HBO have cast Jared Harris, one of our favorite actors, in a lead role and we couldn’t be more pleased.

He’s long played second fiddle to better known stars, namely as Lane Pryce in Mad Men, or King George VI in The Crown, or even Ulysses S. Grant alongside Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln. He also caused chaos as Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, though you’ll excuse us if we say he was the show’s second best criminal mastermind.

So it’s good to see him finally move front and center for this new series. Chernobyl will focus on the events of the 1986 nuclear disaster, with Variety reporting that Jared will play one of the people who worked to prevent a worldwide catastrophe, a Russian scientist called Valery Legasov.

That it’ll be a typically high-end drama is confirmed by the people behind the scenes. Craig Mazin, who wrote the screenplay for fairy tale adventure The Huntsman: Winter’s War, penned the scripts, while Breaking Bad‘s Johan Renck is directing.

HBO’s Kary Antholis says: “From the moment Craig Mazin pitched us the story, we were convinced that this all-too-true tale of horror and redemption needed to be told.

“It will engage – and enrage – our viewers, as well as audiences around the world.”

Filming is due to start next year, which means we can expect Chernobyl some time in 2019.

Are you glad to see Jared in a starring role?

You may not know William Fichtner‘s name, but you almost certainly know his face, thanks to him regularly popping up in big name movies and wowing film fans with his cold-blooded villains or no-nonsense authority figures.

He’s now one of the new hosts of Top Gear America, which starts this Sunday (July 30) at 8/7c on BBC America, and if his tendency to steal the show is anything to go by, then co-hosts Antron Brown and Tom “Wookie” Ford had better watch out.

There you go! Now you recognize him, huh? So, to nudge your memory further, we’ve put together a list of his most memorable performances to date.

1. Prison Break (2006-2009)

When Prison Break got a reboot last year, there was one major omission: Alexander Mahone. William played the quick-witted FBI agent in charge of tracking down the group of escaped prisoners, who eventually became a sort of alter ego for Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) as they engaged in a battle of wits.

2. Armageddon (1998)

Michael Bay‘s sci-fi disaster blockbuster featured an ensemble cast of big-name actors like Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Liv Tyler, but William’s brilliant turn as Willie Sharp, the no-nonsense NASA Colonel who’s deeply unimpressed with the roughneck types he has to train up for space travel, still managed to punch through.

3. Heat (1995)

If there’s anyone’s bad book you don’t want to get into, it’s Robert de Niro‘s. That’s exactly what William’s character Roger van Zant did, however, in Michael Mann‘s magnificent heist drama. Needless to say, it didn’t end well.

4. Blades of Glory (2007)

William doesn’t always play the tough guy, as attested by his role in Will Ferrell‘s madcap tale of rival figure skaters. He’s only in the first ten minutes or so of the film, but manages to mine the laughs as a slightly camp and ridiculously cruel billionaire who buys a talented young orphan, only to leave him by the roadside when his figure skating career is over.

5. Pearl Harbor (2001)

The film may not have been brilliantly received, but William’s performance still made us sit up and notice. He plays the conflicted father of a young boy who grows up to be Josh Hartnett.

6. Drive Angry (2011)

William plays The Accountant, Satan’s arrogant assistant sent to drag John Milton (Nicolas Cage) back to Hell in this weird fantasy action movie by horror filmmaker Patrick Lussier. Hell’s second-in-command made such an impression on audiences that i09 named his character”the real star of the show.”

7. Invasion (2005 – 2006)

William starred as Sheriff Tom Underlay in this series about an alien invasion in the aftermath of a hurricane, though there was far more to his character than the law-enforcement official he appeared to be. After just one season, ABC made the surprise move to cancel Invasion, and a fan campaign to overturn the decision did not succeed.

8. Crash (2004)

A side-effect of appearing in a film alongside Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, and Ludacris is a very brief appearance in the trailer, but if you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll spot William. In the film as a whole, however, his role of Flanagan punched far above its weight, and his brief exchange with the LAPD detective played by Don Cheadle was a masterclass in smooth, concise viciousness.

9. Go (1999)

William once again steals the show in this crime comedy from Swingers director Doug Liman. Let’s just say, you should definitely think twice before accepting a dinner invitation from his character Burke, a weirdly intense police detective with a hidden agenda.

10. The Dark Knight (2008)

The tense opening sequence of Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight is one of the best in the film, setting both its dark tone and introducing Heath Ledger‘s Joker. At its center, too, is William’s character, who shows he’s one bank manager it’d be a very bad idea to mess with.

Are you excited to see William in presenter mode on Top Gear America?  

Just a week after San Diego’s, London hosted its very own Comic Con, with one of its most famous sons proving the most popular panel of the show. That’s right — Benedict Cumberbatch was back in town, now that filming on Avengers: Infinity War has wrapped in Atlanta, GA.

And it was Benedict’s panel appearance that drew the crowds. He told the audience such tidbits as how the Avengers cast all “tried on each other’s costumes” during the filming of Infinity War, and giving a deliberately coy response to a question about James Bond.

