Dark is Rising Casting News

[sdelmonte]

I am not a Dark is Rising fan. I do know that those of you who are are rather annoyed with the news regarding the film. So I wonder how the following casting items I found on Scifi.com will be regarded...

Ian McShane (Deadwood) as Merriman Lyon

Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who, Heroes) as the Rider

I have to say, from my PoV, any film with Chris Eccleston as the bad guy is going to get my attention.

Thoughts?

Comments

[jezrana.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha, I called Eccleston as the Rider when I heard he was auditioning. And villian-Eccleston yeeeess *fingersteeples*.

I don't know the other guy, having never seen more than five minutes of Deadwood.

[silveraspen]

... um. My word.

*sits and eyes the casting for a while*

I honestly don't know what to think. I'd heard that Eccleston was going to be in the film, but the interview I saw indicated that he wasn't playing a "bad guy." Which, either that was a bit misleading/misunderstood, or they've seriously bollixed up the role.

I see from IMDB that McShane (Swearingen? Oh, my brain hurts already) was also cast in The Golden Compass. I haven't seen Deadwood, so I don't actually have a mental image of him other than from a clip or two that's been pointed my way via YouTube, but it's a fairly rigorous mental exercise to blend the two. I'd have to see it to see how well he'd work out.

I just don't know. The actors are good, but from what I've heard that they're doing to the story... I want to scrub my brain with soap. I really don't know what to think.

[genarti]

Agreed on all counts.

*sigh* I don't really plan to see this, star-studded cast or no, unless I hear from friends that it's much better than I'm currently expecting. It's not that I doubt any of the actors I've heard to be involved, but there's only so much the best actor can do with a butchered travesty of a script.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[agonistes]

.............

Ian McShane?



I just.

I am caught between utter horror and utter delight, because Ian McShane is one of the few actors I can think of who can pull off Merriman's voice, which is really important, considering how much time Cooper takes to describe it.

It's just going to be very hard (if I see it) not to be mentally inserting profanity in all of Merriman's lines, because that is how Al Swearengen rolls.

[batyatoon]

...

I no longer love you.

(AUGH GET THE SWEARING MERRIMAN OUT OF MY HEAD.)

[bardling.livejournal.com]

I don't know Ian McShane, but yeah, Eccleston as a bad guy? I'm interested...

Plus, of course, I love The Dark Is Rising books, so I'd want to watch it anyway, however good or bad it'll turn out to be, though of course I'd hope for "good". :)

[dotsomething.livejournal.com]

I haven't posted about this because I don't know enough about McShane as an actor; I hear he's a fine actor but I'm having trouble picturing him as Merriman. Then again, I'd never have thought of Gary Oldman for Jim Gordon, either.

Chris Eccleston will make a fine Rider, I think, although visually he doesn't match the book description.

The casting hasn't worried me overmuch, it's the changes to the characters that make me want to hit things.