Gary Oldman as TC

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Post by Loredoctor »

Ariadoss wrote:My actor suggestion would be Ioan Gruffudd who played Lancelot in King Arthur, he sorta looks like what I imagined Covenant to look like. :P
The same actor from Hornblower?
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Post by Ariadoss »

Yep. Horatio Hornblower :P.
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Post by Myste »

Ioan Gruffudd (aka Lancelot, aka Hornblower) is also going to be Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four, which is coming out this summer....if FF makes it big, so might Ioan...
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Post by The Pumpkin King »

If the guy that plays Dr. House on the show..well..House...was about ten years younger, he'd make a really good Covenant in the first Chronicles.

He kind of has that unbelief-I-am-a-Leper aura to him and the appropriate gaunt structure.
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Post by Myste »

The actor's name is Hugh Laurie...he's come up in a couple other threads as well...Maybe he could play the 2nd Chrons Covenant?
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Post by The Pumpkin King »

Ah, thank you! I am now enlightened.

Now I have someone else's name in my head to forget. :wink: *is awful with names*
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Post by Moksha »

I always imagined Covenant in his late 30s, some of you seem to imagine a late 20s person. Im not sure what age he was at LFB.

But Gary Oldman is a much better pick than most

Gary Sinese as Hile Troy does sound workable. Maybe Frederic Forrest.
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Post by Scorn the Terrible »

I'm surprised nobody's thought about Sam Neill (Dr. Weir from Event Horizson); he's intelligent, and moody-seeming.
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Post by wayfriend »

Again, he's probably too old now.

But Sam Neill always seems to play the rational, collected guy (in my experience).
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Post by Myste »

If I'm remembering right, TC was right around 30 in LFB. I don't object to someone slightly older playing him, as TC's been knocked around a bit at the point LFB starts, but I think 50s is stretching it a little.
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Post by garyshirley »

I watch the show on called House on Tuesdays on Fox network and I see Hugh Laurie at his current age as being a good TC. He has that spark of not caring of what anyone else thinks and the self loathing of his condition I can see in a TC role. THe look to me strikes a go one also
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Post by Myste »

Welcome, garyshirley! :D

There's a whole thread devoted to Hugh Laurie here in the movie forum, you should check it out!
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Post by RDGO_50 »

I like several of the ideas for names on this thread.....

Harrison Ford should NOT be the main character, tho'.....
I'm conflicted between Gary Oldman and Hugh Laurie - I watch "house" all the time, and he could pull off the Leper routine in nuthin' flat.. Then again, Sam Neill has played a great range of characters from the dinosaur movies, to the extemely horror-ific types... He just finished that dual character role in The Triangle with Catherine Bell.... on Sci-fi.

So, most of the names on this thread would all have valuable spots in the movie, with exception of maybe one.... and that would be Ian Bannen - not sure I can see him as TC.

Have any of you given thought to who would play the Giants?
What about the Wizards? Or, any of the other characters you run into, like those Immortals (sorry, I'm brain dead right now and need to re-read for easy access, but you all know of who I speak)...?

I would agree with SRD's one comment - what TC, the movie needs.. is a great, or almost great Director. Think about it, before LOTR, what was Peter Jackson up to? After that, you don't 'need' great Actors.. you need "good" ones.... and quite often the In-crowd around Hollywood, kills off the potential for the good ones to become great, because we're all dealing with the second and third generation Overseers down in that neck of the woods... Seriously, what types of movies are we seeing these days - with yet another DEAD movie coming out....? Cecil B. DeMille isn't coming back.. even though I wish he was, at times....

It really irked me, to read the DreamWorks took a pass on this, calling it too much like LOTR... Obviously he hasn't even touched the books, in the slightest... Spielberg didn't do A.I. any favors taking that project over, either.... it should have been James Cameron.... or someone else - just not Spielberg. He's got the wrong edge. I think Lucas Films should handle this one..

