I consider Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips to be at the apex of not only comic book storytelling, but that of any medium, and I’m as eager as anyone breathing to see their epic crime noir universe come to life with Prime Video’s Criminal adaptation, The series is set to star Charlie Hunnam, who’s currently winning over audiences as one of this country’s most infamous criminals in Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, as well as Tulsa King mainstay Garret Hedlund, who shared his excitement for the show with CinemaBlend, as seen in the video above.

Debuting at some point after all the 2025 TV premieres have concluded, Criminal will open up the multi-generational and interconnected saga that has now spanned 11 trade collections and graphic novels, with 2025’s The Knives being the latest. Hedlund was announced as being part of the cast back in Sept. 2024, but he’s part of a subset whose character details haven’t been revealed yet.

When I talked to the actor about Tulsa King Season 3 (currently streaming via Paramount+ subscription), I asked if portraying Mitch’s small-time criminal story for three seasons helped inform his Criminal role. He told me:

Unsurprisingly, Hedlund didn’t blindly pour all kinds of plot secrets out for me to greedily lap up, but it was perhaps surprising to hear that Mitch seems to be on a different wavelength from his undisclosed character. Although I guess I understand his Tulsa King performance being easier to slip into and out of, since Mitch is a bartender/musician who just happens to also be a shit-kicker employed by a fairly easy-going mob boss.

To that end, though, Criminal is not the kind of world where characters’ humor is showcased and championed. There’s often a darkly comedic undercurrent at play, don’t get me wrong, which is arguably comparable to some of Tulsa King’s more sordid moments.

Garrett Hedlund addressed the upcoming comic adaptation more directly as he continued, saying:

One of the most exciting things about Criminal is the fact that its co-creator headed up the production as showrunner, with Sean Phillips also on board as executive producer, so the final product should essentially be the idealized version. So it's music to fans' ears to hear that Ed Brubaker sounds like a great boss for a show like this.

The biggest draw for those unfamiliar with the comic, however, will be the stacked cast, including the former co-stars Hedlund and Hunnam, who portrayed badass brothers in Netflix's 2019 action thriller Triple Frontier.

In Criminal, Hunnam plays Leo Patterson, a longtime legacy thief who opts to mastermind heists and other jobs in ways that require zero guns and violence, which stands opposite the methods used by his father Tommy. Not that Leo is always successful at achieving such goals, but it's the thought that counts. I don't recall Leo having any brothers, so that likely rules that role out for Hedlund, but I'm hoping they actually do get to share the screen together in the new show.

It sounds like fans can expect him to pop in during the latter half of the first season, as Eps. 5-8 were all directed by Hedlund's Mudbound helmer Dee Rees. But we can also look forward to other A+ cast members include Richard Jenkins, Kadeem Hardison, Luke Evans, Emilia Clarke, Adria Arjona, Logan Browning, Pat Healy, John Hawkes, Michael Mando, Chris Diamantopoulos, Marvin Jones III and more.

For now, Criminal doesn't yet have a release date, but fans can definitely enjoy lots of Garrett Hedlund's Mitch Keller in the meantime, with new episodes of Tulsa King hitting Paramount+ every Sunday.

We’re under two weeks away from Tron: Ares hitting the 2025 movies schedule and reviving the big screen side of this franchise following the release of Tron: Legacy in 2010. However, with the exception of Jeff Bridges reprising Kevin Flynn (or at least something that looks like him), none of the other actors from Legacy are returning for this new installment. Now Garrett Hedlund, who played Sam Flynn, has broken his silence about his absence following the Ares director’s claims about why certain actors didn’t come back.

Earlier this month, director Joachim Rønning alleged to Collider that part of the reason certain Tron: Legacy character aren’t back for Tron: Ares is because “these things are not only creative choices; sometimes actors don't want to be in it anymore.” Rønning never outright named Hedlund, but considering that Sam was Legacy’s main protagonist, it’s probably safe to say he’s looped in that group. In a separate interview with Collider at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, Hedlund had this to say when the subject was brought up:

A statement like that seemingly indicates there’s no hard feelings between Garrett Hedlund and the people running the Tron franchise. It would have been nice if he’d confirmed if what Joachim Rønning previously said was accurate, and maybe he’ll tell his side of the story after Tron: Ares has been released. For now, if we take Hedlund’s quote at face value, then he’s excited to see this upcoming Disney movie like so many other people.

I’d be lying if I said I still wasn’t disappointed that Garrett Hedlund won’t appear in Tron: Ares. At the end of Tron: Legacy, Sam Flynn escaped from The Grid with Quorra, the last surviving ISO (isomorphic algorithm). Sam intended to retake control of ENCOM and “change the world” with Olivia Wilde’s character. That’s a pretty big plot thread to leave hanging, but alas, Wilde also isn’t returning for Ares. Neither is Cillian Murphy, who cameoed in Legacy as Edward Dillinger, the son of David Warner’s Edward Dillinger from the first Tron movie.

Instead, Tron: Ares functions as a standalone sequel that follows the super-intelligent program Ares, played by Jared Leto, being brought to the real world for a mission. The official Ares plot synopsis says this marks humanity’s first encounter with A.I. beings, so it seems Quorra ended up keeping a low profile. The Dillinger family will still be represented through Evan Peters’ Julian, Edward Sr.’s grandson, and Gillian Anderson’s Elisabeth, Julian’s mother and Edward Sr.’s daughter. Other cast members include Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasnan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan and Sarah Desjardins.

Tron: Ares opens in theaters on October 10. Feel free to also stream the first two Tron movies and the animated series Tron: Uprising with your Disney+ subscription. Garrett Hedlund can currently be seen in the Paramount+ subscription-exclusive series Tulsa King, which premiered its third season on September 21.

Known for its amazing soundtrack and setting, as well as being the sequel to one of the best sci-fi films of all time, Tron: Legacy was released in 2010 as an attempt to introduce newer audiences to the Grid. The film received mixed reviews at the time but has since amassed a strong following. For years, there was talk of a potential threequel and, now that film is coming in the form of Tron: Ares. Now, ahead of its release, Legacy star Garret Hedlund is opening up about the impact of the first sequel and how he feels about the latest film.

In some ways, it's honestly hard to believe that it's been nearly 14 years since Tron: Legacy graced the big screen. The legacy (no pun intended) of that movie remains strong, though, and Garret Hedlund knows it. The actor, who played protagonist Sam Flynn in the film, recently spoke to Collider, during which he discussed the sweet interactions he's had with fans as of late:

It's sweet to hear that the Country Song star is still receiving so much love for the sci-fi film, which also starred Jeff Bridges and Olivia Wilde among others. That is indeed a true testament to the creative vision of Joseph Kosinski. And, when it comes to what Jared Leto and the cast of Tron: Ares are cooking up, the Tulsa King actor is excited:

While Disney has provided Ares updates here and there, many details on the flick are being kept under wraps. What is known, however, is that Joachim Rønning is directing, with Jared Leto playing the titular character and Jeff Bridges returning as Kevin Flynn. There are also sure to be plenty of surprises, and I'm sure hardcore fans wouldn't mind seeing Garrett Hedlund reprise his role as Sam.

With the Lightcyle Run ride (which includes Jared Leto) now operational and a new movie in the works, fans of this franchise are certainly being fed. It's amazing that even over a decade after Legacy and years after the original 1982 flick, this IP still has some juice.

The future looks bright for the Tron universe right now, and you honestly love to see it. One would think that Garrett Hedlund will continue to feel the love and appreciate his own contributions to the series. And here's hoping he does indeed get the chance to suit up again and compete in the Grid at some point.

You can look forward to seeing Tron: Ares when it opens in theaters on October 5 as part of the 2025 movie schedule. For now, stream the first two installments using a Disney+ subscription.

Raise your hand if you knew that Garrett Hedlund had a lucrative career as a singer-songwriter. I think because I’ve primarily known the 40-year-old from his roles in Friday Night Lights, Tron: Legacy, Triple Frontier and Pan, I wasn’t paying as close attention as I should have to his musical abilities. But then, Hedlung would appear in Country Strong opposite Gwenyth Paltrow, or Inside Llewyn Davis from Joel and Ethan Coen, and you are reminded that, “Oh yeah, this guy can really sing!”

His talents have been on display in Tulsa King Season 2, which aired its third episode Sunday on the Paramount+ streaming service. The turf war between Dwight Manfretti (Sylvester Stallone), his crew, and some Kansas City gangsters who don’t like the way that Dwight has moved in on their territory. There’s time for action in Tulsa King, still one of the best Paramount+ shows out there. But there’s always time for levity, and culture that reflects the food, music, and community of Oklahoma. This was particularly prevalent when red-hot country artist Jelly Roll appeared to sing a song in Episode 2 of Tulsa King Season 2, so when I spoke with Garrett Hedlund about the cameo, he told CinemaBlend:

Coincidentally, Jelly Roll also happened to be a guest on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. It has been a busy week for the performer.

As you likely know, from watching Tulsa King Season 2, Garrett Hedlund has been taking to the stage of his bar to sing songs and entertain the patrons. And while Hedlund has mainly played covers, he told me why he doesn’t try to get any of his original songs into the show. At least, for now. Said Hedlund:

The future of Tulsa King looks bright. The show, available with the Paramount+ subscription, has expanded on its core cast to include both Frank Grillo and Neal McDonogh as villains. These character actors are perfectly cast, with Grillo already proving to be a macho foil to Stallone, who is the Top Dawg in every possible way. Dwight, meanwhile, still has plenty to work out with Stacy, the ATF agent who turned him in for bribery. And the drug trade is only getting more complicated in the Midwest.

Keep tuning in to Tulsa King, hopefully to hear more original tunes from Garrett Hedlund, so long as he keeps surviving from episode to episode.

Amidst the upcoming Yellowstone shows that are heading to both TV and streaming (via a Paramount+ subscription), Taylor Sheridan continues to expand his slate of offerings for viewers in need of smart and methodical pulp westerns. Next up on the list is Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the first season of a historical anthology, for which Sheridan teamed up with fellow executive producer David Oyelowo, and which boasts Ray Donovan and Rectify vet Chad Feehan as its creator and showrunner.

The series, which was temporarily being branded as a second season for 1883, aims to dramatize the epic life and legacy of slave-turned-U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, a legend in Texas and other Southern states who isn’t nearly as widely revered in other parts of the country. Feehan aims to fix that with this eight episode season, and he secured a pretty stellar cast to bring the justice-seeker’s story to streaming audiences. 

David Oyelowo (Bass Reeves)

The Emmy-nominated David Oyelowo broke out on the small screen as part of the UK spy drama Spooks, but inarguably has found his biggest successes through cinema, as a co-star of such celebrated works as 2012’s Middle of Nowhere, 2013’s The Butler, and 2014’s Selma and A Most Violent Year. Which isn’t to take away from his TV voice work as Star Wars Rebels’ Alexsandr Kallus or The Lion Guard’s Scar. He most recently starred in Apple TV+’s sci-fi adaptation Silo, and will soon be seen in the Jay Z-produced biblical comedy The Book of Clarence.

In Lawmen, Oyelowo rocks both a clean-shaven face and a mustache as the titular icon Bass Reeves, whose storied life took him from the dangers of warzones and Southern plantations to a place of authority at a time when Black men rarely attained such responsibilities. In both life and the new series, Bass is/was a badass whose loyalties stretch as far and wide as his horse-riding and sharpshooting talents.  

Lauren E. Banks (Jennie Reeves)

An up-and-coming actress who previously appeared in such shows as Netflix’s Maniac and AMC’s Dietland, Lauren E. Banks’ biggest role to date was as the private attorney co-lead Siobhan on Showtime’s City on a Hill. In 2022, she also appeared in the acclaimed streaming limited series Roar and Gaslit. 

Banks joined Lawmen: Bass Reeves in the role of Jennie Reeves, the titular cowboy’s wife. It’s known that the couple sired a slew of children together, which speaks to the fact that Jennie is a strong and dependable provider for her family through thick and thin.

Demi Singleton (Sally Reeves)

Now at 16 years old, NOLA native Demi Singleton only has a handful of credits to her name, but it’s clear she’s making every choice count. Alongside her first role in 2019’s Goldie, Singleton landed a co-starring role in another historical drama, Godfather of Harlem, as gangster Bumpy Johnson’s granddaughter Margaret. She then hit an even higher level of fame in 2021 portraying the hyper-talented athlete Serena Williams in the Oscar-winning drama King Richard. 

For Lawmen, Singleton took on the role of Sally Reeves, Bass and Jennie’s eldest daughter, who no doubt develops some mothering skills of her own as the sibling to so many younger brothers and sisters.  

Dennis Quaid (Sherrill Lynn)

Throughout his many years in Hollywood, Dennis Quaid has largely been known for playing sympathy-earning protagonists in such favorites as Innerspace, Any Given Sunday, Frequency, The Day After Tomorrow and many more. Though mostly known for his film work, Quaid has developed his TV filmography in the past decade or so, with such projects as Vegas, Fortitude, Goliath and 2023’s Full Circle. He’ll soon be seen playing the titular former POTUS in the upcoming drama Reagan. 

Dennis Quaid gets to drop the good guy persona ever so slightly for Lawmen: Bass Reeves, where he plays U.S. Marshal Sherrill Lynn, a Deputy U.S. Marshal who crosses fateful paths with David Oyelowo’s character. Quaid is no stranger to Texas westerns, having portrayed Sam Houston in The Alamo, and for a Yellowstone-esque connection, the actor also played Doc Holliday to Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp in the 1994 film of the same name. 

Shea Whigham (George Reeves)

An actor who is often among the best parts of every project he stars in, Shea Whigham broke out in the 2000 war film Tigerland, and has played a slew of characters boasting military and/or law enforcement titles in the decades since. His TV career took off thanks to his role as Eli Thompson in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and he’s stick with the premium cabler for later projects such as True Detective, Vice Principals, Perry Mason, and The Righteous Gemstones, not to mention other acclaimed dramas such as Waco, Gaslit, Fargo and Homecoming, to name but a few.

Shea Whigham looks right at home in Lawmen: Bass Reeves as another military man named George Reeves. With the series lead sharing this character’s surname, he’s presumably the slave owner responsible for Bass early on. 

Bass Reeves is set to make its streaming premiere on Paramount+ on Sunday, November 5, with back-to-back episodes dropping at once. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else is heading to the small screen in the meantime.

