Musicals are a tried and true genre in the film world, with a number of movie musicals winning Best Picture throughout the years. One title that has a cult following is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is returning to Broadway with a star-studded cast. Luke Evans is starring as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and looks ripped in the first look at the show. And after seeing the cast in costume, I absolutely want a new Rocky Horror movie.

Many of us grew up seeing Rocky Horror in theaters, complete with props, callouts to the screen, and costumes. So the fact that it's going back to the Great White Way shortly after the movie's 50th Anniversary feels appropriate. We just got our first look at the cast in costume, and I can't get over how jacked Evans looks as Frank. Check it out below:

You're lucky, he's lucky, I'm lucky, we're all lucky! Lucky that Luke Evans' latest thirst trap shows him looking incredible as Frank-N-Furter, that is. And he's not the only person who is stunning in is look at the new Broadway revival cast. But for real, I wouldn't want to be on the other side of Evan's Frank as he murders Eddie on stage. That honor goes to What We Do in the Shadows star Harvey Guillén, who is taking the role famously played by Meatloaf in the film.

The cast of the new Rocky Horror on Broadway are rocking some costumes that are unique to what we might expect from the well-known characters from the offbeat musical. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez looks stunning as Columbia, including some plunging necklines and gorgeous looks rather than the typical gold jacket and hat. The same can also be said for Juliette Lewis and Amber Gray, who are wearing chic maid outfits as Magenta and Riff Raff respectively.

Since there are so many accomplished stars of TV and film (including Stephanie Hsu as Janet), I'd personally love to see this cast get the chance to bring their performances to film. Obviously, they'd have some big shoes to fill considering just how iconic 1975's The Rocky Horror Picture Show is, but they've got the talent and resumes to pull it off IMO.

Of course, hardcore Rocky fans out there will recall that we got a new filmed version just a few years ago. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again aired on Fox in 2016 at the height of the live TV musical revival. While it was filmed ahead of time, it featured Laverne Cox as Frank-N-Furter, Adam Lambert as Eddie, and Annaleigh Ashford as Columbia. The great Tim Curry even got to appear as the Narrator/Criminologist.

The Rocky Horror Show's opening night is April 23rd, and it's currently in previews. We're doing the time warp again, but we'll have to see if another movie ever happens.

Some of our best horror movies have been centered around characters who just so happen to be legendary creatures of the night: vampires. And, because of the enduring popularity of these mythological bloodsuckers, not only do we also have a number of TV vamps, but many famous actors who’ve portrayed some version of the famed, usually-human-looking beasts. Here for you now are 32 actors who’ve played a vampire.

Eddie Murphy (Vampire In Brooklyn)

So many vamps have been seen on screen that even a comedy and action movie legend like Eddie Murphy has played one. The 1995 horror comedy, Vampire in Brooklyn, saw the star play the last member of a group of Caribbean vampires, who hits New York to find a mate so that he can continue his family line.

Tom Cruise (Interview With The Vampire)

Who could forget the 1994 film that gave us Tom Cruise as the captivating and cruel (And blond!) bloodthirsty fiend, Lestat de Lioncourt, from author Anne Rice’s legendary novel series, The Vampire Chronicles? Of course, it also gave us Brad Pitt’s tortured vamp, Louis, and made a star out of young Kirsten Dunst.

Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

While there are some obvious stars to add to this list, let us not forget that the cast of famous (and soon-to-be-famous) vampires in The Twilight Saga films was quite stacked. That roster included noted child star Dakota Fanning, who portrayed the villainous Volturi guard member, Jane, who was able to mentally create sensations of pain in those who she deemed worthy of punishment.

Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood)

Several vampire-focused TV shows have hit the airwaves over the past 20 or so years, so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the HBO hit, True Blood. Many of its stars portrayed members of vamp-kind for most or all of the series’ seven seasons, but Evan Rachel Wood made an equally impressive (bloody) splash as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, during her recurring guest appearances in Seasons 2-4.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

Back to Twilight! It’s not worth mentioning this franchise without bringing up lead romantic vamp Edward Cullen, as well as the man who brought him to life in five movies, eventuall live action Batman actor Robert Pattinson. Despite the fact that his love interest’s portrayer, Kristen Stewart, would have dumped Edward “immediately”!

Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In)

It’s possible that we don’t get creepier than kid vampires in movies and television shows, and that’s what we got with Chloë Grace Moretz’s Abby in the 2010 film, Let Me In. She befriends a young loner after moving into his apartment complex, but is (you guessed it) hiding nefarious purposes he could have never guessed, which end up taking his life in a most unexpected direction.

Salma Hayek (From Dusk Till Dawn)

This might be the shortest movie vampire appearance on the list, as 1996’s From Dusk Til Dawn saw Salma Hayek play the fanged exotic dancer, Santanico Pandemonium, only for about five memorable minutes that simply cannot be forgotten once witnessed.

Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows)

Undead life isn’t always filled with glamorous globe-hopping adventure, gorgeous mates who can’t resist you and other perks, at least according to 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows, which concerns the rather mundane day-to-day lives of vampire roommates, of whom Taika Waititi’s uptight and nearly 400-year-old vamp, Viago, is among.

Theo James (Underworld: Awakening, Underworld: Blood Wars)

Another big screen franchise that depended on heaps of stars to populate its supernatural world is that of Underworld. Two sequels saw Theo James play the heroic vampire, David, heir to one of the main vamp covens, and lead Selene’s one steadfast ally during an important time in her journey.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow Of The Vampire)

Not many cinematic vampires are said to be based on a real person, but the one played by Willem Dafoe in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire is. He portrayed a fictionalized version of the real Nosferatu lead actor, Max Schreck, whom the crew begins to suspect is an actual vampire because of his behavior and the strange goings-on surrounding filming.

Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000)

Speaking of vampires who are based on real people…Author Bram Stoker based his Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, and Gerard Butler played yet another version of the ever-popular character in a film from, yes, 2000. This tale sees the ancient vamp accidentally awoken by a group of thieves who find and steal his highly protected coffin, which had been watched over by generations of the Van Helsing family.

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

A Marvel character that will soon have another portrayer when the upcoming Blade reboot finally begins filming, the original action/horror trilogy famously saw Wesley Snipes take on the vampire/human hybrid titular lead, who’s a nearly unstoppable vamp hunter bent on taking down all members of the species who bit his mother and infected him with their supernatural blood while he was still in utero.

Colin Farrell (Fright Night)

If a scary and suave undead night stalker is your type, look no further than Colin Farrell’s Jerry Dandrige in 2011’s remake of the 1985 cult classic, Fright Night. He may have to eventually do battle with a couple of teenagers, but he sure looks darn good doing it.

Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers)

A movie that takes a more science-fiction approach to a world overrun by vampires is the 2009 film Daybreakers, which sees Ethan Hawke play a vamp hematologist who refuses to drink human blood and is looking for a synthetic option to their usual meal of choice that will stop humanity from being wiped out by his more brutal peers.

Luke Evans (Dracula Untold)

Again with Dracula? Why, yes! This time, Luke Evans plays a Vlad the Impaler who only becomes a vampire to have the strength, speed and ferocity to turn back an invading army in an attempt to save the people of his kingdom. Does it work out for him? Well, yes…and no.

Kate Beckinsale (Underworld)

There’s no mentioning the Underworld franchise without giving respect to the main heroine, Kate Beckinsale’s Selene. In the first film she’s a vampire looking to destroy the werewolves that killed her family, but she ends up uncovering a major secret about the two sets of creatures and falling in love with a human, instead.

Alicia Silverstone (Vamps)

This 2012 horror comedy sees Alicia Silverstone play Goody, an old vampire who tries to stay young and hip while helping her much younger bloodsucking buddy, Stacy (Krysten Ritter), get used to her powers as they try to abstain from the red stuff during their immortal and unholy (sorta) lives.

Pedro Pascal (Bloodsucking Bastards)

Ever wondered what working in an office that was slowly being overrun by vampires who care as much about the bottom line as they do about drinking blood would be like? Just watch Bloodsucking Bastards, where beloved The Last of Us cast member Pedro Pascal begins turning his employees into the titular immortals.

Jim Carrey (Once Bitten)

Jim Carrey’s first leading role came in this 1985 comedy, where he played a teen virgin turned into a vampire by an alluring, 400-year-old creature of the night, who seduced him so she could use his blood to keep her youthful appearance.

Paul Reubens (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

In the 1992 horror comedy that eventually led to the long-running series of the same name, the late Paul Reubens starred as Amilyn, a vamp doing the bidding of a much more powerful bloodsucker who’s ruling his kind in Los Angeles.

Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood)

While HBO’s True Blood was positively filled with the undead, few of them made as much of an impact on audiences (and the lead, Sookie) as Alexander Skarsgård’s cunning and alluring (but sorta evil) 1,000-year-old Eric Northman. This also happens to be the role that really made Skarsgård famous.

David Boreanaz (Buffy, Angel)

When it comes to popular TV vampires, no one can discount the reign of David Boreanaz as evil vamp turned heroic vamp (and then sometimes evil vamp again) Angel, whom he played on Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning with the first episode in 1997, through wrapping his run on the fifth season series finale of his own show, Angel, in 2004.

Sterling K. Brown (Supernatural)

Sterling K. Brown may best be known now for delivering heartfelt emotions as Randall Pearson on This Is Us, but for four episodes across Seasons 2 and 3 of the CW mega-hit, Supernatural, he played Hunter and dedicated vamp-hater-turned-vampire, Gordon Walker, to astounding, understandably cold-blooded effect.

Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys)

Even though Kiefer Sutherland was certainly a star on the rise by the time he starred in The Lost Boys in 1987, his part as apparent vampire motorcycle gang leader David cemented his leading man qualities and turned him into a household name.

Rami Malek (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II)

Sure, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best Rami Malek movies to watch, but let’s not discount his turn as the powerful (and ancient) Egyptian vampire, Benjamin, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II, one of the few creatures of the night in the franchise who can directly manipulate things, with his specialty being controlling fire, water, air and earth.

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

Yet another actor you may have forgotten was fanged in the expansive Twilight franchise is Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard. She took over the role of evil, vengeful vamp Victoria (who’s looking to kill Bella in retaliation for Edward killing her love, James) from Rachelle Lefevre, for the third movie, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive)

As one half of the very old vampire couple at the center of the 2013 dramedy, Only Lovers Left Alive, Tilda Swinton is a wife forced to visit the husband (played by Tom Hiddleston) she’s long been separated from once she realizes his lengthy undead existence has begun to bring him down, as she tries to force him to reevaluate the value of living forever.

Bill Nighy (Underworld, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans)

Every good vampire needs a parental figure to show them the ropes, and for Underworld’s Selene, that role was filled by Viktor, who was portrayed by Love, Actually star Bill Nighy. His Vampire Elder turned out to be more of a threat than the heroine ever expected, though, leading to some tense moments between Selene and her mentor.

Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula) 

Back to Drac! One of the most popular films about the character is still 1992’s Bram Stoker's Dracula, which saw eventual Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban star Gary Oldman play Vlad Dracula.

Christopher Meloni (True Blood)

Where there is one vampire there are generally enough to have a whole hierarchy among their brethren, and as with the series True Blood, sometimes we get to see what that could look like. In Season 5, Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni portrayed the Guardian, Roman Zimojic, who led the Vampire Authority and (ostensibly) set the rules for all vamps. Many, however, didn’t agree with his desire to have his kind fit in with human society, which caused a lot of problems for the calm, determined and deadly when challenged leader.

Nicolas Cage (Renfield)

If you guessed that this is yet another Dracula story, well, you’re sort of correct. 2023’s horror comedy, Renfield, stars Nicholas Hoult as the count’s titular long-time familiar, who’s tired of helping him kill innocent people and all the abuse he’s taken from the being who gifted him with immortality, as well as super strength and speed (when he eats bugs) 90 years prior. So, he gets help from a support group for people in codependent relationships in order to be able to live his own life again. Nicolas Cage is our Dracula here, and he’s a perfectly winking one, who still manages to be creepy and deadly.

Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows)

Johnny Depp has become known for his outrageous characters, and his Barnabas Collins is no different. The 2012 Dark Shadows film (which was based on the 1966-1971 gothic daytime drama of the same name) follows Barnabas after he’s cursed with vampirism in 1760, buried alive in a coffin, and then accidentally freed in the early 1970s. He rejoins the Collins family at the estate they still hold, while trying to keep his true nature a secret, but hijinks ensue as his past comes back to haunt them. 

This, of course, is just a small sampling of the famous actors who've portrayed vampires over the years, but if you decide to do a vamp movie/TV show marathon, you can start right here and have hours of entertainment.

For every mission the Fast & Furious family takes on, there’s a big bad behind it, and over the years we’ve seen some truly iconic as well as fairly forgettable villains try to take down Dominic Toretto and his family. From Charlize Theron to Jason Statham to John Cena we’ve seen some epic actors join the franchise, and now with Jason Momoa in Fast X as the latest antagonist, we figured it’d be the perfect time to rank all the villains that have tried to bring down the family. And let me just tell you upfront, while we may rank the Fast & Furious movies one way, when it comes to the bad guys, it’s a totally different story, so let’s get into it. 

10. DK Takashi -- Tokyo Drift

Overall, I really don’t like Tokyo Drift. While Han is great, this movie seriously messed up the Fast and Furious timeline, and it had not only a forgettable but a terrible villain. DK Takashi was an adult who got into a battle with a teen, or a kid if you will, over a girl, and that really rubbed me the wrong way. While Sean was low-key asking for the fight, this bad guy shouldn’t have gotten into a tiff with a teen, I draw the line at trying to destroy minors when you’re an adult, it’s not a good look. 

9.  Johnny Tran -- The Fast And The Furious

While Johnny Tran is the reason both Dom and Brian were in trouble, and was the reason they met, this big bad is really not that memorable. When I think of The Fast and The Furious I think of the conflict between Vin Diesel and Paul Walker’s characters, not how they ultimately stopped Johnny Tran. So, while the first movie in this franchise genuinely rocks, the villain is not the best. 

8. Arturo Braga -- Fast & Furious

Arturo Braga is yet another forgettable gang leader/mob boss from the early years of the Fast saga. While I did like the surprise reveal of Braga, and we didn’t really know who he was for a lot of the movie, it could have been better. For example, I wrote in my thoughts about Fast & Furious that it would have been extra epic if Gal Gadot ended up being Braga, but no, it was what we all expected, it was just some guy. 

7. Hernan Reyes -- Fast Five

You don’t remember the villain of Fast Five, you remember the heist. While this fifth movie is considered one of the best in the franchise, and rightfully so, Hernan Reyes is by no means the best villain. While he’s pretty terrible, and a scary mob boss, he’s too similar to Fast’s former bad guys. However, the fact that the epic heist happens because of him helps his case, because that safe chase scene is still one of the best set pieces across the franchise.

6. Cipher -- The Fate Of The Furious

Why does Chipher feel the need to nuke the world? And why is Dom Toretto so heavily involved in her plan to do so? I have absolutely no idea, which is why she’s right in the middle of this list. While I love that the villain of Fate of the Furious was played by Charlize Theron, and we finally got a woman as the big bad, her character just felt like a vehicle for technical speak, and when it came to her motivations they were incredibly unclear. 

I adore Charlize Theron, and she’s such an action icon, so having her in the franchise is a fantastic choice, however, her character is by no means the best villain. 

 5. Carter Verone -- 2 Fast 2 Furious

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I think 2 Fast 2 Furious is camp, and I love it for that. Part of the reason for the extra-ness of this movie stems from Cole Hauser’s villain Carter Verone, who is a rich drug lord in Miami who Brian and Roman are trying to stop. He’s over the top, and incredibly violent (I mean do you remember that rat scene?) which makes him a hard villain to forget, and a fun opponent for the crew. 

Verone is also easily the best villain of the early Fast movies before the franchise started hiring A-Listers to play the big bads. It also helps that I’m a fan of Yellowstone, and who wouldn’t want to see Rip Wheeler as a villain in the Fast franchise?

4.  Jakob Toretto -- F9: The Fast Saga

John Cena joining the Fast family felt inevitable, and when it came time for him to join the franchise he did it in such a fun and relatively meaningful way as Dom’s half-brother Jakob Toretto. One of the reasons I thought F9 really worked was because the flashbacks of Dom and Jakob provided some much-needed depth to the story. Seeing how the two brothers grew apart, and how hurt Cena’s character was helped me understand why he wanted to take down the family, and it made me even happier when he decided to join it. 

3. Owen Shaw -- Fast & Furious 6

I have so many thoughts about Fast & Furious 6 and why it’s my favorite of the franchise and a few of them stem from the fact that Luke Evans' Owen Shaw is a maniacal, extreme, and overall fun villain. While we get a taste of the world-saving action in Fast 5, the sixth movie is the first time the crew really shifts into superhero mode as they try to stop Deckard Shaw's little brother from destroying the world.

In short, he’s got a big goal, some odd motivations, a big brother played by Jason Statham and a tank, making him one of the better villains in the saga. 

