run as James Bond, Daniel Craig has been backed by some truly impressive singers and musicians performing the new theme song, as Chris Cornell, Jack White, Alicia Keys and Adele all brought special little touches to their incarnations. Given the prestigious honor for Spectre is British crooner Sam Smith, who also wrote and produced the song alongside Jimmy Napes. You can give it a listen in the embed below:

The song has been criticized for being slow and lifeless, but at the very least we can hope that it will A) wind up being better in the context of the movie, and B) be backed by a sleek, cool opening credits sequence.

That’s all we know about Spectre so far, but stay turned for more updates to this guide, and get ready for the next amazing James Bond adventure to hit theaters on November 6th.

In a dark room at the end of a long, shadowed hallway, I learned the first rule of talking to Christoph Waltz about James Bond: don’t bring up Blofeld. I interviewed him while visiting the set of Spectre many moons ago, and the Blofeld chatter was the hot ticket rumor at the time. The Oscar-winning actor was having none of it. Watch his latest response below.

Long story short, he outright denies that his Franz Oberhauser character is secretly the famed Bond villain and leader of the SPECTRE organization. He said,

Rumors about Waltz’s hidden agenda in the film arose a while back, even as far as before the big press conference when he was announced for the film. In addition to fan speculation — after all, the name of the film is Spectre — a report on The Daily Mail claimed that Oberhauser was a smoke screen a la Benedict Cumberbatch’s John Harris in Star Trek Into Darkness. Despite Waltz’s repeated dismissal of the rumor, it was hard to forget folks like Cumberbatch and Marion Cotillard (for The Dark Knight Rises), both of whom told press they were not playing the characters for which they were rumored. In the end, though, they actually were.

After addressing the Blofeld rumor, Waltz had some thoughts — though at times understandably frustrated thoughts — about the larger issue of Internet buzz and my initial phrasing of the question ("So, it seems that the Internet has decided you’re going to play Blofeld"). He explained to us:

So, that’s that. No more Blofeld questions, unless you want to, as Waltz joked, "suffer the consequences." Though, Neil Gaiman, who envisioned the Internet as a modern deity in his novel American Gods, would be interested in this conversation.

Today, we are celebrating Global James Bond Day, which is the anniversary of the theatrical release of Dr. No, the first James Bond film. Later this year, Christoph Waltz joins Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Dave Bautista, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Andrew Scott, Rory Kinnear, and Stephanie Sigman in Spectre. The film picks up after Skyfall, and sees James Bond on a personal mission as a villainous organization emerges from the shadows. Spectre will bow in theaters on November 6.

When a franchise like the James Bond series reaches a certain age, your hits are bound to be met in fair measure by your flops. Ask any James Bond fan who their favorite Bond was, and they’ll most certainly tell you who their least favorite was in the same breath. Thankfully, Sam Mendes didn’t incur such wrath with his 50th anniversary spectacular known as Skyfall, and judging by the remarks of his Spectre collaborator Christoph Waltz, he won’t be lying down on the job any time soon.

This month’s British edition of GQ has a particularly awesome spread with the two-time Academy Award winner, and latest Bond villain, as Waltz talks about his own misgivings about taking the role of Franz Oberhaeuser in Spectre. Like any good actor, he was obviously nervous, but ultimately the quality of the product inspired him to say yes, as he displays in his vote of confidence below.

Now, while Christoph Waltz doesn’t name names when it comes to his scathing critique of the lesser entries of the Bond series, there’s obviously one particular era that these comments could only belong to. While he might be a philanthropic gentleman and a raconteur of a high degree, it looks like Roger Moore just got called out by the man who could be Blofeld. But again, no specific names were named, so there’s a good chance that Waltz might not have enjoyed the Connery or Brosnan eras of Bond – because calling Timothy Dalton a ham is like calling Leonardo DiCaprio a repertory theater groupie.

Still, it’s nice to hear that Waltz, much like the rest of us looking forward to Spectre, is a true Bond fan at heart. Having his knowledge of the franchise’s history knows the man realizes the fine line between chilling villain and silly baddie. It’s a line that Sam Mendes and his crack team of actors, writers, and crew members seem to be ever mindful of, and it’s proved to only be a good thing when it comes to the future of the James Bond universe. Whoever Christoph Waltz is playing, and whatever Spectre truly is about, at the very least you can be assured that it’s being tackled with the conviction and worksmanship of true professionals. That, and you won’t be seeing Daniel Craig’s stunt double hanging off of a fire truck anytime soon.

Spectre takes its first shot on November 6.

Christoph Waltz is sick and tired of hearing that James Bond rumor. You know the one I’m talking about — the one that suggests he’s secretly playing iconic Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, even though his character name is Franz Oberhauser. Still, it’s quite entertaining to see him get so worked up over the matter. In yet another interview where he’s asked about the rumor, he once again chooses the path of denial. 

GQ UK was the arena in which this went down, and Waltz had this to say,

Could Waltz be pulling a move from the Benedict Cumberbatch playbook? The Star Trek Into Darkness star continuously told reporters he was not playing iconic Trek villain Khan in the J.J. Abrams-directed sequel, and, low and behold, he was! That strategy of denial blew up in everyone’s faces. However, this isn’t to say Waltz is going down this direction. His constant denial — and now even his frustration over getting asked the question — could be signs of his honesty. And yet, we have to remember what Naomie Harris told reporters back during press for Skyfall. She outright said on the set of the twenty-third Bond movie that she was not playing Moneypenny, but rather a field agent named Eve. The Bond crew already used this strategy in the past, but the question is, are they doing it again here?