Taylor Sheridan has been doing some impressive work since giving up acting and turning his focus to writing, with Mayor of Kingstown and Yellowstone among his bragging rights in the relatively short time he’s spent on the creative side of things. With the overwhelming popularity of the Dutton family saga, viewers are pretty excited to see what he’ll come up with next. And with the cast he’s compiled for Tulsa King, it sure looks like Paramount+ subscribers are in for something special with this crime drama about a New York mafioso becoming a fish out of water in the middle of Oklahoma. 

Movie icon Sylvester Stallone is making a rare appearance on the small screen, and he’ll be surrounded by some faces that are pretty familiar with crime series like The Wire, The Sopranos, and more. Let’s take a look at the the Tulsa King cast and where you’ve seen the actors before, starting with Sly himself: 

Sylvester Stallone (Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi)

Sylvester Stallone is taking the New York mafia scene to Tulsa, Oklahoma, as Dwight “The General” Manfredi. After serving a 25-year prison sentence, Manfredi’s underboss relocates him out of New York to Tulsa, where he starts to recruit his own crew with the goal of sparking a new criminal empire.

The actor is best known for playing Rocky Balboa in the Rocky franchise, which earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 1977, and as John Rambo in First Blood and its sequels, as well as a number of other action movies, including the Amazon Prime Video superhero flick, Samaritan. With movies like those under his belt, it’s not surprising that Stallone has been a box office champ for the past six decades.

Max Casella (Armand Truisi)

Fans of the crime genre should recognize Max Casella as he takes the role of the ambitious criminal, Armand Truisi, one of the more ambitious members of the Invernizzi crime family. Casella is no stranger to crime TV, as he previously portrayed Benny Fazio on The Sopranos and Leo D'Alessio on Boardwalk Empire, but he got his start in the early 1980s in roles that included Vinnie Delpino in Doogie Howser M.D. 

He originated the role of Timon in the Broadway production of The Lion King and also played Marcellus Washburn in the revival of The Music Man. He’s appeared in movies including The Tinder Bar and Analyze This, and has had recurring roles in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Ray Donovan, to name a few. Fans of the Jak and Daxter video game franchise will likely recognize his voice from his portrayal of the wise-cracking character dating back to 2001.

Domenick Lombardozzi (Charles ‘Chickie’ Invernizzi)

The head of the Invernizzi crime family, Charles “Chickie” Invernizzi, is played by Domenick Lombardozzi, another actor with plenty of experience in the crime milieu. 

Like Max Casella, Lombardozzi was a major player in Boardwalk Empire as Ralph Capone, and is also well-known as Fat Tony Salerno in The Irishman. He was also a major fixture on The Wire cast, playing Thomas “Herc” Hauk throughout the show’s five-season run. Other notable roles include Nicky Zero in A Bronx Tale, Dom on Entourage, and Ray Zancanelli in Breakout Kings. He also had a guest spot in an episode of Yellowstone. 

Vincent Piazza (Vince Antonacci)

Rounding out a Boardwalk Empire trio is Vincent Piazza, who played Lucky Luciano in the HBO drama. In Tulsa King, he will play Chickie’s henchman Vince Antonacci. 

Piazza also appeared on a few episodes of The Sopranos and recurred as Tony on Rescue Me. More recently, he appeared in the Fox drama The Passage and the 2020 survival thriller Centigrade. 

Jay Will (Tyson)

Jay Will appears in the Tulsa King cast as quick-witted, eagle-eyed college graduate Tyson.

Will is a 2021 Julliard graduate whose 2022 roles included a guest appearance on the Paramount+ original series, Evil, and recurring as James on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

A.C. Peterson (Pete ‘The Rock’ Invernizzi)

A.C. Peterson will play another member of the Invernizzi family — Pete, aka “The Rock” Invernizzi, who is Chickie’s ailing father, per Deadline. Peterson has nearly 200 credits in a career that spans decades. He recently recurred as Zeta-Rho in The CW’s Superman & Lois. Other movies and TV series he’s appeared in include Schitt’s Creek, The X-Files, Molly’s Game, and Smallville.  

Andrea Savage (Stacy Beale)

Andrea Savage appears in the Tulsa King cast as Stacy Beale, who, like The General, has moved to Oklahoma from New York. She’s an ATF agent who worked in anti-terrorism before her post dealing with Oklahoma militia groups, as described by Deadline when her casting was first announced . 

Savage created and starred in truTV’s I’m Sorry, and is also known for her roles as Dr. Stacy on A Million Little Things, Laura Montez on Veep, and Helen Basch on Episodes, among others.

Martin Starr (Bodhi)

Martin Starr appears on Tulsa King as Bodhi, a character Deadline described as a “blissed-out proprietor of the Higher Plane Marijuana Dispensary” and ally of The General after moving to Oklahoma.

Starr started as a child actor on Freaks and Geeks and can now be found in films like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man blockbusters and TV series including Silicon Valley and the upcoming Party Down revival. Starr recently appeared with Sylvester Stallone in the Amazon Prime Video movie, Samaritan. 

Garrett Hedlund (Mitch Keller)

Garrett Hedlund shows up on Tulsa King as Oklahoma native Mitch Keller, a former bull-rider who was forced to retire after he sustained injuries that led to an addiction, according to Variety. 

Hedlund is known for appearing in movies, including Friday Night Lights and Country Strong with Tim McGraw. He starred in Tron: Legacy and had main roles in HBO’s Mosaic, Prime Video’s Modern Love, and the podcast Strawberry Spring, adapted from a Stephen King short story. Hedlund also appeared in the Coen Brothers’ 2013 beatnik drama, Inside Llweyn Davis, one year after portraying Dean Moriarty in the book-to-film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, a staple of the Beat Generation’s literary output.

Dana Delany (Margaret) 

Emmy Award-winning actress Dana Delany plays Margaret, who Deadline described as “an affluent and influential equestrian and owner of a sprawling horse farm and animal preserve” when the casting was first announced. She is a formidable presence and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society. 

Delany won two Emmys for her work on the ABC drama China Beach, and among her many TV roles, she is known for playing Katherine Mayfair on Desperate Housewives and voicing Lois Lane in Superman: The Animated Series. Her movie credits include Tombstone, Fly Away Home, and many more.

Annabella Sciorra (Joanne)

Rounding out Tulsa King’s cast is another veteran of The Sopranos — Annabella Sciorra, who plays The General’s younger sister Joanne, a Brooklyn resident. 

Sciorra received an Emmy nomination for her recurring role as Gloria Trillo on The Sopranos, and is known for her work in movies, including True Love, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The Cure, and various titles in the Law & Order franchise, to name a few. More recently she’s had recurring on shows including Blue Bloods, New Amsterdam, and Truth Be Told. 

With a cast like this, It’s easy to see why viewers have been looking forward to Tulsa King’s premiere. New episodes of the series come out each Sunday on Paramount+. In the meantime, check out the 2022 fall TV schedule to see when you can catch other Taylor Sheridan shows and plenty of other new and returning series coming to a TV set near you.

Celebrity relationships tend to draw a lot of interest from the general public (like Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly’s), and this has certainly proven to be true for Garrett Hedlund and Emma Roberts. The two stars’ relationship was the center of media attention for several years, and that arguably increased after Roberts gave birth to their son in December 2020. However, it was recently reported this past week that the two have recently broken up. Now, following the split, the Tron alum has been arrested for public intoxication. 

Garrett Hedlund was reportedly taken into custody on Saturday night in Franklin County Tennessee. According to TMZ, bond for the misdemeanor arrest was set at $2,100. The news outlet later provided an update, saying that the star had been released on bond. However, he’s currently due to appear in court sometime in March. 

This isn’t the only legal situation the actor is facing at the moment, either. Around the time his breakup with Emma Roberts was reported, he was sued for alleged negligence stemming from a car crash that occurred in Los Angeles back in January 2020. E! News obtained legal documents and, according to the suit filed by the mother and daughter involved, the star allegedly “passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle and ran a solid red-light at a high rate of speed.” Ultimately, his vehicle collided with a Nissan Sentra that carried Marina Venegas, Jennifer Castillo and two young children. Per the suit, the passengers received “severe and permanent injuries.”

Garrett Hedlund has been a fixture within the Hollywood landscape for some time now. He truly managed to break through during the early 2000s with memorable roles in films like Friday Night Lights, Four Brothers and Troy. By the 2010s, he’d appeared in high-profile dramas like Country Strong, which saw him sing with Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mudbound. He also went back into the realm of blockbusters with 2010’s Tron: Legacy. Hedlund’s performance in the sci-fi flick struck a chord with audiences and, in the years since, he’s spoken about the possibility of returning for a third film in that franchise. Though he seemed eager, his chances of returning seem slim now that Jared Leto seems set to take the reins of the niche Disney property (and getting ripped for the role). 

But as previously mentioned, his relationship with Netflix’s Holidate lead, Emma Roberts, is what’s arguably thrust him into the public eye even further. The two began seeing each other back in 2019 and, since then, they mostly kept their romance private. Roberts has, however, shared pics of their son, Rhodes, since his birth. Last week, People broke the news that the two were having a tough time, and one of the trade’s sources offered an alleged update on their co-parenting efforts:

As of this writing, Garrett Hedlund’s reps have yet to comment on his arrest or the breakup. Though official statements on at least one of the situations could arrive sooner rather than later.

Not all "Based on a true story" films are created equal, as it takes a steady hand to tell a story based in reality in a manner that looks good on the big screen. While there’s always a danger of going overboard with dramatic tension with a movie like writer/director Andrew Heckler’s Burden, there’s also a certain expectation for such notes to be included in the name of the cinematic experience.

Unfortunately, while Heckler’s telling of the true story of Mike Burden and his departure from the Ku Klux Klan is a good-hearted film that doesn’t go too hard on the more unsavory aspects we’ve seen oft repeated in stories of this ilk, there’s no sense of urgency that drives this story. What remains is an inspirational story of redemption that just kind of plays out merely for the sake of doing so.

In 1996, Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund) goes from being a loyal member of the KKK to abandoning their cause practically overnight. Leaving what was once like a family to him, he finds himself, his girlfriend (Andrea Riseborough), and her son ostracized from their rural community in the deep South.

With his former father figure (Tom Wilkinson) firmly turned against him, Mike and those he loves find solace in the most unexpected of figures: black Baptist Reverend David Kennedy (Forest Whitaker). Taken in by Kennedy and his reluctant family, the former Klansman learns how to move on from hate, and into a new way of living.

The story behind Burden could have made for compelling drama.

Even in the most routine of circumstances, Burden feels like a story that was primed to become a drama that could have contended during an awards season push. It has all the hallmarks of a redemption arc that sees a formerly hateful person slowly growing into more tolerant.

The performances at the heart of Burden only further cement that promise, as Garrett Hedlund and Andrea Riseborough’s tender love story contrasts Mike’s battle with his abusive and hateful past. While the drama doesn’t always work in Andrew Heckler’s narrative, the cast of the film helps to move the story to a certain extent.

Tom Wilkinson’s portrayal of KKK leader Tom Griffin also lands particularly well, as he walks the line between the hateful nature of his character and the paternalistic nurturing he provided Mike in the absence of the younger man's own father. What could easily be a stock snarling bigot role is played with a blend of nuance and menace.

Burden’s pacing and focus rob the narrative of any dramatic urgency.

Possessing the sort of inspirational true story that Burden does would normally give anyone adapting such a story a leg up in building the structure of tension and redemption that this story requires. Even with those advantages built in, though, there’s a lack of pacing and focus that slows Burden down to an absolute crawl.

While we see plenty of Mike Burden’s routine, and how it’s eventually broken by Reverend Kennedy, the two halves of the story don’t organically meet. Most of the focus is trained on Garrett Hedlund’s Mike, as he adjusts to his new life, but there are moments where the protests and eventual rehabilitation on the part of Reverend Kennedy intersect with the events of Burden.

By time the story of Mike’s time with Reverend Kennedy really becomes significant, we’ve already been focused on his life for so long that it feels like a rushed resolution. Another plotline with a former childhood friend, played by Usher Raymond, only further confuses the focus of Burden, as that part of the story doesn’t really go anywhere, acting as more of an accent rather than an attribute.

Its heart is in the right place, but Burden is a turgid true story.

Without a proper sense of pacing or dramatic urgency, the true story of Burden drags. While it is refreshing that the usual narrative shorthand is replaced by a more artistic approach, and shepherded by performances that help enrich the material at hand, the movie still loses something in translation.

Rather than operating with too little story, there are too many threads present that don’t connect into one singular message by time things wrap up. It’s rather unfortunate, as the cast assembled in Burden show their unique talents to the best of their abilities, in hopes of raising the story to a higher lefel.

It’ll take a bit of patience to make your way through Burden, even if you’re a loyal fan of true stories that could have the power to inspire change in the world. It’s important to keep telling such stories as the one on display in this particular movie, as they maintain relevance in the modern era. Sadly, this isn’t one of the genre’s better examples, as the factors that break in Burden’s favor are overridden by the trappings of its execution.

It's an unenviable task to take over Hugh Jackman's adamantium claws as Wolverine. The A-list actor became one of the most respected and beloved actors in Hollywood, in no small part to his dedication and talents in playing the role of the popular X-Men character. But alas, Jackman has hung up his claws and called it a day for the X-Men universe. Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has big plans to take over the X-Men franchise, there will inevitably be a day when the famous part is recast. It won't be an easy decision, but there are a number of actors to consider for taking over as Wolverine.

But this decision isn't quite as easily as speculating on, say, who should play Moon Knight or She-Hulk. With an acclaimed actor having played the role for nearly two decades, often to high praise, one can't simply cast someone else and hope they gather the same traction. It needs to be an actor who is equally as charismatic or captivating, while also nailing the character's action sleuth and biting sense of humor. It is not an easy gig, certainly.

Nevertheless, there are certainly a number of actors who've been proposed for the role in recent years. Notably, and somewhat oddly, Daniel Radcliffe was reported to be considered for the part, and he laughed off the rumors of playing Wolverine. There are also a few other actors being considered who are, at least from this early standpoint, intriguing and worth discussing. And there of plenty of other names that have been brought up, like Scott Eastwood.

Like we said, it's not an easy decision, and there's a good case to be made about a wide variety of actors out there. Some of them seem unlikely, like the intriguing idea of casting Jason Momoa, despite his casting commitments to Aquaman. But a lot of them aren't out of the realm of possibility. Here are five performers that would be perfect for the role and should be thrown into the consideration pool.

