more fantasy casting
Sep. 6th, 2005 07:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Over the long weekend with the Boyfriend's family, his younger sister and I deliberated over fully casting the fantasy movie version of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. It took us several hours, but we're (mostly) satisfied with the results.
Jonathan Strange: Guy Pearce
Because he's a very good actor who doesn't get much recognition, but does well with period films and would bring an interesting, understated approach to the character. Runner up: Adrian Brody, who we haven't seen in roles like this but would be interested to.
Mr. Norrell: Ian Holm
JUST BECAUSE.
Childermass: Gary Oldman
Again, I want to see what he'd bring to the character. I think he has the right sort of presence. Runner up: Johnny Depp, as suggested by
irisbleu.
Vinculus: Brad Dourif
No, seriously, think about it. Dourif does creepy/crazy like no one else. I can TOTALLY picture the book written all over him.
Lascelles: Rupert Everett
So foppish, and can definitely bring Lascelle's cruelty out from underneath the exquisite clothing.
Drawlight: Timothy Spall
Fits the right stereotype. There are dozens of British actors who would also work here.
Stephen Black: Don Cheadle
Hotel Rwanda proves that he can do the quiet dignity and self-controlled frustration really, really well.
Lady Pole: Keira Knightley
I'm not her biggest fan, but she can be beautiful and haughty and bitter.
Arabella Strange: Kate Winslet
Would bring a healthy dose of personality to Arabella -- an awesome character, but one which might not translate very well to the screen as written.
Gentleman with the thistle-down hair: undecided
He's the hardest character to cast, we think. There's such a mixture of insanity and nobility that's hard to find. Names floated: David Bowie, Brad Pitt (think 12 Monkeys or Fight Club, not his other crap). We're not satisfied yet, though. Suggestions?
Flora: Emmy Rossum
She just seemed to fit. Also considered her for Lady Pole.
John Segundus: Tom Wilkinson
Another JUST BECAUSE.
the Raven King: Gerald Butler
I'm still not sure about this one, but he's got the right presence and wouldn't be in the film much, so...meh. I would also be all kinds of amused to see Elijah Wood as Uskglass, but that probably wouldn't best serve the film.
Lord Wellington: Russell Crowe
He's got the right machismo presence, although I seriously doubt he'd ever accept a role this (relatively) small. But hey, this is a fantasy cast, not a real one.
Those were the characters we could remember as being important off the tops of our heads. It's been a little while since I finished reading the book, so I'm probably forgetting someone important. Alas. But fantasy casting is a lot of fun!
Jonathan Strange: Guy Pearce
Because he's a very good actor who doesn't get much recognition, but does well with period films and would bring an interesting, understated approach to the character. Runner up: Adrian Brody, who we haven't seen in roles like this but would be interested to.
Mr. Norrell: Ian Holm
JUST BECAUSE.
Childermass: Gary Oldman
Again, I want to see what he'd bring to the character. I think he has the right sort of presence. Runner up: Johnny Depp, as suggested by
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Vinculus: Brad Dourif
No, seriously, think about it. Dourif does creepy/crazy like no one else. I can TOTALLY picture the book written all over him.
Lascelles: Rupert Everett
So foppish, and can definitely bring Lascelle's cruelty out from underneath the exquisite clothing.
Drawlight: Timothy Spall
Fits the right stereotype. There are dozens of British actors who would also work here.
Stephen Black: Don Cheadle
Hotel Rwanda proves that he can do the quiet dignity and self-controlled frustration really, really well.
Lady Pole: Keira Knightley
I'm not her biggest fan, but she can be beautiful and haughty and bitter.
Arabella Strange: Kate Winslet
Would bring a healthy dose of personality to Arabella -- an awesome character, but one which might not translate very well to the screen as written.
Gentleman with the thistle-down hair: undecided
He's the hardest character to cast, we think. There's such a mixture of insanity and nobility that's hard to find. Names floated: David Bowie, Brad Pitt (think 12 Monkeys or Fight Club, not his other crap). We're not satisfied yet, though. Suggestions?
Flora: Emmy Rossum
She just seemed to fit. Also considered her for Lady Pole.
John Segundus: Tom Wilkinson
Another JUST BECAUSE.
the Raven King: Gerald Butler
I'm still not sure about this one, but he's got the right presence and wouldn't be in the film much, so...meh. I would also be all kinds of amused to see Elijah Wood as Uskglass, but that probably wouldn't best serve the film.
Lord Wellington: Russell Crowe
He's got the right machismo presence, although I seriously doubt he'd ever accept a role this (relatively) small. But hey, this is a fantasy cast, not a real one.
Those were the characters we could remember as being important off the tops of our heads. It's been a little while since I finished reading the book, so I'm probably forgetting someone important. Alas. But fantasy casting is a lot of fun!