Sean Bean on Knights of the Zodiac’s "unique" fantasy – and a James Bond reunion

gamesradar.com:

Outside of dying in films, Sean Bean is perhaps best known for his stints in Middle-earth and Westeros. Having been a fixture of the high fantasy scene as both Boromir and Ned Stark, it’s clear the British actor knows a thing or two about what it takes to stand out from the pack in what’s becoming an increasingly crowded marketplace.

That’s something Knights of the Zodiac aims to do. Based on the hit Saint Seiya manga and anime series, the new action movie blends Greek mythology with fantasy hallmarks, focusing on the story of a man – Bean’s Alman Kido – enlisting warriors to protect his daughter. Plot twist: his daughter is also fated to be the vessel for the reincarnation of the goddess Athena. Worlds away, then, from the more intimate political intrigue in Winterfell.

GamesRadar+ recently sat down with Bean to discuss his latest role, including working with The Witcher’s Tomek Baginski on his first feature film and being "hooked" by the source material. He also discusses a long overdue GoldenEye reunion with Famke Janssen, who plays his ex-wife – and potential god-destroyer – Guraad in Knights of the Zodiac and, famously, Xenia Onatopp in the 1995 James Bond movie. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You’ve been part of some of the biggest fantasy franchises in Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. While this is a very different type of fantasy, how do you think Knights of the Zodiac stands out in what is a more crowded genre than 10-20 years ago?

I wasn’t that familiar with [the manga] Saint Seiya, the Knights of the Zodiac, the kind of history behind it, and how successful and how popular it was in Japan and in certain parts of the world [like] South America and Poland.

But I think what makes