Joe Manganiello

While the True Blood actor might be a little too old to play the muscle-bound part for more than a few years, there's definitely potential to be found in Joe Manganiello's take on the silver-clawed comic book character. He has the gruff look to accompany the character, and it's clear from his work in the Magic Mike movies that he has the wry sense of humor to play off the balance of tough and brooding, mixed with humorous and sarcastic.

Depending on what the Marvel Cinematic Universe plans to do with the character, especially if they want to respect the legacy of Hugh Jackman's portrayal and have Wolverine be a minor, short-lived figure in this world, it would definitely be intriguing to see what Joe Manganiello could do. He has the look. Plus, his work on True Blood allowed the actor to frequently get in touch with his animalistic side, which would obviously be very crucial for Wolverine. Also, he deserves another crack at the superhero genre following his short time as Flash Thompson and even shorter tenure as Deathstroke.

Garrett Hedlund

Although Garrett Hedlund might be better known for his lesser performances in something like TRON: Legacy, he has quietly become a captivating and versatile actor, filled with emotional range and dramatic heft. Soulful performances in On the Road, Inside Llewyn Davis and Country Strong, to name a few, show the wild spirit he brings to the right role, while the brooding intensity found in Death Sentence showcases an actor who can convey a sense of menace and malice that've been underutilized in the actor's previous work. Both qualities could work well in the role of Wolverine.

Garrett Hedlund strikes one as an actor who has proven his chops, but hasn't been able to make the transition into the mainstream. His bigger movies have often left him short, and it's ultimately his smaller, more emotionally intensive roles that have showcased his dramatic talents. Therefore, it's also possible that the MCU might not be his best route, but it's also apparent that a bigger, meatier role in a proven franchise might just be what it takes to push him into superstar status. Despite his thin frame, Hedlund has also proven a physical versatility that could see him beefing up and impressing us.

Jai Courtney

If asked a few years earlier, I don't think I could see Jai Courtney playing the part of Wolverine. The handsome actor hasn't proven his potential in big misfires like Terminator: Genisys and A Good Day To Die Hard. But in Suicide Squad, which was also critically derided outside of his performance and Margot Robbie's killer take on Harley Quinn, Courtney stepped up and proved that, in the right role, he could be charismatic and oddly charming.

In the role of Captain Boomerbang, all the years of Hollywood trying to capitalize on his unseen star power finally made sense. And in a better movie, that could've been the star-making role the actor was finally looking for. Alas, it didn't work out, but his performance was impressive enough to make the actor return to set for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. Though there's no telling with that movie's expected high body count if he will make it to the end. If he finds himself unable to boomerang back into the franchise, there is potential for him to finally make it big playing Wolverine in the MCU. The fellow Australian actor has the physicality, the hair and the potential to go wild in a major way, and it would be nice to see that potential realized.

Luke Evans

Similar to some other actors listed here, Luke Evans is an actor who can shine in the right role, but he hasn't always found the roles to showcase his dramatic talents. Nevertheless, even in lesser movies like Beauty and the Beast, Murder Mystery and Ma, Luke Evans makes a good impression. And it's clear that he has been putting in enough hours in big blockbuster movies like Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7, along with the The Hobbit movies, to stand out well if given the right leading part. Even if Wolverine were just a supporting player in the MCU, Luke Evans could play that to his favor.

Oftentimes, Luke Evans stands out best in minor roles, which allow him to expand his talents and give standout performances with a lot of flair and charisma. If Wolverine were to play something of a mentor figure this time around, which isn't confirmed by any means, it would be interesting to see Luke Evans use his talents in supporting roles to make the most of his time with the silver claws. He's an actor who seems like he's just one role away from getting big.

Taron Egerton

Although last year's Robin Hood wasn't exactly the action star role that he might've hoped it would be, Taron Egerton has had few troubles making a great impression in Hollywood. With both Kingsman movies, Egerton has proved himself charming, captivating and very charismatic. It's also clear from this summer's winning biopic, Rocketman, where Egerton played a younger version of Elton John, that he has both the comedic and dramatic chops to stand out in other roles. Therefore, it wouldn't be entirely out of the question to see the actor bulk up to play a younger Wolverine.

It also helps that Taron Egerton worked with Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, in the underrated sports comedy Eddie the Eagle, where Egerton had few troubles standing toe-to-toe with the acting veteran. Indeed, playing the role of Wolverine is something that Taron Egerton has mulled over. He is a big X-Men fan, by his own admission, and he seems flattered by the opportunity to play a role in the X-Men universe — even if he might possibly be a little sheepish (understandably) about playing Wolverine. Nevertheless, even if it didn't work out to play Wolverine, he should definitely be considered for some part in the MCU.

These are only a few actors who might be able to pull off the task of playing Wolverine. There are also some exciting players like Tom Hardy and Liev Schreiber who've been teased in the past, but their commitments to other superhero movies, plus their age (if the franchise is thinking about an actor playing Wolverine for the extended future) would likely restrict them from getting the role.

But we know that you probably have several different actors in mind who could play the part. Therefore. let us know in the comment section which actors have the chops to play Wolverine inside the MCU.

Yes, Annie Wilkes and her cock-a-doodie fan stalking are getting something of an origin story in Castle Rock Season 2! Hulu has cast Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Masters of Sex) as younger "budding psychopath" Annie in a prequel to the Misery role that earned Kathy Bates an Oscar.

And that's not all...

Castle Rock Season 2 will also see the addition of several other characters, per THR, including more you may recall from previous Stephen King stories. But first, here's more of the plot:

• Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade) will play Annie’s home-schooled teenage daughter, Joy, who is starting to have questions about her mother's sanity. Pray for that poor child.

• Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption) is returning to Stephen King country as Reginald "Pop" Merrill. Pop -- a character from Stephen King's 1990 novella The Sun Dog who was also mentioned in Needful Things -- is the head of the Merrill crime family. He's dying of cancer and at a reckoning with his family.

• Garrett Hedlund (Triple Frontier) will play Pop's nephew John "Ace" Merrill, who is taking over his uncle’s businesses and threatening a fragile peace with nearby Jerusalem’s Lot. Fun fact: Ace Merrill was in Stephen King's novella The Body, which became the movie Stand By Me. He was played by Kiefer Sutherland in the movie. Ace was also a character in Needful Things.

• Matthew Alan (13 Reasons Why) will play Chris Merrill, Pop's nephew and Ace's brother, who struggles to keep peace between the Merrills and the Somali community.

• Yusra Warsama (Call the Midwife) will play Dr. Nadia Omar, the Harvard-trained Somali medical director of a rural hospital in Jerusalem's Lot. Her rational and scientific mind will be put to the test.

• Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) will play Abdi Omar, Nadia's tough, older brother who leads the charge to build a Somali community center that will deepen the roots of his people in Maine.

That cast. Season 2 already sounds amazing.

When Hulu renewed Castle Rock for Season 2, we already knew it would come with a new cast and a new story. It's not clear yet how much it may intersect with the events of Season 1, which starred André Holland, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgard, and Jane Levy. It did seem like Jane Levy's Jackie Torrance might have more to say, so we'll have to see if that The Shining tie-in plays out further in Season 2.

Obviously, Lizzy Caplan has the major role in Season 2 as younger Annie Wilkes. Kathy Bates played Annie Wilkes in the 1990 movie Misery, adapting Stephen King's 1987 novel, with James Caan as famous author Paul Sheldon. Annie was Paul's "number one fan," but also a first-class psycho. It should be interesting to see a little more of how she got that way, perhaps akin to Bates Motel showing Norman Bates' journey to his Psycho state.

Castle Rock Season 1 ran for 10 episodes from July to September 2018 on Hulu. Last summer, THR asked co-showrunner Dustin Thomason to clarify the show's vision as an anthology series, asking if fans should expect a hard reset every season. Here's part of Thomason's response:

It sounds like Stephen King fans may want to at least brush up on Misery, Needful Things, The Sun Dog, The Body, and Jerusalem's Lot before Castle Rock Season 2. Hulu has yet to announce a premiere date for the 10 episodes ahead, but stay tuned.

In the new Netflix action thriller Triple Frontier, there’s a serious montage of scenes where, as part of said montage, actors Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund are seen shepherding a couple of donkeys across a river in the South American jungle. So leave it to their animal co-stars to make things interesting when it came time to actually shoot those scenes, as the actors recently spoke with CinemaBlend about a particularly hilarious day on set involving donkeys, water, and bathroom humor. Here’s how the actors described the scenario, when asked what day on set made them most feel like an action hero:

While the finished product is a sobering experience, when the heroes at the center of Triple Frontier are at a particularly difficult time in their heist, the story above is anything but. And watching Hunnam and Hedlund laughing it up during the telling of said story only makes the tale that much more interesting.

This is only compounded by the fact that, of course, this story involving animal actors contains a moment where the donkeys involved had to relieve themselves. It's a classic trope in humor that has legs, and for very good reason. At this point, the story gets even more interesting as this old saw gets a new spin through some colorful descriptions from Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund. The Triple Frontier co-stars elaborated on this story with the following:

It’s certainly not the easiest thing in the world to work with an animal actor on a set such as the one for Triple Frontier. Considering they’re one of the two types of performers that have historically been on the list of collaborators not to work with, you can kind of see why. Just imagining two actors such as Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund, trying to get through the day of shooting with a donkey that really had to go is enough to break even the most stoic spectator into a fit of laughter.

Of course, describing their humorous reactions to filming this particular stretch of Triple Frontier is one thing. But if you want to watch Hunnam and Hedlund really delight in the reveal of this story, you can see it all for yourself below.

Don't let that story about the donkeys fool you, as the behind the scenes story you've just experienced doesn't sour the Triple Frontier experience at all. If anything, it proves that all involved, particularly Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund in this specific instance, are total professionals. It takes an extremely focused actor to portray a dramatic scene of crime and consequences, while wading through donkey dung; and this cast passes that test with flying colors.

Triple Frontier is in theaters now, with its Netflix streaming debut set for March 13th.

The DC Extended Universe now finds itself in a position that every franchise dreads. One of its biggest stars -- Superman himself, Henry Cavill -- is exiting his contract, and it will soon initiate the search for a replacement. It won't be an easy or informal task, as this is a case of recasting one of the most iconic roles of all time, but the good news is that there are some very interesting potential names on the table that could make things ultimately work out for the best.

Nowadays it's actually kind of hard to find a popular and talented actor under 35 who doesn't already have a superhero role/franchise -- but they do exist, and it's an interesting crop. While comic book movie veteran Michael B. Jordan has been floated as an option, we've plucked out four other performers who we think would be up to the task of playing Superman on the big screen, possibly replacing Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel in the DC Extended Universe. Check out our picks below and on the next few pages, answer our poll at the end, and hit the comments section at the bottom to give us your own thoughts about who should next take on this prestigious role.

Garrett Hedlund

Garrett Hedlund is an immensely talented actor just waiting for the right script and project to make him a real star. He had a bit of a false start with Tron: Legacy back in 2010, and there have been some instances of great performances in some not-so-great movies (On The Road, Country Strong), but there have also been some fantastic small parts in some amazing titles (Inside Llewyn Davis, Mudbound), and work with some awesome directors (Joel and Ethan Coen, Angeline Jolie, Dee Rees). It feels like it's only a matter of time before he gets his superhero break, and Superman might be the right call for him.

Like Clark Kent, Garrett Hedlund hails from the Midwest, born and raised in Minnesota, and certainly has the build for the superhero role - standing at 6'2". He would have to dye is hair, just because a blond Superman would probably look a bit strange, but one extra bonus in the mix is his deep, commanding voice that would definitely give him some authority as the Man of Steel.

Jack O'Connell

Moving on to our second pick we're actually not moving far outside the cast list for the movie Unbroken, specifically shining a spotlight on that movie's star. Jack O'Connell doesn't have the same exact stature as Garrett Hedlund, as he is a few inches shorter at 5'8", but what he doesn't have in height he makes up for in fortitude and projected strength, and that's clay that can be molded into a pretty great Superman.

Like Garrett Hedlund, Jack O'Connell has built a strong career for himself thus far - working consistently for the last 13 years - and is just in need of that one major role that will turn him into a household name. He's bounced between the big and small screens over the years, but obviously landing the part of Superman in the DC Extended Universe would turn him into a blockbuster star. It should also be noted that one significant advantage he has in this arena is that he's only 28 (seven years younger than Henry Cavill), and those extra years could be crucial as Warner Bros. surely wants to find another actor they can lock in for years to come.

Armie Hammer

Those familiar with their superhero history will be quick to note that years ago Armie Hammer nearly got his chance to be a part of a major DC Comics blockbuster. Specifically, when director George Miller was putting together his standalone Justice League feature, he hired the actor to play his Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman. Years later we can only imagine what that project would have looked like - but the great news is that the door for his kind of genre feature has not closed for Hammer, and the possibility of playing Superman could be perfect for him.

There might be a bit of awkwardness in the transition, as Armie Hammer notably co-starred alongside Henry Cavill in the spy feature The Man From U.N.C.L.E., but it should still be recognized that he definitely has what it takes to play the Man of Tomorrow. Like Garrett Hedlund, he'd also have to dye his hair, but he's even taller than Superman is in the comics - standing at a stately 6'5" - and he is consistently in action star shape despite not really doing that many action movies. The guy also has charisma for days, and that's a vital component that can't be ignored.

Theo James

Admittedly the franchise thing hasn't worked out super well for Theo James thus far. It's a record that includes two underwhelming Underworld features, and a leading role in the Divergent series, which notoriously petered out after three movies. That being said, those unfortunate titles should not be a reflection on James, who has some legitimate talent and could be an option as the new Superman for the DC Extended Universe.

While his previously mentioned franchise titles weren't so great overall, they did showcase that the actor can execute a realistic and interesting action sequence, and he does have a proper likability and impressive cachet that could become stronger with an S on his chest. He's a bit shorter than some of the other names on this list, but could stand tall as the Last Son of Krypton if given the proper material.

This poll is no longer available.