Benedict Cumberbatch on whether he'd play James Bond: "no comment!" #LFCC pic.twitter.com/Xmxq0bZF6g

— Emma Thrower (@iamnotwaynegale) July 29, 2017

That’s not a no! We’ll take it! Daniel Craig has reportedly signed on for one more go, but we can still hold out hope.

And, as usual, Benedict was more than game when it came to granting his fans’ requests, some of whom had paid £75 (roughly $100) to have their photo taken with the star:

So this happened today. And it was his idea, not mine! Most awesome guy on the planet. #BenedictCumberbatch #LFCC @Showmasters pic.twitter.com/i4oTvFRIX0

— Michelle Zajac (@HoyaMichelle) July 29, 2017

https://twitter.com/mimato85/status/891990472805232640

So this is what happened when my daughter met #BenedictCumberbatch today at #LFCC #otterface pic.twitter.com/VeaEyRjB9w

— Paul Worts (@WortsPaul) July 29, 2017

BENEDICT AND MADS. #LFCC pic.twitter.com/hk4nx0au2W

— lichtblickpink (@lichtblickpink) July 30, 2017

The lemon is is play #BenedictCumberbatch #LFCC #cabinpressure pic.twitter.com/oc4vVkdjfX

— Aimie Drinkwater (@AJDrinko) July 29, 2017

(In case you don’t know, that last one is in reference to Cabin Pressure, a U.K. radio sitcom that stars Benedict as a bumbling airline pilot. And the lemon — well, the lemon is a reference to — oh look, it’ll take too long to explain. But trust us — it’s amusing.)

And then there was the moment the Sherlock actor came face-to-face (sort of) with his nemesis… pay attention to this Twitter user’s last name:

https://twitter.com/robmoriarty/status/891420845603774466

Which photo op is your fave?

It must be odd watching another actor play a character you’ve made your own (just ask Julie Andrews about Emily Blunt picking up Mary Poppins’ umbrella…), but it appears Emma Thompson had no such qualms about a new adaptation of Howard’s End.

Emma, of course, won her first Oscar for her performance as Margaret Schlegel in the 1992 Merchant Ivory film, and she had some words of wisdom for Agent Carter star Hayley Atwell, who’ll play the same character in an upcoming TV adaptation of E.M. Forster‘s classic 1910 novel.

During a recent panel about the show at the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour, Hayley revealed that she had spoken with Emma about the role, and she’d told her the male author was, in fact, “one of literature’s first proper feminists.”

It clearly made an impression, as Hayley took Emma’s interpretation and ran with it:

“Although they’re not making an aggressive point that ‘women are smart as well,’ they just naturally are because they’re human,” she explained to the audience at the Beverley Hills Hotel. “We have these two central roles for women who are ideological, they’re literal, they’re rational and they use their reason, but are also emotionally intelligent. But they’re self-aware.”

That certainly reminds us of Emma’s performance. And Hayley looks set to be just as independent and headstrong as Margaret, if the new photos released by Starz to coincide with Friday’s (July 28) panel are anything to go by:

There were also shots of her with co-star Matthew Macfadyen, who plays Margaret’s love interest Henry Wilcox:

And then there was this peek at the sister’s Aunt Juley, played by the inimitable Tracey Ullman:

Tracey was also at the panel, and she echoed her co-star Hayley’s sentiments about the book’s social commentary.

“I’m a working-class girl, and the class system perpetuates in my country and in this country, too — and that’s what fascinates me. And it’s still tough for girls — curious, liberal girls like Margaret and Helen.”

But Tracey, who’s best-known for her comedic roles, didn’t keep a straight face for long. Asked what it was about the series that drew her to it, she replied:

“I wanted to be in this very much because I want to take over from Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.”

Tracey’s fans will be well aware of her hilarious impressions of the two dames, so she’s halfway there already.

Do you think Hayley will make Emma proud?

Unless you’ve been living under a very sizeable rock these past few weeks, you’ll know Jodie Whittaker has been announced as the new Doctor, taking over from Peter Capaldi when he bows out in this year’s Christmas special (sob).

And while she may be a new name to some, she’s already gained a reputation as an actor with a phenomenal range among those in the know. Comedy, anguish, cockiness: she can turn her hand to them all, and as if to prove a point, she’s popped up in the St. Trinian’s movies, appeared in one episode of Charlie Brooker‘s Black Mirror, and played Anne Hathaway‘s best friend in One Day, not to mention done her fair share of period drama, with early roles in Cranford and Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

If you’re unfamiliar with her work, then below is a list of her five best roles, and where to watch them. But be quick: you’ve got less than five months to watch all of them in time for her Doctor Who debut.

Venus (2006)

It’d be an impressive young actor who could hold their own alongside acting legends Peter O’Toole, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Griffiths and Leslie Philips, but that’s exactly what Jodie did with this, her breakthrough role. She plays Jessie, a brash, headstrong 19-year-old who strikes up a strangely touching relationship with elderly actor Maurice (O’Toole). The film led to an eighth Oscar nomination for O’Toole (an award he lost, for a record-breaking eighth time too), but critics also singled out newcomer Jodie for praise.

