Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

Leonardo DiCaprio as Harry. Kate Winslet as Ginny. Keanu Reeves as Ron. Sandra Bullock as Hermione.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

Well, you'd have to give him a ginger wig, and replace every line where he says "bloody hell" with "woah" - not convinced that would work, somehow :hmm:

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I am thinking that this thread is turning a bit too unrealistic and spoof like. I am however willing to give it a last chance. If there are anymore completely silly castings it´s over and out for this thread in Muggle Studies.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

Much appreciated Hes.

Well, 100+ posts and we've had a lot of suggestions, the majority of them at least have been serious and had some thought given to them; of course, it gets a bit boring just looking at lists of names, so maybe now is the time for some discussion of those suggestions?

For my part, there have been some actors and actresses listed that I had never even heard of, and some of them have been quite inspired IMO - I wasn't familiar with Adrien Brody for example, but could see him as Professor Snape; then again I find it hard to imagine anyone doing a better job than Alan Rickman :)

So... you've seen plenty of ideas listed, what are your thoughts? There's been little mention of the trio - this would, IMO, be the hardest part to re-cast, as I think they really did strike gold with Dan, Emma and Rupert in terms of getting a trio who grew into their parts and stuck together for ten years of film-making; having to change actors part way through would have been a tough obstacle to overcome.

Would you re-cast the trio as 10/11 year olds with a view to remaking the films over the seven years of student life at Hogwarts? Or would you start with them a little older, and perhaps condense the film-making process (not the story) into a shorter period, maybe filming some of the instalments back-to-back?

One of the strengths of the films is the casting, IMO. However, are there any characters whose casting you feel cannot be improved upon from the originals? Conversely, are there any parts you think were mis-cast?

To quote my old English teacher... "Discuss."

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I have just been watching Doctor Who and it struck me that Alex Kingston (River Song) could make a good Bellatrix.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I don't see enough craziness there; Bella is deranged, psychotic and unpredictably violent. Alex is a bit too homely... with red hair, I could possibly see her as Molly...?

Right, I'll continue by answering some of my own questions here.

This is one thing I'd had in mind since posting this thread; I think Dan did an exceptional job from the start, but it took until Prisoner of Azkaban for Emma and Rupert to really hit their stride. There are plenty of examples of actors being older than their characters, and whilst there's less leeway with child actors, I think that you could pass off a 13-year old as an 11-year old without too much of a problem, and if you make the films over seven years - then they're still only 19/20 by the end.

If I had to pick, I'd say Alan Rickman (Snape), Warwick Davis (Flitwick), Dame Maggie Smith (McGonagall) and Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) out of the major characters - I find it hard to imagine anyone else in those roles. I'll also have a very hard time seeing anyone other than Dan Radcliffe as Harry, the only current child actor I can think of that has the look of Harry is Asa Butterfield (right down to the untidy hair) - but at 15, he's already a bit too old.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

River Song's character isn't crazy like Bella, but that doesn't necessarily mean the actress playing the part can't play deranged and crazy. I myself wouldn't describe Alex a homely. I think she is an excellent actress who has played many parts, some of which are not what I would describe in any way as homely. She is capable imo of playing a deranged, psychotic Bellatrix. That's just my opinion on her as an actress.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

A few more to consider . . .

Sirius Black:
Craig Horner
Karl Urban

Severus Snape:
Craig Parker

Voldemort:
Doug Jones

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

For a young Tom Riddle: Asa Butterfield. He played Mordred in the TV series Merlin, so I can totally see him playing a young Tom. I can also see him as playing Harry. I know, I know, he has BLUE eyes, but so did Dan, and Asa might not be allergic to contacts like Dan was. (Asa also played Hugo in Hugo)

As for the Robert Downey Jr. suggestion for Sirius I read a few post back, that is a great choice! I can totally see him as Sirius.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I agree with Robbie Coltrane but not just because he suited Hagrid but because, for me, Hagrid in the books seemed to be very much based on his portrayal of the ghost in Blackadder's Christmas Carol.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

Agreed. Although I do think Saoirse Ronan would have been brilliant as Hermione :)
http://s16.postimage.org/wggfinuqt/S..._Bones2009.jpghttp://s16.postimage.org/53b8nwo6d/2..._bones_031.jpghttp://s16.postimage.org/q951ihyzp/1...e_ronan_03.jpghttp://s16.postimage.org/bv1nqrd5x/t...1453419892.jpg
http://s13.postimage.org/wwc6rnp7b/desde_mi_cielo_2.jpg