The first Spectre teaser trailer didn’t help Waltz’s case. In the footage, his character — this so-called Oberhauser — was seen sitting at a long table surrounded by what are presumably his SPECTRE associates and shrouded in shadow. "Welcome, James. It’s been a long time," we hear him say. "And finally, here we are." Earlier on we saw 007 fondling an old photograph of two boys standing next to a man in ski attire. In the novel Octopussy and The Living Daylights by Ian Fleming, there is a character named Hannes Oberhauser, a ski instructor who Bond describes as "something of a father to me at a time when I happened to need one." It seems likely that this is where Waltz’s character gets his last name, but there definitely seems to be more to this story than anyone is letting on. 

While on the set of Spectre, a reporter asked if there were any cats in this film, hinting at Blofeld’s signature feline companion. Producer Michael G. Wilson said he couldn’t answer, so it seems like Blofeld will be popping up in some capacity. The question is, where?

Benedict Cumberbatch swore he wasn’t playing Khan. Except he totally WAS playing Khan. So now, whenever an actor swears up and down in the press that he isn’t playing an iconic character (mainly a villain), a small B.S. alert pings in the backs of our collective mind.

This time out, it’s Christoph Waltz, who is promoting his turn in Tim Burton’s Big Eyes, but also answering questions about his mysterious role in Sam Mendes’ next James Bond thriller, Spectre. Two outlets caught up with Waltz on this press tour and asked him if, instead of the announced character, he was actually playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the despicable head of SPECTRE. Waltz told ScreenCrush:

In a separate interview, Christoph Waltz was asked the same basic question by Collider, and was told:

So that’s that, right? Well, no, primarily because of this snow job.

Are we cynical? Of course. I would be more surprised if Christoph Waltz spent the duration of the Big Eyes press junket revealing all that he could about Spectre. He has to keep as much of this close to his vest, because the production already is being unraveled by leak upon leak thanks to the ongoing Sony hack.

So I want to focus on Waltz’s statement, because he suggests that it is "more interesting than that." And there’s a new theory floating around that can be traced back to film journalist Silas Lesnick of ComingSoon, who gets credit for being the first person I’ve seen on record claiming that Blofeld in the new James Bond movies will be played by Monica Bellucci.

Why? Bellucci's character, Sciarra, means "habitational name from Sciarra in Palermo province, Sicily, named with a word denoting a volcanic area." SPECTRE, in classic Bond lore, operated out of a volcano. Coincidence? Possibly, sure, but it’s a fun theory to bat around. I think connecting Christoph Waltz to Blofeld is easy. Perhaps too easy. And putting a spin on Blofeld to make her female would be a fascinating left turn or Daniel Craig’s 007 saga. But for now, I’m not entirely sure that I’m buying Waltz’s line of bull. Are you?

As we work our way into the Thanksgiving holiday here at Cinema Blend, we've been learning a lot about Bond 24, particularly all of the rumors as to who Christoph Waltz is going to be playing in the latest film. Just when we think we've heard it all, more "details" spring out from allegedly well-placed sources that confirm or deny what we've read before. If The Daily Mail's story is any indication though, we might just know who Waltz is playing in Bond 24, provided he's confirmed: a ski instructor.

At least, that's what The Daily Mail has heard in its latest briefings before the traditional press conference that will inaugurate production on Bond 24 next month. More specifically, The Mail reports that Eon productions, which owns the James Bond film franchise, will announce Waltz is "playing an unknown character called Franz Oberhauser, son of the late Hans Oberhauser, a ski instructor who acted as a father figure to Bond."

Sounds harmless enough, doesn't it? Just imagine it: Christoph Waltz slaloms down a Black Diamond hill, only to skid to a stop next to Daniel Craig. Steel in his eyes, Craig looks at Waltz and says, "We need to talk. I believe your father has information on..." -- Actually this doesn't sound anything like a role Christoph Waltz would play, so we'll stop pretending, just like The Daily Mail has. Apparently, this is all a smoke screen for the real intention of casting an actor as esteemed as Christoph Waltz. If the senior sources The Daily Mail has at their disposal are right, we totally called it and Waltz is the new face of Ernst Stavro Blofeld!

Considering Blofeld held court in Switzerland during the course of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond 24's plans for shooting in Austria might not be just to double the country of Norway, it might also be a coup to remind fans of perhaps the greatest scuffle between Bond and Blofeld ever. If you're unfamiliar with the bobsled chase between the two arch-nemeses, you can watch it in all of its rear projection glory below.

At the very least, the continued rumbling of Christoph Waltz's involvement with Bond 24 keeps hope alive that EON Productions will confirm his involvement in next month's press conference. Whether they'll stuck to the Oberhauser story, or if they'll come out and say Blofeld's in (if he is indeed in,) is something that will have to wait for confirmation. There's still also an outside chance that Waltz isn't even involved in Bond 24, but if that were the case you'd think that those in charge would either try to quash the rumor or get him on the phone to see if he wants in.

Bond 24 begins production early next month, with a November 6, 2015 release date on the books.

So the rumor that caught fire last week was that two time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz has signed on for a mysterious role in Bond 24. So naturally, people think that his role is that of the film's latest villain. After all, this is the man who won his first Oscar playing famed "Jew Hunter" Col. Hans Landa. Django Unchained or not, Waltz made his first great impression as an antagonist, and a brilliant one at that. This just makes us think that if Waltz is going to be a baddie in the Bond franchise, he's probably going to be the greatest baddie of all: Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

A little background for the uninitiated, Ernst Stavro Blofeld ran the criminal organization SPECTRE, a shorthand acronym for "Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion." Blofeld's organization was behind the evil plots showcased in Dr. No all the way through to Diamonds Are Forever. In the course of those seven films, James Bond was foiling Blofeld's underlings left and right, until he finally took the fight to Blofeld himself in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Just when we thought the fight was over, Blofeld put a hit out on Bond's newly wedded wife and terrorized him for two more outings.

