-
The new B5TV.COM is here. We've replaced our 16 year old software with flashy new XenForo install. Registration is open again. Password resets will work again. More info here.
Playing Devil's Advocate to Test Our Argument
- Thread starter Ninja_Squirrel
- Start date
rangerPHIL
Beyond the rim
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
as a pakmara?
as a pakmara?
TechnoMaggard
Member
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
I don't want to see anyone recast. But since we are playing devil's advocate. How about Christopher Lloyd as G'Kar.
I don't want to see anyone recast. But since we are playing devil's advocate. How about Christopher Lloyd as G'Kar.
PillowRock
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
Opposite Danny Devito as Londo, I suppose.
I don't want to see anyone recast. But since we are playing devil's advocate. How about Christopher Lloyd as G'Kar.
Opposite Danny Devito as Londo, I suppose.
Flounder
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
Same story for Evangelion fans: Worst cast for the movie, whats the worst they could cast?
Same story for Evangelion fans: Worst cast for the movie, whats the worst they could cast?
KoshN
Super Moderator
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
All the aforementioned stars bring too much baggage with them. We'd see the star playing the role, and lose the ability to suspend disbelief. This is a case of no matter how much money they throw at the project and what big name stars they can convince to be a part of the project, it would pale in comparison to what they'd get by spending less and using the original Babylon 5 and Crusade stars.
All the aforementioned stars bring too much baggage with them. We'd see the star playing the role, and lose the ability to suspend disbelief. This is a case of no matter how much money they throw at the project and what big name stars they can convince to be a part of the project, it would pale in comparison to what they'd get by spending less and using the original Babylon 5 and Crusade stars.
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
That's exactly what i'm thinking. They'd have to "get to know the characters" to play them, and I doubt they are willing to watch five seasons of babylon 5 just for one movie. For example people would want Garibaldi, *the character*, to make them want to watch the movie, not Bruce Willis. Jerry Doyle *is* Garibaldi, and Andreas Katsulas *is* Gkar, etc. They played them for five years. No one else can pull it off. I refuse to speculate, and I refuse to conform to who those idiots might chose to make the movie more mainstream.
That's exactly what i'm thinking. They'd have to "get to know the characters" to play them, and I doubt they are willing to watch five seasons of babylon 5 just for one movie. For example people would want Garibaldi, *the character*, to make them want to watch the movie, not Bruce Willis. Jerry Doyle *is* Garibaldi, and Andreas Katsulas *is* Gkar, etc. They played them for five years. No one else can pull it off. I refuse to speculate, and I refuse to conform to who those idiots might chose to make the movie more mainstream.
Ninja_Squirrel
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
I agree. Let's just say, hypothetically, that they did get "name" actors to play the characters, and that the actors actually were required to watch some, but not all, of the series to get a sense of the character... What version of the character would they choose to run with???
Would G'Kar-actor play the old G'Kar who was bitter, vengeful, desparate, and single-minded or the new and improved G'Kar who is eloquent, insightful, and philosophical? If an actor watched only S1 or S2 G'Kar, but didn't getting around to S4 & S5 G'Kar, it would be a very different G'Kar.
Would the actor pick up on Londo's journey or pick a point somewhere in the middle? Would we get smiley, bright-eyed, orange-loving Sheridan, or the seasoned, battered, salt-and-pepper goatee Sheridan?
And I still can't figure out who the hell would play Delenn.
Imitating these characters (and *imitating* is a good word for the best we could expect) would require a lot of research, maybe even practice at getting it right, or at the *very* least a character orientation session with JMS (which he probably wouldn't be willing to do). Anyone walking in off the street with little or no knowledge of B5 other than the movie script would not just play the character, but would proabably re-invent the character. That's just wrong on so many levels.
Don't get me wrong, there are some very fine actors that could potentially do their best to portray the characters and maybe even retain the dignity of each character. But the nuiances would be gone.
Anthony Hopkins is an excellent actor. If Anthony Hopkins were cast as Londo or G'Kar, I have every confidence that he would be the best Londo or G'Kar that *he* could be, and that it would be *good*. But the best Londo or G'Kar we could ask for, the only *great* Londo and the only *great* G'Kar, would be played by Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulas, respectively. In this imaginary scenario, I wouldn't fault Anthony Hopkins one bit, just the suits that put him there.
I agree. Let's just say, hypothetically, that they did get "name" actors to play the characters, and that the actors actually were required to watch some, but not all, of the series to get a sense of the character... What version of the character would they choose to run with???
Would G'Kar-actor play the old G'Kar who was bitter, vengeful, desparate, and single-minded or the new and improved G'Kar who is eloquent, insightful, and philosophical? If an actor watched only S1 or S2 G'Kar, but didn't getting around to S4 & S5 G'Kar, it would be a very different G'Kar.
Would the actor pick up on Londo's journey or pick a point somewhere in the middle? Would we get smiley, bright-eyed, orange-loving Sheridan, or the seasoned, battered, salt-and-pepper goatee Sheridan?
And I still can't figure out who the hell would play Delenn.
Imitating these characters (and *imitating* is a good word for the best we could expect) would require a lot of research, maybe even practice at getting it right, or at the *very* least a character orientation session with JMS (which he probably wouldn't be willing to do). Anyone walking in off the street with little or no knowledge of B5 other than the movie script would not just play the character, but would proabably re-invent the character. That's just wrong on so many levels.
