Richard Gadd became an absolute phenomenon two years ago, when Baby Reindeer hit the Netflix schedule, instantly becoming one of the streamer’s most binge-worthy series. Fans wondered what other stories Gadd might have floating around in that noggin, and we’re about to find out. Half Man has hit the 2026 TV premiere schedule, with Gadd once again serving as creator, writer and star of the drama. Critics have screened the series, so what are their reviews saying about the Baby Reindeer follow-up?

• How To Watch Richard Gadd's Half Man From Anywhere

Half Man centers around Ruben and Niall — played as adults by Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell — whose mothers are in a relationship and whose bond becomes as unbreakable as it is toxic. Nandini Balial of RogerEbert rates it a perfect 4 out of 4 stars, noting that the brutality of its writing “makes The Wire look like Bluey.” Yikes, what a ride we’re in for! Balial’s review says:

Lucy Mangan of The Guardian also gives it a perfect rating, 5 out of 5 stars, declaring that Richard Gadd has done it again with this “brave, brutal, blazing” TV series. Half Man tackles the damage that men do to each other, and it should be required viewing for every man, Mangan says, writing:

Karyn James of BBC gives it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it “brutal and unbearably intense,” and equally as shocking as the series that won Richard Gadd three Emmys. James writes:

For such an intense and brutal watch, it’s inevitable that some aren’t going to like Half Man, and USA TODAY’s Kelly Lawler is among those critics. She gives the series 1.5 stars out of 4, saying Richard Gadd’s signature pain is prevalent in the HBO series, but it packs less punch. Viewers may even start questioning what the line is between examination and exploitation, Lawler says, writing:

Nick Hilton of The Independent similarly rates it just 2 stars out of 4, saying Half Man feels like Richard Gad was attempting to make something brave, startling, important and all of the other adjectives used to describe Baby Reindeer, but in the end what he made was a “brutal, pointless misfire.” Hilton says:

As divisive as Half Man’s reviews are, it’s inarguable that Richard Gadd knows how to get people talking, and if you were obsessed with Baby Reindeer, you’ll likely want to give this a chance as well. The drama premieres at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, April 23, on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.

The 2025 movie schedule delivered The Fantastic Four: First Steps to fans a couple of months ago, but while it was the first official MCU entry for Marvel’s First Family, it was hardly the first time we’d seen them on the big screen. That movie’s Vanessa Kirby played the third major iteration of Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, after Jessica Alba and Kate Mara. Now, the star of 2015’s negatively reviewed Fantastic Four has opened up about her “messy experience” making the film and the one plus she took away from it.

What Did Kate Mara Say About Making Fantastic Four Being ‘Messy’ And The One Bright Side?

In 2015, it was rare for a superhero movie to be both nearly universally trashed by critics and abandoned by fans to the point of it flopping, but that’s exactly what happened with Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four. Though the movie was underwhelming (at best) the end product came after a widely reported tumultuous filming process that led to many rumors of behind the scenes antics on set.

Star Kate Mara (who’s also known for her work in shows like House of Cards and movies such as Brokeback Mountain, Shooter, and The Martian) was a part of that production, along with castmates Jamie Bell, Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, and Toby Kebbell. She’s opened up before about the filming of that infamous superhero bust, and talked about things like the one regret she has from her time on set, but she recently appeared on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast and opened up to host Ted Danson about working with Bell:

I think a lot of people have had work experiences like this, as they certainly aren’t limited to those in the entertainment business. You get a job and realize that everything in the company is kinda fucked from top to bottom, and you just try to hang on long enough for all your benefits to kick in so you can start looking elsewhere. But, if you’re lucky, you at least make a good friend or two among your fellow, suffering co-workers like Mara did with Bell. She continued:

OK, so this probably happens to fewer people who have shitty work experiences, but good for Mara and Bell! Now that we can all see where this is going, let’s just go ahead and get right to their big revelation:

Somehow, just working on Fantastic Four wasn’t quite enough of “trauma bonding” for the friendly actors to go from being buddies to dating, but enduring the press tour (which I can imagine was filled with awkward questions from the media and memories of filming that everyone had been trying to forget) tipped the duo right over the romantic edge.

In case you’re wondering, Mara and Bell married in 2017, and now have a young son and daughter. So, it’s more than understandable that the star has been able to take away at least one big positive from that “messy” movie.

Without Remorse is Amazon Prime’s exciting new action thriller based on Tom Clancy’s book of the same name. The film stars Michael B. Jordan as John Clark. Clark loses what he holds dear, his family, so he sets off on a mission for revenge but also ends up helping the United States government in their ongoing battle against Russia. One of the things that makes this film so exciting is because of Michael B. Jordan and the entire Without Remorse cast.

The Without Remorse cast includes some award-nominated actors and some who have appeared in critically acclaimed TV shows and movies. Without Remorse should appeal to huge Michael B. Jordan fans, Tom Clancy fans, or just action movie junkies. If you plan to see Without Remorse or have already seen it, you may be wondering what TV shows and movies you’ve seen the Without Remorse cast in before. Here’s a quick rundown of their past and future projects.

Michael B Jordan (John Clark)

Michael B. Jordan plays John Clark, a former U.S Navy SEAL who goes to prison after beginning a mission to hunt down the men who assassinated his wife Pam (Lauren London). Jordan’s early works include roles in The Wire, All My Children, Chronicle, The Assistants, Friday Night Lights, and Parenthood. In recent years, Michael B. Jordan has become one of the most bankable and well-known names in Hollywood. He has appeared in the films Fantastic Four, Fahrenheit 451, Black Panther, Just Mercy, and The Creed films.

His TV work has included Raising Dion and Gen: Lock. Some of the upcoming Michael B. Jordan movies and TV shows include reprising his Black Panther role as Erik Killmonger in Marvel’s What If...?. He’s also filming the Denzel Washington-directed A Journal for Jordan. Soon Michael B. Jordan will make his feature directorial debut with Creed III.

Jamie Bell (Robert Ritter)

Jamie Bell plays Robert Ritter in Without Remorse. Ritter is a CIA officer and one of the main players involved in Clark’s special mission. Without Remorse marks the on-screen reunion of Michael B. Jordan and Bell, who both appeared in 2015’s Fantastic Four. At only 13 years old, Bell made his screen debut in Billy Elliot. He then appeared in films such as Nicholas Nickleby, The Chumscrubber, Jumper, Defiance, Skin, and The Adventures of Tintin. In 2013, he had a supporting role in Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer.

From 2014 to 2017, Jamie Bell played Abraham Woodhull in TURN: Washington's Spies. He took on the role of Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s long-time music partner, in Rocketman. He was criminally not nominated for an Oscar for that role. Bell’s upcoming projects include a drama called Surrounded.

Jodie Turner-Smith (Karen Greer)

Jodie Turner-Smith plays Karen Greer, a Lt. Commander and a former member of Clark’s SEAL team. Turner-Smith gained attention when she appeared as co-lead with Daniel Kaluuya in Queen & Slim.She also appeared in the films The Neon Demon, Newness, and Lemon. Turner-Smith will be the star of one of the most buzzed-about 2021 TV shows, Anne Boleyn.

Jodie Turner-Smith’s TV show credits also include The Last Ship, Jett, Nightflyers, Mad Dogs, and True Blood. Her next big film project is Kogonada’s sci-fi film After Yang. The cast of that film also includes Justin H. Min, Colin Farrell, Haley Lu Richardson, and Brett Dier. She’ll also be starring in Borderland with John Boyega and Felicity Jones.

Luke Mitchell (Rowdy)

Luke Mitchell plays Rowdy, a member of Clark’s SEAL team. Those who are still mourning the cancellation of The Tomorrow People will remember him as John Young on the canceled too-soon CW series. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans will also remember him as Lincoln Campbell, Daisy's (Chloe Bennet) Inhuman and doomed boyfriend. Mitchell also played Roman on Blindspot, Romeo on Home and Away, and Abe on The Code.

Luke Mitchell’s TV and film credits have also included H2O: Just Add Water, Neighbours, 7 Minutes, and Black Water: Abyss. He'll play Danny on the upcoming CW drama The Republic of Sarah.

Jack Kesy (Thunder)

Jack Kesy plays Thunder, another member of Clark’s SEAL Team. Kesy may best be known for playing Gabriel Bolivar on The Strain. He played him from 2014 to 2016. He also plays Roller Husser on Claws, which was originally set to end in 2020, but now he’ll play the character until Claws officially ends, likely in 2021. Jack Kesy’s TV credits also include The Alienist, Ray Donovan, and Deputy.

Marvel and Deadpool fans may recognize Jack Kesy for playing Black Tom Cassidy in Deadpool 2. He’s also appeared in the films Intruders, Hot Summer Nights, Baywatch, 12 Strong, Death Wish, Blood Brother, The Outpost, and Dark Web: Cicada 3301.

Brett Gelman (Victor Rykov)

Brett Gelman plays Victor Rykov on Without Remorse. Stranger Things fans may recognize Gelman as Murray, the conspiracy nut who actually might not be so nutty after all. Stranger Things fans will see a lot more of him in the upcoming fourth season. Gelman also played the most punchable guy Martin in Fleabag. Gelman’s TV credits also include Mr. Mercedes, Camping, Twin Peaks, Another Period, American Dad!, Love, and Eagleheart.

Brett Gelman has also appeared in episodes of Happy Endings, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Drunk History, and Mad Men. His film roles include The Other Guys, 30 Minutes or Less, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, The Disaster Artist, and Like Father. Gelman will also be appearing in the upcoming film Surrounded, the same film as his Without Remorse co-star Jamie Bell.

Colman Domingo (Pastor West)

Colman Domingo plays Pastor West in Without Remorse. Fear the Walking Dead fans may recognize Domingo as Victor Strand. He also plays Ali in Euphoria. Other TV credits for Domingo include The Twilight Zone, Lucifer, The Knick, The Big Gay Sketch Show, and Nash Bridges. You may also recognize Domingo for his performance in the Oscar-nominated movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. He played Cutler, one of Ma Rainey’s band members.

Colman Domingo’s other prominent film credits include Lincoln, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, The Birth of a Nation, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Selma--where he played Ralph Abernathy. Domingo’s upcoming projects include Zola, The God Committee, and Candyman.

Guy Pearce (Thomas Clay)

In Without Remorse, Guy Pearce plays Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay, he’s one of the leading forces behind Clark joining the team against Russia. Many may remember Pearce from the critically acclaimed Christopher Nolan film Memento. Pearce has been playing the character Jack Irish since 2012 in various TV movies, but has been the character on the series Jack Irish since 2016. Pearce’s TV credits also include Neighbours, Home and Away, Mildred Pierce, When We Rise, The Innocents, FX’s A Christmas Carol, and HBO Max’s Mare of Easttown.

Pearce has also appeared in the films The Time Machine, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Road, The Hurt Locker, The King’s Speech, Animal Kingdom, The Catcher Was A Spy, Bloodshot, and Mary Queen of Scots. He played supervillain Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3. Guy Pearce’s upcoming projects include Memory, Zone 414, Blacklight, and Back to the Outback.