Despite only consisting of two films, the Tron franchise has developed a notable following over the years. With that fanbase in mind, the consensus seemed to be that 2010's Tron: Legacy would eventually lead to a third installment, but almost eight years later, nothing has happened yet. Now, according to Tron: Legacy star Garrett Hedlund: it seems that Tron 3 never happened because of the mediocre reception to Brad Bird's Tomorrowland. Per what Hedlund revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast:

Everything seemed ready to go on Tron 3, but when Tomorrowland ended up not earning the critical or commercial accolades that were expected of it (it has a 50% on Rotten Tomatoes and a $209 million gross against a $190 million budget), the rumor mill at the time noted plug was pulled on Tron. As a result of this open schedule, Hedlund was then able to move onto other projects like Steven Soderbergh's Mosaic, as well as the Oscar-nominated 2017 Sundance favorite, Mudbound.

Now, Garrett Hedlund's remarks seem to confirm that. From a business point of view, this arguably appears to make a certain degree of sense for Disney. In terms of themes and visuals, the Tron franchise and Tomorrowland certainly share quite a few similarities. Both focus on genius scientist heroes and both involve immersing outsiders in richly-constructed sci-fi worlds. Even with Tron's built-in fanbase, investing enormous sums of money in a third installment (especially when Tron: Legacy similarly received a lukewarm reception) likely didn't seem like a wise decision.

This Tron situation isn't the first time that a failed franchise film has paved the way for Garrett Hedlund to work on a smaller project. Additionally, on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Friday Night Lights actor explained how he was initially attached to an unmade Akira adaptation, but that film's failure to get off of the ground eventually led to his role as Johnny Five in Inside Llewyn Davis.

Of course, none of this necessarily means that we will never see another film in the Tron universe. Rumors about a possible Tron reboot circulated online as recently as last October, with Blade Runner 2049 star Jared Leto reportedly attached to the potential project. It's anyone's guess as to whether or not the third Tron movie will ever actually make it to the big screen, but it sounds like the iteration that Garrett Hedlund was originally going to star in is now long gone.

That said, we will bring you more information about the future of the Tron franchise as more information is made available to us. As for this year's biggest movie releases, hop over to our movie premiere guide to see what's coming up this year.

There are some significant changes taking place over at DC right now, and the latest development is arguably one of the most interesting ones that we have seen in months. Decades after his initial introduction into DC Comics, Dick Grayson's older alter ego of Nightwing will finally make his way to the silver screen for a solo movie of his very own under the direction of The LEGO Batman Movie's Chris McKay. It's a phenomenal development for the superhero genre as a whole, and for longtime fans of the greater Batman mythos, it's the culmination of years of anticipation.

On that note, we have taken it upon ourselves to put together a list of well-known actors that could easily step into the role of Dick Grayson. Some of these actors are primarily known for their work on television, while others have experienced long careers in film, but all of them have proven that they have what it takes to take on Bruce Wayne's first son. Now let's kick this off with an actor who is no stranger to the DC Universe.

Robbie Amell

While Robbie Amell's cousin Stephen has seen great success portraying the dark and brooding Oliver Queen on The CW's Arrow, his take on Firestorm (and Deathstorm) has been somewhat hit or miss. However, I think The Flash actor may be able to find redemption taking on an entirely new DC hero as Dick Grayson. Robbie Amell certainly has the look to portray Nightwing, and (at least compared to his cousin) he plays whimsical and charming better than he does dark and somber. If DC wants a lighthearted Dick to counterbalance Bruce's overwhelming darkness, then Mr. Amell seems like a perfect candidate for the job; all they need to do is swap out the Firestorm Matrix for a set of Escrima sticks and a domino mask.

Dev Patel

Look, there are characters out there whose race plays a prominent role in the stories that they inhabit. Luke Cage is a perfect example of that idea. However, Dick Grayson is simply not one of those characters. Dev Patel is currently riding high off of an Oscar nomination for his work on Lion, and you would be hard-pressed to find a more inherently versatile and talented young actor working in Hollywood today. Beyond that, puberty was very kind to Mr. Patel since the days of Slumdog Millionaire, and he has clearly developed the physically imposing stature necessary to portray a badass vigilante like Dick Grayson. Nightwing may not necessarily look like Dev Patel in the comics, but that's no reason to reject him out of hand

Steven Yeun

If you're a fan of The Walking Dead, then you already know that Steven Yeun's ill-fated Glenn was the Dick Grayson of Rick Grimes' group of survivors. He was strong, loyal and eternally optimistic up until the moment his brains were bashed in with a baseball bat. Those qualities could easily carry over into a silver screen portrayal of Nightwing, and Steve Yeun's possible version of this comic book icon could easily become a perfect counterpoint to the darker and more brooding Batman that Ben Affleck plays in this world. Oh, and for those of you who are about to make comments about an Asian-American Nightwing, please refer to the previous post about Dev Patel representing a good choice as well.

Garrett Hedlund

Garrett Hedlund is definitely one of the older entries on this list, but his work in films like Tron: Legacy, Pan and Eragon prove that he's entirely comfortable performing in effects-driven genre films. Despite his blonde hair, we could easily see him stepping into the black suit of an older and more seasoned Nightwing alongside the aging Batman of the DCEU. Beyond that, his advanced age would make him absolutely perfect to take over the cape and cowl if DC and Warner Bros. Ever decide to go the extra mile and kill the silver screen version of Bruce Wayne. The odds of that happening are slim, but then again, we never thought we would see a Nightwing movie in the first place.

Keith Stanfield

Out of all the actors present on this list, 25-year-old Keith Stanfield probably has the most diverse resume. He has proven himself as an insanely capable dramatic actor with his work on films like Selma and Short Term 12, but his work as Darius in Donald Glover's Atlanta has shown how comfortable he can be in a bizarre comedy. That type of range is essential when adapting someone like Dick Grayson because the eldest Robin is one of the most emotionally rich characters in the entire DC mythos. He doesn't just brood like his mentor, he airs his grievances and emotes like a real human being. Stanfield is an exciting up-and-comer, and Nightwing feels like a perfect fit for his particular set of talents.

Dylan O'Brien

Young adult franchises are a dime a dozen these days, and they're usually pretty bad. However, what genuinely sets The Maze Runner (as well as the sequel, The Scorch Trials) apart from the competition is the sheer amount of commitment Dylan O'Brien brings to the role of Thomas. The 25-year-old up-and-comer throws himself into all of his stunt work, and he is one of the on-screen runners this side of Tom Cruise. Throw in the fact that he's a legitimately talented actor who can handle raw and gritty dramas (look no further than Deepwater Horizon for an example of that) and he seems like the perfect candidate to take over this role and add a much-needed youthful edge to the DCEU.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Aaron Taylor-Johnson often feels like the next Chris Evans when it comes to superhero movies. He's an insanely skilled actor with plenty of comic book movie experience, but none of his superhero performances seem like the one he's going to be remembered for yet. That could easily change if he signs on to play Nightwing in the DCEU. Johnson's work as Kick-Ass and Quicksilver feel like a perfect recipe for a dark, yet charming version of Nightwing, and at 26-years-old he's the perfect age to take on the role for a long tenure. Aside from that, with his recent Golden Globe win for his work on Nocturnal Animals, he could bring the appropriate amount of prestige to this universe.

This poll is no longer available.

Anyone who has been waiting for Tron 3 will be fully aware that it has been stuck in cinematic purgatory for several years now. Over the course of the last year, Tron 3 went from being confirmed - with even a production date announced – to being surprisingly pulled from scheduling with very little explanation. But Garrett Hedlund still holds faith that there will be a Tron 3, and he thinks it’s going to blow its predecessors out of the water.

I spoke to Garrett Hedlund today as he promoted his upcoming turn as a young Captain Hook in Pan. The discussion soon turned to Tron 3, as I looked to get a clearer picture of what the status is with the film. From our conversation, it was clear that Hedlund wants to proceed with the franchise, and he believes that the potential is definitely there to exceed 1982’s Tron and 2010’s Tron Legacy. Hedlund explained,

From Hedlund’s quotes, it sounds as though, alongside the actor, everyone who was involved in the making of Tron Legacy is just as eager to jump back in the franchise. Sure, he failed to mention any names specifically, but one can only imagine that he was referring to Olivia Wilde and Jeff Bridges.

Work on the sequel to Tron: Legacy had actually begun before it was released back in October 2010. There was even speculation that Tron 3 itself would be the beginning of its very own trilogy. However, as the months turned into years the project started to be hit by more and more roadblocks.

Close to 18 months later it was confirmed that writers were still working on the story and script for the follow-up. It was then revealed in summer 2011 that Eight Below writer David DiGilio had been brought on to draft a script for the film.

Things started getting murkier and murkier after that, until March 2015 when it was confirmed that Disney had greenlit the third film, only for the studio to completely change their minds just two months later.

Garrett Hedlund’s comments suggest that there could still be a future for the Tron franchise, and if Pan performs well when it’s released on October 9th, then that could possibly convince Disney that he has the box office appeal to bring the film out of hiding. Again.

Over the years, the story of Peter Pan has been imagined, reimagined, animated, prequeled, and rendered in damn near anyway you can think of. But that doesn’t mean that people are going to stop sharing their takes. Joe Wright’s upcoming film, Pan, purports to be an origin story for the boy who would never grow up, and it dropped this new trailer today.

This is the adventure-filled trailer that Pan showed off at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend, and as you can see right away, this interpretation of J.M. Barrie’s beloved Lost Boy is going to be something quite different from what you’ve seen before.

As the voiceover says, sometimes "friends begin as enemies, and enemies as friends," and you witness something curious here: Peter Pan and the man who will become Captain Hook fighting on the same side. That’s going to be an interesting relationship to watch develop, and like that bit with Hook (Garrett Hedlund), Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), and that big ass jumping crocodile, there are sure to be a number of moments teasing Hook’s eventual loss of one hand. And what appears to be a bunch of faux swearing, which makes sense given this is a family film, and one that will likely wind up with a PG rating.

Levi Miller plays this version of Peter, a 12-year-old orphan with a rebellious streak stuck in a grim, depressing London orphanage (is there any other kind?). Then one night he is whisked away to Neverland, a magical island of pirates and fairies and ferocious warriors where he searches for answers about the true identity of his mother, engages in epic duels and battles, and discovers that he’s part of a prophecy that could topple the reign of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (a crazy looking Hugh Jackman), who rules Neverland with an iron fist.

Joe Wright is a director most known for intricate costume dramas and period pieces, like Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice, and Atonement. While he has a definite visual eye and feel for staging, his Tolstoy adaptation illustrates that perfectly, and he has a some action on his resume with the underrated Hanna, Pan looks to be something very different from anything else he’s ever attempted. From the footage we see here, this is epic and sweeping in scope and scale, and is full of elaborate visuals and tons of special effects. One of the things we’re most curious to see is how he handles the size of Pan and juggles all of these disparate elements.

Pan brings the wondrous world of Neverland to life when it sails into theaters on October 9.

Hopefully you weren’t really, really looking forward to Disney’s Tron 3, because if you were, we’ve got some bad news for you. Reports just dropped that the House of Mouse just decided to pull the plug on their next journey to the Grid.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has decided not to move forward with the third installment of videogame-based sci-fi franchise. Though it was never officially given the go ahead, director Joseph Kosinski and stars Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund were reportedly all on board to return to their respective roles from 2010’s Tron: Legacy. Preparation was even under way, and many assumed it was actually going to film sometime later this year.

There are no specific reasons given for Disney’s decision, and though the report mentions that the producers wanted to get Jared Leto involved, but failed to seal the deal, that seems like an unlikely reason to cancel an entire movie. This new is especially strange because over the last two or three months, there have been reports of substantial forward movement.

As mentioned, the primary players were all reportedly game to come back, there was news that it would film this fall in Vancouver, BC, and it even had a tentative title, Tron: Ascension. We have even heard potential plot details, as the story was supposedly going to revolve around the artificially intelligent warrior program, Quorra (Wilde), and how she adapts to the life in the real world when she leaves the Grid after the events of Legacy.

Legacy did make money—$400 million globally against a $170 million budget—but it wasn’t a runaway hit, and it was met with modest to tepid reactions from fans and critics alike, so that fact that another sequel was in the works was something of a surprise to many. It just seems like with all the work they put in, there must have been something seriously wrong with the script or some other major piece of the puzzle. That’s a lot of effort to just flush away. Maybe they couldn't get Daft Punk to score this one.

Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean Tron 3 won’t happen, like ever. You may remember that there was a fairly substantial gap between the first film in the series, 1982’s Tron, and the second, which didn’t hit theaters until 28 years later. Maybe that’s their plan, they’re just going to wait almost three decades between chapters. The first film wasn’t a huge hit, but over the years it became a cult classic and wove itself into the fabric of popular culture until it seemed like a good idea to revisit the Jeff Bridges-fronted property.

So there you have it, Tron 3 is not happening. Does this make you happy, sad, or are you totally indifferent? The last film looked pretty, but that’s really all it had going for it. Let us know what you think about this news below.

Hugh Jackman is dangling from a wire, floating roughly 35 feet over a full-scale model of a majestic pirate ship. Down below, diabolical sea-dwellers engage in an animated fistfight, and Jackman – dressed to the teeth as the pirate Blackbeard – descends over and over again into the fray. Once, when the wire pulls the A-list actor back into the rafters, he spies us… a small group of film journalists invited to the set of Pan to watch the actor and his colleagues at work. For just a moment, he breaks character. The menacing pirate is gone, and Hugh Jackman, The Movie Star, is flashing his brilliant smile and waving happily, prop sword in hand. It’s a beautiful, bizarre and wonderful movie moment I’ll never forget.

Pan, in case you don’t yet know, is director Joe Wright’s foray into the imaginative world of Peter Pan, for a live-action blockbuster that will hit theaters on July 24. The 3D family adventure stars Jackman, Rooney Mara (Tiger Lily), Garret Hedlund (Hook), and 11-year-old newcomer Levi Miller (Peter) in a unique spin on the traditional Peter Pan narrative.

To help explain Wright’s vision for Pan, Warner Bros. invited us to a sprawling film set on the outskirts of London, where we ate with pirates, walked the planks of huge pirate ships, waved at Hugh Jackman (see above), and learned the following about this summer’s Pan:

This Is NOT A Remake Of The Disney Cartoon

Joe Wright and his creative team on Pan made it abundantly clear during our set visit that they weren’t setting out to do a live-action version of the classic Walt Disney cartoon that most of us grew up on. Their inspiration comes from J.M. Barrie’s works, Peter Pan, of The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Most of the creators in the production offices admitted to not watching the Disney cartoon in preparation for working on this feature, because Joe Wright’s vision is so different from the world that exists in the animated take. That’s not to say Wright (Atonement, Hanna, Anna Karenina) doesn’t utilize familiar aspects from the Peter Pan cartoon. Quite the contrary. But it’s HOW he uses them in Pan that sets this movie apart. Let’s continue to explore.

