An Actress to play Honor Harrington

I don't have an idea who can play Honor, but for some others I have a definite preference;

Shannon Foraker - Allison Scagliotti
Michelle Henke - Genelle Williams
Louise Pritchart - Laura Harris
Oscar Saint Just - Allan Rickman

Kater wrote:I don't have an idea who can play Honor, but for some others I have a definite preference;

Shannon Foraker - Allison Scagliotti
Michelle Henke - Genelle Williams
Louise Pritchart - Laura Harris
Oscar Saint Just - Allan Rickman

Um, no to the last.
For Oscar Saint-Just, we need someone who can manage to appear almost clerk-like. Rickman is an excellent actor, but he does have a slight tendency towards hamming things up somewhat.
We need an actor who does understatement. One who can deliver an entire speech wordlessly, simply by slightly changing his expression.
Don't get me wrong, I think Rickman's a great actor, especially when he's threatening to cut someone's heart out WITH A SPOON! , but that's the problem. We need an actor who does professional minimalistic acting, preferably a Shakespearean-trained actor. We need an actor who can show that.
Saint-Just is perhaps the most emotionally-controlled character in the Honorverse with a level of self-control equal to Cardinal Richleau.
That being said, there may be a different role for Rickman, should he be willing...

Michael Everett wrote:Um, no to the last.
For Oscar Saint-Just, we need someone who can manage to appear almost clerk-like. [Alan] Rickman is an excellent actor, but he does have a slight tendency towards hamming things up somewhat.
We need an actor who does understatement. One who can deliver an entire speech wordlessly, simply by slightly changing his expression.
...
We need an actor who does professional minimalistic acting, preferably a Shakespearean-trained actor. We need an actor who can show that.

Saint-Just is perhaps the most emotionally-controlled character in the Honorverse with a level of self-control equal to Cardinal Richleau.

I nominate Patrick Stewart. He meets all of the above criteria.

Plus, he's easy on the eyes.

.

DJMacdonald wrote:

Michael Everett wrote:Um, no to the last.
For Oscar Saint-Just, we need someone who can manage to appear almost clerk-like. [Alan] Rickman is an excellent actor, but he does have a slight tendency towards hamming things up somewhat.
We need an actor who does understatement. One who can deliver an entire speech wordlessly, simply by slightly changing his expression.
...
We need an actor who does professional minimalistic acting, preferably a Shakespearean-trained actor. We need an actor who can show that.

Saint-Just is perhaps the most emotionally-controlled character in the Honorverse with a level of self-control equal to Cardinal Richleau.

I nominate Patrick Stewart. He meets all of the above criteria.

Plus, he's easy on the eyes.

.

...you nominate Patrick "THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!" Stewart for his understated acting??

(I'm mostly kidding. Patrick can do understated - I've just never seen him do it.)

Tom Hiddleston might not be a bad bet, but good luck getting him for a feasible salary!

Jonathon Young (Sanctuary, Stargate: Atlantis) has been a favorite of mine for years - he's tremendously talented but not very well-known.

I've never seen Laura Harris in - well, anything - clearly I oughtta fix that - but from looks alone I think she could pull it off. Given that this is my baby Eloise we're talking about, I reserve judgment until I've actually seen the woman act, however.

I still want Jeremy Renner for Tom Theisman.

And I'm pretty much desperate for my lovely, wonderful, darling Torri Higginson to have some role in the Honorverse, though I'm not sure who she could play at this point. If we were to ignore race entirely, I think she'd make a lovely Estelle Matsuko.

After thinking long and hard I found my ideal White Haven

Marc Harmon

Good looking and old enough to portray a senior officer.

Saint Just

Rickman not Shakespearan enough - not in my eyes

I admit Rickman is only my number two for the role, but Edward G Robinson died long ago...

If Richelieu is the "role model" - how about Christoph Waltz

For good old Oscar, what about Ben Kingsley?

First post, long time lurker

Kater wrote:After thinking long and hard I found my ideal White Haven

Marc Harmon

Good looking and old enough to portray a senior officer.

Saint Just

Rickman not Shakespearan enough - not in my eyes

I admit Rickman is only my number two for the role, but Edward G Robinson died long ago...