Lauren London (Pam Clark)

Lauren London plays Pam Cark, John Clark’s wife. Her murder starts his revenge mission. Lauren London may best be known for playing New New in ATL. Yes, from the infamous gif. London has also appeared in the films The Christmas, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Madea's Big Happy Family, Baggage Claim, and Always and Forever.

London also has many TV credits. Her recent series Games People Play began airing on BET in 2019, with Season 2 expected in 2021. She also appeared in the series Everybody Hates Chris, 90210, Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Game, and Single Ladies.

Jacob Scipio (Hatchet)

Hatchet (Jacob Scipio) is another one of John Clark’s SEAL team members. Jacob Scipio has appeared in the films Hunt Killer, We Die Young, and plays Armando Aretas in Bad Boys for Life and potential future movies. His TV credits have included Pieces of Her, Bob the Builder (UK), Damned, Dixie, Some Girls As The Bell Rings, and White Teeth.

Cam Gigandet (Keith Webb)

Cam Gigandet plays Keith Webb, another member of Clark’s SEAL team. Twilight fans may recognize him as James from the first movie. Gigandet has been in countless popular shows and movies, so even if you may not recognize his name, you probably recognize his face. He’s been in well-known TV shows like The O.C, Jack & Bobby, Ice, and The Young and the Restless.

Cam Gigandet has also appeared in the films Never Back Down, The Unborn, Easy A, Burlesque, The Magnificent Seven, Dangerous Lies, and The Roommate.

Todd Lasance (Dallas)

Todd Lasance plays Dallas, yet another one of Clark’s SEAL team members. Many The Vampire Diaries fans will remember Lasance as Julian, a major villain in the seventh season. Like a few of his Without Remorse co-stars, he also appeared in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He also appeared in the series Rescue Special Op, Crownies, Spartacus, Bite Club, and The Flash. He played Edward Clariss aka The Rival on The Flash.

Todd Lasance has also appeared in the movies Fool’s Gold, Terminus, and The Divorce Party.

Catch Michael B. Jordan and the rest of the Without Remorse cast when it begins streaming on Amazon Prime on April 30, 2021. Without Remorse is one of the best Amazon Prime movies to watch this weekend.

When Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan had their first opportunity to collaborate on a film, things didn’t exactly work out so well. Said film was Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four, and while the two actors had the chance to play a pair of iconic roles – The Thing and The Human Torch, respectively – the whole project is recognized as notorious due to stories from behind the scenes, critical reception, and box office performance. Six years after the release of that movie the two stars are back together working on something much better, namely Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, and apparently Bell’s big takeaway from the reunion was a hefty dose of admiration.

Speaking with Jamie Bell earlier this month during the virtual press day for the upcoming Amazon Prime release, I asked him about what it was like getting back together with Michael B. Jordan again following the Marvel Comics adaptation they made together. Bell said that he had seen his co-star socially on occasion in the years between the two productions, and that he did have some worries that incredible success would lead to an inflated ego… but it turned out that his concerns were totally unnecessary:

Michael B. Jordan had definitely made a name for himself prior to working on Fantastic Four, with film and television projects like The Wire, Friday Night Lights, Chronicle, and Fruitvale Station, but there is also no questioning that his career took off like a rocket after that movie’s release. Creed hit theaters a few months after the superhero flop, giving the actor his own franchise as the titular lead, and he then got his second shot in the world of Marvel delivering a brilliant turn as Erik Killmonger in the worldwide box office smash Black Panther. And not only is he doing amazing work on camera, he is also getting more and more active behind the scenes – both as a producer and as a director.

While there are many, many stories in Hollywood history about this kind of success ruining personalities, Jamie Bell was relieved to discover on the set of Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse that Michael B. Jordan is not one of those clichés. Rather than disengaging from the work and coasting, Jordan has apparently only started to work harder, and it’s an ethic that Bell wants to replicate in his own career. He said,

In Without Remorse, directed by Stefano Sollima, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan both play major characters from Tom Clancy’s books – namely Robert Ritter and John Kelly. In the story, the latter returns home following his final mission as a Navy SEAL, but quickly finds everything ripped away from him due to consequences from his work. A CIA Agent who had a hand in orchestrating Kelly’s last military outing, Ritter tries to slow Kelly’s mission to get revenge on those responsible, but there’s only so much a person can do when dealing with someone with the protagonist’s skills and resources.

The action-heavy film, which co-stars Jodie Turner-Smith, Guy Pearce, and Lauren London, is arriving on Amazon Prime this Friday, April 30, so be sure to mark it on your calendar – and to find out about more awesome stuff playing on the streaming service, check out our Amazon Prime Video guide for April 2021.

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Netflix has films that appeal to horror junkies, thrill-seekers, even hopeless romantics, and so many other movie genres. Its wide selection of movies is what makes it one of the most popular streaming services. And if you’re a fan of dance movies, then Netflix has plenty, including their latest film Work It.

Work It stars Sabrina Carpenter, Liza Koshy, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Jordan Fisher. The film follows teen Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter) as she forms a new dance group in order to impress an admissions representative at Duke University. The film takes a similar path as other dance movies: a studious girl spends her entire high school life studying, then she discovers the power of dance. Work It has all the ingredients of a fun dance movie, including the learning how to dance montage.

If you’ve already watched Work It, and are now in desperate need of some more dance movies in your life, then I have a few suggestions.

Save The Last Dance

What It's About: Julia Stiles plays aspiring ballerina Sara, who moves to an inner-city after her mother dies in a car accident. Sara gives up her dancing dreams because of the accident, that is until she meets Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), who helps her find her love of dancing again.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It and Save the Last Dance are kindred spirits in that they are both about teen girls who find their rhythm while falling in love. Unlike Quinn, Sara has a dance background, so dancing is already part of her nature, but she also must learn the complicated hip hop dance style.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Rent It here.

Leap!

What It’s About: Leap! is an animated film featuring voice acting by Elle Fanning, Nat Wolff, and Carly Rae Jepsen. It’s about two orphans who run away to Paris. There, Félicie (Fanning) starts to train to become a ballerina.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Leap! is a lighthearted dance film that also revolves around someone who doesn’t have any formal dance training, but gets mentorship from a fallen expert. Félicie and Quinn both train and find their groove and achieve their dance dreams. For Quinn it’s winning the major Work It competition, for Félicie, it’s to perform alongside principal dancers.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Rent it here.

Footloose

What It’s About: Dancing is outlawed in small-town Bomont, Oklahoma, but rebel Ren (Kevin Bacon) refuses to just live a life without dancing and rock music. Footloose’s cast includes Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, Chris Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The original film was released in 1984, and a remake was made in 2011.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Footloose and Work It highlight the power of dance and its symbolic tie to freedom and passion.The teens in Work It and Footloose discover their true identities through dancing.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

Center Stage

What It’s About: Center Stage follows several young dancers as they try to prove themselves at a prestigious dance academy. It details the personal and professional struggles they undergo to be considered one of the best ballet dancers. Much of Center Stage’s storyline revolves around Jody (Amanda Schull) not quite fitting the dance mold, but having a strong desire to prove herself. Center Stage’s cast includes Zoe Saldana, Peter Gallagher, Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky, and Susan May Pratt.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It and Center Stage both include a cast of real professional dancers, as most of the main cast of Work It has experience in dancing as well as acting. Jordan Fisher even won Dancing with the Stars. Both films are also underdog stories told in the dance world.

Stream on IMDBTV here.

Rent it here.

Battle

What It’s About: Battle is a Norwegian drama about Amalie (Lisa Teige), a rich girl who has her life turned upside down when her father loses his entire fortune. Amalie and her father have to move to a rougher area. Amalie still keeps her dance dreams, but ends up practicing in a free dance studio where she meets Mikael (Fabian Svegaard).

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Battle very much feels like a Norwegian Saved the Last Dance, so it’s all about a girl who is used to structured dancing finding a passion for hip-hop and the cute guy who instructs her. Work It also feels like a younger sibling to Save the Last Dance in how it takes a girl used to structure and discipline and allows her to find the beauty of listening to her heart and the beat.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Dirty Dancing

What It’s About: Dirty Dancing is a romantic movie about a resort dance instructor falling for one of the girls vacationing there. Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) get to know each other and start to fall in love through dancing, but Baby’s father doesn’t trust Johnny, especially because he comes from a working-class family.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It plays up how Quinn and Jake (Jordan Fisher)’s attraction grows every time they dance together. Dirty Dancing and Work It demonstrate the seductive nature of dance and how it can create authentic chemistry between people.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

You Got Served

What It’s About: You Got Served is a dramedy about a street dance crew that battles other hip hop dancers. The dance crew has ups and downs before they try to win the big prize at the major dance competition hosted by MTV. You Got Served’s cast mainly consists of B2K band members, including Marques Houston, Omarion Grandberry, J-Boog Houston, Raz-B Thornton, and Lil Fizz Frederic. Steve Harvey also appears in the film as Mr. Rad, the owner of the club where many of the dance battles take place.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: You Got Served is a bit more serious than Work It but they’re both overall fun dance movies that don’t take themselves too seriously. Each film also has the power of friendship and being there for one another as one of the driving themes.

Stream it on IMDBTV here.

Rent it here.

Dance Academy: The Comeback

What It’s About: Dance Academy was an Australian teen series that aired from 2010 to 2013. In 2017, it had a continuation movie that followed some of the main characters from the series trying to make it in the dance world. The Dance Academy: The Comeback cast includes Xenia Goodwin, Alicia Banit, Jordan Rodrigues, Dena Kaplan, Thomas Lacey, and Keiynan Lonsdale.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Work It had a subplot about ambitious dancers trying to prove themselves to get into top-notch dance programs and universities. If Work It only focused on that aspect, then it would probably have a more similar plot to Dance Academy: The Comeback about the journey of young dancers. Both films also share Lonsdale as an actor.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Rent it here.

Fame

What It’s About: Fame follows a group of New York City teens as they attend a performing arts school. It follows the students from freshmen to senior year. The Fame cast includes Gene Anthony Ray, Irene Cara, Debbie Allen, and Lee Curreri.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Fame depicts various art forms and shows the obstacles that come with being an artist. It mixes these issues with typical teen problems, like meeting parental standards. Work It dealt with Quinn’s struggle to please her mother, while also feeling the draw towards dance. Fame and Work It share in that they don’t just address the struggles of a career n the arts, but also typical teen everyday difficulties.

Rent it here.

Bring It On

What It’s About: Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) has just become the cheer captain of the cheerleading squad the Toros. The Toros have won multiple national titles, but Torrance learns that they have won most of them by stealing dance moves from the Clovers team. Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union also star. Bring It On later inspired a franchise of sequel films.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Bring It On is more of a cheerleading movie than a dance one, but they both deal with characters who have to start from scratch and find their own style of dance to compete on a grand scale level against a much better team.

Rent it here.

Strictly Ballroom

What It’s About: Baz Luhrmann directed and co-wrote Strictly Ballroom, an Australian romantic comedy about Scott (Paul Mercurio), a professional ballroom dancer who loses his partner and must train a newbie, Fran (Tara Morice) to compete in a major championship.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: If you were charmed by Quinn and Jake’s dance romance, you’ll be even more dazzled by Fran and Scott’s love story. Strictly Ballroom is a quirky dance movie that has a similar tone to Work It in its playful nature, but also passion and excitement for dance.