Don't get me wrong, there are some very fine actors that could potentially do their best to portray the characters and maybe even retain the dignity of each character. But the nuiances would be gone.
Anthony Hopkins is an excellent actor. If Anthony Hopkins were cast as Londo or G'Kar, I have every confidence that he would be the best Londo or G'Kar that *he* could be, and that it would be *good*. But the best Londo or G'Kar we could ask for, the only *great* Londo and the only *great* G'Kar, would be played by Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulas, respectively. In this imaginary scenario, I wouldn't fault Anthony Hopkins one bit, just the suits that put him there.
PillowRock
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
There is no reason to assume that new actors would necessarily look back at the series. Some actors might, others might not. I have seen interviews with actors who have said that they specifically avoided reading books upon which their movies were based (until afterwards, anyway). From their POV the script of *the movie* is "the bible" and other sources can only confuse things.
If the actors that they hired were any good at all, even just competent, you would *not* get a performance that was "imitating" the characters as *we* know them. You *would* get a re-invented version of the character based on that actor's reading of the script.
Minor nitmpick:
If the actors hired were any good then the nuances wouldn't be gone. The portrayals would still be nuanced. The nuances just would be completely different.
There is no reason to assume that new actors would necessarily look back at the series. Some actors might, others might not. I have seen interviews with actors who have said that they specifically avoided reading books upon which their movies were based (until afterwards, anyway). From their POV the script of *the movie* is "the bible" and other sources can only confuse things.
If the actors that they hired were any good at all, even just competent, you would *not* get a performance that was "imitating" the characters as *we* know them. You *would* get a re-invented version of the character based on that actor's reading of the script.
Minor nitmpick:
If the actors hired were any good then the nuances wouldn't be gone. The portrayals would still be nuanced. The nuances just would be completely different.
GKarsEye
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
Sometimes, I just get fucking sick of Hollywood, and when I see a star I think of some thing he said or some shitty movie he promoted or something... not always, but sometimes. Babylon 5 is my thing, my TV thing that very few people are into, that's special to me, that's freakin' brilliant despite the doofy lookin' aliens. I don't want it polluted some ass who was in Top Gun or whatever the fuck. Mira Furlan is Delenn... and that's it. B5 is the one entertainment thing that's still good and mine, and fuck them in the anus with a pogo stick if they recast it.
Sometimes, I just get fucking sick of Hollywood, and when I see a star I think of some thing he said or some shitty movie he promoted or something... not always, but sometimes. Babylon 5 is my thing, my TV thing that very few people are into, that's special to me, that's freakin' brilliant despite the doofy lookin' aliens. I don't want it polluted some ass who was in Top Gun or whatever the fuck. Mira Furlan is Delenn... and that's it. B5 is the one entertainment thing that's still good and mine, and fuck them in the anus with a pogo stick if they recast it.
macmaccaman
Member
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
Hey maybe the bird that played Takashima can come back to B5 now, she was in The Day After Tommorow so maybe shes a big name now... lol
Hey maybe the bird that played Takashima can come back to B5 now, she was in The Day After Tommorow so maybe shes a big name now... lol
darth_librarian
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
Magic. Said it better than any number of polite letters could have done.
Magic.
Said it better than any number of polite letters could have done.
GaribaldisHair
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
Interesting point to note on the issue of re-casting existing works for the big screen - irrelevant to B5 but interesting nonetheless ...
When MGM(?) was casting the movie of My Fair Lady they felt that Rex Harrison (who had made the part of Professor Higgins his own on Broadway) wouldn't be a big enough draw at the box office and set out to recruit a big name actor for the part.
So the story goes, one of the actors approached was Cary Grant who not only turned it down but told the studio that it "was Rex Harrison's part" and if they didn't cast RH then he wouldn't even go to see it. RH was soon confirmed in the part.
In the same way they felt Julie Andrews (again Broadway's Eliza) wouldn't be as big a draw as Audrey Hepburn, even though she would have been able to do all her own singing where Audrey Hepburn couldn't.
They got their way on that one.
In those days the stage>screen transition was probably the equivalent of today's TV>screen transition, so this issue is certainly nothing new.
Interesting point to note on the issue of re-casting existing works for the big screen - irrelevant to B5 but interesting nonetheless ...
When MGM(?) was casting the movie of My Fair Lady they felt that Rex Harrison (who had made the part of Professor Higgins his own on Broadway) wouldn't be a big enough draw at the box office and set out to recruit a big name actor for the part.
So the story goes, one of the actors approached was Cary Grant who not only turned it down but told the studio that it "was Rex Harrison's part" and if they didn't cast RH then he wouldn't even go to see it. RH was soon confirmed in the part.
In the same way they felt Julie Andrews (again Broadway's Eliza) wouldn't be as big a draw as Audrey Hepburn, even though she would have been able to do all her own singing where Audrey Hepburn couldn't.
They got their way on that one.
In those days the stage>screen transition was probably the equivalent of today's TV>screen transition, so this issue is certainly nothing new.
PillowRock
Regular
Re: Playing Devil\'s Advocate to Test Our Argument
Sorta, .... but with a significant difference in the percentage of the public that would have become attached to the original casting. With a Broadway show, in order to have seen the original cast play their parts it was necessary to have at least visisted New York during their run in the show.
Sorta, .... but with a significant difference in the percentage of the public that would have become attached to the original casting. With a Broadway show, in order to have seen the original cast play their parts it was necessary to have at least visisted New York during their run in the show.
