The Dresden Files > DF Books
Perfect Casting Part Three
Bdubs8807:
There are so many posts in the previous two versions, that I'm not even going to
try reading through them all. Suffice to say, I think we all need to agree on
some ground rules for this whole casting thing before we go any further...
1. Unless you specify that you've got access to a time machine at the beginning
of your post, assume you don't, and go from there. (Don't forget that we now
(sorta) know how old various characters are, and that it's unlikely that any movies will actually be made in the next 2-5 years).
2. Please specify whether or not you prefer to contemplate unknown
actors/actresses for various roles, and perhaps name a known actor/actress
regardless of your preference, to make things a little easier?
3. If you've got more than one possibility per role, please list your preferred
actor first!
4. Assume we've got a blank check for hiring cast/crew.
Bearing those in mind, here's my list (such as it is) as it currently stands.
Lately, I've been going with no time machine and no unknowns. Let'sa go!
Dresden - Hugh Dancy/Michael Gray Gubler/Michael Fassbender
Murphy - Kristen Bell
Susan - Erica Cerra
Thomas Raith - Tom Hiddleston/Matthew Bomer
Voice of Bob - Billy Crystal (but if Jim insists on him being British, then Tom Hiddleston, if he's not playing Thomas)
Michael Carpenter - Gerard Butler
Charity Carpenter - Elisabeth Rohm
Sanya - Shemar Moore/David Ramsey/Chiwetel Ejiofor
Shiro - Hiroyuki Sanada/Tadanobu Asano
Nicodemus - Kavan Smith/James Spader
Lasciel/Shiela - Scarlett Johansson
Waldo Butters - Neil Grayston/Simon Helberg
Ebenezar McCoy - Tommy Lee Jones/Sean Connery
Gatekeeper Rashid - Samuel L. Jackson/Morgan Freeman
Senior Wizard Martha Liberty - CCH Pounder
Merlin Arthur Langtry - Christopher Lee/Ian McKellan
Warden Douglas Morgan - Mark Strong
Wizard LaFortier - Patrick Stewart? (Especially if Ian McKellan is the Merlin)
Young Warden Anastasia Luccio - Natalie Portman?
Warden Carlos Ramirez - Carlos Valdes
Mab (and possibly Titania?) - Cate Blanchett/Michelle Pfeiffer/Tilda Swinton
The Leanandsidhe - Alex Kingston
Toot-Toot - David Tennant/Matt Smith
Mother Summer - Julie Andrews
Mother Winter - Judi Dench
Maeve and Aurora - Dakota and Elle Fanning (respectively)
Lily - Molly Quinn? (She might do better elsewhere, I'm a little iffy)
The Erlking - David Bowie
Elaine - Jewel Staite/Minka Kelly
Marcone - Liam Neeson/Eric Roberts
Sigrun Gard - Uma Thurman (duh)
Kincaid - Sean Bean/Karl Urban
Grevane - Anthony Stewart Head
Malcolm Dresden - Nathan Fillion
Rawlins - Idris Elba
Lara Raith - Katie McGrath (though she might make a better Madeline Raith)/Morena Baccarin (though she's already too tan for it, so maybe not her either?)
Lord Raith - Ian McShane
Madrigal Raith - Cillian Muprhy
Mortimer Lindquist - Willie Garson
Ernest "Binder" Armand Tinwhistle - Mark Sheppard
Duke Paolo Ortega - Antonio Banderas
Bianca - Monica Bellucci/Sofia Vergara?
Duchess Arianna Ortega - Salma Hayek/Catherine Zeta-Jones/Penelope Cruz
Mavra - Keira Knightley
Director - Joss Whedon (Provided he understands/accepts he can't kill anybody unless they die in-book)
See https://www.pinterest.com/bdwalton8807/dresden-files-cast/ for pictures of most of my choices
Griffyn612:
--- Quote from: Bdubs8807 on February 10, 2015, 05:14:27 AM ---There are so many posts in the previous two versions, that I'm not even going to try reading through them all. Suffice to say, I think we all need to agree on some ground rules for this whole casting thing before we go any further...
1. Unless you specify that you've got access to a time machine at the beginning of your post, assume you don't, and go from there. (Don't forget that we now (sorta) know how old various characters are, and that it's unlikely that any movies will actually be made in the next 2-5 years).
2. Please specify whether or not you prefer to contemplate unknown actors/actresses for various roles, and perhaps name a known actor/actress regardless of your preference, to make things a little easier?
3. If you've got more than one possibility per role, please list your preferred actor first!
4. Assume we've got a blank check for hiring cast/crew.
Bearing those in mind, here's my list (such as it is) as it currently stands. Lately, I've been going with no time machine and no unknowns. Let'sa go!
--- End quote ---
While admirable, your ground rules are lacking certain points.
5. Specify if you're thinking a movie franchise, television seasons, or television mini-series for each book, and how many books per year if so.
6. Specify if you're starting with STORM FRONT, or if you're starting later on/skipping books, which some people think is acceptable, and others don't.
7. Specify if you're casting young on some roles due to their eternally youthful appearance.
Now, as for your cast, I agree with some of them, but I think you've completely disregarded age in your casting. Harry is 25 in STORM FRONT, and your youngest Harry is 34. Likewise, you've got Toot (young teen ripped body) being played by a 43yo. Even at two books a year, your un-aging teen-looking Toot would be 53 by the time the BAT came around, and that's assuming we got two book/series in this year.
So your no time machine comment confuses me, at least in regard to your casting choices. Again, I have no issue with a list of actors that look like how you picture them, but if you're saying no time travel casting, I think the actors have to be age accurate, yes?
Dina:
Well, your Harrys are too blond for what I imagine.