If Richelieu is the "role model" - how about Christoph Waltz

Harmon would make a better St Just than a White Haven. However we don't need a St Just for at least 5 years.

The lead times for all these roles are a killer for even fantasy casting. With current estimated release in 2017, we're probably looking at another year until they are seriously looking at casting decisions, even for Honor.

What I am looking to hear next is who has been attached to direct. I hope we might hear something at Honorcon, but the realistic little voice in my head is still saying, "too soon, dude, too soon".

BTW, Evergreen said at LAST Honorcon that there will not be any serious cast recruiting until there was a director on contract, because the director's vision and preferences will be key to the casting.

dreamrider

dreamrider wrote:BTW, Evergreen said at LAST Honorcon that there will not be any serious cast recruiting until there was a director on contract, because the director's vision and preferences will be key to the casting.

dreamrider

But shouldn't you pick a director who shares the "vision" with David Weber.

She/He should at least have read the earlier novels and the last too (to know where it is headed).

I am not convinced that we get a "true to the books" film. For simplicity I think some plot lines will be shortened and merged. Maybe the Republic of Havens turn into teh peoples republic will have already happened in the movie universe. Maybe we will see in the opening scenes Saint Just planning and ordering the "Grayson" mission. So you early plant him as THE main opponent of the (possible) series

My only hope is that the movie is not "JAcksonized" like the LOTR where they dropped important plot (acceptable if you want to do a series that does not become too long) but invented new stuff instead (NEVER acceptable to purists - Elves ad Helms Deep or Frodo in OSgiliath - Yuck))


It may be to early to really expect ""confirmed" details, but nonetheless its fun in itself to speculate

Kater wrote:

dreamrider wrote:BTW, Evergreen said at LAST Honorcon that there will not be any serious cast recruiting until there was a director on contract, because the director's vision and preferences will be key to the casting.

dreamrider

But shouldn't you pick a director who shares the "vision" with David Weber.

She/He should at least have read the earlier novels and the last too (to know where it is headed).

I am not convinced that we get a "true to the books" film. For simplicity I think some plot lines will be shortened and merged. Maybe the Republic of Havens turn into teh peoples republic will have already happened in the movie universe. Maybe we will see in the opening scenes Saint Just planning and ordering the "Grayson" mission. So you early plant him as THE main opponent of the (possible) series

My only hope is that the movie is not "JAcksonized" like the LOTR where they dropped important plot (acceptable if you want to do a series that does not become too long) but invented new stuff instead (NEVER acceptable to purists - Elves ad Helms Deep or Frodo in OSgiliath - Yuck))


It may be to early to really expect ""confirmed" details, but nonetheless its fun in itself to speculate

To paraphrase a Wise Man (or perhaps a Mad Wizard) who happens to be very involved in this project (and already credited as an executive producer):

You cannot make an 350 page, 100,000 word novel into a 120 page (~20,000 word) screenplay without doing a little cutting, condensing, and combining...of scenes, exposition, AND CHARACTERS.

It will NOT all be in there, folks. THEY will not all be in there. David knows it, accepts it, is trying to guide it - a little. Get your minds wrapped around it now, and you will die happier.

dreamrider

dreamrider wrote:
To paraphrase a Wise Man (or perhaps a Mad Wizard) who happens to be very involved in this project (and already credited as an executive producer):

You cannot make an 350 page, 100,000 word novel into a 120 page (~20,000 word) screenplay without doing a little cutting, condensing, and combining...of scenes, exposition, AND CHARACTERS.

It will NOT all be in there, folks. THEY will not all be in there. David knows it, accepts it, is trying to guide it - a little. Get your minds wrapped around it now, and you will die happier.

dreamrider

DING DING DING, WE HAVE A WINNER!

There are literally only three characters (besides the blatantly obvious) I am dead certain cannot be cut and/or merged with another: Thomas Theisman, for possible-future-film-related reasons; and Katherine and Elaine Mayhew, for the simple reason that giving Benjamin only one wife would entirely defeat the point of hammering home Grayson's traditional polygyny.

I'm aware that a number of characters I dearly love will probably be merged or cut altogether. And I'll be okay with that, as long as it's done well.

Film is not literature. And to anyone who thinks a literal transcription from page to screen makes a good movie, I would refer you to the first two Harry Potter films.