Blofeld's name was never overtly mentioned in his final appearance in For Your Eyes Only, the reason being that the character was successfully made the property of writer Kevin McClory after a legal dispute. However, last fall the Bond franchise acquired the rights from McClory's estate, allowing them to once again have Blofeld and SPECTRE on hand for their filmmaking purposes.

This brings us to today, as the James Bond franchise has passed its 50th anniversary, and is in full reboot swing. This is the perfect time to cast an actor with as much gravitas and gleeful anarchy as Christoph Waltz has to play the part of the biggest baddie in the history of the James Bond series. If there's any move that the producers could use to drum up tons upon tons of continued interest in the franchise, especially considering it's flying high and only has Daniel Craig for two more films, then that move would be to resurrect SPECTRE as 007’s greatest enemy.

Bringing SPECTRE and Blofeld back into the fold would not only draw older Bond fans, it would also offer a nice through line into the next actor that takes up the Walther PPK. Imagine it: Bond is presumed dead on Craig's last op against Blofeld and his crew, only to come back in Bond 26, fresh faced and ready for action. While the Bond we see on the screen would be new, the villains would still be in play from before, thus lending an air of familiarity. With any luck, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, and Naomie Harris will also renew their contracts, thus leaving 007as the only new face to adapt to in the future sequel.

Though James Bond fans have been burned before, especially considering how many times Kevin Spacey was hinted at for a villainous role in recent Bond history, only for it not to happen, it would be nice to have Christoph Waltz confirmed as the next man to strike fear in our hearts the way that Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas and Charles Grey before him could. Should Waltz be cast, but not end up playing Blofeld this time around, that's perfectly fine. Still, it’s what we’re hoping for.

It would appear that the filmmakers behind the James Bond franchise have begun using the Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner pool of the last few years to help them find an appropriate villain. For Skyfall, Sam Mendes turned to Javier Bardem - who took home the aforementioned prize for his turn in the Coen brothers' No Country For Old Men - and now it's being reported that the upcoming Bond 24 is looking to bring on two-time Academy Award winner Christopher Waltz to square off against 007.

The news comes from The Daily Mail, which says that the Django Unchained star has joined the project - but notes that there is a shade of mystery regarding exactly what role he is playing. One inside source told the British newspaper that Waltz is playing a "nemesis of sorts" -which makes us naturally think "villain" - but other insiders were a bit more vague on the subject. Words like "significant" and "complex" are tossed around, and one source said that we shouldn't necessarily just assume that he is the new central antagonist.

What certainly supports the theory that Christoph Waltz is the new Bond villain is the simple fact that it's 90% of what he's been doing in Hollywood since dropping everyone's jaws with his performance in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. While he would later win an Oscar for his heroic role in Tarantino's Django Unchained, his upcoming slate is filled with titles where he is the bad guy - including Horrible Bosses 2, Big Eyes and Tarzan. And let's also not forget that he was also brought on to do his villain thing in Green Hornet, Water For Elephants, The Three Musketeers and Epic.

It's because of Christoph Waltz's endless parade of villain roles that I'm really hoping that he's actually not the villain in Bond 24, but instead playing a different role entirely. Sure, Waltz is fantastic at playing a villain, but it's a crime to pigeonhole someone with so much talent, and I think it would be a rather stale move for the James Bond franchise to use him in that way. It's a choice that is a little too obvious, and doing the opposite would be a great way to subvert audience expectation.

But mine isn't the only opinion: do you want to see Christoph Waltz play the next James Bond villain opposite Daniel Craig? Answer our poll below, and look out for more news on the 007 front, as the film is scheduled to start production next month in advance of its November 6, 2015 release date.

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We’re used to seeing the puppets from Sesame Street poking fun at different parts of pop culture, but it’s rarer to see someone sending up Sesame Street itself. Oscar winning actor Christoph Waltz recently spoke of his love for the long-running children’s program on Jimmy Kimmel Live, but he had a slightly different interpretation of the series, as seen in the video below.

Waltz explains that back in his home of Austria, the show is called Sesamstrasse. After delivering a fine “puppets speaking German” charade with his hands, Waltz claims he still watches Sesame Street. Not for its educational values, but because of its poignancy and deepness.

With a somber piano as his background music, Waltz then heads out into the spotlight to perform the Sesame Street theme song in the way that would feel comfortable in the middle of a Werner Herzog musical. He is a man who hears of the abounding happiness on this sunlit avenue, and only wants to know how to arrive at this utopic destination. Can someone tell him how to get to SESAME Street? Just look at the pain on his face.

It seems like Christoph Waltz would voice the most depressing GPS in the world. There’s no questioning the actor’s commitment to his parts, though, as he delivers a better performance here than many I’ve seen on the big and small screen this year. Can someone win an all-in-one EGOT for a short gag performance on a late night talk show? I suggest a rule change if that isn’t the case.

Waltz is no stranger to the world of Jim Henson creations, as he starred as himself in this year’s Muppets Most Wanted. And if we’re talking about him taking things to bizarre places, it doesn’t get much stranger than his work in Terry Gilliam’s futuristic tale The Zero Theorem, a film that wouldn’t have suffered from a few giant birds and cookie-munching creatures. He’ll soon be seen in Horrible Bosses 2 and Tim Burton’s biopic Big Eyes.

