Nobody likes recasting roles. It confuses continuity, befuddles audiences and sometimes upsets the original actors. But there are times when such a shake-up in performers is both necessary… and even an improvement.
Take, for example, today’s news that Bryce Dallas Howard will take over for Rachelle Lefevre in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” the third installment in the bloodsucking ‘tween-friendly franchise. While it’s still too early to call the casting an upgrade over Lefevre, it’s certainly not as bad of a replacement as it could be. If nothing else, Howard is in good company — plenty of Hollywood-folk have been in her shoes before, and many of them proved successful in their reinterpreted roles.
Don’t believe me? This stroll down memory lane of five re-cast roles should be proof enough that Howard’s upcoming gig might work out for the best.
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE (”Harry Potter” Series): When actor Richard Harris tragically passed away after “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” Muggles across the globe wondered how the series could go on. Now, with only the two-part “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” left to go, Michael Gambon’s interpretation of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore is the definitive version of the character. While Harris’s gentle portrayal of the long-bearded wizard is certainly missed, Gambon’s scene-stealing presence has cast a spell on “Potter” fans everywhere.
JAMES “RHODEY” RHODES (”Iron Man” Series): You know it’s hard out in Hollywood for a pimp, but it’s even worse in comic book land for Terrence Howard. The “Iron Man” star was famously dropped from the cast of the big budget sequel due to a reported salary dispute, leaving Oscar-winning actor Don Cheadle to pick up the War Machine mantle for “Iron Man 2.” Sure, it would have been nice to see Howard’s promise of “next time” fulfilled, but it’s hard to deny the sheer force of Cheadle’s acting chops — especially after his crowd-pleasing appearance at Comic-Con last weekend.
RACHEL DAWES (Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” Series): After the unmitigated disaster that was “Batman & Robin” — that’s describing it in kid-safe terms, of course — Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” was nothing less than a breath of fresh air. While the film was widely revered, actress Katie Holmes proved a sore spot for fans and critics alike in an otherwise flawless reinterpretation. Cue Maggie Gyllenhaal, sister of Jake, who stepped into the role of ADA Rachel Dawson in “The Dark Knight.” Despite her character’s less-than-happy ending, Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Batman’s main squeeze was a universally embraced upgrade over Holmes’ previous performance.
BRUCE WAYNE (”Batman” Series): Sticking to the world of Gotham City, do you have any idea just how many Batmen have existed in front of the camera? From Lewis Wilson to Christian Bale and everybody in between, there’s no shortage of Caped Crusaders caught on film. Each and every one of them has achieved varying degrees of success — Michael Keaton had the Bruce Wayne part down, Adam West mastered the camp (hell, he created it), George Clooney was the nipple king — but the crown could well go to Kevin Conroy, who continues to provide Batman’s voice in projects such as “Batman: Gotham Knight” and “Batman: Arkham Asylum.”
JOHN CONNOR (”Terminator” Series): Another role played by Christian Bale — indeed, alongside Howard herself — is none other than John Connor, the future savior of mankind. Bale is hardly the first person to assume the role, following performances by Nick Stahl in “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” and Edward Furlong in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” Still, some would argue that Thomas Dekker’s portrayal of the character in “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” is the best one yet. Despite the show’s short-lived run and premature cancellation, “Chronicles” attained a massive following that continues to fight for its small screen return.
source: Bryce Dallas Howard, You’re Not Alone — Here Are Five Other Re-cast Roles [MTV]
In Day 11, The Dark Knight surpassed Iron Man to become 2008’s highest grossing film plus the superhero sequel cracked the all-time Top 20 in the process.
Warner Bros. generated $10.5M on Monday to raise its unbelievable cume to $324.3M which was more than enough to soar past Marvel’s metal man which has taken in $315M to date since its early May bow. Knight also climbed to number 18 on the all-time domestic blockbusters chart just ahead of Shrek the Third which banked $321M last summer.
Monday’s gross was down 57% from last Monday’s towering $24.5M haul. Given its current pace, Knight might be able to reach the $350M mark by the end of its second week of release. That would mean a jump up to number 13 on the all-time list ahead of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by the time the third weekend begins.
As if it hasn’t broken enough records, The Dark Knight also became the top-grossing blockbuster in Warner Bros. history surpassing the $317.6M of 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Ticket prices were lower back then, but the new Batman adventure will still be able to zoom past the boy wizard in admissions in the coming days.
The Joker and friends are on course to boost the cume to roughly $390M by the end of this coming weekend and then blast through the $400M mark mid-next week.