Watch: Amazon | Google | Netflix

Attack the Block (2011)

Doctor Who won’t be the first time Jodie’s fought aliens. In Joe Cornish‘s Attack the Block, Jodie plays trainee nurse Samantha, whose entire worldview is challenged when she and her young neighbors are forced to protect their home from extra-terrestrials. And that’s not all. Not only did the film star the soon-to-be Doctor, but it also launched the careers of future stormtrooper John Boyega, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow‘s Franz Drameh, and Fortitude star Luke Treadaway.

Watch: Amazon | Google | Netflix

Broadchurch (2013-17)

It’s fair to say our attention was focused on David Tennant and Olivia Colman when this stellar crime drama premiered on BBC America, (Broadchurch season three is currently airing Wednesdays, 10/9c) but it wasn’t long before we were mesmerized by Jodie’s performance too. Her portrayal of Beth Latimer, a mother struggling to come to terms with the death of her 11-year-old son, was quietly devastating — and her pain palpable at every twist and turn of the story.

Where to watch Broadchurch

The Assets (2014)

Jodie made her debut on U.S. network TV in this ABC miniseries about real-life double agent Aldrich Ames. She played Sadie Grimes, the woman who, at the height of the Cold War, managed to track down the CIA agent turned Soviet spy (played by Victoria‘s Paul Rhys), and bring him to justice. ABC pulled it after just two episodes, citing low ratings, but that didn’t stop it getting good reviews and its fair share of fans.

Watch: Netflix

Adult Life Skills (2016)

This British comedy’s indie credentials were confirmed when it premiered last year to glowing reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival. Jodie plays 29-year-old Anna, who’s stuck in a rut. More specifically, she lives in her mum’s garden shed and spends her days making videos using her thumbs as actors. Comedian Brett Goldstein and Alice Lowe (Hot Fuzz, Sherlock) also star, but it’s Jodie’s quirky performance that pulls the whole thing together.

Watch: Google

Which role id you first see Jodie in? 

A bromance has been brewing between James Corden and Gordon Ramsay of late, but it seems there are also some unresolved issues between the pair.

Yes, Gordon gave James a lift to LAX a few months back. Yes, he reviewed James’s B&B last year, and yes, in 2015 he was one of James’s first guests, cooking a full English breakfast on his show. Don’t be fooled, though: beneath the smiles lay a long-term smouldering resentment that could blow at any moment.

That moment came last night (August 1), when the potty-mouthed chef made his fifth appearance on The Late Late Show. Having chatted with Gordon and fellow guest Brendan Gleeson for a few minutes about MasterChef and other safe topics, James brought up an incident from seven — yes, SEVEN — years ago.

It involved a U.K. TV show Gordon used to host called, appropriately, The F Word (Fox recently began airing a U.S. version), and one particular episode when James was a guest. In it, Gordon had promised a free “slap up meal” at one of his restaurants, just so long as James did one thing: eat a raw fish eye on camera.

James played a clip of the offending incident from 2010, hoping to nudge Gordon’s memory — and sure enough, the firebrand chef did look uncharacteristically contrite.

Worse was to come, however, when James revealed — and his mom and dad in the audience confirmed — that the meal he was promised never even transpired.

There was only one thing for it. Watch as he gets his revenge:

Here’s hoping the boys can put aside their differences now and let bygones be bygones.

(And to see more of James’s torture, as well as an early TV appearance by his dad, mom and sister, watch the slightly rude clip from The F Word in full.)

Do you think revenge is a dish best served cold?

TV comedy has felt increasingly X-chromosome shaped for some time now, what with the rise of female showrunners behind the scenes and beboobed badasses like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Lena Dunham.

The latest addition to this roll-call of female effrontery is Baroness von Sketch Show, sketch comedy from writer-performers Meredith MacNeill, Carolyn Taylor, Aurora Browne, and Jennifer Whalen that’s already had our friends in Canada in stitches.

It starts airing in the U.S. tonight (August 2) on IFC, so to celebrate, we’ve put together a list of the other all-female comedy shows that should be making your radar flash red.

1. Girls (2012 – 2017)

Okay, so let’s face it: if Girls isn’t on your radar already, then you’ve got some faulty equipment on your hands. Lena Dunham‘s controversial comedy had its ups and downs over the years, but it remained a consistently honest portrayal of four young women figuring out life, love, work and friendship in New York.

2. Pulling (2006 – 2009)

Before Divorce, before Catastrophe even, came this brilliant comedy from the comedy goddess that is Sharon Horgan. She plays Donna, who wakes up after her hen night determined to break things off with her very sweet but ultimately very boring fiancé Karl (The Last Kingdom‘s Cavan Clerkin), and ends up living the single life with two equally unruly roommates. It originally aired in the U.K., but Sharon’s subsequent success means it’s now available to stream in the U.S. on Amazon Video.

3. Broad City (2014 – )

Having started out life as a web series, this show by Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobsen miraculously retained its gross-out humor and razor-sharp millennial angst in its transfer from computer to TV screen. And yes, “twenty-somethings go wild in New York” is hardly an original premise, but as sitcoms go, this is both low-concept and must-see. Trust us. You want to get on board with these broads.

4. Party Over Here (2016 – )

This sketch show may have been produced by the Lonely Island gentlemen Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone, but it stars a trio of hilarious female performers: Jessica McKenna, Nicole Byer, and Alison Rich, with a majority-female writing team too.

