Like a lot of people, I grew up reading comic books. I was into Marvel, but by the mid-90s, I was super into Image Comics (Oh, and rest in peace, Sam Kieth, creator of The Maxx–are we ever getting that movie, by the way?).

There were a select few names in the business that pretty much every comic book fan knew, such as Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, and, of course, Frank Miller. Now, when it comes to Miller, you might know him from his work on stuff like Batman or Daredevil. But for me, Miller will always be the guy who created Sin City.

And, when it comes to the 2005 movie adaptation from the legend, Robert Rodriguez, I'm always shocked that more people don't talk about it, given that it's one of the best comic book adaptations ever, so I aim to fix that.

The Inventive Plot Structure Keeps The Story Intriguing Throughout

Do you want to know my favorite comic book movie? Dredd, starring Karl Urban. Do you want to know my second favorite? The third Punisher movie (You know, the one starring Ray Stevenson). Here’s the thing about those movies. They both took massive creative liberties with the source material. I enjoyed them as films, sure, but not so much as direct adaptations from the comics.

Sin City, on the other hand, is probably the most faithful adaptation of a comic book series EVER (and definitely one of the best non-superhero comic book movies of all time). I bet this is because Frank Miller is actually a co-director of the movie (as well as a frequent Robert Rodriguez collaborator, Quentin Tarantino). What makes this movie special is that it doesn’t just cover one book in the series, but rather, MULTIPLE books, those being Books 1, 2, and 4 (with Book 3, A Dame to Kill For, being the primary basis for the second movie, which is fine, but not nearly as engaging as this one).

In this way, 2005’s Sin City is an anthology movie, which makes it feel super unique and different from any other comic book film. The various stories - those being “The Customer Is Always Right” (Parts I and II), “That Yellow Bastard” (Parts I and II), “The Hard Goodbye” (which is my favorite), and “The Big Fat Kill” - are all exceptional, and there isn’t a weak link throughout the entire film.

It all just works, and it’s never boring, as the inventive, anthology plot structure just doesn’t allow it to be.

Mickey Rourke Honestly Should Have Been Nominated For An Oscar For His Portrayal As Marv

The whole shtick of Sin City is that it's basically a modern take on film noir, and it somehow ended up being one of the best film noirs ever. I think a large part of this is because of two particular actors, those being Bruce Willis, who plays the hardboiled detective, John Hartigan, and then a massive man named Marv, played by Mickey Rourke.

Now, Willis' character is great as a vehicle for the overall narrative, as what noir film doesn’t have some kind of detective? However, I think the true star of this film is Mickey Rourke, as his portrayal of Marv just hits all of the right buttons for me. It’s just everything about him: The way he looks, the way he sounds, the way he calls his hands his “mitts,” and just the overall way he carries himself truly makes me think that he deserved an Oscar nomination for this performance.

His story, in particular, “The Hard Goodbye,” fits nicely toward the middle of the movie. In the chapter, he’s being framed for a murder that he didn’t commit, and it feels all sorts of film noirish. However, Rourke’s intimidating size is larger than life here, and we see the full range of emotions from his character all the way up to his ultimate demise in the electric chair.

It’s one of the best performances in a comic book movie ever, and I’m surprised that more people don’t bring it up. In fact, I’m surprised that people don’t bring up the other performances in this movie as well.

All Of The Acting Is Top Notch

Sin City probably has one of the most stacked casts for a comic book movie I’ve ever seen. Sure, we would get The Avengers films later, which were just chock full of movie stars, but who doesn’t want to play Captain America, Spider-Man, or Black Widow? Of course those films are going to get big names in Hollywood. However, it's a whole other matter entirely that we’d get somebody like Clive Owen to play a general unknown like Dwight McCarthy, Rosario Dawson to play the leader of a band of prostitutes, or Nick Stahl playing a brightly yellow character referred to as…that yellow bastard.

The beautiful thing is that every actor commits to playing the denizens of this corrupt and dirty city. In fact, much like Baltimore itself is the main character of The Wire, Sin City itself is the main character of this film, with each character playing a role in its many chapters. But, even if you’ve never read Sin City, the film does an excellent job of feeling like a film noir, and it’s because all of the actors are spectacular in it.

I especially love Rutger Hauer as Cardinal Patrick Henry Roark, or Benicio del Toro as “Jackie Boy”. They don’t have the biggest parts in the world, but they definitely stand out. Or, what about Jessica Alba as Nancy Callahan, who is the grown-up version of a younger character we meet earlier in the story? She might just seem like eye candy, but she really commits to selling the idea that she’s come from a hard upbringing.

The point is, all of the acting is great, and it makes this movie stand out.

I Like How The Film Still Looks Like No Other

Another thing that I’m surprised more people don’t talk about is the overall look of this film. I mean, what other comic book movie looks like Sin City? Yes, I know Miller tried to replicate the style when he directed The Spirit, but for some reason, that movie just felt too clean in its appearance. It wasn’t grungy enough.

And, I think that’s important. It’s not just that Sin City is black and white, with moments of bright colors, just like the comic series. It’s also that the color palette paints the overall bleakness of this world, and it wouldn’t be nearly as effective if it were fully in color. In fact, I think the overall design does a lot of the legwork when it comes to getting this world across, making it feel literally ripped right off the pages.

For example, I’m a big fan of Ang Lee’s Hulk movie, and I especially like how some of the film utilized panels. But, what I especially love about Sin City is that the whole movie feels like it came right off the page, with some shots almost direct replicas of scenes from Frank Miller’s original stories.

It’s yet another reason why this film is so faithful to the source material - it looks just like it!

In The End, Sin City Still Holds Up Incredibly Well

I know the movie came out over 20 years ago, but it still holds up!

The stories still work, it’s still incredibly pulpy, and the visuals all still hold up. Roger Ebert originally gave the movie four stars, and it deserved it.

In fact, it still deserves it. Sin City is a four-star film, never mind it being “a comic book movie”.

So, watch it again if you haven’t in a while. It deserves your love.

It never ceases to amaze me when an actor is the spitting image of the real person they are selected to play. I do not think a historical portrayal necessarily lives or dies by the performer’s resemblance to the subject, but I think it is something to appreciate, especially when you consider the amount of biopics starring actors who bear absolutely no resemblance to their role. Here are a few notable examples of actors who were clearly hired for their talents above anything else.

Michael Shannon As Elvis Presley (Elvis & Nixon)

The most requested photo in the National Archives depicts Elvis Presley shaking hands with Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, and the events surrounding this historic meeting at the White House are dramatized in 2016's Elvis & Nixon. Kevin Spacey makes for a visually believable depiction of the 37th United States President, but the otherwise wonderfully talented Michael Shannon simply does not cut it as the one many call the King of Rock 'n Roll, even with a decent jumpsuit and wig.

John Wayne As Genghis Khan (The Conqueror)

Oh, boy, where do we begin with this one? The only visual evidence we have of what Genghis Khan looked like is artist renderings, but it does not take an expert to notice that John Wayne was not Asian. Still, the legendary Western movie star was cast as the Mongol chief in 1956's The Conqueror, which has since been regarded as one of the worst films ever made.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson As John Lennon (Nowhere Boy)

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson's 2009 music biopic Nowhere Boy focuses on the pre-Beatles life of John Lennon, as portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. If you ask me, the Golden Globe-winning actor might have been a better fit to play, perhaps, Paul McCartney or, better yet, George Harrison.

Tom Cruise As Barry Seal (American Made)

If more people knew about Barry Seal and what he looked like, I believe Tom Cruise's portrayal in 2017's American Made would have been criticized as one of the most egregious miscastings in Hollywood history. The otherwise talented movie star did absolutely nothing to alter his appearance and pass for the ill-fated, heavy-set CIA smuggler, save what I regard as an embarrassing Southern accent.

Julia Roberts As Erin Brockovich (Erin Brockovich)

Julia Roberts gives, arguably, the finest performance of her career as a single mother and paralegal who uncovers a small town pollution scandal in Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich from 2000. However, if a resemblance to the person an actor is portraying were part of the Academy's voting criteria, she might not have won the Oscar.

Denzel Washington As Frank Lucas (American Gangster)

Ridley Scott's 2007 biopic American Gangster dramatizes the career of mobster Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington, and also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lucas' brother, Huey. Curiously, Ejiofor actually looks a whole lot more like the real Frank than the two-time Oscar winner. However, Washington was a good friend and frequent collaborator of the director's brother, Tony Scott, so he probably had the role in the bag for that, among other reasons.

Johnny Depp As J.M. Barrie (Finding Neverland)

Oddly enough, J.M. Barrie boasted a striking resemblance to another influential author, Edgar Allan Poe, with his tall forehead and small moustache. However, Johnny Depp, who played the Peter Pan author in 2004's Finding Neverland, does not boast a resemblance to either of them, if you ask me.

Hugh Jackman As P.T. Barnum (The Greatest Showman)

Let's not even bother talking about the many historical inaccuracies from The Greatest Showman, 2017's musical retelling of the origins of the circus, and even ignore the fact that P.T. Barnum was not the kindhearted man Hugh Jackman portrayed him as. All that matters to this list is whether or not the Wolverine star looked the part, and the famously attractive Australian actor most definitely was not a match for Barnum in that regard.

Michael Fassbender As Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs)

Michael Fassbender's Oscar-nominated performance in director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs from 2015 is widely regarded as superior to Ashton Kutcher's portrayal in Jobs from two years earlier. However, at least the former That '70s Show cast member can say he resembled the tech pioneer more closely.

Jesse Eisenberg As Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network)

Mark Zuckerberg once made a surprise SNL cameo, during which he stood right next to host Jesse Eisenberg on the Studio 8H stage, proving that they are certainly not a visual match. The actor does not even bother to imitate the Facebook founder's distinctly low voice when portraying him in 2010's The Social Network, but his Oscar nomination proves that that is not what really matters in the end.

Tom Hanks As Fred Rogers (A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood)

Casting a universally beloved actor such as Tom Hanks to play a universally beloved children's television personality like Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood fame, is brilliant in theory. However, even giving the Oscar winner the icon's signature haircut and sweaters is not quite enough to distract from the fact that you are still unmistakably watching Hanks on screen.

Leonardo DiCaprio As Howard Hughes (The Aviator)

A major inspiration for Marvel's Tony "Iron Man" Stark was Howard Hughes, whose resemblance is actually a striking match for both Robert Downey Jr. and Dominic Cooper, who plays Howard Stark in his early years in the MCU. In fact, I think either one of them would have been a better visual fit for the eccentric millionaire in The Aviator than Leonardo DiCaprio, even if his performance in the 2005 biopic makes it one of his best collaborations with the director, Martin Scorsese.

Warren Beatty And Faye Dunaway As Clyde Barrow And Bonnie Parker (Bonnie And Clyde)

From a performance standpoint, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway make a great onscreen duo portraying the titular notorious bank robbers in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. However, the screen legends' casting does not earn the film any points for historical accuracy, considering Beatty does not have Clyde Barrow's jug ears, nor does Dunaway boast Bonnie Parker's sharp, thin face.

Taraji P. Henson As Katherine G. Johnson (Hidden Figures)

Taraji P. Henson gives an undeniably commanding performance in 2016's Hidden Figures as Katherine G. Johnson, a mathematician who was pivotal in helping NASA figure out space travel. Yet, when comparing the Empire star to photos of the real Johnson, it is clear the actor does not resemble her much at all.

Anthony Hopkins As Richard Nixon (Nixon)

Reportedly, Anthony Hopkins had some hesitation about taking on the lead role of Oliver Stone's 1995 biopic about Richard M. Nixon. Ultimately, I would say the Academy Award winner went on to give a great performance in Nixon, but I find myself distracted by his struggle to hide his accent and his obvious fake teeth and hairpiece that really do not help make him look any closer in resemblance to the disgraced U.S. president.

Margot Robbie As Queen Elizabeth I (Mary Queen Of Scots)

Cate Blanchett previously gave an Academy Award-nominated performance as the lead of 1998's Elizabeth, and even bore a strong resemblance to the royal based on artist renderings. I cannot say the same about Margot Robbie, even if the Australian actor's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots was still worthy of praise.

Benedict Cumberbatch As Alan Turing (The Imitation Game)

Benedict Cumberbatch has such a distinct appearance, making it difficult for him to resemble anyone else without heavy alterations. However, nothing was done to make him look any closer to World War II-era computer scientist Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

Javier Bardem As Desi Arnaz (Being The Ricardos)

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman went above and beyond to physically become Lucille Ball for writer and director Aaron Sorkin's dramatization of what went on behind the scenes of the beloved TV sitcom, I Love Lucy. However, playing her onscreen husband is Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who does not pass for Desi Arnaz in the slightest.

Ray Liotta As Shoeless Joe Jackson (Field Of Dreams)

Technically, Ray Liotta plays the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams, but even a person's spectral remnant should look something like them. The infamous MLB player had a much narrower face and wider ears, not to mention that he pitched left-handed, while the actor did the opposite in the beloved sports movie.

Beyoncé As Etta James (Cadillac Records)

No one could possibly deny that Beyoncé has the pipes to match Etta James, which had to have been the reason why she was cast in 2008's Cadillac Records. However, the "At Last" singer was short and round-faced, and the former Destiny's Child member is neither.