2. Dante Reyes -- Fast X

Jason Momoa’s candy-colored, scrunchy-wearing, incredibly enthusiastic villain Dante Reyes ruled. As multiple Fast X reviews have highlighted, including our own, Momoa is the star of this movie. To me adding the actor to the Fast X cast helped the franchise grow in the bad guy department, and overall Dante felt like a breath of fresh air for this series. On top of Fast X’s big bad rocking iconic pastel outfits, literally plié-ing across the screen, and bringing a fun silly goofy mood to the movie, he also has clear motivations. Also, he will actually do anything, no matter how terrible, to accomplish his goal. 

Overall, Dante is both a fun and terrifying villain, making him an instant classic among the Fast franchise’s bad guys.  

1. Deckard Shaw -- Furious 7

Easily the best villain and one of the best characters in this franchise is Deckard Shaw. Jason Statham appeared as Owen Shaw’s older brother and was responsible for Han’s death in the post-credit scene of Fast & Furious 6, and we’ve never looked back. He played the main villain in Furious 7, proving to be a great match for the crew. However, more importantly, he eventually became such a beloved character he became part of the family (sort of). 

After Statham’s explosive performance as the big bad in movie No. 7, he got to stay on board, and we got to meet his mother and sister through other movies. So, I think it’s safe to say that this incredibly suave and brutally lethal character is one the best villains the franchise has to offer. 

Over the last two decades, we’ve seen so many villains come in and out of the Fast & Furious franchise, and while some of them ruled, there is a handful that are easily forgotten (namely anyone who played a big bad in one of the movies before Fast & Furious 6). From campy, over-the-top men with vendettas to generic drug lords to the occasional tech master it feels like we’ve seen it all with this franchise as Dom and his family keep stopping the big bads with their cars, faith and family.   

Over the years, numerous straight actors have famously played LGBTQ+ roles and vice versa. As of late, especially as more queer actors have portrayed notable movie and TV characters, there’s a continued conversation within the industry regarding whether only gay actors should be playing gay roles. The latest star to share their thoughts on this Luke Evans, an openly gay actor who has starred in the live-action Beauty and the Beast and the Fast and Furious movies, among many other films and shows. And as he explained, he's "not sure" whether those roles should be exclusive to members of the community.

Luke Evans' comments were in response to Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, who told the NY Times in 2021 about his negative thoughts on straight actors being cast to “act gay” for roles. When speaking to this ongoing discussion regarding whether only gay actors should play LGBTQ+ roles, here what Evans got candid about his own expreriences in the industry:

As Luke Evans shared with The Telegraph, if he had gone by the rule for himself to only play gay characters because he is a gay man, he would have been significantly less successful. One could argue that there are still currently many more straight roles out there than queer ones. While Evans agrees some things need to change in Hollywood in regard to queer representation, he thinks things should be determined through a key factor:

In recent months, a number of actors have been criticized for taking on queer roles. Harry Styles for example, who has only been known to date women and often accused of “queerbaiting” with his sexual fluidity, started a conversation through his recent role in LGBTQ+ drama, My Policeman. Additionally, Brendan Fraser received criticism for playing a queer man in a fatsuit in The Whale, which he’s getting award season praise for. 

At some point, Luke Evans is expected to resume his role as Gaston in a Beauty and the Beast spinoff (which seems to have stalled at the moment) alongside Josh Gad after the live-action movie attempted the first gay moment for a big screen Disney movie. Years later, Gad shared how he felt the movie “didn’t go far enough” in its representation when LeFou danced with a man briefly at the end of it. You can check out Evans in the movie (along with his recent role in the live-action Pinocchio) using a Disney+ subscription. 

This is clearly a complex issue. On one hand, more queer actors should be given a chance to represent their community with authenticity but, on the other, no matter one’s sexual identity and orientation, good actors should be getting good roles that matches their talents. Luke Evans speaks to his own experience, spanning over a decade in Hollywood and he feels that if he’d gone by this ideal, he simply wouldn’t be the well-known name that he is today.

Luke Evans is known for having played many iconic characters including Dracula and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Lately, it's been rumored that his name is being tossed around for another legendary role: 007. While Daniel Craig’s replacement is far from decided upon, Evans certainly looks the part and never shies away from interesting projects. Amidst the James Bond rumors, the Hobbit alum commented on the history of the iconic spy franchise, and why he believes so many people have been drawn to it over the years.

Luke Evans weighed in on the prolific English character during an interview with The Independent. The cerebral actor also shared thoughts on how Daniel Craig’s iteration of the operative differed from those of his predecessors. When discussing the franchise's appeal, he shot down the notion that people are drawn to the more sensual aspects of it:

There was certainly more of an interest in Bond's spy capabilities than in his womanizing ways during Daniel Craig's tenure. Female characters like Lashana Lynch’s Nomi and Ana de Armas’ Paloma also have much more agency in No Time To Die than say, Britt Ekland had The Man with the Golden Gun. There have even been rumors that a woman could play the spy, which would flip tradition on its head. The Dracula Untold star's observation may be an indication of how he'd like to approach the franchise if he were to land the part.

Luke Evans is hardly the only actor being considered to play Bond, of course. Idris Elba has historically been a fan favorite, despite being out of the age range the producers are reportedly looking at. Henry Cavill’s name has also been consistently thrown in as well as has Rocketman’s Richard Madden. In addition, Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean-Page have been discussed as a contender. Really, it seems that almost every handsome, English actor has at one point been mentioned when discussing who the next Bond actor could be. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson clearly have plans for the iconic character, but we'll just have to wait for an official announcement to learn more about it.

It remains to be seen whether Luke Evans actually ends up with the role, though it can be said that he's been quite busy as of late. He's currently leading a series titled Echo 3 for AppleTV+, which is set to premiere in November. And he more recently lent his voice to Robert Zemeckis' live-action Pinocchio movie, which can be streamed using a Disney+ subscription.

Until a new 007 star is officially announced, let the speculation continue. While you wait for news, you can learn about where you can watch every James Bond film, including those from the Daniel Craig era. You can also plan your next trip to the movies by check out our 2022 movie release schedule.

Even after all these years, Gaston still seems to be trying to “woo and marry Belle.” What I mean by this is, Luke Evans, who played Gaston in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, posted a super cute video singing his bit in the opening song "Belle" referencing a Prada billboard with, Belle herself, Emma Watson on it. 

The live-action version of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast came out in 2017, with a stacked cast that included Watson, Evans, Dan Stevens, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson. Since its release, it’s been fun to see little callbacks from the cast. Like Luke Evans’ post on Instagram, highlighting Emma Watson’s current Prada perfume ad campaign: 

This post comes after Evans has had a busy year, in terms of acting and music. The actor is extremely popular on social media, with over 3 million followers, and posts videos of him working out, his workouts and abs by way of thirst traps, and he also shows off his singing. Not long before posting his adorable Beauty and the Beast throwback he posted a behind-the-scenes video of him singing one of the songs off his new album A Song For You, which comes out in November.

The actor behind Gaston also made his return to live-action Disney remakes this year in Pinocchio, where he played the villain The Coachman. Evans has also been confirmed to return for a Beauty and the Beast prequel that will also include Josh Gad returning as Gaston’s right-hand man LeFou. The Gaston actor has enthusiastically responded to fans about coming back to the role. 

As for Evans' muse in the video, Emma Watson, has moved on to other projects. In the video, he is singing toward a gigantic billboard of her from her perfume campaign with Prada. Not only is she on the billboards, but she directed the advertisements for the campaign. She also recently posted an adorable excerpt from an introduction she wrote for, her Harry Potter pal, Tom Felton’s new book.  Other than this Prada campaign and the Harry Potter reunion early last year, Watson is also heavily involved in advocating for women’s rights. 

Along with the two actors having lots going on, the story of Beauty and the Beast is having an exciting year. It was announced that ABC would be doing a live version of the iconic story of Belle and the Beast. What makes this version of the story even more exciting is the A+ cast, with the singer H.E.R. will be leading as Belle. 

It’s so fun to see the legacy of Beauty and the Beast filled with love and fun from both new and old casts. The live musical version can be caught later this year on ABC, and both the animated and live-action versions of the movie can be watched with a Disney+ subscription. With the new live version on its way and fun callbacks from former cast members, like Luke Evans, this “tale as old as time” will live on forever. 

Disney’s live-action remakes of its animated films has become a franchise of its own, with several big successes under its belt. Disney is now, not only, reusing stories to make live-action movies, but with the newest installment, Pinocchio, Disney is reusing actors. Luke Evans, who previously played Gaston in the remake of Beauty and the Beast, is back playing another bad guy in the new Pinocchio for Disney+.  Evans says it was an easy decision to play another Disney villain because the characters were so different. 

Luke Evans' performance as Gaston in the live-action Beauty and the Beast is generally regarded as one of the high points of that film, and since the remake was a massive box office hit for Disney, we can guess people liked a lot about the movie. Now, he’s back playing another villain in another Disney remake. I had a chance to speak with Evans about playing The Coachman in Pinocchio and I asked him if he had any reservations about returning to a role so similar, but he explained the roles were actually quite different, saying… 

Luke Evans plays The Coachman in Pinocchio, the man who takes the title character with a group of other children to Pleasure Island. The Coachman is a fairly small role in the original animated movie, but the live-action part expands the role significantly, and even gives Evans an original song to sing.

There’s certainly no argument that Gaston and The Coachman are very different characters. Gaston is a pompous windbag of a man, and there’s some humor and theatricality in the way Gaston acts, at least initially. The Coachman is a much darker character. The entire Pleasure Island sequence is what makes Pinocchio an incredibly dark Disney remake.

The two characters also look very different. Luke Evans is very recognizable as Gaston but you might not realize he’s the actor playing the Coachman at first. When we first meet him he’s dressed all in black with long dark hair and a mustache that largely obscures his face. Evans told me that he loved being able to disappear into the role behind the makeup and that part really works.

While Disney’s endless stream of live-action remakes may all be based on movies we know quite well, each one is certainly unique in its own way, which opens the door for actors to appear in more than one and still play very different characters. I’m guessing Disney won’t be going back to Luke Evans to play another villain in the near future, but if the role is different enough, it may not be the worst idea.

Disney’s been on a roll with its live-action remakes of classic stories front since 2014’s Maleficent (or, if you want to go back a little further, 2010’s Alice in Wonderland), so it’s hardly surprising that Pinocchio, the Mouse House’s second animated feature film, is getting such treatment. The live-action Pinocchio movie has been in the works since 2015, and ever since Robert Zemeckis officially signed on to direct in early 2020, the project’s been making steady progress and moving forward.

Now, the long-awaited project is finally here and is currently available to stream for anyone with an active Disney+ subscription. If you have watched the live-action CGI hybrid re-imagining of the Disney animated classic or are planning on watching it over the weekend, there’s a good chance you’re wondering where you’ve seen and heard some of the Pinocchio cast before. Well, worry no more, for we are about to break down the full cast, starting with Tom Hanks…

Tom Hanks (Geppetto) 

Between voicing Woody across four Toy Story movies and playing Walt Disney himself in Saving Mr. Banks, not to mention starring in the Touchstone Pictures-produced movies Splash and Turner & Hooch, Tom Hanks should unquestionably be counted in the upper echelon of Disney actors. Hanks’ latest contribution to the studio is playing Geppetto, the kind woodcarver who fashions Pinocchio and raises him as his son when he’s brought to life. 

In addition to appearing in various Disney productions throughout his career, the two-time Academy Award winner has also given commanding and unforgettable performances in Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and some of the best romantic comedies of all time. His more recent credits include Toy Story 4, Finch, and Elvis, which joined the list of other 2022 movies streaming just one week prior to the Pinocchio debut. 

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Pinocchio) 

As one would expect, Pinocchio will be a mix of live-action and CGI, with Pinocchio obviously being depicted with the latter (until he’s turned into a real boy, of course). So, who will voice the beloved puppet? That honor goes to Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who many of you might recognize from playing Miles in Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor. 

That said, Pinocchio won’t be Ainsworth’s first Disney outing, as he can currently be seen as William in the Disney+ original movie, Flora & Ulysses. Ainsworth also joined Netflix’s The Sandman cast for one episode of the popular fantasy series. 

Keegan-Michael Key

One of the main villains in the original Pinocchio was Honest John, a con artist fox who convinces the eponymous protagonist to join Stromboli’s puppet show and later embark to Pleasure Island. That doesn’t change for the live-action Pinocchio adaptation, as Keegan-Michael Key provides the voice of Honest John. 

This is Key’s fifth time contributing to the Disney canon, having previously played Hugo Gernsback in Tomorrowland, Ducky in Toy Story 4,Kamari in the Lion King remake, and multiple characters in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Outside of Disney, the Key and Peele co-creator has appeared in family-friendly movies like the Hotel Transylvania franchise, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, and several others. 

Luke Evans (The Coachman) 

Honest John wasn’t screwing with Pinocchio on a whim… at least, not when it came to persuading him to go to Pleasure Island. Forthat, he was hired by The Coachman, who rounded up naughty boys to take to that sinister location, then convinced them to misbehave so they’d turn into donkeys and he could sell them. This time around, Luke Evans steps in to bring The Coachman to life.

Disney fans will recognize Evans as Gaston in the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake (he’ll reprise the role for a spinoff series), while others may know him more from his time in the Fast & Furious franchise or The Hobbit film series. 

Cynthia Erivo (Blue Fairy) 

Pinocchio coming to life wasn’t a miracle of nature; we have the Blue Fairy to thank for making the puppet be able to walk and talk. The Blue Fairy also appointed Pinocchio his conscience and informed him that he’d be able to become a real boy if he proved he was brave, truthful, and unselfish. Cynthia Erivo plays the live-action version of the Blue Fairy, with Pinocchio marking her first time working on a Disney project. 

Despite not having worked with the House of Mouse in the past, Erivo has built quite a name for herself in the past few years, with memorable performances in movies like Bad Times at the El Royale and Harriet (which earned her multiple award nominations) and a list of shows that includes The Outsider and Genius: Aretha.  

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Jiminy Cricket) 

Having been given a much bigger role in Disney’s Pinocchio compared to the character in the original story, it’s only natural that the live-action remake brought back Jiminy Cricket for the latest retelling of the classic. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose more recent credits include Project Power and The Trial of the Chicago 7, provides the voice of Jiminy in the 2022 Disney movie.

One of the more successful child actors who transitioned to adult roles, Gordon-Levitt has found success in everything from Angels in the Outfield to Inception, and 3rd Rock from the Sun to Super Pumped over the years. 

Lorraine Bracco (Sofia The Seagull) 

Lorraine Bracco, whose notable credits include Goodfellas, The Sopranos, and Rizzoli & Isles, takes on the role of Sofia the Seagull, a new character introduced for the Disney+ exclusive Pinocchio. Recently, Bracco has landed roles on shows like BoJack Horseman, Blue Bloods, and several others, as well as movie appearances in the likes of The Birthday Cake and A Ring for Christmas.

Like several other Disney and Pixar films from the past couple of years, Pinocchio is available exclusively on Disney+. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more stories about Pinocchio, and don’t forget to look through our 2022 release schedule to discover what movies will come out later this year.

The original animated Pinocchio was only the second animated feature to come from the Walt Disney Studio, making it by far the oldest movie yet to get a live-action remake. Similar to others before it – like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast – Pinocchio largely follows the formula set forth by the original, but it adds enough that’s new and different to make for an entertaining watch for those who are already fans.

Even if you’ve never seen the original Disney's Pinocchio, you likely know the story. A lonely woodcarver (Tom Hanks) creates the wooden boy and wishes for him to be real. The Blue Fairy (Cynthia Erivo) hears the wish and grants it. Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) is given life, though to become a real boy, he must prove himself to be brave, honest, and selfless. To aid in that goal, he’s teamed with conscience advocate Jiminy Cricket (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

With a main character that is entirely CGI, Pinocchio's digital effects were always going to be important, and for the most part, the film succeeds. The fact that most of you main characters who are CGI– from Pinocchio himself to a couple of anthropomorphic animals – don’t need to look “real” in the strict sense, certainly helps. Jiminy Cricket himself was clearly the toughest character to create, and he still works overall. 

As far as the plot beats go, the live-action remake doesn’t stray too far away from the animated original. All the major characters and elements are there, and things progress from start to finish as you expect they will. That’s not to say there aren’t some changes to that plot in the broader strokes.

The live-action Pinocchio is more of a musical than its predecessor. 

While we tend to think of most of Disney’s animated films as musicals, most of the early films are not. They are simply films with music. The live-action Pinocchio still isn’t quite a musical, but it’s closer to it, as the team of Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard have created five original songs to go along with classics like “I’ve Got No Strings” and “When You Wish Upon a Star.” 

The new pieces probably aren’t going to become overnight classics, but they’re good songs that don’t feel out of place alongside songs that are over 80-years-old, and they give us an excuse to hear Tom Hanks sing. 