I love that she can look very plain sometimes (Atonement is a good example), but she can also be stunningly beautiful as well. She can do both extremes, and I think it would have made the Yule-Ball scene really special in the fourth film :)

http://s16.postimage.org/km8ol0wh1/1...e_ronan_04.jpghttp://s16.postimage.org/hmx6k5xlx/500full.jpghttp://s16.postimage.org/h8vukkdid/saoirse_ronan.jpg


I have a couple suggestions for Lily, too. My favorite would be Rachel Hurd-Wood (already mentioned :)), but I also like Lily Cole (who has not had many roles yet, but I think she's very good) and Natascha McElhone (if I was going with the more mature casting of that generation).

http://s11.postimage.org/dzfq1fyj7/1...0620022901.jpghttp://s9.postimage.org/n2n4lqktr/936full_lily_cole.jpghttp://s16.postimage.org/9li4tqtlx/thumbbig_168761.jpg

I like them because they each have really a unique, special presence on the screen that stays with you, and I think that's crucial in order to play Lily, because the role is so small. And of course, they all have beautiful eyes like DanRad! :)

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I was looking at Tim Roth earlier and it occured to me he might make a good Voldemort. He can do menacing brilliantly.

As for your earlier question Peakes about who was miscast, I wasn't overly convinced about Jim Broadbent as Slughorn, well though he acted it. I'd rather have seen someone like David Suchet - he wears crazy moustaches well. (Poirot!) I also wasn't taken with Adrian Rawlings as James Potter. I'd like to have seen Jude Law with dark hair and glasses.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I agree that it's hard to replace Alan Rickman, the only reason I think Adrien Brody would be a better choice for the role is simply for age reasons. Snape in the series is in his mid thirties to early forties and Alan in real life is in his mid sixties. Doesn't stop me from loving him but it does irk me a little bit.

I'm one who thinks that the trio were just an okay casting. Personally I think Emma was the most talented and I'm not all that impressed with Dan as an actor. The reason it's hard for me to recast the trio is because of the significant growth of the actors, the actual physical growth. The pool of child actors isn't all that huge so if you're looking to recast the trio you have to choose someone who is in their late teens or early twenties and extrapolate that they would be the perfect Harry at age 11.

I would probably opt for option two in this scenario simply because we are used to child actors playing younger than they are due to required maturity of the actor and the demands of the role and of the business.

Perfection for me was achieved in McGonagall almost exclusively. I like Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid but not so much that I can't entertain the idea that another actor could or would equal or surpass his performance.

Harry - not a fan of Dan
Bellatrix - quirky personal reasons, I saw Helena as the perfect Merope though I think she did a good job in the role
James and Lily - both actors were too old, much too old
Bathilda Bagshot - I imagined her to be more of a grandma and less a scary old lady

o0o0o0o0o0o!!! Yes yes yes!! She would have made a great Hermione!

I'll throw out Theo James as a candidate for young Sirius - (his most well known role was as Kemal Pamuk, the Turkish ambassador guy, in Downton Abbey... :eyebrows: :D)

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

Much as I liked Emma's portrayal, Rebecca Ryan would have also made a great Hermione at the time.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

As much as I hate seeing his name all over tumblr in roleplays as Remus, Andrew Garfield would make a very good Cedric, imo. Much closer to what I imagined.

Also, how has Meryl Streep not been mentioned for McGonagall?

Stanley Tucci is outstanding in anything, but I think he'd be a divine Snape. Or, in a complete 180, Arthur Weasley.

Could Christian Bale do Sirius? I feel he's got that good mix of laughing with a deeper sadness and bitterness in his eyes.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I know he doesn't look like the dashing young man Sirius was, though you'll agree that he looks thin enough to slip through the bars of Azkaban :p. Seriously, he's a great actor, he can be cool, serious and crazy at the same time.

I can't see anyone but Alan Rickman as Snape, because, though other actors, like Adrien Brody, can look Snape as well as him, they don't have his voice.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

Strange you should mention him; I think Christian Bale would have made an outstanding Harry if the books had been around 10 years earlier - around the time of Empire of the Sun, in other words.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I don't know who that is but I could see Kristin Scott Thomas playing Bellatrix and doing a wonderful job of it. I don't think she needs to be that deranged actually. Villains are usually scarier if they keep their cool at least once in a while.
Also, Liam Neeson as Remus. For some reason I always thought of him as Remus even though I think David Thewlis is fine as well.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

Aside from the fact that Harry's hair isn't quite unruly enough in the first two or three films,I have no complaints about the casting. Nor do I think it is a productive discussion to suggest actors for a recasting of the series so soon after it has finally been finished.

Re: Re-cast the movies!
 

I think Jonny Depp would be a great sirius black.