Dominic West As Prince Charles III (The Crown)

I mean no disrespect to Prince Charles III, but is it just me, or was The Wire star Dominic West just a little too handsome to play the Royal Family member on The Crown? Then again, any one cast member's portrayal on the historical Netflix series might pale in comparison to Elizabeth Debicki's striking resemblance to Princess Diana.

Kane Hodder As Ed Gein (Ed Gein: The Butcher Of Plainfield)

The most famous actor to wear Jason Voorhees' hockey mask in the Friday the 13th films must have seemed like an inspired choice to play one of the most notorious serial killers in history in 2007's Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield. However, the 6'2", broadly built Kane Hodder does not boast Gein's narrower face and small stature.

Clive Owen As Bill Clinton (Impeachment: American Crime Story)

In most cases, prosthetics can be very helpful in making an actor look more similar to the person they are portraying, such as when Charlize Theron became Megyn Kelly for Bombshell. Clive Owen adopted this method to play Bill Clinton on Impeachment: American Crime Story, but the makeup only caused the English actor to resemble the 1990s-era President even less.

Angelina Jolie As Christine Collins (Changeling)

Christine Collins is the subject of Clint Eastwood's 2008 period film, Changeling, which is based on the true story of when her missing son was replaced by an impostor. Had she been an even better-known historical figure, there might have been more criticism over casting Angelina Jolie, an actor known for her voluptuous lips, as the thin-lipped 1920s woman.

Fred Armisen As Barack Obama (Saturday Night Live)

Considering the fact that the otherwise extremely talented SNL star Fred Armisen is a white man with a subpar impersonation of the 44th. U.S. President, I'll just say that I am glad Jay Pharoah eventually took over as Barack Obama.

Tom Hulce As Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Amadeus)

Just based on artist renderings of the seminal composer, Tom Hulce was nowhere near a match to play the title role of director Milos Forman's Best Picture Oscar winner, Amadeus, from 1984. However, the actor is widely admired for his performance as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which earned him a well-deserved Academy Award nomination.

Robert Redford As Harry Longabaugh (Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid)

I wonder how many others like me had no idea that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was based on a true story, which might be how the film was able to get away with casting actors who look nothing like the Western outlaws they play. For instance, Robert Redford's mustache works just fine for the role, but Harry Longabaugh, a.k.a. "The Sundance Kid," did not have long blonde locks.

Diana Ross As Billie Holiday (Lady Sings The Blues)

Most would agree that 1972's Lady Sings the Blues is the superior biopic about the trailblazing "Strange Fruit" singer over The United States vs. Billie Holiday from 2021. However, those same people might also agree that Andra Day was a better fit to play Holiday, physically speaking, than the otherwise wonderfully talented Diana Ross in the earlier film.

Robin Williams As Patch Adams (Patch Adams)

The real Patch Adams hates Tom Shadyac's biopic based on his life, which has nothing to do with the fact that Robin Williams looks nothing like the influential doctor. However, it's still impossible to ignore, especially with how they do not even bother to give the Oscar winner Adams' signature mustache.

Mel Gibson As William Wallace (Braveheart)

In the most well-known illustrations of William Wallace, the Scottish warrior is depicted as having short hair and a beard. Why director Mel Gibson opted against this look when he portrayed Wallace in Braveheart is beyond me.

Serena Scott Thomas As Princess Diana (Diana: Her True Story)

Many actors have portrayed Princess Diana to varying degrees of success, but most consider Serena Scott Thomas from the 1993 two-part miniseries, Diana: Her True Story, to be one of the weakest matches, purely in terms of her physical resemblance.

Zoe Saldaña As Nina Simone (Nina)

The 2016 biopic, Nina, sparked controversy when Zoe Saldaña donned skin-darkening makeup and a prosthetic nose to better resemble singer Nina Simone, which the actor would later admit she regretted.

There’s no dearth of options to choose from between streaming and linear TV, but sometimes that’s the problem. For example, I still have a cable subscription, but I missed a couple of cool shows on AMC recently and because I don’t subscribe to AMC+, I hadn’t been able to catch them later. That all changed when Alexandra Daddario announced Mayfair Witches and others had come to Netflix. I’m stoked the show is doing so well, but there’s another AMC series I have been champing at the bit to throw on.

What AMC series am I talking about? None other than the Clive Owen-led, Maltese Falcon sequel Monsieur Spade. The series is set 20 years after the events of one of literature’s most famous novels. It’s a period drama, set in the 1960s (‘63 to be exact). Sam Spade has retired to France, but some murders bring him back into the private detective fold.

It's still mind-boggling to me that Clive Owen is of an age where he could play someone retired. Regardless, what is not to like a period drama with a film noir – or I guest post-noir, neo noir – bent? It's also well-reviewed, garnering a 77% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes after its release earlier this year.

I was so bummed to have missed the first few episodes when this initially came out on AMC and I didn’t want to pick up in the middle of the series, and now I have the chance to binge it. It’s a smart move, honestly, and one FX made a few years ago when it started running its programming for those with a Hulu+ subscription.

Daddario’s Mayfair Witches has been doing well, hitting Netflix’s Top 10 in the US at least over the last couple of days, though its reviews (audience and critics) are a bit lower than Owen's series. Fewer eyeballs seem to be on Monsieur Spade, and that’s a bit of a shame. But insofar as sequels go, this one has me hooked and I know exactly what my plans for the weekend are.

As one of the best streaming services, in the TV space Netflix has a bunch of great originals; still, a lot of times the projects that pop tend to be shows the streaming service picked up elsewhere. That’s how Suits got to be so popular years after its initial release and how shows such as Arrow or Criminal Minds have popped in the past. In fact, in the latter case, C-Minds got so popular on Netflix they rebooted the show. Suits is also getting a new LA spinoff after the original show's renewed success.

In the case of the AMC stuff, a lot of these shows are still in the air, like Mayfair Witches, and hopefully I’ll be able to catch up on the streamer and can watch linearly moving forward. It’s not a half bad scheme for the network or the streamer alike.

From Poker Face to A Haunting in Venice to Only Murders in the Building, murder mysteries are a hot genre right now, and Hulu just debuted a new offering with A Murder at the End of the World. The series, whose first two episodes can now be streamed with a Hulu subscription, comes to us from Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, creators of the gone-too-soon Netflix series The OA. Critics were able to screen the mystery series ahead of its release, and they seem impressed by the genre-defying project.

Co-writer/co-director Brit Marling also stars in A Murder at the End of the World, alongside Emma Corrin, Clive Owen and others. The plot is a classic murder-mystery set-up: Eight guests are invited to a retreat at a billionaire’s remote but spectacular estate, and one of them ends up dead. Amateur detective Darby Hart (Corrin) gets to work as the body count rises. Matt Roush of TV Insider rates it 3 out of 5 stars, noting that few of the characters are fully developed, but the series boasts an ending that would make Agatha Christie proud. The critic writes: 

Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast disagrees with the above criticism of character development and says the FX on Hulu series succeeds in spite of its supersized episodes. A Murder at the End of the World is the rare case where the surplus of characters, convoluted plot and distinct setting are used to its advantage, Spilde says, writing: 

Aramide Tinubu of Variety says to label the Hulu series as simply a murder mystery would be doing an injustice to its social commentary, particularly in the way it examines misogyny and power dynamics. In Tinubu’s words: 

Judy Berman of Time offers a few “small complaints” about the show — too-long episodes, pacing issues in the middle and an overly somber tone — but it’s hard to be too upset with Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij’s thoughtful inquiry into artificial intelligence and surveillance capitalism in the framework of a whodunit. Berman continues: 

Brandon Yu of The Wrap also talks about everything A Murder at the End of the World is trying to accomplish — including much of the series flashing back to Darby’s past with fellow retreat guest Bill (Harris Dickinson). But as other critics have pointed out, Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij make it work. Yu writes: 

From the reviews, it sounds like this is a series to watch if you liked Poker Face and other recent offerings in the mystery genre, but it also offers thoughtful commentary on everything from A.I. to wealth and power dynamics. 

The series has garnered a rating of 82% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so if you’d like to check this new series out, the first two episodes are available to stream now, with new offerings coming each Tuesday. Also be sure to check out what else is new and coming soon to Hulu, as well as our 2023 TV schedule for all the television and streaming premieres through the rest of the year. 

It’s rare for a TV show to celebrate its 20th anniversary and still be on the air, but NCIS is one of those lucky few. Two decades ago, just a few months after being established in a two-part backdoor pilot on JAG, Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team started leading their own stories on CBS. But before Harmon was selected for the role, it turns out Harrison Ford and some other A-listers were tossed out as options for bringing the special agent to life.

This was revealed in an oral history published by THR commemorating NCIS’ 20th anniversary, with Charles Floyd Johnson, executive producer on JAG and NCIS, recalling the process of how Gibbs was cast. After Amy Reisenbach, CBS Entertainment president, commended the JAG writers for writing “real people,” Johnson said:

You have to remember that the TV landscape looked a lot different in the early 2000s compared to now, in that it was rare for a thriving movie star to agree to star in a TV show. At this point in time, along with retaining his well-deserved popularity as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford was also appearing in movies like What Lies Beneath and K-19: The Widowmaker. Peter Golden, the former head of CBS casting, acknowledged this in the article, noting how even if the chances weren’t good for looping in someone of Ford’s caliber, that didn’t stop the people behind a show like JAG from putting him on “the list.”

But it didn’t just end with the man who’s now playing Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Susan Bluestein, the NCIS casting director, didn’t recall Harrison Ford being thrown into consideration, she did remember plenty of other noteworthy names, saying:

All these men would have been major scores for NCIS, and to be fair, some of these actors did go on to lead/play important roles in TV shows, including Baldwin in 30 Rock, Bacon in The Following and City on a Hill, and Swayze in The Beast right before he died. Charles Floyd Johnson also mentioned that Silence of the Lambs and Daredevil’s Scott Glenn was considered “very strongly” for Gibbs, and Susan Bluestein added that he was being considered for Donald “Ducky” Mallard too. Ultimately Glenn, as well as  passed on participating in JAG and NCIS, and while Andrew McCarthy of St. Elmo’s Fire fame also talked with co-creator Donald Bellisario about playing Gibbs, nothing ever came of that.

As far as Mark Harmon goes, he was already a well-established TV presence from shows like St. Elsewhere, Reasonable Doubts and Chicago Hope, so leading a procedural was well within his wheelhouse. Bluestein also had history with Harmon, having cast him to play John Dillinger in a TV movie about the outlaw, and Golden recalled, once the actor met with Bellisario, they “hit it off.” Harmon would go on to play Gibbs for 19 seasons of NCIS, exiting in the episode “Great Wide Open,” and he also made four guest appearances in the spinoff NCIS: New Orleans.

It remains to be seen if Mark Harmon will ever reprise Leroy Jethro Gibbs, especially considering that as of this past July, there’s allegedly some behind-the-scenes drama around his potential NCIS return. Still, if you’d like to view any of the hundreds of episodes he did appear in, those can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. NCIS itself has been renewed for Season 21, and while we wait for concrete details about what it holds in store, look through our 2023 TV schedule to see what’s currently airing or will be soon.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is, in great, the powerhouse that it is today due to the efforts of studio head Kevin Feige and the countless individuals who work at Marvel Studios. Of course, an actor by the name of Robert Downey Jr. deserves some credit as well, as his debut performance as Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man helped to propel the film to box office success. After all these years, it’s honestly hard to imagine anyone else playing the role of the mustachioed hero except for Downey. Believe it or not though, he wasn’t the studio’s “top choice” for Stark, as the other name they had in mind passed. Feige recently recalled that situation while discussing forks in life and more during a recent speech.

Kevin Feige returned to his alma mater, the University of Southern California, to address the class of 2023. Based on the video that was shared to YouTube, many of the graduates were delighted with the producer’s anecdotes about his experiences as a student and filmmaker. The speech was funny and engaging, but the icing on the cake was the Iron Man story. Before getting into the main details of that behind-the-scenes tale though, he spoke about one major ingredient that comes into play when one navigates the ups and downs of life:

Those are certainly wise words from the veteran filmmaker, and he’d know this from first-hand experience. Having been rejected from USC’s film school five times before getting accepted and now oversees the plethora of upcoming Marvel movies, he knows a thing or two about luck. He then illustrated how plans can go awry by reflecting on the casting of the Armored Avenger:

Oscar nominee Clive Owen is certainly a gifted actor and could've been an interesting choice for Tony Stark. Entertainment enthusiasts probably know him best from his performances in Closer, Close My Eyes, Sin City and more. While the notion of him playing the character is intriguing, I don’t think he could’ve brought Tony Stark the way that Robert Downey Jr. did. While Downey had to practice for the role, his Iron Man audition alone seemed to indicate that he was the best fit. And based on his speech, his longtime collaborator agrees with that sentiment: 

That “right choice” spawned a successful film trilogy and arguably rejuvenated Robert Downey Jr.’s career. And I think I speak for a number of people when I say that we’re incredibly grateful to have had the actor in the role for more than a decade. Since the release of Avengers: Endgame, there are plenty of fans wondering whether the actor would ever reprise the role of Iron Man. Co-star Mark Ruffalo thinks a return is possible at some point. Whether that happens remains to be seen but, at present, let’s heed Kevin Feige’s advice about not dwelling on your “top choice.”

Those who want to check out Robert Downey Jr.’s take on Tony Stark can stream past MCU movies using a Disney+ subscription.

