Perfect Casting Part Three

[Bdubs8807]

There are so many posts in the previous two versions, that I'm not even going to

try reading through them all.  Suffice to say, I think we all need to agree on

some ground rules for this whole casting thing before we go any further...
1. Unless you specify that you've got access to a time machine at the beginning

of your post, assume you don't, and go from there.  (Don't forget that we now

(sorta) know how old various characters are, and that it's unlikely that any movies will actually be made in the next 2-5 years).
2. Please specify whether or not you prefer to contemplate unknown

actors/actresses for various roles, and perhaps name a known actor/actress

regardless of your preference, to make things a little easier?
3. If you've got more than one possibility per role, please list your preferred

actor first!
4. Assume we've got a blank check for hiring cast/crew.
Bearing those in mind, here's my list (such as it is) as it currently stands.

Lately, I've been going with no time machine and no unknowns.  Let'sa go!

Dresden - Hugh Dancy/Michael Gray Gubler/Michael Fassbender
Murphy - Kristen Bell
Susan - Erica Cerra
Thomas Raith - Tom Hiddleston/Matthew Bomer
Voice of Bob - Billy Crystal (but if Jim insists on him being British, then Tom Hiddleston, if he's not playing Thomas)
Michael Carpenter - Gerard Butler
Charity Carpenter - Elisabeth Rohm
Sanya - Shemar Moore/David Ramsey/Chiwetel Ejiofor
Shiro - Hiroyuki Sanada/Tadanobu Asano
Nicodemus - Kavan Smith/James Spader
Lasciel/Shiela - Scarlett Johansson
Waldo Butters - Neil Grayston/Simon Helberg
Ebenezar McCoy - Tommy Lee Jones/Sean Connery
Gatekeeper Rashid - Samuel L. Jackson/Morgan Freeman
Senior Wizard Martha Liberty - CCH Pounder
Merlin Arthur Langtry - Christopher Lee/Ian McKellan
Warden Douglas Morgan - Mark Strong
Wizard LaFortier - Patrick Stewart? (Especially if Ian McKellan is the Merlin)
Young Warden Anastasia Luccio - Natalie Portman?
Warden Carlos Ramirez - Carlos Valdes
Mab (and possibly Titania?) - Cate Blanchett/Michelle Pfeiffer/Tilda Swinton
The Leanandsidhe - Alex Kingston
Toot-Toot - David Tennant/Matt Smith
Mother Summer - Julie Andrews
Mother Winter - Judi Dench
Maeve and Aurora - Dakota and Elle Fanning (respectively)
Lily - Molly Quinn?  (She might do better elsewhere, I'm a little iffy)
The Erlking - David Bowie
Elaine - Jewel Staite/Minka Kelly
Marcone - Liam Neeson/Eric Roberts
Sigrun Gard - Uma Thurman  (duh)
Kincaid - Sean Bean/Karl Urban
Grevane - Anthony Stewart Head
Malcolm Dresden - Nathan Fillion
Rawlins - Idris Elba
Lara Raith - Katie McGrath (though she might make a better Madeline Raith)/Morena Baccarin (though she's already too tan for it, so maybe not her either?)
Lord Raith - Ian McShane
Madrigal Raith - Cillian Muprhy
Mortimer Lindquist - Willie Garson
Ernest "Binder" Armand Tinwhistle - Mark Sheppard
Duke Paolo Ortega - Antonio Banderas
Bianca - Monica Bellucci/Sofia Vergara?
Duchess Arianna Ortega - Salma Hayek/Catherine Zeta-Jones/Penelope Cruz
Mavra - Keira Knightley

Director - Joss Whedon (Provided he understands/accepts he can't kill anybody unless they die in-book)

See https://www.pinterest.com/bdwalton8807/dresden-files-cast/ for pictures of most of my choices

[Griffyn612]

There are so many posts in the previous two versions, that I'm not even going to try reading through them all.  Suffice to say, I think we all need to agree on some ground rules for this whole casting thing before we go any further...
1. Unless you specify that you've got access to a time machine at the beginning of your post, assume you don't, and go from there.  (Don't forget that we now (sorta) know how old various characters are, and that it's unlikely that any movies will actually be made in the next 2-5 years).
2. Please specify whether or not you prefer to contemplate unknown actors/actresses for various roles, and perhaps name a known actor/actress regardless of your preference, to make things a little easier?
3. If you've got more than one possibility per role, please list your preferred actor first!
4. Assume we've got a blank check for hiring cast/crew.
Bearing those in mind, here's my list (such as it is) as it currently stands. Lately, I've been going with no time machine and no unknowns.  Let'sa go!

