Recast the movies!

[Ripplin]

I thought it might be fun to have a thread where we discussed who we'd replace in movies, whther because we just don't like the actor, or we think someone else could've done a better job with the material they had to work with.

This idea was brought about after Ironman said the following in the "Star Trek (2009)" thread:

I'd remove every single scene with Scotty in it (if it was possible) as I find that Simon Pegg is diabolically awful in the role.

I think in "Star Trek", I'd replace Eric Bana as Nero. If they were going for bland, American biker bar-type action baddy, then yeah, they hit the nail on the head, but I'd've rather seen someone make the role interesting. Someone like Jeffrey Coombs, perhaps? (who has a massive Star Trek heritage already) Too "cool"?

Also, in "The Phantom Menace", I'd recast Jar Jar with an air molecule or a rock or something.

And in "Titan A.E.", I'd replace Drew Barrymore with someone that sounded like they were awake at the time!

 

[Uncanny Antman]

Edward Norton in Red Dragon. He's a good actor, but he's just so wrong for Will Graham. (IMO)

Halle Berry as Storm. Ugh.

 

[Ripplin]

Halle Berry as Storm. Ugh.

Why? I mean, the character wasn't given a huge role anyway. Who would you use instead?

 

[TMBTM]

Other than Harrison Ford, Dennis Quaid is the only actor I could imagine as Indiana Jones.
I can't find anyone to replace Christopher Reeves as Superman though.

 

[Uncanny Antman]

Why?

Because I didn't like her in it. Couldn't make up her mind as to whether she had an accent or not, played the character as though she was a weakling, and I just generally am not a fan of her style of acting. (Mostly, not always.)

I mean, the character wasn't given a huge role anyway.

Neither was Nero. Or Scotty.

Who would you use instead?

Back when the first X-Men was cast in 98/99? ...Angela Bassett is the first person who springs to mind. Not as much of a name, not as hot, but a solid actor. And she'd be a Storm you could believe can look after herself. (I'm thinking mainly of Mace in Strange Days.)

 

[Ripplin]

I can't find anyone to replace Christopher Reeves as Superman though.

Um, hello, Brandon Routh?!

Just kidding. Tom Welling over Brandon Routh any day of the week. Actually, it's kind of a hard role to fill. Reeves was very, very good at both Clark and Kal-El.

 

[white43]

Miscast:

Jake Lloyd as Anakin
Hayden Christenssen as Anakin
Natalie Portman, as much as I love her, is no Carrie Fisher.

Sly Stallone as Dredd.

Arnie as Mr Freeze.

I agree about Pegg as Scotty - I didn't see Scotty, I saw Simon Pegg with a Scottish accent. Paul McGillion would have been better.

 

[Ripplin]

Arnie as Mr Freeze.

Well, that whole movie probably shouldn't have happened.

 

[ThrowgnCpr]

Arnie as Mr Freeze.

Well, that whole movie probably shouldn't have happened.

you can go ahead and remove that probably. That movie was about as much FAIL as you can get...

 

[Heinrich]

i guess i am about the only person in the world who always thought that Arnie would have made a better batman than a mr. freeze...

 

[Ripplin]

Arnie as Mr Freeze.

Well, that whole movie probably shouldn't have happened.

you can go ahead and remove that probably. That movie was about as much FAIL as you can get...

Haha, yessir. To be honest, I've only seen a couple of minutes of it. I'm too much of a Batfan to watch it. Nipples? Come on...

The best thing about that movie is how they made fun of it on TNBA. :smile:

 

[TMBTM]

side note:
Even Joel Schumacher himself did apologize for this movie.
I can't remember another director doing such a thing. (?)

 

[Ripplin]

side note:
Even Joel Schumacher himself did apologize for this movie.
I can't remember another director doing such a thing. (?)

I've seen him both apologize and insult the fans regarding the movie. Depends on his mood, I guess. :x

 

[hebrides]

Miscast:

I agree about Pegg as Scotty - I didn't see Scotty, I saw Simon Pegg with a Scottish accent. Paul McGillion would have been better.

Absolutely with you on the McGillion thing. He's a dead ringer for Doohan.

Halle Berry as Storm. Ugh.

Always, always thought it should have been Iman.

Other than Harrison Ford, Dennis Quaid is the only actor I could imagine as Indiana Jones.

Exactly. He's aged to look SO much like HF from about 10-15 years ago, and his acting style has always been similar. I even did a mock-up several years ago of what he might look like based on a shot from Flight of the Phoenix:

I'd never want another Indy, but he sure beats the hell out of Shia.