5. Insecure (2016 – )

The outrageously multi-talented Issa Rae got her own HBO comedy off the back of the viral success of her web series Awkward Black Girl, and the TV version didn’t disappoint. Her character continues to navigate the awkward moments of life, backed up by her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji).

6. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015 – )

Okay, so yes, Titus Andromedon (played by larger than life Broadway star Tituss Burgess) ruins the “all female” thing. And yes, last time we looked, Jon Hamm was a man. But between them, Ellie Kemper, Carol Kane, and Jane Krakowski rule this relentlessly upbeat, technicolor show from 30 Rock star Tina Fey.

7. Idiotsitter (2016 – )

Jillian Bell finally came to the fore in this irreverent show, after a run of small, albeit scene-stealing, parts in films such as Bridesmaids, 22 Jump Street, and Office Christmas Party. She plays an out-of-control adult woman, while Charlotte Newhouse plays the woman hired to be her babysitter.

8. Another Period (2015 – )

Why spoof one TV format when you can spoof two? This show from Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome may be set in a Downton Abbey-ish historical period (when exactly is not important), but it also uses all the tricks of the trade of reality shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

9. Inside Amy Schumer (2013 – )

Amy Schumer might rely on male actors to fill in a few roles here and there, and they pop up in the writers’ room too (alongside head writer Jessi Klein), but it’s undeniable that this vehicle showcasing her comedy talents comes from the female perspective. Its sketches, stand-up and vox pop interviews often revolve around questions of gender roles and sexuality, with hilarious results.

10. Fleabag (2015 – )

The TV show didn’t feature only women, but it was developed from a one-woman stage show, so technically all the characters were once played by a woman. And not just any woman either, but the spectacular Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose next projects include starring in a little thing called the Han Solo spin-off movie, and showrunning BBC America’s Killing Eve. Seriously though. If you haven’t seen Fleabag, then start watching immediately. What are you even doing reading this? Get on Amazon. Now.

11. Tracey Ullman’s Show (2016 – )

In this case, “all-female” means “all characters played by one female,” a.k.a. ultimate funny lady Tracey Ullman. Having started her career in the 1980s with The Tracey Ullman Show, she’s played a whole host of characters, not to mention giving birth — metaphorically, of course — to The Simpsons. Her new show was a welcome return to our screens, and saw her turn her attention to real-life celebrities like Dame Judi Dench and German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Are you au fait with these all-female comedy?

As Scar himself might say, “Be prepared!” Simba’s evil uncle has yet to be cast in the upcoming live-action reboot of The Lion King, but word on the street says Chiwetel Ejiofor might be about to sign on the dotted line.

OK, so when we say “street,” we actually mean The Hollywood Reporter, but you get what we mean. According to THR, Chiwetel is currently in talks to voice the treacherous lion who betrays his brother Mufasa.

You know. This guy:

Mufasa will be voiced once again by the unmistakeable tones of James Earl Jones, while Zazu, the red-beaked hornbill bird also in the above clip, will be played by the somewhat beaky John Oliver.

As well as Chiwetel, James and John, Atlanta‘s Donald Glover has been announced as the voice of Simba, with Seth Rogan and Billy Eichner as Pumbaa and Timon.

And if Chiwetel is confirmed as Scar, then that leaves just one major role uncast: Simba’s childhood friend Nala. Director Jon Favreau has reportedly made no secret of who he’d like to play the role, telling sources he’d do “whatever it takes” to accommodate the schedule of one Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

While we wait for that news to be confirmed, however, we can let the idea of Chiwetel as Scar sink in. Chiwetel has played Dr. Vincent Kapoor in The Martian, and has been nominated for an Oscar for his performance as author Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave in the past, of course, but perhaps it’s his role as Karl Mordo in Doctor Strange, or The Operative in Serenity, that gives us a glimpse of Chiwetel as a supervillain.

Do you think Chiwetel can out-evil Jeremy Irons?

A gritty reboot of Anne of Green Gables might sound like an oxymoron, but Anne With an E has defied critics by getting a second season.

According to Deadline, Netflix and Canadian broadcaster CBC have jointly announced the series renewal, with 10 new episodes set to begin shooting in the fall.

That’s good news for those who watched — and loved — the first season, which debuted on Netflix in May and ended on a rather menacing cliffhanger: two violent grifters were welcomed as lodgers into the house Anne shares with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert (played by R.H. Thomson and The Jewel in the Crown‘s Geraldine James respectively).

After producers reportedly auditioned 1,889 girls from around the globe to play the part of the precocious red-headed orphan with a fierce imagination and intricate fantasy life, they finally settled on Amybeth McNulty — a 15-year-old Irish-Canadian newcomer.

The first season certainly demonstrated screenwriter and producer Moira Walley-Beckett‘s willingness to deviate from L.M. Montgomery‘s classic children’s novel, adding new twists and turns as well as borrowing plot from later in Anne’s life.

And we shouldn’t be surprised by the series’ bleak and sometimes ominous tone: among the Emmy award-winning showrunner’s earlier projects were Breaking Bad and ballet drama Flesh and Bone.