Sesame Street has been as viral a pop culture commodity as anything else these days, with its recent parodies of Harry Potter, Star Wars and Twilight pleasing viewers of all ages. They don’t shy away from the late night scene, either, as some of the characters recently appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to read cute tweets. Will they show up on a comet next? Or Kim Kardashian’s butt?

Christoph Waltz + Terry Gilliam = The Zero Theorem, also known as a movie we've been aching to see for nearly a year now! The latest from the deranged but brilliant mind behind 12 Monkeys, Brazil and Time Bandits is back with a movie that is sure to be as mind-bending as it is uniquely beautiful to behold. The latest trailer promises much weirdness, many character actors, and a bonkers adventure.

Two-time Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained) stars as Qohen Leth, a computer genius seeking to uncover the purpose for human existence. However his quest is again and again derailed by The Management, which sends a lusty teen girl (Melanie Thierry) to seduce him away from his search for meaning.

The trailer up top is the first official trailer for the film's long-awaited U.S. release, brought to us by the new distributor Amplify. The Zero Theorem made its world debut back in September of 2013 at the Venice Film Festival. A long string of film fest appearances followed, taking the sci-fi thriller from Rio de Janeiro to Sitges to Austin's Fantastic Fest, London, Brisbane and Belgrade. Terry Gilliam'sThe Zero Theorem made its theatrical world premiere on January 2nd of 2014 in Russia. Releases followed in the U.K., Ireland, Singapore, Macedonia and more. And still, the U.S. had to wait for news of a release. Finally our day has come. Or is coming.

The Zero Theorem will hit theaters Stateside on September 19th. But if you can't wait that long, mark your calendar for August 19th, when the film will be made available on iTunes and VOD.

Why has it taken The Zero Theorem so long to land a U.S. release date? Perhaps it's because Gilliam's movies are far from safe commercial properties. 12 Monkeys was a hit, pulling in $57 million domestic and another $111 worldwide. But most often, Gilliam's box office prowess is non-existent in the States. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas cost $18.5 mil and made $10 mil. The Brothers Grimm boasted Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, yet the $88 mil movie made just $37 mil in the U.S. Tideland followed with a budget of $12 mil, and a painfully low domestic gross of $66,453. And most recently was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a $30 million fantasy that had major production issues when its leading man (Ledger) unexpectedly died. Not even the draw of seeing Ledger's last film could bring this above $7.6 million in the U.S.

So yes, Terry Gilliam is not a filmmaker who will make a distributor lots of money. But as I am not a distributor, I don't care. Gilliam's films are seminal, wonderful and surreal. And I am chomping at the bit to see what he's done with a cast that includes not only Christoph Waltz, but also David Thewlis, Ben Whishaw, Gwendoline Christie, Peter Stormare and Tilda Swinton. Thankfully, we don't have much longer to wait.

We know that a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is coming. We know it’s going to be subtitled Dead Men Tell No Tales, and is expected to reach theaters in 2016. And now we’re starting to hear the grumblings of casting rumors… some that makes sense, and others that are surprising (and more than a little exciting).

Obviously, Johnny Depp is on the hook to reprise his Oscar-nominated role of Capt. Jack Sparrow, which he has played in four Pirates movies dating back to 2003. Today, London’s Daily Mail cites a source close to the production who says that Keith Richards has signed on to once again play Sparrow’s father in the sequel, which will begin filming in October.

The legendary Rolling Stones guitarist appeared in Gore Verbinski’s At World’s End and Rob Marshall’s On Stranger Tides, playing Captain Teague, so bringing him back for Dead Men makes practical sense:

But the rest of the Daily Mail report has us scratching our heads. The publication claims that Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds) "may" play the sequel’s main villain. He would be a ghost named Captain Brand, who is racing Sparrow on a quest to claim The Trident, a valuable (but vague) piece of equipment. Brand has a grudge to settle with Sparrow, because he believes Depp’s infamous pirate turned his brother into a pirate, which led to the innocent man’s death.

The Daily Mail has been known to run with unverified rumors, so take this news with a grain of salt. Richards, like me said, makes sense, as he has been a minor part of the Pirates franchise over the years. He also has said, on record, that he and Depp have talked about the sequel, so we likely can consider him part of the next ensemble.

Waltz would be a wild card. He’s fit a mold established by past Pirates villains. Ian McChane played Blackbeard in On Stranger Tides in 2011, and Geoffrey Rush has made a small fortune playing Barbossa opposite Depp in the various Pirates movies. At the moment, Waltz is busy filming the dark comedy Horrible Bosses 2 for director Sean Anders. And we’ll next see him in the Muppets sequel Muppets Most Wanted. He’d be an excellent fit for a Pirates movie, and could reign in Depp’s camp. But for now, until we hear confirmation from Disney, treat this as a possibility, and hope for the best.

One of the biggest questions that has persisted about with the upcoming sequel Horrible Bosses 2 is, “Why?” But once that initial cynicism levels off, movie-goers are left to ponder exactly how and why the trio of lead characters would get themselves mixed up with terrible employers again - and, more importantly, who those employers would be. According to Deadline’s sources, Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz have been getting consideration from New Line to step up to the challenge. Rather than looking to cast them as the head of two different companies, though, the actors would play father and son. While the first film also featured a familial pairing of the sympathetic Donald Sutherland and his coke-snorting offspring Colin Farrell, apparently both the father and the son in the new film will be bosses of the "horrible" variety. Somebody call the “fresh idea” police, because I think we found an offender.

