Warbreaker movie casting (dream list) *spoilers*

[theravenchilde]

And to detour away from the current discussion of "lets cast every cosmere novel with white people from superlordofthewhoflylocketc!!" I've just started a graphic series with my fancasting for Warbreaker. The first post is here edit: and part two is here edit edit: and part three is here and edit edit edit: part four is here. However, I will post the entire list here for better referencing for others, although it will appear on my tumblr as well as in a summary post when I've finished my graphics.

 

I made my cast on the assumption that the area of Nalthis where Hallandren and Idris are located is environmentally similar to South America, specifically between Peru and Brazil. As such, all of the images in my graphics are from there, and 99% of my actors are either born in Latin America, of direct descent in a very few cases, or at minimum a person of color. Hallandren is a jungle. I picked the Amazon, but we could very well use the Congo, or India, or Polynesia. The only person from the previously suggested cast list, joke as it may be, that I would keep is Morena Baccarin, who is from Brazil and would make a great Blushweaver if my first choice wouldn't go for it. I tried to sort my choices on a basis of looks and how much acting experience they had (which is somewhat difficult, as there are few popular Latin@ actors).

 

Vivenna- Catalina Moreno Her role in Maria Full Of Grace is fairly similar to Vivenna's experiences (although, as it is based on real events, is far more important than a fictional character's suffering) and she earned an AA nomination for it. She can handle Vivenna.
Siri- Genesis Rodriguez she's Cuban and younger, and has better acting credentials.
Lightsong- Oscar Issac its.... Oscar Issac. You saw him in Star Wars.
Vasher- Henry Ian Cusick who doesn't want Desmond/Jesus to play Vasher? No, seriously. Also, he won't look too out of place in a certain other thing.

Susebron- Dayo Okeniyi is younger than Cataline and Nathalie, but that's what makeup is for. He is attractive, imposing, has a great physical presence, funny, and his voice is a good perk. My original cast was Sean Blakemore, but he is far too old.
Llarimar-  Benjamin Bratt has quite a bit of experience in a variety of roles, and seems like he can pull off the balance of Scoot linefacing at everything with the occasional hints of exasperation and dramatics, and looks fairly similar to Juan.
Denth- John Leguizamo is vaguely creepy, just like Denth. Compare between Tybalt and his roles now, and imagine his dynamic against Henry, and I think this will work great.
Blushweaver- Sofia Vergara is amazing and please just imagine Blushweaver with the accent. She is also gorgeous, which is kinda the other thing we need for Blushweaver. Second choice is Laverne Cox, third choice Morena Baccarin.

Parlin- Lázaro Ramos is both attractive, Brazilian, a talented actor and also someone you could fall in love with and be very upset over when he dies. Look at that smile. He's also old enough to match Catalina.
Tonk Fah- Gael García Bernal is a well known, somewhat older Mexican actor with a very good resume. While he's not quite the thug type I was looking for at first, and would prefer, I think he can balance well against John Leguizamo.

Jewels-  Magaly Solier is slightly scary looking, very pretty, and will make a very intense Jewels. She was also my first pick for Vivenna, but I can't find another, younger indigenous Peruvian actress for Siri. If they hypothetically found an unknown actress for Siri, I would immediately give Magaly Vivenna's part.
Arsteel/Clod- Santiago Cabrera if you're gonna let a zombie follow you around, he might as well be an attractive zombie right? And Santiago already knows how to use a sword (he is my second choice my Lightsong, as well).

Treledees- Demián Bichir is a well known actor with the gravitas to be the high priest of a powerful religion and garner the sympathy needed in the end.
Bluefingers- Wilmer Valderrama or an unknown indigenous South American actor, more preferably. I want all Pahn Kahl actors to be played by native South Americans. If Twilight did it so can we.
Lemex- Daniel Zacapa has played parts similar enough to Lemex to make it work.
King Dedelin- Ricardo Darín as an aging king, making an extremely difficult decision and then basically never being heard from again? Okay.
Nightblood- Antonio Banderas tell me you don't want to hear him ask you to destroy some evil. My first choice would have been Ricardo Montablan, if he weren't dead.