Keira Knightley as Padme. Yes, she played her (uncredited) decoy in Phantom Menace, but I just felt that she could have handled the wretched dialogue a bit better, and wouldn't have had to invent whatever that queenly accent was supposed to be.

Also in the move over one role category, Cary Elwes as Jonathan Harker instead of Keanu in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Man in the Iron Mask: almost everyone. I think Irons was a good choice for Aramis, and Gabriel Byrne was OK as D'Artagnan, though not my first choice, but Depardieu, Malkovich, and especially DiCaprio seemed like they were in different movies.

I'd probably have gone with someone like Paul Freeman for the noble yet flawed Athos -- or, if he weren't enough of a draw, Ian Mckellen. Probably Robbie Coltrane or Byrne's old theatre-mate Liam Neeson for the strong, simple, and loyal Porthos.

Not sure who I would have chosen for Louis XIV/Philippe. Had he not died, perhaps River Phoenix.

Here's the real Louis XIV. I know he reminds me of someone, but I can't think who. Rufus Sewell, maybe? Any thoughts?

ETA: Something like this, perhaps (Freeman as Athos, Neeson as Porthos, Sewell as Louis XIV; not my best work, but you get the idea):

 

[Gaith]

Full respect to Cate as an actress... but Tolkien's key description of the character was that Galdadriel is mind-bogglingly beautiful, which Ms. B. is most certainly not.

I don't care if Harris was the best actor that ever lived... casting a guy who could barely talk in the first of at least seven movies was barking madness. Should've been Gambon from the start.

Tom Hardy gave a pretty good performance, imo, and I know that TNG had done Patrick Stewart vs. Patrick Stewart before, but a Mirror Universe-ported Stewart would have been so much cooler regardless.

:-o

Cannot act.

Dakota Blue Richards gave a wonderful performance, which I give her all the credit in the world for, but I would've cast someone a bit rougher-looking, and not as pretty.

This will always be my Lyra.

:-?

The movie may turn out alright, but Downey does not look like Holmes.

Do not want.

 

[ThrowgnCpr]

mixed bag there gaith. some I agree with you on, and others I have the exact opposite reaction.

Seriously, Downy Jr. as Holmes???? this movie looks like complete shit. and while I think Miss Richards did an OK job acting, she just wasn't Lyra at all for me (didn't help that the movie was a bit of poo either)

But to play the antagonist now, I think miss Blanchett is beautiful, and I thought her performance as Galadriel was awesome. I also think Harris was brilliant as Dumbledore. His quiet performance brought that humbleness to the screen that was so needed. Gambon doesn't do it for me as Dumbledore. He is a bit too much for the part.

 

[Gaith]

I agree that Gambon could use a bit more whimsy, though I do think Rowling wrote him as too whimsical. Gambon brings a realistic edge to the part, and it would have been interesting seeing him in the less-dark early movies. But Harris was obviously not going to last, so casting him in the first place was, imo, just boneheaded. How can he be the only wizard capable of intimidating Voldemort if he's standing behind a walker?

 

[ThrowgnCpr]

hahaha. I understand that they should have taken longevity into consideration. I do think that Harris hit Dumbledore's personality a ton closer than Gambon did. When I read all the books, I took Dumbledore as a very humble, quiet and compassionate person who only when needed, would bring out the powerful wizard that he was. I think Harris did a superb job at portraying that. Gambon just seems to be a little too quick, loud and sharp for the Dumbledore that I know. I don't doubt that he is a magnificent actor, but he just wasn't Dumbledore for me at all.

I wonder who else could have fit the shoes better, and lasted the whole series?

 

[hebrides]

hahaha. I understand that they should have taken longevity into consideration. I do think that Harris hit Dumbledore's personality a ton closer than Gambon did. When I read all the books, I took Dumbledore as a very humble, quiet and compassionate person who only when needed, would bring out the powerful wizard that he was. I think Harris did a superb job at portraying that. Gambon just seems to be a little too quick, loud and sharp for the Dumbledore that I know. I don't doubt that he is a magnificent actor, but he just wasn't Dumbledore for me at all.

I wonder who else could have fit the shoes better, and lasted the whole series?

I know Harris's family had wanted Peter O'Toole to take over, since they were such good friends. But there would have been no guarantees with him either. Same thing with Max von Sydow, who apparently really wanted the role (I think he would have made an ideal Karkaroff).

I think David Warner could have done it -- he can do gravitas like Gambon and lightness like Harris.

Here he is as Falstaff -- ignore the fat suit and focus on the face:

 

[Ghostcut]

I think Christopher Plummer should have replaced Harris - have you seen him in Parnassus? That was Dumbledore all over! Except for the bad-tempered old codger line he had going on. But seriously, he could absolutely do it.