What makes Deadline's report utterly bizarre, however, is that one sentence after talking about the potential casting of Waltz and Pine they throw a heaping dose of cold water on the rumor. While insiders say that the Austrian two-time Oscar winner and the studio did meet, he will be "unavailable" for the production - though there is a chance that J.J. Abrams' Captain Kirk may be up for the gig. It’ll practically a crime to have Waltz teased like this and then taken away so quickly. He would have been an excellent addition to this flick, even if this flick wouldn’t necessarily be an excellent addition to his resume. We’ve seen almost all sides of the Oscar winner’s talent, though he hasn’t been involved with such a goofy, raunchy comedy yet. Come to think of it, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Chris Pine drop an F-bomb in a movie. Or even smile for that matter. It would be interesting to see him take on such a role, but I would have been much more interested to see Waltz get involved.

Honestly, it would be pretty tough for either one of them to come close to topping Farrell’s maniacally over-the-top performance in the first film. Likewise, he hadn’t ever played such a zany role, and was probably the most memorable aspect of the movie as a result (much more so than Jamie Foxx’s fake murder consultant Motherfucker Jones).

If Waltz is unavailable to be in the sequel, that probably means that one of his next projects will be getting underway soon, as Horrible Bosses 2 went into production just last month with Charlie Day, Jason Sudekis and Jason Bateman all reprising their roles. With both Muppets Most Wanted and Tim Burton’s Big Eyes now in post-production, Waltz will be next be starring as Mikhail Gorbachev in Mike Newell’s historical drama Reykjavik and in Stephen Gaghan’s crime thriller Candy Store. He has also been rumored to be up for a role in the upcoming live-action Tarzan reimagining.

Pine, whose Star Trek Into Darkness came out this past summer, will soon be seen back in theaters this December in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and is currently filming Rob Marshall’s adaptation of the musical Into the Woods. Craig Zobel’s post-nuclear drama Z for Zachariah also remains on the horizon.

Horrible Bosses 2 has already bossed its way into a release date of November 26, 2014, and with cameras already rolling we can probably expect some official casting news very soon.

Me Nick Venable. You Cinema Blend readers. Alexander Skarsgard is Tarzan in the planned king of the jungle reboot from Harry Potter director David Yates. And while Tarzan doesn’t have a Jane just yet, he may have found an adversary, as Variety reports Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz is in talks to join the film. And all of a sudden, I’m “in talks” to be a lot more excited about this movie. Not that the Yates/Skarsgard pair-up isn’t exciting enough, but the project was thrown into turnaround back in April due to budget concerns. It’s nice to see that Waltz is part of the reason it’s swinging back into pre-production planning.

As it usually goes with films that are still at least two years out, story details are few and far between, but Variety’s sources say Waltz would be cast as a military man that crosses paths with Tarzan in one way or another. Warning bells. The fact that Tarzan’s expenses got in the way to begin with was bad enough – why can’t someone just make a gritty and convincing Tarzan adventure for $40 million? – but now that the military is getting involved, I have to assume that means guns and explosions.

On the Jane front, there’s no mention of Jessica Chastain, who was rumored to be in the film back in March. But Yates is taking meetings with actresses, and Emma Stone and Margot Robbie (Pan Am) are reportedly being looked at, though nothing is official.

Warner Bros. still hasn’t received the greenlight for Tarzan, but they’re trying to put a cast together in the meantime while expecting to get the go-ahead in November to begin production next summer.

Maybe at that point there will be a finalized screenplay for them to work on. Quite a few people have taken a pass at it, including John August (Big Fish) and Cormac and Marianne Wibberly (National Treasure), with Adam Cozad (Jack Reacher: Shadow One) giving it the latest pass. When you look at the films each of those guys wrote, it’s easy to see how this would go from imaginative adventure to an action romp. Not that I’m saying that’s what it’ll be, but we now live in a time where The Lone Ranger happened.

Waltz has quite a few films coming out in the next year or so, but it currently looks like his schedule would be open next summer should production indeed start then. He’s finished with Muppets Most Wanted and Big Eyes, but is supposed to play Mikhail Gorbachev in the historical drama Reykjavik, and star opposite Robert De Niro in the thriller Candy Store. Before all that, though, revel in his genius in the below trailer for Terry Gilliam’s The Zero Theorem which is playing at Austin’s Fantastic Fest today.

With Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem having its premiere at the Venice Film Festival today, the first official clip has made its way online (courtesy of ComingSoon.it). While the scene doesn't feature any dialogue from the characters, it does do quite a good job of establishing the newest fantasy world from the director of Twelve Monkeys and Brazil.

What's really great about this clip is just how quickly and effectively it sets up the new world that Gilliam has created. In The Zero Theorem it appears that a church has been formed so that people can worship "Batman the Redeemer," citizens get their news from duMBC (see if you can't figure out the hidden message in there), and that the phrase "Occupy Wall Street" isn't so much a call for the 99% to rise up against the 1% as much as it is a way to advertise blow-out sales.

Gilliam's world-building skills aside, what really makes me excited for this film is the simple fact that Christoph Waltz is playing the movie's lead role. The best stuff we've seen from the star since he arrived Stateside has been in supporting roles - particularly his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino - but Gilliam is giving Austrian actor the spotlight here. And if he can deliver anything like what we saw in both Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained then perhaps by this time next year Waltz will have a third Academy Award sitting up on his mantle:

Scripted by newcomer Pat Rushin, the film stars Waltz as a man named Qohen Leth, a computer hacker who is working to try and discover the meaning of our existence. Unfortuantely, his attempts are thwarted at every turn by the Management. In order to stop Qohen's progress, the antagonist's latest plot is to distract him with a teenager and a love interest. David Thewlis, Melanie Thierry, Lucas Hedges, Ben Whishaw, Tilda Swinton and Matt Damon co-star in the movie. The Zero Theorem doesn't have a U.S. distributor yet and therefore no release date set up, but that all could change in the coming days/weeks as deals are made and contracts are signed.

