The forthcoming Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy film gets its Arthur Dent, and it’s apparently this fellow: Martin Freeman, of Love Actually and The Office, neither of which I’ve seen. Well, he looks like an ordinary bloke, which is half the battle. (The other half is straight-man timing.) Apparently, Bill Nighy (also of Love Actually, but I only know him as the Big Bad in the very lame Underworld) is playing Slartibartfast, and I also think that’s pretty good casting. Now for Ford Prefect…Steve Coogan? Keira Knightley as Trillian? Andy Serkis as Zaphod Beeblebrox’s second head?
Category: Casting
Gotham’s Finest.
While unconfirmed, an interesting scoop for the Nolan Batman (apparently titled Batman: Intimidation) has recently emerged online: Apparently, neither Viggo nor Cillian Murphy are playing the villains – they have yet to be cast. In fact, Viggo is somebody named Judson Caspian (apparently, Katie Holmes’s father…I dunno, this sounds like Ras Al Ghul/Talia to me), while Murphy is playing a young Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face, previously portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in the first Batman and hammed into the ground by Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever.) More intriguing still, the scooper says Chris Cooper is on for Commissioner Gordon. (Michael Caine is already squared away as Alfred.) Perhaps it’s all fanboy wishful thinking…but that sounds like great casting.
If he only had a brain.
28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy joins the Nolan Batman. If the rumors about Viggo as Ras Al Ghul hold up, then Murphy has to be the Scarecrow, and, y’know, as I noted awhile back, that’s pretty darn good casting.
From Dawson’s Creek to Wayne Manor.
Christopher Nolan and David Goyer think about adding Katie Holmes to the new Batman. (Early word was she might play Talia, daughter of Ras al Ghul, but it sounds like she’s just the love interest.) I’m not sure if she and Bale work together, but hopefully the romance will remain a relatively minor subplot anyway. Update: Viggo as Ras Al Ghul?
What’s it all about, Alfred?
Michael Caine joins the Christopher Nolan Batman as Alfred. That’s an interesting choice, and what with Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, Nolan’s two-for-two. But who will play the villains? Dark Horizons says Daniel Day-Lewis as Ras Al-Ghul, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Nite Moves.
AICN claims John Cusack is cast as the Nite-Owl in the hopefully forthcoming Watchmen. Cusack is a quality actor that I’m glad to see attached to this project. But as the Nite-Owl? Isn’t he a bit young and skinny? The Nite-Owl really should be played by an older actor, or by someone who’s gone a bit more to seed. Tom Hulce?
Mirror, Mirror on the wall.
In case anybody needed another reason to see Terry Gilliam’s next project, Monica Bellucci joins The Brothers’ Grimm as the evil queen of an enchanted forest…looks like Snow White may get a run for her money.
Unwanted Undead.
Bad news for bloodsuckers – Underworlds 2 and 3 get the go. And, in more interesting news for the vampirically inclined, Parker Posey joins Blade 3.
Kong’s New Squeeze.
When you die, you see the Kong…Mulholland Drive star Naomi Watts is in talks to to be PJ’s Fay Wray. Good to see the great ape still has excellent taste.
Evil Marge.
Will Frances McDormand play the villain in Halle Berry’s Catwoman? This sounded like another classic Warner Brothers screw-up of a DC franchise, but it might be fun to watch McDormand chew the scenery. Perhaps I’ll watch it on cable.