Rowan Atkinson AKA Mr Bean to return in Netflix comedy series Man vs Bee: 5 of his best movies
If you have not grown up laughing your guts out at Rowan Atkinson’s antics as Mr Bean, then you have not really lived your childhood. The actor who became synonymous with Mr Bean (character) is coming back with his comic charm in the new Netflix series Man vs Bee.
The trailer of Man vs Bee was released on May 26, 2022. It series will start streaming on Netflix from June 24. And no, Atkinson will not be playing Mr Bean.
In Man vs Bee, we see Atkinson’s character in court, charged with a slew of crimes like arson, dangerous driving, destruction of priceless assets, etc. Sounds not-so-comic, right? But the twist is when Atkinson answers in his defence: “You see, there was this bee.”
Man vs Bee is all about what the title suggests, Rowan Atkinson vs a Bee, who’s made his life hell. It kind of reminds us of the 2012 South Indian blockbuster movie Makkhi, which is hilarious in context, but also very serious and tragic in the storyline.
However, with Rowan Atkinson, Man vs Bee is for sure going to be a laugh riot. Though Atkinson is not playing the iconic Mr Bean in the series, the trailer shows some of the antics of the iconic character, like the obsession with one particular insignificant thing.
But as you wait for the Netflix series to drop, you can watch these 5 best movies starring Rowan Atkinson:
1. THE JOHNNY ENGLISH SERIES
Johnny English, Johnny English: Reborn and Johnny English Strikes Again are Rowan Atkinson’s own slapstick take on James Bond. Atkinson plays Johnny English, a British spy, in the series who’s really good at – NOT so much his job, but at fumbling at his job and then accidentally completing the mission.
2. MR BEAN MOVIES
The original Mr Bean series that Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis created was only 15 episodes long and aired between 1990 and 1995. But other than the series, Mr Bean was also brought to life in two more movies – Bean (1997) where the character goes to the US; and Mr Bean’s Holiday (2007), where the character goes to France.
3. RAT RACE
Rowan Atkinson plays Enrico Pollini in the 2001 comedy/adventure film Rat Race. The film also stars Whoopie Goldberg among others. The film follows a group of people in the US in the race to uncover a hidden treasure.
4. KEEPING MUM
In the 2005 British dark comedy Keeping Mum, Rowan Atkinson plays a priest, Reverend Walter Goodfellow. Atkinson’s character is so obsessed with creating the perfect sermon that he fails to see his family falling apart right in front of his eyes. Goodfellow is considered, by far, the most 'normal' character played by Atkinson (by the actor’s standards). Nonetheless, you can’t miss Atkinson’s signature slapstick comedy in the film.
5. THE LION KING
We are talking about the 1994 animated film Lion King. Rowan Atkinson voices the comic relief character Zazu in the movie. While we don’t get to see Atkinson’s physical comedy; his voice, coupled with a very colourful bird, hits the mark.
Also, for those who still believe in the age-old fake news that Rowan Atkinson died in a car accident, he is NOT dead. He is very much alive. I heard this fake news when I was a little kid, and I still hear the fake news being circulated. Let the man live (and act in more comedy movies or series!)!