Netflix, however, are fully on board. In a statement released to announce the new season, they promised the show will “continue to chart bold new territory, adding new characters and storylines and continuing to explore themes of identity, prejudice, feminism, bullying, gender parity and empowerment.”

What did you think of the first season of Anne With an E?

The new show from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner has a lot to live up to, but there will at least be two familiar faces in the cast.

Christina Hendricks and John Slattery, a.k.a. former sparring partners Joan Harris and Roger Stirling, will feature in one episode of the anthology series The Romanoffs when it launches on Amazon next year, according to Variety.

The new series is every bit as ambitious as you’d expect from the man behind one of the greatest TV series of the last decade. It’ll be made up of eight hour-long episodes, each of which tell a standalone story about people around the world who believe they are related to the Romanovs, Russia’s royal dynasty from 1613 until the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 put an end to the monarchy altogether.

Unlike Mad Men, which famously had a relatively unknown cast when it began in 2007, The Romanoffs already boasts an impressive line-up of award-winning actors. Joining Christina and John will be Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Boardwalk Emipre‘s Jack Huston, Togetherness‘ Amanda Peet and Golden Globe nominee Marthe Keller.

So far there are no details as to which roles they’ll play, though there’s little doubt whomever Christina and John play, they’ll have chemistry.

Nor will this be the first time they’ve worked together since cameras stopped rolling on Mad Men. In 2014 Christina starred alongside the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in God’s Pocket, a film written and directed by John.

There’s no confirmed date for the show, but it’s expected to debut on Amazon in the spring of 2018.

Do you think it can live up to Mad Men?

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice will get turned into a film or TV show at least once a decade.

Okay, so last year’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was what you might call a loose interpretation, but 12 years ago saw the release of not one but two film versions. Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen took the lead roles in Atonement director Joe Wright‘s feature debut, while Aishwarya Rai played a character based on Elizabeth Bennet in a Bollywood take on the popular 1813 novel.

Before that, of course, came the classic 1995 BBC TV series, when Jennifer Ehle and a rather damp Colin Firth starred as Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy in what some have called the ultimate small screen adaptation of Jane Austen‘s work.

And now, according to RadioTimes.com, the makers of Poldark and Victoria are the latest to throw their bonnet in the ring.

Except there might not be many frilly bonnets in this version. Mammoth Screen is apparently working on an adaptation that will focus on the novel’s “darker tones,” commissioning playwright Nina Raine to write the retelling for U.K. channel ITV.

“Pride and Prejudice is actually a very adult book, much less bonnet-y than people assume,” said Raine of the project. “I hope I do justice to Austen’s dark intelligence – sparkling, yes, but sparkling like granite.”

It’s fair to say reaction online has been mixed, with some people expressing confusion:

A new Pride & Prejudice adaptation? pic.twitter.com/4sqyNd6jzO

— Penny HEUmer (@socialsoprano) August 8, 2017

Why are they doing ANOTHER adaptation of Pride & Prejudice?!?! Why not Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca or anything else for that matter? pic.twitter.com/THDEmtP8Ma

— Pam Sherman (@pmshrmn_) August 8, 2017

While some turned to Austen-esque expressions to voice their concern:

It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I wish you to stop adapting Pride & Prejudice.

— Matt Wale (@mrmrwale) August 8, 2017

And others struck a more positive note:

"ITV is making a new version of Pride & Prejudice" pic.twitter.com/8mt22RPDHX

— Glø (@_lifthrasir) August 8, 2017

Would people stop whining about another Pride and Prejudice adaptation, THERE CAN NEVER BE ENOUGH PRIDE & PREJUDICE ADAPTATIONS

— Sarah Kate (@SarahKate26) August 8, 2017

I have no problem with @ITV doing Pride & Prejudice, it's been 12yrs since the last major adaptation. James Norton as Darcy?

— Sian Rodgers (@sianrodgers) August 8, 2017

So, is a new version of the book really necessary? On this point, Mammoth Screen managing director Damien Timmer had the following to say:

“In this age of the box set – with audiences loving to binge on complex, serialized dramas – it feels absolutely right to reassess the great classics. Every generation needs its own adaptation of this perfect novel.”

We’ll have to see if we agree when the series makes it to air.

What do you think of this classic getting the small screen treatment again?

Carpool Karaoke has come a very long way since its modest beginnings as a comedy sketch in 2011.

Since then, our favorite late night talk show host James Corden has welcomed celebrities as massive as Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, and Harry Styles into his car to take advantage of L.A.’s carpool lanes, and racked up hundreds of millions of YouTube views doing so.

The segment has been so popular, in fact, it’s even got a show of its own, with a standalone Carpool Karaoke series making its debut on Apple Music tonight (August 8). Guests such as Will Smith, Miley Cyrus, and Shaquille O’Neal promise to make it a must-watch, so in the mean time let’s sit back and remind ourselves of the segment’s best moments so far.

10. Wrestling with the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Who really won? You be the judge. #CarpoolKaroke pic.twitter.com/S3pFk8j35f

— The Late Late Show (@latelateshow) June 14, 2016

Wrestling on a stranger’s front lawn is the least of what the RHCP get up to with James in this June 2016 installment of the segment. They also got naked, sang a rendition of “Food! Glorious Food!” from the musical Oliver!, and, according to news reports, even helped save a baby’s life while filming the whole thing.

