Cleavon Little … Bart
Gene Wilder … Jim
Slim Pickens … Taggart
Harvey Korman … Hedley Lamarr
Madeline Kahn … Lili Von Shtupp
Mel Brooks … Governor William J. Lepetomane / Indian Chief
Burton Gilliam … Lyle
Alex Karras … Mongo
David Huddleston … Olson Johnson
Liam Dunn … Rev. Johnson
John Hillerman … Howard Johnson
George Furth … Van Johnson
Jack Starrett … Gabby Johnson (as Claude Ennis Starrett Jr.)
Carol Arthur … Harriett Johnson
Richard Collier … Dr. Sam Johnson
Cast the ones you have a good feel for and skip the others.
Going with a sort of Tarantino/Coen theme…
Samuel L. Jackson … Bart
John Travolta … Jim
Larry the Cable Guy … Taggart
George Clooney … Hedley Lamarr
Uma Thurman … Lili Von Shtupp
Jeff Bridges … Governor William J. Lepetomane / Indian Chief
John Goodman … Mongo
Steve Buscemi … Olson Johnson
Josh Hartnett … Rev. Johnson
William H. Macy … Howard Johnson
Why does this idiotic notion keep coming up? We actually just had this conversation a few months ago and the general consensus is that the people who say it either stopped watching movies in 1979 or are being willfully ignorant of modern entertainment:
What current comedic black actors can fill a role thought for Richard Pryor? Maybe Chris Rock? Dave Chapelle? Either Key OR Peele? Definitely not Eddie Murphy… his cred as a Pryor-sized comedian died a few years back, even if he still looks young.
IMHO, Blazing Saddles is one of those near-perfect movies that was done almost perfectly the first time, and remaking it would only spoil it. Like Casablanca, or Citizen Kane, or The Godfather. Not that it necessarily falls into the “Great Cinema” class as those others do, but I can’t imagine a remake that would live up to the original.
Even if you could pick an active actor for one or a few roles it would be close to impossible to produce enough of a cast to pull off what Brooks did.
Big example: who could you find to replace Basie’s band?
One of the sterling bits is that thing with Dom DeLuise at the end. Who could pull that off today?
I’ve been mulling the two main characters (Cleavon and Gene) and just can’t make anybody working today get even close. And there will never be another Slim Pickens!
I can’t provide a cite, but in a fairly recent (within the last 10 years or so)interview Mel Brooks said he couldn’t have made Blazing Saddles in the current environment. He further said that the only way he got BS made was his contract with Warner Brothers gave him complete editorial control over the film.
That would be interesting! But I don’t know if Dwayne is “black” enough for the role. Dule Hill certainly has the facial expression talent; maybe him and James Roday as Jim?
The Rock would surely make for a different take on the movie! I really like what Cheadle can do with roles of varying types so thinking of him with Downey isn’t all that hard to see. I have to confess ignorance on Roday so he might work. Dule Hill was great on The West Wing but I haven’t seen him to know it since then.
I’m starting to think I’d have to see the remake just to learn who some of the younger actors are. Unless I see them in small roles on TV shows I watch, it’s unlikely I’d see them otherwise.
What about casting against type just to see what might happen and go with Ben Foster for Gene’s role? He and Cheadle would at least be cool!
Is there anybody who could do Harvey Korman’s role?