The last time we heard any news about the John Hillcoat-directed heist thriller Triple Nine, it was 2010 and Shia LaBeouf was set to be his leading man. But that fell through and Hillcoat made the Depression-era crime drama Lawless with LaBeouf in the meantime. But the project is back on the table thanks to Anonymous Content, and Charlie Hunnam is attached to take over the lead role, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Producers are also looking at Oscar-winners Christoph Waltz and Cate Blanchett to star, but there are no negotiations being made at this point.

Triple Nine, written by newcomer Matt Cook, would star Hunnam as a police officer in L.A. targeted by a group of criminals who plan on murdering him in order to draw attention away from a larger crime happening elsewhere in the city. The film’s title comes from the police code 999, which stands for “Officer needs help – urgent!”

The basic description sounds promising enough, and Hillcoat is definitely the director who can make it work, having also directed the atmospheric 2009 drama The Road and 2005’s crime western The Proposition. Hunnam is the bigger risk in this deal, as his acting skill can vary. I absolutely love him as the rough-and-tumble motorcycle gang leader on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, and his other TV work on Queer as Folk and Undeclared were also above average. But he’s wooden at times, as proven in part by Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim.

Last seen in Stefan Ruzowitzky’s crime thriller Deadfall opposite Eric Bana, Hunnam only has one other film in his future, the gothic horror Crimson Peak, also directed by del Toro. That film will be an entirely different monster (no pun intended), as Hunnam hasn’t really familiarized himself with the horror genre before. But his appeal is definitely present when crime is present.

I probably don’t have to tell anyone how good this film would be if Blanchett and/or Waltz got involved. Not that I’d have any idea where they fit into a heist or a cop killing, but I certainly hope they’d be part of the bad guys.

Triple Nine is still securing financing, and FilmDistrict is working on acquiring the U.S. rights, so there’s no proposed schedule on when production would begin. But if you hear about one movie staring up across town, be suspicious.

But before all that, Hunnam will be returning for the sixth season of Sons of Anarchy, which will probably be calling it quits after next season, opening Hunnam’s schedule up for films year round. Check out the season 6 teaser trailer below.

The work of New Yorker reporter David Grann has been getting hot in Hollywood as of late. Back in April we learned that Robert Redford and writer/director David Lowery were teaming up to adapt the writer's article The Old Man and the Gun, and today we learn not only that another one of Grann's pieces is being adapted, but that the project has attached a two-time Oscar winner.

Christoph Waltz, who won all sorts of acclaim and awards for his performance in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, is now attached to star in True Crimes, a film version of one of Grann's features from 2008. The story centers on a Polish writer named Krystian Bala who was convicted for murder after a years-long police investigation. The Hollywood Reporter says that before the criminal was caught it was seen as a perfect crime. Bala was actually never a suspect in the murder, but drew attention when he published a novel with a murder very similar to the one that played out in real life.

Rather than play the killer, Waltz will portray Jacek Wroblewski, the police officer who opened the cold case and ended up tracking the killer down. His investigation brought him through all sorts of weirdness, traveling through "dark underworld of Poland's sex rings, prostitution and drugs." The production is currently searching for a director, and Roman Polanski - who worked with Waltz on Carnage - has been mentioned as a possibility. The film is aiming for a tone similar to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so prepare for things to get dark.

Waltz most recently leant his voice to the animated film Epic and later this year will be seen playing the lead in Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem. He will also have a cameo role in The Muppets...Again! and recently signed on with Robert De Niro and Jason Clarke in Stephen Gaghan's Candy Store.

Most American audiences have only been aware of Christoph Waltz for about four years, but the Austrian star has made one hell of an impression in that time. In addition to taking on a few supporting roles in projects like Green Hornet and Savages, both of his collaborations with writer/director Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, have resulted in Waltz taking home Oscar gold. It's understandable that any filmmaker would feel lucky to have him as part of their production, and I'm sure that's exactly how Stephen Gaghan is feeling right now.

Gaghan, who owns an Academy Award of his own thanks to his script for Steven Soderbergh's Traffic, has gotten Waltz to sign on for the filmmaker's latest directorial effort, Candy Store. The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the casting story, notes that the newly-attached will be joining Robert De Niro and Jason Clarke in the thriller, the pair having joined earlier this month. Omar Sy, the French star who earned international acclaim for his performance in The Intouchables and is currently filming Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past, is also attached.

In the movie Clarke will star as a retired covert ops agent who lives in Brooklyn and finds himself surrounded by the criminal element he worked for years trying to eliminate. Things get serious when he discovers a plot to activate a nuclear device in Manhattan. Waltz will play "a Cold War consigliere posing as a typical American suburbanite," while De Niro is attached as a local cop working to help the hero. Sy's character is described as "n international sex trade entrepreneur." Gaghan co-wrote the script with Shannon Burke and is producing in addition to directing. Lionsgate is already attached for U.S. distribution, but there's no mention of when production is aiming to start.

Waltz will soon be heard voicing the villain in the animated adventure film Epic, which is due in theaters May 24th. He also recently completed work on Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem, and is attached to star in Tim Burton's Big Eyes.

One of the more anticipated sequels in the works right now is James Bobin’s sequel to 2011 hit The Muppets, which creatively brought Jim Henson’s beloved creations back to the limelight with music and comedy at the forefront. And with Academy Award-winning Bret McKenzie back as music supervisor and the addition of Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais to the cast, it looks like they’re sticking to the same winning musical comedy formula.