9. Justin Bieber Completes a Rubik’s Cube

Wait. What? Is there no end to the Canadian pop star’s talents? The all-singing, all-dancing boy wonder can, apparently, finish a Rubik’s Cube in two minutes. The look on James’s face when Justin pulls off this genius feat says it all.

8. Two Hollywood A-Listers Cadge a Lift

James and Gwen Stefani were happily singing along to hits like “Don’t Speak” and “The Sweet Escape,” when they spotted two familiar-looking hitchhikers on the street in May 2016.

7. James and Jason Derulo Gatecrash a Star Tour

(Image: CBS / YouTube)

Brits have many special qualities, but “swag” is not one of them. Step forward Jason Derulo, who gets out of the car to show James how to dab, all the while trying to keep a straight face, before spotting one of L.A.’s many Star Tours trucks, and hopping on for a free ride.

6. James Sets J.Lo Up On a Date with Leonardo DiCaprio

(Image: CBS / YouTube)

We’ve all got one of those friends, who thinks it’s funny to grab hold our phone and mischievously send one of our contacts a message without our permission. Well, pity Jennifer Lopez  in this clip, as James sends a flirty text to one of hers. The contact in question? None other than Leonardo DiCaprio, who makes the #awksarama even more awkward by responding in kind.

5. James Sings Lion King Classics with Sir Elton John

What’s better than belting out “The Circle of Life” with the song’s actual composer and singer? Doing it wearing a lion wig, feather boas and googly eyes, that’s what.

4. Adele Does The Spice Girls Rap

Just in case we were under the impression that Adele had let her success get to her, she gave a flawless rendition of the rap from the Spice Girls’ 1996 debut hit “Wannabe.”

3. Madonna Lets Slip an Unbelievable Exclusive

Yep, Madge twerked and showed off her impressive yoga skills in the passenger seat during her December 2016 segment, but it wasn’t until she dropped some 25-year-old tea about fellow ’80s majordomo Michael Jackson that she got James’s full attention.

2. James and George Michael Belt Out ‘I’m Your Man’

The one where it all began: in 2011 James wrote a sketch for Comic Relief starring George Michael and himself as his Gavin & Stacey alter ego Smithy. The pair drove through London wearing matching tracksuits and bickering, until one of Smithy’s barbs upset George and he got sulky. There was only one thing for it. Turn on the radio, sing along to Wham!’s “I’m Your Man,” and boom! An idea was born.

1. Stevie Wonder Makes James Cry

When Stevie Wonder joined James in his car, he sang one of his most famous hits down the phone to James’ wife Julia, changing the lyrics to “I Just Called to Say James Loves You.” Needless to say James got emotional pretty quickly. (And if a tear doesn’t come to your eye, then we’re sorry to inform you, but your heart is made of stone.)

Speculation about Daniel Craig‘s future as secret agent 007 has been running rife ever since producers announced the 25th Bond film last month. But we might finally have an answer, thanks to an unlikely source.

Daniel was down to star in Purity, a new TV show for Showtime based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Jonathan Franzen. He’ll play Andreas Wolf, an East German agent provocateur who leads a Wikileaks-type organization called The Sunshine Project.

When we told you about it way back in June last year, it seemed like yet another reason he wouldn’t be reprising the James Bond role for a fifth time.

With filming on Purity expected to start this year, Daniel would be busy on set just as the next Bond installment went into production. That, plus Daniel’s own reticence about reprising the character, meant we had to face a hard truth: the Craig Bond era might be over.

Now, though, things are looking very different indeed. It appears filming on Purity has been bumped by a couple of years. That’s right: years.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Showtime CEO David Nevins told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour: “He’s doing Bond first and I can’t say anything about what I know or don’t know about Bond, [but] It’s possible [Purity] may not shoot until 2019.”

Whoa. If it’s true then this is big news. Unconfirmed reports had suggested Daniel is close to signing on the dotted line, but we still didn’t have any hard evidence — until now.

And what with producers being very cagey about who’ll play the suave, martini-loving spy in Bond 25, it’s the kind of leak that would make M very angry indeed.

Are you hoping Daniel will play Bond again?

Upcoming Marvel movie Venom has already found its lead in Tom Hardy, and it looks like he’s about to be joined by one of his compatriots.

Variety is reporting that Rogue One star Riz Ahmed is in talks to play an undisclosed role in the film, though sources did tell the publication he will be playing a “popular Marvel Comics character.” Unsurprisingly, fans have gone into overdrive trying to guess who that might be.

The film will be a standalone story about Eddie Brock, a freelance photographer who becomes infected by an alien lifeform. (Fans may remember the character as he was originally played by Topher Grace in Sam Raimi’s 2007 film Spider-Man 3.)

So who could Riz be playing? Well, not much is currently known about the movie’s plot, but if we dig into the Marvel archive (Marchive) we might find some clues. Eddie is normally one of Spider-Man’s biggest nemeses, having made his first full appearance in Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man comic in 1988.

Wait. Does that mean Riz could be the webslinger himself (which, by the way, we could totally, definitely see)?