Pan Is A Prequel To The Story We Know And Love

Peter isn’t Peter when Pan starts. This might be an easy analogy, but Pan feels like Batman Begins for the boy who refuses to grow up. The story gets underway with Peter (Miller) in an orphanage in the 1940s, during the war. The boy clutches a letter, which he’d received from his mother (Amanda Seyfried) many years ago. It’s Peter’s mission to reunite with his mom – a mission that’s interrupted when Blackbeard and his pirates descend on the orphanage and carry kidnapped children to Neverland. Wright’s team talked at length about the progression of color that will signify Peter’s journey through Neverland. What starts in a monochromatic London orphanage will transition, from scene to scene, into a vibrant, imaginative playground filled with wondrous creatures such as fairies, Lost Boys, mermaids, the Never Bird, an albino crocodile and, of course, pirates. But Pan sees Peter coming to terms with being Peter Pan, and it’s not as simple of a journey as you might assume.

They Literally Built Neverland

If you are familiar with Joe Wright’s brilliant films, you know he favors practical effects over CGI, and Pan is no different. On vast soundstages outside of London, we were able to walk on a full-scale replica of the Jolly Roger pirate ship. We traipsed through colorful villages, held weapons and props that belonged to the denizens of Neverland, and we watched the first meeting between Peter (Miller) and Hook (Hedlund). The best part? We walked through the sprawling, incredible recreation of Neverland, a set that stretched for multiple soundstages and included towering trees, massive mushroom stumps, pieces of shipwrecked boats, a tunnel (where an important fight will take place), and a trampoline circle surrounded by chairs where the "ruling counsel" of Neverland sits. It’s a wonderful set that promises to house some impressive action set pieces – from underwater battles to swordfights and martial arts-based trampoline wars – and Wright made sure that it physically existed in this world, in which his cast was encouraged to play.

Young Levi Miller IS Peter

There could be no more important casting for Pan than finding the ideal Peter, and Wright seems to have hit a home run with 11-year-old Levi Miller. The young Australian held court with this small team of reporters, convincing all of us at the end of the lengthy interview that he’s a real find for the casting department. According to Miller, his Peter is adventurous and charming, and he’s driven by his "singular mission" to locate his mother. "He’s kind of a normal 19th century boy," Miller told us. Can he fly yet? "Maybe he can, and maybe he can’t," the seasoned pro dodged with the media! Well, at least Miller revealed that Peter, in this film, has a complicated relationship with both Hook (Garret Hedlund) and Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) – something we were fascinated by because these are characters who will remain part of Peter’s fabric if the story is to continue.

Garrett Hedlund Will Steal The Show

Everywhere we went on the set of Pan, everyone made it clear that Garrett Hedlund was operating at another level playing Hook, and we were told repeatedly that audiences will exit the theater raving about his winning performance. If we heard it once, we heard it 1,000 times. Hedlund, naturally, downplayed expectations but told us he was having a blast exploring the goofy, comedic tone Wright wants for James Hook. That’s right, Hook isn’t yet Captain Hook in this movie. He’s an American – from the Midwest – who has been in Neverland for quite some time and actually starts off helping Peter during the early stages of the film. In fact, when we watch Hedlund work, he had both hands intact. Pan is as much Hook’s origin story as it is Peter’s, and Hedlund opened up about how they’re dynamic will change over the course of the film, starting as allies and becoming… something different. When Hedlund revealed that Hugh Jackman’s Blackbeard had tremendous influence over the development of Hook as a character, that didn’t bode well for the fate of young Peter Pan.

Pan (Hopefully) Is The Start Of A Franchise

Producer Sarah Schechter opened up, during our visit, of the possibility of Pan kickstarting a new franchise of live-action Peter Pan movies. With a leading man not even in his teens, and a wealth of possible stories left to tell, the sky over Neverland truly could be the limit for this cast and this series. Garrett Hedlund, who plays Hook to Miller’s Pan, admitted, "We signed on for multiple films." So if Pan does well, expect more stories in this universe. But Schechter made it crystal clear that the decision to make more movies centered around Levi Miller’s Peter Pan would be "organic" and not calculated. They love the world. They love these characters. They would love to keep telling stories with them, but nothing is set in stone. That being said, it’s worth noting that Pan will connect – loosely – to the familiar story of Wendy, John, Nana and the characters we love. It does not directly lead into that tale, but we might see a few very interesting hints as Pan draws to a close.

Joe Wright Is Done With Long, Unbroken Takes… For A Reason

Joe Wright made a name for himself (in the film-geek community, at least) for choreographing impossibly long, stylistic, unbroken single-take shots in movies like Atonement and Hanna. But don’t look for one in Pan, as the director told us during a lively conversation that there’s no use in trying to outdo the incredible camera work Alfonso Cuaron recently did with the Oscar-winning sci-fi masterpiece Gravity. While on set, we were lucky enough to sit in a small theater and watch a rough-cut of one of the film’s opening scenes – when the pirates soar over London in flying pirate ships and Peter tries to escape… then to hold on for dear life. And in this moment, there’s an unmistakable Gravity homage that Wright said he had a lot of fun including. The director emphasized over and over that his inspiration for doing Pan was a desire to entertain his three-year-old son, saying he’s fascinated with finding new things that make his child laugh. And while Wright isn’t a franchise guy, when we asked if he’d keep telling stories in this world, he smiled and replied, "We’ll see."

And so will you when Joe Wright’s Pan opens in theaters on July 24.

Given that Ang Lee has won two Academy Awards for Best Director, it’s not exactly a shock that the guy has the ability to bring together a talented ensemble. Still, it’s pretty fascinating to watch the eclectic cast of his latest project, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, grow.

Newcomer Joe Alwyn has been hired to play the lead role in the new drama, based on the novel by Ben Fountain, and will portray a soldier who, after surviving a firefight in Iraq, is trotted out during the halftime show of a Thanksgiving football game – shorting before having to fly back into the Middle Eastern war zone. Obviously we can expect Alwyn to shoulder a lot of the dramatic weight in the movie, but the filmmakers attached to the project have also surrounded him with an impressive line-up of supporting players – two of whom just signed on today. Let’s take a closer look at this cast, shall we?

Remember what I was saying about new additions? Well, one of them is none other than Vin Diesel, who is just coming off the massive first-weekend success of James Wan’s Furious 7. Deadline first reported his agreement to sign on to the project, though they don’t appear to have any information about the character that he will be playing in the movie.

Chris Tucker is the second new addition, but sadly, like Vin Diesel, there doesn’t appear to be any information available about the role he will be playing. The simple fact that Tucker has signed on to this project is interesting, simply because the guy doesn’t take on that many projects. His last role was in David O. Russell’s 2012 movie Silver Linings Playbook, and before that was Brett Ratner’s 2007 feature Rush Hour 3.

Throughout his career, Steve Martin has always been known to occasionally mix a few dramas into his resume, and it looks like he’ll once again be going that route with Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. It hasn't been confirmed, though it has been rumored that the actor will be playing the role of Albert - a film producer who wishes to make a film based on the titular Billy Lynn's time while serving in Iraq.

It was just last week that Kristen Stewart signed up to join Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. She will have strong familial ties to Joe Alwyn in the film, as she will be playing the titular character’s older sister in the story.

Finally we have Garrett Hedlund, who is actually reuniting with Kristen Stewart, having previously worked with her on the adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. In Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, he will be playing Sgt. Dime, the incredibly intense leader of Billy Lynn’s platoon, Bravo Company.

Production on the film is set to start this month, so it’s unclear at this point if we can expect more names to come aboard. Still, this is already an impressive group that Ang Lee has put together, and it will be interesting to see what the results are.

When Disney’s long-in-the-making franchise revival Tron Legacy hit back in 2010, the reception was mixed and the box-office business was, at best, respectable. However, with the recent news that a third film will begin shooting soon, it does seem clear that the company is not quite done with trying to once again make the Tron franchise "a thing." Now, it is being reported that the two primary stars of that last effort in Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund will be returning for the deadly digital domain for this third film.

According to a scoop by The Hollywood Reporter, the code-crossed would-be lovers of Tron Legacy, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, will indeed return for another grinding go in the infamous "Grid." The film, rumored to carry the title, Tron: Ascension, is furthering the spirit of "getting the band back together" by also featuring the directorial return of Tron Legacy’ Joseph Kosinski.

Hedlund will reprise his role as Sam Flynn, arguably the titular "legacy" of the last film as the son of the first movie’s protagonist, Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn. Wilde will once again play Quorra, a program character from the virtual world of the Grid who was a disciple of Sam’s father and eventually escapes the Grid with Sam, becoming a real flesh and blood person. (A concept that takes the Weird Science premise and almost makes it respectable.) With Tron Legacy ending with the setting a clear agenda for Sam to take over his father’s company, serving as a mindful caretaker of his father’s digitally microcosmic research, and for Quorra adjusting to life outside the Grid, there certainly seemed to be intent to continue the storyline, as they would tackle a new, or possibly old threat.

Certainly, this third film has been floating around over a Disney for a few years, delayed for one reason after another. In fact, Garrett Hedlund confirmed his involvement with this film way back at the end of 2012, fulfilling what was likely a multi-film contract signed when he jumped on board Legacy. However, that was a long time ago and circumstances seemed to leave the project in limbo. Now, the report of Olivia Wilde’s return is definitely new to the narrative. With the previous film’s primary duo seemingly locked in, all signals point to the delays that have riddled this project for five years finally abating.

Yet, there are certainly legitimate questions regarding the bankability of the franchise after the heavily-hyped and uber-merchandised 2010 run of Tron Legacy would fall short of its surely-monumental expectations. Domestically, it was lackluster, having made only $172 million on the film’s $170 million budget investment. However, foreign tallies added another $228 to the pot, leaving the film with a $400 million total. Not bad, but certainly not impressive; especially considering the build-up. Seeing as Tron 3 is starting to take shape as a direct follow-up to that film, it begs that question of what Disney expects from this film.

If I had to guess, I’d probably say that Disney will approach this chapter with a significantly reduced budget. Technology has only grown since 2010, likely reducing the costs of these big-budget blue-screen bonanzas. Also, seeing as Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn was presumed to have been killed in the Grid in Legacy, that’s one less substantial celebrity salary that needs to be paid, since the protagonist torch has essentially been passed from Kevin to Sam. (Assuming Disney doesn’t go back to Bridges, hat in hand, asking him to return again.)

Tron 3, possibly titled Tron: Ascension, will reportedly begin filming this fall. No release date has been set.

The fantasy bug that bit Hollywood after Alice In Wonderland continues to ravage the industry unabated. Last year, Oz: The Great And Powerful made almost half-a-billion worldwide, while this summer fans are preparing for Maleficent. And in 2015 comes another one, the dramatic re-imagining titled Pan. In this fantasy film, from director Joe Wright, Peter Pan and Hook are good friends who team up to lead a pirate revolt, and with casting starting, they’re about to beef up the names in consideration for what they see as a potential franchise.

According to THR, an offer is out to Garrett Hedlund to star as the young Hook. Hedlund is clearly someone Hollywood likes a lot, as he was attached to the failed Akira remake for quite awhile, before everyone involved realized what they were doing was insane. Since then, he’s rejected roles in both the new Terminator film and 50 Shades of Gray, while he stole small moments in Inside Llewyn Davis as a mumbly, sensual nomad that brought back memories of Heath Ledger. Hedlund is also in this year’s Unbroken from director Angelina Jolie, and he’s still contractually obligated to return, should Disney get started on a follow-up to Tron: Legacy, though don’t hold your breath.

The role of Pan remains uncast, though an offer has gone out to Hugh Jackman to play the villain Blackbeard, which THR reports as "unconfirmed." Wright in the director’s seat seems like the most exciting part of this project, given that his style, half-fantastical and half-Earthbound, seems perfect for a more realistic take on a fairy tale. It’s pretty much exactly what he did with Hanna, the action film with fairy tale undertones that definitely isn’t made for the younger set.

Peter Pan remains one of the more indelible fictional characters in film and television. NBC is planning a live-version of Peter Pan for the holiday season. There remains a shortage of news regarding the planned 2011 version of Pan, which had Aaron Eckhart as a cop named Hook pursuing a childlike killer named Pan through the streets of England with his partner Smee. Which is a pity, because that sounded hilarious. Hopefully, though, there’s a rediscovery of the lovely 2003 live-action version of the film that featured an amazing performance by Jason Isaacs as Captain Hook. He also plays Wendy’s father: chew on that, Freud.

Alan Taylor is having a pretty damn big week. Not only does this weekend mark the anticipated release of Thor: The Dark World - which made $7.1 million at midnight last night and is expected to make $95 million by the end of Sunday - now The Hollywood Reporter is saying that the wheels are starting to turn on the director's next project: the Terminator reboot. According to the trade's sources, testing for the lead roles in the new sci-fi film are scheduled to begin next week, and shortlists of who is being considered for both the male and female parts have been released. And what characters are the actors vying for, you ask? None other than Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese and John Connor.

Emilia Clarke (who worked with Taylor on Game of Thrones), 21 Jump Street's Brie Larson and The Wolf of Wall Street's Margot Robbie are all reportedly going to try out to play a younger version of the legendary Linda Hamilton character in the new Terminator movie, while Garrett Hedlund and some other unnamed options are looking to potentially fill Michael Biehn's shoes. Adding an interesting wrinkle to the story is that Taylor is reportedly eying Tom Hardy to play John Connor, which is interesting considering that he is older than all of the aforementioned actors - and at the same time would be playing their son. Obviously there's some time travel involved in that situation, but that's hardly a surprise for a Terminator movie.

As of now Arnold Schwarzenegger is the only actor officially attached to the project, and he will be returning to the role he made a part of sci-fi history back in 1984. According to THR, the story will be "a time-spanning story that sees him tasked to protect Sarah Connor as she grows up." Does that mean we could potentially see multiple actresses wind up getting cast as Sarah Connor at different ages? Whatever direction they go in and whoever they end up casting, it's going to be hard for them to find anybody as completely badass as Linda Hamilton.

Set to be released on Wednesday July 1, 2015, the Terminator reboot is being planned as the first in a new trilogy and the script is currently being written by Patrick Lussier and Laeta Kalogridis. What do you think of the actors being considered for the lead roles? Do you think that they would be good options to play Sarah, Kyle and John, or would you rather see other actors take on the parts? Fill the comments section below with your thoughts, feelings and opinions!