Rent it here.

Step Up

What It’s About: Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan star in Step Up as Tyler and Nora, two dancers from different backgrounds forced to pair up. Of course, after a combative partnership, they learn to understand each other and work together, and also fall in love. Step Up eventually had five spin-off films (and counting).

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Step Up and Work It both highlight how dancing can break down barriers and help people form bonds. They show how dance is universal and how the combination of dance styles leads to really fun final dance numbers.

Rent it here.

Billy Elliot

What It’s About: 11-year old Billy Elliot dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Billy has to hide that he takes lessons because his father and brother disapprove of his dream. Jamie Bell plays Billy.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Billy finds himself not being supported by his father because of how a boy ballet dancer will look to others. Quinn faces some similar parental disapproval from her mother, who believes she should just focus on her school work. Billy Elliot and Work It both end with the parents seeing the error of their ways and learning to support their children’s passions.

Rent it here.

Flashdance

What It’s About: Jennifer Beals plays Alex, a young woman who dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

Why Work It Fans Will Like It: Flashdance and Work It both focus on young women who have no professional dance training, but their determination allows them to try (and succeed) to compete when they go up against more seasoned professionals. Both films are also about taking chances, even when the odds seemed stacked against you.

Rent it here.

Work It is a cheery dance movie that doesn’t take itself seriously, allowing it to hit the right notes and beats. The films on this list have a similar love of dance spirit.

Stream Work It on Netflix.

Anticipation for the release of No Time To Die is pretty high, as the film’s delay into November has only given James Bond fans more time to ponder just what sort of mysteries are waiting past the title song. But another, greater mystery that awaits for 007 loyalists is who exactly will take over the post of the franchise lead once Daniel Craig turns in his Walther PPK for the last time. In uncertain times like these, there’s only one place we can turn to get a hint as to what the answer to that question might be: the oddsmakers!

James Bond is known to be a gambler from time to time, so why wouldn’t we consult the data from oddsmakers like US-Bookies to see where the smart money is supposedly going? And believe it or not, fans aren’t over the concept of a female Bond, despite official statements basically writing this concept off. We’ll start with going over the top 10 placings in terms of the odds-on favorites, after which we’ll be running through the long shots that have some interesting names attached to their standings. It all adds up to a pretty exciting pack, mixing the expected with the shocking!

Damian Lewis (25/1)

Currently known for his leading role on the Showtime drama Billions, Damian Lewis’ past history with both Homeland and Band of Brothers also could have put the English drama star in the running for James Bond. The one factor that might keep him from landing the gig is age, as Lewis is currently 49, which is around the time a 007 actor would see themselves on their way out. For reference, Roger Moore was 58 when he left the franchise, and Daniel Craig is currently 52.

Chris Hemsworth/Paul Mescal (20/1)

On the other end of the spectrum, the 36-year-old Extraction star Chris Hemsworth and 24-year-old Paul Mescal, known for his role in Hulu’s Normal People, are both younger candidates tied for 9th place. Were the producers running the franchise, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, hoping to go with a popular, yet relative unknown, Mescal is the way to go, especially as the youngest candidate in the field. Hemsworth, on the other hand, almost feels like an instant disqualification in this pair, as his Marvel experience has probably driven up his salary demands, and the potential Extraction franchise is probably his Bond gig for the time being.

Henry Cavill (16/1)

A past favorite of fans and oddsmakers alike, Henry Cavill was previously touted as a strong candidate back in the days that saw Daniel Craig take the crown for Casino Royale. Those who saw and enjoyed The Man From U.N.C.L.E. are probably still holding out hope for this prospect, and to be certain, it could still happen if Justice League's Superman willed it so. Those of you looking for an age check, Cavill is currently 37, which keeps him in the game.

Jamie Bell (12/1)

Rocketman’s Jamie Bell would be a fine pick for James Bond, as he has the cred from both TV projects like Turn: Washington’s Spies, as well as his extensive film career stemming back to his debut as young Billy Elliot. His relative youth among these 007 candidates also plays rather well. However, there’s just one potentially big catch: he’s already signed on to be a potentially important part of Paramount’s budding franchise stemming from Michael B. Jordan’s Without Remorse. Bell may already have a pre-emptive clause in his contract from that Tom Clancy adaptation that’ll keep him in that particular wheelhouse, which would be less than ideal for his potential tuxedo fitting.

Idris Elba/Cillian Murphy (10/1)

If Idris Elba and Cillian Murphy aren’t perfect examples of actors who have been suggested to play James Bond for quite some time, then such a concept doesn’t exist. The 47-year-old Elba and 44-year-old Murphy are mainstays, Elba particularly, in the race to find the next Bond. But as an expert has written the Thor actor out of the part due to his age, and Cillian Murphy isn’t too far from that mark himself, their potential casting may sadly be too late.

Aidan Turner (9/1)

Best known for his role on the TV series Poldark, Aidan Turner has had experience playing a lovelorn warrior of great speed himself in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy. Perhaps this, along with his handsome looks, is what has landed Turner in the fifth place showing amongst these other potential James Bond actors. He can be seen next in the TV series Leonardo, in which Aidan Turner will be playing Da Vinci himself; but if that doesn’t pan out, this could mean some good things for a potential opening on her majesty’s secret service.

Tom Hardy/Michael Fassbender (8/1)

At 42 and 43, respectively, Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender are two more people that, while being familiar and bankable names, are a little on the older side of the James Bond dream casting spectrum. Their familiarity and potential franchise gigs probably put them further out of the realm of possibility, but fans seem to be willing to bet they’ll get the gig. So if I had to choose, Fassbender would have the advantage, as not only is the Alien franchise’s future in question, he basically played the role as Magneto in X-Men: First Class.

Tom Hiddleston/Richard Madden (6/1)

Having a familiar face certainly helps when it comes to James Bond fans looking into potential hires. While a producer might be motivated to avoid Tom Hiddleston and Richard Madden in the casting game, both occupy a sweet spot where they’re still in their 30s and are recognizable enough to draw a crowd, but still primed to take their stars further. The edge goes to Madden in this case, as he’s 33 to Hiddleston’s 39, and the latter actor’s commitment to Disney+’s Loki series will probably get in the way of any more immediate talks.

Sam Heughan (5/1)

As fast as you can say the word Outlander, Sam Heughan’s name seems to come up in any sort of talk surrounding any potential future 007 action. Part of that is because the man himself has been pushing for the throne himself, but honestly, it’s hard to not see him as a high ranking contender. Even in the higher age range at 40 years old, the man has the looks and the attitude needed to play James Bond, and he is very comfortable with action and emotion as Scottish heartthrob Jamie Fraser. Plus, it helps that the idea kind of took shape in people’s heads after his tuxedoed appearance in The Spy Who Dumped Me, so this isn’t a total surprise.

James Norton (2/1)

At 34 years old, with a resume that includes parts in TV shows like Doctor Who and McMafia, as well as films such as Rush and Little Women, James Norton has an interesting balance of anonymity and familiarity. All of those facors have probably led to him being the odds-on favorite for James Bond at this particular moment in time. While this could change drastically between now and the time of a formal announcement, it’s probably still a good idea to keep an eye on where Mr. Norton’s career takes him in the near future.

Other Notable Candidates

Towards the back of the James Bond candidate pack is a rather interesting assortment of players. With some pretty wild picks, a couple of veterans to the Bond franchise and a previous contender who got pretty close to the job in the running up to Daniel Craig’s hiring, all of these actors are too good to leave out. So let’s get started, moving through three distinct groupings:

The 50/1 Gang

There are six candidates who sit just outside of the top 10 standings, with 50/1 odds tipping them as the next 007:

This is where those Bond franchise veterans we discussed earlier lie, as both Spectre’s Andrew Scott and No Time To Die’s Rami Malek are both suggested as sitting in this category. Should either of them be cast, it’d be the first time a Bond villain would go on to play the lead role in film. Though it should be noted that Die Another Day villain Toby Stephens eventually went on to play James Bond in a series of BBC radio adaptations. So never say never on this concept!

In the younger end of the pack, both John Boyega and Timothee Chalamet are in the 50/1 range of landing the role. If I to pick a favorite in this subsection, I would say that Boyega would be the victor, as his Star Wars franchise experience gives him the functional advantage. Rounding out this group are Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch, with McGregor returning to potential contention and Cumberbatch riding the wave he’s recently become accustomed to. McGregor is the clear favorite out of these two.

The 00-Women Gang

Betting fans of the James Bond franchise haven’t given up hope on a female Bond being cast in the future. Though as you can see, most have heeded the words of Barbara Broccoli, by not putting too much stock into this prospect. Still, with candidates like these, it’s hard not to get excited about this big “what if”:

Now, if anyone in this pack was going to get the gig, I side with the betters in Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer landing the post. Between the cultural success of that show, as well as her upcoming appearance in the Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy, it’s a potent martini of qualifications that would make history in its own right. Provided, of course, there’s some sort of in-house reversal over at EON Productions.

The Long Shot Gang

Last, but not least, are two contenders that, while being qualified in their own ways, are less than likely to become the next Bond:

Even in such an unlikely grouping, the favorite is clear as Harry Styles is an acting talent tested enough to be considered a possibility, and he’s young enough to do a longer stint in the franchise than Will Smith could potentially. Also, Smith’s an American, so that probably docks some additional points off the top.

Again, all of these odds could change at the drop of a hat, and fans shouldn’t count any of those top candidates out too early on in the race to become the next James Bond. Until that would-be successor has been named, Daniel Craig is still our 007 for the moment, and we’ll get to see him in his final franchise outing on November 20, when No Time To Die sets its sights on the box office.

The Elton John biopic Rocketman was easily one of the best films of 2019. I could write an entire book on how Taron Egerton not receiving an Oscar nomination for this role was one of the Academy’s biggest crimes in recent history. Did they not see how much Taron gave to that role? He was robbed of his moment to shine at the Oscars, but his supporting cast also deserved more recognition as well. Rocketman’s supporting cast includes Jamie Bell (also really needed a best supporting nomination), Bryce Dallas Howard, and Richard Madden.

Even if the Academy decided to snub Rocketman and the cast in most of the major categories, it doesn’t take away from the film’s success and brilliance. Most of Rocketman’s cast are accomplished and rising stars with pretty impressive current and future role credits. They will continue to build their resumes with entertaining, thought provoking, and award deserving roles.

Taron Egerton (Elton John)

In Rocketman, Taron Egerton plays the lead role of the musical legend Elton John. It’s really a film that relies heavily on Egerton’s performance to carry it through, and he more than succeeds. After Rocketman, he voiced a character named Rian in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the continuation series of Jim Henson’s classic. Egerton also provided the voice for Moomintroll in the series Moominvalley.

Taron Egerton plans to continue his voiceover work by returning to the world of Sing and reprising his role as Johnny in the sequel. Sing 2 is now scheduled for a December 22, 2021 release. Egerton joins an all-star cast that includes James McAvoy and Michael Sheen in the audible production of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel The Sandman. The first part of the multiple parts drama launches on July 15, 2020. Taron Egerton is also rumored to be in-talk to play Seymour in the Little Shops of Horror remake.

