Fantasy Casting

[mimsie]

Anyone other than Leonardo DiCaprio in any movie he's ever done - except Gilbert Grape.

[dirksunboy]

Oooh, fun topic! I'm sure I have tons, but for now:

Kate Winslet instead of Renee Zellwegger in the Bridget Jones movies. She'd have been so much better. On the other hand, Kate got to make "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" instead, which is a classic, and there couldn't be a bigger hunk of crap than "Bridget Jones 2". So I guess Kate's better off.

Either Famke Janssen or James Marsden should have never been cast in the X-Men movies. They just look SO far apart in age, they just don't work as Cyclops and Jean Grey. I think James makes a better Cyclops than Famkee does Jean.

If this remake of "The Women" ever comes to pass, it could be a hoot, if done right.
For Norma Shearer's part....Julianne Moore
Rosalind Russell.....Cate Blanchett
Joan Crawford.....Charlize Theron
Joan Fontaine....Laura Linney
Paulette Goddard...Parker Posey
Mary Boland....Meryl Streep
Marjorie Main...Bette Midler

[vacationland]

I love your casting for the remake of The Women, dirksunboy! The only quibble I have is with Charlize Theron...she doesn't strike me as predatory enough for the maneater role (not predatory in the serial killer sense, which we all know she can pull off, but the "steal other woman's man" sense). I dunno, I'd probably put Angelina Jolie in the Joan Crawford role, if for no other reason than the ready-made tabloid fodder it would create, since AJ has something of that rep herself these days.

But overall? Great job with that cast. I'd totally go see that movie.

[indygirl]

I love this recasting as well. Much better than the rumored Meg Ryan centric cast fumored to be in the works a few years ago.

Serendipitously, I am watching the original right now on TCM.

[dirksunboy]

Yeah, Charlize was the one I wasn't 100% on. Thought it might be fun to see her play a man-eater role like that--but you're right, Angelina Jolie would be a pretty good stand in for Joan Crawford!

Another movie ripe for a remake is 1966's The Group, which is soapy fun about a group of Ivy League girls in the 30's. It was Candice Bergen's film debut (playing a lesbian!), and also starred Jessica "Arrested Development" Walter, Shirley Knight and Joan Hackett, among others. It would be a good movie to cast with a lot of young, good actresses. Just as long as Julia Stiles isn't in the cast. She bores me to tears!

[stargirl]

I love those suggestions for a recasting of "Gone With the Wind"--so on the mark, especially the supporting characters. Ashley Judd would physically really look the part of Melanie. I think Renee Zellweger would look the part of Suellen.
In another movie, "Star Wars"--anybody but Natalie Portman for Padme, like somebody who can actually act. It wouldn't need to be a big name, could be somebody like Romola Garai.

[jen808]

Anyone remember Bandits? With Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton? I think George Clooney and Dave Letterman would have been perfect.

[slashgirl]

Given GrazyTinyGayTomCruise's recent meltdown, especially on the Today show & TomKat's hijacking the L.A. premiere of Batman Begins, I've been imagining how much better War of the Worlds could've been if Christian Bale took CTGT's place. Now, that would've been a movie I'd pay to see!

[tagglore]

Oh man, oh man, oh man.... [licks his lips and rubs palms]

Considering this is one of my greatest on-the-job frustrations (being a studio casting consultant -- can't mention which one ) this thread potentially opens up the floodgates for me.

I've already given my suggestions for Fantastic Four in the F4 thread, but here's my first foray into this wonderful topic. I humbly submit my GSR's ("go-see-recommendations") for the cast of STAR WARS, EPISODES 4 to 6 if ever it should get made:

Luke Skywalker - Jason Momoa (Google/IMDB him if you don't know who he is). Perfect look, perfect age (as per the original screenplay), and even looks like an improved version of Hayden Christensen.

Han Solo - Vince Vaughn. This role would be the most difficult to cast, since Harrison Ford truly does own it. But I think that Vince would fare well. He's got the goofy-comedy thing working, and he's a physical match.

Princess Leia - Luke and Leia are the same age, so I'd have to go with Sophia Bush to play this part. I think she'd be perfect.

Obi Wan - Terence Stamp. Again, hard to fill the role that Sir Alec Guiness immortalized, but Stamp is a great continuity choice from Ewan MacGregor.

Shall we do The Da Vinci Code next?

Here's one for BagOfBones:

In a remake of Christine, I would love to see the following:

1) Robert Schwartzman (brother of Jason Schwartzman, seen in the movie Princess Diaries) to play Arnie Cunnigham.

2) Elizabeth Rice (starred in the bio-pic of Natalie Wood -- you have got to see this girl, she's TERRIFIC) as Leigh Cabot.

3) Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill, etc.) to play Dennis Guilder

[Malle Babbe]

I make sure to mention to everyone in earshot that Dave Atell, and not Billy Bob Thornton, should have been cast in Walter Mathau's role in the Bad News Bears remake.