Stormlight Archive Fantasy Casting

[pharaoh9000 he/him]

If I had to go with live-action actors...

 

I'd day Marton Csokas would make an excellent Dalinar for sure!  He shares Dalinar's same facial intensity, I think.  He's just barely old-looking enough to be the great leader Dalinar is and with all his experience... but he's also young-looking enough to catch chasmfiend claws and other Blackthorn awesomeness.

 

[KnightGradient]

Just a point for you guys saying people are too old to play the young characters in Stormlight, the years are 500 days on Roshar, so there is a difference of 135 days per year, making Kaladin about 27 if my math check out. Adolin would be just a bit older than that.

He'd be 27, but the days are 20 hours(you can also take into account that the world has lower gravity, which means less wrinkles, but don't push that one too far). He's roughly 21 in the first book, and 22 or 23 by the end of WoR. If you ever need to calculate a characters age, multiply their in-book age by 1.141552511415525. So Adolin is 25 or 26, Shallan is 19, and Dalinar is almost 60. That should help you guys sort through actors better.

[Lupis]

They would both require a fair bit of spray tan but Neal McDonough as Dalinar and Anne Hathaway as Jasnah would be my picks.

[Guest]

He'd be 27, but the days are 20 hours(you can also take into account that the world has lower gravity, which means less wrinkles, but don't push that one too far). He's roughly 21 in the first book, and 22 or 23 by the end of WoR. If you ever need to calculate a characters age, multiply their in-book age by 1.141552511415525. So Adolin is 25 or 26, Shallan is 19, and Dalinar is almost 60. That should help you guys sort through actors better.

 

No because we don't know if the physical aging of Rosharian human is the same as the Earth humans. You assume they are the same, but we know they don't. Character's psychological development fits their book age, not these ages. 

[natc]

You just singlehandedly made this entire age discussion utterly pointless.

[DSC01 he/him]

How about Frieda Pinto for Jasnah? 

[Guest]

How about Frieda Pinto for Jasnah? 

 

A bit too young perhaps? If not then I'd say yes.

[DSC01 he/him]

Well, she's 31 now. Yes, that's a bit young, but only by a few years. This is fantasy casting, so I suppose the realities of making an adaptation don't apply so much, but if one were to be announced today, she'd probably be old enough by the time filming actually began.

 

Speaking of realistic expectations for fantasy adaptations, I'm really hoping that the Warcraft movie does well. While I've never really played the games and know relatively little about the story, it would be great for a good high fantasy movie to do well at the box office. If that happens, we've got a much better chance of really seeing some Sanderson adaptations happen. Of course, that would probably be Mistborn, not The Stormlight Archive (but that would still be super awesome).

[Guest]

Well, she's 31 now. Yes, that's a bit young, but only by a few years. This is fantasy casting, so I suppose the realities of making an adaptation don't apply so much, but if one were to be announced today, she'd probably be old enough by the time filming actually began.

 

That is true which means we truly have to look for much younger actor for the other characters. Anyway, I tend to see fan casting more as who looks like who more than who should play who.

 

 

Speaking of realistic expectations for fantasy adaptations, I'm really hoping that the Warcraft movie does well. While I've never really played the games and know relatively little about the story, it would be great for a good high fantasy movie to do well at the box office. If that happens, we've got a much better chance of really seeing some Sanderson adaptations happen. Of course, that would probably be Mistborn, not The Stormlight Archive (but that would still be super awesome).

 

I think it is more likely we are going to see a Reckoners movie first.

[DSC01 he/him]

Maybe. I was just thinking about high fantasy movies, in general, and potential Cosmere adaptations, in particular. The only really successful high fantasy movies were the LotR adaptations (and I guess The Hobbit, too, even if they took a lot of criticism). In recent years, anyway. I feel like high fantasy needs a big win for Hollywood to be willing to invest in something like a Cosmere adaptation.

