Cast The Movie: A Song Of Ice And Fire

Cafe Society
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Well, there’s enough characters to keep us busy for a while, anyway…

So, if they were to ever make a movie - or series of movies, or TV mini series, or whatever - of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song Of Ice And Fire”, who would play all the many and various roles?

For some reason, it suddenly occured to me that Brad Pitt might make a really good Jamie Lannister. Tall, athletic, long blonde hair, cold blue eyes, and yet, somehow, instantly unlikable. And as his sister/lover Cersei… Gwyneth Paltrow? Nah, too mopey… maybe Nicole Kidman? Kate Blanchett?

I always pictured Catelyn Stark as kind of Emma Thompson-ish. Eddard might be well served as former Bond Timothy Dalton, or current Bond Pierce Brosnan. Or Excalibur Alumnus Gabriel Byrne. Robert Baratheon could be (yet another fantasy themed) role for Jonathan Rhys-Davies. Big-bellied, blustery, with a booming laugh.

Lord Jorah Mormont would be a great role for one of those old English sirs. I wish Geilgud were still around, but Sir Ian would do just as well.

I’m having a hard time with the Stark children, though. The Harry Potter gang are a bit young, the Hobbits a bit old… maybe I just don’t know enough teen actors.

Another puzzler would be the Clegane brothers. Particularly Gregor, “the Mountain that Rides.” You’d need someone HUGE!! And I think Richard Kiel might be a little long in the tooth.

Any thoughts? Or are there simply too many characters to even consider…

thwartme

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I had this exact convo IRL a few months ago. I’ll see if I can remember some of the casting.

Danny DeVito as Tyrion
Brad Pitt or Val Kilmer as Jaime
Sharon Stone as Ceresi
Donald Trump as Lord Tywinn
Ewan McGregor as Jon Snow
Tom Skeritt as Ned Stark
Kenneth Branaugh as just about anyone (would make a good Petyr Baelish (sp?)
Robin Williams as the Eunich (Verys? can’t remember his name)
Hillary Duff as Sansa
Avril Levigne as Danaerys

more soon…

When, oh when, is book four coming out?

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Hmm. The problem with Brad Pitt is Jaime’s arrogance and quick, sarcastic wit. I’m not sure he could pull it off. I think Jude Law would be much better in the role. Likewise, Julianne Moore would be perfect as Cersei. She’s got that ice queen thing down, but can also show depths of fear and vulnerability. They’ll have to bleach her blond, though.

Brendon Gleesen would make an excellent King Robert. Remember, there’s a huge, powerful man underneath all that fat.

Sean Bean as Jorah Mormont. He’s great as a sad, bitter badass. Brian Blessed as his father.

Monica Bellucci as Melisandre.

Casting Gregor isn’t a problem - the man has maybe 3 lines of dialogue. Just use some wrestler. Sandor, though, is more of a problem. Maybe Ron Perlman (the man likes wearing prosthetics, after all).

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion - not as if there’s such a large pool to draw from. It’s either him or Warwick Davis, and we don’t want that.

I have a strange feeling Colin Firth would make a decent Eddard Stark.

Ken Watanabe as Khal Drogo.

Kate Blanchett, I believe, would make a better Caetlyn.

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Some nice picks so far…

igloorex Tom Skerrit is an interesting choice. I have ahard time picturing his down-to-earth personality in a sword-and-sorcery epic, but it could work. Robin Williams as Verys would be hilarious and, probably, quite faithful to the book.

Alessan I don’t know some of your actors. Where might I have seen Brendan Gleeson? Or Peter Dinklage? Ken Watanabe is perfect.

As for Cate Blanchette… she just doesn’t look like the mother of five children to me.

Two actors who’s names I can’t recall… that big, heavy guy from ‘Mallrats’ and ‘Remember the Titans’ as Samwell Tarly, and Deniro’s son from ‘City By Sea’ as Rob, or John, or even Theon Greyjoy. Oh, wait… I think his name’s James Franco.

thwartme

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I think Warwick Davs would make an excellent Tyrion.

I wish River Phoenix were alive to play Jon Snow.

As for the Cleganes, I think Wes Studi would be great as Gregor. (Sandor is the Mountain, right? Time to mine someone from wrestling, like the guy who plays Kane.)

Michael Wincott as the mercenary who works for Tyrion.

Hmm…

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Theon Greyjoy is a great part… I could picture either Christian Slater or Keanu Reeves. Keanu could really pull of that foppish character with Theon’s early need to be included. Slater would be more effective at Theon’s um, not to spoil it, less pleasant aspects later.

I like Sean Connery as ser Jorah Mormont.

The Rock as Khal Drogo.

Robert DeNiro as Stannis Baratheon

The bit characters are great too…

Christopher Walken as Mance Rayder or maybe as the lightning lord who keeps getting killed.

Jackie Chan as Syrio Florel.

Abe Vigoda as Lord Frey.

The Stark kids really are hard because they’re all SO young in the books. I mean Rob is something like 16, isn’t he?

Halley Joel Osment as Bran, although he’s already too old.

Who could possibly play Arya?

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You know Brendan Gleeson, you just don’t know you know him. He played Menelaus in Troy, the cudgel-weilding mercenary Monk in Gangs of New York, the Flesh Fair MC in A.I. and Gibson’s rock-hurling sidekick - Hamish - in Braveheart. Check him out.

Peter Dinklage starred in the well-received indie flick The Station Agent. He’s a fine young actor, and a dwarf. The problem with Warwick Davis is a) he’s not that good an actor b)he’s much too old (Tyrion is in his late 20’s) and c) we;re trying to avoid the Willow factor here.

You may be right about Blanchett, though. Maybe Helena Bonham Carter? It’s too bad Meryl Streep is too old.

Actually, most suggestions people have here are too old for the parts. Deniro has 25 years on Stannis Baraetheon (Gabriel Byrne or Alexi Denisoff would actually be better); Ewan MacGregor would make a better Berek Dondarrion than Walken - after all, the whole idea is that he starts out young and handsome.

Phiilip Seymor Hoffman would be an interesting Varys.

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Oh… THAT Brendan Gleeson… yeah, I could see him as Robert.

The age of the characters, particularly of the Stark kids, could be a real problem. Maybe it’s just that I don’t know enough young actors, but I can’t think of anyone to play even Rob and John, never mind Bran and Rickon. And igloorex is right, Anya is tough to cast as well.

JSexton : Sandor is the Hound, the one with the burnt face that was on Joffrey’s Kingsguard. His brother Gregor is the Mountain That Rides. As you and Alessan both said, a wrestler would probably serve for Gregor, but I think you’d need a real actor for Sandor.

thwartme