The Animal Kingdom series stars Ellen Barkin (The Big Easy; Sea Of Love) in the iconic role of ‘Smurf’, the criminal matriarch at the heart of the Cody family. The same role landed Jackie Weaver an Oscar nomination in 2010, and was described by David Stratton as a “revelation” for the actor – but at the TNT slate launch Barkin was unfazed by the precedent set by Weaver. “I don’t really think I’m stepping into anyone’s shoes,” she said. “I don’t think the movie was a beginning, a middle, or an end point for us. It was more like source material, as much as a book I might read.”