As the Sheriff of Nottingham, Sean Bean gets to play the antagonist tasked with opposing Robin Hood.

“It’s kind of the story that you grow up with, and there’s been so many versions over the years, and I’ve enjoyed them all,” Bean tells Nerd Reactor. “But with this one, I just wanted to take what I had in front of me, and there’s some wonderful material, great writing, and then we had 10 hours in order to be able to flesh our characters out and bring in the complexities and the psychological aspect of why they behaved as they did, why the sheriff has to go to extreme measures in order to keep the peace.

“So I didn’t see him as automatically villainous or cruel or wicked. I think he was reacting to the rebellion that was facing him, and he had to take pretty strong measures. And I see him as a man of vulnerabilities and frailties, and he’s not perfect, and he has his weaknesses, and that was threaded into the story, which I think balanced him out as a real, you know, a real human being.”

Nielsen, known for her roles in Gladiator and Wonder Woman, portrays Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, an actual historical Queen of France and England. The historical figure is the mother of Richard the Lionheart and King John.

“She was an incredible person,” Nielsen said. “She was a very smart, smart person. I think she understands what’s going on. These are people who are being brutalized by the very person who’s also brutalizing her. So it’s also about her using whatever forces she can to create that kind of rebellion to bring back the king to England, so that some decisions can be made about how this country is being led.”

Jack Patten portrays the title character, who has been a big inspiration on pop culture, including the creation of superheroes like the Green Arrow and Hawkeye.

“Yeah, I think it was definitely a dream,” Patten said about portraying Robin Hood. “What made it even more of a dream is that Rob is just a guy. I think he’s probably similar to Batman in that way, in that he doesn’t have a superpower. He’s extremely skilled with bow and arrow, and it’s his personality that’s probably his superpower.

About Robin Hood on MGM+

Synopsis: Robin Hood brings a modern energy to the classic tale of the roguish outlaw hero who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and the epic love story between him and a courageous and daring Marian. It is a smart, sweeping, romantic adventure that brings historical authenticity, psychological depth, and a heightened focus on the relationship between Rob and Marian to the beloved story. Following the Norman invasion of England, Rob – a Saxon forester’s son – and Marian, the daughter of a Norman lord – fall in love and work together to fight for justice and freedom. As Rob rises as the leader of a band of rebel outlaws, Marian infiltrates the power at court, as both work together to thwart royal corruption and bring peace to the land.

From Lionsgate Television, the series is co-created by executive producers John Glenn and Jonathan English (who also directed the pilot), and Todd Lieberman of Hidden Pictures, who was also an executive producer.

Robin Hood stars Jack Patten as Rob, Lauren McQueen as Marian, Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Lydia Peckham as Priscilla of Nottingham, Steven Waddington as the Earl of Huntingdon and Connie Nielsen as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The series premieres Sunday, November 2 at 9:00 PM ET/PT in the U.S. with two episodes and new episodes will premiere weekly through the season finale on Sunday, December 28, 2025. Robin Hood will also be available to MGM+ viewers in the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Latin America, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

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“At the risk of sounding pious, I am someone who sort of identifies with the fight to be a good person in the world as much as I can possibly be,” Barnes tells Nerd Reactor. “And this is a character to whom it’s important to be a really good man.”

One of the notable roles for Barnes was Prince Caspian, a dashing and honorable prince in The Chronicles of Narnia series. He would later play villains and antagonists; for example, Westworld and The Punisher.

“But it’s really fun to be a villain sometimes,” he added. “Some of the roles that I’ve played in The Punisher or Westworld, almost borderline psychotic characters, but it’s so fun to play. I think I was looking for somebody to play, that there was like a real symbol of goodness and protection as well. And the older I get, the more I feel so protective of these younger and younger casts that I tend to be working with. And you want to stand up for the things that are right.”

Freeman is a newcomer in the acting world, and he portrays the genius protagonist, Luke Ellis.

“Luke Ellis is described from the get-go as a child genius,” said Freeman. “I think he’s quite cheeky. He’s quite defiant when it comes to the people that he’s trying to battle at the Institute, the authority figures. But at the end of the day, he’s just a little boy, and the things he endures in the place are horrible. And I think that’s what I wanted to get across when playing the role for sure.”

Attached as an executive producer and writer is Benjamin Cavell, who wanted to make sure he got the seal of approval from the author of the book, Stephen King.

“And so to have [Stephen King] endorse the show and want to be an EP on the show and to have him love what we’ve done, that is so gratifying and sort of armors you against every other reaction,” Cavell said. “It is kind of interesting, and you want people to like it and like it in some wide way, but if Stephen King thinks we did right by him, then I’m good.”

The Institute debuts this Sunday, July 13th, on MGM+.

