Cinematical Seven: Movie Nerd Fantasy Camp -- Re-Casting Star Wars!

Fine. I'm going to chime in.

*Obi-Wan Kenobi - I'm sure many of the Ring'ers will chime in and suggest the stunt-casting of Sir Ian McKellan. I shall not. Likewise, the Trekkies will clamour for Patrick Stewart. Not I. In contrast, I shall suggest the great Tom Baker. He was The Doctor, and the definitive article at that, so being Obi-Wan would be easy for the man. Then again, if Powers Boothe could do a credible British RP accent, then I might be swayed away from the first pick. If the casting went younger, I'd say Pierce Brosnan or Paul McGann.

*Lando Calrissian - And you suggested Jason Lee? Are you high? If so, share the Scoobie Snacks, because that's some powerful shizzle you are consuming. I say go with Ving Rhames, but make him shave off his moustache and make him hit the weights again. Then again, perhaps Don Cheadle or Mos Def would work. But they wouldn't be as intimidating or have as much presence. Cheadle would be smoother, though. Ah, I got it. My official alternate...Mario Van Peebles.

*Princess Leia - Stay with Rosario Dawson. Hell, if you want to fill out that metal bikini like no other, keep Rosario. And if you don't believe me, rent *Alexander*. If it were up to me, I'd have Rosario replace Halle Berry in any film she was cast in.

*Emperor Palpatine - Michael Wincott was a name that was heavily suggested on FidoNet back around 1994 when it was very popular to make suggestions as to who George Lucas would pick to star in the prequels. One thing is for sure, Wincott deserved the name dropping for the role after *The Crow* hit the theatres. He owned the role of Top Dollar. Alternate choice, David Warner. Stuntcasters choice, James Callas.

*Luke Skywalker - Jensen Ackles. But it would depend on how much longer the guy can look youthful. I'd have Donnie Yen teach him a thing or two about martial arts though.

*Han Solo - It would take a George Clooney to put in an equally memorable take on such an iconic character. Then again, I would also consider Clive Owen.

*Vader - The perfect actor for the role would be Liam Neeson (sword fighting skills, age, presence, gravitas, voice, AND height!), but again, he's disqualified due to him already being Qui-Gon. I thought about Chow Yun Fat, but he's 6'1" and another actor would probably be selected for the voice. So my Vader is going to be shorter unless effects are used. I choose Sean Bean. And if not Bean, then Christian Bale.

*Governor Tarkin - Easy. James Marsters. Maybe Tarkin in this version will wield a lightsabre.

*Chewbacca - What the hell. Vinnie Jones.

*Biggs Darklighter - and this time, his character isn't cut! I choose John Barrowman, and for the unwashed masses (Trekkies!) out there, watch *Doctor Who*. Mr. Captain Jack would be a good fit for this tragic character. 10 or 15 years ago, I would have said Bruce Campbell.

*Wedge Antilles - Marc Warren (Hu$tle).

*Jabba the Hutt - Retired Mr. $400 million CEO of ExxonMobil, Lee Raymond. He even looks similar to the "original" Irish actor who stood in for Jabba's scene in ANH. The stuntcasters choice would be Harry Knowles. But I'm not making that decision.

*C-3PO - Brandon Routh. If he worked out, he could match the legendary physique of Anthony Daniels. If not, Andy Hallett.

*General Veers - We have too many villains portrayed by Brits in Hollywood. Its time we have a credible French villain. And with that having been said, I select Vincent Cassel, as long as he brings his wife [Monica Bellucci] to the set.

I could go on, but that's enough for one session.

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I dont know about this cast. Sounds like it wouldnt be the same (and not in a good way). I love Golsing, but he's not nearly Gee Shucks enough to be Luke. How bout another Luke, as in Wilson? He has that same clueless quality that Hamill had.
For Leia, Rosario (and I've met Rosario) doesnt really have the right kind of uppity pluck that Carrie Fisher had. How about
Han Solo- Vaughn seems like a good choice, if he could get in good enough shape to seem like he could be a gunfighting mercenary. Remember, with Harrison Ford, we had an action star. Vaughn is a stretch for an actioner. Maybe that dude from the Transporter? Or even though Im not a fan, gulp, Owen Wilson. Or Ben Affleck in a career-resurecting role.
Obi-Wan- I think M. Freeman is dead on. Or Ian McKellan in Gandalf mode- which probably works but is the boring and safe choice.
For the emperor, I like Jeremy Irons (believably evil) or David Warner (Billy Zane's villanous sidekick from Titanic).
Lando Calrissian - I agree with going funny, campy. Billy Dee was a camp choice. How about going even further in that direction. Jack Black. I like Jason lee but he might be better as a Han than a Lando.
Vader should be some dude in a robe, and James Earl Jones' voice. No one has that voice.