Jamie Bell (Bernie Taupin)

Jamie Bell plays Elton’s life long platonic partner and collaborator Bernie Taupin. Bell co-stars alongside Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Luke Mitchell in Without Remorse, an adaptation of Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name. It’s about a U.S Navy SEAL who seeks vengeance after his girlfriend is murdered. The film is scheduled for an October 2, 2020 release.

Jamie Bell voices the character of Danny in the animated film Cranston Academy: Monster Zone. The film is about a 15 year old who accidentally opens a portal with monsters from another dimension. Cranston Academy: Monster Zone was released in Portugal in March 2020.

Richard Madden (John Reid)

Well known for playing Robb Stark on HBO's Game of Thrones, Richard Madden plays Elton’s former lover and manager John Reid in Rocketman. He’s essentially the movie’s biggest villain, besides Elton’s parents of course. Also in 2019, Madden had a small role in the Oscar nominated film 1917. He plays Joseph Blake, the brother of one of the main protagonists Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman).

Richard Madden then signed on to join the Marvel Universe in The Eternals. He plays Ikaris and co-stars with Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harington, and Angelina Jolie. The Eternals is set to hit theaters on February 12, 2021. In 2020, Madden signed on to co-star in the Amazon series Citadel, opposite Priyanka Chopra.

Bryce Dallas Howard (Sheila Dwight)

Bryce Dallas Howard plays Elton John’s very cold, brutal mother Sheila Dwight. After Rocketman, Bryce Dallas Howard followed in her famous father’s footsteps by taking the director’s seat in a few projects. She directed The Mandalorian episode 4, “Chapter 4: Sanctuary.”

Bryce Dallas Howard also directed a documentary called Dads, which she helmed alongside her father,Ron Howard. It explores contemporary fatherhood, and includes celebrity appearances by Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, and others. It’s set to premiere on Apple+ on June 19, 2020. She’s also set to reprise her role as Claire Dearing in Jurassic World: Dominion.The film is currently set for a June 11, 2021 release.

Gemma Jones (Ivy)

Gemma Jones plays Ivy in Rocketman. She’s Elton’s grandmother and one of the few kind people in his life. Jones will appear in the romantic drama starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan Ammonite. She plays a character called Molly Anning. In 2019, Gemma Jones played Aunt Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack, and she is set to appear in the British comedy-drama Cold Feet.

Steven Mackintosh (Stanley Dwight)

Steven Mackintosh plays Elton’s equally, if not colder, father Stanley Dwight. Mackintosh appears in the film The Postcard Killings. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Famke Janssen, and Cush Jumbo star in this film about a New York detective investigating the death of his daughter. It had a limited release on March 13, 2020. His next project is the currently untitled Bridges/Goldstein Project. It’s a sci-fi series set 15-years in the future. It’s a series of six stories about finding your soulmate, and the lengths people go to to love and be loved.

Tom Bennett (Fred)

Tom Bennett plays Sheila’s boyfriend Fred, a character that actually comes off decently in comparison to Elton’s parents. Tom Bennett appeared in episodes of Thanks for the Memories, Red Dwarf, and After Life. He only appeared in one episode of After Life, which is the Ricky Gervais Netflix comedy.

Charlie Rowe (Ray Williams)

Charlie Rowe plays Elton and Bernie’s first music producer. He introduced Bernie and Elton. Charlie Rowe appears in the upcoming Peacock min-series Angelyne. The series is based on the Hollywood Reporter's article about Angelyne, a billboard star. It stars Emmy Rossum as the title character.

Tate Donovan (Doug Weston)

Known for his roles in Argo, Hercules, Damages, Friends, among others, Tate Donovan plays Doug Weston, the owner of the famed LA nightclub Troubadour. Elton and Bernie meet him on their first major gig. Tate Donovan appeared in the movie The Nomads in 2019. He also has two upcoming films Worth, which premiered at the Sundance film festival in January. It also stars Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan, and Stanley Tucci.

Donovan is part of a major ensemble cast to appear in the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, which stars Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Forest Whitaker, and Mary J. Blige, among others. It’s set for a January 15, 2021 release. Tate Donovan has a recurring role in the CBS series MacGyver.

Relive the magic of Rocketman, and the great performances by the cast, by streaming it now on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

In 2015, Fox released their Fantastic Four movie, a reboot with an all-new cast that attempted to take the comic book property in a more grounded and serious direction. However, the movie was plagued with production troubles and the version that ultimately hit theaters was essentially dead on arrival. The film was ridiculed by critics and moviegoers alike, and those close to production recognize that it was not as good as they were hoping it'd be. Jamie Bell, who played the Thing in the reboot, admits that he too was disappointed by the quality of the film.

Fantastic Four (orFant4stic, as some people like to call it on the internet) was intended to launch a new superhero franchise for Fox, but ended up forcing them to go back to the drawing board. Obviously when an actor signs on for a project, they have little idea how it will be received upon completion. Jamie Bell told the Los Angeles Times that he had hoped for better things from Fantastic Four. Nobody sets out to make a bad movie, and while Bell admires what they had tried to do with Fantastic Four, somewhere along the way things became muddled. But sometimes that's just the way the cookie (or rock man) crumbles, and the only thing you can do is move on to the next project.

True, Fantastic Four was not close to the success that Fox had been hoping for. With the strong cast of Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Bell, with the addition of up-and-coming director Josh Trank, hopes had been high -- though critics questioned the motivation for the reboot. Fox's rights for the Fantastic Four were close to going back to Marvel if they did not make another film with the property soon, which led to the fast tracked reboot. The movie went through heavily publicized reshoots, with rumors circulating about behind-the-scenes drama and quarrels between Josh Trank and the higher brass. Ultimately, Trank hammered the final nail himself with a tweet essentially denouncing the movie the night before it released.

Fox is still trying to figure out the Fantastic Four formula, but at least Jamie Bell has accepted his losses and moved on. You can next see him in the historical drama film 6 Days, which is in theaters right now.

Daniel Craig has served nobly as James Bond for four movies, but following the release of Spectre last year, many reports make it clear that he's ready to hang up the tuxedo. Although his departure hasn't been officially confirmed yet, casting rumors have been steadily leaking in, seemingly pointed to a new man becoming 007. Now seven actors have reportedly been gathered as the finalists to replace Craig for the 25th James Bond movie.

A new shortlist of actors being eyed to play the new James Bond (in no particular order) has been passed along by The Sun. Take a look and see if any of the candidates sound appealing.

Many of these names have been rumored before, but keep in mind this by no means official confirmation that any of these men are meeting for the role. Still, all these men could possibly pull of the role, depending on the story and tone. Lets focus on arguably the three most famous actors on the list.

Although best known as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Hiddleston has impressed audiences recently with projects like I Saw the Light and The Night Manager, and he's also starring in next year's action-packed Kong: Skull Island. He certainly has the right kind of suaveness to play James Bond, and playing the spy would give him his own franchise to lead.

Whether you've seen him in person, like on Luther and The Wire, or simply heard him, like in Zootopia and Finding Dory, Idria Elba has proved himself to be a talented actor many times over, and his name has repeatedly come up as a possible James Bond successor. However, Elba previously said that he hasn't spoken with anyone about playing 007, so unless the film brass have yet to contact him, him being on this list calls its authenticity into question.

Michael Fassbender's fame has slowly grown ever since he began playing a younger Magneto in the X-Men movies, but his other notable movies include Prometheus, 12 Years a Slave, Frank and Steve Jobs. He also has the familiar kind of demeanor we expect for James Bond, but with all the big blockbuster franchises he's already involved with (which could also include Assassin's Creed, depending on how the first movie does), he may not have time to commit to playing 007.

As for the remaining four actors, Jamie Bell is the only one who's previously been rumored to play James Bond, but the others have built solid careers for themselves. If any of these men sound like a particularly good choice to replace Daniel Craig, let us know in the comments section. The next James Bond movie hasn't been assigned a release date yet, but we'll keep you updated on its progress as more relevant information comes in.

Arguably no other cinematic character has a legacy as long and enduring as that of James Bond. The British secret service agent has undergone numerous evolutions over the years, going from a misogynist pig who knows how to get the job done, to a campy machine gun toting superhero, to a grounded, damaged human being. No one can play the part forever, and with Daniel Craig’s tenure seemingly coming to an end, it now looks more and more like we will soon have a new 007 on our hands very soon. A new name has just come up in the hunt for the tuxedo wearing, martini swilling cinematic badass, and it’s not one we would have expected at all.

According to a new report from Deadline, it appears that British actor Jamie Bell has met with longtime 007 producer Barbara Broccoli to discuss the possibility of taking over the role of James Bond at some point. Bell has a working relationship with Broccoli from their time together on Film Stars Don’t Die, and he coincidentally once portrayed the brother of current James Bond, Daniel Craig, in the 2008 WWII drama Defiance.

At 30-years-old, Jamie Bell has already appeared in a fair number of television and film projects. From AMC’s Turn: Washington’s Spies to the recent cult favorite Snowpiercer, he’s proven that he can take on numerous types of roles – both physical as well as dramatic. Perhaps his most notable recent role came in the form of The Thing in FOX’s deplorable Fantastic Four, which hit theaters last summer. He has several action films to his name, but his work on the next James Bond movie would mark his first ever time headlining a film in earnest.

At first glance, Jamie Bell seems like an incredibly interesting (read as: "weird") choice for the role of James Bond. Considering the names that have recently been thrown around for the part by fans – such as Tom Hiddleston, Damien Lewis, and Idris Elba – he doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of what fans might expect from the character. He’s considerably young for the part, but by the time his film gets made he would be older than George Lazenby at the time of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’s release. We're not doubting his skill as an actor, but this news opens up questions as to whether or not he fits the Bond mold.

Of course, at the end of the day, plenty of actors will meet for the role of James Bond. With the next installment in the 007 franchise still seemingly a long way off, we likely won’t know who will don the iconic tuxedo and Walther PPK for quite some time. We here at Cinema Blend will keep you up to date with any relevant casting information as it becomes available to us.

There are many things wrong with Josh Trank's Fantastic Four (almost all contained in the last half of the film), but one thing that the production definitely got right was the look of Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing. Created with performance capture, the more monstrous member of the titular team looked more authentic than any previous live-action, and also a solid straight adaptation from the comics. It turns out, however, that there were many designs for the character in pre-production that looked considerably different.

Artist Zachary Berger has posted on his personal website a series of concept pieces that he drew for this summer's version of Fantastic Four, and while there are designs that look pretty close to what's featured in the film, there are also some parts that reinterpret the classic look of The Thing. Simpler versions, for example, make him look like how he's drawn in Marvel Comics, but with the added detail of what look like burns (perhaps caused by the experience on Planet Zero).

As for the more radical designs, one can understand why Josh Trank and 20th Century Fox steered away from that direction. Some of Berger's pieces look like they are at least partially inspired by the Hunchback of Notre Dame, as he notably has a giant bulge on his left shoulder causing him to hunch over. Also, one of his eyes is completely covered by a drooping rock eyelid, one of his arms is considerably larger than the other, and his feet are absolutely massive. It's clear that the artist was trying to accentuate the deformed part of The Thing character - which is admittedly a significant part of his bio - though it takes the idea a little too far.