As such, it made sense when two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz was replaced by Modern Family’s Ty Burrell, depressing as it was, and though we kept our hopes up when Waltz hinted at a cameo, they were reserved hopes. Well, apparently Ricky Gervais, never the tight-lipped entertainer, has confirmed that Waltz is indeed in the film while doing an interview on the Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio.

Just before getting into a talk about his upcoming Netflix series Derek, Gervais giggled his way through this bit.

It’s not a full character biography or anything, but a confirmation of Christoph Waltz appearing in a diaper commercial would be exciting, so knowing that he might show off more of his dry comedic chops in The Muppets…Again! is downright (in)glorious.

The Muppets…Again, which will also feature Ray Liotta and a slew of other celebrity cameos, will be in theaters on March 21, 2014.

Nowadays, Austrian actor Christoph Waltz is an international star who has amassed honors from critics associations all over the world as well as from the Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards for his work in Quentin Tatarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. For Americans, Waltz and his awe-inspiring talent and sparkling swagger seemed to come out of nowhere. I mean, who is this guy?

Well, before he was Colonel Hans Landa or Dr. King Schultz, Waltz's career was predominantly made up of appearances in German and Austrian made-for-TV movies. In the midst of more than a hundred titles he has to his credit, there is a smattering of theatrically released films, but none resonated Stateside until he met Tarantino. Thankfully, the Tumblr of a 16-year-old fan named Devinn reveals the young Waltz in action.

Named for the threatening farewell his Inglourious Basterds character shouts, Au revoir, Shoshanna has a collection of gifs culled from Waltz's first feature film, Kopfstand. Check some of them out below:

Written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Ernst Josef Lauscher, Kopfstand--which translates to Headstand--stars Waltz as Markus Dorn, a young man sent to a mental institution once his mother's accusations of drug use spur him into a violent rage. His escape attempts from the institution are punished with electroshock treatments, but all is not lost. A young doctor new to the institution stops these treatments and releases Markus to social services, which pairs him with a kind old woman who needs a caretaker. With her, he discovers the loving mother figure he has so long longed for.

In these images, Waltz is no doubt handsome. But I prefer him now, as the silver fox he has become:

Django Unchained is now in theaters.

Confidently talking his way out of sticky situations, fluidly switching languages and wielding a gun with terrifying precision, Christoph Waltz seems to be right back in his comfort zone in Django Unchained, reunited with Quentin Tarantino four years after he won the Oscar for playing Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. But though Waltz admits it was a "smooth and light and easy and fabulous" process of signing on to the film, he warns that being too comfortable on his second Tarantino picture was exactly the wrong way to approach a character as complicated as Dr. King Schultz.

A German bounty hunter who loathes slavery but who's willing to use the system to his advantage, Dr. Schultz buys Django (Jamie Foxx) and frees him, using the former slave's knowledge to help hunt down three men he's been assigned to kill. Their partnership gets more complicated, though, when Schultz decides on a romantic impulse to help Django free his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from the Candieland plantation. Just like in Inglourious Basterds, Waltz is tasked with immense pages of dialogue and scenes that change tone on a dime; speaking to him on the phone earlier this week, I asked how he approaches a script like this, what he learned about the West while riding a horse through it, and why the director's cut of Django Unchained probably won't be in theaters any time soon.

Django Unchained-- the current version, at least-- comes to theaters December 25.

It seems pretty clear that Quentin wrote this role for you. Is that true?

I think I can safely say he did. Even though his way of telling me was just extraordinarily wonderful, because he put these pages in front of me and communicated this through the character. I got to see the script as he was writing it. In a way it was a hint. In a way it was his way of saying of get it. I think without trying to be presumptuous, I did get it. That was about a year ago.

Had you guys had conversations about working together again after Basterds?

I never do that, because I don't want to put pressure on anybody. If these people I work with are trustworthy, and I feel safe with them, I always say, look, if there is something for me in one of his movies, he will call me. If he doesn't call me there's nothing in it for me. It's kind of a clear thing.

So how did he talk you into taking the part?

That's why he invited me up to this house and showed me the pages. There was never a question. It was all very smooth and light and easy and fabulous.

When Quentin Tarantino hands you these giant dialogue scenes, are you preparing for them the way you would a play? How do you deal with just so much talking?

The parallel or the analogy to theater is not wrong. It really, really helps to have done theater, and I have done theater extensively, to the degree where I got sick of it. That experience is in valuable for doing Quentin's dialogue and scenes. I just wish we could once play a whole Quentin movie as play in one. To really start on the first line on the first page and play it all the way through. The mere technical aspect of moviemaking requires you do it in smaller portions. Quentin sometimes goes very long takes, even thought he doesn't need it all from that angle. If you have a lot to say, you have to say it over and over and over again. If you have a monologue of three pages, you might end up doing it 20 or 30 times in a day. It really is an actor's work.

With something like that long, long dinner table scene in Candieland, how many takes does it take to get into the rhythm in it? How long do you spend sitting at that table?

You get into the rhythm hopefully the first time around. You improve-- it's not the amount of takes of one setup, it's the many setups that finally make one whole scene that make it repetitive. That's what we do for a living.That's the only difference between the professional actor and everybody else. We all do roleplaying all the time, and if you only do it once, everybody can do it. So if you have to do it 30 times, hone it, chip away, make it shorter, longer, there's craft involved.

That scene has a lot of shifting tones. Are you doing it differently from take to take to see how the mood changes as the scene plays out?