As far as ratings go, at least those handed out by the Motion Picture Association, there is nothing more extreme these days than NC-17. That means no one under the age of 18 can be admitted to a movie with this rating for a multitude of reasons.

Some directors, producers, and studios will re-cut their films to get an R-rating, but there are plenty of NC-17 movies that have been left unedited and sent out into the wild as is, which has resulted in limited releases of some of the most notorious movies of all time. Find out why these films were branded this way, as well as how you can watch them if you are curious, in the following list.

Henry & June (1990) - Fred Ward, Uma Thurman

What better way to start than with the very first movie to earn the NC-17 rating – according to SlashFilm – Henry & June. Director Philip Kaufman’s adaptation of Anaïs Nin’s memoir focuses on a love triangle between novelist Henry Miller (Fred Ward), his wife, June (Uma Thurman), and the French-American author (portrayed by Thurman’s future fellow Pulp Fiction cast member, Maria de Medeiros) in 1930s Paris. Despite its controversially explicit sexual content, the drama was a mild critical and commercial success and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.

Buy Henry & June on Blu-ray on Amazon.  

Killer Joe (2012) - Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple

Directed by the late William Friedkin and written by 2019’s Little Women cast member Tracy Letts (also based on his stage play), Killer Joe stars Emile Hirsch as an indebted young man who hatches a plan to have his mother (played by Gina Gershon) killed to collect insurance money. Matthew McConaughey gives one of his most underrated performances as the titular hitman he hires, whose fee is so high that he agrees to let his teenage sister (Juno Temple) be treated as collateral.

According to Deadline, the shamelessly twisted crime thriller was released with an NC-17 rating after Friedkin and distributor LD Entertainment opted not to change its ending. While an R-rated version of the film was later made available for home viewing, those interested in seeing it in its original form could also seek out the unrated director’s cut of Killer Joe instead.

Rent or buy Killer Joe on Amazon.
Buy Killer Joe on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Mysterious Skin (2004) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt

One of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best movies from earlier in his career is Mysterious Skin, in which he plays a gay teen making a living as a sex worker who recalls a disturbing encounter from his childhood through narration. Meanwhile, another teen, played by Brady Corbet, struggles to figure out the truth behind a blackout he suffered when he was younger, leading the two men to cross paths unexpectedly.

Writer and director Gregg Araki is notorious for including pervasive sexual content in his films, but the NC-17 rating for Mysterious Skin – also starring Elisabeth Shue and Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member Michelle Trachtenberg – was largely determined by its graphic depiction of pedophilia. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the challenging subject matter sparked controversy when the Australian Family Association feared child predators could use the film as a grooming tool or for their own gratification.
 
Rent or buy Mysterious Skin on Amazon.
Buy Mysterious Skin on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his many racy collaborations with writer and director Pedro Almodóvar, Antonio Banderas stars in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as Ricky, who is released from a mental hospital with the intent of finding love. So, he tracks down a former adult film star, played by Victoria Abril, whom he once shared an intimate encounter with and takes her prisoner in hopes he can convince her to be his wife.

According to Gwyne Edwards’ 2001 book Almodóvar: Labyrinths of Passion, the controversial subject matter of Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! was instrumental in the creation of the NC-17 rating itself. Thus, the MPA branded it as such in 1990 for a “scene of strong adult sensuality with nudity,” according to FilmRatings.com.

Stream Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Max.
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Buy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Blu-ray Amazon.

Blonde (2022) - Ana de Armas

Based on the book by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde is director Andrew Dominik’s in-depth and fictionalized look at the tragically short life of Norma Jeane Baker, better known as Marilyn Monroe. Ana de Armas disappears into the role of one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, portraying a side of the actress and model that was long kept hidden from the public.

Dominik once said that he anticipated his nearly three-hour biopic would be rated NC-17 before the MPA made it official in June 2022, citing “some sexual content” as the reasoning. The film’s more hardcore scenes would inspire some strong reactions from both critics and audiences since it was made available to stream in 2022.

Stream Blonde on Netflix.

Crash (1996) - James Spader, Holly Hunter

Not to be confused with director Paul Haggis’ Best Picture Oscar winner from 2005, Crash is one of the more bizarre and inventive movies directed by David Cronenberg (which is really saying something). Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard, it stars James Spader as a TV producer who becomes seduced into an unusual and dangerous obsession with car wrecks and the intense, sexually stimulating effect they seem to have on him and others, including his mistress (played by Holly Hunter).

Just from learning the plot, it seems pretty clear why a movie like Crash would have been given the NC-17 rating and why it inspired controversy so pervasive that it was chronicled in a 2001 book called The Crash Controversy: Censorship Campaigns and Film Reception. Nonetheless, it was still relatively well-received by critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and earned Cronenberg a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, despite vehement opposition from the jury’s then-president, Francis Ford Coppola.

Buy Crash on DVD on Amazon.

Descent (2007) - Rosario Dawson

Not to be confused with the Scottish 2005 horror movie THE Descent, this film sees Rosario Dawson giving her most provocative and extreme performance since she broke out in another controversial classic, Kids. This time, she plays a woman who undergoes a dramatic and violent change of character after she is assaulted by a man she meets at a fraternity party.

This brutal and upsetting revenge drama was actually released with two alternative cuts: one rated NC-17 and an R-rated edit that omits seven minutes of footage. Still, both versions contain brutal rape, language, some sexual content and drug use.

Buy Descent on DVD on Amazon.

Showgirls (1995) - Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan

Perhaps the most infamous movie on this list, Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 erotic cult classic, Showgirls, stars a post-Save by the Bell Elizabeth Berkley as a young drifter named Nomi Malone. As she hitchhikes to Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a famous dancer on the Strip, she has some ups and downs on her journey, but finally makes her dreams come true, at a price…

According to the MPA, Showgirls was given its NC-17 rating due to the amount of nudity and erotic sexuality throughout the movie, as well as graphic language and sexual violence. If you’ve seen the movie (and not the VH1 version with digitized bras), you’re well aware of the film’s graphic nature.

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Shame (2011) - Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan

Released in 2011, Steve McQueen’s psychological drama, Shame, stars Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan – a successful and dashing executive who is secretly a traumatized sex addict who will do anything and everything to get his kicks in New York City. Just when he thinks life can’t get any worse, his equally damaged sister (Carey Mulligan) storms into his life, causing more complications.

Upon release, Shame was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA for explicit sexual content as well as some truly troubling scenes. I’ve walked out of several movies before, but this was the first I exited simply because what was happening on the screen was way too real and unnerving to finish.

Rent or buy Shame on Amazon.
Buy Shame on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013) - Léa Seydoux 

Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 French drama, Blue is the Warmest Color, stars Adèle Exarchopoulos as a high school student who experiences a sexual awakening after meeting an art school student and aspiring painter named Emma, played by James Bond movies actor, Léa Seydoux. Over the years, the two form a contentious and highly-emotional relationship that opens their eyes to a whole new world around them.

Though tamer than some of the other titles on this list, Blue is the Warmest Color was given an NC-17 rating because of the explicit sexual content the MPA felt was unsuitable for younger audiences. However, at least one theater allowed teens to watch the movie upon release.

Rent or buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Amazon.
Buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Blu-ray Amazon.

Bad Lieutenant (1992) - Harvey Keitel

Abel Ferrara’s 1992 crime thriller Bad Lieutenant follows Harvey Keitel as a broken NYPD detective whose stress over his job, life, and gambling habits get the best of him. From one interaction to the next, the unnamed lieutenant falls deeper down the rabbit hole of depravity, committing some irredeemable crimes of his own along the way.

If there has ever been a movie deserving of an NC-17 rating it would have to be Bad Lieutenant. With an abundance of sexual violence, intense sexual situations, endless drug use, and extreme language throughout, it’s no wonder the MPA came down hard on the movie, which later inspired a sequel only in name, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Werner Herzog.

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Rent or buy Bad Lieutenant on Amazon.
Buy Bad Lieutenant on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Orgazmo (1997) - Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Co-writer and director Trey Parker plays a normal Mormon missionary trying to find enough money to support and marry his longtime girlfriend. But when he stumbles upon a porn set, the once strait-laced and deeply devoted young man becomes the biggest thing going in the adult entertainment industry in Orgazmo.

It should come as no surprise that a movie written by the creators of South Park, and one centered on the porn industry, would receive an NC-17 rating from the MPA in 1998. It should come as even less of a surprise that the rating was handed down due to the sexual content and dialogue featured throughout.

Rent or buy Orgazmo on Amazon.
Buy Orgazmo on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Bent (1997) - Clive Owen, Ian McKellen

After being discovered and arrested by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, Max – a proud gay man played by Clive Owen – is sent on a perilous journey to the Dachau concentration camp where he is subjected to indescribable horrors while still being able to find love.

Possibly one of the most harrowing movies about the Holocaust, Sean Mathias’ 1997 drama Bent is absolutely heartbreaking and disturbing with its graphic displays of violence. Upon its release, the movie received an NC-17 rating from the MPA due to its graphic sexual nature.

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Matador (1986) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his most disturbing roles, Antonio Banderas plays Angel, a young student who confesses to an attempted rape and a series of murders he may or may not have committed, in Pedro Almodóvar’s 1986 dark comedy, Matador.

Just like some of the other movies featuring the director and actor, Matador pushed the limits with its dark, twisted, and oddly humorous story. Still, the MPA would later give the film an NC-17 rating in 2005 (nearly 20 years after initial release) due to “aberrant sexuality” and violence.

Rent or buy Matador on Amazon.
Buy Matador on DVD on Amazon.

The Dreamers (2003) - Eva Green, Michael Pitt

In the midst of the 1968 Student Riots in Paris, an American student named Matthew (played by Michael Pitt) finds himself getting caught up in the lives of formerly conjoined twins – Louis Garrel as Théo and Eva Green as Isabelle – whose relationship is far from normal. When asked to spend a month with the siblings, Matthew falls deeper into their wild and free-flowing lifestyle.

Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 erotic drama, The Dreamers, pushes several boundaries and deviates from societal norms to tell a story about young love in the midst of a chaotic time. With the extreme sexual content and nudity, it’s no surprise the MPA gave the movie an NC-17 rating upon release.

Buy The Dreamers on DVD on Amazon.

A Dirty Shame (2004) - Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville

A John Waters movie receiving an NC-17 rating? You don’t say! The filthy filmmaker’s 2004 comedy, A Dirty Shame, follows Tracey Ullman as Sylvia Stickles– a puritanical resident of the Hatford Road area of Baltimore who experiences a sexual awakening after being hit by a car. 

Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, and Chris Isaak also star in A Dirty Shame, which (no shocker here) was given the NC-17 rating by the MPA due to its pervasive sexual content. And if you’ve seen the movie, you are all too aware of just how pervasive and graphic it is.

Rent or buy A Dirty Shame on Amazon.
Buy A Dirty Shame on DVD on Amazon.

Pink Flamingos (1972) - Divine

When Connie (Mink Stole) and Raymond Marble (David Lochary) attempt to steal Babs Johnson’s (Divine) title of “the filthiest person alive,” the down and dirty criminal and her family make it their mission in life to prevent the newcomers from accomplishing their mission by any means necessary.

With scenes featuring incest, people eating dog poop, flashers, and an infamously notorious scene involving a chicken, it shouldn’t shock anyone that John Waters’ classic exploitation comedy film, Pink Flamingos, was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA upon re-release in 1997, 25 years after it first shocked audiences around the world. Maybe that’s why Roger Ebert hated the movie.

Buy Pink Flamingos on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Evil Dead (1981) - Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell stars in the film that kickstarted the Evil Dead franchise as Ash Williams who – along with his girlfriend and a small group of friends – set off for a night away in an isolated cabin. However, the night quickly takes a turn for the worst after they discover the Necronomicon – a powerful book that awakens possessive, malevolent spirits.

Sam Raimi’s classic horror film, The Evil Dead, was initially released with an X rating back in 1981 on account of its substantial graphic violence and gore. It was later given an NC-17 by the MPA when the movie was re-released back in 1994.

Rent or buy The Evil Dead on Amazon.
Buy The Evil Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Elles (2011) - Juliette Binoche

The title of Elles refers to the French magazine, Elle, for which Juliette Binoche’s character is researching an article about an underground sex worker ring orchestrated by female college students in Paris. However, the closer she gets to the facts behind the story, the more she begins to question her own personal interests. Graphic sexual content that goes as far as urinary fetishes initially earned this drama from Polish filmmaker Malgoska Szumowska an NC-17 rating.

Buy Elles on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Happiness (1998) - Philip Seymour Hoffman 

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman plays one of several interconnected people all searching desperately for the most coveted emotion there is: happiness. Of course, their chosen ways of acquiring it are exactly the kind of reasons this Golden Globe nominee was initially given an NC-17 rating. 

Also starring the likes of Trick ‘r Treat’s Dylan Baker, Twin Peaks cast member Lara Flynn Boyle, and SNL’s Jon Lovitz, Happiness is one of the darkest comedies of its time. However, that does not mean so much when you learn it comes from writer and director Todd Solondz.

Buy Happiness on DVD on Amazon.

Elles and Happiness are some of a few notable examples of films that surrendered their NC-17 ratings upon release and are now deemed “unrated,” such as the aforementioned Kids. However, they are just as challenging and provocative as any of the films listed above, which is why we’ll still count them as NC-17 in our book.