Ultimately, the movie went with a version that looks like a rather direct adaptation of the character from the comics - and while it's too bad that the movie couldn't make better use of him, it's still pretty impressive looking. While it was somewhat controversial, the performance capture approach definitely turned out to be the right way to go. Michael Chicklis' version from the 2005 Fantastic Four doesn't look too bad, but neither it nor the terrible 1994 version made a great argument for not going the CGI route with the reboot:

The difference is The Thing looking like he's covered with a thin layer of rubber that kind of looks like rocks, and actually making him look like he is made out of rock. It's a solid version of the character.

The Blu-ray for Fantastic Four will be released on December 15th - and it will be interesting to see exactly how deep the bonus features go into the troubled making of the movie (my guess is not at all).

For better or worse, 20th Century Fox is still moving ahead with Fantastic Four 2. That’s what all the latest intel is telling us, and we just have to accept it, no matter how big of a flop the first film was. With the stage already set, it seems as though the sequel will pose its own set of challenges to whomever directs it.

Hitfix recently published an analysis of the entire Fantastical situation, claiming that the sequel was happening. According to their sources, a few details were confirmed: (1) Fantastic Four 2 is still in the works, (2) it may not make its original release date of June 9, 2017, and (3) this is Trank’s world that we’re living in. Drew McWeeny wrote:

So, let’s recap where we are at the end of Fantastic Four -- be wary of SPOILERS.

This film was a bit more "dark and gritty" than the first run of films; our heroes got their abilities from traveling to the Negative Zone Planet Zero, instead of cosmic radiation in space; these characters are a lot younger than they’re classically depicted; they are given their own facility in a remote location to conduct their work; Doctor Doom was zapped through his inter-dimensional gateway; and Tim Blake Nelson’s character, who was pegged as the man to become Mole Man, is gone.

It doesn’t sound like the most appealing project to work on, especially since you already have to adhere to the rules that have been put into place by a different director, but there’s some wiggle room here. As we learned from Trank himself (and other reports with off-the-record sources), there were a lot of scenes cut from the film. We saw a piece of b-roll, for instance, that featured Reed Richards’ infamous Fantasti-car; and his character’s relationship with Sue Storm never came to fruition with a romance for the ages. So there’s at least two points that can make it into the sequel. And, if you really think about it, how much character development was actually going on in this film? Not a whole lot. So there’s also room to stretch these characters to their limits. Pun intended.

Another plus for the future director of the sequel? The cast: Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Miles Teller and Jamie Bell. Unfortunately, Fantastic Four is still in theaters, so we’ll have to endure talk of this first attempt for a little while longer.

Fantastic Four is set to either wow the world or underwhelm audiences yet again. With only a little over a week to go until our super powered allies make their first revamped appearance, it's as good a time as any to get acquainted with said powers. Hence the video you're about to see below.

Courtesy of the film's official Twitter feed, we were able to watch the preceding video, disguised as a Department Of Defense briefing on the "tragedy" involving Reed Richards and his team's work on inter-dimensional travel. Though, to be honest, only one out of the four team members really has a tragedy to speak of – as Ben Grimm / aka The Thing (Jamie Bell) is a man made of solid rock. That rock, according to the video above, is "literally impenetrable," and has the DoD excited for the practical applications of such a material. Ben might not be the most maneuverable member of the team, but he's strong enough to do some real damage.

As for the rest of the team, their powers are also pretty much in line with previous incarnations of their crime fighting antics. Sue Storm (Kate Mara) still has the power to become invisible, and her brother Johnny (Michael B. Jordan) is still as hot as ever with his fire powers. In fact, the only real change to the Fantastic 4's power set is a minor but promised tweak to Reed Richards' stretching powers. This new look still has Reed stretching to move around, but this time his flexibility is tempered by a more grounded approach. The small clip of footage showing him catapulting with the use of his super powered arms, and while the stretch they certainly hold up better than the stretching effects the previous Fantastic Four incarnation.

The more grounded approach towards the Fantastic Four also reaches out to the costume design. We see this mostly through Reed, Sue and Johnny's costumes, which also double as "containment suits" that will undoubtedly help focus their newfound energy in the most effective way possible. Or, at the very least, they'll make the three of them look more believable than any blue spandex jumpsuit ever could. Shifting back to the subject of the powers of the Fantastic 4, there is one slide that seems to hint on the possible introduction of Doctor Doom into the picture.

At 02:35, under the slide "Untapped Potential," the second section talks about investigating what long term exposure to another universe could do to a person. While the Fantastic Four only get a short burst of energy, it seems to be a safe bet that Victor Domashev will be going through the Quantum Gate without as much luck as his counterparts. Which means that the Department of Defense might want to think long and hard before they decide to do any further testing.

Fantastic Four is already a hard sell for audiences around the world, but at the very least it looks like they're designing/powering the characters with enough intrigue to lure younger viewers into a new and improved team. You'll be able to judge for yourself when the film opens on August 7th.

Superhero movies and post-credits scenes go hand-in-hand these days. We already know that Ant-Man has two and is hasn’t even come out yet, and Avengers: Age of Ultron showed up with only one, though many folks sat through until the final credit rolled just to be safe. But what about Fantastic Four? Don’t expect to see one, at least according to one of the stars.

As with many things of this ilk this week, this story originated at San Diego Comic-Con. Jamie Bell, who plays Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, in the upcoming Josh Trank-directed Fantastic Four, sat down with MTV, and when the subject came up, he said:

Post-credits scene has become standard practice for comic book movies, and while there are some that are just fun little bits, like the shawarma scene from The Avengers or Baby Groot getting his groove on in Guardians of the Galaxy, they’re also used to tease future installments in a particular fictional world. So, if the movie, as Bell specifies, already sets things up for future installments, such a scene, while fun for fans, might not add anything substantial to the film.

Also, if it’s used to tease more movies, a level of uncertainty about the future could come into play. While there are obviously more Fantastic Four movies planned, if the movie tanks, it could impact the future. And there have also been rumors floating around, all unsubstantiated and very ethereal, of course, about potential crossovers. Marvel has their Cinematic Universe, but with the rights to Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Deadpool, people have speculated that 20th Century Fox could, if they wanted, create a shared universe of their very own. If, and that’s a big, speculative if, this is the case, perhaps they don’t know exactly what direction they’re heading and don’t currently have anything specific to tease.

And if you want to get super conspiracy theorist with us for a minute, if you buy the rumors that X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn was brought in for reshoots in lieu of Josh Trank (rumors that have been roundly denied), perhaps he filmed something that could show up after the credits. That is, obviously, wild, rampant conjecture, with no link to anything even remotely whispered about in the darkest corners of the internet, but it’s an idea I just pulled out of my ass.

The rebooted Fantastic Four starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell hits theaters everywhere, sans post-credits sequence, on August 7.

The upcoming reboot of Marvel’s Fantastic Four gets set to break dimensional barriers in less than a month. However, with the public debut of the new trailer shown to San Diego Comic-Con crowds this past weekend, we have finally been given a substantive glimpse of the team’s traditional antagonist, Doctor Doom. Additionally, Fox unveiled yet another new trailer today. Check out both of the new clips below.

With film classifying itself as a "contemporary re-imagining," the new official Fantastic Four trailer immediately sets out to live up to that billing by digging deeper into the character development. This video sets quite the tone of curiosity by starting with a glimpse of a prodigious young Reed Richards, whose scientific and engineering aspirations seem to be the destructive bane of both his school life and his blue collar parents’ property. Clearly a brilliant visionary, even in grade school, a pattern seems to be set for his life, which will eventually see an adult Reed make a stunning breakthrough with implications far greater than fried fuses.

Further emphasizing this tone, the voice-over from Reg E. Cathey’s Franklin Storm discusses our duty as human beings to push forward into the unknown. Yet, the accidental discovery that will transform the team into the super-powered pounders of evil also taps into a Pandora's Box-like pocket of power. On one hand, it creates the heroic team that the government exploits. On the other, it creates the metal-covered malevolence of Toby Kebbell’s updated take on the A-list Marvel baddie, Doctor Doom. While the trailer stops short of details regarding his origin and motivations, it’s clear that his beef with the team and stretchy Reed Richards (Miles Teller) is a personal one that will yield some brutal, knock-down drag-out destruction.

Much like the way that Julian McMahon’s version of Doctor Doom was portrayed in the 2005 Fantastic Four, and its 2007 sequel, Kebbell’s version also deviates from the character’s traditional comic book rendition and seems to have some kind of kinship with the team. Like those films, he is also portrayed as more innately powerful than any one of the foursome, making the collective energies of the team necessary for his defeat. Based on what we’re seeing in the clip, with a pre-transformation version of Jamie Bell’s Ben Grimm overlooking a fully transformed Doom who is strapped to a bed, it could be the case that Doom is the proverbial patient zero in the still-vague inter-dimensional phenomenon that will ultimately transform the team. That, however, is still unclear.

Fox also surprised fans today with a brand new trailer that seems to complement the wondrous tone of the Comic-Con clip. Beside giving us a little more footage of Doctor Doom, this trailer shows more of young Reed Richards and his mysterious playmate, transitioning to a focus on the critical ingredient of the new Fantastic Four's group dynamic. You can give that clip a glimpse in the video below.

Certainly, Fantastic Four will have quite a lot to overcome being a Marvel Comics property not connected to either Marvel Studio’s Avengers continuity or (as far as we know,) Fox’s own mixed-up X-Men mythos. Plus, for better or worse, it recently abandoned its 3D release. However, the new trailer does demonstrate that the film sports enough brute strength to initiate clobberin’ time for the box office competition when it arrives at theaters on August 7.

With Fantastic Four only three months away, 20th Century Fox has been steadily increasing their marketing for the film through new images, trailers, and featurettes. The latest promotional material includes character posters for each of the four members. Unfortunately, they’re also not very exciting, as each have similar backgrounds of destruction, and all four uniformed superheroes are rocking the same blank expressions. Regardless, let’s take a closer look at the four heroes.

First up is Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic. Aside from those brief shots of him stretching in the most recent trailer, the marketing material featuring Reed has just been him standing and not using his unique ability. At least we know he can remain calm while flaming projectiles strike the buildings behind him. That’s a good quality for a team leader to have.

Next up, Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman. Unlike Reed, she’s using her powers to turn her arms invisible. Her poster is also notable for including the Baxter Building in the background, which is where the team’s experiment on inter-dimensional travel is headquartered.

Then we have Ben Grimm as the rock-skinned Thing. This is arguably the most interesting of the posters since, unlike his teammates, Ben is captured mid-action with his fist raised. Hopefully he’s about to punch the film’s main antagonist, Doom. Those mitts can do some serious damage.

Finally, there’s Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, who has decided to cover his hands in flame. Personally, I think it would have been cool to have a shimmering heat aura surrounding his entire body, rather than limiting his fiery powers to just the hands.

If 20th Century Fox decides to release a second batch of character posters, hopefully they will make them more visually interesting by having each of the foursome really demonstrate what they’re capable of. Reed could be stretching to grab something, or changing his body into a weird shape, Susan could be creating an invisible force field, Ben could be slamming his fists to the ground, and Johnny could be completely flamed on and flying. Oh, and give them each different expressions, whether it’s excited, angry, upset, or any of the other emotions. Let’s liven things up a bit.