…It’s unlikely. That’s because this movie is being made by Sony, who has already confirmed it’ll take place outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and that role has, of course, been taken by Tom Holland for the foreseeable future.

So who is it? ComicBook.com is already zoning in on two best guesses: according to them, Riz will play either Kraven the Hunter, another of Spidey’s antagonists, which means we could be on to some baddie-on-baddie action, or he’ll be playing Spidey clone Ben Reilly, in other words, a hero that looks a lot like Spider-Man without breaking Sony’s deal with Marvel not to include MCU characters.

Whichever one it is, a comic book character would be the icing on the cake for Riz as far as roles are concerned. In recent years his career has undergone a rapid ascent, from eye-catching supporting turns in films like Nightcrawler and cult terrorism comedy Four Lions, to his key role in last year’s Star Wars spinoff Rogue One and a critically acclaimed lead performance in HBO’s The Night Of.

We’d be happy to see Riz and Tom in the same movie whatever their roles, so let’s keep fingers crossed those talks come to something. (And if we know anything about Riz and the audition process, then he’s probably making numerous videos of himself right about now.)

You’ve got this, Riz!

Are you excited about seeing Riz in a Marvel movie?

A trailer released yesterday (August 10) promises a tense new season of The Crown, Netflix’s epic retelling of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II — and, as ever, you can rely on us to bring you the most important news.

Matt Smith has grown a beard.

Okay, maybe not grown it as such — we know from his time as the Eleventh Doctor that he can be very creative with fake facial hair, but he’s sporting a full-on mouth-wig in his role as the Queen’s consort Prince Philip.

From the looks of things, all is not well in the royal household. The Queen, played by Claire Foy for one last season before a new cast is found, looks pretty fed up with her husband, to say the least.

As Lord Mountbatten (Greg Wise) tells her in the clip, “You married a wild spirit. Trying to tame him is no use.”

We’ll say! Just look at that fuzz!

The trailer also gives us our first glimpse of Dexter‘s Michael C. Hall as President John F. Kennedy, who joins John Lithgow as one of the few Americans in the cast, and Jodi Balfour as First Lady Jackie.

The new season is expected to pick up where the first left off, with political tensions increasing between Britain and Egypt, and then span the eight years leading up to 1964, meaning it’ll probably cover the assassination of JFK and the scandal that brought down Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

He’ll be played by Anton Lesser, who’s best known as Qyburn in Game of Thrones, while Downton‘s Matthew Goode is also new to the cast as Antony Armstrong-Jones, the society photographer who ultimately married Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby).

See if you can spot all of them:

Oo-er. That final “if only” from the queen sounds more than a little barbed.

Do you think it’s that beard that’s got Liz nettled?

Here we go again! After many delays, it looks like the long-touted sequel to 2008’s smash hit Mamma Mia! has finally started production, thanks to a photo posted by Lily James over the weekend.

As we told you last month, Lily plays a young version of Donna, the single mom portrayed by Meryl Streep in both the original and its follow-up, and on Saturday (August 12) she posted a picture of three pairs of feet wearing some gold, very high stacked-heel boots indeed:

It’s happening.. #TheDynamos #MammaMia2

A post shared by @lilyjamesofficial on Aug 12, 2017 at 12:27am PDT

The hashtag #TheDynamos refers to Donna’s youthful band Donna and the Dynamos, made up of her two besties Rosie and Tanya, whose rendition of ABBA hit “Super Trouper” was one of the original film’s highlights.

Rosie and Tanya were of course played by Julie Walters and Christine Baranski respectively, and Christine at least has been confirmed to be reprising her role for the sequel (and needless to say we’ve got all our fingers and toes crossed that the irrepressible Julia will be joining her).

Playing Rosie as a young woman will be Alexa Davies, a British actress recently seen in Harlots and The Five, so it’s presumably her feet that make up one of the pairs in the photo above.

As for the other one, we’ll have to wait and see, there’s been no announcements as to who’ll play young Tanya. Earlier this month, however, Deadline reported that a young version of Sam, the suitor played by Pierce Brosnan, will be played by War Horse star Jeremy Irvine.

He’ll join Lily, Alexa and original cast members Meryl, Christine, Pierce, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, and Colin Firth for a return to the ABBA-themed Greek island in July 2018.

Will you have your platforms ready?

Fantasy writing dream team Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett‘s co-written 1990 novel Good Omens is being made into a TV show, and they’ve only gone and cast two of our absolute faves in the lead roles.

According to Variety, David Tennant will play the fast-living demon Crowley, while Michael Sheen will play fussy angel Aziraphale.

As lovers of the book will know, neither Crowley nor Aziraphale is too happy about the prospect of the end of the world, which is due to take place in 2018 (oo-er).

Needless to say, reaction to the news of David and Michael’s casting has been more than a little excitable. Even the book’s original author and the show’s screenwriter Neil Gaiman is getting in on the Twitter action, responding to one ecstatic fan’s plea for the world not to end, thank you very much, before she can watch the show:

I'll be a little bit ticked off myself. https://t.co/zsK8omJpAq

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) August 15, 2017

Good Omens is the latest book by Gaiman to be adapted for the small screen in recent years, with Miranda‘s Tom Ellis starring in Lucifer on Fox, and the first season of American Gods recently airing on Starz.

