quote:

Originally posted by Maat:
Given that Gaiman himself says Vin Diesel is Shadow, I'm a little surprised to see him compared to Mr. T . . . who would, in fairness, be a fascinating choice.

I'm all for race blind casting in most circumstancs, but I think something would really be lost if Shadow was played by some white guy. The story requires at least racial ambiguity.

To say that Shadow "looks like Vin Diesel with hair" is a good bit different than saying he IS Vin Diesel. Or that Vin Diesel could carry the part. But in the end I think the matter of who would play Shadow would be more an issue of directorial style and how the story was to be presented. Either way, I don't think Vin Diesel has the gravitas to carry the part... Yet.

What I’m saying is I don’t want Shadow going through the movie only grunting. The reason why Vin Diesal and The Rock work in peoples’ head is because they fit the description. And like I said before the only talented actor with Shadow’s build that I can think of is Liam Neeson, and like I said before I’m not even going to explain why that would not work. I can see some one like Cusack or Bana pulling off Shadow, I can’t see The Rock or Vin Diesal.

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Alison Lohman is also way too old now to play Sam...

Correction... Reread a chunk with Sam in it last night... Alison is back on my cast list...

quote:

Originally posted by spam:
What I’m saying is I don’t want Shadow going through the movie only grunting. The reason why Vin Diesal and The Rock work in peoples’ head is because they fit the description. And like I said before the only talented actor with Shadow’s build that I can think of is Liam Neeson, and like I said before I’m not even going to explain why that would not work. I can see some one like Cusack or Bana pulling off Shadow, I can’t see The Rock or Vin Diesal.

I agree about Vin Diesel and The Rock. Even just looking at them makes me wanna vomit. I hate them with passion.

But I can't really see Liam Neesen as Shadow either. Too old and too thin.

Shadow is handsome, so it's gotta be someone with the looks of Johnny Depp and with the body of Russel Crowe or Mickey Rourke (in Sin City), and he's gotta be as tall as Christopher Lee.

All casting issues has to start first and foremost with Shadow, so it has to be someone big, tall, not musclebound but beefy, and even then not overweight. Vin Diesel is close to it, but he's gotta grow that hair back (he did have hair at some point, right?)

Odin/Mr. Wednesday has to be a bit broad-shouldered, bigger than life, and I agree with whoever mentioned Stacy Keach for that role.

Loki/Mr. World has to be red-headed, lean, weasel-like, someone you'd like to see burst into flames. Tim Roth would fit the bill.

Laura has to be petite, slim, refined, but someone you can see smoking six packs a day and having a sad pout half the time. I'm wondering if Winona Ryder could play that role.

Sam reminds me of a college student worker at my library, but she's not an actress so she'd have to audition. Actress closest to her would be Keira Knightly/Natalie Portman.

Mr. Ibis has got to be that Arab guy with a beard from that Stargate movie. Mr. Jacquel should be this old black actor I've seen on Law & Order a few years back, and now that I recall he played the librarian guy from that Escape from Alcatraz movie. Bast...I'm think Monica Bellucci in human form, and my cat Tehya in cat form...

Czernobog could be Udo Kier. The accent would work at least.

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he did have hair at some point, right

He still does... he just shaves it....

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Shadow is handsome

Shadow's not handsome... he's cute.... big difference... ( I don't see Johnny Depp as either myself... That could just be because I'm sick to death of him and his "look how weird I am" ness... )

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I hate them with passion

Wow... It's pretty harsh to hate someone you've never met...

I could be wrong, but wasn't Sam a little native american, and wasn't everything about her tom-boyish, and not attractive in any Hollywood sense?

Someone probably has mentioned this before, but if Brian Blessed could pull off the accent he would make a great Czernobog.

Hi folks,
just found this thread - wow, that's a neverending story if there ever was one! It's been some time since I read AG, but I'll join the discussion anyway...

quote:

Originally posted by gloomy:
Shadow is handsome, so it's gotta be someone with the looks of Johnny Depp and with the body of Russel Crowe or Mickey Rourke (in Sin City), and he's gotta be as tall as Christopher Lee.

SOO right! I did picture someone built along the lines of Vin Diesel (and I mean JUST the built!) or Michael Clarke Duncan while reading, but that mix sounds good, too...
And to the people suggesting Viggo Mortensen as Shadow: NO!!! Don't get me wrong, I love him - LOVE him, as in picturing myself as Mrs Mortensen... He's a terrific actor and the nicest guy in the world, but he is not Shadow. He just doesn't have the "don't f*** with me"-ness Gaiman decribes in the book. Shadow needs to be intimidating enough that no con would dare touch him, but still has to have a softness or soulfulness in his eyes. Come to think of it, if Michael Clarke Duncan did a Jackson and bleached his skin a bit, he'd be perfect...


