LOTR: Looking back....
Mar. 8th, 2004 02:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
darth_stitchI decided to hunt down the old old old news stories that first came out when they announced Peter Jackson and the merry Kiwi crew were finally going to film Lord of the Rings.
First off was the Stuart Townsend hoopla. First cast as Aragorn, he was eventually taken out and replaced with Viggo Mortensen. The official story is that Jackson realized that they had cast him "too young" for the role. Others cite "creative differences." In any case, we saw Townsend in Queen of the Damnned (which quite, literally, sucked) and later in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, instead of LOTR.
I think Stuart's a lovely guy and a good actor - the bad Anne Rice movie nothwithstanding but now, it's hard to imagine anyone BUT Viggo as Aragorn. And here I used to think Gabriel Byrne could rock in that role as well.
Going over at the old message boards and news stories at Aint It Cool News, I had to giggle at some of the names that were floated up as LOTR cast members.
1. Leonardo di Caprio as Legolas - ohohohohohohoho!!! oh dear gods...and we had freaked before when the rumor casting him as Anakin Skywalker came up. *snicker.*
2. Sean Connery, Sam Neill as Gandalf or Saruman; Sean Connery as Theoden
3. Ian Holm, Sean Bean and Ian McKellen - amazingly, someone DID include them on their personal cast list, although he'd cast Sean Bean as Aragorn. Funnily enough, I do remember reading somewhere Sean Bean seemed to come off more "Aragorn" than Viggo seemed to be at first but that was because Viggo's Aragorn needed to be underplayed awhile and grow into the King he was to be. But I'm glad for the person who correctly pegged Ian McKellen as Gandalf.
4. Patrick Stewart as Denethor
5. Adrian Paul (Duncan Macleod of Highlander the TV series) as either Boromir or Aragorn
6. Daniel Day Lewis as Aragorn - I can't quite remember but was he actually approached for the role? Or did they decide to go for Viggo after letting Townsend go?
7. Val Kilmer - I'd wonder what role he might have taken....Glorfindel?
8. David Bowie as Elrond - Hmmmm.
9. Mel Gibson / Ahnuld the Terminator himself as Aragorn - oh lord...cheeze, teh CHEEZE!!!
10. Steve Buscemi as Gollum - wonder how that might have come off....
So anyone remember other names coming up as LOTR cast members? Old bits of news? Let's all look back and giggle, laugh, groan or wonder at what might have been.
ETA
11. Ben Affleck as FARAMIR?!!! - *headdesk* Don't get me wrong; I adore Affleck. But Faramir?!!!!
12. Kate Winslet as Eowyn - Titanic's on a roll!
First off was the Stuart Townsend hoopla. First cast as Aragorn, he was eventually taken out and replaced with Viggo Mortensen. The official story is that Jackson realized that they had cast him "too young" for the role. Others cite "creative differences." In any case, we saw Townsend in Queen of the Damnned (which quite, literally, sucked) and later in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, instead of LOTR.
I think Stuart's a lovely guy and a good actor - the bad Anne Rice movie nothwithstanding but now, it's hard to imagine anyone BUT Viggo as Aragorn. And here I used to think Gabriel Byrne could rock in that role as well.
Going over at the old message boards and news stories at Aint It Cool News, I had to giggle at some of the names that were floated up as LOTR cast members.
1. Leonardo di Caprio as Legolas - ohohohohohohoho!!! oh dear gods...and we had freaked before when the rumor casting him as Anakin Skywalker came up. *snicker.*
2. Sean Connery, Sam Neill as Gandalf or Saruman; Sean Connery as Theoden
3. Ian Holm, Sean Bean and Ian McKellen - amazingly, someone DID include them on their personal cast list, although he'd cast Sean Bean as Aragorn. Funnily enough, I do remember reading somewhere Sean Bean seemed to come off more "Aragorn" than Viggo seemed to be at first but that was because Viggo's Aragorn needed to be underplayed awhile and grow into the King he was to be. But I'm glad for the person who correctly pegged Ian McKellen as Gandalf.
4. Patrick Stewart as Denethor
5. Adrian Paul (Duncan Macleod of Highlander the TV series) as either Boromir or Aragorn
6. Daniel Day Lewis as Aragorn - I can't quite remember but was he actually approached for the role? Or did they decide to go for Viggo after letting Townsend go?
7. Val Kilmer - I'd wonder what role he might have taken....Glorfindel?
8. David Bowie as Elrond - Hmmmm.
9. Mel Gibson / Ahnuld the Terminator himself as Aragorn - oh lord...cheeze, teh CHEEZE!!!
10. Steve Buscemi as Gollum - wonder how that might have come off....
So anyone remember other names coming up as LOTR cast members? Old bits of news? Let's all look back and giggle, laugh, groan or wonder at what might have been.
ETA
11. Ben Affleck as FARAMIR?!!! - *headdesk* Don't get me wrong; I adore Affleck. But Faramir?!!!!
12. Kate Winslet as Eowyn - Titanic's on a roll!
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-07 06:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-07 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-07 07:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-08 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-09 05:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-08 04:31 am (UTC)And why were so many fans unhappy with the lady who played Arwen? I thought she did a fine job.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-09 05:43 am (UTC)I am, however, happy with the way they expanded Arwen's character. It was just right. And I liked Liv in it - she was just gorgeous and her performance was just spot on.
In fact, looking back at the cast, ALL of them delivered spot on performances. They deserve a Best Ensemble Cast Award!
Oh yes, one of the most persistent casting rumors that came about during that time was:
Keanu Reeves as either Legolas or Aragorn
*facepalms* Thank god they only had Mr. Smith in the LOTR movies!