You may not be as invested in the cast of Fifty Shades of Grey as the people writing petitions about it, but it's always fun to contemplate the "what-ifs" of the casting process, especially for a film so high-profile that relies so much on the chemistry of the two leads. We'd heard rumors for months about who was auditioning to play Anastasia and Christian, from Emma Watson to Arrow's Stephen Arnell, but The Hollywood Reporter now has a detailed post-mortem of some other names that got tossed around-- including the guy considered the model for Christian Grey.

They say that Ryan Gosling was the model from the very beginning for Christian Grey, a 27-year-old billionaire who seduces college student Anastasia Steele and introduces her to the kinky world of S&M. Unsurprisingly, given how firmly committed he seems to oddball projects and running away from tentpoles, Gosling wasn't interested. The producers then reportedly courted Garrett Hedlund, star of Tron: Legacy who's only now rescuing his reputation after that wooden performance; when Hedlund turned it down because he "couldn't connect with the character," they turned to the next best thing, Charlie Hunnam. I knew that Hunnam's stiff Pacific Rim character was similar to Hedlund's Tron character for a reason.

On the female side, Shailene Woodley was apparently a very heavy favorite, and was even ready to do the role's required nudity, but promotional duties for her upcoming sci-fi tentpole Divergent got in the way (I have to imagine the producers behind that teen-friendly would-be franchise were also less than psyched about Woodley taking on a hard-R series like Fifty Shades). Other names bandied about were Elizabeth Olsen, Felicity Jones, Imogen Poots and Alicia Vikander, but Dakota Johnson was apparently the top choice of director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who signed on in June.

A Shailene Woodley-Ryan Gosling version of Fifty Shades would probably much more closely resemble the movie imagined by fans, who always tend to think of the biggest stars possible and ignore the fact that properties like Fifty Shades don't need famous names to sell themselves. As we've discussed, Johnson and Hunnam are at the exact right point in their careers, where Fifty Shades could boost them regardless of whether it's a hit. Gosling didn't need that boost, and Woodley didn't either. If you want to provide your own fan Photoshops of what those two would have looked like anyway, though, by all means, go for it. The actual version of Fifty Shades will arrive next August.

(Ryan Gosling image via Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com)

The news that Disney is planning not only a Star Wars Episode VII but many potential Star Wars spinoffs has geek brains spinning. All those new stories you've wanted to see about Han or Luke or Leia or Boba Fett or Jabba the Hutt? Those can actually happen now, on the big screen, with big-name directors and giant budgets. Disney paid a lot of money for Lucasfilm and is going to make good on that investment, and in this heated moment where nothing has actually gone into production, the sky really is the limit for new Star Wars stories.

Today's news that Boba Fett and Han Solo were both up for their own spinoffs found a way to crank all this speculation up to 11. Suddenly all the people who had read stories about young Han Solo or imagined their own could hope to see it all come true on the big screen. And it also presented a major problem: who on earth could live up to the legacy of not just Harrison Ford's performance, but the myth that has emerged around the character in the meantime?

The Han Solo origin story, if it actually comes out the way they're planning now, would take place sometime between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Harrison Ford was 35 when Star Wars was released in 1977, so whoever gets cast in the origin story has to be at least somewhat younger than that, though presumably not a child-- hopefully they've learned from Jake Lloyd that meeting a famous Star Wars character as a child is a dead end. There are hundreds if not thousands of young, white actors polishing up their resumes right now for a chance to audition for the part, and a shortlist of the usual suspects who have popped up in recent blockbusters and might make a good fit-- Sam Claflin, Alex Pettyfer, Liam Hemsworth, Armie Hammer, Dane DeHaan and Chris Evans may have their own franchises to tend, but someone is definitely already talking about them in a casting office somewhere.

I've already got one name in mind, though, and he's someone with his own franchise but with the potential for a whole lot more. Garrett Hedlund appeared to basically be a block of wood at the center of Tron: Legacy, but showed enormous talent in last year's On the Road, playing the mercurial, witty and deeply charismatic Dean Moriarty. It was a magnetic performance, the best part of a pretty good film that was sadly overlooked, and the kind of thing that makes you sit up and say "That guy's a movie star." Hey, kind of like Harrison Ford's first appearance as Han Solo.

Hedlund is 29 and could play younger if need be, and has both the good looks and the physicality to convincingly grow up to become Harrison Ford. I've been running through a mental list of all the up-and-coming actors to fit the part, and Hedlund is the best idea I've thought of yet. But that's where you guys come in! Tell us in the comments who you think would be best-- and if this origin story ever does come to fruition, maybe one of us will wind up being right.

It feels like about 10 years since Tron: Legacy came to theaters, as pop culture moved on pretty quickly from a brief flirtation with light cycles, director Joseph Kosinski dove into the new project Oblivion, and star Garrett Hedlund worked hard to prove he was more than just the blank pretty boy who seemed lost at the center of the Game Grid. I would have bet you about $50 six months ago that a Tron sequel would never happen, despite talk of scripts and cast members set to return .

And yet, just a week ago word came down that a new writer has been hired to write not even the second movie, but the third-- and that the project was being fast-tracked by new Disney chief Alan Horn. Now Hedlund has confirmed to Next Movie that, true to the three-picture contract nearly every actor signs when joining a major franchise film, he's on board for the third one as well-- and that he and Disney and everybody who stands to make money off this thing is very excited:

You don't have to read too much between the lines to sense that Hedlund would really rather talk about anything else-- he's doing press for On the Road after all, a film in which he's really good, and he may have the same doubts I do that any more Tron movies will actually be made. But the first one wound up being a pretty big hit when you factor in international grosses, making almost exactly $400 million in the end, and Hedlund could do worse than report back to duty for a big money-making effort. Who knows: maybe they'll learn from the mistakes of the first one and make a better movie this time?

Now that The Twilight Saga is drawing to a close, Twi-hards have to look elsewhere for their KStew fix. Just the other day, the no-doubt wealthy actress was complaining to the press that she’s “desperate” to find her next gig. Maybe that’s because her next film, On the Road, is actually an old(ish) that has been banging around since early 2012, when it played to mild praise at the Cannes Film Festival.

An adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s timeless beatnik novel, Walter Salles’ On the Road rambles along in the path of free-spirited thinkers Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund) and Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), struggling poets drinking and smoking their way through life … and putting off maturity for as long as is physically possible. A new trailer just hit Apple’s trailer site. See it ifor yourself right here:

Stewart plays Marylou, Dean’s “girl” (though in the beatnik days, loyalty between lovers was nonexistent). It’s a revealing turn for the Snow White actress, meaning you get to see her nude in steamy love scenes. But the selling point of On the Road is Eric Gautier’s dusty cinematography, and some eye-catching supporting performances by the likes of Steve Buscemi, Amy Adams and Viggo Mortensen. Hedlund’s pretty impressive, as well, as the generally unlikeable Dean.

After a lengthy delay, On the Road finally opens in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 21. It will expand in 2013, and hopes to contend for a few year-end awards. We shall see.

Between Armie Hammer, Taylor Kitsch and Garrett Hedlund, only Kitsch and Hedlund have experience in the realm of the sci-fi epic. Kitsch, of course, has done it twice this year, starring in both John Carter and Battleship, but just two years ago Hedlund got sucked into the grid and worked to find his father in Tron Legacy. The question is: will that experience give them a leg up against Hammer as they compete for a possible role in The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire?

A source has given E! the inside scoop, saying that the three up-and-coming stars are the top three picks to play the role of Finnick Odairin the upcoming film. In the book, Finnick is another previous Hunger Games winner, having won the 65th annual games (Katniss and Peeta were victors in the 74th annual games). The site says that a final decision about casting could be made by the end of this week, but also says that Lionsgate is giving consideration towards unknowns for the part.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is being directed by Francis Lawrence and is already set to have Jennifer Lawrence return as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson return as Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth return as Gale Hawthorne. Production is scheduled to begin this fall in preparation for its release on November 22, 2013.

So what do you think, Hunger Games fans? Do you think that Kitsch, Hedlund or Hammer would be a good pick for Finnick? Do you think they should consider someone else? Who did you imagine in your mind while reading the book? Let us know your questions, comments and concerns below.

As you might have heard, Kristen Stewart is out at Cannes right now, wowing critics and baring all as Marylou in On the Road, the Walter Salles-directed adaptation of Jack Kerouac's seminal novel. Word's already getting out about just how naked she gets-- and one stunning sounding sex scene featuring Steve Buscemi-- but we're going to have to wait until the movie comes out here in the United States to get a look at that. But, to tide us over in the meantime, distributor IFC has released two clips from On the Road, both featuring Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley as Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise, respectively. Kirsten Dunst shows up in the first one as Dean's estranged wife Camille, and then Stewart is at the center of the second one. Take a look below.

Stewart's role in the film is much bigger than Dunst's-- Marylou is on the road with the boys, after all, while Camille's relationship with Dean falls apart because she wants to stay home-- but both women seem to be doing interesting work here, perhaps holding the emotional center of a story about famously callow young men. I'm especially excited to see how Hedlund-- a completely charisma-free void at the center of Tron: Legacy-- handles a role as complicated as Dean Moriarty, but coming off the superb Melancholia, Dunst has a lot of potential to surprise here as well.

On the Road is set for release sometime later this year, and though the reviews from Cannes have been slightly mixed, it's got enough rising star potential and literary pedigree-- not to mention the promise of Salles's previous film The Motorcycle Diaries-- to earn all our attention whenever it makes its way back to the States.

Andrew Levitas is a man of many talents. A heralded painter and sculptor, he's also dabbled in TV acting and now is preparing to direct his first feature, Lullaby. The ensemble drama also marks Levitas's first produced screenplay, but despite his newcomer status to this field the modern Renaissance Man has already secured an impressive cast.

Deadline reveals Garrett Hedlund, Amy Adams, Richard Jenkins, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Hudson and Terrence Howard have already signed on to star in Lullaby. Hedlund, who has been scoring an array of high-profile projects including the Cannes selection On the Road and the upcoming Coen Bros' drama Inside Llewyn Davis, will lead the film, which will follow his character's reunion with his estranged father following news that the latter is on his death bed. Jenkins will play the patriarch who has elected to go off of life support, and will likely die in the next 48 hours. At this point little else is known about the film's plot or how the rest of the cast factors in, but with so many heavy-hitters in its ranks, Lullaby is looking promising.

Hedlund's a leading man on the rise, while Jenkins is a character actor with a remarkable range who is utterly beloved by critics. Of course, Amy Adams is always an asset, carrying with the dizzying title "three-time Academy Award nominee." Findlay is one to watch in the wake of becoming a fan favorite on the phenomenon that is Downton Abbey. Howard is sure to bring intensity to the proceedings, and hopefully the feature's musical title will mean Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson Dreamgirls, will lend not only her acting abilities to Lullaby but also her incredible song stylings.

Ananta Productions and Avenue Pictures are producing the feature, which is slated to begin shooting in New York in June.

With Garrett Hedlund in talks to star in the live-action Akira movie, whether you want him to or not, it's now time to figure out which other actors might fill in the American adaptation of the famous manga series and animated film. As you might know, Akira focuses on two young male members of a biker gang, Tetsuo and Kaneda, and with Hedlund in talks to play Kaneda, they've got dozens of other young actors lining up for the role Tetsuo, who starts showing psychic powers and attracts the attention of the government, who wants to research him.

THR says Warner Bros. is reading a lot of actors for the part, but the names mentioned most often are Ezra Miller and Alden Ehrenrenreich, both up-and-comers without titles even as big as Hedlund's Tron: Legacy to their names. Miller will be seen soon in Lynne Ramsey's grim indie We Need To Talk About Kevin, but you might also recognize him from Californication, the indie City Island or USA's Royal Pains. Ehrenreich emerged seemingly from nowhere to star in Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro, and since then has been cast in the vampire story Stoker, and was also one of the names rumored for The Amazing Spider-Man, if you remember those heady days before Andrew Garfield got the part.

Both Miller and Ehrenreich seemed more interested in making their names as serious actors in small-scale films-- Ehrenreich has the favor of the Coppola family and that's no small thing-- but I guess when Warner Bros. comes calling with a franchise and a big paycheck, you'd be an idiot to say no. Now that Akira has a green light we can reasonably expect this long-delayed project to actually happen, though no matter how many interesting actors they look to cast, it's hard to imagine anime fans or anyone familiar with the original will see this movie as anything but doomed.

Last month, the long-floundering, live-action remake of Akira finally got the greenlight from Warner Bros. As if that wasn't surprising enough, they purportedly even had a front-runner in mind for the lead: TRON: Legacy star Garrett Hedlund. It made sense -- Hedlund is a rising star, and science fiction clearly suits him, since the TRON sequel is his highest grossing role to date. Plus, as Eric pointed out at the time, he's already demonstrated a knack with futuristic motorcycles. Now the rumors have solidified and Variety is reporting that Hedlund is officially in talks for the lead role in Akira.

Based on the manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo, and made into a cult-classic animated film in 1988, Akira is set against the backdrop of a futuristic, dystopian Tokyo. After Tetsuo, a young member of a biker gang, begins manifesting dangerous psychic powers, Kaneda -- Tetsuo's friend and the leader of the gang -- races across the cyberpunk landscape to try and protect Tetsuo from a government interested in studying and/or harvesting him.

Hedlund would be playing Kaneda, and this live-action version would also shift the action from Tokyo to a futuristic version of New York City. Numerous writers have taken a stab at the screenplay over the years, but the latest draft was done by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows writer Steve Kloves. At least Kloves has plenty of experience in adapting properties with a fervent and vociferous fan base. The very notion of a live-action Akira has been stirring up controversy amongst the faithful for years, so I'm sure the casting of Hedlund will generate yet another round of irate chatter.

We'll have to wait until 2013 or so to see how Hedlund handles the role, but next year we'll see him in an equally iconic role: as Dean Moriarty in Walter Salles' adaptation of Jack Kerouac's On the Road.

Well, the rollercoaster existence of the live-action, English language Akira remake is finally starting to even itself out, having gotten the greenlight early last week. Tron: Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund may take on the lead role of Kaneda, but the rest of the rather large cast has yet to be filled, save for two roles.