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“This is written by Anthony Horowitz, which over here a lot of people might not know that name, but in the UK, he’s written over 50 mystery novels,” McCormack tells Nerd Reactor. “He knows what he’s doing. He knows what his characters are doing. I always loved the story about it when he went in to pitch this idea, and it was only half-baked. He didn’t quite have it yet and he hated whatever the title was.

“And as he sat down, they said, ‘So what’s this show called, Anthony?’ And out of the blue, he said [emulates his English accent], ‘Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue.’ And they said, ‘We love it.’ So that’s it. So it stuck, which I love. I wouldn’t say this is a kind of show where there’s a lot of improv. This is a very carefully plotted show.”

About Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue

Synopsis: A plane carrying a small group of passengers, crew and pilot, crashes in the Mexican jungle. All the bodies are recovered and placed in a morgue, but it turns out that only one of them died in the crash. The other passengers were murdered afterwards, each one in a unique way. But by whom? And why? As the story unfolds in flashback, we meet the survivors as they fight against the heat, a shortage of supplies, the many dangers of the jungle – and each other. The setting becomes increasingly tense and claustrophobic as, one by one, they are dispatched with a series of shocks that bring us ever closer to the truth and – at the very end – a jaw-dropping reveal.

Joining Eric McCormack are David Ajala (Star Trek: Discovery) as Zack, Lydia Wilson (The Swarm) as Sonja, Peter Gadiot (One Piece, Yellowjackets) as Carlos, Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls) as Lisa, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (The Tourist) as Travis, Adam Long (Happy Valley) as Dan, and Jan Le (The Capture) as Amy.

Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue is an original mystery series written, created and executive produced by Anthony Horowitz CBE (Alex Rider, Magpie Murders), and produced by Eleventh Hour Films, a Sony Pictures Television (“SPT”)-backed company. SPT will distribute the series worldwide.

The series premieres on MGM+ on March 2, 2025.

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Ludwig portrays Ish, a character who discovers a world where most of humanity has been wiped out. He deals with all types of emotions including anger, sadness, confusion, and more.

“Anger, for sure,” Ludwig replies to Nerd Reactor about which emotions resonate with him the most. “I would be so angry at the beginning, just at everything, and then I think I would probably fall into sadness, and then I would have to dig very, very deep to find purpose and probably do something very similar to what Ish did.”

Jessica Frances Dukes, who plays Emma, emphasized the importance of human connection in survival.

“I need community,” Dukes said. “I need people. I think that’s the biggest thing that this show, I hope, shows people: we can’t do this alone… even to grow as a person, even to challenge things within yourself, like we need each other.”

Her reflections emphasize the core theme of Earth Abides: the need for community even when the world if falling apart.

The Role of Music: A Bridge Between People

Music is an important aspect of the series, and it helped strengthen a community. When asked about songs that could bring people together, Dukes and Ludwig had personal answers. Duke brought up Beautiful Chorus, an ethereal independent radiant vocal group. One of their popular songs is “I Am” featuring India.Arie.

“It’s Beautiful Chorus… full of mantras and manifestation music… bringing you in tune with yourself and others in the universe,” Duke said.

“To bring people together… ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ is a pretty good one,” Ludwig said. It’s a classic and happy song.

A Different Kind of Apocalypse: Realism Without Zombies

Earth Abides focuses more on the real-world challenges in a post-apocalyptic setting rather than external villains.

“That was the beauty of the show,” Ludwig explained. “It’s the most true to what a post-apocalyptic scenario would look like. The monsters lie within us, and it’s about people. What happens when you have to deal with being attacked by a wild animal, because animals have retaken what was once theirs, you know, and there’s no doctors around. What happens when disease strikes? What happens when you have to give birth to your first child and you have no doctors around? These are the themes that we explore. And to me, that’s what’s most interesting. And I love the zombie flicks as much as the next guy, but this isn’t that. I mean, this is about people and community and tribes and navigating your way into this new world. To me, one of the scenes that I love most, too, is what happens when somebody in an opposing tribe doesn’t want what you’ve built or is against it. How do you govern that? Do you take a life? These are the kind of things that we explore, which I love.”

“I didn’t have to insert zombie here at any point, which I found extremely liberating,” Komnarnicki said. “It’s about people in real-time, trying to work stuff out, fall in love, and make a meal.”

Lessons from Rats and Cats

One scene that draws inspiration from George Stewart’s novel is the infestation of rats. It’s a pivotal scene that shows the power of Mother Nature.

“Humans went away, so the rats grew out of proportion,” Kearie explained. “Then the cats came in and took the rats down. It’s a theme from the book—any [species] of animals, even humans, will get knocked down by Mother Nature if it outgrows its boundaries.”

About Earth Abides

Earth Abides premieres with two episodes on December 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on MGM+.

Synopsis: In Earth Abides, when a plague of unprecedented virulence sweeps the globe, the human race is all but wiped out. In the aftermath, as the great machine of civilization slowly and inexorably breaks down, only a few shattered survivors remain to struggle against the slide into extinction.