Usually, the job of comic book movie actors is to smoothly transcend their character away from the pulpy graphics and bring them into the real world. However, that was not quite the case for Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Alexis Bledel, and the rest of the Sin City cast, because Frank Miller and co-director Robert Rodriguez did more than just adapt his series of gritty, noir-inspired graphic novels into a film. They brought them to life.

The critically acclaimed 2005 hit stays remarkably faithful to the source material - not just to the stories and character motivations, but also (and most importantly) the minimalistic, grayscale aesthetic that results in one of most refreshingly original and visually stunning films of its time. Many Sin City cast members would later appear in more straightforward superhero movies, including Rosario Dawson and Benicio del Toro, to name a few. To see what else the star-studded ensemble has been up to, read on.

Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan)

After rising to fame with the 1999 horror-comedy Idle Hands and the sci-fi series Dark Angel, Jessica Alba played Nancy - a club dancer with a disturbing past - in Sin City the same year she starred in the first of two Fantastic Four movies as Invisible Woman. She would re-team with Robert Rodriguez for 2010’s Machete, the fourth installment of the Spy Kids movies in 2011, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, in which she returned as Nancy. 

The mother of three and founder of The Honest Company more recently partnered with Gabrielle Union on the Bad Boys movies spin-off series, L.A.’s Finest, and is currently starring in and producing the upcoming thriller Trigger Warning.

Bruce Willis (Det. John Hartigan)

Also appearing in the Sin City sequel, once again as Det. John Hartigan, was Bruce Willis, who seems to be busier now than ever. He already released six titles in 2021 alone (such as Midnight in the Switchgrass with Megan Fox), with three coming out later in the year (including Fortress, which already has a sequel in the works). 

The Die Hard movies star also had a busy and successful 2019, reprising David Dunn in Glass, playing Edward Norton’s mentor in Motherless Brooklyn, and playing himself in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Between Two Ferns: The Movie. Willis has five 2022 movie releases scheduled, including A Good Day to Die (not to be confused with A Good Day to Die Hard) which also features his Cosmic Sin co-star, Frank Grillo.

Devon Aoki (Miho) 

“Deadly little Miho” was recast in the sequel with Jamie Chung, but was portrayed in the original Sin City cast by Devon Aoki. She broke through two years earlier as Suki in 2 Fast 2 Furious before playing one of the four main teen heroes of D.E.B.S. in 2004. 

In 2006, she played another samurai-sword wielding warrior in the video game movie D.O.A.: Dead or Alive, had a small role in the lighter comic book movie, Zoom, appeared alongside Jason Statham and Jet Li for War in 2007, and entered a future war in Mutant Chronicles the following year. After 2009’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead, the model and mother retired from acting, but has appeared in a few music videos - most recently one for her half-brother, Steve Aoki.

Benicio Del Toro (Lt. Det. Jack “Jackie Boy” Rafferty)

Miho’s most memorable kill in Sin City would have to be the crooked cop known as “Jackie Boy,” played by Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro in his comic book movie debut. Years later, he appeared in the Marvel movies as “The Collector,” whom he reprised most recently on Disney+’s What If…? in 2021. 

That same year, he re-teamed with Traffic director Steven Soderbergh for HBO Max’s No Sudden Move, and worked with Wes Anderson for the first time in The French Dispatch. Del Toro has a couple of dramas in the works (including White Lies from Oliver Stone), a comedy from writer and director Jamie Foxx called All-Star Weekend, and a Cuban Mafia biopic called The Corporation.

Rosario Dawson (Gail)

Also part of the MCU (if Netflix’s Marvel TV shows still count) is Rosario Dawson. She actually made her comic book movie debut with Josie and the Pussycats four years before playing Old Town’s Gail in Sin City. 

The “Geek Goddess” has since become especially prolific for comic book character roles, including Wonder Woman in several DC animated movies, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in The LEGO Batman Movie, Catwoman in HBO Max’s Batman: The Audio Adventures podcast, and Ava DuVernay’s upcoming DMZ series adaptation. The Dopesick cast member is is re-teaming with Kevin Smith for Clerks III and will soon lead her own Ashoka Tano TV show - a miniseries spun-off from The Mandalorian - on Disney+.

Clive Owen (Dwight McCarthy)

Gail’s lover - the mysterious, hard-nosed Dwight McCarthy - was first played in the original Sin City by Academy Award nominee Clive Owen. He has probably never played a more badass character, even though his earlier role in The Bourne Identity and later performance in Inside Man offer worthy options. 

After returning to comic book adaptations with 2017's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and playing the enemy of two Will Smiths in 2019’s Gemini Man, the British actor reunited with his Children of Men co-star Julianne Moore for Apple TV+’s Stephen King-inspired miniseries Lisey’s Story in 2021 and, that same year, joined the Impeachment: American Crime Story cast as Bill Clinton. Owen is reportedly planning to head to France to shoot a new TV series called Monsieur Spade, on which he will play Humphrey Bogart’s famous detective character from The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade.

Alexis Bledel (Becky)

One of the more notably younger Old Town girls is Becky, played by Alexis Bledel - who was best known at the time as Rory from the Gilmore Girls cast, and from her debut film Tuck Everlasting in 2002. This past year, she reprised her Emmy Award-winning role as Emily Malek in The Handmaid’s Tale cast for Season 4 and will reportedly reprise her character from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies in a third installment.

Jaime King (Wendy/Goldie)

The twin sisters who led Old Town in Sin City, Wendy and Goldie, were both played by Jaime King, who would also star in another visually unique comic book movie from director Frank Miller called The Spirit. A year later, 2009’s 3-D My Bloody Valentine remake made her a bit of scream queen (further proven by her lead role on the Netflix original zombie show Black Summer). 

Of course, the model and actress is also known for lighter roles, such as Lemon Breeland in the Hart of Dixie cast or in 2018’s Ocean’s Eight as herself. King recently reunited with Bruce Willis for the 2021 action movie Out of Death and will play the title role in the upcoming assassin thriller Banshee. 

Mickey Rourke (Marv)

Moments before her untimely death at the beginning of Sin City’s first segment, Goldie captured the heart of an extremely tough, but compassionate, criminal named Marv. I would personally rank this character right underneath Mickey Rourke’s Academy Award nominated role in director Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler on a list of his strongest performances. 

After returning to comic book movies with 2010’s Iron Man 2 and the Sin City sequel in 2014, the Angel Heart star would also return to horror movies, such as the Shudder original anthology Nightmare Cinema in 2015 and upcoming titles like The Seeding and She’s Still Here alongside Dexter: New Blood cast member Jennifer Carpenter. Of course, his biggest role in recent memory would have to be on The Masked Singer Season 4 as Gremlin. 

Carla Gugino (Lucille)

Marv’s parole officer, Lucille, is played by Carla Gugino in her fourth collaboration with Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez. She also did several comic book adaptations directed by Zack Snyder, including Watchmen as Sally Jupiter and all of his DCEU installments as the voice of the Kryptonian ship. 

The Jett star is best known lately for appearing in several projects from Mike Flanagan, including Gerald’s Game, his Haunting Collection on Netflix, and a brief cameo in the Midnight Mass cast as a judge. The Gunpowder Milkshake cast member’s next project, a TV series thriller called Leopard Skin, is now in post-production.

Elijah Wood (Kevin) 

Giving one of Sin City’s creepiest performances (without saying a word) as the cannibalistic Kevin is Elijah Wood. The former child actor became an icon as Frodo in the Lord of the Rings movies, a sitcom star with FX’s surreal American remake of Wilfred, and a horror movie actor (i.e. his inventive 2012 remake of Maniac) and producer (i.e. the brutal revenge tale Mandy from 2018 starring Nicolas Cage). 

In 2021, he played the FBI analyst to whom Ted Bundy revealed the details of his crimes in No Man of God and leant his voice to the video game Psychonauts 2. Speaking of video games, he has a movie about the dark side of video game programming called L.A. Rush in the works, along with his upcoming Toxic Avenger remake.

Nick Stahl (Yellow Bastard)

Perhaps the creepiest and undeniably grossest character in Sin City, however, is Roark Jr., otherwise known as “Yellow Bastard” due to his unique complexion, who is played by Nick Stahl. Also a former child actor who made his film debut in 1991 with Mel Gibson’s The Man Without a Face, he is best known as John Connor in 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines or as the lead of HBO’s Carnivale cast. 

In 2021, he joined the Fear the Walking Dead cast in a recurring role and made a guest appearance among the ruthless Animal Kingdom characters on the TNT drama. He is currently filming a live action adaptation of the hit anime, Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac, expected for 2023.

Josh Hartnett (The Salesman)

The first character we meet and the one who first refers to the film’s setting as “Sin City” is the mysterious, deadly “Salesman.” He is played by The Faculty cast member Josh Hartnett, who would star alongside Bruce Willis in Lucky Number Slevin in 2006. 

The following year, he appeared in a more brutal comic adaptation called 30 Days of Night and then, after an acting break, became the lead of the Penny Dreadful cast. After playing himself on Quibi’s Die Hart in 2020, Hartnett appeared in two cool 2021 thrillers (Wrath of Man and Ida Red), and is now working on the TV series The Fear Index.

There are many Sin City cast members who have, unfortunately, passed away in the years since the film was released - including Powers Boothe (Senator Roark), Michael Clarke Duncan (Manute), Rutger Hauer (Cardinal Roark), and Brittany Murphy (Shellie). However, they will forever be seen as a bright, delightful memory from an otherwise beautifully bleak and deliciously dismal masterpiece. 

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If someone approached me and demanded a list of great actors, Clive Owen would be one of the first. There’s just something about his balance of charm and grit in movies like Children of Men that grabs a hold of me and doesn’t let go. It’s been that way ever since I first became familiar with him in the early 2000s, and it will most likely remain that way for years to come.

With his recent run of hit series like Apple TV+’s Lisey’s Story and the FX anthology series Impeachment: American Crime Story, I have been taking a trip down memory lane to revisit my favorite Clive Owen movies, as well as some others I may have missed over the years. But, instead of keeping this list to myself, I’ve decided to share it with you, along with all the ways you can watch them on various streaming services.

Children Of Men (2006)

Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 movie, Children of Men, follows Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a disillusioned activist-turned-bureaucrat whose life is given new purpose when he is asked to escort a woman who is the first expectant mother since a mysterious infertility pandemic spread across the world nearly 20 years earlier. With humanity on the brink of destruction and extinction due to social unrest brought on by the mysterious plague, the weight of the world rest on Theo's shoulders.

With a perfect combination of intense action, biting social commentary, and emotion, this harrowing yet beautiful dystopian thriller is more than deserving of a revisit even if it's just to watch all those beautiful long-takes that are sprinkled throughout.

Stream Children of Men on Showtime.

Rent/Buy Children of Men on Amazon.

Buy Children of Men on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Lisey’s Story (2021)

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, the Apple TV+ horror drama series Lisey’s Story follows a widow (Julianne Moore) who is still dealing with the death of her novelist husband (Clive Owen) when one of his biggest (and most demented) fans begins stalking her and will stop at nothing to share the late author’s unfinished work with the world. But, just as is the case with the vast majority of King’s work, there is a darker and more sinister element to this eight-episode limited series, that lies beneath the surface.

Stream Lisey’s Story on Apple TV+.

Inside Man (2006)

On the surface, Spike Lee’s 2006 crime thriller, Inside Man, appears to be your standard heist film, but its nature changes completely as Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) begins to unravel the truth behind Dalton Russell’s (Clive Owen) decision to choose this particular bank. Over the course of this riveting story, with its intriguing series of revelations and tense confrontations, you learn that there is something more valuable than a vault full of cash at stake.

With outstanding performances from Christopher Plummer, Jodie Foster, and the rest of the stellar cast, as well as one of the most engaging crime stories of the past 15 years, there are plenty of reasons to revisit this gem.

Stream Inside Man on Peacock.

Rent/Buy Inside Man on Amazon.

Buy Inside Man on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Closer (2004)

Mike Nichols’ 2004 romantic drama, Closer, focuses on the interconnected lives of two couples — Alice Ayres (Natalie Portman) and Dan Woolf (Jude Law), and Larry Gray (Clive Owen) and Anna Cameron (Julia Roberts), as they randomly meet one another and begin cheating on their respective partners. As each of their stories unfolds over the course of several years, their trust and relationships begin to fall apart, creating a seemingly endless cycle of deceit.

Clive Owen received a ton of praise following the release of Closer, and took home a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for his remarkable portrayal of Larry Gary in this sprawling narrative.

Stream Closer on Amazon.

Rent/Buy Closer on Amazon.

Buy Closer on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Sin City (2005)

Like the graphic novel on which it is based, the Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez-directed anthology film Sin City features several interconnected stories that all take place in the dark and deadly titular city. One of the best chapters, The Big Fat Kill, follows private investigator Dwight McCarthy (Clive Owen) as gets caught in the middle of a war between The Girls of Old Town and a group of mercenaries, after “Hero Cop,” Jack Rafferty (Benicio del Toro), is murdered by one of the girls.

In a movie that is filled with outstanding performances from the likes of Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, and Bruce Willis, Clive Owen’s Dwight remains one of the most memorable and iconic of the bunch.

Stream Sin City on Paramount+.