After being tossed aside from the lingerie giant, Kate Moss will once again join the sexy panty campaign of Agent Provocateur.
She was the body for the business and starred in steamy commercial films for the site that were entitled “The Four Dreams of Miss X.” The first installment of the videos brought so much traffic to the Agent Provocateur site upon it’s original release that it crashed the site.
Maggie Gyllenhaal then took the reigns from Moss after the brand decided to find a different way to convey sex appeal. The cocaine addicted model and the founders of the company had a falling out according to rumors. However, it has been confirmed that Kate will return to be featured in the bridal range of lingerie. It will be launched next month. Just in time for wedding season.
“A spokesperson for the label confirmed to us this morning that Nick Knight has already shot a series of six images for the campaign, in which Moss stars as a bride who, we are tantalizingly told, has a “last minute change of heart.”
The campaign will run for a total of one year. I am sure the falling out somehow involved ex-supplier/boyfriend Peter Doherty and his top hat.
Slowly everything from photos, trailers and even the first seven minutes of the Dark Knight film has been leaked to the net. Thank the blogger gods for cinematical teasers. And here we have some new photos that have made their way to the surface. (I threw in a few older ones to keep the flow.)
Maggie Gyllenhaal has taken the place of Kaite Holmes’ character in the last Batman film has assured us she won’t be reproducing Katie’s performance in the first installment.
“I think she’s a wonderful actress and I really admired the work that she did in the first Batman, but I don’t think it would have worked if I tried to imitate her. I think the only way to do it is to do it like myself.” And because Christopher Nolan is a classy director, there won’t be any winks or nods to the fact that Rachel Dawes is a new face. “They just (expect you to) suspend your disbelief. I’m Rachel Dawes now. I mean, how many Batmen have there been? Lots of them!”
I am not a huge comic fan, but I could have dealt with a new chic in the role of damsel in distress. I like my Batman a little bit slutty.
[Click the Thumbnails for a Larger Image]
Source: SHH! Chats Up Maggie G. on Dark Knight [Super Hero Hype]
Sure, this clip looks like a date gone wrong — three women, including the luminous Maggie Gyllenhaal, show up at the same door for a date with the same guy, then get a little frisky themselves (and then the pizza girl arrives, which never happens in real life).
But it’s actually clever part of the ‘Speechless Without Writers’ campaign from UnitedHollywood.com, a blog representing the Writer’s Guild of America. Bet you wish the strike would end so you can see what happens next
JJ Abrams brings a monster movie to theaters. A monster of epic porportions attacks New York City in Godzilla style. What the monster is a mystery. Below is a supposed photo of the monster that appears to be some sort of mutated whale that breathes fire. I am guessing it is a hoax, but how awesome would I be for finding this one for. That’s right, bask in the blogger glory.
The Upside- The hype alone may be worth the price of a movie ticket. The Downside- The entire film is shot from the perspective of a video camera. All I can think of is the awful camera work of The Blair Witch Project.
Rambo-January 25th
Stallone shoots up the screen again in yet another Rambo. The plot is set in Thailand where a group of mercenaries and John Rambo try to infiltrate a Burmese village. The war filled trailer promises a fill of theatrical gore.
The Upside- It’s freaking Rambo people. The Downside- If there is such a thing as too much violence, this would be it. Then again…some might see that as an upside.
21- March 21st
Kevin Spacey brings us a hot way to appreciate math. It is based on a true story that involves some MIT college kids counting cards in Vegas. This is the math club I missed out on. The six students took several Vegas casinos for millions of dollars. If you are into books it came from the novel “Bringing Down the House.”
The Upside- Kevin Spacey, a plot that should fuel a great movie and a moral lesson. The Downside- It could really be overdone and corny depending on the talent.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian- May 16th
The Pevensie children return to Narnia to help out ol’ Aslan. What has only been one year to the kids has been 1300 years in Narnia. Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy help out a prettied up Prince Caspian regain the throne. It follows the film The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The 2004 wasn’t bad, but leaving things open to interpretation can hinder your views.
The Upside- The trailer was able to capture my attention and the books are a staple in many households. It looks to be a darker and intense view that echoes the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The Downside- That interpretation factor could ruin a movie. When you create film from something that holds a legendary quality it is easy to screw up.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- May 22nd
Harrison Ford teams up with up and coming Shia LaBeouf in the latest installment of the Indiana Jones films. The film is set in the Cold War of 1957 and Shia is rocking a pompadour. No trailers out there yet.