[Lupis]

Maybe. I was just thinking about high fantasy movies, in general, and potential Cosmere adaptations, in particular. The only really successful high fantasy movies were the LotR adaptations (and I guess The Hobbit, too, even if they took a lot of criticism). In recent years, anyway. I feel like high fantasy needs a big win for Hollywood to be willing to invest in something like a Cosmere adaptation.

I think, due to the sheer scope of the Stormlight Archive, it would need to be a tv series like Game of Thrones, rather than a movie (or movies). Mistborn would probably be more suitable for a trilogy of movies.

[Lupis]

Oh and Monica Bellucci as Navani, and my second choice for Jasnah would be Morena Baccarin.

[WeiryWriter he/him]

He'd be 27, but the days are 20 hours(you can also take into account that the world has lower gravity, which means less wrinkles, but don't push that one too far). He's roughly 21 in the first book, and 22 or 23 by the end of WoR. If you ever need to calculate a characters age, multiply their in-book age by 1.141552511415525. So Adolin is 25 or 26, Shallan is 19, and Dalinar is almost 60. That should help you guys sort through actors better.

 

The actual conversion is just 1.1, Rosharan hours are a different length as ours as well.

[DSC01 he/him]

I think, due to the sheer scope of the Stormlight Archive, it would need to be a tv series like Game of Thrones, rather than a movie (or movies). Mistborn would probably be more suitable for a trilogy of movies.

I absolutely agree. A Stormlight series would still be really tough to pull off. Because of the spren, almost every single scene would require CGI. Granted, the spren would be relatively cheap and easy, but the chasmfiends would be another matter altogether. Then you've got the crazy Surgebinder fight scenes... Plus, you've got the difficulty of creating a completely alien world, where most people don't even know what soil is. Game of Thrones has a huge budget, and it doesn't come close to presenting as fantastic a world as would be needed for Roshar. I'd love a Stormlight series, but I bet we're at least 10 years away from even having the technology to do it satisfactorily.

[Guest]

I absolutely agree. A Stormlight series would still be really tough to pull off. Because of the spren, almost every single scene would require CGI. Granted, the spren would be relatively cheap and easy, but the chasmfiends would be another matter altogether. Then you've got the crazy Surgebinder fight scenes... Plus, you've got the difficulty of creating a completely alien world, where most people don't even know what soil is. Game of Thrones has a huge budget, and it doesn't come close to presenting as fantastic a world as would be needed for Roshar. I'd love a Stormlight series, but I bet we're at least 10 years away from even having the technology to do it satisfactorily.

 

Nearly every outside single scenery you see on GoT was computer made. They changed the canvas for each and every single scene and I won't mention on the public thread what they did to... huh some private parts... quite a few frames were involved... They can do SA. No question here. The question should more be, will it be bankable?

[pharaoh9000 he/him]

I think the entire cosmere line-up should be brought to life via CGI or anime, not live-action. Live-action, whether movie or episodic show, would require too many sacrifices to the characters and world in order to be brought to the screen.

CGI or anime, would allow for the best translation of the characters, magic systems, and the world... while multiple episodes would allow for zero sacrifices to the story, it's characters, and histories.

(As an added bonus, you'd then only have to search for the best "voices" to bring the characters to life rather than the perfect look.)

[Jondesu he/him]

I think the entire cosmere line-up should be brought to life via CGI or anime, not live-action. Live-action, whether movie or episodic show, would require too many sacrifices to the characters and world in order to be brought to the screen.

CGI or anime, would allow for the best translation of the characters, magic systems, and the world... while multiple episodes would allow for zero sacrifices to the story, it's characters, and histories.

(As an added bonus, you'd then only have to search for the best "voices" to bring the characters to life rather than the perfect look.)

I still have a very hard time agreeing with this.  Anime or CGI just loses… depth to me.  Stormlight is a prime example of where much of the story would not come through properly I believe (though I agree that Mistborn could do very well in an animated form).