The biggest change is that Pinocchio is actually a much more sympathetic protagonist this time around than he was in 1940. In the animated film, the living puppet gets into trouble because he specifically chooses to reject what his conscience tells him. Here Pinocchio does try a bit harder to listen, but circumstances are set against him in a way that results in the same ultimate fate.

Tom Hanks is great, as usual, but Pinocchio could use more of him.

The change is significant as it largely impacts the themes in the story. While Pinocchio still learns the value of honesty and bravery, that doesn’t feel like it’s supposed to be the point here, and what the point is feels like it gets lost. 

Without going into spoiler territory, the finale of this new Pinocchio seems to present the ending of characters arcs that never got properly started, and that’s a shame because the ideas inside them, primarily as they pertain to the relationship between the wooden boy and his father, could have been special if they’d been given more time. One wonders if there are scenes on the cutting room floor.

Tom Hanks is fantastic as Geppetto; he’s endearing and always watchable, and it would have been nice to be able to watch more of him. Pinocchio sets up more of a history for the character than the animated film does, giving us an idea of who this man is and why we’ve found him in this place, but then it does nothing with this information.

Disney+’s Pinocchio has some surprisingly dark moments that may make the movie a little much for the youngest viewers. 

Another standout performance comes from the nearly unrecognizable Luke Evans as The Coachman. The role is significantly expanded from the animated film, and includes one of the previously mentioned original songs. Evans’ Coachman is quite a disturbing character, he brings a palpable evil that’s an excellent counterpoint to all of Geppetto’s goodness.

Pleasure Island, meanwhile, is arguably the darkest place that a Disney live-action remake has ever gone. Where the animated movie embraced the freedom of Pleasure Island, this version of Pinocchio finds himself there by chance, and he doesn’t really want to be. His unease is palpable, and ultimately justified. There are both figurative and literal monsters in the dark trying to get him. 

In the end, the live-action Pinocchio is neither the best nor the worst of this particular corner of Disney's universe. It's mostly fine. As a piece of technical filmmaking it brings the Disney story of Pinocchio to life impressively, but it could have given the story new life, and there it comes up short. 

No one makes fans think they’ve mysteriously died via cryptic messages quite like the hunky Gaston. Luke Evans, who brought the musclebound meathead to life in Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, recently shared an inscrutable post on Twitter that legit had fans thinking the actor had crossed the rainbow bridge. 

After discovering that the previously-announced Beauty and the Beast spin-off series was put on hold, Luke Evans took to social media to share the sad news. The only problem? The way he worded his message was a bit misleading. Check out his post below: 

Most people tend to use the word "devastating" on social media when someone has passed on, or if a tragic accident has occurred. While the shelving of a potentially huge series is definitely disappointing, that probably wasn't a lot of people's automatic assumption upon seeing that post, and certain fans were under the impression that something infinitely worse had taken place. Namely, they thought that Luke Evans had literally died, though just to be clear, he is very much alive, well, and still insanely ripped). 

One Twitter user offered a bit of constructive criticism for future posts: 

Other fans concurred. A few were convinced that at least someone had died, but they weren’t sure whether it was Luke Evans or another Disney heavyweight like famed composer Alan Menken. This Twitter user said: 

The Beauty and the Beast spin-off in question was meant to focus on Gaston and Le Fou, serving as a prequel/origin story for Belle’s future foes. Luke Evans and Josh Gad were on tap to reprise their respective roles, and additional cast members included Briana Middleton of The Tender Bar, pop singer Rita Ora, Broadway veteran Jelani Alladin, and Fra Fee of Hawkeye. 

Originally announced in 2020, the untitled series was set to begin production in Europe this summer. Disney eventually opted to shelve the project, partially due to a variety of factors that included scheduling conflicts, creative differences, and pandemic-related complications. The Gaston spin-off hasn’t been the only high-profile Disney project to get the chop in recent years, with a failed Muppets in Manhattan sequel (also involving Josh Gad) and a Lizzie McGuire project being eighty-sixed in the relatively recent past. 

Luckily for Luke Evans, he’s got plenty of resume additions in the works. He’s set to play the Coachman in the live-action Pinocchio for Disney, and he’ll appear in Echo 3 for Apple TV+. The merry misadventures of Gaston and Le Fou may not be making it to the small screen anytime soon, but you can still catch Luke Evans and Josh Gad in the live-action Beauty and the Beast with your Disney+ subscription. Until we hear more about the fate of the spin-off, you can check out these upcoming TV releases for you to binge in 2022. 

Being an actor on the big screen can put one’s appearance under a microscope, which is why so many celebs have seemingly perfect bodies. Actor Luke Evans is known for his ripped physique, which he needed in order to bring Beauty and the Beast's Gaston to life. Evans has posted another thirst trap, and his abs look totally unreal.

Luke Evans’ starpower has been steadily growing over the past few years, thanks to roles in projects like The Fast and Furious, Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, and the upcoming Beauty and the Beast spinoff. And ahead of returning to the role of Gaston, Evans is looking insanely ripped. Check it out below, courtesy of the 42 year-old actor himself:

Has this guy been eating five dozen eggs? Because he’s roughly the size of a barge. An extremely lean, muscular barge that is. Clearly Luke Evans has been putting in his hours at the gym, and it’s definitely paying off. I count a whopping 8 abdominal muscles.

The above thirst trap comes to us from the personal Instagram of Luke Evans. He shared the image with his over 3 million followers, and the comments show how people are losing their minds over the actor’s body. The location is tagged as Isla Enai in Cartagena. Evans posted another image a week ago, so he’s presumably on a lovely vacation. 

Of course, this is far from the first time that Luke Evans has posted a thirst trap on social media. The Hobbit actor is often showing off his ripped physique in bathing suits that leave little to the imagination. He also posts updates from the gym, showing that he’s indeed putting in the work in order to pull off his hulking look. And since Evans is returning to the role of Gaston, this focus on fitness likely won’t slow down anytime soon.

Luke Evans’ performance in 2017’s Beauty and the Beast was universally acclaimed, as he played the animated character to pitch perfection and sounded amazing while doing it. As a result of that, and his chemistry with scene partner Josh Gad, the duo will reprise their roles in a streaming series for Disney+. This is the first time Gaston and LeFou have been expanded in such a way. We’ll just have to see how this fleshes out the dynamic we saw in the live-action remake.

As previously mentioned, Luke Evans recently starred in Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, helping to fill out the awesome ensemble cast. He played Lars Lee opposite names like Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Regina Hall, and Bobby Cannavale. The series went viral upon premiering back in August of 2020, and Evans was the subject of both praise and some mild lust from audiences.

Luke Evans’ collaboration with Disney will continue beyond the Beauty and the Beast spinoff, as he’s also got a role in the upcoming live-action Pinocchio. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Actor Luke Evans has had a long and successful career, with his talents gracing both the silver and small screens in recent years. The Alienist actor famously played Gaston in the live-action Beauty and the Beast, and he’s been keeping a physique that would make that Disney villain proud. Because the fully ripped Evans recently shared some “monday motivation” with a shirtless photo, and holy abs.

Luke Evans has been keeping busy since Beauty and the Beast arrived in theaters back in 2017, and will reprise his role in a Disney+ series opposite Josh Gad’s Lefou. Evans recently went shirtless for Hulu’s drama Nine Perfect Strangers, and has been seemingly getting even more swole. You can check it out for yourself below,

I have to wonder if Luke Evans also starts his day eating five dozen eggs because, just like Gaston, he’s roughly the size of a barge. An extremely lean barge, because it’s clear that Evans hasn’t been skimping out on his crunches or cardio here. Now let’s get this man in a comic book role.

The above photo/ thirst trap comes to us from Luke Evans’ personal Instagram account. He’s shown shirtless and masked at a gym, with some punching bags in the background. But while it may look like Evans is wearing pajamas to workout, the 42 year-old actor maintains they’re not sleep wear. Although he’s not ruling out this course of action for a future workout.

The shirtless photo seen above was shared to Luke Evans’ over 3 million followers on Instagram. The comments are filled with praise over his appearance, many of which are solely emojis. And while many of us are bloated with Halloween candy the Fast and Furious alum is definitely putting in the work regarding his fitness journey.

Of course, this isn’t the only time that Luke Evans has been sharing shirtless content on social media. He clearly works hard on his body, and isn’t shy about showing how those efforts have paid off. He posted during the summer things like:

Obviously Luke Evans is far from the only actor who has been getting fully ripped. This has become commonplace for those who are playing superhero roles like Thor actor Chris Hemsworth. He certainly looks like he’d look killer in his own superhero suit, but unfortunately he hasn’t been recruited yet for a role in a franchise like the MCU. His name is also in the mix for fans casting the next James Bond. 

As previously mentioned, Luke Evans is set to reprise his Beauty and the Beast role in a spinoff series for Disney+. This is the first time Gaston’s story has ever been expanded in this way, and there’s no telling what he and Josh Gad will get into. But one thing is clear: Evan is definitely going to look the part.

Coming up, Luke Evans will appear in Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming live-action adaptation of Pinocchio. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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Hollywood has given us a number of great bromances over the years, like the one between Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt or the (sometimes hilariously contentious) bond that Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds share. In recent years, the public has also seen the rise of the Josh Gad/Luke Evans bromance, which was on full display in 2017’s Beauty and the Beast. So of course, now that Evans is ripped, Gad has naturally chimed in on the matter and, as you’d expect, he has a pretty funny take on things.

While many of us were kicking back, eating snacks and watching Netflix during quarantine last year, Luke Evans was getting into serious shape. It was hard for the public not to take notice of the change, especially since the actor has even posted a thirst trap or two. With Josh Gad working so closely with Evans though, his response was bound to be a bit different, and it honestly represents a feeling that many of us can relate to:

While Josh Gad was mostly joking while speaking with Variety, it is true that it can be difficult for many of us to take that first step towards a consistent exercise routine. That becomes even harder when you’re coming off a lengthy quarantine or when you work alongside someone as fit as Luke Evans. Gad seems to take this all in stride, though, and I think most would agree that we like the Frozen alum just as he is.

The past year has actually seen a number of stars set fitness-related goals. Will Smith went viral months ago when he unveiled his quarantine body and declared his plans to get back in shape. And like Luke Evans, Rebel Wilson used the last year to transform her body, and the results are definitely noticeable.

Josh Gad and Luke Evans should have plenty of time to hit the gym together, though, as they’ll soon be spending a lot of time together. The two actors are set to reprise their roles in a Beauty and the Beast spinoff series. The show, reportedly titled Little Town, takes place before the events of the film and centers on Evans’ vain Gaston and Gad’s long-suffering LeFou. The show is set to air on Disney+, which you can sign up for using this link.

Regardless of whether they’re in the gym or on set, it’s certain that Josh Gad and Luke Evans are going to be putting in plenty of work. And knowing them, they’ll also have plenty of fun while they’re doing it.

The upcoming Hulu thriller Nine Perfect Strangers, set for a staggered release in August, is the story of nine people who are seeking relief via a health and wellness retreat at the beautiful and isolated Tranquillum House. It's a fair assumption the series, adapted from the book of the same name by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, will provide its characters with quite a different experience than the brochure promised. The cast, led by The Undoing's Nicole Kidman and Thunder Force's Melissa McCarthy, is a who's who of awards show invitees, and I can't wait to see how this ensemble comes together to act out what is sure to be pure, delicious madness.

Created by David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, The Undoing), Nine Perfect Strangers promises to be a dark and twisty journey, with frequent Kelley collaborator Nicole Kidman leading the way as Masha, the head of Tranquillum House. The nine strangers who have signed up for the pricey ten-day retreat are all seeking transformation, and the eight-episode miniseries should give viewers plenty of quality time to take that trip with the eclectic bunch. Here's a look at who will portray the retreat-goers, as well as the Tranquillum House staff, and remember to check back for more updates as we get closer to the August 18 premiere.

Nicole Kidman (Masha Dmitrichenko)

No stranger to Liane Moriarty's work, Nicole Kidman will play the role of Tranquillum House leader Masha Dmitrichenko, which comes with a nice paycheck for Kidman, who is reportedly pulling in $1 million per episode. Aside from her award-winning role as Celeste on Big Little Lies — for which Moriarty might be working on Season 3 source material — Kidman starred in David E. Kelley's disturbing miniseries The Undoing. She's also known from her work as Satine in Moulin Rouge!, Virginia Woolf in The Hours, and multiple other roles, and has another high-profile upcoming project coming in Aaron Sorkin's Lucille Ball biopic Being the Ricardos.

Melissa McCarthy (Frances Welty)

Nine Perfect Strangers features Melissa McCarthy's return to television for her first series regular role since Mike and Molly, though Nobodies and SNL kept her busy in recent years. Her character, romance writer Frances Welty, goes to Tranquillum House "in need of some fixing," according to the series' trailer. A master of both comedy and drama, McCarthy is known for her hilarious roles in Thunder Force opposite Jason Bateman and as Megan in Bridesmaids, among others. And who could forget Sookie from Gilmore Girls?

Michael Shannon (Napoleon Marconi)

Michael Shannon is set to bring his signature intensity as the Marconi family patriarch Napoleon, who is attending the Tranquillum House retreat with his wife and daughter after a family tragedy. Shannon's ability to bring humor to a dramatic performance should fit this role perfectly. Shannon is known for portraying as Zod in Man of Steel, as well as Walt Thrombey in Knives Out and Richard Strickland in The Shape of Water, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Revolutionary Road. On the TV side of things, he's best known for playing Nelson Van Alden in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and Shannon will also appear in Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt and most of the rest of Hollywood, set for release in 2022.

Asher Keddie (Heather Marconi)

Asher Keddie is set to play Napoleon Marconi's wife, Heather. The highly decorated Australian actress is known particularly for her role as Nina Proudman on the Australian drama Offspring, but American audiences might still recognize her. Keddie had a small role as Dr. Carol Frost in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, starring Hugh Jackman.

Grace Van Patten (Zoe Marconi)

Grace Van Patten rounds out the Marconi family as the couple's young adult daughter Zoe. Van Patten is known for her roles in the Netflix movies Tramps and The Meyerowitz Stories as Adam Sandler's daughter. As a child she made guest appearances in episodes of The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire.

Luke Evans (Lars Lee)

Divorce lawyer Lars Lee will be played in Nine Perfect Strangers by Luke Evans, who won audiences over as Gaston in the 2017 live action remake of Beauty and the Beast (and will do the same again in the upcoming TV spinoff.) He'll take on another Disney role soon as The Coachman in the upcoming live-action Pinocchio movie. Others may recognize Evans as Owen Shaw from the Fast and Furious franchise and apparent bad-guy Scott in The Girl on the Train, while his most prominent TV work of late came in TNT's crime drama The Alienist.

Samara Weaving (Jessica Chandler)

Australian actress Samara Weaving has made a name for herself as one of the great modern scream queens for her roles in movies like Ready or Not, The Babysitter and Mayhem. Which makes me wonder just how horrifying the retreat will turn out to be for Weaving's seemingly lucky lottery winner Jessica Chandler in Nine Perfect Strangers. But Weaving is no one-trick-pony, as she showed off her comedy chops as Ted's daughter Thea in Bill & Ted Face the Music, as well as in SMILF and Guns Akimbo.

Melvin Gregg (Ben Chandler)

While the characters may have won the lottery, it doesn't appear as if Melvin Gregg's Ben Chandler and wife Jessica are living their dream, or anyone else's, as they make their way to Nine Perfect Strangers' Tranquillum House. Gregg is known for his roles as DeMarcus Tillman in Netflix's mockumentary series American Vandal and Erick Scott in High Flying Bird. He also played Marcus Parrish in The Way Back with Ben Affleck.

Regina Hall (Carmel Schneider)

Another entertainer known for her hilarious comedy skills, Regina Hall will presumably dial up the drama to play Carmel Schneider, a single mother struggling with the demise of her relationship. Hall is known for her roles as Jordan Sanders in Little and Brenda in the Scary Movie franchise. She played Lisa in the critically acclaimed film Support the Girls and is a standout opposite Don Cheadle as Dawn on the Showtime comedy Black Monday.

Bobby Cannavale (Tony Hogburn)

Tony Hogburn, a former athlete attending the Tranquillum House retreat, will be played by Bobby Cannavale, who appeared in Thunder Force with Melissa McCarthy. Cannavale has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as a smorgasbord of HBO series including Sex and the City, two episodes of Oz, Boardwalk Empire (for which he won an Emmy) and Vinyl. You might also recognize him as one of Will and Grace's best guest stars as Vince D'Angelo, or from a zillion other roles. Cannavale has quite a few projects in the works, including Sing 2.

Manny Jacinto (Yao)

Best known as the Jacksonville Jaguars-loving Jason Mendoza from The Good Place, Manny Jacinto seems to be going in a wildly different direction as Tranquillum House staff member Yao. In fact, I bet there’s a good chance Yao has never yelled, “BORTLES!” even one time in his whole life, though he would certain bet the quarter back some refreshments and/or a hot towel. Jacinto is also set to play a pilot named Fritz in the highly anticipated sequel Top Gun: Maverick later this year.