The Upside- Harrison Ford returns to the character of Jones after an 18 year hiatus. The Jones film hype speaks for itself. The Downside- That is a lot of hype to live up to. Sequels are hard to impress an audience with. Especially when 18 years of anticipation is behind it.
Sex and the City- May 30th
Sarah Jessica Parker brings sexy back in the film version on the HBO series. The series strayed into new realms that women have no fear to talk about in real life. Beyond love, relationships and men the four women became heroes to the modern day bored housewife. They freely talked about sex and cranked out some quotes that will not leave you.
“I will wear whatever and blow whomever I want as long as I can breathe and kneel.”
The Upside- The series was fearless, if the movie is the same way we are in for a treat. The Downside- Oh let me count the possible factors that could doom the film. So much has been leaked online it will be beyond predictable. The second factor….I fear it will be one of those things that ended on a high note, but they tried to squeeze one last dime from a concept that is stale.
The Happening- June 13th
Yes that is a Friday the 13th release date. M. Night Shyamalan strikes again with another thriller. While the past few Night films have failed to impress the masses, this one is rumored to be a redemption. Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo and Spencer Breslin star in the film that is already rated “R.”
The Upside- I would love to see M. Night get back into the swing of twisted thrillers that rival The Sixth Sense. The Downside- It could be a further disappointment that could be the final blow.
Batman: The Dark Knight- July 18th
The Dark Knight is probably the most anticipated films. Heath Ledger and Christian Bale star in the latest installment of the Batman films. The sequel features the ultimate villain, the Joker. When I heard Ledger was cast in the role I was disappointed. I kept picture this pretty boy in the Joker’s shoes giggling as he tried to thwart Bale. The trailer has redeemed my faith in the film. This version of the Joker is darker, better, more intense and believable as a psycho. Kudos to Heath for proving me wrong.
The Upside- Maggie Gyllenhaal replaced Katie Holmes’ dumbass damsel in distress. The Downside- Let me get back to you on that.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- November 21st
Harry Potter is one of those films that directors can easily screw up. (Ahem…Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.) The last film of the series wasn’t bad and the director who was at the helm for returns again for the Half Blood Prince. My fingers are crossed for those Harry Potter fans who are so very dedicated to the books. Either way you can bet that this film will not fly under the radar.
The Upside- Harry Potter has become the new aged superhero that has started a following that is appealing to all ages. The books are beyond detailed, here’s hoping for some cinema magic. The Downside- If you haven’t read the books by the end of the this film you will be lost. So much has already been left out of the films that, personally, I feel are vital to understand the plot.
The Lovely Bones- Currently Rumored Release in Summer 2008
Peter Jackson won my heart by not completely killing the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Here we have another novel based film that has a big budget. Ryan Gosling had the leading male role before age became a factor and Mark Wahlberg reportedly took his place. The story is from the perspective of a 14 year old girl who was raped and murdered by a neighbor. She tells the tale from heaven and shows the lives of those affected by her death.
The Upside- Great cast, great director and the material is of substance. The Downside- How freakin’ sad!
Sources: Yahoo Top 10 Movies [Yahoo] and 55 Movies Not to Miss of 2008 [Slash Films]
It creates controversy. Maggie Gyllenhaal was spotted out, nursing in public… and not very discretely either.
Your thoughts?
What Others Are Saying:
Gawker, If and when I have children I am going to breastfeed them until they’re 6, wherever I go, because I am always going to be poor and that is free baby food.
Some of Hollywood’s most successful women share an unexpected byproduct of success — hairy armpits. Ok… this just made me puke a little. [heh]
Bello’s underarms apparently don’t get the fine coiffing that her head and eyebrows get.
Maggie Gyllenhaal also says she has two weeks worth of armpit hair just like her ‘World Trade Center’ co-star.
That was one of the lighter messages brought home on Tuesday at a star-studded breakfast, hosted by the Hollywood Reporter in conjunction with the publication of its 15th annual Women In Entertainment Power 100 list.
“It’s a miracle I’m here,” said keynote speaker Maria Bello , star of “World Trade Center,” in describing her hectic morning as a multi-tasking mom during which she finally got around to “shaving two-week old growth” under her arms.
“I still have two-week old growth,” quipped fellow “World Trade Center” star Maggie Gyllenhaal , another keynote speaker who, like Bello, earned accolades for her role in the Oliver Stone -directed drama about the September 11 attacks.