Fafen- Cote de Pablo
Ridger- Paul Alayo
Shashara- Ana de la Reguera
Yesteel- Jimmy Smits
Nanrovah- Horatio Sanz
Stillmark- Edgar Ramirez
Inhanna- Kate del Castillo
Mercystar- Morena Baccarin maybe? OR SNOOKI who fits my criteria and Mercystar's only job is to flutter around inanely or Naya Rivera if I can’t get Snooki
Weatherlove- Harry Shum Jr with blonde hair. That's why hair dye was invented.
Truthcall- Adan Canto
Lifeblesser- Ignacio Ariel Serricchio
Thame- Luis Moncada
Allmother- Fernanda Montenegro
Vahr- Marcio Rosario
Mab the Cook- Roxana Brusso
General Yarda- Carlos Carrasco

 

Pahn Kahl are native/mestizo. Hallandrens are Brazilian. Idrians are Peruvian/Argentine.

Bolded characters are ones who will get a fancy graphic, the others will just be included on the summary post. Female characters are underlined, as a personal reference of the f:m ratio.

Edited March 7, 2017 by theravenchilde

[Vanavel]

 

Nightblood- Antonio Banderas tell me you don't want to hear him ask you to destroy some evil.

 

 

Ha ha! Perfect!

[theravenchilde]

Bumping this as I have made several changes to the cast and the graphics series is 3/4 of the way done.

[traceria]

Snooki? 

[traceria]

I like a lot of your other suggestions, though.  (Sorry for the double post...was still looking through all the links and things when I posted last.)  The only other suggestion I'm kind of "eh" on is Denth.  For some reason, I see Denth coming off as less creep and more practical (in his sarcastic way).  I have no idea why, but that's my impression. *shrug *

[theravenchilde]

Mercystar's only job is to wail about being attacked, and from what I've heard, Snooki did a pretty good job on SPN as a somewhat more serious character. Also, she was born in Chile, and therefore fit my criteria.

 

John Leguizamo is an extremely versatile actor (Tybalt to Sid the Sloth. He can do anything) and I think would be able to play the best dynamic against Henry Ian Cusick as rival ex-brothers-in-law, and is likeable enough to go from a sympathetic mercenary friend to Vivenna to, you know, a bad guy.

 

Also, you can just go and edit posts! There's a button at the bottom that says "Edit." Click on it. Edit your post. Submit. Voila. No more double posts.

[The Shadow]

@TheRavenChilde: the rest of us might as well go home. You've won.

[Cracknut]

Best part in this book for me was that twist. You cast someone like John Leguizamo as Denth, I'll see it coming mile away. I would rather have someone with more of an trustworthy reputation, who hasn't done that twist role thousand times already

Adam Baldwin vs. Nathan Fillion is too good even if they don't fit their roles at all

Edited July 25, 2014 by Cracknut

[theravenchilde]

Best part in this book for me was that twist. You cast someone like John Leguizamo as Denth, I'll see it coming mile away. I would rather have someone with more of an trustworthy reputation, who hasn't done that twist role thousand times already

Adam Baldwin vs. Nathan Fillion is too good even if they don't fit their roles at all

 

John has had a huge variety of roles, and most of them are /not/ bad guys or any twist to them at all.

 

Adam Baldwin? Does the "good guy was actually a bad guy all along" in EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS ROLES. all of them. This is his typecast. He also is, tbh, not that great of an actor. He has a limited skillset. And Nathan Fillion is almost always the traditional buff superhero type, which does not fit a single character in Warbreaker (I'm assuming you're suggesting them for Vasher vs Denth, so Adam would give away Denth's true allegiance instantaneously, and Nathan is just. I'm gonna laugh if you think Vasher is a buff manly dude. He's a dweeby, if talented swordsman, scientist.)