Tiffany Boone (Delilah)

Tiffany Boone rounds out the ensemble, playing fellow Tranquillum House staff member Delilah. No stranger to Hulu, Boone previously channeled her inner Kerry Washington as young Mia on Little Fires Everywhere and is also known for her roles as Roxy Jones on Hunters and Jerrika Little on The Chi.

Nine Perfect Strangers will bring loads of talent and personalities together on screen, and coupled with the storytelling of author Liane Moriarty and creator David E. Kelly, this Hulu miniseries should be considered a can't-miss event when it premieres August 18. Until then, be sure to check out our 2021 summer TV schedule, as well as what else is coming soon to Hulu.

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A prequel series about the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast movie has been green lit by Disney+, with Josh Gad and Luke Evans returning as LeFou and Gaston, respectively. A newly-ripped Evans recently took to Instagram to share his excitement and welcome his newest costar.

It’s been four years since the Beauty and the Beast live-action movie lighted up movie screens and this magical and classic fairytale came to life. With Luke Evans attached to the new prequel series and reprising his role as Gaston, the actor has an enthusiastic response on Instagram to the fans who have been waiting for more Gaston and LeFou:

Luke Evans is just as excited to go back to playing Gaston as the fans are. And he and Josh Gad aren’t the only ones in the series, as Briana Middleton has joined the cast, and Evans made sure to excitedly welcome his new co-star. According to Deadline, the newcomer will portray LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly. Although it’s unknown just how Tilly will come into play, with the series centering around Gaston and LeFou’s origin stories, it will be something to look forward to.

The Beauty and the Beast series has been in the works for quite sometime now and not much information was known about the spinoff. Last summer, Luke Evans gave an update on the series, including some of the new songs he and Josh Gad had heard, and the joy of bringing their characters to life once again. Furthermore, the actor previewed what Gaston and LeFou could get up to and the fun antics the two will be getting into.

The Beauty and the Beast spinoff was first announced in March of last year and that it would be an origin story for Gaston and LeFou. The series will have six episodes and will be “a musical event.” It will be interesting to see just what will happen in the new series, especially now that more news is being released on it and the cast expanding. While there’s no confirmed release date for the currently untitled series as it just got greenlit, fans can likely expect production to officially start soon.

Luke Evans returning as Gaston in the Disney+ series is something that fans can look forward to, as many loved his take on the villain in the 2017 movie. Since it looks like fans are finally getting the spinoff very soon, hopefully more news about the show will be released soon. In the meantime, the original movie, as well as the live-action, are available to stream on Disney+ in case you ever need your Gaston fix. Hopefully we’ll get a premiere date, or at least a production date, on the soon-to-be-titled series with Gaston and LeFou, as that pairing, both on screen and off, is not one to be missed.

Of all the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies that are currently on the horizon, there may be none that fans have as many questions about as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. We don't really know how the movie will move the Black Panther story forward without Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa. One recent rumor about the film might have given us something of an indication of the plans for the film, as it claimed that the movie will introduce Namor to the MCU. Which means fans are now fan casting the role, and one fan has suggested Luke Evans could play the role, and has even offered visual evidence of how the actor would look in the part.

Last week a rumor started rolling around the interwebs that the main villain in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would be non-other than Namor: The Sub Mariner, one of Marvel's earliest heroes, and occasional villains. While the rumor also allegedly reveals that Narcos: Mexico actor Tenoch Huerta has already been cast in the role, that hasn't stopped fans from suggesting their own actors for the character. On Instagram, graphic artist mizuriau suggested that Luke Evans would make a great Namor, and mocked up a movie poster to prove it. Check it out.

While Namor: The Submariner has had many different looks over the decades of comic books, by virtue of the character being over 80-years-old, it has to be said that Luke Evans certainly wouldn't be a terrible choice, as this art work would seem to confirm. Seeing this guy go to battle with Wakandans you'd certainly believe he would be a threat to them.

At this point, it hasn't been confirmed that Namor will be appearing at all in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and while it was reported months ago that Tenoch Huerta had been cast in the movie, and as a villain. Although it's not even confirmed he's playing such a significant role, though that seems likely considering he was apparently brought on board months ago.

Having said that, seeing Namor as the big bad of Black Panther 2 makes a lot of sense. Namor has been a character that has been talked about getting his own movie for years, even before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born, and while the rights to the character have been in question, similar to the Hulk, the rights were shared with Universal at one time, there have been years to work out those details. And Black Panther and Namor have done battle in the comics in the past, so there is plenty of inspiration to draw from for a feature film.

Considering how long Namor has been rumored to show up on the big screen it seems likely that it will happen eventually, and appearing in Black Panther 2 would certainly work. With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set to release next summer, it will likely begin filming very soon, and when it does, we may get some confirmations about just what characters may appear.

If you’re an actor like Luke Evans and get severely ripped for a role of any kind, it’s almost an invitation for people to ask you about becoming the next James Bond. This is especially true when said body sculpting happens at a time when the current 007 actor is about to vacate the role, as Daniel Craig will after the release of No Time To Die. So it’s no surprise that after his recent transformation, the Beauty and the Beast star is throwing his hat in the ring to play Bond in the next go.

In a recent sit down with The Mirror, Luke Evans was asked that question that Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page and Loki’s Tom Hiddleston have found themselves on the other end of as of late. Evans, in a cool measure of professionalism, plays into the question without going into full audition mode for Bond. Clearly, the man has learned something from those that have been tipped before him, as Luke Evans gave the following response:

While Luke Evans clearly has the reasons why he’d make a great James Bond ready for anyone who wants them, he isn’t selling himself too hard. Much like Tom Hardy, he’s not talking about it directly, but Evans is definitely dancing carefully around the subject. Which hopefully means that his prospects won’t take a hit, since he’s not pushing too hard for the honors.

At 42 years old, and with everything from Beauty and the Beast to The Alienist giving him some boast worthy credits, Luke Evans would be a great candidate for 007 status. And interestingly enough, it was noted in this same interview that were he to win the role, he’d be the second actor of Welsh descent to play James Bond. The first was the perennially underrated Timothy Dalton. But Evans doesn’t take this conversation lightly, as he lays down these feelings on the current state of Bond:

If there’s anything to stand in the way of Luke Evans playing James Bond, it’s more than likely the question of how involved his commitment to the Gaston/Lefou prequel series on Disney+, The Little Town, will be. But if a deal can be made, and Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are interested, who knows? There just might be a screen test in Mr. Evans’ future where he’ll get to act out classic 007 scenes, in a bid to become the next man in the tuxedo.

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Luke Evans is a handsome man, there’s no doubt about it, but good looks and impressive physique don’t always go hand in hand. Luckily, the actor who brought Gaston to life in the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake is rocking that combo quite nicely nowadays. Evans was already ripped, but a recent social media post makes it abundantly clear that he’s transitioned into full thirst trap.

Check out the gloriously muscled way that Luke Evans recently wished a happy weekend to his followers on Instagram:

Yep, that look is pure fire… at least, going off of the numerous flame emojis people posted in the comments section. Late last month, Luke Evans shared how he’s used the quarantine period to get into tremendous shape by comparing pictures of his body between June 2020 and February 2021. He’s just one of many who have turned to exercise as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, with James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Tiffany Haddish among the other celebrities who have shed weight during this period. In Evans’ case, it’s pretty impressive how much he’s transformed since last summer, especially considering he’s about to turn 42, and it’s harder to build muscle as one gets older.

Of course, gaining muscle is one thing; keeping it on is also a challenging endeavor. One can’t simply slack for a while and expect their physique to still look chiseled. Just ask Eternals star Kumail Nanjiani, who got incredibly jacked for his role as Kingo in the upcoming Marvel movie and was using the earlier months of the quarantine to stay in shape. Clearly Luke Evans is doing well holding onto his muscular gains right now, but if he wants to keep them, if not improve upon them, he’ll need to stay diligent with working out as the pandemic subsides and everyday life returns to normal.

Along with his physical accomplishments, Luke Evans has been killing it on the acting front in recent years. In addition to Beauty and the Beast, 2017 saw him reprising Owen Shaw in Fate of the Furious and playing William Moulton Marston in Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, followed by State Like Sheep and 10x10 in 2018. 2019 saw Evans appear in six movies, including Murder Mystery and Midway, and his most recent cinematic appearance was in Crisis, which dropped in March. Evans also starred with Daniel Brühl and Dakota Fanning in the TNT series The Alienist, and provided his voice for the Hulu animated series Crossing Swords.

As far as what Luke Evans has coming up, he’s set to reprise Gaston alongside Josh Gad’s LeFou in Disney+’s Beauty and the Beast prequel series. He’ll also keep a foothold in the Mouse House by playing The Coachman in the live-action remake of 1940’s Pinocchio. Over in the TV realm, following his leading role as Steve Wilkins in The Pembrokeshire Murders, Evans will star alongside Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy in the Hulu miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers.

Fingers crossed Luke Evans has another opportunity to play Deckard Shaw again too, whether it’s in the main Fast & Furious film series before it concludes or in the Hobbs & Shaw sequel. Should that be announced, or any other interesting news concerning Luke Evans’ career, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Beauty and the Beast actor Luke Evans looked pretty fit when he played Gaston in the 2018 live action version of the fairytale, but as it turns out, lifting Josh Gad and a barmaid at the same time was all a bit of movie magic. In the time since, however, he’s actually taken the time to get positively ripped. While no one’s neck is as incredibly thick as Gaston, Evans is no slouch here.

In fact, the actor took to social media recently to share his surprise fitness progress and he’s gone from merely a hint of abs to what most would describe as a full “pack” of abs. Plus, as you see, he’s got biceps to spare.

It’s enough that other celebs commented, including Dancing with the Stars and America’s Next Top Model competitor Nyle DiMarco, who humorously referred to Luke Evans as “Beast” on the post. No, Mr. DiMarco, that would be Dan Stevens. But I take his point. It took eight months to get to this fitness level, so it wasn’t an easy journey by any means. It’s also harder to build muscle as we age, and as Luke Evans also points out, he is past the ripe age of 40, and will be turning 42 in mid-April (on the 15th to be exact).

Luke Evans would not be the first case of a celebrity taking the imposed time off of work to get into a better fitness routine. Rebel Wilson has called this past year her “year of health” and shed 60 pounds over the course of several months. Late night host James Corden has also gotten on the path to lose weight and Tiffany Haddish also famously revealed her own 40 lb weight loss late last year.

Getting to the visible abs portion of any fitness loss journey can be really difficult. While Luke Evans actually started out his fitness journey in seemingly decent shape -- at least from a weight standpoint -- it takes a lot of effort at the gym to get your body in the kind of shape his is currently in. So kudos for not spending the last eight months on the couch, bud.

Which leads me to the most important question of course: Now that he’s grown, does Luke Evans eat five dozen eggs a day? Next up, you can catch the newly ripped actor in the upcoming miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers or catch him in the new Pinocchio film. Or, of course, enjoy the pre-ripped version of the actor playing the famous Beauty and the Beast character whenever you feel like it; all you need is a Disney+ subscription. But of course, Luke Evans and Josh Gad also have a Gaston and LeFou spinoff currently in the works at the streamer.

The live-action Beauty and the Beast brought even more focus to Gaston and LeFou’s relationship, and Luke Evans and Josh Gad often stole the show in their scenes. The actors will be back to reprise their roles from the film for a Disney+ spinoff series about their characters. First announced in March, there isn’t too much information about the untitled Gaston and LeFou show yet, but Evans recently provided an update on the upcoming Beauty and the Beast spinoff.

Luke Evans always seems excited to talk about playing the character and even regaled fans with how he and co-star Josh Gad nailed “Gaston” for Disney’s viral sing-along in April. While promoting The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, Evans spilled some beans about the highly-anticipated Beauty and the Beast spinoff. Here’s what he told Variety’s The Big Ticket:

The fact that Alan Menken, the acclaimed composer who co-wrote Beauty and the Beast’s original songs, will be back with new material for the spinoff is incredibly exciting. Luke Evans also confirms that at least three episodes have been written, so it sounds like the Gaston and LeFou spinoff is coming along quite nicely.

The actor, who will next appear in Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers alongside Nicole Kidman, recalls how he and Josh Gad would discuss what Gaston and LeFou could get up to outside of Beauty and the Beast and now it’s actually happening. Here’s how Luke Evans puts it:

Luke Evans goes on to say that he and Josh Gad have been wanting to work together again for a long time. Now, they not only have this Gaston and LeFou spinoff, but they'll also be working together in the announced Netflix movie Super-Normal, which is also set to star Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley.

The actor didn’t offer too many details about what the plot of the spinoff series would be. Would Gaston be getting his own backstory? Luke Evans was mum about that, but he did tease that viewers should expect some familiar faces to show up on the Disney+ show. In his words:

That’s certainly interesting. I admit that I didn’t think anyone else from Beauty and the Beast would show up in the spinoff series, so this is pretty exciting news. The Gaston and LeFou spinoff series will consist of six episodes. However, it does not yet have a scheduled premiere date.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on the Disney+ show. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere guide.

When one thinks about Josh Gad, one typically thinks about animated snowmen or possibly Broadway’s Book of Mormon before thinking about his experience with stunt work. Still, he’s been a part of plenty of action sequences in movies ranging from Murder On The Orient Express to Beauty and the Beast and now Artemis Fowl. It was a scene from that second movie that he most fondly remembers because it basically tricked everyone who watched the movie.

In Beauty and the Beast’s live action film from Disney, Josh Gad plays LeFou opposite Luke Evans’ Gaston. The two have a famous musical number together in a pub in which Gaston shows off and lifts a barmaid with one hand and LeFou with his other hand carrying them around. Josh Gad revealed on the set of Artemis Fowl that he thought it was clear wires were involved during the "Gaston" performance.

However, once he was actually on the press tour for Beauty and the Beast it became clear the movie magic had really worked. People thought Luke Evans was literally so ripped he could lift Josh Gad one-handed, which cracks Gad up to this day. He told CinemaBlend and other reporters:

You can see the lift below. What do you think: Does it sell Luke Evans as having Wolverine-like strength and dexterity? (I can make that comparison now, because the X-Men are finally part of Disney.)

Josh Gad is actually fairly experienced with the harness. Still, it’s not always super fun in the moment performing scenes like the lift during Beauty and the Beast’s “Gaston” musical number. This time around, there was one pro to doing stunt work for his most recent movie, Disney+’s Artemis Fowl. In the case of this latest film, Gad's costume was rather bulky. So unlike his other Disney flick, it made it much easier to hide the gear.

Sadly, Luke Evans was not around to lift him this time around. However, Josh Gad does play a well-liked literary character in the adaptation of the Eoin Colfer books named Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniac dwarf character who has wild hair and is in the middle of some of the action in Artemis Fowl. The movie is available on Disney+ streaming as of this weekend.

This week, ABC aired The Disney Family Singalong. Joined by some of Disney’s biggest stars, the hour-long event included several of the most memorable Disney tunes. Glee’s Amber Riley belted her heart out singing Frozen’s “Let it Go,” Ariana Grande had some fun with Hercules’ “I Won’t Say I’m in Love,” and Beyoncé sweetly sang “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio. How did it all come together, though? Well, Luke Evans recently shared the magic behind how ABC accomplished its viral Disney singalong.

Luke Evans reprised his role as Gaston and joined Josh Gad and composer Alan Menken to enthusiastically sing the self-titled song from Beauty and the Beast because, well, no one sings like Gaston, am I right? Evans put all of his energy and focus into making the performance a memorable one for those watching from home, even puffing out his chest at one point, as Gaston would absolutely do. But who was recording him and how did it all come together?

Over on Instagram, Evans let viewers in on the secret behind the Disney Family Singalong magic. Check out his post below:

So there you have it. Even though everyone is currently safe at home in quarantine, no show can go on without a lot of help from an experienced camera crew and editing team. Without them, viewers may have gotten a lot of shaky camera work and poor quality videos. And it looks the camera operator was standing at least six feet away from Luke Evans. Bravo for following social distancing guidelines!

Luke Evans looked to be standing in a living room, but so many of the stars chose their kitchens as the sing-along spot. Meanwhile, Amber Riley opted to stand in front of a green screen while scenes from Frozen played behind her, and Derek Hough danced his way through “Be Our Guest” with some intricate camera work, all of which wouldn’t have been possible without the work of the crew.

The magic didn’t end there, however, and the cast of High School Musical reunited for a spirited rendition of “We’re All in This Together.” Fans were disappointed, however, when they realized Zac Efron would only be introducing his castmates and wasn't going to join in on the sing-along fun. Luckily, that performance was saved for last and fans got to enjoy the rest of the songs sans disappointment.

The sing-along was only an hour-long and ended far too soon, but you can tune in on Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET for the One World: Together At Home concert, which will air across all NBC networks, ABC, ViacomCBS networks, The CW and iHeartMedia channels, as well as across social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our list of all the big TV finales coming up soon.