This new series will be co-produced by the BBC and Amazon, with six hour-long episodes airing in 2018. And while neither organization has confirmed the reports, Michael sent a statement to Variety calling Good Omens one of his “favorite stories.”

“To be part of the team entrusted with bringing it alive on screen is a bit of a dream come true to be honest,” he went on. “To work alongside Neil, who I think is one of the greatest storytellers of all time, is incredibly exciting. And, just like the rest of the world, I’m a huge fan of David’s so I relish trying to save it with him.”

Aww. David hasn’t said anything yet, but we’re sure he’d reciprocate the sentiment. Since his stint as the Tenth Doctor, he’s clearly relished playing bad guy roles, from Kilgrave in Jessica Jones to Scrooge McDuck in the revamped Duck Tales, while Michael has recently been nominated for a Golden Globe for his Masters of Sex performance.

We cannot wait to see these two in action on screen together. Can you?

It’s official! Daniel Craig has finally answered the question we all wanted to know, and there’s good news and bad news for Bond fans.

First, the good news. Daniel went on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night (August 15) to confirm that yes, he will reprise the role of 007 for the next Bond film, currently dubbed Bond 25.

It followed months, if not years, of speculation, sparked in part by Daniel’s own rather alarming admission in 2015 that he would “rather slit his wrists” than play 007 again.

So was he bluffing? Or simply giving us the slip, Bond style?

Not exactly. As Daniel explains to Colbert in the clip, he’d just come off filming 2015’s Spectre when he was asked about the next movie. He was understandably more than a little pooped, and his answer was, well, a little direct.

Since then, and by his own admission, Daniel has been “cagey” about whether or not he’ll ever slip into that tux again. Right up until yesterday (August 15), in fact, he was telling reporters “no decision has been made” about his return, before not only dropping the exclusive that night on Colbert’s late night show, but also letting slip he’s known for months he’d return to Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Oh, Daniel. You tease.

And now for the bad news. Bond 25 — Daniel’s fifth outing as 007 — will also be his last, as he confirmed to Stephen in the clip below. Sob!  To date, we’ve watched him play the world’s best-known spy in 2006’s Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and 2015’s Spectre.

So there you have it. Daniel may have led us on a merry dance these past few years, but we forgive him.

Will you be pleased to see Daniel play Bond once again?

A new trailer for Thor: Ragnarok released yesterday (August 16) has finally given us a glimpse of Doctor Strange, a.k.a. Benedict Cumberbatch doing his best American accent in a big swishy cloak.

We’ve known Strange would join his fellow Avengers since last year, when the post-credits sequence in his standalone movie showed him hobnobbing with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) over a magical, refilling a pint of beer, but this is the first time we’ve seen him in Thor’s territory.

The new international trailer doesn’t show much more footage than what we’ve already seen in the previous two, except, crucially, for this new opening scene between Thor and Strange. Things have changed since they last met, gone is the beer and the jokey chat, as Doctor Strange warns Thor of what is to come on his home planet of Asgard.

“I sense a great change in your future,” says Benedict. Er, we mean Doctor Strange. “Destiny has dire plans for you, my friend.”

And destiny, as we know from the epic first trailer, comes in the shape of the Goddess of Death (Cate Blanchett), and the team of super beings Thor must assemble to defeat her.

How exactly the mystic Doctor Strange fits in with the Asgardian universe is still anyone’s bet, as is whether he’ll appear on-screen with Thor’s brother Loki, played (of course) by Benedict’s War Horse co-star Tom Hiddleston.

It’s now less than three months until Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters on November 3.

Are you ready?

Allons-y! It looks like David Tennant has another role to add to the two already announced this week. He’ll be joining Brooklyn star Saoirse Ronan in a film about Mary Queen of Scots that’s just begun rolling.

A photo of Saoirse as Mary was released yesterday (August 17) to announce the start of filming:

The Brooklyn star is the latest in a long line of actors who’ve played the hapless queen, from Vanessa Redgrave in 1971 to Samantha Morton and Harry Potter‘s Clemence Poesy more recently.

Mary famously became queen of Scotland when she was just six days old, and subsequently dealt with all manner of murders, disastrous marriages, and political conspiracies. It was her claim to the English throne that pitted her against her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, who eventually ordered beheading in 1587.

Sixteenth-century spoiler alert!

Suicide Squad‘s Margot Robbie is lined up to play Elizabeth in the new film, but the impressive supporting cast doesn’t end there. Oh no.

Variety reports that Guy Pearce (Memento) has also signed on to play an unknown role, as well as Downton Abbey regular Brendan Coyle, Joe Alwyn (of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk fame and Taylor Swift‘s new squeeze), Line of Duty‘s Martin Compston. And then there’s man-of-the-moment, Jack Lowden, who’s recently been seen trading fire with Messerschmitts in Dunkirk, and playing a young Morrissey in England is Mine.

Jack will play Mary’s second husband Lord Darnley, with Martin playing her third, James Hepburn, and Jack Robert Dudley, an influential noble in the court of Elizabeth I.

Who David Tennant will play is so far anyone’s guess, though it’s likely the Scottish native will play a ruthless real-life figure in Mary’s court.

Any guesses who it’ll be?