Itaril

[oddkins]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/en...-15151475.html

Saoirse Ronan has revealed she will not be playing woodland elf Itaril in The Hobbit.
The Hanna star had been in talks to star in The Lord Of The Rings prequel, directed by Peter Jackson, who she worked with on The Lovely Bones, but has now signed up to star in The Host.

That's probably the best news I've heard all week - although of course it doesn't mean Jackson has dropped the idea of inrtroducing this Itaril character...

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by oddkins

That's probably the best news I've heard all week - although of course it doesn't mean Jackson has dropped the idea of inrtroducing this Itaril character...

Shame it isn't April 1st, or I'd have to make up a story about Scarlett Johansson replacing her.

[Mithalwen]

At least you can imaging Scarlett as a shield maiden. She could kick donkeys... But I am ecstatic it won't be her at least and I am hopeful they might scrub the idea like they did with Arwen Warrior Princess.

[TheMisfortuneTeller]

I've tried my level best to lampoon (in prose and verse) what I consider a truly terrible idea for a Middle Earth character: namely, the elf-chick/security-guard, Itaril. Still, even a complete cynic like me can't always conceive of just how bad ideas for movies have become. It seems, fellow Crimestoppers, that the actress Saoirse Ronan "stars" in a just released film called "Hanna," where -- I kid you, not -- the plot proceeds as follows:

"Storyline

Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Ms. Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity."

I have no idea what this can possibly mean, in regard to The Hobbit, but this Hanna character sounds awfully close to the original casting-call description for Peter Jackson's idea of a butt-kicking elf-babe love-interest like Itaril. Perhaps Jackson and Company have seen an advance screening of this movie, Hanna, and barely escaped choking to death while laughing and vomiting at the same time. Perhaps this near-death experience convinced them that they'd better rethink the whole stupid idea -- possibly just forget all about it. Or, they could have decided that the part would have worked out better if only another "more convincing" actress had done it, in which case something really awful could still lie ahead for us gullible viewers a year-and-a-half in the future.

I don't know. I feel sick. I'll have to give this a little more thought. After all, I haven't had my prescribed dose of masochism for the day.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by TheMisfortuneTeller

Perhaps Jackson and Company have seen an advance screening of this movie, Hanna, and barely escaped choking to death while laughing and vomiting at the same time. Perhaps this near-death experience convinced them that they'd better rethink the whole stupid idea -- possibly just forget all about it. Or, they could have decided that the part would have worked out better if only another "more convincing" actress had done it, in which case something really awful could still lie ahead for us gullible viewers a year-and-a-half in the future.

Or perhaps they merely (FINALLY) realised that they were butchering Tolkien's works enough, and that having Weaving cast as Elrond, making Gimli into a comic relief character, and creating Valinor into some universal heaven already did enough damage in the trilogy.

I think I'm being too optimistic.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

I think I'm being too optimistic.

I think so too.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Or perhaps they merely (FINALLY) realised that they were butchering Tolkien's works enough, and that having Weaving cast as Elrond, making Gimli into a comic relief character, and creating Valinor into some universal heaven already did enough damage in the trilogy.

I think I'm being too optimistic.

Hugo was fine as Elrond. It isn't his fault they turned Elrond into a creepy dad.

[Thinlómien]

MisfortuneTeller - uh oh, I totally cracked up at this: "Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland." Maybe I have to see it! (For your information, I happen to be from the said country.)

I hope they handle the "have to have a major female character" syndrome somewhow smartly. You can kill me for saying this, but having Bard/Barde the Queen of Dale rise to lead her people, co-operate with the King of Elves (and even having a love affair with him or his son for all I care!) and shoot Smaug would please me better than introducing some new totally random character to take up screen time.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by TheMisfortuneTeller

Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Ms. Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity."

I have no idea what this can possibly mean, in regard to The Hobbit, but this Hanna character sounds awfully close to the original casting-call description for Peter Jackson's idea of a butt-kicking elf-babe love-interest like Itaril.

Perhaps the "startling revelation" is the discovery she's really an Elf?

I went and googled this, and it brings up a link to a "Guardian" review that begins thus: "It opens like The Tempest, with a rogue secret agent (Eric Bana) self-exiled to the Arctic waste of northern Finland with his innocent daughter, Hanna..."

Ah, yes. Just like "The Tempest".