Geez, I'm kidding!

As for the others, I've only got ideas about a few:

Odin/Mr Wednesday (they ARE the same, if my norse mythology serves) - bless the person who suggested Ian McKellen!

Loki - Tim Roth all the way

Czernobog - why is everyone suggesting Welsh, French or German actors for this? HE'S RUSSIAN!!! Big, fat difference! Someone said Ed O'Ross (Nikolai from Six Feet Under) - now that's more like it! Pic and Bio Ed O'Ross

Mr Nancy - HAS to be Morgan Freeman, esp. after reading Anansi Boys (just picture him doing a weird shuffeling tap-dance)

Fat Tech Kid - can we do some genetic experimenting and cross-breed the Jacks (Black and Osbourne)? One can act and the other has the geek-boy-look...

I know at this point, all this casting is pretty much just for fun,but I figured I'd toss my hat into the ring. Don't know if this has been mentioned before, but Cynthia Ettinger, of Carnivale fame would make a perfect Easter.

You're going to hate me, but I actually could see Jack Nicholson as Wednesday, perhaps because of the grin.

Bye,
Nadine

Hmm. Naomi Watts as Laura, definately in my world. Perhaps Martha Stewart as Loki.

I just found this forum, and have just read every post (it's too cold to do stonework today).

I love the idea of Jack Nicholson as Wednesday, except that he doesn't look anything like him. My friends all say it should be me...http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chazraptor/detail?.dir=e7f4&.dnm=831d.jpg&.src=ph

The Rock is the only actor I know who could pull off the physicality of Shadow, but he'd have to lose the smart-ass thing he's developed.

It would all come down to the director, I think that's the key ingredient, and as much as I like Terry Gilliam, I don't see him making it, likewise for Tim Burton.

Great discussion, really makes me want to see the right person make this. I'd have to kill someone if they did a Lambert/Beowulf thing.

-zz

David Hayter? The same one who wrote the X-Men movie? Geez, does he act, too? And look like Shadow? They didn't have a pic of him on IMDB.

I think I have a similar opinion about directors, though. I enjoy Gilliam and Burton, but if either one made this movie, it would feel like a Gilliam or Burton movie, not a Gaiman movie. I'd nominate someone else to direct whose famous for doing all kinds of different genres/types of movies. It'd be cool to see someone like Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential and Wonder Boys) try his hand in the fantasy genre. And he could definetly get the right performance from the actors.

Hmmmmm. Who else, who else?

Ok, I'm really, insanely new to this Forum stuff, so if I make mistakes I apologize, please just correct me, last post I made was on a Penny Arcade Forum and man they tore me to peices becuase I didn't know how to post properly, and I still don't know how to do it exactly right, so if this cheeses anybody off, take a deep breath, and tell me what I'm doing wrong and how to correct it. Now that that's out of the way, the point:
Why is everybody choosing named actors for Shadow? I think the best bet for Shadow would be a formerly unknown actor, instead of the guy from Angel and Hugh Jackman, and I'm not dissing your choises, everybody is entitled to their opinion, but I've never seen an actor that coincides with my reading image of Shadow.
As for the rest of the cast, I think most of them would be good with unnamed actors, but I would have specific named actors like if he could do an Eastern European Accent I'd cast Peter Boyle as Czernobog. I also see John Mahoney as Wednesday, not physically, but attitudinally (I'm not sure that's a word), it's his voice I hear when I hear Wednesday say "M'boy!". And I must say, and no offense meant, but I could never see Jim Carrey being involved in this movie at all, definatly not playing Loki. I see Loki as a large bald guy, I mean, the guy was in the system and seemed like he survived pretty well, and I'm not saying that small guys wouldn't last, but you have to be pretty intimidating to not be messed with (God or not). So that's all. I apologize about the rant at the beginning. Thank you for reading this far.

[color:BLUE]Writer of X-Men, Hulk, and the new Watchmen film, also the voice of Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Series. Looks like a tough silent guy.

Huh. He looks a lot like a guy I know. Not sure if he's what I had in mind while reading, but interesting.

Ok, when I first started reading AG, I did have an inkling of an image of Vin Deisel, but he's too macho for this role (Shadow's don't fuck with me attitude is just an image, IMHO he's like one of those nerds who just happen to be big or muscular)...that made more sense in my head...

Anyway, I pictured Kirsten Dunst as the youngest Zorya, simply because she has that youth thing working out for her. James Earl Jones would be perfect as the voice for the buffalo man (that goes without saying actually), and I actually pictured someone like a biggish Al Pacino for Wednesday.

I know many wouldn't agree with me, but once I saw the suggestion for Morgan Freeman as Nancy I couldn't get it out of my head, he actually does seem to fit.

That's all I can think of right now, I'll have to read the book for the zillionth time and make some notes.