I was telling my buddy, Mike, about this web site and this thread, and he jokes about having Tom Cruise as TC - which follows the thinking that TC was about 30-ish when he fell into his first Adventure - Lord Foul's Bane.... It "might" work, but Cruise would want waaaay too much money and doesn't have the patience.... Although, I would think he's rich enough to not do anything else along the way. (Think of Tom's efforts in War of the Worlds.. as you read that last paragraph)

One thing's for sure - they should imitate Peter Jackson's approach (on LOTR filimng) with this Series.... Only, in this Series, they would literally have to use the entire Planet in order to pull it off. Just using New Zealand won't work. It might for quite a bit of it - but in the end, they'd have to go elsewhere to get certain parts done right....

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Post by exnihilo »

I see no one has mentioned Jason Statham?

Catherine Bell... hottie

Jeremy Irons, 20 years ago, would have been perfect. I like his ability to play ice cold on top of bitter vitriol.

I also think the Gary Oldman idea has a lot of merit, especially given the restraint he has showed lately in Batman Begins. To play Covenant you're going to have to play edgy wildman and dignified decency equally well. Unfortunately Oldman may be too Old, man.

Although SRD himself may disagree with this statement, Covenant should not be immediately -- visually -- sympathetic. I think that rules out some of the other actors mentioned here, Sam Neill being one.

Gary Sinise OTOH might be just right... he has kind of a rat-faced whiney quality that might play well as Covenant, and he is notably younger than Oldman (younger looking, anyway). He can also bring an almost Jimmy Stewart -type decency when needed. I could definitely see Sinise as Hile Troy.

Tim Roth could also bring a lot to the role IMO, although I don't know if he has enough physical presence... he has a delicate quality that is not quite right for Covenant. Covenant is capable of physical violence after all. I have to say, the Val Kilmer idea has some merit (he can do the angst thing well), although I'm not sure he can convincingly portray the tortured self-loathing of Covenant. Portraying the self-indulgent side of self-destruction comes more naturally to him. Russell Crowe could do that part well, but I don't think he's right either... too "manly". You can pretty much rule out any overtly "manly" actors.

What about Joaquin Phoenix as Covenant? Guy Pierce? Christian Bale (loved him in Batman Begins)? Thoughts?

As for director, violate the law of death and summon Stanley Kubrick. I also like the guy who did the new Batman movie. Whatshisname.
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Post by lucimay »

Gary Sinise
no...please. i already can't stand gary sinise! i'll REALLY not like TC if Sinise plays him!!!
Tim Roth
i could get behind Roth...not a bad choice, altho i do like Oldman.
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Post by RDGO_50 »

I can definitely see Catherine Bell, as Linden Avery.... somehow, it just fits. She could do the helpless routine, perfectly.

I'm not liking Gary Sinise or the other guy - Tim Roth. First off, I don't see Thomas Covenant as that small a man. Neither is he that non-threatening. Think of it as a Clark Kent/Superman kind of thing.... or a suddenly possessed person whenever the need of the ring takes over....

Fact is.... we should just allow the "good, but not yet great" Director to go feret out a non-entity as the lead character. Sure, that guy who just played Batman Begins, might... be pretty good. But, we already have an idea of him, so to speak - as Batman.... While Aragorn was a blending of different personalities that we've already seen Vigo play in earlier movies.. this was a first for him to do, with such depth. And, to think, his own children were who put him in that role.

Getting back to topic --- I think we should have someone new (not Joaquin Phoenix either - he's already been in Gladiator and Johnny Cash). It should be somebody fresh - just rough enough to make you think you could kick his a$$ in a bar fight, but yet.... you're not truly sure! (Then find him come out of the shadows when he puts the ring to work.....)
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Post by lucimay »

i like the unknown for the singularity it would give this film... but there's so many great actors working right now...how 'bout Dennis Leary. i think he could do it.
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Post by MornHayland »

WOW never thought of GO playing TC that would be great as well, however as i read on I also so the idea of Patrick stewart as Morham is a Great Idea as well.
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Post by slipperypick »

Dennis Leary! Yes! I think that might trump my vote for Hugh Laurie!
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Post by Buckarama »

I could see Jason Stratham as MY version of the bloodguard, other than that I think would be too much of an acting stretch for him. (And don't get me wrong, I really like Stratham movies)
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