Fantastic Four will be released in theaters on August 7.

We’ve been thinking of Josh Trank’s upcoming Fantastic Four as a superhero movie. It is, after all, based on a popular Marvel comic and features a heroic team of individuals with superpowers and costumes. Seems to fit the bill. But according to the director, the film may be much creepier than you expect.

EW caught up with Trank, who made his name with 2012’s low-budget, superpowered Chronicle, and he talked about focusing on the terrifying nature of the powers acquired by Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Sue Storm (Kate Mara), Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell). He said:

X-Men: Days Of Future Past writer/producer Simon Kinberg handled the script, and he and Trank had two goals in making this movie. They wanted it to be a coming-of-age story, where the characters become the masters of their own fate, and the other thing was they want it to watch more like a horror movie than your average comic book adaptation.

What we’ve seen so far from the movie definitely looks eerie way grittier than the previous films from 2005 and 2007. That was very much the intention, as Trank calls his film "Dark Amblin," saying it’s like Steven Spielberg meets Tim Burton. That’s a fantastic mix from where we stand, and sounds like a combination of great action and adventure with a brooding, sinister sensibility. Let’s just hope it doesn’t crib too much from the Dark Knight approach.

Superpowers almost always come with one drawback or another. Hulk may have incredible strength and power, but he’s also an uncontrollable green rage monster; Captain American may be strong and fast, but it’s also lead to him being a man out of time and he’s isolated from the world around him; Daredevil has heightened senses, but can’t see; and the list goes on.

If viewed from the right perspective, it’s easy to think of them as a curse, a burden, and it sounds like Fantastic Four is going to focus more on that side of things. You have to imagine that turning to stone, your bones stretching and bending, and you skin bursting into flames doesn’t feel particularly pleasant. Kate Mara compares gaining their powers to a car crash, a traumatic experience that leaves lingering effects and changes you from that day forward.

This latest version of Fantastic Four is another origin story. During an experimental interdimensional journey, the team is "infected"—how that plays out remains to be seen—and transformed. Reed becomes Mr. Fantastic, Sue the Invisible Woman, Johnny the Human Torch, and Ben the Thing. Victor Domashev (Toby Kebbell), another member of their team, is also turned into a new version of Dr. Doom.

We can see just how dark Fantastic Four is for ourselves when it hits theaters August 7.

Are you ready to meet The Thing? The hulking Ben Grimm in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot has remarkably kept himself in the shadows. It's difficult to keep something like a giant rock monster away from the public spotlight. But now 20th Century Fox has unleashed the beast in a brand new photo from the movie.

Jamie Bell, are you in there? It's hard to think of someone as slim and trim as the star of Turn voicing a superhero of this magnitude, but here he is, nonetheless. At least he looks far better than Michael Chiklis' run, right? Empire magazine was the first to reveal this image, which does not look like like a rubberized suit. We've only seen bits and pieces of the new Thing in the trailers -- we saw him break forth from his stone coccoon and we got a good look at his backside -- but this is our first, non-leaked image. Now that we know what all four of these heroes will look like, "It's cloberin' time!"

Trank utilized motion-capture technology to bring The Thing to life, with Bell donning the spandex tracking suit covered in markers to record his movement. The technology has come a long way since the days of Avatar, and the more it progesses, the more filmmakers want to use it. Andy Serkis is the master of motion-capture, and he has created a whole new genre of acting with it. He recently worked with Joss Whedon to help bring The Hulk in Avengers 2 to life, while Ultron and Thanos (played by James Spader and Josh Brolin, respectively) used motion-capture for their characters. The Thing is just the latest in a long line of creature features.

This is just one example of how the new Fantastic Four distinguishes itself from the original. Trank seems committed to creating a sci-fi movie within a superhero movie, as opposed to a standard adaptation. The plot takes some inspirations from the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic book series. Instead of Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Sue Storm (Kate Mara), Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) and Ben Grimm shooting off into space and gaining their powers through cosmic radiation, the younger versions of these characters will instead travel to a parallel dimension that alters their molecular structures.

In addition to the new look at The Thing, Empire also released a couple more photos from the film, teasing this storyline.

Here, we can see them traversing new territory with a device. Below, we see Richards getting experimented on. He doesn't look to be in his happy place.

Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on August 7, 2015

After months of waiting, comic book movie fans finally got their first look at Josh Trank's Fantastic Four with a debut trailer in late January... but since then we have experienced yet another footage drought. Fortunately, Fox now seems to be ramping up promotion again, as they have dropped four new featurettes about the film online. Watch the first one below!

Did you know that Miles Teller had originally auditioned for a role in Chronicle? I didn't, and that's just one of the first interesting bits of trivia to come out of these actor-centric videos. For example, our next video centering on Kate Mara - who plays Sue Storm a.k.a. The Invisible Woman in this new Fantastic Four - talks about the tests for chemistry between her and her on-screen brother, played by Michael B. Jordan.

Speaking of Jordan, the Human Torch-centric clip makes note of the fact that Josh Trank and Michael B. Jordan previously had the chance to work together on Chronicle, but focuses more on the key emotional element that Trank and writer/producer Simon Kinberg were looking for in the new Fantastic Four. And basically, it all boils down to charisma.

Finally, the last video is an examination of Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing. Interestingly, the production didn't cast the actor because they felt that they had seen something from him previously that would lend itself to the character. Instead, Trank believed that this kind of monstrous hero was somewhere inside of Bell, and wanted to take a chance on bringing it out of him.

Sadly, it's worth noting that there isn't exactly any new footage in these clips to dissect, but hopefully there will be more on the way soon. After all, we are now just a few weeks away from the start of the summer movie season. At the very least Fox should release something to commemorate that we're now in the fourth month of the year. Stay tuned!

Fantastic Four will be in theaters August 7th.

It’s clobberin’ time! For months Fantastic Four has been closely guarding what their version of The Thing will look like when the film hits theaters in August. Well, the curtain has finally been pulled back. After a long wait, we now have our first full look at the monstrous member of the superhero team thanks to an international banner. Check it out below!

This Instagram post captures all four members of Marvel’s First Family on a billboard from a Spanish-speaking country, and while it’s great to see Johnny and Sue showing off their abilities (once again, Reed doesn’t feel like stretching), the big draw is finally seeing The Thing’s handsome face…well, someone out there must think he looks good.

Ben Grimm, played by Jamie Bell in the reboot, will turn into The Thing when he, Reed Richards, Susan Storm and Johnny Storm teleport to an alternate dimension and are transformed in unimaginable ways. Unlike the others, Ben can’t switch back to his human form, so he’s stuck as this orange rock monster, but on the upside, he now has super-strength and enhanced durability, so that’s a plus.

Fans first got an inkling of how this incarnation of The Thing would look when a supposed set photo was leaked last summer of his stand-in bust, prompting the studio to do its best to take down the image. Since then, the only times we’ve glimpsed the transformed Ben Grimm have been shots from behind. Now that we’ve seen what he looks like, the next thing the studio needs to do is throw in some clips of him fighting Doom or another adversary in the next trailer. Let’s see ol’ rock head in action!

Although this new Thing looks fairly faithful to his comic book counterpart, he looks much different from the previous live-action Thing played by Michael Chikils, seen below.

While Chiklis’ Thing was created through practical effects and makeup, Bell’s Thing will be accomplished primarily through CGI, giving audiences a bulkier and rockier incarnation of the character. Opinions will differ one which version looks better, but size-wise, Bell’s Thing has the edge.

Once again, this proves that studios need to exercise control and release first looks as soon as possible rather than wait for a fan to do their job. Imagine how great it would have been if 20th Century Fox had released an official version of this online rather than someone snapping a grainy picture on their cell phone and posting it to their personal social media account. Gazing at a clear image is the best way to experience seeing a superhero’s look for the first time. Wouldn't you agree?

Mere hours ago we reported on That Awkward Moment stars Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller signing up for a Warner Bros. heist film, and while that project was good enough to warrant an approving nod, we’re a hell of a lot more interested in the two actors reteaming for Josh Trank’s upcoming reboot of The Fantastic Four for Fox. And what do you know, Fox has finally confirmed that both Jordan and Teller are entering final negotiations to star, and they’re being joined by House of Cards’ Kata Mara and Snowpiercer’s Jamie Bell. The rumors are finally said and done. We now have an official Fantastic Four, and they’re actually fantastic actors!

Miles Teller is Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic

Kate Mara is Sue Storm, Invisible Woman

Michael B. Jordan is Johnny Storm, Human Torch

Jamie Bell is Ben Grimm, Thing

It’s been so long since this project began coming together, I don’t know if I’ll be able to properly adjust to it moving forward. Jordan has been loosely attached to the film since last May, while Teller and Mara’s names came up in October. THR reports Bell landed the job after Fox’s brass couldn’t agree on anyone else during the initial audition phase.

Teller, who has emerged as a strong go-to actor after roles in last year’s The Spectacular Now and this year's Sundance hit Whiplash, will be playing lead man Reed Richard, who is turned into the stretch-friendly Mr. Fantastic. There is a slight chance that scheduling issues may knock him out of the film, as he is also being looked at for the upcoming John Belushi biopic that’s set to start filming this spring. That sounds like more of a "prestige pic vs. tentpole money money money pic," but I’m sure he’ll be swayed to the superhero side.

Jordan will indeed be playing Johnny Storm, also known as the Human Torch, while Mara will take the role of the Invisible Woman Sue Storm. These two characters are supposed to be brother and sister, so it’s unclear at the moment how the story will be changed to make room for the change in race. Adopted siblings perhaps? While no background explanation is needed to explain why Bell nabbed the rock-headed part of Ben "The Thing" Grimm, it’s somewhat strange that they didn’t go with someone more built. (But then I’ve never seen Bell with his shirt off, which may change if I ever get around to Lars Van Trier’s Nymphomaniac.)

The Fantastic Four has seen its share of ups and downs over the past year or so, with a complete change in screenwriters occurring last fall, when X-Men: Days of Future Past writer Simon Kinberg was brought in to rewrite Jeremy Slater’s script, which was also retouched by Seth Grahame-Smith, Michael Green and T.S. Nowlin, with Trank also getting involved at some point. We all know that a film with this many screenwriters NEVER gets it wrong, right?

For now, this potential blockbuster has a release date set for June 19, 2015, and production is scheduled to begin in Louisiana this March.

Obviously there are a few choices here that might be considered controversial: this is the first time that we'll be seeing an African-American version of Johnny Storm, and the other three actors aren't exactly the first names you think of when fantasy casting a superhero movie (plus, they are all very young). What do you think of this casting job? Do you think the project is headed in an interesting direction, or are you ready to give up already? Answer our poll below!

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With all of the media frenzy surrounding the final season of Breaking Bad and the latest season of The Walking Dead, we haven’t heard a ton about the projects AMC currently has in the works. This week, the cable network finally put together a first look at Turn, the Revolutionary War era drama that is expected to air on AMC in the spring of 2014. From what the trailer illuminates, the drama will be full of mystery and intrigue, as well as plenty of fighting.