While admirable, your ground rules are lacking certain points. 
5. Specify if you're thinking a movie franchise, television seasons, or television mini-series for each book, and how many books per year if so.
6. Specify if you're starting with STORM FRONT, or if you're starting later on/skipping books, which some people think is acceptable, and others don't.
7. Specify if you're casting young on some roles due to their eternally youthful appearance.

Now, as for your cast, I agree with some of them, but I think you've completely disregarded age in your casting.  Harry is 25 in STORM FRONT, and your youngest Harry is 34.  Likewise, you've got Toot (young teen ripped body) being played by a 43yo.  Even at two books a year, your un-aging teen-looking Toot would be 53 by the time the BAT came around, and that's assuming we got two book/series in this year.

So your no time machine comment confuses me, at least in regard to your casting choices.  Again, I have no issue with a list of actors that look like how you picture them, but if you're saying no time travel casting, I think the actors have to be age accurate, yes?

[Dina]

Well, your Harrys are too blond for what I imagine.

[Al-Hajj Bilal Ammar Jihad]

.
1. Unless you specify that you've got access to a time machine at the beginning

of your post, assume you don't, and go from there.  (Don't forget that we now

(sorta) know how old various characters are, and that it's unlikely that any movies will actually be made in the next 2-5 years).

Disagree that age is as much an issue as some seem to think, thanks to makeup and CG.  They can still make Clint Eastwood look like Dirty Harry for photo ops, but take off the makeup and he doubles for the Crypt-Keeper.  So having said that, here's my somewhat updated list:

Helen Bonham Carter--Mavra
Christopher Lee--Arthur Langtry
Robert Duvall--Ebenezar McCoy
Ernie Hudson--Rawlins
Lani Tupu--for either Donald Morgan or Nicodemus
Ian McShane--(CLOSE second choice for Nicodemus)
Joe Pantoliano--Mortimer Lundquist
Gigi Edgely--Mab
Anna Paquin--Molly
Michael Fassbender--Harry
Nathan Fillion--Harry (second choice)
Rebecca Romijn--Sigrun Gard
Jack Black--Will Borden (I've never envisioned anyone else)
Michael Wincott--Thomas Raith (ditto)
Robert Loggia--Baron Marcone (ditto)
Johnny Depp--Fix
Zoe Saldana--Susan
Morena Bacarin--Susan (second choice)
Samantha Mumba--Tera West
Sean Connery--Sir Stuart Winchester
Kris Kristofferson--Vadderung/Odin/Santa
Jeff Bridges--Vadderung (second choice)
Michael Dorne--Lord Hern
Wynona Ryder--Marci the Werewolf
Benjamin Bratt--Warden Carlos Ramirez
Michael Shannon--either Agent Tilly or Father Roarke Douglas
Takayo Fischer--Ancient Mai
Mark Sheppard--Binder
Scarlett Johanssen--Maeve
Angelina Jolie--the Leanansidhe
James McAvoy--Warden Chandler ("Steed")

Assuming the above can be made to look the appropriate age/weight/height by Hollywood "magic".  Ill add more as I think of 'em.

[Bdubs8807]

While admirable, your ground rules are lacking certain points. 
5. Specify if you're thinking a movie franchise, television seasons, or television mini-series for each book, and how many books per year if so.
6. Specify if you're starting with STORM FRONT, or if you're starting later on/skipping books, which some people think is acceptable, and others don't.
7. Specify if you're casting young on some roles due to their eternally youthful appearance.

