Best known for his career-defining role as Michael Dawson on the phenomenally successful TV series LOST, actor Harold Perrineau has been giving impressive performances on television and in film for more than twenty years. The gifted actor has appeared in such popular movies as Smoke, Romeo + Juliet, 28 Weeks Later, and The Matrix Trilogy, as well HBO’s ground breaking TV series Oz, and ABC’s short-lived but critically acclaimed series The Unusuals. While Perrineau will return to television this summer on the new TBS series The Wedding Band, first he will be seen on the big screen opposite Oscar-winner Nic Cage, and Guy Pearce in Seeking Justice, which will open in theaters on March 16th.

In the film, which is helmed by veteran director Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, Thirteen Days), Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) plays Wil Gerard, a man that’s wife (January Jones) has been brutally attacked. While she is in the hospital, Will is visited by a mysterious man named Simon played by Guy Pearce (Memento). Simon says that he represents an organization that helps people who are “seeking justice,” and makes Wil an offer that he cannot refuse. Simon will arrange to have a complete stranger exact vengeance on his wife’s attacker, in exchange for a favor from Wil in the future. He agrees to the deal, and unwittingly puts himself into a dangerous underground vigilante program. While continuing to protect his wife from the truth, he quickly discovers that his quest for justice could lead to deadly consequences and that all is not as it seems. Perrineau plays Jimmy, Wil’s best friend and confidante who has a big secret of his own that may be closer connected to Wil’s mysterious organization than he ever could imagine. Actress Jennifer Carpenter (TV’s Dexter) and veteran actor Xander Berkeley (TV’s 24) round out the film’s talented cast.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with actor Harold Perrineau about his role in Seeking Justice. The talented actor discussed the new film, his character, why he wanted to do the movie, working with director Roger Donaldson, Nic Cage’s unique approach to acting on and off the set, playing a character with a secret and creating his back-story, whether he would “seek justice” or not if given the chance, his next film; which is Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Bin Laden Project, his upcoming new TV series, and how he feels now looking back at his time on LOST.

Last summer's X-Men: First Class ended with a snap, crackle, and pop, as erstwhile BFFs Professor Xavier and Magneto ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum agitating for mutant rights.  While Xavier set about establishing his school for gifted youngsters, Magneto adopted his codename and helmet to bring the fight to the Man.  That doesn't mean, however, that Erik Lensherr will be twirling his mustache as an arch villain in the planned sequel, though.  According to screenwriter Simon Kinberg, Magneto will remain a conflicted character in the continuation.

2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was commercially successful, but critics and audiences didn't exactly fall in love with the film and there was a general sense that the X-Men franchise might be running out of steam.  Then last summer, X-Men: First Class pulled a Batman Begins, basically rebooting the series and setting it in a promising new direction.  20th Century Fox has indicated it would continue with a sequel to the prequel and even hired a writer to do some work, but its been an open question whether or not Matthew Vaughn would return for another round. 

Over the summer, the prequel X-Men: First Class pulled a Batman Begins, performing well, but not phenomenally, and establishing a new direction for a franchise that was probably running out of creative momentum.  It was something of a palate cleanser, a well-reviewed adventure with solid word of mouth to hook wayward fans back into the world of Marvel's mutants.  It also ended with a promise of continued adventures for Michael Fassbender's Magneto and James McAvoy's Professor Xavier, we've seen precious little indication that 20th Century Fox would continue the series.  An as-yet unconfirmed rumor suggests that a continuation of X-Men: First Class is in the works, with a writer familiar to the Merry Mutants at work on a sequel to the prequel.

It's Friday, which means that X-Men: First Class is now playing at a theater near you.  Some X-fans probably caught the film at midnight screenings already, but since the bulk you have yet to see the mutant prequel, why not partake in yet another clip from the film?  This time, it's not James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender diffusing the Cuban Missile Crisis.  It's the first class of the title – young, confused mutants enlisted to fight the Hellfire Club – deciding on their code names and sharing their unique powers.

Opening in theaters on June 3rd is the highly-anticipated prequel to the extremely successful X-Men film series entitled X-Men: First Class. The movie works as a starting-off point for the entire series and focuses on the relationship between Professor X and Magneto, while explaining the origin of the X-Men team and several of the previous movies most popular characters. X-Men: First Class is based on a story by producer Bryan Singer, who directed the first two films in the series, X-Men, and X2. The movie was directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass), who was originally set to helm X-Men: The Last Stand when Singer left the franchise to make Superman Returns, a job that eventually went to Brett Ratner (Rush Hour).

The film features an all-star cast of exciting young actors and seasoned veterans including James McAvoy (Wanted), Michael Fassbender (Jonah Hex), Kevin Bacon (Frost/Nixon), January Jones (TV's Mad Men), Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), Nicholas Hoult (Clash of the Titans), Oliver Platt (2012), Ray Wise (Good Night, and Good Luck), Zoe Kravitz (The Brave One), Caleb Landry Jones  (The Last Exorcism), Lucas Till (Hanna Montana: The Movie), Edi Gathegi (Twilight), Jason Flemyng (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), and recent Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone).

IAR's very own Heather Newgen recently had the opportunity to sit down exclusively and speak with several members of the cast including James McAvoy (Professor Charles Xavier), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto), Kevin Bacon (Sebastian Shaw), January Jones (Emma Frost/White Queen), Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert), Zoe Kravitz (Angel Salvadore), and Lucas Till (Alex Summers/Havok). The actors spoke candidly about the new film, their characters, how they approached playing their roles, and working with director Matthew Vaughn.

Looking at any superhero, fashion is clearly an important component in superheroics.  In their cinematic adventures so far, the X-Men have typically worn tight black leather costumes, but in the new franchise prequel X-Men: First Class, Charles Xavier's (James McAvoy) inaugural group of gifted youngsters wear snazzy flight suits that better reflect the 1962 setting and the film's comic book roots.  More importantly, the new X-installment shows the origin of the iconic helmet sported by Magneto (Michael Fassbender).  To place the striking new look of Magneto's favorite accessory in the proper historical and aesthetic context, IAR presents selected versions of the helmet from its nearly 50 year history.

With X-Men: First Class little more than a week away, it's time to ask yourself how much of the film you want to spoil.  Six new clips from the film contain oodles and oodles of mutant action, but they also include important, and even climactic, action beats that will probably play better in the context of the final film.  Still, if your Thursday could use some mutant powers, then these clips – which feature Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Jason Flemyng, Lucas Till, and Caleb Landry Jones all using their abilities to the fullest – could make your day.

Do you remain unenthusiastic about X-Men: First Class despite mounting evidence that the mutant prequel direct by Matthew Vaughn could breathe new life into the franchise?  All the excellent trailers and ecstatic early word provide ample reason to be psyched to see James McAvoy's Professor X and Michael Fassbender's Magneto getting mixed up in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, but if you need more, then check out this clip of a young Xavier meeting an equally young Mystique.  More importantly, give this minute-and-a-half sneak peek trailer, which runs through the whole ensemble and sports lots of brand new footage.

We're less than two weeks away from the release of director Matthew Vaughn's prequel X-Men: First Class, and early word from those who've seen the film, including IAR's own Jami Philbrick, is every shade of positive.  That news, while a relief, is likely to make the wait seem even longer for a long of X-fans out there, and we've got some goodies to stoke the fires of your anticipation.  Eight new international posters highlight individual characters in the ensemble, while a new TV spot throws down with a lot of visual effects, action, and Michael Fassbender's Magneto making a bold statement.