Rent/Buy Sin City on Amazon.

Buy Sin City on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Hemingway And Gellhorn (2012)

The 2012 HBO original film Hemingway and Gellhorn tells of the nearly decade-long personal and professional relationship shared by decorated American author Ernest Hemingway (Clive Owen) and world renowned writer Martha Gellhorn (Nicole Kidman), and the various ups and downs the couple experienced while covering wars abroad and personal battles at home. From their first meeting at a Key West bar in 1936 to Gellhorn’s decision to divorce Hemingway in 1945, anything and everything the pair experienced (both good and bad) is covered in this epic love story about two of the most prolific names of the early-to-mid 20th Century.

Stream Hemingway and Gellhorn on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Hemingway and Gellhorn on Amazon.

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Doug Liman’s 2002 spy thriller, The Bourne Identity, follows CIA operative Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) as he struggles to remember his past after being found nearly dead on a fishing boat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. As the amnesiac begins to piece together the events that led to him being riddled with bullets, other members of the CIA black ops program, Operation Treadstone, are activated to hunt down their former colleague.

One of those assassins is The Professor (Clive Owen), a remarkable sharpshooter who is defeated by Jason Bourne in the French countryside. Despite being a lethal killer who goes as far as to shoot a dog to draw out his target, the character shows a great deal of humanity in his final moments thanks to Owen’s masterful performance.

Rent/Buy The Bourne Identity on Amazon.

Buy The Bourne Identity on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Croupier (1998)

Mike Hodges’ 1998 neo-noir, Croupier, tells the story of aspiring writer Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) as he finds himself getting lost in the glitz, glamour, and greed of the gambling world after taking a job at a casino. As he falls deeper into the traps that lie around the casino floor, Jack becomes enticed by a gambler’s plot to rob the casino, a plan that could make the down-on-his-luck writer a hefty sum of money. But, nothing is ever as easy as it seems, especially when it comes to money.

Stream Croupier on Netflix.

Rent/Buy Croupier on Amazon.

Buy Croupier on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Knick (2014 - 2015)

Set in the famed Knickerbocker Hospital in New York City at the turn of the 20th Century, the Cinemax series The Knick showcases the professional and personal lives of a group of surgeons who were ahead of their game, despite having a doctor’s bag full of demons and other issues. The series centers on Dr. John W. “Thack” Thackery (Clive Owen), the hospital’s chief surgeon, who is by far one of the most talented in his field even if he has severe issues with his cocaine and opium addictions.

Stream The Knick on HBO Max.

Buy The Knick on Amazon.

Buy The Knick on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)

One of the most over-the-top and entertaining additions to Clive Owen’s filmography, Shoot ‘em Up follows carrot-eating gunman Mr. Smith (Owen) as he fights tooth and nail to protect the life of an infant that is wanted for a diabolical plan to harvest babies’ bone marrow.

Michael Davis’ action film didn’t have the best theatrical run upon its release in September 2007, but movie has since become a cult classic for its unique set pieces and brilliant casting of Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti,

Rent/Buy Shoot ‘Em Up on Amazon.

Buy Shoot ‘Em Up on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Gosford Park (2001)

Robert Altman’s hilarious 2001 murder mystery Gosford Park follows a group of ultra-wealthy rich and famous people as they spend a weekend at an exclusive hunting club in 1930s England. In classic whodunit fashion, there is a murder early on in the festivities and everyone from the house staff to the unique guests all have reasons to be the prime suspect.

Nominated for seven Academy Awards, Gosford Park features some of the best writing, directing, and acting the genre has to offer. I mean, where else are you going to see Maggie Smith, Charles Dance, Stephen Fry, Kelly Macdonald, and Clive Owen in a movie that plays like a combination of Clue and Downton Abbey?

Rent/Buy Gosford Park on Amazon.

Buy Gosford Park on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Well, that should certainly be enough Clive Owen movies and TV shows to hold you over for the time being. If you’ve seen all of these already, there are other members of the Impeachment: American Crime Story cast that have plenty of movies and shows to check out.

In Season 1, American Crime Story tackled one of several Trials of the Century with the infamous O.J. Simpson legal battle in The People vs. OJ Simpson. Now, with Season 3, Ryan Murphy's period drama will explore the messy, sensationalized details behind Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky's well-publicized ordeal, leading to the humungous trial at the tail-end of the last millennium, with Impeachment, which stars Beanie Feldstein and Clive Owen as our not-so-discreet adulterers. Also starring Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford, Margo Martindale, and Edie Falco, this star-studded affair (in more ways than one) is among the most talked-about shows of the fall TV season. And there's a good chance that you're familiar with acclaimed actors at the center of this White House drama. If FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story cast looks familiar, here's why!

Beanie Feldstein (Monica Lewinsky)

As Monica Lewinsky, a young White House intern who becomes the center of a national scandal, Beanie Feldstein plays our overwhelmed lead character in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. She's also a producer for the anthology series. Following her breakout performances in Lady Bird and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Feldstein gained notice and acclaim for her Golden Globe-nominated starring role in Booksmart. Her other movie credits include The Female Brain and How to Build a Girl. Later this year, Feldstein will be seen in The Humans. She's also filming the long-in-the-works Merrily We Roll Along.

Additionally, away from film, Beanie Feldstein starred in Broadway's Hello, Dolly! She's also set to star in Broadway's Funny Girl in 2022. On TV, furthermore, Feldstein has a recurring role in FX's What We Do in the Shadows. She can also be seen in Orange Is the New Black and Grey's Anatomy. Last year, Feldstein appeared in Quibi's Home Movie: The Princess Bride. She'll also lend her voice to Apple TV+'s Harriet the Spy.

Clive Owen (President Bill Clinton)

In the role of President Bill Clinton, the head of state who is charged with perjury and is impeached during his time in office, Clive Owen plays the man at the center of this nationwide scandal in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Previously, Owen was Emmy-nominated for playing Ernest Hemingway in HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn. The actor also starred in Cinemax's excellent The Knick, for which he was Golden Globe-nominated, and Apple TV+'s Lisey's Story. Next, Owen will star in Monsieur Spade.

Additionally, away from television, Owen was Oscar-nominated for his performance in Closer. He also won a Golden Globe for his lead role in Croupier. Owen's other notable film credits include Children of Men, Inside Man, Sin City, The International, Close My Eyes, Shoot 'Em Up, King Arthur, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Gosford Park, Gemini Man, The Song of Names, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. The actor was also recently seen in Romantic Guide to Lost Places, which premiered in Italy last year.

Sarah Paulson (Linda Tripp)

Playing the part of Linda Tripp, an American civil servant who secretly recorded Monica Lewinsky and President Bill Clinton's intimate phone conversations, Sarah Paulson is an important, inciting character in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Paulson won an Emmy for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. She was also nominated for several American Horror Story seasons, including Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, and Cult. Additionally, Paulson gave an Emmy-nominated performance as Nicolle Wallace in HBO's Game Change.

In addition to the shows listed above, Sarah Paulson worked with Ryan Murphy on FX's Feud: Bette and Joan and Netflix's Ratched. Additionally, she starred in American Gothic, Deadwood, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Last year, Paulson appeared in Hulu's Mrs. America. Furthermore, in film, the actress frontlined Hulu's Run. She was also seen in Bird Box, Glass, Ocean's 8, 12 Years a Slave, Mud, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Notorious Bettie Page, Carol, Blue Jay, The Post, and What Women Want.

Annaleigh Ashford (Paula Jones)

As Paula Jones, an Arkansas state employee who sued President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, Annaleigh Ashford plays one of the central women in the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, the actress won a Tony award for her Broadway performance in You Can't Take It With You. Ashford's other Broadway credits include Kinky Boots, Sylvia, Sunday in the Park with George, Wicked, and Hair. Outside of theater, Ashford is known for playing Betty DiMello in Showtime's Masters of Sex. She also currently stars in CBS's B Positive. Additionally, Ashford appeared in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and had recurring roles in God Friended Me, Younger, Unbelievable, and Smash. Last year, the actress was seen in The Undoing and The Good Fight and she was heard in Q-Force.

Elsewhere, Annaleigh Ashford appeared in Rachel Getting Married, Sex and the City, Unicorn Store, Late Night, Top Five, and last year's A Rainy Day in New York and HBO's Bad Education. She was also heard in Frozen. Next, Ashford stars in American Reject.

Margo Martindale (Lucianne Goldberg)

In the role of Lucianne Goldberg, the literary agent who coerced Linda Tripp into taping Monica's phone calls, Margo Martindale plays a key counsel in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Martindale won an Emmy for her standout performance as Mags Bennett in FX's Justified. She also won two Emmys for playing Claudia in The Americans. Furthermore, Martindale played Ruth Eastman in The Good Wife and The Good Fight and Audrey Bernhardt in Sneaky Pete. She also starred in Hulu's Mrs. America. Martindale's other TV credits include Your Honor, The Millers, Dexter, and The Riches. Additionally, as a voice actress, she can be heard in DuckTales, Infinity Train, and BoJack Horseman, where she played an outlandish version of herself.

Furthermore, away from TV, Margo Martindale was Tony-nominated for her Broadway debut in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Her notable film credits include The Hours, Million Dollar Baby, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Firm, The Savages, and August: Osage County. Next, Martindale will appear in Shoot the Rooster and Cocaine Bear.

Edie Falco (Hillary Clinton)

Playing the part of Hillary Clinton, the disgruntled First Lady to her salacious president husband, Edie Falco gets a standout role in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Falco is acclaimed for her masterful portrayal as Carmela Soprano in HBO's The Sopranos, for which she won three Emmys. She also won an Emmy for her title role in Showtime's Nurse Jackie. Additionally, Falco was Emmy-nominated for NBC's 30 Rock and NBC's Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. Her other TV credits include Horace & Pete, Tommy, Oz, Law & Order, and Homicide: Life on the Street.

Away from TV, Edie Falco was Tony-nominated for her lead performance in Broadway's The House of Blue Leaves. Her notable film credits include Laws of Gravity, Judy Berlin, Sunshine State, Freedomland, The Comedian, Bullets Over Broadway, Cop Land, Landline, The Quiet, Megan Leavey, Private Parts, and The Land of Steady Habits. Next, Falco plays General Ardmore in Avatar 2 and 3. The actress will also appear in El Tonto.

Billy Eichner (Matt Drudge)

As Matt Drudge, the founder of the eponymous political publication, Drudge Report, Billy Eichner plays the reporter who broke the news of the scandal of the Lewinsky cheating scandal in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Eichner is the star and creator of Funny or Die's Billy on the Street, which became truTV's show of the same name. He received three Emmy nominations. Additionally, Eichner played Billy Epstein in Hulu's Difficult People and Craig Middlebrooks in NBC's Parks and Recreation. He also worked with Ryan Murphy on American Horror Story: Cult and Apocalypse. Eichner's other notable TV credits include Bob's Burgers and Friends from College. Most recently, the actor-comedian guest-starred in Apple TV+'s Dickinson.

Furthermore, on the big screen, Billy Eichner voiced Timon in The Lion King (2019). He also appeared in Noelle, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Most Likely to Murder, Sleeping with Other People, and What Happens in Vegas. Moreover, Eichner lent his voice to Penguins of Madagascar and The Angry Birds Movie. Next, he'll write and star in BROS.

Elizabeth Reaser (Kathleen Willey)

In the role of Kathleen Willey, a White House aide who made allegations against President Bill Clinton on 60 Minutes, Elizabeth Reaser plays a serious supporting part in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Reaser played Shirley Crain in Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House. She also had recurring roles in Grey's Anatomy, The Good Wife, and Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. Additionally, Reaser had main parts in Saved, The Ex List, Manhunt: Unabomber, and Bonnie and Clyde: Dead and Alive. Her other notable TV credits include Easy, The Handmaid's Tale, and Mad Men. Most recently, the film-TV actress appeared in Quibi's 50 States of Fright.

Furthermore, on the big screen, Elizabeth Reaser played Esme Cullen in The Twilight Saga. She also starred in Ouija: Origin of Evil. Moreover, Reaser appeared in Young Adult, Liberal Arts, The Family Stone, One & Two, Stay, Mind the Gap, The Believer, Puccini for Beginners, Against the Current, Purple Violets, Nightmare Cinema, Emmet's Mark, and Hello, My Name Is Doris. Most recently, the actress was seen in Embattled.

Cobie Smulders (Ann Coulter)

Playing the part of Ann Coulter, a lawyer and Senate aide who gives Linda Tripp and Paul Jones' legal aide, Cobie Smulders takes on a ridiculed media personality in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Smulders starred in CBS's long-running sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, in the role of Robin Scherbatsky. Additionally, the actress starred in ABC's short-lived Stumptown and Veritas: The Quest, as well as Netflix's Friends from College, and she played a recurring role in Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Moreover, Smulders can be seen in The L Word and Andromeda.

Furthermore, in film, Cobie Smulders is a recurring presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the role of Maria Hill. Specifically, she can be seen in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Additionally, Smulders lent her voice to Disney+'s What If ...? Also, the film and TV actress starred in Results, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, and Safe Haven. Earlier this year, Smulders could be seen in Cicada.