There are a lot of nods to the Revolutionary War in Fox’s freshman drama, Sleepy Hollow, but while Hollow tries for a historical retelling with a supernatural element, Turn is busy promoting that it is “based on a true story.” Set in 1788, the preview mostly focuses on Abe Woodhull, a character played by Billy Elliot actor Jamie Bell. Bell was the first to be signed to the pilot last winter, but he was soon joined by the likes of We Bought A Zoo’s Angus Macfadyen and Pirates of the Caribbean 's Kevin McNally.

Turn is based on Alexander Rose’s book, Washington’s Spies, which tells the story of an unlikely group of men in America who created a secret society known as The Culper Ring. The spying organization used both male and female spies in order to help turn the tide in the fight against England. Bell’s character, Woodhull, is only an average Joe farmer at the beginning of the series, but his attitude changes after he is caught smuggling on the black market. I’m wondering if those images of the character getting smacked around by British officers are related to those smuggling charges. I guess we won’t have much longer to wait to find out.

We also get a few scenes between Bell’s character and McNally’s. The latter will play Woodhull’s father in the series. Richard Woodhull is described as a complicated man who on the surface seems loyal to the English government. However, he might be willing to switch sides should the tides of the war turn, and his son’s involvement with The Culper Ring might very well have something to do with his loyalties. Or maybe not. The two do seem to be arguing pretty heavily in the preview.

There haven’t been a ton of TV programs devoted to the Revolutionary War period in the past (the most recent I can think of is HBO’s miniseries John Adams, which partially covers that time period). So, Turn should at least offer a fairly fresh historical perspective. It’s still too early to tell if this one will be a hit, but goodness knows AMC could use a ratings bringer to fill the space left in lieu of new episodes of Breaking Bad.

We’ll let you know as soon as Turn gets an official premiere date.

Moviegoers around the world know Chris Evans as the clean-cut titular hero of Captain America: The First Avenger, but this character poster for his Avengers follow-up Snowpiercer shows a bearded and brooding side to the actor we've never seen before. As the first English-language feature from celebrated South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, Snowpiercer has attracted a staggeringly promising cast that includes Academy Award winners Tilda Swinton and Octavia Spencer, as well as John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Ewen Bremner, Song Kang-ho, who starred in Joon-ho's The Host.

Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, Snowpiercer is set in a bleak future where the world has been submerged into hostile Ice Age-like environment. The last scraps of humanity now live within the confines of the titular train as it speeds through the unrelenting drifts of snow and ice. But even with humankind dwindled down to this meager population, class war continues. You can see some signs of it in the new characters posters, compiled by Movies.com, below.

Ko Ah-Sung, who also appeared in The Host, plays Yona.

Ed Harris plays Wilford.

Tilda Swinton sporting some truly terrifying movie makeup and low-key Princess Leia hair is Mason.

Ewen Bremner, who you probably recognize from Trainspotting, plays Andrew.

Jamie Bell plays Edgar.

John Hurt plays Gilliam.

Song Kang-ho portrays Namgoong Minsu.

And finally, Octavia Spencer portrays Tanya.

We know from the concept art that life aboard Snowpiercer isn't the same for everyone. Snowpiercer's poster revealed the sardine-in-a-can lifestyle for the train's have-nots. Teasing passport promos gave us our first looks at the actual film, along with an idea of who lives in what section, be it the front, tail, engine, or prison departments. All that remains is a trailer, which should be coming soon since poster promises a summer release. At this point, our excitement level is so high that yesterday isn't soon enough.

The cast of Bong Joon-ho's post-apocalyptic thriller Snow Piercer has grown by one more notable U.K. actor. Ewen Bremner, best-known for playing the sweet but simple Spud in Trainspotting, has just signed on, joining an impressive ensemble that already includes the beguiling Tilda Swinton, the engaging Jamie Bell, and the legendary John Hurt.

Snow Piercer will mark Joon-ho's English-language debut, and the writer-director behind the chilling allegorical monster tale The Host and the haunting crime-drama Mother has had no trouble snagging top notch talent. Aside from the great performers he's garnered from Great Britain, Joon-ho has also scored Captain America: The First Avenger star Chris Evans, and Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer as well as South Korean movie star Kang-ho Song to star in his train-set thriller inspired by the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige.

In the film, a train called Snow Piercer makes its way through an enveloping Ice Age while the contentious survivors on board fall into an explosive class warfare. Details on what roles these extraordinary actors will take on have been scarce, but Variety reveals that Bremner will play "a father who joins forces with Evans' character to save his kidnapped son." Could this mean that Bremner will play Spencer's husband, as she's been assigned a role as a mother who reluctantly joins the revolt to save her son?

As I'm admittedly unfamiliar with the source material, it's hard for me to say at this point where the class lines will fall. However, I do anticipate that Swinton's steely demeanor will cast her in the upper class, and suspect that Captain America will be on the side of the have-nots, which means Bremner would follow suit. Beyond that it becomes harder to pick who could be on what side of the class divide. Bell made his name on his portrayal of a blue-collar kid in Billy Elliot, but could well play a posh young man, and Hurt, as a wizened white man, could reasonably be typecast on either end of the conflict. Spencer, however, has shown such an overwhelming affability that I suspect Joon-ho will have her in a hero role, likely fighting alongside Evans. Hopefully more definitive details will emerge as the film nears its fast-approaching shoot date.

Production on Snow Piercer is set to begin in the coming weeks.

Chris Evans has landed a couple of co-stars. Earlier this week it was reported that the Captain America: The First Avenger star could sign on for the newest film from The Host writer-director Bong Joon-ho and today Variety has learned that two very high profile names from this year's Oscar race are also in talks to board the movie.

Tilda Swinton and Jamie Bell are now in talks for Snow Piercer, a project that also has the distinction of having Chan-wook Park attached as a producer. The movie is set in a world that is covered in ice and snow and follows a group of passengers on a train that must help each other in order to survive. While she is seemingly always in the Oscar race in some capacity or another, this year Swinton has earned high marks and incredibly buzz for her performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin, while Bell was the star of The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which is currently considered the frontrunner in the Best Animated Feature category at the Academy Awards. The film will be the first American film that Bong Joon-ho has directed and has him following in Park's footsteps (the director recently completed production on Stocker, starring Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode and Dermot Mulroney). The trade doesn't mention when the project will go into production.

This project is really gaining steam fast. Evans has proven that he can give a great performance when given a solid script and character, but Swinton and Bell are just icing on the cake. This will be one to be on the lookout for.

Jamie Bell is the star of one of the huge movies opening this week, but you're not going to see his face on the poster, or in the movie at all. As the motion-capture performer playing the title character in The Adventures of Tintin, Bell lent his voice, his body and his facial expressions to Tintin, the fearless boy reporter who teams up with the drunken former sea captain Haddock (Andy Serkis, a motion-capture master) to hunt down a sunken treasure. And while Tintin's round, freckled face and big swoop of hair look nothing like Bell, the actor admitted over the phone that he sees some of himself in there-- and that for his family and friends, it's a little odd to see a human being they know brought to life in an animated character.

Talking on the phone from Venice, Bell also told me about playing Tintin as kind of an enthusiastic Boy Scout, being witness to the collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson that Spielberg compared to the one he had with George Lucas, and how he acted alongside the key character of Tintin's dog Snowy-- even though Snowy was played by a cardboard model on the set. Check out the interview below, and see Tintin finally opening in American theaters tomorrow.

When you look at the character and look at the movie, do you see yourself?

I don't see any of myself. I see the digital character and the living, breathing photorealistic version of the Tintin character. Aesthetically you don't see you at all, but you see the choices you made as the actor driving that puppet. You can recognize your own authorship of the performance because you know the decision you made on the day. Then occasionally there will be the facial expression, like the brow or something.

Do you have family or friends who see you in there?

Yeah, it's weird-- it's Jamie but it's not Jamie. I think it's kind of weird for them.

I heard when you were filming there was no Snowy, it was just a cardboard dog. How was that for you guys filming, because the dog is such a big part of the movie.

I think it's a testament to the boys down at Weta Digital, because it's the only fully animated character. But also amazing work from Steven, who's got to be able to think about something that isn't there, even in composition of shots. I think there's an amazing display of forethought and expertise at managing so many things on a movie. Just to be able to go, wow, one of the major characters of the film isn't here, and yet he will be, so I've got to be thinking about that all the time. You'd think it'd be so easy to forget about him, because he doesn't exist. So how do we keep him active in the story and in the scene? That's kind of amazing.

Was it an additional challenge for you to go back and play a teenager, or is Tintin just so distinctly Tintin that you didn't think of the teenage element?

Yeah, he doesn't have the behavioral attitudes of an adolescent, or a teen specifically. There isn't anything specific that nails him to a certain age. It's more like a youthful enthusiasm that he has, a childlike quality that makes him unafraid of consequences. That fearlessness is connected in a way to childhood, like a Boy Scout or something like that.

He's challenging as a character because he doesn't really have an emotional arc-- it's really Haddock who has the journey. How do you play this character who's nonplussed by everything that happens to him, but still make him a person?

It's the spirit. That's the thing I really connect with. He doesn't have all the baggage of all the other characters. one's a kleptomaniac, the other has an addiction problem or an anger management issue. These other two guys are kind of insane-- the Thompson Twin characters are nuts! They've all got very specific and human characteristics, but Tintin, his characteristic is being earnest, being fearless, and being so driven to find the MacGuffin of the story. The character, if you think about it-- and this is a note that we went backwards and forward on-- he's looking for the treasure, he's looking for an answer, but he finds a friend. In the history of the Tintin universe, that's such an integral meeting, and such an important moment for him as a character. They get there in the end, to the sense of friendship, but for a lot of the movie Haddock ruins a lot of stuff.

What was Peter Jackson's role on the set, as he produced this while Spielberg was directing.

Peter was very, very hands on. Steven really wanted his opinion, he wanted a collaboration like he had with Lucas. I think he is used to working well with people, and is used to communicating and collaborating with someone whose opinion is very important to him. Peter was on the set for the first week of principal capturing, then he went back to New Zealand to start writing The Hobbit. But literally every day of the shoot he would chime in on Skype. He talked to Steven, talked to the actors, looked at the takes we were dong and the way things were being made. He was always present with the production of the movie, so they actually collaborated really well.

So it will be a natural transition for him taking over as director.

For him taking on a Tintin movie is a natural progression within the series. I'll be interested to see what Peter will do with the characters and what kind of movie he would make.

The lead character of Irvine Welsh's Filth sounds like a dream job for any actor. Bruce Robertson is a Scottish cop and misanthrope who is addicted to sex and drugs and would rather spend his days pranking his fellow police offers than doing his job. It's nothing you wouldn't expect from the author of Trainspotting, but what performer wouldn't want to try their hand at playing someone like that? In that sense, James McAvoy has just won the lottery.

The Playlist has received confirmation from Welsh himself that casting has begun for an adaptation of Filth and McAvoy has landed the lead role. What's more, Jamie Bell and Alan Cumming have both come on-board as well, starring as Ray Lennox (Robertson's partner) and Chief Inspector Bob Toal (Roberton's boss), respectively. The project is being directed by Jon S. Baird, who only has one feature credit to his name, but it impressed Welsh to the point that he knew he wanted the filmmaker on board. "Jon did a biopic of Cass Pennant, a film called Cass, which was well received in the U.K," Welsh said. "It was compared favourably by some of the critics to This Is England. It was the same kind of style and really kind of a beautiful little film."