Twitch has it that the Dark Knight star Gary Oldman and long-time Tim Burton collaborator and child-bearer Helena Bonham Carter have both been offered pretty big roles. Oldman could step into the role of the Colonel, leader of the government team running tests on the people who exhibit psychic capabilities. He sounds like a baddie, but his role becomes a bit more complicated. Carter will play Priestess Miyako, ally to the resistance and former psychic test subject.

With these two on board, this remake definitely got itself some much needed credibility. Producers and director Jaume Collet-Serra need to keep up this trend and continue adding great talent so this young director has less to worry about. The real questions left for fans are who will play the film’s pivotal character of Tetsuo, the character who undergoes the most change and will demand the most range from the actor, and who will step into the small but very important role of Akira himself?

Akira is a film whose remake could be incredible. It’s an amazing story with huge scope, but the project is very ambitious considering the depth of the subject matter and the expanse of the special effects. There’s a lot to mess up with Akira, but we’re trying to stay positive for the time being. More on this as casting moves forward.

Sidenote: Just as crucial as having talented actors, Akira will need an amazing composer. The original 1988 film’s soundtrack is as much a character as anyone else in the film and is one of the best scores ever created. It’s intense, and whoever lands that job here will need to bring that sort of intensity to the remake.

A few weeks back it was reported that basically every young, white male actor in Hollywood with a recognizable name was being considered for the lead in The Bourne Legacy, Tony Gilroy's continuation of the franchise after the departure of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass. All in all, a total of 15 names were shortlisted for the lead, which would be a Bourne like character living in the same universe as Bourne, that will make it possible for Damon to return somewhere down the line. Now it sounds as though that huge group is being whittled down as the first group of actors has started to screentest for the part.

Deadline reports that Joel Edgerton, Dominic Cooper (who actually wasn't one of the original 15), Garrett Hedlund and Luke Evans are now all scheduled to officially audition for the role of the character I like to call "Bourne Substitute." According to the site, the list isn't definitive - Logan Marshall-Green might also be a name in contention - but the above four will go out for the roles starting on the first week of April. The story also says that Shia LaBeouf is still in the mix, though may not be testing, and Taylor Kitsch has already met with Gilroy about the part.

There is some suggestion in Deadline's story that the studio isn't putting a lot of emphasis on the star, believing that the brand and Gilroy's writing will be enough to get people interested, but I have to disagree. Yes, the trilogy wouldn't exist without Gilroy's input, but Matt Damon is the face of this franchise. No matter how much they stress that this is a movie about a different character, people are still going to think that they re-cast and are going to reject it - that is, unless they find the right star.

I enjoy the hubbub of Oscar season more than most people, I'll admit, but I don't think I'm alone in looking forward to the annual Vanity Fair Hollywood issue, hitting every February in the thick of Oscar season, with an artfully photographed cover image that is always designed to get attention, whether for allowing Tom Ford to weirdly seduce naked Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley or simply collecting a huge number of talented young actresses. You never quite know that they're going to do from year to year, and with this year's cover, they've both returned to their classic format and done something somewhat unique and bizarre.

In the cover preview that VF posted on their website you can see the full sprawling photo, featuring 15 actors of both genders, and in age ranging from 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence to 80-year-old Robert Duvall. And though the covers have always featured a bizarre range of A-list stars, up-and-comers and a grab bag of Oscar nominees-- my friend Nathaniel Rogers did a great retrospective of the covers over at The Film Experience if you want to look back-- this year's collection seems especially strange. I guess Olivia Wilde is a reasonable rising star to include, especially if she's willing to wear only half a dress, but how did her Tron: Legacy co-star Garrett Hedlund also sneak in? I love Rashida Jones as much as the next person, but how'd she wind up in there alongside people who mostly do film work? And is Robert Duvall photoshopped in there, or did they really just jam him in a corner like that? According to the behind the scenes tale, the photo is actually from two separate shoots in New York and LA, so there's at least some trickery going on.

So many questions, but as always, the cover has managed to get my attention, which is pretty much its main goal each year. Click on the image below for the high-res version at VF, and join me in speculating the who's and whys in the comments.

In Country Strong, Garrett Hedlund plays Beau Hutton, a deep-voiced singer-songwriter trying to make his way into the world of country music. Throughout the film you can hear him singing in dive bars and on huge stadium stages; he even has a song on the film’s soundtrack. The catch? He’s never had any musical training before taking on the role.

The last month has been an absolute whirlwind for Hedlund. Three years after his last film, Death Sentence, was released, the young actor has seen the release of Tron: Legacy; will see Country Strong expand to theaters nationwide tomorrow and has completed production for On The Road. Lucky for us, he was more than willing to talk about it. Sitting in on a roundtable interview with the actor, he talked all about it and more, including the incredible talent he got to meet and play with while working on the film. Check out the interview below.

What made you take on this project?

I'd been sent the script and been told that if I responded to it Shana would fly up to Vancouver where I was, I was filming Tron [Legacy] at the time, and meet with me over it. I remember reading the script and having tears in my eyes by the end of it. I really wanted her to come up and have this meeting. I felt honored that she would come all the way up to Vancouver to meet with me on it. It's tricky you know, it's like your read a tagline or a synopsis that says “triangular love affair that takes place on a 10 city tour” Your immediate thoughts are to set it aside or else they could have explained it a little bit differently. But Shana's just so incredibly talented and wonderful and for her to write this and direct it the way she did and it being her second film I just feel so proud to be a part of it and proud for her.

Did you have any musical experience before this role?

No. The biggest thing is overcoming the uncoordination. I couldn't play at the beginning. The guy Neal Casal who's the lead guitarist for The Cardinals from Ryan Adams and The Cardinals had stopped by my place and four days a week we'd be playing all day, early Hank Senior songs and just things to play that had chord progression and we'd go to the studio and record to chart the progression. That was for four months and I moved out to Nashville a month and a half before and stayed at Tim's [McGraw] ranch, a cabin, and it just like anything it takes time to gain the abilities. You've gotta fall on your face so many times and you gotta look silly in front so many people before you finally start finding the ability and finding confidence within the approvals of others.

How does it feel to have played dive bars and stadiums?

I prefer the dive bars. It was great. I remember throughout the preparation for the guitar thinking in my mind alright, most of these guys I always see them cut in close to the fingers and obviously they have a hand double just going at it. They're mocking chords when the camera's further away and I was imagining this in fear that I would have to do this. Like I wanted to be able to do everything on my own. It was like these scenes are beautiful and I'll work on these scenes and I can't wait to do this with Gwyneth, Tim, and Leighton, these scenes. But the performing now, can we just get this over with? Our first time of performing for an audience was at The Stage [On Broadway], well the first one was "Silver Wings" but the first one we filmed was at The Stage. I just remember having so much fun up there but it also helps because I felt very great about the songs and having Hayes Carll who I admire so much as a singer-songwriter, who's very parallel to this character, who has a real Blaze Foley kind of grit to him, so playing the songs and when you're having fun and you're confident and when the songs are good the audience enjoys it so it's not hard for them to partake and just kind of really cheer and be genuine with it.

Were you a fan of country music before making this film?

I was. I grew up on a farm where we had one radio station and it was all country. So that's why Tim McGraw would be filling the airwaves then, and I'd be in the tractor listening to Tim's songs and Faith's [Hill] songs and then for him to play my father in Friday Night Lights and I got up on stage with him in 2004 and sang "I like it, I love it" but I wasn't a country singer you know? I was like, "Can I sing don't take the girl?” He said, "No, you'll sing 'I like it, I love it.' I said, "But I don't know the words to it." He's like, “You'll catch on.” “But why can't I sing don't --?” “You're not singing 'Don't take the girl!'” So I'm up there kind of mouthing with him [singing] I like it, I love it. But then his guidance with this was great because he just said you know “You've just got to live and breathe country music.” There's thousands of people out here who are incredibly talented trying to gain success, so you need the scales that are raised to high. To really live and breathe country music. I got to work with this guitar coach out there, this guy Rob Jackson who's kind of the best of the best in guitar training out there and then go to the studio everyday and work with this producer Frank Lidell and engineer Luke Wooten. I've been working with a lot of incredible people. So I was kind of taken in by these people who were trying to help me succeed the way I wanted to succeed. Once they saw a possibility we just started running for that door.

How was going it from shooting on a Vancouver soundstage for Tron Legacy to being on location in Nashville for this?

It was close to like a 67 or 70 day shoot for Tron on stage, in the suit. You can't even sit don't during the day because of all the cables that divide the foam rubber and all the electrical circuits. We had these stool that were tall with a bicycle seat on them and you're just looking at a blue screen all day. And then to being able to just wear some Levi's jeans and a button up it, it was exactly what I wanted. It was different.

It was more real, because you were actually out in Nashville making country music.

Yeah, I'd become a family with so many of the locals out there are well when I was there because of that month before so by the time we were filming I was going to a lot of the lower broad spots and a lot of these young musicians, or even the guys in my band like Chris Scruggs would be up at Robert's every night. Chris Scruggs is the grandson of Earl Scruggs, who's like the Godfather of the banjo, and Randy Scruggs. You know it's a famous family. There was a documentary done about them in the seventies, Randy Scruggs played the guitar on my tracks for like "Chances Are" and stuff like this. I mean on You Tube there's like black and white videos of him and Earl Scruggs and Bob Dylan all in a room playing and Randy Scruggs is just 17 and won't take his eyes off Dylan and now he's like 57 playing the guitar for me.

The other band members when they'd be up at Robert's or something I'd go up and I'd get up and sing a song. Basically, I was becoming a lot more comfortable with the auditorium scenes by just getting up on stage and doing it. One time at the Station Inn I got up and the table right in front of me, well this guy named Jim Lauderdale, he played a lot with George Jones. He was in Gwyneth's band as a guitarist and he was playing at The Station Inn and at intermission he took me back and he said , 'I want you to teach my band how to play chances are and get up and sing it for the audience." I said, 'All right.' So there I am after six or seven months of learning how to play the guitar now I'm teaching this band how to play. We get up on stage and play it and right in front is Gwyneth and Chris Martin and Caleb the lead singer of Kings of Leon, and Faith Hill, and Dierks Bentley. It was one of the greatest nights of my life.

What do you like about your character Beau?

I like just the soul of him. He's kind of a young Kris Krisstoferson. Sort of poetic and tender, and just happy to be playing for a bunch of hard working people that like to have a beer while they listen to good music. This was a happy home for him. I think I like the message of what he was about at the end of the day. Choosing love over fame. That was a big one. When that line comes up in the film I think the whole audience is going to be questioning this key line and formulate what their opinion is on it.

With all this musical training is this something that you're going to keep doing?

Of course on my own time. It's funny because I was on set and Terrence Howard came up to play a role in On the Road, and we'd work together on Four Brothers and we became really close and he played a lot of guitar on that and I would just sit back. He'd play and teach -- show me how to play but I couldn't. The night we wrapped in Montreal he came to my room with a bottle and a guitar, and now we got to take turns. We came up with a thing like, “You play one. I'll play one.” We must have played 15 songs a piece.

Have you wrapped On The Road?

I just did yesterday morning

So what was that experience like?

It was a guerrilla shoot with the most incredible family. Walter Salles directed it and he’s put so much work into this film over the last six or seven years. I’ve been attached since September of ‘07 trying to get this project made. Being on set during the first day like, “We’re fucking filming On the Road to today’s the day after we just finished it. It was unfortunate to part with a family you’ve come to love so immensely on this journey.

Now that you've wrapped that film, what do you have coming up next?

Nada. I'm very fortunate to be a part of these projects and I'm very proud of them, and I'll be able to sort of sit back and read some books that I haven't caught up on and try to enjoy the time a little more than being tossed around.

With the release exactly one month away and the last big film event between now and then, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 happening at midnight tonight, excitement for Tron: Legacy is about to hit new, unexplored heights. Joe Kosinski’s follow up to the 1982 original has been the most talked about and most hyped film of the last two years and all of that talk is finally coming to fruition.

A few new trailers have dropped, both very similar but one shorter than the other, and they’re some of the best trailers we’ve seen so far. It seems like until now the trailers have focused mainly on showing off the new Grid and flashy contraptions rather than informing the uninitiated of the story. These new trailers show off a healthy mix of both, giving us the reuniting of Sam and father Kevin, as well as introducing us to rad flying enemies in the game.

There’s no way this movie isn’t going to be mind-blowing. The only thing we have to worry about now is whether they got the 3D right. Check them out and prepare for awesome.

Remember that poster that came out yesterday as part of the on-going Tron Tuesdays marketing? The one with a de-aged Jeff Bridges as the film's main baddie, Clu 2.0? Well, as it turns out, the poster was the first third of what is known as a triptych - a three paneled poster. How do we know that? Because today we have the second third.

Empire has premiered the middle panel of the poster, which you may recognize as the poster debuted a few weeks back, only with Sam (Garrett Hedlund) and Quorra (Olivia Wilde) set further into the background. When put together the whole thing has kind of a creepy vibe, as Clu seems like kind of a stalker. I'm also willing to put down plenty of cash that the third panel will reveal Kevin Flynn (the older version of Jeff Bridges) looking at Sam and Quorra - but we'll have to wait until Friday to see if I'm correct.

Check out the combined poster below and head over to Empire to see the posters individually. For everything else even slightly Tron: Legacy related, from concept art to interviews, head on over to our Tron: Legacy Preview Page.

Unless you’re living under a rock or really truly couldn’t care less about Tron: Legacy, you know that 23 minutes of the upcoming film were shown in 500 theaters worldwide tonight in 50 different countries. Excluding San Diego Comic Con (which is really only available to those that a) are paid to be there b) have the money to fly out to San Diego for a weekend or c) already live in California), the event, labeled Tron Night, was the first major public showing of extended footage from the film.

While others around the world were sadly not as lucky, the screening that I attended was at the theater on the Universal City Walk in Los Angeles, CA, which is an authentic IMAX theater. What made the event even more special was that Steven Lisberger, the writer and director of the first film and producer of Tron: Legacy was present at the screening and gave an introduction in which he talked about the history behind the first film and how it was inspired by neon lights and a game of pong. He remembered that it was the younger audience that understood the language of his film better than adults and the reason why it has taken 28 years to get a sequel made is because he was waiting for those 10-year-olds who truly got the film to be old enough to make it.

The screening then began and you can read my very detailed synopsis below.