We already knew that Disney+ was making great use of the many hundreds of characters and properties at the company's disposal with reboots like The Mighty Ducks, and series like The Mandalorian and the upcoming Marvel shows such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision. And, those behind the streamer don't plan to stop any time soon, as we're now hearing that a new series based on the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast is coming...But, it's going to feature Gaston and LeFou.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new, limited series will be a prequel that serves as an origin story for Gaston and his bumbling sidekick LeFou. As with those Marvel series featuring characters from the MCU, the show will feature Luke Evans and Josh Gad reprising their roles from Beauty and the Beast. Even better? The six episodes will be "a musical event," with composer Alan Menken currently in talks to return to the fold, as well. Sounds like this untitled prequel just got real!

While the new show (which I really hope they call GasFou) is still in the very early stage of development, it's being said to take place well before what fans saw in Beauty and the Beast, while also expanding the world seen in that film. I really want this to mean that, as the villainous Gaston and LeFou adventure around during the dawn of their working relationship, that they come across other people who've been cursed to live as inanimate objects or strange animals, but something tells me I'm going to end up being way off about that.

We do know, however, that no other stars from the film, like Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, are set to appear right now. Reports are saying, though, that it's not out of the question that we could see some guest spots once the series is actually up and running.

GasFou (remember, not the real title) is coming to us from Once Upon a Time creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, as well as Josh Gad and Luke Evans. All four will executive produce the upcoming series, while Gad, Horowitz and Kitsis will all serve as showrunners and write the show. Horowitz and Kitsis dealt with lots of well-known Disney characters from popular movies on OUAT, including a brief run exploring Belle and the Beast during that show's seven seasons on the air.

Apparently, GasFou (I swear, I love this fake title more every time I type it) came about because of the time that Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz spent recently working with Josh Gad on the, now scrapped, comedy series, Muppets Live Another Day, which had been in the works at Disney+ for months. The three created the planned eight episode series, but began talking about a Beauty and the Beast prequel once they all decided to abandon the Muppets project.

We don't know just yet when GasFou (Honestly, can someone just make this the official title? Or, at least make a show about a kung fu assassin who gets her power from farts and use this title? Just putting it out there...), I mean, the untitled Beauty and the Beast prequel will be ready for all of our eager eyes on Disney+, but you can stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest. In the meantime, be sure to check out what's on the small screen right now with our 2020 midseason guide!

The Fast And Furious franchise, in recent years, has become more and more insane with unbelievable stunts, cyborgs, and characters that seem to have been brought back from the dead. This was most recently seen in the record-breaking Fast And Furious 9 trailer where Han Lue (Sung Kang), who died in Tokyo Drift, walked on to the screen as if nothing happened.

All of that got us thinking - if characters like Han and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) can come back from the grave and continue driving, diving, and stealing cars with Dom and the rest of the crew, who else should return in future installments of the billion-dollar franchise?

Over the years, the Fast And Furious franchise has introduced audiences to dozens of iconic characters who have fallen by the wayside. Here are six of the fastest and most furious characters we’d like to see be brought back as the franchise continues to grow.

Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes)

United States Customs agent Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes) was a crucial element in the plot of 2 Fast 2 Furious, but was all but forgotten aside from a brief cameo in Fast Five. Introduced as the undercover contact for Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Fuentes helped the pair insert themselves in drug lord Carter Verone’s (Cole Hauser) criminal enterprise.

Fuentes disappeared from the series when the rest of the original cast returned for the 2009 Fast And Furious soft reboot, and as mentioned above, only returned for a brief cameo in the post-credits scene in the fifth installment of the franchise. It looked like she would maybe play a larger role in the subsequent films after her interaction with Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), but that hasn’t been the case.

It would be amazing if Fuentes returned at some point when Fast And Furious 9 premieres this summer.

Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot)

This next one is a stretch, I know, but hear me out. So, we saw Han die in Tokyo Drift and then archival and alternate footage of him dying in Furious 7, only for him to return in F9. With all of that being said, couldn’t the same happen with Gisele Yashar, his former partner in crime and love interest? Yeah, we saw her fall from a plane in Fast And Furious 6, but that doesn’t mean she couldn't have miraculously survived the fall and went into hiding. It certainly wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen in the Fast And Furious franchise.

Gisele played a major role in all of the movies from Fast And Furious (2009) to Fast And Furious 6, and over time, became a vital member of Dom and Brian’s crew. She was a remarkable driver, superb fighter, and with looks that could kill, Gisele helped out the crew in a number of ways. Her death was one of the most traumatic moments in the franchise and had an impact on everyone in the crew, especially Han.

Just imagine Han returns in F9, finds himself in mortal danger and is saved by a mysterious character. Now imagine that character is Gisele. Here’s my money, Universal. Take all of it.

Owen Shaw (Luke Evans)

The franchise introduced one of the most engaging villains when Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) was brought into the fold for Fast And Furious 6. Shaw would go on to give Dom, Brian, and the rest of the crew a run for their money before being taken out and placed in a coma at the end of the film.

Owen Shaw was only featured briefly in the beginning of Furious 7 when his brother Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) visited his kid brother and vowed to get back at the people that hurt his family. But that all changed by the time Fate Of The Furious rolled around a few years later when Deckard and Owen teamed up with Dom to save his young son, Brian, who had been kidnapped by Cipher.

We don’t know what came of Owen Shaw after forcing Cipher’s pilot to land the plane at the conclusion of the eighth film, and he didn’t show up in his brother’s spin-off Hobbs And Shaw, so we don’t know whether he will return for Fast And Furious 9 or not, but we can only hope that he teams up with his older brother again at some point. I mean, Luke Evans really brought the whole villain role to another level when compared to his predecessors, so having him return as either a villain or an anti-hero could open a lot of doors for the franchise.

Riley Hicks (Gina Carano)

Diplomatic Security Service agent Riley Hicks (Gina Carano) has only showed up once in the franchise when she was revealed to be a double agent working for Owen Shaw in Fast And Furious 6. Hicks was last seen being shot by a harpoon gun and falling out of an airplane, but there’s a small chance that someone of her stature would survive such an injury.

Plus, Gina Carano has become somewhat of an action star following her appearance in the 2013 film, including a minor role in the 2016 Deadpool and a much larger role in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. The former combat athlete and actress has become a much larger name and better performer since then, so it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility if she showed up at one point or another in the future.

Tego Leo And Rico (Tego Calderon And Don Omar)

Tego Leo and Rico Santos quickly became fan favorites when they were introduced to the franchise via the 2009 short film Los Bandoleros that led into the events of Fast And Furious later that year. The two friends were key members of Dom’s crew during the oil tanker heist that served as the climax of the film, but the two would really take it up a notch with the next entry in the franchise.

During Fast Five, Leo and Rico performed a great deal of the recon work that needed to be completed before the crew could steal the two bank vaults for that incomprehensible action set-piece that anchored the entire movie. Following the events of the film, Leo and Rico were seen playing roulette in Monaco where they up their entire shares on red and black, respectively. The results of that bet were never revealed.

The two characters wouldn’t show up again until Fate Of The Furious, even then only being briefly shown when Dom was rescuing his son from Cipher (Charlize Theron). It’s not known what happened to the fan favorites, and they weren’t featured in the new trailer, but who knows, they could pop up again and tell everyone who won that fateful bet in Monaco.

Will any of these characters join the likes of Han Lue and return to the Fast And Furious franchise? We’ll just have to wait and see when Fast And Furious 9 hits theaters this summer.

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

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

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

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

Joe Manganiello

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

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

Garrett Hedlund

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

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

Jai Courtney

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

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

Luke Evans

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

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

Taron Egerton

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

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

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

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

There's a reason that they call The Rock "franchise Viagra." The behemoth action star (in every sense of the word) has managed to elevate most of the film series that he has infiltrated over the years, and he has a proven ability to generate fantastic box office results in the process. One of the key examples of that phenomenon was the rejuvenation of the Fast and Furious franchise when he entered the equation as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five (widely regarded as the turning point for the series), and now he will finally be rewarded for his hard work with a spinoff movie of his very own, which is now being called Hobbs & Shaw and will feature Hobbs teaming up (once again) with Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw.

It makes sense that such a film would enter production when we look at the box office success of The Fate of the Furious, and that spinoff is the film that we intend to discuss today. And, to help move that process along, we have put together a handy list of everything that you currently need to know about The Rock's Fast and Furious spinoff movie. We will endeavor to keep the guide as up to date as possible at all times, and we will keep you up to date with new details as they become available to us. Now, without further ado, let's dive into the details of this project and start figuring out what to expect from it.

What Have We Seen From Hobbs & Shaw?

After many, many months of building anticipation, we finally got a look at what we can expect from Hobbs & Shaw when the first official trailer dropped in early February 2019. As you can see from the footage above, the movie will see the duo being forced to work together to bring in a nearly superhuman bad guy in an operation that has to employ some off the books methods. As you might expect from a movie that's a spinoff of the high octane Fast & Furious franchise, Hobbs & Shaw will feature a lot of intense action, as well as a quite a bit more humor than any of its predecessors.

When Is The Hobbs & Shaw Release Date?

The Fast and Furious spinoff is gearing up to hit theaters a lot sooner than some people may have previously assumed. In fact, Fast and Furious 9 was actually pushed back (to the chagrin of Tyrese Gibson) to make room for Hobbs & Shaw earlier on the Universal schedule -- which could mean that the folks at Universal have a lot of faith in the idea that they have been cooking. Originally, The Rock's Fast and Furious spinoff movie was slated to debut in theaters on July 26, 2019, but now the date has been pushed back a bit for August 2, 2019. We still have a bit of time to wait until the film finally debuts, but considering how recently it was announced, this is a pretty quick turnaround for a potential summer blockbuster of this scope.

What Is The Hobbs & Shaw Rating?

At this stage of the game, there is no reason not to assume that Hobbs & Shaw will not receive a PG-13 rating like all of the other entries in the franchise. The Fast films are primarily built on a foundation of broad appeal, and getting a large crowd into the theater is the key to success. R-ratings may have helped Deadpool become a box office powerhouse and allowed Logan to become a potential awards contender, but PG-13 is what Fast and Furious currently calls home. Is it impossible that someone behind the scenes may decide to go all in and let the Fast and Furious movie get a restrictive rating? Not necessarily, but PG-13 just seems like the safer bet at this stage of the film's development.

Who Is The Hobbs & Shaw Director?

Although Justin Lin has arguably become the most well-known filmmaker behind the scenes of the Fast and Furious franchise, the series has never really landed on one specific director to put a notable creative mark on the films. It's one of the more malleable franchises in existence, and it took a while for a director to be confirmed for Hobbs & Shaw, with a report from Variety in October 2017 indicating that Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) was in the running to potentially get the job.

Spring of 2018, however, brought some good news, as a director was finally officially confirmed for Hobbs & Shaw. David Leitch, fresh off his work on Deadpool 2, is set to step behind the camera for the Fast and Furious spinoff. And, this sounds like a nearly perfect choice to steer what is sure to be an action-filled ship into theaters. Leitch began his Hollywood career as a stuntman/stunt coordinator, and began his work as a director with 2014's John Wick. He then moved to Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2, making Hobbs & Shaw his fourth effort as a director.

What Is The Hobbs & Shaw Story?

While the Fast and Furious spinoff is still working its way toward theaters and all the details of the story have not been established publicly yet, as mentioned above we do know why these two will be brought together again. Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw will come together for a mission that requires their particular sets of skills in the hunt for Idris Elba's genetically modified villain, Brixton. And, even though the antics that the Fast and Furious crowd get up to have often made the members seem superhuman, this time it looks like Brixton really will bring some actual superpowers to the table.

Despite the fact that we don't know much about where else the folks at Universal intend to take Hobbs & Shaw from a narrative point of view, the use of those two characters could go a long way towards informing the type of movie that we see. They are more soldiers than they are drivers (though they can definitely handle themselves behind the wheel) which means we may see a movie that's a bit more traditionally oriented towards action than the vehicle-based chaos from the other Fast and Furious movies. Only time will tell for sure.

Dwayne Johnson As Luke Hobbs

Dwayne Johnson is a busy guy; you just need to look at his IMDb page to figure that out. He's recently had roles in films like Rampage and Skyscraper, as well as currently working on Jumanji 3, the guy has a lot on his plate. Having said that, one role that he has continuously returned to over the years is that of Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious franchise. Johnson seems incredibly eager to return to the fray, which means we can look forward to an enthusiastic lead performance when the film finally premieres.

That said, we still have no idea of what to expect from Luke Hobbs in this film. During The Fate of the Furious, we saw him go on the run like a fugitive to prove his innocence and get back to the right side of the law, which means that he likely doesn't do the same thing in the very next movie. Considering that Hobbs is now seen as a law-abiding citizen again, and the fact that taking Brixton down is an official, government effort, it makes sense that no one would need to bring the entire team into the field.

Jason Statham As Deckard Shaw

When Jason Statham first burst onto the scene at the end of the sixth Fast and Furious film, everyone knew that he was destined to become the big bad of Furious 7. Having said that, it's doubtful that anyone could've possibly anticipated the transformation that would take place for the character between then and now. Deckard Shaw is still not quite a proper good guy in the way that Luke Hobbs is (or Brian O'Conner was before Paul Walker's death), but he has definitely transformed into a fan-favorite anti-hero, as well as one of the most exciting aspects of the entire Fast and Furious franchise.

Much of that had to do with the delightfully fun chemistry between Jason Statham and The Rock on The Fate of the Furious, and it's clear that Universal knows what it has on its hands with these two action powerhouses. Now that we have some idea as to how Hobbs & Shaw plans to incorporate Deckard Shaw into the story alongside Luke Hobbs, we can reasonably assume that the plan is to have him serve as the "bad cop" to Hobbs' more straight-laced and law-abiding badass police officer.

Vanessa Kirby As Hattie Shaw

As we've seen previously, the Shaw family runs pretty deep, either by upholding the laws or going against them in major ways, and Deckard's sister Hattie is no different. She's actually an MI6 agent who will run into Brixton during a mission, which will then go awry because of his interference, and call in the help that leads to Hobbs and her brother getting involved. And, if what The Rock has to say about her character turns out to be true, she'll end up having more of a bond with Hobbs than Deckard when they all get together.

If you're wondering where you've seen Vanessa Kirby, who's taken on the role of Hattie Shaw, before, she's had a booming career as of late. She became known for her work as Princess Margaret on The Crown, and played a sophisticated arms dealer in last year's Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and has also appeared in The Frankenstein Chronicles and Jupiter Ascending, among other films and series.

Idris Elba As Brixton

Any movie of this type needs its bad guy, and for Hobbs & Shaw that's Idris Elba's Brixton. As mentioned earlier, Brixton is not your run-of-the-mill baddie. Oh, no. Brixton has undergone some sort of high tech genetic manipulation in order to become "human evolutionary change...bulletproof, superhuman," and he certainly looks the part from what we see of him in the trailer. Dwayne Johnson had said a couple of months ago that they wanted Brixton to be "the baddest villain the franchise has ever seen," and throwing superpowers into the mix can absolutely take care of that.

The snippets we see of his procedure in the trailer make it look as though Brixton took these changes on willingly, but right now we don't know who was behind the tech that allowed him to have this procedure, why he was recruited for it or what his ultimate goal is in Hobbs & Shaw. But, time will tell.

Luke Evans As Owen Shaw

Like Deckard Shaw, Luke Evans' Owen Shaw is another Fast and Furious bad guy who appears to be on a redemptive arc. After serving as a full-blown antagonist in the sixth film, he made a return to action alongside Deckard in the mission to save Brian Toretto from Cipher -- before her escape out of the plane. He's still around, which means that he has the potential to come back.

As far as willingness to appear in the Fast and Furious spinoff goes, Luke Evans seemed interested in the possibility. When addressing whether or not he would come back for Hobbs & Shaw while promoting the release of Professor Marston and the Wonder Women at the time of that film's October 2017 release, he specifically mentioned that he had not received a call to reprise his role as Owen Shaw yet, but that he would do so if presented with the opportunity. Now we're just hoping that the opportunity does present itself.

Helen Mirren As Magdalene Shaw

Kurt Russell is not the only acting icon to get a chance to enter the Fast and Furious universe as a badass character. Helen Mirren also entered the fray as Magdalene Shaw (after fighting for the role) during the events of The Fate of the Furious, and her brief appearance in that film seemingly came with the implication that she could potentially show up somewhere down the line for a much meatier role in the franchise. Like Luke Evans, she is not confirmed for a role in Hobbs & Shaw yet, but she seems like a logical choice to potentially fill out the supporting cast.

Bringing back Magdalene Shaw also just seems to make sense from a storytelling point of view. As we saw in The Fate of the Furious, the Shaw family seems to operate by a very similar (albeit somewhat skewed) version of the Toretto family code, so she could easily represent a focal point to branch the series off in a new direction while still maintaining a sense of thematic continuity with the rest of the movies in the Fast and Furious franchise.