Now, as for your cast, I agree with some of them, but I think you've completely disregarded age in your casting.  Harry is 25 in STORM FRONT, and your youngest Harry is 34.  Likewise, you've got Toot (young teen ripped body) being played by a 43yo.  Even at two books a year, your un-aging teen-looking Toot would be 53 by the time the BAT came around, and that's assuming we got two book/series in this year.

So your no time machine comment confuses me, at least in regard to your casting choices.  Again, I have no issue with a list of actors that look like how you picture them, but if you're saying no time travel casting, I think the actors have to be age accurate, yes?

I'm actually a little torn about whether it should be a television mini-series or a series of movies (one season or movie per book).  To do them proper justice would require a TV mini-series, but movies would get more public exposure, not to mention help avoid any possible stigma relating to the previous TV incarnation of the series.
Though my experience in trying to get my wife to read the books has taught me that maybe starting with Storm Front wasn't the best idea (I should probably have skipped her straight to GP), doing that to potential new viewers would be a serious misstep.  With all the future set-up that occurs in books one and two, skipping straight to the book where the war is kicked off would be mildly confusing at best.
I'll admit, maybe I was quick to judge people for casting certain actors w/o giving consideration to their RL age, though I imagine that (if it were to be movies, not a mini-series) the filming would be done like it was for the LOTR movies, which would help mitigate some of the age problems.  I've been thinking of this list for about 5-7 years now, and I added certain people at various times based on characters I've seen the play over the years.  I also haven't gone through the books very thoroughly to get the most detailed physical description possible (e.g. I've forgotten that Toot doesn't wear much in the way of clothes before SK, and the 10th and 11th Doctors have always seemed super-excited about some of the strangest things, so I couldn't help drawing the connection.

Disagree that age is as much an issue as some seem to think, thanks to makeup and CG.  They can still make Clint Eastwood look like Dirty Harry for photo ops, but take off the makeup and he doubles for the Crypt-Keeper.

While that is a valid point, don't forget that we're not talking just photo ops here.  We wouldn't expect Clint to be able to do as much physically now as he could when he played Dirty Harry.  Also, Carlos is supposed to be still less than <25 years old in WN, so trying to get an actor more than twice that age to play him even younger at his first appearance in SK seems to be asking a bit much (until recently, I've always thought we need to find a younger version of Mario Lopez to play non-time-travel Carlos).
In any case, here are some additional actors (and possible roles for them)/list changes that I've come up with in the last few days:
Christoph Waltz - Quintus Cassius? 
Kyle MacLachlan - Victor Shadowman?
Julianna Guill - Lasciel/Andi (if her hair is dyed)
David Koechner - Carmichael  (Bruce Campbell is awesome {and a close second after Nathan Fillion for time-travel Dresden}, but as long as we're pointing out physicality/age-related problems with suggested lists, don't forget that Carmichael is fat and balding, and we'll have enough make-up budget problems already, w/o adding fat suits and bald caps/wigs.
Evil Bob should be the British one, BTW (and kind of a snob), so maybe Terrence Stamp?

[Bdubs8807]

I like the one JB used for that scene--Jagger/Richard's "Sympathy for the Devil".  Agree about "Werewolves of London" though.  Also like Zevon's "Jungle Work" as soundtrack for when Harry, Murphy and Kincaid go in after the Vampire scourge and their Renfields.

But there's no shortage of werewolf songs that could be applied--"Super Beast" (Rob Zombie), "Bark at the Moon" (Ozzy), and one from my favorite band "The Wolf is Loose" (Mastodon); two other good ones by Disturbed and Metallica that I can't remember the titles.

For pretty much any/all title themes where the opening scene is Harry in the Blue Beetle, the song should fade out to being on the radio, then it should cut out with a squawk/squeal of feedback or something, as the radio in his car dies.  Again.
For the social hour at the party in GP, an instrumental/string quartet version of "Monster Mash" should be playing as or maybe after Harry walks in.
And SPOILER (I forget if this thread is spoiler-friendly or not), "Knocking on Heaven's Door" for the end of Changes. *Obvious credits song is obvious*
And then Jen Titus' "Oh Death" for either the opening credits for Ghost Story and/or Cold Days.
You can tell that I've been binge-watching Supernatural lately because most of my music suggestions are Classic Rock...