Colin Hanks (Mike Emmick)

As Mike Emmick, one of Ken Starr's top men, Colin Hanks plays a notable supporting character in Impeachment: American Crime Story. The eldest son of Tom Hanks, the actor frontlined CBS's Life in Pieces in the role of Greg Short. Also, Hanks was Emmy-nominated for his portrayal of Gus Grimly in Fargo Season 1. Additionally, the actor starred in The WB's Roswell and Fox's The Good Guys. Hanks' other TV credits include Dexter, Mad Men, Numb3rs, NCIS, Burning Love, Bad Teacher, Talking Tom and Friends, Drunk History, and What Lives Inside. Currently, he's filming Paramount+'s The Offer.

Furthermore, away from television, Colin Hanks starred in Orange County, The Great Buck Howard, and Lucky. He also played Adult Alex Vreeke in the Jumanji movies. Hanks' other notable film credits include The House Bunny, King Kong (2005), Elvis & Nixon, W., The Guilt Trip, Band Aid, Vacation (2015), Untraceable, Get Over It, That Thing You Do!, and Parkland. Most recently, the film and TV actor was seen in How It Ends.

Judith Light (Susan Carpenter-McMillan)

In the role of Susan Carpenter-McMillan, the conservative spokesperson who headed Paula Jones' legal fund, Judith Light reunites with producer Ryan Murphy with FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Light won two Daytime Emmys for her performance as Karen Wolek in ABC's One Life to Live. Additionally, Light received two Emmy nominations for playing Shelly Pfefferman in Amazon Prime's Transparent. She was also nominated for her work in ABC's Ugly Betty and FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Furthermore, Light appeared in Murphy's The Politician. The TV actress also starred in ABC's Who's the Boss? as Angela Bower and had a recurring role as Elizabeth Donnelly in NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Away from television, Judith Light won two consecutive Tonys for her performances in 2012's Other Desert Cities and 2013's The Assembled Parties. She was previously nominated for her lead role in Lombardi. Earlier this year, Light was seen in The Same Storm. Next, she'll appear in tick, tick ... BOOM!, The Menu, and Starz's Shining Vale.

Impeachment: American Crime Story airs on FX. It's available to stream on Hulu.

American Crime Story has already delivered takes on the murder of Gianni Versace and trial of O.J. Simpson, and now the next installment in the series from Ryan Murphy will take viewers back to the late '90s to President Bill Clinton's impeachment. British actor Clive Owen, known for The Knick, will be portraying the 42nd U.S. president. With Impeachment: American Crime Story soon to premiere on FX, the actor shared just how he was hooked into playing such a recognizable figure in United States history.

Clive Owen will be joining Annaleigh Ashford, Beanie Feldstein and Sarah Paulson in bringing Bill Clinton’s highly-publicized impeachment in the late ‘90s back to life. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Owen admitted that he wasn’t on board for the role initially, since he’s not even American and he doesn’t look like Clinton. Executive producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Simpson laid out their vision for the ten-episode season and Owen got to researching. Soon, he was excited about the idea:

Impeachment will be the third season of American Crime Story, following The Assassination of Gianni Versace and The People vs. O.J. Simpson. Considering the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal was quite big in 1990s American politics, it was only just a matter of time before the story was brought back to life. The new season is set to premiere next month, nearly a year after the original premiere date. It was aimed to release before the 2020 election, but was pushed back.

The third season will cover not only the impeachment of Bill Clinton, but also what led up to it. So, viewers are in for a very wild ride. Interestingly, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was originally supposed to be the show’s fourth season, with Season 3 focused on Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area. However, following a conversation Ryan Murphy had with Monica Lewinsky, plans changed.

Impeachment: American Crime Story is set to premiere on September 7, so fans won’t have to wait too much longer to see Ryan Murphy's take on the controversy that was the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal. In the meantime, however, both the Versace and O.J. Simpson seasons are currently streaming on Netflix in case you need a true crime fix.

By now, you have either started or plan to start Lisey’s Story, the new Apple TV+ limited series based Stephen King’s 2006 psychological horror novel of the same name. With the first two chapters of the eight-episode series premiering on Friday, June 4, now is the perfect time to go back and see where all you’ve seen the Lisey’s Story cast, including Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Dane DeHaan, and Joan Allen before they appeared in this tense and other-wordly television adaptation from the mind of one of the world’s best and most prolific living authors.

But outside of the Apple TV+'s main stars, you may be asking yourself where you have seen the Lisey's Story cast before. Well, fear not, as we have put together a quick rundown of the show's biggest stars, where they fit into the story, and some of the movies, television shows, and stage productions that they have called home over the years.

Julianne Moore (Lisey Landon)

Julianne Moore plays the titular heroine on Lisey’s Story, a woman that is not only still dealing with the death of her husband but also a dangerous stalker obsessed with her late husband’s body of work. Outside of leading the latest in a long line of Stephen King adaptations, Moore has given one remarkable performance after another in film and on television, earning an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her role in 2015’s Still Alice, as well as two additional Golden Globes for Game Change and Short Cuts. Moore has also appeared in everything from Boogie Nights to The Big Lebowski and The Kids Are All Right to Children of Men, which also featured her Lisey’s Story co-star Clive Owen.

Clive Owen (Scott Landon)

Clive Owen plays Scott Landon, a prolific author and husband of Lisey’s Story’s heroine who has been dead for two years prior to the start of the Apple TV+ limited series. In addition to the aforementioned Children of Men, which remains just as impactful today as it did upon its release 15 years ago, Owen has received an Academy Award nomination for Closer, lead films like Sin City and Inside Man, and had his fair share of hits on the television side of things with celebrated performances in everything from Hemingway & Gellhorn to The Knick, which earned him nominations for a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe, respectively.

Joan Allen (Amanda Debusher)

Portraying Amanda Debusher, Lisey’s older and sometimes catatonic sister whose episodes transport her to another world, is Joan Allen. Prior to landing one of the main roles on Lisey’s Story, Allen made a name for herself on Broadway, winning a Tony Award in 1988 for her debut in Burn This. She has also earned three Academy Award nominations over the years including a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Nixon and The Crucible and a Best Actress nomination for The Contender. Other memorable movies from Allen include Pleasantville, The Notebook, and Room. Allen also received multiple nominations for her portrayal of iconic American artist Georgia O’Keeffe in the 2009 Lifetime movie Georgia O’Keeffe.

Dane DeHaan (Jim Dooley)

Dane DeHaan lends his talents to Lisey’s Story, bringing the novel’s antagonistic Jim Dooley, to life in a frightening display of obsession. Prior to taking on the role of a man who will do anything to get Lisey’s late husband’s unpublished work out of the shadows, the talented DeHaan appeared in everything from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. He also gave memorable performances in The Place Beyond the Pines, Kill Your Darlings, and Lawless, to name only a few.

Jennifer Jason Leigh (Darla)

Jennifer Jason Leigh appears throughout Lisey’s Story as Darla, the middle child in Lisey’s family who helps her two sisters with their other-worldly conditions. Since breaking through with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Leigh has led a remarkable career in film, television, and various stage productions over the course of the past 40 years. With Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her turn as Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight, another Golden Globe nod for Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, and various other decorated performances, Leigh as cemented her place on the list of greatest living actresses. And this isn’t even the first time Leigh has appeared in a Stephen King adaptation, having had a pivotal role in 1995’s Dolores Claiborne.

Ron Cephas Jones (Professor Roger Dashmiel)

Ron Cephas Jones appears in Lisey’s Story, taking on the role of Roger Dashmiel, a professor at Scott Landon’s alma mater who wants to see the late author’s unpublished work see the light of day. Fans of This Is Us will immediately recognize Jones as William “Shakespeare” Hill, a role which has earned the actor two Primetime Emmys for his performance on the NBC drama series. Jones’ other television work includes Luke Cage and Mr. Robot, among others. Jones has also shown up in movies like He Got Game, Venom, and Dolemite Is My Name.

Sung Kang (Officer Dan Boeckman)

Taking on the role of Officer Dan Boeckman, the police officer assigned to watching over the Landon house in Lisey’s Story is star of the Fast and Furious franchise Sung Kang. Mostly known for his portrayal of Han Lue (and the Justice for Han movement) in five entries in the multi-billion-dollar franchise starting with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Kang has shown up in everything from Live Free or Die Hard to We Can Be Heroes with a ton of other movies in between. Over on the television side of things, Kang has had main roles on shows like Power and Gang Related, and even appeared on an episode of Monk like so many up-and-coming actors before him.

Remember, this is just the main actors in the Lisey’s Story cast, as the limited series written by Stephen King and directed by Pablo Larraín features a large supporting cast who will all play a role in some shape or form. You can watch Lisey’s Story every Friday on Apple TV+ through mid-July, but if you want to know what else is coming out this summer, check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 TV schedule.

Stephen King fans were originally supposed to see the release of Apple TV+'s Lisey's Story in 2020... but then the pandemic happened. As a result, production on the miniseries had to hit pause, and plans were delayed. For a long time we were left with no idea what was going on, and it was only back in February that the streaming service teased that the adaptation would premiere during the summer – but now we are over Boo'ya Moon excited to reveal not only that we now have a release date, but also a wonderful set of first look images.

AppleTV+ officially announced today that Lisey's Story, which will run as a eight-episode miniseries, is now set to premiere on Friday, June 4. Stephen King wrote the adaptation by himself, and the story follows the eponymous character (Julianne Moore) as she copes with the death of her husband, a world-famous writer, and faces down events that cause her to reflect on her marriage and recognize that she has a number of repressed memories. The limited series has an absolutely phenomenal cast, including Julianne Moore as the titular Lisey, Clive Owen, Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dane DeHaan, and Ron Cephas Jones, and we now have actual stills that show us what the characters will look like.

Up at the top of this article is obviously a shot of Julianne Moore's Lisey, but below you'll find a shot of her from a flashback with her husband, Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Without giving away too much, this still is from an absolutely crucial scene where the couple sit under what they call the yum-yum tree, and Scott reveals a vital secret about his childhood that changes Lisey's perspective on everything.

Also playing vital roles in Lisey's Story will be Lisey's sisters – with whom she has some complicated relationships. The oldest sister is Amanda, who sadly suffers from emotional and mental issues, though at the same time Lisey is closer to her than anyone else in her family. She is prone to spells of catatonia, which looks to be what's going on with her in the below still (this is notably the second time that Joan Allen has starred in a Stephen King adaptation, having previously played the lead in Peter Askin's A Good Marriage)

Lisey's other key sibling relationship in the series is with Jennifer Jason Leigh's Darla, though that has its own complications, drama, and personality clashes . At the start of Lisey's Story, Amanda has one of her episodes, and Lisey and Darla have to come together to figure out what to do (Jennifer Jason Leigh is also Stephen King veteran, having previously starred alongside Kathy Bates in Taylor Hackford's Dolores Claiborne.

Having covered the people closest to Lisey in Lisey's Story, let's now take a moment to discuss the streaming miniseries' main human villain: Dane DeHaan's Jim Dooley. One of the stresses that the titular character has to deal with in the book are all of her deceased husband's never-published writings, which she is constantly hounded for by aggressive individuals that she dubs "Incunks" (a play on/short for "incuncabilla," which itself is a misremembering of the word "incunabulum"). There are a lot of assholes, but they are mostly harmless. Not Jim. Instead, Jim is an insane, obsessed fan who makes an agreement with a third party to get all of Scott's works by any means necessary.

Next up we have another still from a flashback, and one showing off the character played by Ron Cephas Jones. In Lisey's Story, Jones will be playing Roger Dashmiel, a professor at Scott Landon's alma mater who, during a flashback, introduces Scott during a special event that winds up going horribly, horribly wrong and sees the writer encounter a brush with death.

As for this last image... it's possible that the less that is said, the better – for spoiler reasons. Without explaining too much to those of you who have not yet read Lisey's Story, let's just say that it fits into the Stephen King tradition of seemingly normal stories being hit with an extreme dose of the fantastical. What's pictured below is an otherworldly location called Boo'ya Moon where some of the most consequential events of the book take place.

Lisey's Story is now less than two months away from its premiere – and fans can get extra excited because on June 4 the first two episodes will be made available to AppleTV+ subscribers. Hopefully the release of these stills means that the first ever trailer isn't long off; I'm keeping my fingers crossed. To learn about what other adaptations are currently in the works, be sure to check out our Upcoming Stephen King Movies And TV guide.

Stephen King's works have done quite well in the streaming age. In 2016, the novel 11.22.63 was developed as a miniseries for Hulu that turned out to be exceptional, and since then there have been both shows (The Stand, Castle Rock, Creepshow) and movies (Gerald's Game, 1922) that have created an exciting new subsection in the author/filmmaker's awesome legacy. That particular legacy will further expand later this year with the launch of Lisey's Story on Apple TV+, and King is getting us hyped for it simply by highlighting the remarkable talent that is involved.

Ever the active Twitter user, Stephen King took to his personal account this morning and gave his followers a preview of his next adaptation with some name-dropping and some short, content-rich sentences. Preparing Constant Readers for what's to come, he wrote,

It feels a bit blasphemous to make a New York Yankees reference while discussing Stephen King, but I'm going to make it anyway: that's a murderers' row of talent right there – both in front of and behind the camera. And what adds a bit of extra fun is that there are some Stephen King adaptation veterans highlighted in this list, including Jennifer Jason Leigh (who played the daughter of Kathy Bates' eponymous character in Dolores Claiborne) and Joan Allen (who is one half of the lead betrothed couple in A Good Marriage).