 

Furthermore, they're both white and therefore have no place on Nalthis.

[Mailliw73]

Dang, Ravenchilde. That's a good casting list. The one I think I'm most hung up on is Denth's. I can't see that guy playing Denth. I have to agree with Traceria and Cracknut here.

[theravenchilde]

I do understand your concerns, and while I like him there, I am open to other suggestions. Provided, you know, that they're Latino. Can you think of someone else with the right acting acumen to go against Cusick and Catalina and more look the part? In my casting of Leguizamo I was going more for acting skill and mood rather than straight up looks.

[Cracknut]

John has had a huge variety of roles, and most of them are /not/ bad guys or any twist to them at all.

 

Adam Baldwin? Does the "good guy was actually a bad guy all along" in EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS ROLES. all of them. This is his typecast. He also is, tbh, not that great of an actor. He has a limited skillset. And Nathan Fillion is almost always the traditional buff superhero type, which does not fit a single character in Warbreaker (I'm assuming you're suggesting them for Vasher vs Denth, so Adam would give away Denth's true allegiance instantaneously, and Nathan is just. I'm gonna laugh if you think Vasher is a buff manly dude. He's a dweeby, if talented swordsman, scientist.)

 

Furthermore, they're both white and therefore have no place on Nalthis.

If you had read previous posts you would know its reversed. Nathan as a bad guy(denth) while Adam as a good guy(Vasher). He might have played mixed roles but for me that guy pretty much screams villain. As of Nathan Fillion, I don't see him being your average 'hero' in Firefly. He's pretty good at being gray morality kind of a good guy which Vasher is. But again I was talking about him being bad guy... And as you can see I've stated it myself that they don't fit those roles...

Btw why should Denth be Latino?

Edit: Yes I can see Vasher as a buff manly dude. Scholars can be buff manly dudes. But again, it misses the point.

Edit again: You obviously haven't seen EVERY SINGLE ONE OF ADAM's ROLES.  Firefly even though he's not the best guy there and Chuck.

Edited July 25, 2014 by Cracknut

[Mailliw73]

This suggestion for Denth is just one based on looks. I know nothing about his acting skill, I just searched for Latino actors. Benjamin Bratt has the look for me. I could see him playing Denth. Though he might be too old for the part.

[theravenchilde]

Haha, Benjamin is my Llarimar! He is one of the ones I could move around, though, as he doesn't really fit Llarimar's description (portly). I can see him as a reasonable choice for Denth as well, but I don't have a good backup for Llarimar then. This casting was like a puzzle that's missing pieces--I only have so many pieces that can go in so many places, and if I fill one spot then there's nothing else to fill this other spot and it is very annoying Hollywood needs more Latin@ actors.

 

So you can reference here, Cracknut, "I made my cast on the assumption that the area of Nalthis where Hallandren and Idris are located is environmentally similar to South America, specifically between Peru and Brazil. As such, all of the images in my graphics are from there, and 99% of my actors are either born in Latin America, of direct descent in a very few cases, or at minimum a person of color. Hallandren is a jungle. I picked the Amazon, but we could very well use the Congo, or India, or Polynesia."

Hence my exclusion of anyone from the Firefly cast, because although the verse is apparently dominated by the Chinese, they did not feature a single Asian actor, and the majority of the main cast was white.. I am attempting to avoid using black actors or Asian here, as I am using them more heavily in my Mistborn casting and, should I take up the burden, a possible Stormlight cast. If it makes you feel better, if I do an Elantris casting there will probably be mostly white people there.

 

Also, because of the sheer amount of ah, usage of any actor from Firefly/Lord of the Rings/Doctor Who/Sherlock/Supernatural etc I've seen on all the casting threads on 17s, I am rather biased against any actor from there. It's totally fine if you think Baldwin and Fillion would be good in Warbreaker! They're decent actors! You're welcome to list them in your own dream cast. But I do not want them anywhere near my casting.