Other New Characters

One of the exciting things we've learned recently about Hobbs & Shaw is that not only will it introduce at least one new member of the Shaw clan, but it will also bring other members of the Hobbs family to the big screen as well. Luke Hobbs is said to have five brothers and a mom who'll be showing up, and we know that one of these brothers will be played by WWE all-star Roman Reigns, who just so happens to be The Rock's real-life cousin. One of the Hobbs brothers, Jonah, reportedly has an ax to grind against Luke, but we don't know yet if Reigns is the one taking on the part of Jonah.

Actor Eddie Marsan has reunited with his Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde director for Hobbs & Shaw, as he signed on to play a, currently undisclosed, role in the action film. Marsan has played a wide array of villains, good guys and weirdos on screen, so it will be interesting to see just how he and his character fit into the narrative.

The Rest Of The Crew

One thing that we still don't know about the Fast and Furious spinoff is whether or not any other members of the Dominic Toretto crew will show up to make an appearance (cameo or otherwise). We know that every character in this franchise values family above all else, and The Fate of the Furious certainly established the idea that Luke Hobbs is indeed a member of that specific family. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we would not be surprised if it were announced that at least one member of the crew intended to show up.

Having said that, there's also a clear argument to be made that it might not be the wisest thing for a member of the proper Fast and Furious franchise to show up and take part in the upcoming story. One of the most exciting aspects of Hobbs and Shaw is the chance to see more of Luke Hobbs than we have ever seen before, and pushing this movie too far into ensemble territory could defeat that purpose. A cameo has the potential to work still, but we might not want to see Dom or Letty for the bulk of the film; Luke needs his time to shine.

What Other Fast And Furious Movies Are Coming?

Although the Fast and Furious franchise intends to take a brief detour in order to focus some much-needed attention on Luke Hobbs as a central hero, that doesn't change the fact that there are other installments in the franchise on the way as well. Specifically, Fast and Furious 9 is set to debut in theaters in April 2020, and Fast and Furious 10 (which may end the main franchise) is set to premiere one year later in April 2021.

We only have a few months to wait now until Hobbs & Show hits theaters, but be sure to keep an eye on this guide as we'll update it with all the latest news on the action blockbuster!

In case you haven't already noticed, the world is crazy for Wonder Woman lately. Patty Jenkins' blockbuster made serious waves when it was released, giving the DC Extended Universe its first critical darling. Since then, Gal Gadot's incarnation of the character has been added to more DCEU movies, and there are sure to be endless Wonder Woman Halloween costumes this month. But not many fans are familiar with how the character was created... until now. Because Professor Marston and the Wonder Women brings the real life story of Wonder Woman's inception and her creator's polyamorous relationship to the big screen.

Actress Bella Heathcote (Fifty Shades Darker, The Man In The High Castle) dons the costume as Olive Byrne in Professor Marston, and I recently spoke to her about the process of slipping on that signature suit. When I asked Heathcote if she was more nervous or excited to suit up after Gal Gadot's acclaimed performances, she told me:

While the pressure was on for Bella Heathcote and the crew, it seems the actress made sure she focused on her character's journey for the big Wonder Woman scene. That's certainly a smart way to approach filling those big shoes (or boots, as the case may be).

The scene when Olive puts on what would eventually become Wonder Woman's signature costume is one of the most exciting sequences in Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. As Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall) and William (Luke Evans) argue over the taboo subject of BDSM, Olive finds herself fascinated with the provocative clothing and use of rope play. In a moment of sexual empowerment, Olive dons the lingerie, puts a tiara on her head, and grabs ahold of some yellow rope. And when Olive's partners walk back into the room, she stands on the stage looking like a true Amazonian goddess. It's a scene filled with drama, excitement, trepidation, and eventually empowerment for both Olive and Elizabeth.

All of these costume elements, including Olive's signature cuff bracelets, would eventually inspire William Marston's creation of Wonder Woman. The rope used in the polyamorous unit's experiments with bondage would eventually become the lasso of truth, Olive's bracelets were given the power to deflect bullets for the superhero, and even the invisible jet was explained. Forget what you think about Wonder Woman, because Professor Marston will provide you with the fascinating true roots of the character's creation.

You can see Bella Heathcote speak about her experience with the costume below.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is in theaters now, and getting some rave reviews. Be sure to check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

The Fast and Furious franchise continues to evolve and expand with each passing movie, and that idea has officially gone to the next level with the announcement of a Luke Hobbs/Deckard Shaw spinoff starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. With the presence of one Shaw, it naturally raises questions about whether or not Luke Evans could return as Owen Shaw as well. Evans addressed this issue while promoting Professor Marston & the Wonder Women, and while he's not sure if he will return to the franchise, he seems interested (particularly if they can get Helen Mirren back too). Evans said:

From what Luke Evans had to say to Metro about the Fast and Furious spinoff, it appears that he's not entirely sure as to whether or not he's going to come back. However, it should be noted that Evans reportedly made these comments with a smile, possibly suggesting that he knows more than he's letting on.

The way the Fast and Furious has evolved recently would make it reasonably easy for Owen Shaw to return. Seemingly placed on a redemptive arc alongside his brother when they boarded Cipher's plane to save Dom's son, Owen no longer stands as the mustache-twirling bad guy that fans were introduced to during the events of Fast and Furious 6. While his arc could conclude with his assistance in that mission during the climax of The Fate of the Furious, there also seems to be just as easy of a pathway to making him a more prominent member in the franchise is it goes forward. After all, the franchise loves to slowly expand the roles of specific cast members (just ask The Rock), so ramping up Owen Shaw to an anti-hero seems in-line with the series' history.

Then, of course, we cannot forget Luke Evans' one caveat for returning. Please, someone, get Hellen Mirren on the phone right now and have her sign on to the Hobbs and Shaw spinoff. The Shaw family dynamic was arguably one of the most entertaining aspects of The Fate of the Furious (despite how little screen time it received), and the prospect of Luke Evans coming back into the fray as Owen Shaw WITH Helen Mirren's Magdalene Shaw seems too good to pass up. Take note, Universal; let's keep the franchise's "family" theme going and get more Shaws in the mix.

The Hobbs and Shaw-centric Fast and Furious spinoff movie is currently dated to hit theaters on July 26, 2019, and Fast and Furious 9 will debut the following year on April 10, 2020. As for Luke Evans, you can catch him Professor Marston & the Wonder Women this weekend on October 13.

Great movie chemistry is a difficult thing to find. When you have it, your film can survive based off that alone. When two characters don't mix well, the entire movie falls apart. Sometimes, however, two actors can work so well together that their interaction transcends everything else that happens on screen and they steal every scene together. Sometimes it's a romantic pair, sometimes it's a bromantic pair, but when it works, it works so well that you just want to see it again.

We're not saying that movies these pairs were in together need sequels. In most cases, we don't expect or really want a sequel to the existing film. The chemistry these pairs share transcend the movie they were in. We know they'd be great together in literally any movie. Here are 10 movie pairs we want to see together again, in anything.

Edward Norton & Brad Pitt

Fight Club received most of its acclaim for its unexpected twist ending and its "fight the power" message that resonated with many young people in the 1990s. While I would argue the movie probably hasn't aged as well as you might think and probably isn't as good as it was in college, the performances of its two leading men were rock solid and their interaction was flawless. Both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton have gone to bigger and better things, and since they're two of the greatest actors working today, we'd love to see them on screen again. Maybe in something a little less depressing.

Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks

Ok, so we already have three movies to enjoy with this classic romantic movie pairing (you probably missed Ithaca). So what? The chemistry between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is absolutely perfect, and just because they've done movies together doesn't mean there isn't an opportunity for more. Great actors always bring something special to the screen, but sometimes when working opposite somebody who knows them well, performances can be brought to the next level. We've seen them fall in love, but as older performers, they could make a romantic movie about people who have spent decades together now, and audiences would buy it because they watched the pair fall in love two and a half decades ago.

The Rock & Jason Statham

The most recent pairing on this list, the Fast and Furious franchise appears to be losing some steam after the most recent entry, but two people you can't blame for that are The Rock and Jason Statham. They both brought their A-game to The Fate of the Furious, but what's more, when the two were on screen together you honestly forget that any other movie was even happening. There's talk of this pair getting their own spinoff film, but it honestly doesn't matter if they do a Furious spin-off or anything else. Cast Jason Statham in any of the 47 movies The Rock currently has in production.

Eddie Murphy & Dan Aykroyd

Trading Places is, almost without question, one of the great comedies of all-time. If that movie had been released in the last 10 years, a sequel would have been greenlit before the movie was out of theaters. Neither Dan Aykroyd or Eddie Murphy is busy making a lot of movies these days, which is why it would be perfect for the two of them to reunite in something new. Seeing either of them in a brand new comedy would be a treat. Seeing what the two of them could do together after all these years would be guaranteed to be hilarious.

Anne Hathaway & Meryl Streep

The Devil Wears Prada was a breakout role for a young Anne Hathaway, acting opposite a multi-time Academy Award winner. Now Hathaway has an Oscar of her own, and the promotional material for a movie that reunites this pair writes itself. Prada certainly requires no sequel, so we imagine these two could do something else together. It could be something dramatic and Oscar worthy, or something lighter in the vein of their previous joint venture. Either way, another project starring these two would be impressive to watch. Ways in which the character dynamic could shift after all these years is exciting to think about.

Josh Gad & Luke Evans

One of the highlights of the recent Beauty and the Beast remake was the pairing of Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as his friend/sidekick Le Fou. The pair were absolutely hilarious together and after watching them doing press and social media stuff together in the lead up to the film, it's clear the two have a lot of fun together. They could make any comedy together, and we're fairly certain it would be great. Their timing is perfect and every joke in Beauty landed perfectly. Does anybody want to make an Abbott & Costello biopic? Please do so right now.

Arnold Schwarzenegger & Jamie Lee Curtis

With all the blockbuster success that James Cameron has had over the years, his action comedy True Lies is often overlooked. What made that film work so well was the on-screen chemistry between leads Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. If there was a pair on the list that we wanted to see make a true sequel to their previous film, it might be this one. It would be great to see how "Boris and Doris" and doing after all these years of spying together. What does that situation do to a relationship? Are they closer together or falling apart? We're fairly certain they're no less entertaining.

Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones

The Men in Black movies worked because the pairing of the joke-cracking Will Smith and the straight-faced, but no less funny, Tommy Lee Jones, was absolute perfection. If there's a single reason that the third installment of the franchise didn't work, it's because Jones wasn't a big enough part of the movie. So let's move on from Men in Black and find something else for these two to do together. They'd be no less funny in any comedy. Find Jones and Smith a pair of roles with a similar relationship and let the jokes fly.

Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone

While La La Land may not have been Best Picture, it was not from lack of effort from the film's two leads. Of course, that isn't the only movie the two have been in together. They've made three films together in recent years and now we just want to see more. Whether it's musicals, romantic comedies or serious dramas, these two have great chemistry together. We're hoping they continue to make different kinds of movies together and give us even more to enjoy for years to come.

Tim Robbins & Morgan Freeman

There may be no greater love story about the relationship between two male friends as The Shawshank Redemption. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and the characters they played, could not be more different, and yet the relationship between them is one of the strongest in the history of cinema. Both men are older now, but that only changes the circumstances. We bet these two could still deliver powerful performances on screen together. We would never want to see these two follow up their previous film, but anything these two could do with each other would be great.

In Bill Condon's Beauty and the Beast, the two greatest scene-stealers are arguably neither the titular leads nor any of the anthropomorphic housewares. Instead, it's really Luke Evans' Gaston and Josh Gad's LeFou, who have a wonderful, hilarious dynamic even as they plot downright evil machinations. This is best encapsulated in a sequence when the latter tries to get the former to go to his "happy place" in order to calm down -- but what makes the moment even better is the fact that it was completely improvised by the stars.

The scene in question has LeFou whisper calming thoughts to Gaston about explosions, blood, and lots and lots of widows -- and it was a moment that I appreciated so much that I felt the need to ask the actors about it. I sat down with Luke Evans and Josh Gad earlier this month at the Los Angeles press day for Beauty and the Beast, and while I initially asked Evans about that line potentially highlighting a recognition of villainy in Gaston, it was at the end of his response that the actor mentioned that my favorite funny moment in the film came off the cuff. Said Evans,

Speaking of improvisation, Josh Gad and Luke Evans wound up doing some as the interview continued, as I followed up by asking them about the amount of freedom they were given as the cameras were rolling. According to the pair, they are actually the people responsible for one of Beauty and the Beast's most beloved musical numbers. You can watch their great back and forth in the video below:

I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't make me wonder what kind of potential a prequel story about Gaston and LeFou would have as a big screen story.

Before we get to that point, however, audiences have to see the new Beauty and the Beast first -- and that time is approaching. The new Disney film will be in theaters this Friday, March 17th, and stay tuned for more from my interviews with the movie's stars and director in the coming days!

Not all villains look ugly on the outside. In Beauty and the Beast's case, while the eponymous Beast is eventually revealed to have a kind soul underneath his monstrous appearance, the movies true antagonist is the normal-looking Gaston. The upcoming live action remake is keeping this element intact, and according to Gaston's new actor, Luke Evans, the red-garbed braggart sinks to levels few Disney characters (namely villains) will ever find themselves. As he put it:

Luke Evans briefly chatted with Empire about Disney's upcoming re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, and just like his animated counterpart, the live action Gaston will be a truly despicable character. However, this iteration of the hunter has a little more depth compared to the one from the 1991 animated movie. While still the comic relief, Evans also mentioned that Gaston was a soldier in the past, but his true colors will show when his advances towards Belle, the main protagonist, go unrequited. Evans continued:

Those who've seen Disney's original Beauty and the Beast movie know what happens to Gaston by the end of the story, but it will be interesting to see how the remake expands upon the character, specifically making him into an even more deplorable bad guy. At least it's confirmed he'll still be belting out at least one tune, as "Gaston," the ode to his "greatness," is one of the returning songs.

Along with Luke Evans' comments, Empire provided an exclusive photo of Gaston attempting to charm Belle with flowers, which the actor was kind enough to share on his Twitter page. And yes, we also can't help but notice how large his neck is.

Just like its predecessor, next year's Beauty and the Beast will follow Belle, a young woman who loves to read and dreams of adventure. Her aspirations for the latter will finally be fulfilled when she is taken prisoner within the Beast's castle to free her father. While there, she'll befriend the enchanted staff members and fall in love with the Beast as she gets to know the man underneath the fur and claws. Unfortunately, Gaston will eventually interfere by attempting to take Belle for himself and hunt down the Beast "at any cost." Aside from Luke Evans, the cast includes Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Kevin Kline as Maurice, Josh Gad as LeFou, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, Audra McDonald as Garderobe and Stanley Tucci as Cadenza.

Beauty and the Beast will cast its spell in theaters on March 17, 2017.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for The Girl On The Train. If you have not yet seen the film, and don't want to learn details about the ending, we recommend clicking away to another one of our wonderful articles.

In Tate Taylor's The Girl On The Train, Luke Evans' character, Scott, spends a whole lot of time looking seriously guilty. More than just "the husband did it" often being a very accurate conclusion to draw, the guy is also very clearly an emotionally abusive jerk who seems like the number one candidate to kill his wife and hide the body. In fact, Scott often looks so much like a murderer in the movie that even Luke Evans was shocked to find out the true identity of the killer when he finished reading the script for the first time.

Earlier this month, prior to The Girl On The Train's theatrical release, I had the pleasure of hopping on the phone with Luke Evans to talk about his latest movie, and part of that conversation was dedicated to spoiler talk about the ending of the film and the identity of the killer. Curious about his perspective on the matter, I asked about Evans' first reaction the first time he got to the end of the script -- and he explained that he really didn't see the big reveal at the end coming. Said Evans,

Following up, I asked Luke Evans who it was that he at first thought was the real killer of Haley Bennett's Megan in The Girl On The Train. He explained that he definitely felt Scott was high on the suspect list, but also thought that perhaps another key character was responsible for the death:

It turns out that the real killer is Rachel's ex-husband, Tom (Justin Theroux), who has been gaslighting Rachel for years, and making her think that her alcoholism has caused much greater problems than it has. It's an ending that shocked readers when they were going through Paula Hawkins' novel for the first time, and apparently Luke Evans can be counted amongst those who never saw it coming.

Were you like Luke Evans and found yourself shocked by The Girl On The Train's ending? Hit the comments below with your thoughts.

There's absolutely no question that comic books and superheroes currently have a vice grip on the worldwide box office. However, the real life stories behind these heroes and universes can often be just as compelling as the stories depicted within the pages of DC or Marvel comics. One such hero that has compelling real-world origin is Diana Prince a.k.a Wonder Woman, who has been sorely underserved over the years. However, it now seems that we will soon get a fascinating (yet long overdue) biopic centering on her creation in the early 1940s.

According to a brand new report from Deadline, it appears that production has officially begun on Professor Marston & The Wonder Women. The film follows the exploits of Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans) and his polyamorous relationship with Elizabeth Holloway Marston (Rebecca Hall) and Olivia Byrne (Bella Heathcote) that inspired him to create Diana Prince in 1941. The film will focus on this unorthodox love story, as well as the sexism and homophobic criticism that Marston faced in the 1940s when he brought the DC legend to life.