Based on the novel of the same name, which was first published in 2006, Lisey's Story will feature Julianne Moore in the titular role (pronounced "Lee-See") and begin as she works to sort out her life in the wake of the death of her husband, renowned fiction author Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Her greatest obstacle in this task is in the handling of Scott's unpublished manuscripts and dealing with rude and pushy "Incuncs" who want her to give up the works – and things quickly ratchet up from "nuisance" to "violent threat." Throughout this scary drama, Lisey reflects on her years with the man she loves, and while doing so uncovers repressed memories that unveil whole new worlds of possibilities.

It was back in 2017 that Stephen King first expressed public interest in the book being adapted – having prior to that named it as his favorite among those he has written. Apple became involved in 2019 when the company purchased the rights, and inside that same year Lisey's Story started production. Unfortunately, production had to halt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hindered plans to start releasing episodes of the miniseries last year. Now, however, filming has been completed, and while there is no firm date set, the premiere is being planned for the summer.

Pablo Larraín, who is best known for directing the Natalie Portman-starring biopic Jackie, took the helm of all eight episodes of Lisey's Story, and Stephen King has adapted the book himself – his first time doing so since 2006's Desperation (obviously not counting the coda he wrote for The Stand).

With summer really not all that far away at this point, I'm hoping that it won't be too much longer before we get our first look at Lisey's Story – be it in the form of some official stills or possibly even a trailer. CinemaBlend is keeping an eye out, and I'm keeping my fingers tightly crossed that the Apple TV+ miniseries can live up to its phenomenal potential. (And in the meantime, do yourself a favor and read the book, because it truly is one of his best.)

To see what other Stephen King adaptations are currently in the works, be sure to check out our Upcoming Stephen King guide.

You may not be familiar with the Stephen King novel Lisey’s Story, but, frankly, that’s an issue that you’d be doing yourself a favor by resolving. The book is a haunting and creepy thriller that both celebrates the art of writing, and will invade your dreams. It’s also a work that the author has also wanted to see adapted for many years, and now that’s actually happening courtesy of the upcoming miniseries.

But where can you see Lisey’s Story? Who is making it? And when will it be released? For all of the questions that you may have about the project now, we have answers, and you can find them all in our quick rundown below!

Lisey’s Story Will Be An Apple TV+ Exclusive

Netflix has Gerald’s Game, 1922, and In The Tall Grass. Hulu has 11.22.63 and Castle Rock. Paramount+ has The Stand. And now Apple TV+ will also have its very own Stephen King programming too. Lisey’s Story has been developed as an exclusive for the streaming service – though it’s not impossible that the show could one day get a physical home video release as well.

Stephen King Considers Lisey’s Story To Be His Favorite Novel Of Those He’s Written

Lisey’s Story was first published in 2006, but just because it isn’t one of Stephen King’s older classics doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a special place in his heart. In fact, during a 2013 AMA session on Reddit he called it the favorite of the novels that he has written. (It should be noted that he has written 11 novels since then, and it’s possible his feelings have changed, but the praise is more than significant enough to warrant a mention, and he hasn’t exactly been shy about sharing his affection for it elsewhere).

Stephen King Has Adapted Lisey’s Story Himself

The rate at which Stephen King has produced books over the last five decades is nothing short of extraordinary – but what makes his work all the more impressive is that he also somehow finds time to write his own screenplay adaptations for film and television projects. His credits as a screenwriter include 1985’s Silver Bullet, 1989’s Pet Sematary, and 2006’s Desperation, and most recently he wrote the teleplays for the entirety of Apple TV+’s Lisey’s Story.

Lisey’s Story Will Be An 8-Episode Miniseries

Because Stephen King has a tendency to immerse readers in details and deeply explore his characters, filmmakers frequently find themselves challenged to adapt the entire scope of a novel into a two hour movie. That won’t be an issue for Lisey’s Story, however, as the Apple TV+ version will have eight commercial-free hours to work with.

Pablo Larrain Is Directing The Full Lisey’s Story Miniseries

Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain is probably best known to cinephiles as the director behind the 2016 Jackie Kennedy biopic Jackie starring Natalie Portman, but he’s making his first American miniseries with Lisey’s Story, and is credited as the director on all eight episodes. This marks the first time since 2011’s Bag Of Bones that a single director has made every chapter of a small screen Stephen King adaptation.

J.J. Abrams Is Producing Lisey’s Story

There are few pop culture pies that J.J. Abrams doesn’t have a finger in these days, and that extends to Stephen King adaptations as well. The two creatives first had the chance to work together when Abrams produced the 11.22.63 miniseries for Hulu, and that project with the streamer was followed up by a collaboration on the show Castle Rock. Sadly the Maine-set show won’t be coming back for a third season, but the Abrams-King relationship has held strong thanks to the former having a hand in developing Lisey’s Story for Apple TV+.

Julianne Moore Is Playing Lisey

The titular character in Lisey’s Story is Lisey Debusher Landon, who we meet while she is trying to figure out her life two years after the death of her husband, author Scott Landon. This includes dealing with the literary works that her husband never had published – which unfortunately winds up bringing trouble to her doorstep. Julianne Moore is set to play the lead role in the Apple TV+ miniseries, marking her second time being in a Stephen King adaptation after the Kimberly Pierce-directed remake of Carrie (though she does also have a part in the horror anthology Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, which features a segment based on King’s story “The Cat From Hell.”)

Clive Owen Is Playing Lisey’s Late Husband Scott

Clive Owen is another newbie in the world of Stephen King adaptations, but he will play the key role of Scott Landon in Lisey’s Story. Though Scott is dead when the book begins, he has a massive part to play that emerges through the narrative’s non-linear structure. Trying not to reveal too much to those who haven’t read the novel, let’s just say that it’s not just the baggage of Scott’s books that Lisey has to deal with, as he is a character with a complicated and horrifying past.

Joan Allen And Jennifer Jason Leigh Have Key Supporting Roles

Unlike Julianne Moore and Clive Owen, both Joan Allen (A Good Marriage) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (Dolores Claiborne) have been a part of Stephen King adaptations before, and they will both be back in action for key supporting roles in Lisey’s Story. While the part played by Leigh has not yet been confirmed, Allen will be play Amanda Debusher, Lisey’s emotionally fragile sister who winds up being a key piece in the plot’s central mystery.

The Lisey's Story Cast Also Includes Sung Kang, Dane DeHaan, And Ron Cephas Jones

In case the aforementioned four award-winning stars weren’t enough to get you excited, Lisey’s Story also has an outstanding supporting cast that includes Sung Kang, Dane DeHaan, and Ron Cephas Jones. Kang will play Dan Beckman, a police officer who is assigned to watch over Lisey’s house after she receives a disturbing threat; DeHaan is bringing to life Jim Dooley, the man responsible for said disturbing threat; and Cephas Jones is Professor Roger Dashmiel, a professor from Scott Landon's alma mater.

Lisey’s Story Will Be Arriving June 4

Lisey’s Story was originally planned as a 2020 release, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted production before shooting was finished. As a result the schedule had to be delayed, but now the project has finished filming and is in post-production – and it means that we are only months away from seeing it in its finished form. It was officially announced by Apple in January 2021 that the Stephen King adaptation is on their slate for the year, and it's been clarified since that it will arrive on June 4 with a two-episode premiere. So you may proceed waiting for it with baited breath.

Hopefully it won’t be long before more information is revealed about Lisey’s Story, and when it arrives we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it will contain some first-looks. We’re as excited as you are to see what this miniseries is going to be, so stay on the lookout for more news, features, and updates!

Steven Soderbergh started talking about retirement several projects ago but has remained busy putting together flicks like Side Effects and the HBO original film Behind the Candelabra, which premieres later this month. Now, the man is dodging retirement once more, reportedly in favor of a Cinemax series called The Knick that will star Clive Owen.

The Knick would be a hospital drama set way back in the year 1900, when medicine is improving but doctors and nurses still have to “push boundaries” to get results. The period drama would be set in the Knickerbocker Hospital in New York, thus giving the project its name. Deadline first reported the news, noting that Owen and Soderbergh are likely taking the series directly to Cinemax, which is ready and willing to give The Knick a 10-episode order. Jack Amiel, Michael Begler, Soderbergh, and Owen will executive produce, and the famed director will reportedly helm all ten episodes.

Cinemax already has an original program with a big name attached in Alan Ball’s Banshee. Adding Soderbergh to the roster would only enhance the credibility of the subscription cable network’s schedule, which is in need of some ratings hits (sorry Strike Back).

As for his retirement, the man’s getting almost as wishy-washy about the subject as Amanda Bynes, but supposedly he is retired from films “for the moment.” Additionally, I think everyone would be happy if the talented director continued to work on projects. So, let’s just call it a win for original content that he isn’t taking a break.

Though he has won much acclaim—including a Cesar for Best Director—in his own country, actor/writer-director Guillaume Canet has yet to breakthrough Stateside. That could change with some surprising news out Cannes. Variety reports Lionsgate has snagged the U.S. distribution rights to the helmer's first English-language effort Blood Ties just ahead of its world premiere at the prestigious festival. Reportedly, the corporation paid more than $2 million for the right to distribute the crime drama domestically. Considering this is the highest price paid for US distribution rights so far at this year's festivities, it suggests Lionsgate has high hopes for Blood Ties' commercial appeal.

Based on the novel by Bruno and Michel Papet, Blood Ties centers on two brothers, Chris and Frank Pierzynski. Living in 1970s Brooklyn, the pair take very different paths in life. Chris becomes a cop, while Frank falls into a life of crime. But as the NYPD puts pressure on organized crime, these estranged siblings are forced to face off.

Clive Owen and Billy Crudup (pictured above) front the film as the brawling brothers; James Caan, The Dark Knight Rises' Marion Cotillard, The Wire's Domenick Lombardozzi, Star Trek Into Darkness' Zoe Saldana, The Conjuring's Lili Taylor, and Jupiter Ascending's Mila Kunis co-star.

It's premise sounds promising, and Canet's celebrated 2006 crime drama Tell No One suggests he's well suited for the material. But the most obvious draw here is a cast stacked with attractive stars with international appeal. Basically, buying this one seems like a no-brainer.

Blood Ties will debut out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 28th. It's unknown at this time where Lionsgate is planning to place the crime drama in their release schedule.

Jose Padilha’s upcoming remake of the classic sci-fi/police drama RoboCop has had its fair share of ups and downs through the pre-production process. Here’s a “down,” followed by a possible “up.”

A Variety has Tweeted that House star Hugh Laurie is “definitely out” as the villain of the piece, suggesting in his Tweet that Laurie never actually was confirmed as “in” for the picture (even though his name has been associated with Padilha’s picture for weeks now). It’s possible that Laurie’s deal hadn’t been finalized yet, and contract negotiations broke down, or maybe the negative buzz swirling around the remake following a public script review scared Laurie off the project. Either way, it seems to have been confirmed that Laurie’s gone.

Now, the good news. In its report of Laurie’s exit, Deadline suggests that Clive Owen is part of a small group of actors who MGM is meeting with immediately in hopes of replacing Laurie to keep the production on track. Even without Laurie, the RoboCop remake has an impressive cast, including The Killing star Joel Kinnaman in the lead role, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Earl Haley, Jennifer Ehle and Michael K. Williams. But being able to add an actor, of the caliber of Owen would be a blessing. From what we are hearing about the script, it’s going to need a lot of help from its cast to keep things grounded. Given the fact that RoboCop is supposed to start filming next month in Canada -- aiming for an Aug. 9, 2013 release date – expect to hear about a replacement hire almost immediately.

Billed as an epic motion picture event, it really does look like HBO Films pulled out all the stops for their upcoming movie Hemingway & Gellhorn. Starring Academy Award nominee Clive Owen and Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman in the two titular roles (Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn), the made for television movie follows the famous romance between the writers. Their marriage was as passionate and tumultuous as the conflicts they covered with their relationship lasting nine years from the Spanish Civil War through World War II.

The teaser does a pretty decent job of showcasing the two movie star leads as well as the expansive settings yet I couldn't help but feel like a tease is not the right way to showcase an epic. About a month past, a five minute trailer for the series briefly appeared online and it was obviously way more in-depth in its preview, something that I feel is necessary to get the word out on how ambitious this project really seems. There were a lot of interesting stylistic shifts and choices made in this HBO movie that didn't make the 57 second cut here not to mention a large ensemble of award winning actors.

However, the tease does stress one of the biggest selling points for Hemingway & Gellhorn - the fact that it is directed by Philip Kaufman. This is exciting news not only because Kaufman is an Academy Award nominee but mostly because he's the man behind a similar epic tale, The Right Stuff, brilliantly adapted from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction novel of the same name. Oh, and it's also edited by three time Academy Award winner and legend Walter Murch. However, I can't say I envy Clive Owen having to portray the famous author after Corey Stoll's great deadpan turn as Hemingway in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris but we'll soon see how he stacks up.

Hemingway & Gellhorn premieres Monday, May 28 on HBO. It stars Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, Robert Duvall, David Strathairn, Peter Coyote and Molly Parker. It was directed by Philip Kaufman.