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Hey James, I think you're mixing up or transmogrifying Shane West (A Walk to Remember) and Lucas Black (forget this Fast and Furious thing and remember American Gothic) for your Luke Skywalker choice.

Besides that, I'd like to suggest Ron Livingston as Han Solo.

What about Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen?

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Star Wars as made today would be younger, flashier, and significantly more talented. Of course, the great virtue of Star Wars was casting unknowns and Guiness, but putting that aside, Star wars today would be ideal with the following cast:

Luke Skywalker - With the lack of River Phoenix, and the ineptitude of Joaquin Phoenix, the starring role of farmboy turned fighter pilot turned savior-son can only be played by Justin Berfield. Because Conor Donovan is slightly too young.

Han Solo - the role that produces greater roles, allowing a ruggedly good-looking gruff individual to jump from here to mega-superstardom should go to Joseph Gordon-Levitt. However, he's become pretty expensive for a penny-picher like Lucas. if choice #1 is unaffordable, go instead for the super-expensive box-office draw - Jason Schwartzman. He needs a new hit, and badly.

Princess Leia - if matching Solo to young wunderkind Zoe Weizenbaum seems sick, trust your instincts (however, you're never going to make it in Hollywood, kid). A slightly more mature possibility - Mila Kunis. Or, for greater ass-kicking potential, Michelle Trachtenberg.

Obi Wan Kenobi -= in fact, the key to the whole picture. It's time to see if Peter O'Toole is available. if not, Kirk Douglas made up younger by 10 years or Michael Douglas made up older by 10 would work. And Sean Connery is a choice perhaps too predictable, but you'd have my money today.

Darth Vader - preesuming we can again cover the face with a he-mannequin, the voice of the new Darth Vader ought to be a deepened, terrifying brogue, like that of Keifer Sutherland, costar Dennis Haysbert, or Nick Cave.

Lando Calrissian - are you serious? Why bring this relic back? Well, if you're looking for a mn who can take a token character and turn it into a vital part of the story, the answers simple. Don Cheadle. Or, failing that, and coming with Keifer as Darth Vader, Roger R. Cross. Or, you know, he did the only decent work in Hitchiker's Guide - give it to mos Def.

The Emperor - assuming you can't actually hire George W. Bush, get Darrell Hammond. Or beter still, get his teacher by example, Eric Idle.

Yoda - ABSOLUTELY NO ROBIN WILLIAMS! Jimm Carrey is a possibility, but a better one is Danny Devito. Hell, you wouldn't even need a puppet!

Governor Tarkin - Malkovich malkovich, malkovich. Or Michael Gambon, since he can't avoid a camera.

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id like to see a Star Wars cast consisting entirely of antique Whack-a-mole machines....

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i see where you're coming from with the vince vaughn thing, but no. just no.

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I go into more details on my blog:
http://popcorndreams.wordpress.com/2006/06/09/the-voice-of-c-3po-is-a-toughie/

Here are my picks, many of which are more obscure than the ones suggested already:

Luke Skywalker: Topher Grace. Backup choice - Smallville’s Tom Welling.

Princess Leia: Jennifer Morrison from “House, M.D.” Backup choice - Neve Campbell.

Han Solo: Josh Holloway. Backup choice - Viggo Mortensen. Cliched choice - Hugh Jackman

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Clint Eastwood. Backup choice - Gary Oldman.

Darth Vader: Dennis Haysbert, President Palmer from “24.” Backup choice (voice only) - Edward James Olmos of SciFi’s Battlestar Gallactica.

Lando Calrissian: Rick Fox from "Oz". Backup choice - Mekhi Phifer of “ER.”

The Emperor: tie - Hugh Laurie and Ben Kingsley. Whoever didn’t get the role would be cast as Grand Moff Tarkin.

C-3PO: Goran Visnjic from “ER.” Backup choice - Minnie Driver. Maybe LucasArts could make her sound more like a man.

Wedge Antilles: Luke Wilson. Backup choice - Gil Bellows.

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Luke - My pick: Jon Foster. He was the assistant in The Door in the Floor as well as starring in the short-lived TV show, life as we know it. He'd make a good A New Hope-era Luke now but he definitely has it in him to be the older, wiser Luke of Empire and Jedi. Studio pick: Chad Michael Murray.