Al-Hajj Bilal Ammar Jihad:
--- Quote from: Bdubs8807 on February 10, 2015, 05:14:27 AM ---.
1. Unless you specify that you've got access to a time machine at the beginning
of your post, assume you don't, and go from there. (Don't forget that we now
(sorta) know how old various characters are, and that it's unlikely that any movies will actually be made in the next 2-5 years).
--- End quote ---
Disagree that age is as much an issue as some seem to think, thanks to makeup and CG. They can still make Clint Eastwood look like Dirty Harry for photo ops, but take off the makeup and he doubles for the Crypt-Keeper. So having said that, here's my somewhat updated list:
Helen Bonham Carter--Mavra
Christopher Lee--Arthur Langtry
Robert Duvall--Ebenezar McCoy
Ernie Hudson--Rawlins
Lani Tupu--for either Donald Morgan or Nicodemus
Ian McShane--(CLOSE second choice for Nicodemus)
Joe Pantoliano--Mortimer Lundquist
Gigi Edgely--Mab
Anna Paquin--Molly
Michael Fassbender--Harry
Nathan Fillion--Harry (second choice)
Rebecca Romijn--Sigrun Gard
Jack Black--Will Borden (I've never envisioned anyone else)
Michael Wincott--Thomas Raith (ditto)
Robert Loggia--Baron Marcone (ditto)
Johnny Depp--Fix
Zoe Saldana--Susan
Morena Bacarin--Susan (second choice)
Samantha Mumba--Tera West
Sean Connery--Sir Stuart Winchester
Kris Kristofferson--Vadderung/Odin/Santa
Jeff Bridges--Vadderung (second choice)
Michael Dorne--Lord Hern
Wynona Ryder--Marci the Werewolf
Benjamin Bratt--Warden Carlos Ramirez
Michael Shannon--either Agent Tilly or Father Roarke Douglas
Takayo Fischer--Ancient Mai
Mark Sheppard--Binder
Scarlett Johanssen--Maeve
Angelina Jolie--the Leanansidhe
James McAvoy--Warden Chandler ("Steed")
Assuming the above can be made to look the appropriate age/weight/height by Hollywood "magic". Ill add more as I think of 'em.
Bdubs8807:
--- Quote from: Griffyn612 on February 10, 2015, 06:32:11 AM ---While admirable, your ground rules are lacking certain points.
5. Specify if you're thinking a movie franchise, television seasons, or television mini-series for each book, and how many books per year if so.
6. Specify if you're starting with STORM FRONT, or if you're starting later on/skipping books, which some people think is acceptable, and others don't.
7. Specify if you're casting young on some roles due to their eternally youthful appearance.
Now, as for your cast, I agree with some of them, but I think you've completely disregarded age in your casting. Harry is 25 in STORM FRONT, and your youngest Harry is 34. Likewise, you've got Toot (young teen ripped body) being played by a 43yo. Even at two books a year, your un-aging teen-looking Toot would be 53 by the time the BAT came around, and that's assuming we got two book/series in this year.
So your no time machine comment confuses me, at least in regard to your casting choices. Again, I have no issue with a list of actors that look like how you picture them, but if you're saying no time travel casting, I think the actors have to be age accurate, yes?
--- End quote ---
I'm actually a little torn about whether it should be a television mini-series or a series of movies (one season or movie per book). To do them proper justice would require a TV mini-series, but movies would get more public exposure, not to mention help avoid any possible stigma relating to the previous TV incarnation of the series.
Though my experience in trying to get my wife to read the books has taught me that maybe starting with Storm Front wasn't the best idea (I should probably have skipped her straight to GP), doing that to potential new viewers would be a serious misstep. With all the future set-up that occurs in books one and two, skipping straight to the book where the war is kicked off would be mildly confusing at best.
I'll admit, maybe I was quick to judge people for casting certain actors w/o giving consideration to their RL age, though I imagine that (if it were to be movies, not a mini-series) the filming would be done like it was for the LOTR movies, which would help mitigate some of the age problems. I've been thinking of this list for about 5-7 years now, and I added certain people at various times based on characters I've seen the play over the years. I also haven't gone through the books very thoroughly to get the most detailed physical description possible (e.g. I've forgotten that Toot doesn't wear much in the way of clothes before SK, and the 10th and 11th Doctors have always seemed super-excited about some of the strangest things, so I couldn't help drawing the connection.
--- Quote from: Al-Hajj Bilal Ammar Jihad on February 10, 2015, 06:49:19 AM ---Disagree that age is as much an issue as some seem to think, thanks to makeup and CG. They can still make Clint Eastwood look like Dirty Harry for photo ops, but take off the makeup and he doubles for the Crypt-Keeper.
--- End quote ---
While that is a valid point, don't forget that we're not talking just photo ops here. We wouldn't expect Clint to be able to do as much physically now as he could when he played Dirty Harry. Also, Carlos is supposed to be still less than <25 years old in WN, so trying to get an actor more than twice that age to play him even younger at his first appearance in SK seems to be asking a bit much (until recently, I've always thought we need to find a younger version of Mario Lopez to play non-time-travel Carlos).
In any case, here are some additional actors (and possible roles for them)/list changes that I've come up with in the last few days:
Christoph Waltz - Quintus Cassius?
Kyle MacLachlan - Victor Shadowman?
Julianna Guill - Lasciel/Andi (if her hair is dyed)
David Koechner - Carmichael (Bruce Campbell is awesome {and a close second after Nathan Fillion for time-travel Dresden}, but as long as we're pointing out physicality/age-related problems with suggested lists, don't forget that Carmichael is fat and balding, and we'll have enough make-up budget problems already, w/o adding fat suits and bald caps/wigs.
Evil Bob should be the British one, BTW (and kind of a snob), so maybe Terrence Stamp?
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