The series stars Alexander Ludwig (Bad Boys, The Hunger Games) and Jessica Frances Dukes (Ozark) leading an ensemble cast including Aaron Tveit (Les Misérables), Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll (Priscilla, The Lie), Elyse Levesque (Ready or Not), Luisa D’Oliveira (The Painter), Birkett Turton, Hilary McCormack (Sugar Daddy) and Jenna Berman (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina). Earth Abides is created and executive produced by Todd Komarnicki (Sully), alongside executive producers Kearie Peak, Michael Phillips and Juliana Maio.

Featured image caption: Alexander Ludwigh as Ish Williams in Earth Abides. Credit: Michael Courtney/MGMPlus Entertainment.

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Episode 5 premieres on Sunday, June 2, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with new episodes every Sunday.

“The walls are literally closing in,” Blyth tells Nerd Reactor about Billy’s path in Season 2 Part 2. “And the walls look a lot like Jesse Evans and the House and Pat Garrett, and these people who have returned to his life in Lincoln, who maybe he thought he’d left behind a little bit. And there are violent figures. There are people who think they know him. Maybe some of them underestimate him. But I think Season Two: Part Two, which we’re about to see, is really, really kind of finally becoming the man that he’s supposed to be, which is a leader, a gunslinger, someone who’s not afraid to wield his power.”

Tunstall was a rancher who brought in Billy to help him fight against his ruthless rivals, the House. With the House’s gang murdering Tunstall, it heavily affected Billy.

“And he’s someone who now has revenge in his heart because Tunstall’s killing kind of tipped him over the edge. In Part One of Season Two, we saw Tunstall gunned down in cold blood. And Billy kind of saw Tunstall as his last line of hope, and someone who could kind of show him the straight and narrow life. And then to see him gunned down, while they were moving some cattle, you know, it’s like, that was the last straw. It’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. I think we’re gonna see Billy now take the fight back to them instead of being on the defense.”

The Western genre has been popular throughout the decades with movies such as Django Unchained and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Rockstar Games had a huge hit with Red Dead Redemption, a Western video game series.

“Yeah, I mean, so I’m not a big gamer, but I played games as a teenager, as a kid,” Blyth said. “And so when I got this part, I always like watching Westerns, and my kind of thirst for Westerns was a bit insatiable at the beginning of season one. And it did become a habit to like, sometimes, wind down after a long day of filming by playing Red Dead Redemption. And I think the thing that was the most informative, and the thing that struck me the most was that game, you spent so much time just like walking between towns on horseback. And you start to recognize so much of that life. And that world would have been just like, the monotony of traveling along the desert, or along the mountain range, or through the forest.

“And you couldn’t go fast because your horse would get tired and you had to water the horse and you had to eat and cook food and hunt a deer or whatever it was and trade. And that is kind of in Billy as well. We see him at certain points when he’s on the run, run out of food and water, and have to take shelter and then get trapped. And then in Season Two: Part Two, we see that at a certain point, he’s on the run and gets cornered and we see him having to like, hunt for his food. I love those intricate details that you get when the writing is good, which Michael writes into the story when it gives it the detail and the layers that you see in Red Dead Redemption.”

About Billy the Kid

Michael Hirst (Vikings) is the creator and showrunner. The show is executive produced by Michael Hirst, Donald De Line, Darryl Frank, and Justin Falvey.

Synopsis: In Season 2 of Billy the Kid, Billy gets caught in the middle of the Lincoln County War, a murderous conflict driven by money, greed, and corruption. After enjoying a monopoly, Murphy’s Store is no longer the only player in town when Englishman John Tunstall moves to Lincoln and sets off a commercial rivalry. Law and order is no match for cowboy gangs and a secret society. Wild chases and shootouts abound. There are innumerable ambushes and killings. No one is safe. After a pivotal assassination, things get very ugly, leaving Billy the Kid with an uncertain fate. Will he make it out of the Lincoln County War alive?

The list of episodes and descriptions:

A Debt Collected – June 2, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

The del Toboscos family fail to repay their debt, leading to an ambush by the 7 Rivers Gang. Billy vows that he and the Regulators will take over Lincoln and clear out the thugs. But, there’s a new Sheriff.

The Plea – June 9, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Billy and the Regulators turn McSween’s house into their HQ, and are supported by the Mexicans. A confrontation with the 7 Rivers Gang leads to a fusillade of bullets. Restoring peace seems futile.

The Blood-Soaked Bible – June 16, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

With Lincoln on lockdown, Murphy’s House celebrates what it regards as a victory over the Regulators. When a Regulators look-out shoots a soldier, the McSween house is set on fire. Many are killed.

An Invitation – June 23, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Frustrated by Billy’s ability to evade capture, Thomas Catron devises a scheme to lure Billy back for his arrest. The Regulators attack the jail while Billy, aided by Dulcinea, escapes once again.

Featured image credit: David Brown.

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