Despite the fact that Professor Marston & The Wonder Women technically centers on a male protagonist, it's impossible to deny the feminine focus and themes depicted within the film. Beyond that, the film will be written and directed by female filmmaker, Angela Robinson. Actress Gal Gadot recently spoke out about the importance of having a female director tackle the Wonder Woman solo movie (in this case, Patty Jenkins) so it only makes sense for the same mentality to be used in the creation of a movie centering on her real world origin as well.

There's arguably never been a better time for a film such as this to commence production. As many of you already know, Wonder Woman officially re-entered the mainstream this year when Gal Gadot stepped into the role for the very first time in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and she easily became a fan favorite element of the polarizing movie. Now that she has made her introduction, the character will soon take center stage when the Wonder Woman solo movie hits theaters next summer. Beyond that, the character made some serious waves in recent weeks when DC Comics confirmed Wonder Woman's LGBT status within the source material. She's a bona fide feminist icon, and it's about time for her (as well as her complex origin) to get the representation that she deserves.

Just look at the trailer for the Wonder Woman solo movie. It's abundantly clear that there's never been a better time films centering on strong female role models.

We will bring you more information related to Professor Marston & The Wonder Women as more details become available to us. Stay tuned for more details!

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.

Pretty much everyone has a distinct personal connection to the characters of the classic Disney tales, which makes portraying them on the silver screen all the more difficult. Harry Potter actress Emma Watson will soon take on that challenge and step into the role of Belle for Bill Condon's live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, and it goes without saying that she has some big shoes to fill. This raises a question: what do the people closest to the original 1991 animated film think about her casting? As it turns out: they love it. Beauty and the Beast composer Alan Menken specifically said:

That's pretty high praise from one of the men responsible for the original 1991 classic; he knows Belle better than almost anybody. Alan Menken recently spoke to EW regarding the 25th anniversary of Beauty and the Beast, and the conversation inevitably turned to the upcoming live-action adaptation starring Emma Watson. He admitted that he's incredibly supportive of the casting decision, and at this point he cannot imagine any other contemporary actress taking on the beloved role.

Of course, Emma Watson doesn't have to carry the weight of the entire film on her shoulders alone; she'll be joined by an army of talented performers that will help to considerably lighten the load. In addition to Ms. Watson, Beauty and the Beast has also enlisted the acting chops of Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Josh Gad, Kevin Line, and Luke Evans. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better overall ensemble of performers to bring this iconic Disney tale to life.

Even without that support system, we have complete faith in Emma Watson's acting talents. After all, watching her incarnation of Belle rebuff the advances of the burly Gaston in live-action is the sort of treat that many self-respecting Disney fans have waited years to see:

Portraying characters from iconic tales like Beauty and the Beast has become an incredibly hit or miss phenomenon for many actors. Some performers completely nail it, like Meryl Streep as The Witch in Rob Marshall's Into the Woods, but other performer don't do quite as well, such as Kristen Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman. Emma Watson has consistently proven herself as a bold performer with a strong track record in the realm of fantasy, so she seems perfectly suited to take on the legendary role of Belle. Much like Alan Menken, we're on-board with the direction of Bill Condon's film.

CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant details related to the upcoming live-action version of Beauty and the Beast as more information becomes available to us. The film is currently slated to hit theaters on March 17, 2017, and the original animated classic will return to theaters this month to honor its 25th anniversary. Make sure to check it out!

The live action Beauty and the Beast remake released its first trailer this past May, and while the preview provided an excellent tour of the castle setting and the quickest of glances at Emma Watson's Belle, none of the movie's anthropomorphic characters made an appearance. The closest things we got to that was hearing Ewan McGregor's Lumiere and Ian McKellen's Cogsworth speaking about the "beauty" who entered their humble abode. Three months later, now we finally have our first taste of what the human-like candelabra and clock will look like in this re-telling.

Producer Jack Morrisey posted this concept art on his Facebook page of the live action versions of Lumiere and Cogsworth (passed along by Twitter user macondom). This comes from one of the special features on the original Beauty and the Beast movie's upcoming 25th anniversary Blu-ray/DVD release. Morrisey notes that these designs may not be exactly how they look in the final product, but they're close. Perhaps this "sneak peek" at the new Beauty and the Beast movie will also include artwork at some of the other transformed characters, like Emma Thompson's Ms. Potts or Stanley Tucci's Cadenza. As for Lumiere and Cogsworth, this is definitely a less cartoonish look than what we're used to, which was to be expected given this is a live action movie and how advanced CGI technology is nowadays. I like how Lumiere doesn't seem to have a face in the artwork, whereas Cogsworth's clock face works as an acceptable substitute for his human visage.

This look at Lumiere and Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast certainly provided a good idea about how the Beast's other servants might look like in their walking and talking inanimate object forms, but the fun isn't over yet. Head to the next page to get the first look at the live action Beauty and the Beast's Gaston and LeFou!

Along with the first image of Lumiere and Cogworth, producer Jack Morrisey also posted an image of Josh Gad's LeFou and Luke Evans' Gaston in what looks like them in the middle of a musical number at the local tavern. A new version of "Gaston," anyone?

Unfortunately, this isn't quite as clear as the previous image. LeFou is far away belting out a lyric, while Gaston's back is facing the camera. Hey, at least the latter is still wearing his trademark red coat, and the townsfolk still seem to have a lot of misplaced love for him.

Finally, head to the next page to see how actor Dan Stevens will look in the feature.

As anyone who's familiar with the Beauty and the Beast tale knows the Beast didn't always look like a monster. He and his house staff were turned into their unusual forms by a curse, but they're eventually reverted back to being humans. Here we see Dan Stevens back to looking normal, and if the live action movie is following in the footsteps of the 1991 animated classic, then we'll know him here as Prince Adam.

Unlike the previous two images, this is from behind the scenes, but at least he still has that long hair and white tunic his animated counterpart had. It just goes to show how closely this remake will be inspired by the animated movie, albeit with some changes here and there. Now that these images are out, it'd be great if we got a clear shot of Belle (preferably in her iconic yellow gown) and see Dan Stevens in his beast form. If those aren't on that special feature, ideally the next trailer will provide those looks.

Beauty and the Beast will be released in theaters on March 17, 2017.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re starting to see a flood of epic live-action film versions of famous children’s tales popularly adapted by Disney. Angelina Jolie sort of started this trend by playing the flawed fairy antagonist in the Sleeping Beauty adaptation, Maleficent. But the studio’s Cinderella and The Jungle Book adaptations packed theaters, meaning the craze has no signs of slowing down. (In fact, here are 23 Live Action Fairy Tale Adaptations In The Making!) Next year promises a possibly more intriguing iteration with Beauty and the Beast.

The more we learn about this live-action "interpretation" of the 1756 French tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, the more intriguing it’s beginning to sound. Bill Condon will direct this take on the classic tale, and he has assembled an eye-popping cast. Here are the confirmed cast members, and who they will be playing in Beauty and the Beast when it opens on March 17, 2017.

Emma Watson as Belle

Lately, former Harry Potter series star, Emma Watson has been making more headlines for her work with the United Nations and her gender-cultural call to arms than her cinematic resume. While she has some notable projects lined up in the near future, none will be more notable than this starring role as the "beauty" herself, Belle.

While the role of Belle may come as a bit of typecasting that looks to recall Watson’s bright, bookish, and sometimes obstinate attributes from her days as Hermione Granger, it’s also perfect. Disney’s famous interpretation depicted a bright, big-eyed beauty, but Watson carries a certain dignity to her demeanor that should come across effectively as a real-life version of the famous character. Rather than being some dainty dame who floats through life singing with cute whimsy, she’ll likely give us a deeper, insightful interpretation.

Dan Stevens as The Beast

Dan Stevens, the former star of TV’s Downton Abbey and films like The Fifth Estates, could find himself a household name with this co-starring role as the one and only Beast, himself. While the role is certainly open to interpretation and has been reinvented in every way, shape and form over the last few decades on television, it could be the case that Stevens may want to channel the spirit of his recent heroic role as Sir Lancelot in the recent Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb as things are expected to be more adherent to the Disney interpretation of Beauty and the Beast.

Standing at 6 feet tall even, he may not be the hulking hunk of fur we saw in the Disney film, but, with the magic of CGI and prosthetics, anything is possible. The Brit actor has some other projects lined up until then with this summer’s Criminal Activities opposite John Travolta and Oppenheimer Strategies opposite Richard Gere and Steve Buscemi.

Luke Evans as Gaston

Coming off his crucial role as the dragon-slaying Bard the Bowman in The Hobbit sequels and as the villainous Shaw in Fast & Furious 6, Luke Evans may have been forced to take a mulligan with the recent fall’s Dracula Untold, but it hasn’t slowed down his career momentum at all. He will take the role as the Beauty and the Beast story’s crimson-coated conniving narcissist, Gaston.

While, just as with Stevens, the Welsh actor doesn’t exactly exude the physical attributes one would immediately envision when it comes to the character, Evans seems to have enough experience to play a more pathological interpretation of the demented douchebag desperately desiring to steal away the lovely, thoughtful Belle, despite the romantic affections not being reciprocated. He should be THE villain of this film and it should be interesting to see how the over-the-top character from the cartoon translates into a deeper live-action medium.

Josh Gad as Le Fou

The comedian may not exactly be an A-lister in the eyes of the layman, but to millions upon millions of children, he’s known as the voice of Olaf, the clumsy, neurotic, uber-affectionate talking snowman from Frozen. He has recently been announced to join the cast of Beauty and the Beast as Gaston’s short-statured toadie of a sidekick, Le Fou. While it is a supporting role, it should give Gad a chance to showcase an array of his skills as a performer somewhat similar to the already-iconic Olaf, except in a live-action capacity and with a sinister vibe. With that said, we could probably take this casting as a sign that the film may not be all that gloomy and serious, since Gad, thus far, is not particularly known for deeply dramatic work.

While Gad has spent the majority of his acting career doing television appearances and voice work, he will head to Beauty and the Beast by way of a summer comedy called Pixels. The film, about an alien attack caused by footage of vintage video games, has Gad co-starring with Adam Sandler amongst an impressive ensemble of Peter Dinklage, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Jane Krakowski and Sean Bean. (Who will probably find a way to die.) However, look for Beauty and the Beast to possibly serve as a breakthrough role for Gad as the opportunity as Le Fou for stolen scenes are there for the taking.

Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts

Buried in the news that the live-action Beauty and the Beast will open on March 17, 2017 is the confirmation that Emma Thompson will lend her talents to the robust role of Mrs. Potts. Which means that there will be at least one show-stopping moment in the film for her, as she croons the signature tune for this tale as old as time.

We’re still trying to figure out how Bill Condon is going to approach the inanimate roles in the classic fairy tale. I mean, Mrs. Potts spends the bulk of Beauty as a tea pot. So far, the other roles cast have been for humans (like Belle) or beasts (like, er, Beast). How will Thompson – recently seen in Disney’s own Saving Mr. Banks – portray a ceramic character in live-action form?

Ewan McGregor as Lumiere

This problem (issue? concern?) continues as we got through the rest of Beast’s cursed companions. As many of you know, the items in Beast’s castle are alive, and they speak to Belle (Watson) as she gets settled in her new "home" and learns to accept her surroundings. We have talking tea pots, candle sticks and clocks… and in this live-action version, they all will have amazing voices.

Ewan McGregor hasn’t shown up in a major movie in far too long, though his ,voice (ironically) was heard ever so briefly in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (during Rey’s flashback dream sequence). He’s an inspired choice to voice the charming candlestick. Now we’re just dying to know if he’s going to have lit candles for hands.

Sir Ian McKellen as Cogsworth

We heard the gruff tones of Sir Ian McKellen in the teaser trailer for Beauty and the Beast, and while he wasn’t bellowing "You shall not pass," there was no doubt that it was the two-time Oscar nominee lending his voice to the angry clock, Cogsworth. In the animated version of the classic tale, Cogsworth is one of the objects who’s deadly afraid that they will run out of time before the Beast falls in love, meaning that he will be trapped as a clock forever. We’re excited to hear what McKellen does with that urgency.

This will be a reunion of sort for McKellen with his director, Bill Condon. Back in 1998, Condon hired McKellen to play film director James Whale in the spectacular Gods and Monsters. The role earned McKellen his first Oscar nomination, and their new collaboration is just another reason why I’m excited for Beauty and the Beast.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette

Plumette is a feather duster in the original Beauty and the Beast. If I’m being honest, I didn’t remember that. I had to look it up. I remember Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, mainly because they had standout parts in memorable songs like Be Our Guest, which should be a showstopper in the new movie. Does Plumette have a song in Beauty and the Beast? If she does, I can’t recall it. Let me know in the comments.

I won’t have any troubles remembering Gugu Mbatha-Raw, though. The powerful actress has commanded our attention with breakout roles in Beyond the Lights and Belle (not a Beauty and the Beast spinoff). She starred opposite Will Smith in Concussion, and has a part in Matthew McConaughey’s Free State of Jones. But Lights proved she can sing, so we expect a few memorable moments in Beast.

Kevin Kline as Maurice

Also joining the ensemble will be the incomparable Kevin Kline in the supporting role of Maurice, Belle’s father. It’s a modest role, and one that disappears from the story for long passages as Belle stays locked away in the Beast’s castle. But it will be important for Kline to establish good chemistry with Emma Watson early, so we are compelled to root for this distraught father while he searches the land for his lost lass.

And man, is Kevin Kline that old now?! Look at Maurice in the animated version. He’s a grandpa. I guess I’m surprised that the distinguished and undeniably funny Kline can play a role that age. But the Oscar winner is in his late 60s (67, to be exact), and has matured into the position of an elder statesman. He’ll bring class and dignity to a production that already had plenty. Adding Kline to your cast always qualifies as a good thing.

Stanley Tucci as Cadenza

Don’t remember Cadenza? Don’t feel bad… he’s a new character! Variety reported back when Tucci was added to the cast that he’d be playing a grand piano, who is being described as "a neurotic maestro." That sounds like he’ll fit right in alongside the likes of Ewan McGregor, Sir Iran McKellen, Emma Thompson and more.

Tucci’s probably looking for his next franchise, now that the Hunger Games movies have drawn to a close. Yes, he had a strong supporting turn in the Best Picture-winning Spotlight, but we’re willing to bet that Beauty and the Beast will play before three-times the amount of people who check out that brilliant drama, so hopefully Tucci will be recognizable, and not buried under makeup the way that he was playing Caesar Flickerman.

A teaser trailer for Beauty and the Beast recently dropped. Want to see it? We have it for you on the next page.

Harry Potter’s Emma Watson stars as Belle in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and you can bet there will be singing involved. The question is, will it be all pre-recorded tunes, or did the actors sing them live on the set. Luke Evans, who plays the Disney princess’ narcissistic suitor Gaston, recently dished on his musicality during the Toronto International Film Festival.

Speaking with Collider, the actor revealed that, while the cast recorded every song, they also had the opportunity to sing on set. He said,

Luke Evans clearly preferred this method, as he continued by talking about his experience singing live on stage. He said he "never mimed" in his life, and he shared this love of live singing with Josh Gad, who plays Le Fou and is described by Evans as a "proper theater lover."

While Evans may feel right at home, Watson previously told The Telegraph that this is a new and "terrifying" challenge for her. Since the announcement of her casting in the film, she’s posted on social media that she began her early singing lessons to prep for the role. Of course, Evans thinks that she’s wonderful. Speaking in a different interview with MTV News, he said that Watson "epitomizes what Belle should be in the 21st century to young girls," and praised her musical talent ("great singing voice to boot.")

The film will feature classic songs taken from the animated film and the stage musical, in addition to original compositions by Alan Menken and Tim Rice.

Emma Watson, Luke Evans, and Josh Gad are joined in Beauty and the Beast by Dan Stevens as the titular curse prince; Ewan McGregor as Lumiere; Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette; Ian McKellen as Cogsworth; Stanley Tucci as Cadenza; Kevin Kline as Maurice; and Broadway star Audra McDonald as Garderobe. The film marks the latest live-action reimagining of the classic Disney movies, following the recent Cinderella remake with Lily James, Cate Blanchett, and Richard Madden, and the Sleeping Beauty re-do Maleficent. Other than Beauty and the Beast, coming down the pipeline are The Jungle Book, Mulan, The Sword in the Stone, Dumbo, Pinocchio, and more.

Beauty and the Beast is currently scheduled for release on March 17, 2017.

It’s no secret that Disney is in the process of turning many of their beloved animated films into live-action features. They already have a handful under their belt, and another is well on its way. Their live-action Beauty and the Beast recently finished filming, and one star marked the occasion with a lovely, snow-covered photo.

Josh Gad, who plays Le Fou, took to Instagram to post this photo of himself and costar Luke Evans on the snowy stairs to commemorate the end of principal photography. It only makes sense that it is these two, as Le Fou is the sidekick to Gaston, who, in this version, is played by none other than Evans.