Official synopsis via

[[ href http hemingway-and-gellhorn index.html movies www.hbo.com ]] HBO's website,

Though it started as a misguided American remake of a foreign classic, the new take on Oldboy has been looking more and more intriguing, first thanks to Spike Lee signing on as director, then Mia Wasikowska and Josh Brolin being offered the lead roles. Last we heard Clive Owen was also considering signing on as the film's major villain-- it would be a reunion with his Inside Man director Spike Lee, after all-- but as it turns out, it's not meant to be.

According to a brief and otherwise undescriptive tweet from Variety's Jeff Sneider, we shouldn't expect Owen to play the villain role. He doesn't specify a reason or give information on who won't replace him, but Sneider tends to know casting scoops in general, so I'm inclined to take this as fact. Unfortunately Owen is just one of many high-profile actors to pass on the film-- Colin Firth had initially been eyed for the main role before passing, and Rooney Mara also apparently turned down Wasikowska's role. Obviously the film comes with some baggage, being a remake of the famous Japanese film of the same name, but I was hoping more of these high-profile actors might be willing to take the risk and sign on for something potentially great.

So while the role seems open again, who do you want to play the villain facing off against Brolin? Are there any English-speaking actors who can match the original? And don't say you want them to scrap the film entirely-- it might not be the most popular opinion, but this remake is still looking interesting, and I'm dying to see where they wind up going with it.

So far, news pertaining to the planned Oldboy remake has ranged from “Huh?” to “OK, cool,” to “Please God, stop.” First, I’m opposed to a remake of a film that’s fantastic in its own right. What’s the point? But if you simply must repackage Park Chan-wook vengeance mystery, casting Josh Brolin in the lead is a solid idea. I’m not sure I’d go with Spike Lee as the director, but if he’s able to recruit Inside Man collaborator Clive Owen as the picture’s chief villain, all the better.

Now the casting wheel is spinning once again. Twitch says The Kids Are All Right star Mia Wasikowska has been offered the lead female role opposite Brolin in Lee’s remake. Coincidentally, Wasikowska just wrapped work on Park’s first English-language picture, Stoker, about a young girl whose strange uncle shows up days after her father dies.

I wonder if the Korean director guided Wasikowska toward Lee’s project? She’s a fabulous actress who quietly shattered souls in Jane Eyre opposite Michael Fassbender and managed to be one of the bets things about Tim Burton’s bizarre Alice In Wonderland. But I’d never think of her for Oldboy, which means it could be a brilliant stroke of stunt casting. Lee is known for handpicking the right actors for his ensembles, and he’s going against the grain for this remake. Remember when people automatically assumed it would be Denzel Washington mowing down killers in a tight hallway as he tried to figure out who imprisoned him for years? That ain’t happening … but maybe we’re in for something special, instead.

It's never great to be the third choice to do something, but I'd imagine it's a whole lot worse when the entire world knows that you are the third choice. In the past few months, the role of the villain in Spike Lee's remake of Oldboy has been offered to both Christian Bale and Colin Firth, both of whom ended up turning the part down. This means that whoever the studio approaches next will know that they not only aren't the first choice, but they aren't even the first name mentioned as part of a backup plan. Hence why today must be bittersweet for Clive Owen.

Twitch has learned that Owen is now the new name that has been offered the chance to play the antagonist in Oldboy. While Josh Brolin is attached to play the lead, the project has been having a hard time attracting stars, as Rooney Mara also turned down the chance to star in the movie. Should Owen take the part, it will be the second time that he has worked with Spike Lee, as they made Inside Man together back in 2006. The film is the remake of the 2003 Chan-wook Park movie about a man who is kidnapped and held as a prisoner for 15 years without given a reason. Upon his release, the man goes on the hunt to find the person responsible for his incarceration.

While I actually like the idea of Brolin facing off against Owen, this news is kind of sad. Five years ago studios would have been jumping all over Owen to play the part, but now he's been relegated to third choice. Maybe this will be the role that brings him back to the A-list.

When you interview the star of a film as action-packed as Killer Elite, your questions can get really physical-- how many bruises did you get? What's your favorite kind of gun? Is Jason Statham as terrifying in person as he is in the movies? But something about Clive Owen makes you focus everything on the mental stuff instead. The actor isn't just capable of going toe-to-toe with Statham or rocking a very period appropriate giant mustache, but he does it all with a soul-- he's the guy in an action movie who you want to sit down with and hear his entire life story.

Last week at the Toronto Film Festival, I sat down with Owen to talk about how an action movie like this winds up at a film festival anyway, how he handles the physical stress of making a movie so demanding, and what kind of film the versatile actor still wants to tackle. He also takes full credit for his rocking 80s mustache, so facial hair enthusiasts, take note. Killer Elite opens this Friday.

You don't usually see action movies like this at a film festival. People can see a movie with tough guys on a poster with guns and write it off.

I think there's all sorts of prejudices like that. Sometimes you come across a film that's really well done, that's hugely entertaining, and it's a good film. Just because ti's commercial and sort of big doesn't mean it's not going to have real quality to it.

Do these kinds of genre movies appeal to you on a physical level? A chance to do something different?

Not really. I enjoy doing that stuff, and I think I'm technically pretty good at the fights and all that. But i don't treat those scenes any differently than I do the dialogue scenes. It's an acting exercise. People say, "Oh, you do everything in that fight," and of course, it's an acting job. I don't want someone else stepping in there and acting that intent. I've got to carry that off. I want to do that.

So you're a do-your-own-stunts kind of guy?

I don't throw myself off buildings or sit in cars that blow up, but if I'm doing fights and stuff, I do.

Does that start taking its toll? Can you not bend back your thumb or anything like that?

Not long term, but if you're doing a week of that kind of stuff, however much you get ready and however fit you are, because you do it in such short bursts they're very high charges of adrenaline. You get a bit stiff. You've got to keep loose. It's the intensity and adrenaline, and you want each beat to be so energized that it takes more of out you than you think.

Jason Statham is the king of the action genre right now. When you're facing off against him does that make you up your game?

If you're doing massive fights in a film, it's great to be doing them against him. He's so experienced, he's so gifted in that territory.

Do you have to work together a lot on the scenes you have together, since even though there aren't very many, they're so pivotal?

Yes. I think technically we're both good, so there's a safety in that. You can only really commit and make it as long as it's safe. You occasionally work with people that are technically not quite on it, and it can be a little hairy. Then it's just about working it together. It's about rhythm and beats and being able to go with it.

Can we talk about the facial hair for a minute?

I take full responsibility. It's nobody's fault but my own.

Yeah? It was your idea?

I went back and looked at pictures from that period in the UK, and everyone had a mustache. I had to commit to that. I'm a big soccer fan-- go and look at any football team of that period, shots of the team, they all have mustaches. I was like, that's the deal. I've got to have a mustache.

I guess you can go right home and shave it when you're done.

And I did. And I did a couple pretty close together, because I went and did this film about Hemingway [HBO's Hemingway and Gellhorn with Nicole Kidman], so I had this mustache for quite a long time. I've got to avoid them for a little while.

And the IRA movie you have coming up is in the same period--shouldn't you have a mustache for that too?

Yeah, but come on. Otherwise it's going to be my thing. I can't have that.

You talk about the adrenaline rush you get from making a movie like this. When you switch to a more low-key genre, do you need to replace that adrenaline withs something else?

No, not at all. It's literally just going movie by movie, approaching the material and going in there and trying to do it. I'm not trying got get something out of my system.

But what makes you feel like you're getting the job done?

It's different for every film, that's the beauty of it. Duplicity was all about watching 30s and 40s movies where people talked a lot and talked fast, it was all about rhythm and language and speech and the music of that. You look at something like Closer, based on a play, that was very language based. And other films are not. You're putting on different things.

Is there anything you haven't done that you still want to?

A really good comedy. I'd like to do a film which is funny. I'm in talks to possibly do one. I'm excited about it because I find it really funny, and it's first and foremost a comedy. I feel like it would be a newish thing.

Do you feel like you get stuck in a certain spot where you can't do different hinge?

No, because that's one thing, when you look at my career-- I go from The Boys Are Back and Trust to this film. I've got one with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo here [The Intruders]. I feel like I move all over the place, an I'm very happy with that. It's not a conscious thing. I trained in the theater, and it's all about playing parts. I'm interested in playing all kinds of parts. That's why I started to become an actor. That instinct of being attracted to a good piece of material and a part. I'm not looking to hone anything. i want to go anywhere and everywhere and explore as much as I can.

Are you taking any breaks?

I'm taking one now.

Are you one of those people who spends your entire vacate antsy to get back to work?

I think it's very important that you don't do too much. A huge part of acting in movies is appetite. You do your best work when you've got a lot of appetite and you really want to embrace something. When you get tired, you don't have that hunger. And I think you need it.

(Image via Paul McKinnon / Shutterstock.com)

Technically The Killer Elite is based on a true story, but the movie’s trailers suggest that writer/director Gary McKendry isn’t going to let that get in the way of making a completely kick-ass action movie. Unless you think people can actually do spinning martial arts flips while tied to a chair? Probably not, but I sure as hell want to see more of that in this film.

The Killer Elite has a new trailer and it’s the most head-punching look we’ve had at this movie yet. It stars Jason Statham as a ex-special ops agent brought out of retirement to help his mentor, played by Robert DeNiro, take down three assassins lead by a mustachioed Clive Owen. This trailer will rock you like a hurricane.

The cast is great, the action looks far better directed than the average dreck you’re likely to see in any other September release. The Killer Elite looks fun. Could it be this year’s Expendables? Maybe that’s asking too much, but I’m in for whatever it’s bringing to the table, cliché rock anthems and all.

People seemed exciteda about director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo back in 2007, when he popped up on the mainstream radar as the mind behind 28 Weeks Later. So of course, he’s done nothing since. Rumored for various high-profile projects it seems like he’s ended up helming a low-budget horror thriller with Clive Owen instead. It’s called Intruder and here’s the movie’s first ever teaser trailer.

The film is supposed to be about an 11-year-old girl dealing with demons who keep reappearing to torment her family, but this teaser doesn’t tell you even that much, not really. For me it doesn’t sell the movie either. A guy walks into his daughter’s room, forgets to turn the lights on and they whisper to each other and look sort of scared. Maybe I’ve just been desensitized by all those photos of the room where they killed bin Laden, but I need more than this to get interested in another horror film.

This is only the first teaser though, and all the images which flash by at the end hint at something better. In theory Intruders is set to show up in American and UK theaters on October 7, 2011. Expect a more detailed trailer as that date draws closer.

Get your hip waders out because we’re about to find ourselves deep in the worst kinds of sewage. Celebrity gossip sewage. We’re in these tunnels because there’s a pretty wild rumor swirling around the internet that Daniel Craig may not be playing Bond after the completion of the upcoming Bond 23. The reasoning? Because he’s gay.

At least that seems to be the notion not so well hidden within the subtext of a piece of gossip-mongering in one of the always quantity over quality Examiner’s local pages. In particular it’s from a once marginally well known film critic from Pittsburgh who claims to have inside information on the next James Bond movie, indicating that Daniel Craig won’t be part of it. Why would anyone in Pittsburgh of all places have this information? They wouldn’t.

You should be even more skeptical because the story claims that Bond producers, the Broccoli’s, want Daniel Craig out specifically because of a pair of incidents. First there was a comment Craig made after Casino Royale here. The Examiner misrepresents his statement in their rumor to make it seem as though Daniel Craig “suggested the time was right for Bond to explore gay relationships.” That’s untrue. What actually happened is that when asked if he would mind a gay Bond he said, “Why not? I think in this day and age, fans would have accepted it. No one would bat an eyelid.”

Second, there was an incident earlier this summer which the Examiner misrepresents as a mysterious photo, which they seem to be hinting showed Craig engaged in something scandalous with another man. What actually happened was that earlier this summer there was this questionable report from the even more questionable National Enquirer in which they insist they saw Daniel Craig “smooching” with a gay friend outside a bar. Assuming that’s true, which it probably isn’t, if the Broccoli’s were to ditch Craig for that reason it’d make them insanely homophobic. In response he would likely sue or at the very least speak out about it, so we could line up behind him and boycott James Bond, forever.

This whole notion makes even less sense when you hear that the Examiner’s report insists Clive Owen is the man they’re looking to replace Daniel Craig with. Clive Owen, back in 1997, starred in a movie called Bent, in which he plays a gay man sent to the concentration camps by Hitler’s Nazis, only to fall in love with a fellow gay prisoner. So what this story’s saying is that the Broccolis are homophobic and they think Daniel Craig may have once done some gay stuff, so they’re firing him and hiring a guy who did a movie in which he definitely did gay stuff on screen. That just doesn’t make sense. Toss this rumor in your circular file.

David Schwimmer's Trust is part of the Toronto International Film Festival lineup that I am very, very excited to be seeing this September, but I"ll admit, after watching the film's first trailer, I'm not sure it's one I'll be seeking out first thing. It's not just that Schwimmer's previous directorial effort Run, Fat Boy, Run was a punishing excuse for a "comedy" or that movies about the dangers of cyber-stalking feel very late-90s, but well, this movie seems to abuse the talents of both Clive Owen and Catherine Keener, and that I cannot abide.

Check out the trailer below (via TIFF Reviews), in which a teenage girl learns that maybe it's not necessarily a good idea to give away all our secrets to a stranger on the internet, and see whether or not you share my skepticism. If I manage to catch Trust in Toronto I'll make sure and bring you an update.