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Local Authors => Brandon Sanderson => Topic started by: Obsessiforge on December 29, 2010, 04:45:11 AM

Title: TWOK Casting
Post by: Obsessiforge on December 29, 2010, 04:45:11 AM
It was only a matter of time!

Lets say, for a moment, that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The kind of world where The Way of Kings has been optioned as a film!

ignore the fact that it would either be a very long movie, or a movie made mostly of swiss cheese.

WHO'S PLAYING WHO HERE?

I'll throw out my own after a few others take a stab at it. Here's a list of characters as a reminder, though its fairly basic 

Kaladin
Dalinar
Adolin
Sadeas
Elhokar
Navani
Jasnah
Shallan
Szeth
Hoid
Lirin
Amaram

Rock
Teft
Moash
Sigzil
Other Bridgemen

Have at ye!
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Obsessiforge on December 29, 2010, 09:11:36 AM
here we are

Kaladin - Joseph Gordon Levitt
Dalinar - Liam Neeson
Adolin - Aaron Eckhart
Sadeas - Cillian Murphy
Elhokar - Sean Bean
Navani - Eva Green
Jasnah - Jennifer Connelly
Shallan - Alicia Witt or Natalie Portman
Szeth - Jason Statham
Hoid - Ben Kingsley
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Renoard on December 29, 2010, 06:51:19 PM
Didn't we do enough of this on chats in WoTmud?

That said, I see Hoid as being more Alan Arkin.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Tasslehoof on December 29, 2010, 08:16:30 PM
here we are

Kaladin - Joseph Gordon Levitt
Dalinar - Liam Neeson
Adolin - Aaron Eckhart
Sadeas - Cillian Murphy
Elhokar - Sean Bean
Navani - Eva Green
Jasnah - Jennifer Connelly
Shallan - Alicia Witt or Natalie Portman
Szeth - Jason Statham
Hoid - Ben Kingsley

This list is full of win, although I'm not a fan of Ben Kinsley.  Not really sure why, he looks the part, but I'd prefer someone more like Sir Ian McKellen.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: VegasDev on December 30, 2010, 12:15:55 AM
Kaladin's the toughest for me to picture even though he was such a huge part of this book (or maybe it's because we got such a huge glimpse compared to everyone else). I just can't imagine him being played by Joseph Gordon Levitt mainly because I still see him as that little kid on 3rd rock (I've thrown out a bunch of actors for similar reasons). I think the closest at this time for me would be Jonathan Rhys Meyers even though he's shorter and older than I imagine. I'll have to keep thinking about this list.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: dhalagirl on December 30, 2010, 07:49:07 AM
I love the idea of Ben Kingsley as Hoid!  I also agree with Jason Statham as Szeth.  As for the rest:

Kaladin-- Jake Gyllenhaal
Dalinar -- Hugh Jackman
Jasnah -- Claudia Black
Shallan -- Rebekah Staton
Sadeas -- Alan Rickman
Navani -- Natalie Portman
Elhokar -- Cillian Murphy
Rock -- Joe Folau
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: CabbyHat on December 30, 2010, 12:29:39 PM
Huh, apparently I picture Hoid as being younger than everybody else does. Truth be told I actually picture him as a slightly more reserved Johnny Depp. Liam Neeson would be a FANTASTIC Dalinar. And how about Mark Strong taking a stab at Sadeas?
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on December 30, 2010, 08:40:28 PM
You know Navani is in her 50s, right? She has a daughter who's 34, and that's Roshar years, which are longer.

Also remember that Alethi look like Brazilians, or rather, Brazilians who have dark hair and none of whom have pale skin.

I like Claudia Black as Jasnah, though. She's almost exactly the right age and she's got the chops.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Inkthinker on December 31, 2010, 02:44:43 AM
I'd sooner see Gordon-Levitt as Szeth than Statham. I like Statham, but I don't see him as Szeth. Too much rage, not enough sorrow.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Obsessiforge on December 31, 2010, 09:15:57 AM
I guess I agree...Szeth was a toughie.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: dhalagirl on December 31, 2010, 05:15:35 PM
You know Navani is in her 50s, right? She has a daughter who's 34, and that's Roshar years, which are longer.

Also remember that Alethi look like Brazilians, or rather, Brazilians who have dark hair and none of whom have pale skin.

I like Claudia Black as Jasnah, though. She's almost exactly the right age and she's got the chops.

My first pick for Navani was Helen Mirrin, but I had a hard time picturing her opposite Hugh Jackman.

As for the Alethi skin tone, I'd forgotten about that detail.  But that's something a clever make-up artist could take care of. 

Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Obsessiforge on December 31, 2010, 10:50:30 PM
Right. I want to ask about your choice of Hugh Jackman as Dalinar.

Why the hell-?

WAIT LET ME START AGAIN.

ok, here's my question.

