Let's cast the Silmarillion

[Boromir88]

Húrin - This is where Sean Bean gets his call and is told to do exactly what he's done before eight million times.

Haha, true he typically tends to get type-casted. Except in his recent movie Silent Hill, he actually plays a concerned father...rather strange.

Morgoth-CGI visually, obviously. The voice of Brendan Gleeson. Ha ha...

I was wondering where to fit in Brendan Gleeson because he has that bad guy, deep voice. And I first though the voice of Gothmog, but then I'm like..wait does Gothmog ever speak? Now I think Morgoth would be a better fit.

Which gets me thinking on Liam Neeson perhaps...Cirdan?

[Eruanna]

Some brilliant suggestions here. Alan Rickman is an asset to any film!
I think I'd like to see a few 'lesser known' actors get their chance too. I'd suggest Gerard Butler as Hurin (he played the title role in Phantom of the Opera but is also good at emotional and action man type roles)
I'd also suggest Morena Baccarin (from Serenity...or Firefly as it was originally) as Luthien. She is very beautiful.

[Anguirel]

An extremely good point. Probably the perfect parts for many of these, in all seriousness, are relative unknowns.

[Lalaith]

I must have Joaquim Phoenix as one of the sons of Feanor, I don't care which one.

Also, I am rather taken with the earlier suggestion of Angelina Jolie as Luthien. Luthien's Mary-Sue qualities are something of a problem and Ms Jolie is edgy enough to dispel them.
Halle Berry as Yavanna? (Again, thus dispelling irritating hippy earth mother quality)
French actresses are in general a Good Thing. Good call of Emmeline Beart, Ang, but I'd prefer her as Idril....and Catherine Deneuve as Varda.

[Anguirel]

Originally Posted by Lalaith

French actresses are in general a Good Thing. Good call of Emmeline Beart, Ang, but I'd prefer her as Idril...

Nooo! You're going to turn Maeglin into Ugolin! Actually, that works on so many levels...

Joaquin for Maeglin surely, come to think of it. Remember Commodus...?

[Lalaith]

Sorry, Emanuelle, not Emmeline.
I thought Ugolin a very poignant character. The ribbon thing....

[Anguirel]

God, yes. No one with any kind of heart would support the smug, cold teacher Manon chooses over Ugolin, so vulnerable and identifiable.

Similarly, I'm always amazed that people prefer Tuor to Maeglin...

I think I must be in a minority in preferring Manon to Jean de Florette by miles...

To get back to casting-Angelina Jolie as Luthien would be a mistake of Oliver Stone-esque proportions. She has sex appeal without being beautiful, the utter opposite of Luthien. My choice of Liv Tyler represents total surrender to Mary-Sue like vapidity; I think this is inseparable from Luthien and we might as well enjoy it...

[Eruanna]

I think David Tennant would still qualify as a relative unknown...For now anyway. He's certainly capable of the intensity needed for Turin. He has really impressed me as Doctor Who.
I'd have to think of a replacement for Jude Law as Celegorm though.
Liam Neeson would get my vote as Beleg Cuthalion...he's a master at those type of mentor/father figure roles these days.

[Macalaure]

Originally Posted by Anguirel

Probably the perfect parts for many of these, in all seriousness, are relative unknowns.

Sure. Not at least for budget reasons.

I suspect there are quite a lot totally unknown and, of course, totally under-rated actors right here at the Barrowdowns... I'd like to cast myself for the role of Daeron!

"Seriously" again, I definitely wouldn't take relatively unknown actors to play the elven royals. They will mostly not have that much screen time (like Galadriel in LotR), and by being played by a known actor the common audience will better perceive their importance.

You brought up Edward Norton, Anguirel. What about him as Fingon?

[Anguirel]

Not a bad idea, but I really do think Maedhros is his ideal part.

I'm now having second thoughts about Alan Rickman as Maglor...argh...

The title of the thread evoked a bizarre dialogue.

MAGLOR: Hey, Maedhros, let's cast the Silmarillion!

MAEDHROS: OK. Where? A fiery chasm? The ocean?

[Lalaith]

She has sex appeal without being beautiful, the utter opposite of Luthien

I don't know about that...think of the evil lust she provokes in Melkor and in Celegorm...
David Tennant....I know I cast him as Merry but I'm not at all convinced about having him as Turin or what-have-you. He lacks gravitas. I'm not 100% about him as the Doctor, he's fun but he's no Ecclestone.
Speaking of which, I think he (ie Christopher Ecclestone) would be good as Gwindor, the broken elf.

PS How about Alan Rickman as Aule? Can't you just hear him saying dryly: "Nevertheless they will have need of wood..."

[Macalaure]

Anguirel, Rickman as Maglor and Malkovich as Curufin? Aren't the two a bit too old for these roles? And Edward Norten as the elder brother of the two?