[Cracknut]

Haha, Benjamin is my Llarimar! He is one of the ones I could move around, though, as he doesn't really fit Llarimar's description (portly). I can see him as a reasonable choice for Denth as well, but I don't have a good backup for Llarimar then. This casting was like a puzzle that's missing pieces--I only have so many pieces that can go in so many places, and if I fill one spot then there's nothing else to fill this other spot and it is very annoying Hollywood needs more Latin@ actors.

 

So you can reference here, Cracknut, "I made my cast on the assumption that the area of Nalthis where Hallandren and Idris are located is environmentally similar to South America, specifically between Peru and Brazil. As such, all of the images in my graphics are from there, and 99% of my actors are either born in Latin America, of direct descent in a very few cases, or at minimum a person of color. Hallandren is a jungle. I picked the Amazon, but we could very well use the Congo, or India, or Polynesia."

Hence my exclusion of anyone from the Firefly cast, because although the verse is apparently dominated by the Chinese, they did not feature a single Asian actor, and the majority of the main cast was white.. I am attempting to avoid using black actors or Asian here, as I am using them more heavily in my Mistborn casting and, should I take up the burden, a possible Stormlight cast. If it makes you feel better, if I do an Elantris casting there will probably be mostly white people there.

 

Also, because of the sheer amount of ah, usage of any actor from Firefly/Lord of the Rings/Doctor Who/Sherlock/Supernatural etc I've seen on all the casting threads on 17s, I am rather biased against any actor from there. It's totally fine if you think Baldwin and Fillion would be good in Warbreaker! They're decent actors! You're welcome to list them in your own dream cast. But I do not want them anywhere near my casting.

I read that I just don't understand why. And I'm saying this third time: I don't find Baldwin and Fillion fitting. I don't really do these dream-cast things but okay for letting me do it. Did I ever tell you that you should put Baldwin or Fillion in your cast? Nope. I simply stated my opinion on your choice of Denth. Or I'm not supposed to do stuff like that because that's your dream cast?

[Westwood Swangin]

I've always pictured Chris Pratt as Lightsong. He's funny, tall, cut, and who could forget Bert Macklin FBI! Just dye his hair black

[traceria]

As of Nathan Fillion, I don't see him being your average 'hero' in Firefly. He's pretty good at being gray morality kind of a good guy which Vasher is. 

In Firefly the board game, he's a Moral character.  That's just an FYI kind of comment, nothing more.  

 

Do continue conversing...

[killersquirrel59]

I'm sorry but British actors are just better 95% of the time, particularly for fantasy. And it's kind of expected at least from American audiences with any fantasy (I'm convinced most Americans think England is a fantasy island) With that in mind...

 

 

Vasher – Robert Carlyle, or possibly Richard Armitage

 

Siri – Maisie Williams (remember, she’s 17)

 

Lightsong – If he was just a little younger I’d say Brian Blessed, but sadly he’s too old now. Now I’d say Hugh Laurie. He’s also a bit old, but I think he can pull it off. If younger is desired I’d say Benedict Cumberbatch.

 

Scoot – James Frain

 

Vivenna – Montsterrat Lombart

 

Denth – David Oakes Daniel Mays

 

Tonk Fah – Vinnie Jones

 

Jewel – Natalia Tena

 

Blushweaver – Natalie Dormer

 

Nightblood – Rowan Atkinson

 

Treledees – Matthew Macfayden

 

Bluefingers – Stephen Fry

 

Mab the Cook – Diana Rigg

Edited September 23, 2014 by killersquirrel59

[traceria]

I can see a couple of those, but others I just have to say "No way!"  I like Robert Carlyle as an actor, but he is nothing like I would imagine Vasher.  I also think you must have a very different view of Natalie Dormer than I do. Nothing against Ms Dormer, but to me she does not exude goddess-like beauty to the degree Blushweaver is described.  Honestly, my intention is not to be critical of her looks.  I just don't see it. Everyone has their own taste.  Maybe it has to do more with me not being attracted to others of my own gender plus it having been awhile since watching some GoT episodes with her (we're a good season behind, though I've read all the books).