Of course you do that. And we also rehearsed the scene before we shot it. You pin down, you restrict a little bit the variety by making decisions. You can do everything in a million ways. If you want to do them all, you might be shooting a single shot for a week and a half, as Stanley Kubrick did. He did 85 takes. The most I ever took was 30 or something, which already was pretty exhausting. If you take the time and pay all the attention, even 30 takes can be interesting. When you do you do theater you have to do it night after right, and you still hope the run will be long because you need a job. Sometimes, people say how can you remember all these lines? You might as well ask a violinist how you can hold that bow. A car mechanic, how can you tighten the screw? Yeah, well, that's we do

Having played Hans Landa and worked with Tarantino before, did you go into this film with some added confidence, or was it completely different?

Completely different, and that's why I didn't want to be overconfident or take anything for granted. Every story wants to live in its own right. Like your kids, you can't say "my kids." Each of them is different from the other, and you have to treat them accordingly, and you have to pay different attention to different things.

What made Django Unchained so different?

The story. The whole setup is different, the connotations are different, the characters are different, my character is completely different. If I would apply what I needed in Basterds, I would be barking up the wrong tree. It's important to find the right tree to bark up on. I really tried to make the story or the script, rather, the very source of everything I do. People ask, have you modeled this after someone? Come on, I'm not a impersonator. I'm just an actor. I have this script, I'm not messing about with the character that a writer comes up with. Especially if it's a writer like Quentin Tarantino. There's so much. All you can really do is try not to miss the point.

Your character is an outsider to the world of American slavery, and I assume you were as well, Did you have to dig in and learn how it worked, just like Schultz did?

Of course I did. I can claim that I went to a good school so we had history and we learned about that. American secession and the history and the South and the North. The finer points, of course I didn't know. Yet Quentin's point of view what was required. Of course you need to know the historical details, but it's almost more important to put them in the context that makes up they story. You need the historical fact as a groundwork.

So what was that context for Quentin's story-- the films he's using as reference?

I grew up at the time of spaghetti Westerns, and I grew up much closer to spaghetti Westerns than anyone else here. Not to the Western, but to the spaghetti, because I grew up in Austria, and I grew up in the 60s. That was the big time of the spaghetti Westerns. I was familiar with most titles, even though I might not have seen all of them. I saw quite a few. I was familiar with that genre, but I was not familiar with the impact it had, the repercussion, of how it is perceived in the homeland of the Western, because that's a completely different angle. I saw it as an Italian version of something exotic.

Were you learning about American Westerns by shooting in all these far-flung locations?

We shot in the Alabama Hills, which was traditional Western country-- film Western country. They've shot Westerns up there since the silent movie era. We were in One Pine, there is a movie museum, and they cleared a corner for Django now.

Is there anything in particular that was cut from the film that you're eager to see in a longer director's cut?

There are little bits and pieces that I thought would make for good additions, but the movie is long enough as it is, and I think we had almost two hours more. It's impossible, and Quentin chose this one for me, he want to finish that one story, and then you can't overburden people. A Wagner opera, I think the Twilight of the Gods is about 5 hours and a bit, but you get two or three intermissions so you can go outside, so you can dedicate the day to watching that. Movies are different experiences. Exhibitors wants to show them as often as they can per day, and also nobody wants to take that time. It would be great to have a big epic, four hours long with two intermissions. You can only show it once a day.

Ty Burrell shows up in what feels like literally every single commercial on my TV screen, and he's looking to get even more ubiquitous. The Modern Family star is reportedly all set to star in the upcoming sequel to The Muppets, taking a role that Christoph Waltz was once eyeing.

According to The Hollywood Reporter it was Waltz's schedule that got in the way, so now Burrell gets to take his biggest film role since breaking out as the befuddled dad Phil Dunphy on the hit ABC sitcom. THR describes the role as an Interpol inspector, which makes a whole lot more sense for Waltz, but maybe Burrell will be the new American recruit for the international police force. It's described as a key role, but it's hard to imagine an Interpol inspector playing the kind of major part that Jason Segel-- who won't be returning for the sequel-- played in the original The Muppets.

Even though Segel has bailed, The Muppets director James Bobin will be back for more, as will Oscar-winner Bret McKenzie. Burrell surely won't have a hard time getting on board with the silly Muppet humor-- but we have to admit, it would have been fun to see Waltz palling around with Kermit and company as well.

We’re already pretty sold on Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino making a Spaghetti western, a vengeance opera with Leonardo DiCaprio ditching his movie-star façade to play a vicious, slave-owning plantation demon? Yeah, we’re pretty much on board with all of that. And so, The Weinstein Company doesn’t have to do too much but simply mark places on the mainstream attention span to keep letting people know that Django Unchained is coming to theaters on Christmas Day. Open your presents, hug your family members, chug some eggnog, and head to see Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz hunting racists in the Old South.

Tarantino’s three leads are featured in the latest Django poster, which is brought to us courtesy of Yahoo Movies!:

It’s kind of a good thing that Weinstein already helped sell us on Django with early trailers and cast photos, because this poster effort is pretty bland. The tagline isn’t very fresh, and the idea of Photoshopped leads posing for a camera doesn’t do much to excite about Django. Particularly when you already had a shocking, bare concept poster that suggested a lynching. Now that’s how you grab someone’s attention for the new Tarantino joint!

Alas, this likely will be the Django poster you see hanging, safely, on the walls of area multiplexes as Weinstein attempts to tease Tarantino’s sure-to-be-controversial drama to a larger audience beyond the director’s satisfied base. Django Unchained will begin screening for critics’ groups soon. It opens everywhere on Christmas Day.