 

jW

[pharaoh9000 he/him]

I still have a very hard time agreeing with this. Anime or CGI just loses… depth to me. Stormlight is a prime example of where much of the story would not come through properly I believe (though I agree that Mistborn could do very well in an animated form).

jW

When I say CGI, I mean high-quality, ultra-real CGI... like the 2007 Beowulf movie or the 2001 Final Fantasy: Spirits Within... as far as its visual quality.

 

 

What do you think of that look? No?

Edited November 9, 2015 by pharaoh9000

[DSC01 he/him]

Too Uncanny Valley. That doesn't bother me like it did most people, but it would bother me if everyone didn't want to watch it because they thought the characters looked creepy.

[pharaoh9000 he/him]

Wow, just looked up "Uncanny Valley" lol

Today's CGI and animation tech is just so far beyond that now. I admit that in the real world, doing it right would probably cost millions of dollars to be done satisfactorily... then multiplied across hundreds of episodes. However, it can still be done... and done well... just not easily done well.

Considering, how far along 3D motion capture and facial 3D motion capture (circa 2009's Avatar) have come in recent years, there is no reason the people of Roshar can't be brought to life quite perfectly. Uncanny Valley? Only if Roshar is given a very cheap budget to work with, my friend.

  Edited November 9, 2015 by pharaoh9000

[mirahound she/her]

I'd love a Stormlight series, but I bet we're at least 10 years away from even having the technology to do it satisfactorily.

Honestly, I would be okay with that. Let the series get a little more solidly underway before we start doing adaptations.

[+Slowswift]

Too Uncanny Valley. That doesn't bother me like it did most people, but it would bother me if everyone didn't want to watch it because they thought the characters looked creepy.

Accidental downvote. Bleh.

[DreamEternal]

I still have a very hard time agreeing with this. Anime or CGI just loses… depth to me. Stormlight is a prime example of where much of the story would not come through properly I believe (though I agree that Mistborn could do very well in an animated form).

jW

You are assuming a story inevitably losrs depth for some reason if it is not told in live-action. While I don't think CGI would work, a 2d animations with realistic proportions could very well tell the story well and stay loyal to the alienness of Roshar.

[Guest]

You are assuming a story inevitably losrs depth for some reason if it is not told in live-action. While I don't think CGI would work, a 2d animations with realistic proportions could very well tell the story well and stay loyal to the alienness of Roshar.

 

It is not 2D animations is incapable of telling an accurate story, it is more some of us fear marketing for it would geared it towards children, which is not something I would personally enjoy.

[DSC01 he/him]

Even if it wasn't marketed to children, the fact is that in the US market, animation is generally regarded as being for children. The only popular exceptions are comedies. Sure, people will allow for anime, too, but I really don't think that anime is right for Stormlight. I don't know what it is about anime, but when I watch anime that is clearly in the genre of epic fantasy, it doesn't feel like epic fantasy to me. I would be okay with high-quality animation that was not anime, but would the general market take it seriously?

 

The whole marketing campaign would have to be all about how this is a serious cartoon, and that would be difficult. Any exception to the "cartoons-are-for-kids" rule is always full of adult content to prove how not-for-kids they are. Sure, there's violence in Stormlight, and there are scenes that could contain nudity (but those are just bathing scenes, where it really isn't necessary to show anything and would seem gratuitous if you did), but the story isn't characterized by it. There would be a number of episodes that would really just be PG- or even G-rated. With a property like The Stormlight Archive, where there's already a ton of stuff that will confuse the uninitiated, you really don't want to spend your advertising dollars convincing people that the show isn't for kids. You want to spend that money explaining why this very complicated and immersive world is worth the average viewer's time.

 

Anyway, I think SA would work just fine as a live action TV show. So far, a decent amount of time has passed over the course of each book, so you could do, say, 10 seasons or so and not have the aging actors look weird. Now, something like The Wheel of Time, you might have to animate it. The whole story (with the exception of the prequel), all 14 books of it, happens over the course of 3 years, tops. Almost every main character is 17-19 years old, and it would quickly become very difficult to hide actors' aging, as the series stretched over the years.