 

Being American myself, I also find it extremely funny that any actor with an accent not of an American flavor (specifically British) does wonders in helping most of us transport to a new world.  I have no problem making fun of myself and also my fellow American's in this sense.  I wonder if the same could be said if you flipped that around?  Would someone with a very different native accent find one or more of the American accents helpful for the same purposes in a fantasy/sci-fi film?

 

Major LOL to your choice for Nightblood.  My question, though, is this: "Will Nightblood go around saying "Nightblood" in funny, nearly incomprehensive speech?"

 

"Bean."

[killersquirrel59]

For Rowan Atkinson I'm thinking closer to his Blackadder voice.

I chose Natalie Dormer far more based on her portrayal of Anne Boelyn in The Tudors. She is perfect at just dripping raw sexuality and manipulating attraction in exactly the way I see Blushweaver.

[traceria]

I chose Natalie Dormer far more based on her portrayal of Anne Boelyn in The Tudors. She is perfect at just dripping raw sexuality and manipulating attraction in exactly the way I see Blushweaver.

I've not seen that series, so I'll have to rely on your judgment there.  We're not huge TV watchers in general, just some select series.

 

 

For Rowan Atkinson I'm thinking closer to his Blackadder voice.

 

I really must go back and watch some of that now.  Instead, we've been watching a lot of Mr. Bean lately thanks to the DVD collection.

[theravenchilde]

I'm sorry but British actors are just better 95% of the time, particularly for fantasy. And it's kind of expected at least from American audiences with any fantasy (I'm convinced most Americans think England is a fantasy island) With that in mind...

 

Really the only and strongest point I can make about this is that Hallandren bears absolutely no resemblance to England, and is therefore not a "typical" fantasy book. It's a tropical jungle, not an idyllic woodland realm. Tropical. Jungle. Rainforest. Not England. Rarely seen in stereotypical fantasy.

[killersquirrel59]

There is no reference at all to the characters' ethnicity in Warbreaker that I remember. Nothing to suggest that on Nalthis, the jungle is full of hispanic people, which it really wasn't even on earth, given that the modern interpretation of a hispanic look is mostly the product of interbreeding between the native peoples of Central and South America and the Spanish invaders. 

 

Personally when reading Warbreaker, I pictured the Hallandrans as tan, but not dark-skinned and the Idrians, weirdly enough as Scottish (though that may have been severely influenced by the Graphic Audio version of the audiobook). I can fully accept that my vision of them is no more "right" than anyone else's, just noting that just because Hallandran is a jungle does not in any way require them to be dark skinned.

 

EDIT: I'm also more than a bit of an Anglophile, so I tend to picture and expect British accents everywhere in media.

 

Couple more suggestions as well. I just recently went through Warbreaker again and think I need to revise a few of those choices. I'd forgotten how amiable Denth was at first, and David Oakes conveys stuck up a bit too much. I think I'd replace him Daniel Mays. He's normally a bit ridiculous but if anyone out there watched Ashes to Ashes all the way to the finale, he can do villains when needed to far better than I think anyone expected. I still think Carlyle could pull off Vasher, but as an alternative could also easily now see Richard Armitage. He does the dark and brooding thing really well, particularly for anyone whose seen him as Guy of Gisbourne in the BBC Robin Hood adaptation.

Edited September 23, 2014 by killersquirrel59

[traceria]

I still think Carlyle could pull off Vasher, but as an alternative could also easily now see Richard Armitage. He does the dark and brooding thing really well, particularly for anyone whose seen him as Guy of Gisbourne in the BBC Robin Hood adaptation.

 

Now, I like your new suggestion much better.  I've been rewatching that series recently and could very much see Richard Armitage as Vasher.

[Andrew C]

Interesting how differently we imagine characters.

 

I had imagined Tonk Fah as looking like a 40-45 year old version of Jackie Chan, and had imagined Jewel as a very short, very heavily built 30-something woman.