Han - My Pick: I really don't have an answer. Getting a new Han Solo is like getting a new mom. It's not going to be an easy transition and there will be much hostility directed towards this new person. But is this person going to take care of you? I cannot come up with a suitable one. The only person with the wit, charm, and is the right type of badass is Joseph Gordon Levitt, who is way too young. Studio Pick: (Breaking the rules because the studio would pick him and we all know it) Nathan Fillion, because people seem to think (incorrectly) that he's the next Harrison Ford.

Leia - My Pick: I think Rosario Dawson is right on the money. But they might want someone closer to the age of... fetus than she is (how sad is it that 26 is old in Hollywood?). Studio Pick: Scarlett Johansson (which would be good too).

Obi Wan - My Pick: While Morgan Freeman is a great idea, he's too old. Keeping to the ages that Lucas set up, Obi Wan is only roughly in his fifties. Someone had recommended Chow Yun-fat for Vader. I say Obi-Wan. Basically, it was the role he played in Crouching Tiger. And we know he can handle a lightsaber. Studio Pick: Kenneth Branagh.

Vader - My Pick: I don't know who they'd get for the body but the voice belongs to Dennis Haysbert as Proteus suggested. Studio Pick: Kelsey Grammer's voice. Some WWE wrestler for the body.

Emperor - My Pick: David Warner. I'm a huge Time Bandits/Time After Time/Tron fan so yeah, perfect. Studio Pick: Ian McKellen. They won't rest until he's in every major motion picture series ever.

Lando - My Pick: There just is no actor as cool as Billy Dee. None, regardless of race. This is a tough call. Gonna have to go with Mos Def. Studio Pick: Ludacris.

C3PO - My Pick: Simon Pegg. But I think that Rowan Atkinson might be JUST a little better suited for the role. Studio Pick: The studio would have the same dilemma that I do.

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Alex, I like your picks, but the Force is telling me that you only mentioned *The Door in the Floor* because it was on IFC last week! :)

And our choices for Obi-Wan - in terms of age - should not be bound by the events of the prequels. We can wipe away the prequels by virtue of the proposed remake here. Obi-Wan could be older, just as Anakin in non-recent ROTJ cut was older due to Sebastian (not an X-Men character) Shaw's chronology.

I'm moving my pick for Governor Tarkin - James Marsters - to alternate status. I've decided I'm going to choose Christopher Eccleston for the role. The man who should be The Joker in *Batman Begins 2* if there is a supreme being who is completely logical running the show in this universe.

This fantasy-football version of the Star Wars trilogy can also negate Luke and Leia being twins. It can go for the original outline that Luke's sister is out there in the galaxy somewhere...which was to be the basis for the future episodes 7, 8, and 9, if Gary Kurtz is to be believed.

I'm surprised that nobody has tendered Jason Isaacs for either Palpatine or Tarkin. I do like Rob's pick of Josh Holloway for Han Solo. Kinda reminds me of a grittier Perry King (who was Han Solo in the NPR audios). Speaking of, I wonder when *Riptide* will come to DVD or iTunes...

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The Force is strong with you, The Jeremy. I only caught about 20 minutes of it but I saw enough to realize that I might like the movie. But I remember Jon Foster from life as we know it, as I was one of 3 people who watched that show (even if it was a My So-Called Life ripoff), and I think he could be a decent Luke.

Eccleston as Tarkin is INSPIRED casting, BTW.

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I’m with Alex and Rob here. And in the spirit of trying to think outside the box, I throw some names out there… though whoever added the “studio picks” is dead on.

Luke Skywalker: Jon Foster, definitely. He was excellent in Life As We Know It – He’s the perfect match for Luke’s early naiveté and growing confidence. And not to blow-up the idea of our fair-haired blue eyed jedi but what about Derek Luke or Jay Hernandez. They’re both young, sharp actors who could grow into the character nicely.

Princess Leia: Jennifer Morrison from “House, M.D.” I like this choice a lot. Backup choice – what about someone like Gabrielle Union? Or Maggie Q? With Leia you need that feistiness and sense of entitlement.

Han Solo: Josh Holloway. Holloway could definitely pull this off. This, for me, is the hardest role to cast. Heath Ledger is proving himself to be an actor with some presence, which is soo important in terms of Han. Hugh Jackman is also an idea I gotta admit I like,

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Clint Eastwood. Maybe a little old. Chow Yun-Fat, cool suggestion. Edward James Olmos, maybe?

Darth Vader: Dennis Haysbert, for sure. Love this idea. Though I guess it would have to be for his voice only.

