Actor James Cosmo (1948)

Based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels, His Dark Materials (2019–2022) is a fantasy drama TV series that is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Productions. BBC One and HBO co-produce the show, with HBO also handling worldwide distribution. The story follows orphan Lyra as she embarks on a quest to find her missing friend and uncovers a kidnapping plot involving a mysterious substance called Dust. The first eight-episode season debuted on 3 November 2019 in the UK on BBC One, and on 4 November in the US and other countries via HBO. The second season, consisting of seven episodes, premiered on 8 November 2020 in ...

The film Outlaw King (2018) follows the story of Robert the Bruce, a Scottish king in the 14th century during the Scottish Wars of Independence. In 1304, while outside of Stirling Castle under siege, Robert and other Scottish nobles including John Comyn surrender to Edward I of England. Edward demands their homage as a condition for regaining their land. Robert then engages in a sparring match with Edward’s son, Prince Edward, and is later married to Elizabeth de Burgh, who happens to be Edward’s goddaughter. Lord James Douglas also arrives, seeking to reclaim his ancestral lands but is rejected due to his family’s alleged treason. As the King and ...

The American political action thriller television series known as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018–2023), based on characters from the fictional Ryanverse by Tom Clancy, first premiered on August 31, 2018, on Amazon Prime Video. When CIA analyst Jack Ryan discovers a series of suspicious bank transfers, his search for answers takes him away from his desk job and into a dangerous game across Europe and the Middle East. With a terrorist leader planning a major attack against the US and its allies, Ryan must stay one step ahead in this deadly cat-and-mouse pursuit. In the ...

T2 Trainspotting (2017) is a British black comedy drama film, directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge. It takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland and is based on characters from Irvine Welsh’s novels Trainspotting and Porno. Two decades after his betrayal and escape with the majority of their scam money, Mark Renton returns to Edinburgh for the first time. He seeks out his former companions Spud and Simon, but they are both struggling just as much as when he left them. Spud had briefly turned his life around but has since fallen back into despair, even ...

Game of Thrones (2011–2019), an American fantasy drama TV series by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO, is based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Filmed in various locations like the UK, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, and Spain, it first aired on April 17th, 2011 and ended on May 19th, 2019 with a total of 73 episodes across eight seasons. Set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, the show boasts a diverse cast and follows multiple storylines. Critics and ...

Troy (2004) is an epic historical war film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by David Benioff. Set in 1250 BC, the film tells the story of King Agamemnon’s quest to unite the Greek kingdoms. The heroic warrior Achilles fights for Agamemnon, despite his disdain for the king’s tyrannical ways. Meanwhile, Prince Hector of Troy and his brother Paris are negotiating a peace treaty with Menelaus, King of Sparta. However, Paris begins an affair with Menelaus’ wife, Queen Helen, and smuggles her aboard his ship as they return home. Hector reluctantly ...

Trainspotting (1996), directed by Danny Boyle, is a British dark comedy-drama from 1996. At the age of 26, Mark Renton is an unemployed heroin addict living with his parents in Leith, Edinburgh. He frequently indulges in drugs with his group of ‘friends’, which includes the unreliable and womanizing Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson, the clumsy Daniel ‘Spud’ Murphy, and their dealer known as ‘Mother Superior’. Renton’s other acquaintances are the aggressive alcoholic Francis ‘Franco’ Begbie and honest footballer Tommy Mackenzie, both of whom warn him about the ...

Braveheart (1995) is an epic historical drama set in late-13th century Scotland. Directed and produced by Mel Gibson, the film follows Sir William Wallace, a brave Scottish warrior who leads his people in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. After the Scots’ king dies without an heir, Edward I, also known as ‘Longshanks’, conquers Scotland in 1280. Witnessing the brutal execution of several Scottish nobles by Longshanks, young William Wallace loses both his father and brother when they resist the English. He then goes to live with his uncle, Argyll. As years pass, ...