This doesn’t reveal much, or anything, about the film, but from the look we get at the set, you get a good idea of the feel of Beauty and the Beast, at least as far as the castle is concerned. With the creepy, detailed gothic architecture on this stairway, what do you want to bet that this is where the Beast lives and keeps Belle?

Directed by Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2), and written by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Stephen Chbosky, the live-action Beauty and the Beast is a retelling of the classic love story. Beast is a human prince who has been turned into a hideous monster, and he won’t be transformed back until he finds someone to love him, so he just hangs out in his castle with all of his servants, who were also turned into various objects. To further his goal of becoming human once more, he imprisons Belle, a beautiful, intelligent young woman, which seems like the wrong way to go about making someone love you, but we’ve all know how things turn out.

As you would expect, Disney has put together an impressive cast that includes Josh Gad and Luke Evans as Le Fou and Gaston, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Emma Watson as Belle, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Audra McDonald as Garderobe, Kevin Kline as Maurice, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, and Stanley Tucci as Cadenza, a new character. There will also be a couple of new songs that are not from the 1991 movie or the subsequent Broadway musical.

This is just the latest in a line of live-action adaptations that already includes Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent, and that will, over the next few years, also see The Jungle Book, Pinocchio, and a bunch more as Disney runs through their back catalog transforming all of their beloved animated features.

Though filming has apparently wrapped up, Beauty and the Beast is still a ways off. The process of making talking clocks and candlesticks come to life takes a while after all. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on March 17, 2017.  

Disney's live action remake of Beauty and the Beast has put together a rather stellar cast, and today we are lucky enough to see a whole bunch of them grouped together for the first time. Check out the selfie group photo below!

In case you couldn't tell, this image was posted by Josh Gad on his personal Instagram account, featured on the left side of the image alongside the rest of awesome castmates. From from left to right, the actors and their roles in Beauty and the Beast are as follows:

• Josh Gad as Lefou - Gaston's bumbling sidekick
• Dan Stevens as The Beast - The movie's titular cursed romantic male lead
• Emma Watson as Belle - The beautiful young woman who finds herself living in The Beast's castle
• Luke Evans as Gaston - The showboating antagonist of the story
• Kevin Kline as Maurice - Belle's crazy, old inventor father

Or you can look at them in comparison to their cartoon counterparts below:

You'll notice that Emma Watson is the only actress pictured, surround by a group of male co-stars - but it should be noted that all of these actors merely comprise the live-action cast of Beauty and the Beast. There are also many fantastic actors who are attached to the film in key voice-over roles, who apparently weren't available or didn't make it into this selfie. This special group includes Emma Thompson as the teapot Mrs. Potts; Sir Ian McKellen as the small desk clock Cogsworth; and and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the feather duster Plumette. It doesn't appear that the movie is finished adding talent to the cast either, so be sure to stay tuned for more updates about the production.

Stephen Chbosky, best known as the author of The Perks of Being A Wallflower, has penned the script for this new version of Beauty and the Beast, and it will be Bill Condon running the show, coming off of making the new drama Mr. Holmes (which also stars Sir Ian McKellen. If the cast is already starting to come together, you know that means production isn't far off, and it's likely that we'll hear about the start of filming within the next few weeks. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to take a long, long time for this movie to be put together - what with all of the beast makeup and talking furniture. Because post-production is going to take a while, Disney doesn't have plans to release the project before March 17, 2017 - almost two years to the day after the studio's blockbuster hit Cinderella (not a coincidence).

The leading roles of Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast movie were only recently filled out, but these folks are already proving to be a delightful ensemble. Harry Potter’s Emma Watson, who’s playing Belle, welcomed newcomers Dan Stevens and Luke Evans into the fold with a series of charming tweets.

Watson is thrilled that Stevens will play the Beast to her Belle, and so are we! He’s been slowly riding the wave of stardom since his days on Downton Abbey. You might’ve seen him in A Walk Among the Tombstones or Night At the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, but he impressed critics with his performance in The Guest. Ryan Gosling was rumored for the male lead in Beauty and the Beast, but Stevens is a much more interesting choice and the film will no doubt prove to be the vehicle he needs turn become a mainstream sensation. And he’s pretty pumped about it, too.

As for Evans, the actor has been making headlines with prominent roles in Fast and Furious 6 and Dracula Untold, and he’s doing so again with as the new Gaston. Watson also gave him a cutesy shoutout.

Gaston is the devilishly handsome, misogynistic bachelor of Belle's town. He seeks to woo and marry the maiden by flexing his muscles and flashing his pearly whites. But when he finds that she's refusing him in favor of the Beast, this doesn't sit well with him and his douchebagery. Evans certainly has the abs, charm and looks to pull off the role, and he's already getting into the part with his Twitter response to Watson.

Beauty and the Beast will be a live-action adaptation of the classic fairy tale, taking elements from the original animated movie. As Watson revealed on social media back when she was announced as Belle, it will include musical numbers, such as "Be Our Guest" and "Something There." These three are already having a blast together and principal photography hasn't begun yet. This banter can only mean good things to come.

Last month, rumors flew that Dracula Untold star Luke Evans may be dropping out of The Crow reboot. Well, the film has had yet another setback, as Evan’s publicist has confirmed that the actor has officially parted ways with the reboot to pursue other projects.

The news first broke by The Wrap, when the star exited the project officially just yesterday. Evans was bound to play Eric Draven, a rock musician who is brought back to life in order to avenge his murder and the death of his fiancee. But with seemingly endless production delays, it was only natural that Evans probably got sick of waiting around, and moved on. So now, Relativity and the director of the reboot, Corin Hardy are searching for a new star. The film originally set Tom Hiddleston as the title role, but he also ultimately passed on the project. There were rumors that even The Walking Dead star, Norman Reedus may be cast, but again that was never revisited.

It’s a major disappointment, more so for the film itself finding fruition than even the stars dropping out. The original 1994 cult-classic film starred Brandon Lee in his final film appearance. It is based off of a 1980s comic book series by James O’Barr. The film was dedicated to Lee and his fiancee after Lee was accidentally killed on set during the filming process by a defective blank. Despite all of the major setbacks after the accident, The Crow was incredibly well-received with reviews praising its unique visual style and premise, resulting in a strong cult-following.

This time last year, when Luke Evans was attached, and excited for the reboot, he promised that Lee’s beloved film would go unsullied, and would be respected. The reboot is supposedly going down a different path, and instead of being directly inspired by the 1994 classic, it would be more connected to the comic book series. The comic book creator, James O’Barr was even part of the development process and brought in as a consultant. From all of this and more, we were getting very excited about the prospect of the reboot, but it just continually had setbacks, with directors and actors leaving the project left and right.

The Crow reboot, which was supposed to come out some time this year, is expected to only start production this spring. That is if they find a new lead in time. The director of the film, Corin Hardy has teased fans along, stating that he plans for the film to be incredibly emotional and brutal. Hardy is scheduled to start meeting with actors after his latest film, The Hallow debuts at Sundance, so until then, we’ll just have to wait and see what comes of this slow-going project.

The cultural impact of Peter Jackson's big screen Middle-earth franchise is unquestionable, and there are thousands upon thousands of fans who will be deeply saddened by its conclusion with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. But what will the people who made The Hobbit movies miss most about that experience? To answer that question we have this brand new featurette:

With The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies set to finally be released in theaters tomorrow, the folks over at IMAX have cut together a new video that sees Peter Jackson, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly and Luke Evans discuss exactly what it is they will miss most about the experience of filming The Hobbit trilogy. As you might expect, it's a good mix of answers, but at the end of it all it is pretty incredible what kind of an impact making these movies had on their lives.

When you really think about it, it's actually not that hard to think of why making these movies was such a meaningful and incredible experience for the actors and filmmakers responsible for the making of both the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. After all, they were all made on an island distanced from the rest of the world in the south Pacific Ocean, and so many practical sets were created in the natural landscape that it basically allowed New Zealand to become Middle-earth to a certain extent. Add in fact that you are regularly working around the hundreds of people who are constantly walking around in orc, elf and dwarf costumes and it feels like you've come to live in a fantasy world. And the reason I know this is true is because of my own personal time on the set.

There's a very good chance that we will never see another entry in this franchise thanks to the unfortunate conflict that exists between the Tolkien estate and the people at MGM and New Line, which means that most of the things being missed in this featurette may never be relived. The good news, though, is that Evangeline Lilly could actually go to a Peter Jackson Middle-earth set once per month every month if she wanted to - provided she would be willing to pay the extreme expense of a flight to New Zealand. The Hobbiton movie set that was originally built for the Lord of the Rings movies was refurbished as a permanent location when Peter Jackson and his crew were shooting The Hobbit, and there are actually guided tours of the set presently given to die-hard fans who are willing and able to make the trip. Now all someone has to do is build a transporter and set up a transporter right outside so that everyone can have a chance to visit.

What will you miss most about the Middle-earth movies and the Hobbit franchise? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

After years of rumors, The Crow reboot is coming. The face of this resuscitated franchise is Luke Evans, a handsome Welsh actor who recently appeared in Fast & Furious 6 as well as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Set to play Eric Draven, a role originated by the late Brandon Lee in the 1994 original, Evans has been asked what audiences should expect from this resurrected reboot. One thing he promised was that Lee's beloved final film would be respected and unsullied.

Coming Soon tipped a video from Red Carpet News that has Evans assuring The Crow's fans that its inspiration is less the 1994 hit and more the original comic book series by James O'Barr. He explains:

This reflects what O'Barr himself said of the in-development production last summer, when Relativity Media brought him on board to serve as The Crow's consultant. Ahead of a Comic Con panel with the reboot's helmer F. Javier Gutierrez, O'Barr said in a statement:

In both of these responses, there is a clear respect being paid not only to Lee's movie, but also to the fans who have made it such a cultural phenomenon. It's well-deserved respect, considering their love of the character of The Crow made the first film a commercial hit and paved the way for a franchise that has boasted five features so far. But it's worth noting, part of the resistance to a reboot was due to how quickly the sequels devolved, culminating in the little-known Edward Furlong/Tara Reid vehicle The Crow: Wicked Prayer in 2005.

Thankfully, this reboot has a better base than Wicked Prayer. While Gutierrez is a bit of a wild card, having only the little-known Spanish feature Before the Fall to his credit, this Crow has O'Barr's blessing as well as a compelling leading man in Evans.

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has unveiled two trailers so far on its way to its December release date, but the good news for fans won't have to wait that long for a nice long extended look at the film. Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures announced today that on Monday, November 4, at 5:00 pm EST a special global fan celebration will be held and simulcast around the world.

Cinemas in Los Angeles, New York, London and Wellington will simultaneously host the event, with special guests from the film present at all four locations. Richard Armitage, who plays Thorin Oakenshield in the film, and Orlando Bloom, who returns as Legolas from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will take part from New York; Evangeline Lilly, who plays the new Elf character Tauriel, will be in Los Angeles; Lee Pace, who portrays Elf King Thranduil, will be broadcasting from London; and Luke Evans, who plays Bard The Bowman, Andy Serkis and Peter Jackson will be in Wellington. The entire event will be hosted by CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper.

But while those four locations will be the ones hosting talent from the movie, they won't be the only ones able to participate in the event. Audiences in Brussels, Belgium; Hamburg, Germany; Madrid, Spain; Mexico City, Mexico; Miami, Florida, USA; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Sydney, Australia; and Toronto, Canada will be able to go to their local cinema and not only watch the nearly 15 minutes of footage from The Hobbit but also participate in the Q&A with the stars and filmmakers. The conversation with the talent will also be broadcast online, but rather than having the full 15 minutes they will only be able to see an edited version of the scenes shown.

So how do you find out about how to attend one of these fan events? Details will be centrally located on the film's official website, TheHobbit.com, but you will also be able to find out more on the movie's Facebook and Twitter pages. Until more information becomes available about the fan celebration enjoy the two previously released trailers below - and stay tuned!

Even though the wildly sporadic film series will always have its fans, The Crow should have lived and died with its original star Brandon Lee. There, it’s been said already. After settling the lawsuit with The Weinstein Company, Relativity Media has been gung ho about this whole reboot business, which will hopefully start producing more news than rumors, seeing as how it’s finally found its star.

Without further ado, Relativity Media are in negotiations for the very much alive and well Luke Evans to play the titular character in the upcoming Crow remake, which has secured Spanish director F. Javier Gutiérrez to helm. Deadline reports they are even shifting their production and release schedule around in order to keep Evans, who had previously stepped away from the project due to other commitments.

Evans has been all over the place lately for his role in the upcoming Fast & Furious 6, and for signing on for the upcoming historical take on Dracula. He’ll also be seen in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug as Bard the Bowman. So even if his face gets painted over in this remake, you’ll be well aware of it by the time the film gets released.

On the director side of things, this will be Gutiérrez’s second feature, after 2008’s Spanish sci-fi crime drama Before the Fall, which was quite a hit at genre festivals around the world. This seems like a good fit, considering the last time we heard any actual plot details about The Crow reboot, it was set in Mexico, back when Stephen Norrington was attached to direct.

And if you’ll recall, everyone from James McAvoy to Tom Hiddleston to Alexander Skarsgard were all in talks to take on the title role recently, but Relativity Media’s faith in Evans persisted, and this damned remake has made its resurrection unavoidable.

Production of the film is now set to start in early 2014.

Next month Luke Evans will be going toe-to-toe with Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and the rest of the Fast & Furious crew as the main villain of Justin Lin's Fast & Furious 6, but for his next antagonist turn he'll be playing a character with a bit more myth and legend behind him.

According to Variety, Evans has signed on for the titular role in Universal's upcoming Dracula, a new film based on Bram Stoker's most famous creation. Set to be directed by Gary Shore, who has been connected to the project since last February, the project is said to mix both "mythology and true history," and tell the story of Prince Vlad, a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler - the inspiration for Stoker's novel. According to the trade, Tom Hardy was also considered for the part, but the studio was so impressed by Evans' work in the upcoming car racing action flick that they decided to give the role to him.

The film, formerly known as Dracula: Year Zero, has actually been floating around Hollywood for a couple of years now, and was originally going to be directed by Alex Proyas and star Sam Worthington. Budget concerns ended up shutting it down before cameras could start to roll. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless wrote the latest draft of the script, but the newest report doesn't mention when they are planning to start production.

In addition to Fast & Furious 6, Evans will also appear later this year in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, playing the role of Bard (a significant part for those who have read the novel).

We were on hand last Sunday to bring you every minute of Peter Jackson's Desolation of Smaug lifestream event, in which the infinitely likable director unveiled the first behind-the-scenes footage and scene from the upcoming installment of the Hobbit trilogy. The full event remains limited to those who watched it live, but now you can see this six-minute tidbit, including much of the exciting behind-the-scenes footage he showed off.

Happily this clip includes one of the live stream's best moments, when renowned Hobbit geek and famous person Stephen Colbert submitted a video with a ridiculously arcane question about elves. Unfortunately more than a full minute of these six minutes is taken up with Jackson's response about the free mugs given out to guests on The Colbert Report. But between Billy Boyd's quite-possibly-staged question about other lands of Middle Earth-- which allows Jackson to show off some concept art-- and the early question that includes behind-the-scenes footage, there's still plenty to look at.

Now that you've got your first look at Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman, Evangeline Lilly as the newly added elf Tauriel and Stephen Fry as the Master of Laketown, what do you think? Or will you be waiting to see them with all the proper effects in place to be able to judge? Jackson promised during the livestream that the first trailer for Desolation of Smaug would be in theaters at some point this summer, so you'll have to wait a few more months before your first big glimpse… and possibly even longer for the sight of that dragon, which Jackson seems dead-set on keeping secret for now. All will be revealed at last when The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug comes to theaters on December 13 this year.

When we first started hearing word that The Hobbit would be split into two movies, and that a lot of ancillary characters and material would get an expanded place in the story, as a fan I naturally assumed that meant they’d be doing a lot more with Bard. But the movie has been filming in New Zealand for weeks now and, they’ve only just got around to casting the character.

Luke Evans has been cast to play Bard, heir to the kingdom of Dale and a skilled archer who defends his town against Smaug. Later he ends up involved in one those epic, mega-sized Tolkien battles we loved so much in the Lord of the Rings films. Deadline insists that even though he’s sort of a last minute casting they still plan on expanding the character’s role, and I guess that makes sense assuming they’re shooting the film linearly. Bard and the people of Dale don’t really show up until the latter half of the story, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that they haven’t needed anyone to play the character until now.

If you’re looking for a Aragorn son of Arathorn style figure to latch on to in this new Hobbit movie, Bard is likely to be it. Unless of course, you find Dwarves sexy. They do have those beards going for them. Some girls like beards.

Luke Evans was last seen playing a generic thug in Russell Crowe's Robin Hood. He'll have a bigger role in Immortals when that's released later this year, since he's playing Zeus. You can also catch him in the upcoming Paul W.S. Anderson version of The Three Musketeers, wielding a sword as Aramis.

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

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

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