(http://loyalkng.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/x-men_hugh_jackman_4.jpg)

I have trouble imagining him projecting the quiet dignity I associate with Dalinar. Maybe in his Blackthorn moments...we all know he can do raging battlelust to the nines, and that might come in handy for his vision sequences, but otherwise...

what are your thoughts?
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: dhalagirl on January 01, 2011, 10:17:58 AM
Obviously you haven't seen "Kate and Leopold".
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Obsessiforge on January 02, 2011, 12:26:15 AM
Indeed I haven't. Essplain?
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: dhalagirl on January 02, 2011, 01:59:34 AM
Hugh plays Leopold Alexis Elijah Walker Gareth Thomas Mountbatten, the Duke of Albany.  He falls through a rift in time and is transported from 1876 to modern day New York.  Leopold is very dignified, has courtly manners and is quite dismayed over the modern lack thereof. 

I know most people think of Hugh as an action star, but he can do so much more as evidenced by this film.  Baz Luhrmann's "Australia" is another good example, as well as "The Fountain".
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on January 02, 2011, 08:33:46 AM
Kate & Leopold is great, but Hugh Jackman is only 42 years old. ;) I think Liam Neeson could do it though I picture someone who's really built. And Helen Mirren is a decade too old.

I know, I'm being a bit silly with the age thing, but...
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Obsessiforge on January 03, 2011, 02:15:05 AM
Quote
I know, I'm being a bit silly with the age thing, but...

You ain't seen silly yet.

Dalinar: Taylor Lautner
Kaladin: Sean Connery
Jasnah: Betty White
Navani: Kristin Stewart
Elhokar: Dakota Fanning
Hoid: Tom Cruise
Rock: Justin Beiber







Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: KhyEllie on January 03, 2011, 08:40:19 PM
ROFL

It's been suggested that Aaron Eckhart play Adolin, but purely based on the pictures I've seen he looks more like Elhokar to me. Other than that, I really like everything on Dhalagirl's list.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: dhalagirl on January 04, 2011, 07:57:45 AM
Quote
I know, I'm being a bit silly with the age thing, but...

You ain't seen silly yet.

Dalinar: Taylor Lautner
Kaladin: Sean Connery
Jasnah: Betty White
Navani: Kristin Stewart
Elhokar: Dakota Fanning
Hoid: Tom Cruise
Rock: Justin Beiber











That's painful! :'(   Although, you should have added Kermit the frog as Shallan.



Hey Peter, how about posting a list of your own. ;D
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on January 05, 2011, 12:17:54 AM
I don't know enough actors. Plus it's kind of like what Brandon says when people ask him this question. He doesn't cast actors for characters in his head. The characters are individual people who are all not those actors.

When I'm reading a book, I don't usually get too clear of a picture of the characters in my head, but I don't think of actors either.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Inkthinker on January 05, 2011, 12:17:33 PM
Casting also flies in the face of his general preference for not defining characters' appearances. S'why we don't draw official character portraits for the book.

Ironically, I find I like that policy. There's no casting that's going to make everyone happy, 'cause we've all got a unique internalized image of any character we imagine through written descriptions.

For example, as much as I've enjoyed the casting of A Game of Thrones, I don't know that I care for the matches between some of the characters and the actors portraying them. I hope to be won over by their performances, but in terms of just "looks" it's a crapshoot.  The only casting I think everyone's happy with is Dinklage, but even there I imagined Tyrion being a good bit uglier than he is.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Renoard on January 05, 2011, 05:58:19 PM
A bit off topic and all, but Peter, don't you think Jackman would make a great Nalesean or even Talmanes?
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on January 05, 2011, 08:10:21 PM
Possibly, but he's not who I would picture for either role.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: CabbyHat on January 07, 2011, 04:48:19 PM
I don't think we're trying to decide what the characters look like, we're just pondering over who would do a good job of portraying them. (At least I am.) For me the casting of a movie based on a book has never really had much bearing on how I picture the characters. For example, I've always had very clear pictures of what the characters in Lord of the Rings look like, and despite really enjoying the movies and thinking the actors did a great job I still picture the characters as being completely different. If there was a movie made of The Way of Kings, it likely wouldn't do much to affect my personal opinion of how the characters look.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: Obsessiforge on January 08, 2011, 01:18:00 AM
I don't think we're trying to decide what the characters look like, we're just pondering over who would do a good job of portraying them. (At least I am.) For me the casting of a movie based on a book has never really had much bearing on how I picture the characters. For example, I've always had very clear pictures of what the characters in Lord of the Rings look like, and despite really enjoying the movies and thinking the actors did a great job I still picture the characters as being completely different. If there was a movie made of The Way of Kings, it likely wouldn't do much to affect my personal opinion of how the characters look.

What Cabbyhat said. Its more about acting chops than about physical descriptors. That's why I stick to my original list, despite the "Alethis are tanner than that" lobby.

I laugh at your lobby.
Title: Re: TWOK Casting
Post by: socom-delta on January 16, 2011, 04:48:05 AM

Hoid - John Lithgow

Have at ye!

I don't know about all the rest, but that one SCREAMED at me right away.