[Shinblam]

In any case, here are some additional actors (and possible roles for them)/list changes that I've come up with in the last few days:
Christoph Waltz - Quintus Cassius? 
Kyle MacLachlan - Victor Shadowman?
Julianna Guill - Lasciel/Andi (if her hair is dyed)
David Koechner - Carmichael  (Bruce Campbell is awesome {and a close second after Nathan Fillion for time-travel Dresden}, but as long as we're pointing out physicality/age-related problems with suggested lists, don't forget that Carmichael is fat and balding, and we'll have enough make-up budget problems already, w/o adding fat suits and bald caps/wigs.
Evil Bob should be the British one, BTW (and kind of a snob), so maybe Terrence Stamp?

I rather like these picks, I might just steal your MacLachlan pick for The Shadowman. I think however that Guill would make a better Andi than Lash/Lasciel(I've got Brit Morgan as my choice for Lash).

I personally believe that something like Carmichael being bald and fat isn't so important. To me, as long as Bruce Campbell is a little overweight and haggard looking then I feel like it's close enough. I'm looking for an actor I like that can be crass and jaded, as well as a bit of a slob, yet still be an excellent cop. I like Campbell because he can do all that as well as take a minor character that doesn't leave much of an impression in print and give him a much more memorable presence on screen. With an actor like Bruce Campbell I could see SPOILER!!! Carmichael's death in Fool Moon having a much larger emotional impact on viewers.

[Griffyn612]

Another face while I'm thinking about it.

Gideon Emery for Nicodemus.  Not only does he have the look, but he's got a good voice.  He was on this last week's episode of Grimm, and I saw him previously on Teen Wolf.  He's got a presence on the screen that would work well for Nicodemus, I think.


Emery is the guy in the elevator talking to Scott (the teen wolf).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGmgyE2Cuy4

[Dina]

Mm, I think he is actually too pretty for that, I would cast him as a centaur or Sidhe lord. Or a Raith.

[Al-Hajj Bilal Ammar Jihad]

Mm, I think he is actually too pretty for that, I would cast him as a centaur or Sidhe lord. Or a Raith.

Hell, mess up his hair a little more, don't let him shave for coupla days, and if he needs 'em give him elevator shoes, and he works for Harry...

[frankcesca]

Hell, mess up his hair a little more, don't let him shave for coupla days, and if he needcs 'em give him elevator shoes, and he's work for Harry...

+1!

Or Dina's Raith idea. That works, too.

[Griffyn612]

Mm, I think he is actually too pretty for that, I would cast him as a centaur or Sidhe lord. Or a Raith.

See, I like his screen presence enough that I'd want him around more than Papa Raith or some one-shot character.  Papa Raith was really only around for, what, his intro in BR, the climax of BR, and the climax of WN?  And in the latter he has maybe one or two lines?  Unless Papa Raith is going to make a comeback, I'd say the role was big enough.

Hell, mess up his hair a little more, don't let him shave for coupla days, and if he needcs 'em give him elevator shoes, and he's work for Harry...

In that picture, sure, as current Harry.  But he's 42, 3 years older than current Harry, which would make casting him as a 25 year old Harry difficult.  And he's only 5'10", so he'd need platform shoes to even come close to Harry's height.

[Al-Hajj Bilal Ammar Jihad]

In that picture, sure, as current Harry.  But he's 42, 3 years older than current Harry, which would make casting him as a 25 year old Harry difficult.  And he's only 5'10", so he'd need platform shoes to even come close to Harry's height.

The "age" problem is routinely solved by good makeup crews.  Think about it.  There are all kinds of people playing teenagers on TV and what not who are in their thirties.

Makeup and lighting solve a lifetime of ills on the silver screen.  Would you really wanna see Cher without hers?

As for the height thing, Brian Jackson had to accommodate considerably worse height differences when he filmed the Lord of the Rings Movies than that you object to concerning this particular actor (whom I don't recall seeing in any movie, and I don't watch TV except in airport boarding gate lobbies).  It's doable.

[Dina]

Peter 

[Al-Hajj Bilal Ammar Jihad]

Peter 

Who?