Baird as also done a rewrite on the script, which Welsh called "absolutely brilliant." The project is scheduled to start production in January 2012. Given the three actors that have already been wrangled, this could definitely turn out to be a project to look out for.

Kevin Macdonald had just finished making State of Play, a movie about a lot of people in rooms hunched over sheafs of paper and computer screens, when he was given the opportunity to tramp around in the Scottish wilderness where he'd grown up-- oh, and he'd be making a movie in the process. Adapting the historical adventure novel he first read when he was eleven years old, MacDonald took off to the Scottish highlands as well as Hungary to make The Eagle, a movie about a Roman centurion and his embittered slave seeking a priceless artifact in the unknown wilds north of the Roman wall that marked the end of their empire in the second century.

Channing Tatum stars as the Roman war hero Marcus Aquila, with Jamie Bell as the slave Esca who accompanies him. Macdonald, who started his career with documentaries like Touching the Void and One Day in September before making his narrative directing debut with The Last King of Scotland, knew perfectly well that Tatum was an unexpected choice to play an ancient Roman soldier. His idea, as he told me in our interview in early January in New York City, was to depict the Romans as Americans, the closest modern equivalent he could find to the strength of the ancient Roman Empire. As for the mysterious tribe that Marcus and Esca encounter in the far north near the end of the film, Macdonald had to take a leap from known history and invent a people he calls the Seal Tribe, painting their faces in mud, speaking a strange Gaelic tongue, and led by a warrior played by A Prophet's Tahar Rahim.

I started by asking Macdonald about casting Tatum, an actor not given the credit both he and I think he deserves, and how he imagined the film not as a sword-and-sandals epic, but as a Western. We also talked about the invented Seal People tribe, and if he was playing off the classical trope of "dark skin= bad" or going for something else, plus casting Rahim over Skype just after A Prophet premiered at Cannes. The Eagle opens this Friday.

Jamie Bell, a.k.a. the actor everyone thought was Spider-Man until Andrew Garfield got the job, isn't going to just fall back and lick his wounds after that brutal casting process. No, he hasn't already found his own superhero project-- that revenge would be just a little too perfect-- but he is still working, at least. Deadline reports that he's signed on to star opposite Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton in The Retreat, a small-scale British thriller that shoots in Wales next month.

It isn't said explicitly in the piece, but presumably Bell will be playing the man in the biohazard suit who washes up on the shore of a remote island where a couple (Murphy and Newton) happen to be vacationing. The man claims he's the only survivor of a killer virus, and the couple have to decide what to do from there. It sounds like one of those movies that could easily be a play, emphasizing the performances and the dynamic between the main actors, and the prospect of watching Newton, Murphy and Bell bounce off each other is enough to sell me on this already. A challenging role that doesn't require jumping into a skintight bodysuit? Bell is probably grateful at this point to have missed that boat .

It's the casting process that never ends, despite the fact that the movie in question has a release date and a whole chunk of money riding on it. For months since they announced that they were rebooting the entire Spider-Man franchise, Sony has proceeded with caution through every major decision, from picking a director (Marc Webb) to the agonizing process of figuring out who will play Spidey. The rumors have been leaking out for weeks, with names like Josh Hutcherson, Andrew Garfield, Anton Yelchin, Logan Lerman, Aaron Johnson, Jamie Bell, Frank Dillane, Michael Angarano, Alden Ehrenreich and who knows who else batted around endlessly. For a minute we thought Jamie Bell had the job. Then Hutcherson said he was still in the running. With the exception of the short-lived Donald for Spider-Man experiment, most of us gave up caring about this a long time ago.

Now, according to Deadline, we may soon be put out of our Peter Parker misery and move on to worrying about who will play all the other roles. The studio reportedly viewed screen tests from all of their finalists on Friday, and is "getting closer" to finding the right actor. They're planning to begin production by the end of this year in order to make the July 3, 2012 release date, and given that no one else has even been rumored for other roles, yeah, it's definitely high time they stop dragging their heels.

Pretty much all of the names mentioned above came in for screen tests, though Hutcherson may very well be out of the running after all, and Dillane is likely to choose drama school over a small chance at webslinging anyway. And don't take any of this all that seriously-- there may still be more names added to the list. Feel free to go back to tearing out your hair and feeling nostalgic for the simpler days when Tobey Maguire could simply be dragged back to the role kicking and screaming.

UPDATE: Cinematical asked Sony about the rumor and weren't able to get a denial, just a "no comment." You can read as much or as little into that as you see fit.

A few weeks ago British actor Jamie Bell was listed on the shortlist of actors who might play Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot. But if reports coming in to Bleeding Cool are accurate, he may have finally gotten the job. They're hearing "repeated reports" that Sony has picked Bell for the job, though with no sources cited you are hereby instructed to treat this news as complete rumor.

Bell already has one franchise on the horizon, portraying the titular character in the Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson Tintin movies, the first of which would hit theaters in December 2011, just six months before the new Spider-Man is set to premiere. Is Jamie Bell going to be the new Sam Worthington, a guy who shows up in every blockbuster whether you want him or not? And how about the fact that they're choosing a Brit to play one of the most American superheroes (his uniform isn't red and blue for the Union Jack, that's for sure). Then again, when they choose Josh Hutcherson for the role in a few weeks, you can chalk this rumor up as false and calm back down. We'll keep you posted either way.

Here we go again. Shortly after the news that Sony would be rebooting the Spider-Man franchise and replacing Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, rumors ran amok claiming everyone from Logan Lerman to Josh Hutcherson was a lock to portray the character. The rumor mill went quiet for awhile but tonight THR has turned the key on that engine again with a list of actors they claim are the top candidates to become the new webslinger.

None of the people listed are well known names. The most recognizable of the bunch are Josh Hutcherson and Jamie Bell. 18-year-old Hutcherson is probably best known for his work in Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D opposite Brendan Fraser. He had a bigger role in the underwatched Cirque du Freak last year as well. 24-year-old Brit Jamie Bell has had prominent roles in movies like Billy Elliott, King Kong, and Jumper. He’s also in Spielberg’s Tintin, which much like soccer and David Hasselhoff, I’m told will be big in Europe.

The other three on the list are less well known. Alden Ehrenreich is a 20-year-old Californian whose been in nothing you’re likely to have seen (unless you’re one of the cinephiles who saw Tetro). Frank Dillane is a 19-year-old Brit who played 16-year-old Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Andrew Garfield is the oldest of the bunch. A 27-year-old LA native he most recently stole scenes opposite Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Sony’s plan (let’s stop calling it Marc Webb’s plan… it can’t be his plan if Sony already had everything laid out before he was hired) is to take Spider-Man back to high school, and probably keep him there as long as possible in an effort to appeal more to Twilight-loving tweens. With that in mind you’d think they’d be casting as young as possible, which makes Josh Hutcherson and Frank Dillane the most likely candidates. Except Josh Hutcherson may be busy playing the lead in Journey to the Center of the Earth 2 now that Brendan Fraser is out. That was the story we heard earlier this week.

Meanwhile Andrew Garfield was really, really good in Doctor Parnasus and Jamie Bell has always seemed like a gifted actor right on the cusp of a breakout role. Unfortunately Garfield and Bell, while probably the best actors of the bunch, are also the two oldest and Sony seems to be all about getting younger at the webhead position.

Ever wondered where tabloids like The Sun get their crazy, often wildly incorrect rumors? Then here’s your answer: random emails which they don’t research at all before publishing as absolute fact.

Right now The Sun is pedaling a rumor in which they claim Jamie Bell is set to star in the next Bond movie opposite Daniel Craig. This is a lie, but not one of their invention.

Earlier this week a new member appeared on our message board claiming to have inside information about the next Bond movie. The post remained up just long enough for it to be noticed before the poster self-deleted it. A few hours later I received an email from this same new message board member, claiming she deleted the message because she was afraid it might be traced back to her. This same person, who now called herself “Lilly” went on to tell me that she knew from her contacts that Jamie Bell would be in the next James Bond movie. I didn’t buy it.

So I responded by asking her to provide some means of corroboration for her story. We’re not opposed to running rumors here on Cinema Blend, but not just any rumor. Information from sources we know, it makes sense to publish, as long as it’s clearly labeled as a rumor. If we get random emails from strange women though, we get suspicious. So I asked Lilly for proof that she knew what she was talking about and she sent me this:

Very convincing sounding, but also completely unverifiable. I smelled a rat and it didn’t seem worth wasting any more of my time trying to confirm something so suspicious. Lilly’s email went in my trash folder and I forgot about it.

A few hours later I received a different kind of tip. A tip which led me to a discussion happening here. There, a group had gotten together in an attempt to spread a fake Jamie Bell for James Bond rumor, all as part of proving a point about the way blogs handle their news. They started by trying to spread it to us, mistakenly believing that our Rachel Weisz rumor from a few weeks ago happened in the same manner (It didn’t, as we disclosed in our original post, it came from a proven source.). When we didn’t bite, they moved on to spreading it elsewhere. It’s been done before and while it may be an effective way to spread falsehoods, I’m not sure it really proves anything other than that people lie on the internet. No newsflash there, except that in this case it’s a lie which bloggers are now falling for.

The Sun has republished their fake Jamie Bell for James Bond rumor as have a growing number of other sources. It’s spreading like wildfire and now there’s no stopping it. Suddenly everyone believes Jamie Bell is set to appear in the next 007. Why did so many reporters buy in?

It’s a complex question. Most I’m sure will be quick to dismiss this all as a cynical grab for traffic by publishing carefully crafted fake stories, but if anything this proves that it isn’t. The Sun for instance, didn’t themselves invent a fake story to grab attention, they were simply fooled. There’s a big difference between fabricating a story of thin air and publishing something from an unreliable source. The Sun’s biggest mistake, beyond buying into something that was obviously a hoax, is in failing to disclose how shaky and unconfirmed the rumor was. The Sun, as they always do, published it as if it were fact.

I have no problem with rumors when the person publishing them is honest about where they got them and what they are. This particular rumor should have been filtered out as garbage, but the reality is that this isn’t always easy. A reporter can, for instance, check with studio sources or talent agents, but that’s always a dead end road. Even if a rumor’s true, publicists are trained to deny it (assuming you can even get them to answer their phone). A denial from an agent doesn’t mean a rumor is false, all it really means is that they’re not willing to talk about it. The fact is that a lot of these “denied” rumors end up being true. So as a reporter, where do you go for confirmation? You have two choices really: Sit and wait for the studio or an agent to issue a press release two years from now (which they’ll give exclusively to Variety) or do everything you can to verify your rumor and then run it, hoping for the best.

Where bloggers so often run into trouble is in their failure to disclose information as a rumor. For instance when the scrupulously honest reporters at Screen Rant picked up this same bogus Bond gossip they repeatedly reiterated “this is far from confirmed in any way”. The Sun on the other hand failed to mention at any point in their article that this is a rumor, let alone a rumor received from an extremely suspicious source.