Lando Calrissian: Mos Def could be cool. How about Robert Downey Jr.? Cambell Scott??

The Emperor: “tie - Hugh Laurie and Ben Kingsley.” I like these two

Trying to keep the range of ages consistent was a lot harder than I thought it would be. A fun way to kill some time on Friday… thanks for posting this.

E.

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No no no... I don't care about anyone else at this point, but if Nathan Fillion isn't cast as Han Solo, then there is something very very wrong with this imaginary film we're producing.

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1. Luke - Patrick Fugit, as long as he could come across as meditative later on (although, Mark Hamill never struck me as deep). Second pick: Orlando Bloom.

2. Leia - Michelle Rodriguez. Looks delicate, but could more than hold her own with any action scene. And her one liners would just be seering. Second pick: Maggie Gyllenhaal.

3. Han - So hard. For a less action hero, more smuggler jerk version, I'd go with Peter Sarsgaard. Second pick: Harold Perrineau, although the Josh Holloway idea is a fun one.

4. The Emperor - Anthony Hopkins. I mean, come on!! Dude is evil! If he sneered and raised his hands at me I'd be in the corner sobbing...

5. Lando - Oliver Platt. Not as smooth and slick, but he'd play him desperate, which could be fun.

6. Obi-Wan - Kevin Kline. Iffy on this one, but I'd be curious to see if he could do it. If he couldn't, just get Ben Kingsley.

7. C-3PO - John Turturro. He'd be fun all pompous and ruffled.

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What, nobody found Brandon Routh as C-3PO funny?

That's it, I shall quit posting online. :)


ps. I think I'll buy *The Door in the Floor* on DVD if it is out. I'd really like to buy *Sugartown* (another film you can depend to be on IFC) on DVD as well but I don't think it has been released either.

And just to pre-empt any suggestions of John Lithgow, he participated in the Star Wars NPR audios.

And Alex, I hope you are a regular poster on AICN. The Talkbacks need some new reasonable and inspired participants.

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Well, if you're gonna think outside the box.. why not have Luke be the jedi-in-waiting and Leia be the butt-kicker? Michelle Trachtenberg would be nice, if she's written well (NO WHINING!)
James Callas would be SO much fun as Tarkin... but ya gotta give him more screen time. Too bad he's not young enough to be the jedi-in-waiting. Christoper Walken is gonna be hands-down the emperor... the man's even creepy when he's *dancing!*
the guy who played the mage on 'crusade' would be an interesting obi-wan.
And I'd pay good money to see Jason Carter with a beard and long hair in ANYTHING. REPEATEDLY.

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I'll toss mine in late, mainly because I'm surprised most everyone missed this

Luke: Jake Gyllenhaal
Leia: Maggie Gyllenhaal

How come I'm the only one that picked up on that? A brother and sister cast to play twins. What a concept. (Someone else mentioned Maggie Gyllenhaal upthread, but whiffed on the Jake/Maggie combo casting.

Han Solo: John Cusack - Perfect age to play Han now. Nailed the good-hearted scoundrel roles in "Grifters" and "Grosse Pointe Blank". Has enough screen presence to pull the roll off. However, if you need a blonde-haired Han to balance the now dark-haired Luke, I hear Brad Pitt is looking for work.

Obi-Wan: Denzel Washington - Sorry guys. Denzel is THAT old now. Anyway... there just aren't many actors who have the ability and charisma that Sir Alec Guiness could command with a mere glance, and Denzel is one of the few that brings that kind of presence.

Darth Vader: the voice of... Micheal Clarke Duncan. I think Haysbert's voice can be a little flat. Duncan's voice has more resonance and menace.

Lando: Obed Fehr - Going a little different way, but it works for all the same reasons Billy Dee Williams worked in the 70's.

The Emperor: Anthony Hopkins.

Tarkin: Jeremy Irons

C-3P0: voice of David Hyde Pierce. That should have been a no-brainer.

Yoda: Andy Serkis... kinda has a lock on the small and green roles for a while.

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While all (almost!) of the 3PO picks are good, I'd throw in the following. David Bowie. Alternatively, Martin Scorsese. More alternatively, David Wenham.

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Morgan Freeman would be perfect as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He radiates warmth, wisdom and is overall nothing short of an amazing actor, so I think there's no one better for the part.

Rosemary Dawson is another spot-on choice. I'm unfamiliar with most of the other actors however, so I can't comment on many more choices.

It should be added that Christopher Walken would be excellent for the role of Emperor.

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