The first scene was titled “Sam’s Apartment” and, shockingly, began with Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) arriving home to his apartment on a motorcycle. He turns on the lights, settles in and pets his dog before acknowledging that his father’s oldest friend, Alan (Bruce Boxleitner) is standing in his living room. Though Alan has acted as a surrogate father to Sam since he was young, following Kevin Flynn’s (Jeff Bridges) disappearance, the two have grown apart. Alan brings up a message that Sam sent to the board, his tone suggesting that Sam’s statements weren’t exactly professional. Sam says that he’s really not the person that should be running the company (we can assume that they are talking about Encom, though neither character mentions it by name). Tired of the discussion, Sam asks Alan why he has come to his apartment. Alan tells him that he received a page from Kevin’s office at the old Flynn’s Arcade, which has been shut down for years. He then recounts the night that Kevin disappeared, telling him that he had “cracked it” and found something that would change everything. Alan insists that Kevin “wouldn’t have left all that.” Sam dismisses all of it, saying that Kevin is either dead or relaxing on an island somewhere, certainly not somewhere that matters. Alan throws Sam the keys to the old arcade. Sam finds the idea of heading over there ridiculous – “You’re acting like I’m going to find him sitting there working. Just, ‘Hey, kiddo! Lost track of time!’” “Wouldn’t that be something?” Alan replies.

The scene cuts and we see Sam riding on his motorcycle past the decrepit remains of his father’s old business. The whole place is dark and all of the games are covered in plastic and dust. Armed with a flashlight, Sam ventures in and heads over to the fuse box, turning on the lights and games. The room erupts in the sounds of 8-bit noise. Over the loudspeakers plays “Separate Ways” by Journey, an allusion to the first film’s soundtrack. He climbs up the stairs to Kevin’s office but, just like everything else, it looks as though it hasn’t been touched in years. Going back downstairs, one game catches Sam’s eye: Tron. The game is positioned against the back wall, and Sam watches the demo run before taking a quarter out of his pocket and inserting it into the machine. The quarter doesn’t register and instead drops to the floor. Leaning down to pick it up, Sam sees grooves in the floor leading back to the game. Pushing on the machine’s left side, it moves forward and reveals a door. Sam goes through the door, the game moving back to its original position as he enters.

Sam walks down a stairway as “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics plays faintly in the background. The path suddenly opens up and he finds himself in his father’s back office. Scanning the room, you can see the laser that digitized his father oh so many years before. Sam then sits down at a computer with a dust-covered touch interface to try and find out what his father was working on before he disappeared. It becomes plainly obvious that Sam is his father’s son and knows his way around the equipment. As he works, the laser slowly rises up behind him, Sam discovering that it was the laser that Kevin was last working with. The computer sends up a prompt asking if he would like to activate the laser. Sam presses yes and while the laser begins to glow, the scene cuts to black.

A title screen appears identifying the next scene as “Recognizer Capture.” Sam has found himself in the computer and is quite terrified (and reasonably so). From above, a giant recognizer appears and two orange-glowing guards come out and grab Sam, placing him with a group of programs that the guards have also captured. Sam’s feet are locked in and the recognizer takes flight. Looking down, he recognizes a tank from the old Space Paranoids game and says something to the effect of “He actually did it.” Turning to his right, he asks one of the programs if they recognize the name “Kevin Flynn,” but they tell him to shut up. Off to his left, one of the programs is terrified, repeating “Not the games” over and over. Sam questions his behavior but is shot down by a program who has a face that has been half derezzed. The recognizer lands and the guards begin to had out assignment locations. One of the guards stands in front of the terrified program and assigns him to the game grid. The program wigs out and runs away before jumping off a ledge to his death. Unfortunately, the guard also assigns Sam to the Game Grid, but Sam has absolutely no idea what that means.

Sam is then placed on a platform that then lowers to another level. His feet are locked in so he can’t move. From the four corners of the new room emerge the sirens in lock step, the group led by Gem (Beau Garrett). These are female programs dressed in all white and their job is to prepare the Tron gladiators for battle. Despite Sam’s protests (“That has a zipper!”), Gem and the others disrobe him using lasers. A black suit then slowly appears over his body. The sirens retreat, still in lock step and grab various plates of armor. One siren remarks to Gem that Sam is different. The sirens then walk back and place the armor on Sam and it begins to bond with his outfit before it begins to glow. One of the sirens then walks over to grab Sam’s identity disc as a voice on the loudspeaker warns him that punishment for losing his disc or failing to follow orders is immediate deresolution. Placing the disc on his back, Sam’s eyes flash and the sirens begin to retreat back into the walls. Before she goes, Sam asks what he is supposed to do. Gem replies, “Survive.”

Another title screen pops up that reads “Disc Wars.” Sam has now been placed on the Game Grid and is about to begin his first battle. His opponent takes the disc off of his back and a helmet appears over his head. He then throws his disc at Sam who just barely manages to avoid it. This happens again before he looks over to another battle going on simultaneously and watches as one of the programs is derezed as a disc flies through him. Getting the message, Sam takes the disc off his back and he gets the same helmet. Sam and his opponent trade throws, both of them narrowly missing each other. The challenger then slams his disc at Sam’s feet causing the floor to drop out. Sam manages to hang on, but barely. Climbing out before the rival can strike again, the two exchange throws before Sam is able to get his opponent to fall. Sam wins! The crowd roars.

The scene cuts again and a new title screen appears, this time saying “Escape Route.” Sam is now in the passenger seat of a Light Runner, a four-wheeled vehicle. The driver is dressed in black but wearing a helmet that covers their face. The car is being pursued by a pair of orange sentry lightbikes. The driver presses a button to her right and a pair of grenades pop out the back. One of the lightbikes hits the grenades and explodes, but as the sentry is flying through the air, he generates a new lightbike and the chase continues. The driver then presses another button that makes cannons appear on the sides of the Light Runner. Blasting holes in the wall, the vehicle crashes through to the outlands where lightbikes can’t follow. The driver’s helmet is removed revealing Quorra (Olivia Wilde). The scene then plays out the same way as the clip that we showed you earlier today.

We then come to the final scene, titled “Safehouse.” Quorra and Sam have arrived at their destination: the home of Kevin Flynn. Kevin is in a state of meditation with his back turned to the door, so he doesn’t see his son walk in. Quorra approaches him and we hear him speak for the first time. He tells her that he believes that “today is different” is Quorra explains that it’s because it is – they have a guest. She points Kevin towards her son who is too shocked to move. “Sam?” Kevin asks. “Long time,” Sam replies. “You have no idea.” Kevin then embraces his son, seeing him for the first time in years. They begin to cry. Kevin remarks how big Sam has gotten and Sam is about to mention that Kevin has gotten old, but the father finishes the sentence for him. Kevin asks how Sam got in and Sam tells him about Alan coming over after receiving the page from the arcade. With tears in his eyes, Kevin walks out to the balcony. Sam looks over to see a bright white lightcycle and tells him that Kevin built it “many cycles ago for the games.” On the balcony, Kevin looks over the edge at Tron City in the distance. The scene fades to black.

A montage then begins to play, showing off Castor (Michael Sheen) and Daft Punk, as well as various clips from lightcycle battles. We see Clu 2.0 (a digitally-young Jeff Bridges) says “You’re move Flynn. Come on. Come on!” and the screening ends with Quorra saying, “Here they come,” as light jets form in the sky.

What everybody seems to want to know is how the visuals look and the quality of the 3D. I can assure you that audiences are in for an extraordinary treat come December 17. Though the first of the five scenes wasn’t in 3D (a note from Steven Lisberger before the screening began assured us that this is not something to be concerned about), everything in the computer world certainly was. The director, Joseph Kosinski, has rendered a world of absolute beauty and depth. The disc battle, in particular, made terrific use of the technology, the projectiles launching out of the screen at the audience. As you probably assumed from the beginning, visuals will not be Tron: Legacy’s problem.

On the other hand, what has had myself and other fans concerned is the depth of the story. When 15-minutes of James Cameron’s film was shown at the event known as Avatar Day, it mostly consisted of action sequences that best showed off the director’s incredible new inventions. When Avatar arrived in theaters, however, the story turned out to be more shallow than your little brother’s kiddie pool in the backyard. With this event, Tron: Legacy has shown audiences that there’s not only depth, but emotion in the film. Fans may be disappointed that they didn’t get to see any extended lightcycle sequences, but I was personally more satisfied to see the reunion of Sam and his dad. You actually felt the raw feelings that come with a father reuniting with his son for the first time in over a decade. If Tron: Legacy can have strong characters, a meaningful plot and effects that rival Avatar, we are in for one hell of a ride.

The film has been waiting on my “Most Anticipated” list for years now and tonight’s preview only bolsters my confidence. For more of my Tron Night coverage, click here to watch my interview with Tron creator Steven Lisberger following the screening.

Here’s something that Ryan Reynolds should maybe have taken note of before agreeing to do Deadpool. In an interview with Fadeinonline TRON: Legacy star talks about being considered for the role of Captain America, but says he passed on it. Why? Here’s how he explains it.

That’s something I don’t think I’ve ever heard any other actor admit to before. Normally they’d only pass on something like Captain America because of scheduling conflicts, and while that was part of his reasoning, the notion that Hedlund skipped Cap because he believes in TRON so much, well that warms my little Troniac heart. In a way I sort of agree with him anyway. The notion of playing so many big, iconic, blockbuster movie heroes just feels wrong. Maybe that’s why so many are annoyed with Sam Worthington. The man is well passed his blockbuster movie franchise quota. Hedlund sounds genuinely interested in more than just making as much money as possible by being in as many big movies as possible, and that’s all too rare.

And so the Captain America casting saga continues. Just a few hours ago we told you about Ryan Phillippe being added to the list of potentials and now, according to THR, Channing Tatum has joined the party as well. Hopes were high that we’d find our Captain sooner than later after Scott Porter, Michael Cassidy and John Krasinski were eliminated from the competition. But now, thanks to Phillippe and Tatum’s addition, we’re practically back to where we started.

Tatum has only been approached for the role and unlike his counterparts, has yet to schedule or take part in a screen test or reading. He certainly has that superhero-esque vibe to him, but that’s clearly not the case with Captain America’s alter ego, the scrawny Steve Rogers. Of course he could pull a Christian Bale and drop 60 pounds as THR suggests, but is he even capable of shedding his tough guy persona? Regardless, my order of Captain America preference is as follows: Mike Vogel, Garrett Hedland, Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Wilson Bethel.

The Cap chat is getting a little tedious, so it’s a good thing the article introduces a new topic, the casting of the hero’s love interest. Rumor has it that lady will be Betsy Ross, but the details are being kept under wraps. What’s no longer a secret is the actress who has a chance to take that role. Keira Knightley has been approached with the offer, but the studio is also considering other candidates. This could work particularly well if Phillippe nabs the lead role. Even though she’s just 24-years-old, Knightley has a more mature look that would be complimented by an older co-star.

As for Hugo Weaving, he’s still in the midst of negotiations to secure the role of the film’s villain, Red Skull.

UPDATE: Deadline Hollywood is reporting that in addition to Knightley, Alice Eve and Emily Blunt are also options for the lead female role and that character is named Peggy, not Betsy Ross. Peggy Carter was Captain America’s love interest during World War II and an American agent with the French Resistance.

Wait a minute. Another actor in the running for the lead in Captain America? Yes, it’s true; yet another name has been thrown into the mix as a potential candidate to wield the shield. We’ve already got Chris Evans, Garrett Hedland, Wilson Bethel, Mike Vogel and now, none other than Ryan Phillippe.

While at SXSW, Phillippe told MTV, "[I] actually am going in to meet on Captain America, which is kind of cool.” Maybe it’s cool for you, but it’s not cool for all of us who now have even more to sort through until the role is officially cast. Well, actually, it is kind of cool. Phillippe could make a fantastic superhero.

He rocks a military uniform in the upcoming action comedy MacGruber, so why not give Captain America’s suit a shot? Phillippe has never really done anything to suggest he’s capable of playing a superhero, but certainly has the resume to prove he can pull it off. However, I’m still partial to Vogel. I really want the guy to get his big break. I’m not a soap opera fan so don’t know much about Bethel (The Young and the Restless) and Evans already has a super hero (The Human Torch from Fantastic Four). As for Hedlund, he’s my second pick, but that could change after the release of Tron Legacy. I guess that’d put Phillippe at #3.

So this will be the third post to day regarding the casting of Captain America, and guess what? NONE OF THEM TELL US A DAMN THING. Of course, the most important post I am referring to is the post by Katey earlier today that said John Krasinski, best known for his role as Jim Halpert on The Office, was the frontrunner for the role. In actuality, he's been removed from the casting process entirely.

The folks over at Deadline are reporting that the search continues for the man to play the coveted role of Steve Rogers in Joe Johnston's The First Avenger: Captain America, though the list has been narrowed to three. Those actors include the previously mentioned Mike Vogel and Garrett Hedlund, as well as a disappointing third name: Chris Evans. According to the article, John Krasinski, Chace Crawford, Scott Porter, Michael Cassidy and Patrick Flueger were all screen-tested for the role, but will not be getting the part.

Let me start off by saying that John Krasinski would have made a bad Captain America. While being 6'3", the man's frame is simply too lanky to hold any muscle without looking awkward, and can you really see him bossing around Tony Stark? There is no authority there, and one of the key elements of Cap's character is his leadership. That said, Chris Fucking Evans? As in the man who actually makes every movie he's in worse due to his presence? Evans has had his chance playing a superhero when he made those two godawful Fantastic Four movies. Time for someone to brush him aside roughly and scream, "NEXT."

Deadline, like everyone else, claims to know the names of the actors in contention to play Captain American in Joe Johnston’s upcoming First Avenger movie. Their list is full mostly of unknowns but does, bizarrely, include The Office’s John Krasinski. Jim as a superhero? Sorry Deadline, I’ve got a hard time believing in that possibility. They also Garrett Hedlund, the currently unknown but soon to be famous star of Tron: Legacy. That at least makes sense.

Here’s the list:

More interesting than that only vaguely believable shortlist is the notion that whoever gets the job will end up signing a deal which includes an option for an eye-popping 9 future films. Those would include sequels, other Avengers movies, and pretty much anything else wants. That’s good news really, proof of Marvel’s commitment to create a superhero universe which has real continuity. Captain America, as the leader of the Avengers, is the lynchpin in all of that. It may not be particularly good news for whoever gets the job though, since word is that the lesser knowns on the list would only make around $300,000 for the first film.