Who Should Play Beorn in The Hobbit?

[Aaron]

Being one of my favourite characters in that book I got to thinking about who could play him in a possible movie. Who would you pick to play Beorn? I thought about Eric Bana but maybe he wouldn't suit the role.

[Macalaure]

Though I really like Bana, I don't think that a minor character like Beorn could justify an actor as popular (and expensive!) like him. I'm sure they'll find some decent actor, whom probably none of us had known before.

Besides, am I the only one who fears that Beorn could perhaps share the fate of Tom Bombadil?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

Besides, am I the only one who fears that Beorn could perhaps share the fate of Tom Bombadil?

Could well be the case, especially if TH is "expanded" into two films with background from The Silm.

Still, one would think they would need all the action they can get if they want this expansion. Surely a shape-shifting bear could be used to provide some log rolling if not tree shielding comic relief?

[narfforc]

Robbie Coltrane, for those non-British he is the actor who plays Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies.



P.S Hairy Potter and The Prisoners on a Razorban, or
Potty Harry and The Goblins on Fire

[Lush]

Robbie Coltrane would be pretty sweet. Also, Brian Blessed is amazing.

[Aaron]

But Beorn is in my mind a character who is almost an antihero, I'll never forget how he nailed the Warg skin to a tree. Whoever plays him needs to have a real edge.

[Lush]

Coltrane has major edge. Have you ever watched "Cracker"? And Brian Blessed is also a great actor, with great range. Range and versatility are what's important here, I think.

They could do something really new, and get Michael Clarke Duncan.

[doug*platypus]

Robbie Coltrane, for those non-British he is the actor who plays Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies.

Yeah, for sure. When I thought "Beorn" I immediately afterwards thought "Hagrid". I agree that he has to have a bit of a dangerous edge to him, as well, though. Beorn is a bit of a maniac!

[narfforc]

Robbie Coltrane IS a maniac, but he is also a good comedy actor and comedian.

[Aaron]

But Beorn is not comic relief within the book, his brutality is really quite stunning for a story aimed toward a young audience.

[Lush]

Yes, but Coltrane is capable of much more than comic relief. Hence my mention of "Cracker."

Another possibility:

Samuel le Bihan? He was brutal, and honourable, and magnificent, in "Le Pacte des Loups." He's not a huge guy per se (height-wise), but he certainly has gravitas.

Stephen Fry is a big guy (people forget how big he actually is) with enormous range. He might seem too genteel, but he can do it. Random trivia: My boyfriend's dad broke Fry's nose in a rugby match! Which is truly hilarious, because he's half Fry's size!

[Lalaith]

How about Vinnie Jones?

[Sir Kohran]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Could well be the case, especially if TH is "expanded" into two films with background from The Silm.

Still, one would think they would need all the action they can get if they want this expansion. Surely a shape-shifting bear could be used to provide some log rolling if not tree shielding comic relief?

I don't think they'll get rid of Beorn as he's an important character - he saves Thorin from instant death and almost single handedly turns the tide of the battle on the ground. Besides that, is any film director going to pass up a bearded shapeshifter who transforms into a giant fighting bear?

The problem with Bombadil was that he would have totally ruined the atmosphere. Think about it - we have the scared Hobbits fleeing through the night in the shadowy forests from the ghostly Ringwraiths, when suddenly...'Hey dol! Merry dol! Don't you crush my lillies!' The movie would have lost all credibility, I'm afraid.

[Kuruharan]

I will loudly and wildly second any and all nominations of Brian Blessed.

Stephen Fry is a big guy (people forget how big he actually is) with enormous range. He might seem too genteel, but he can do it.

Sad that I just can't shake the Jeeves picture...I'm seeing a werebear in a tux bringing Bertie breakfast.

[mormegil]

Me? I could do it.

I'm wondering if they will actually expand the role a bit and have Beorn play a bit more active part in the adventure and battle.

[Encaitare]

Chuck Norris.

[Kuruharan]

Chuck Norris.

There are no Wargs, only puppies that Chuck Beorn allows to live.

When the Great Goblin went to sleep every night, he checked his closet for Chuck Beorn.

Chuck Beorn single-handedly won the Battle of Five Armies...oh...wait a minute...

Okay, I'll stop now.

[The Only Real Estel]

William Dafoe.

Well, he is one of the scariest looking actors out there..

[FeRaL sHaDoW]

I too think Robbie Coltrane would play the roll well.

[Thinlómien]

I think Coltrane's too obvious and he will look too much like Hagrid for the big audience.

All the critics would write "Robbie Coltrane plays Beorn, the more evil twin brother of Hagrid". Wouldn't that be funny?

[Eonwe]

um, Peter Jackson?

[Mänwe]

Mhm, well we must realise that Beorn is supposed to a large muscled firgure when not in bear form. Therefore although Coltraine would no doubt give an adequate performance I think the role would be best suited to Arnold Schwarzenegger, his roles in Predator and Terminator are perfect for the "isolated" and "weary" Beorn in the Hobbit. Not to mention his build would be ideal.

"Jaa, I'm a cybernetic organism, living tissue over a metal endoskeleton."

Though on a more serious note, I do not believe that Coltraine would be hampered by his performance as Hagrid, I myself could forget about him ever having played Hagrid in order to appreciate his performance...getting side tracked a little, Jeremy Irons popped into my head, not necessarily as the role as Beorn but I think he is a superb actor who might fit the bill for another character however I cannot quite place one. Perhaps Bard?

Oh and why not have John Rhys-Davies back as Thorin or one of the thirteen dwarves?

[Aaron]

What about Ray Winstone in the role? After seeing him in Henry VIII I think he'd be quite admirable as the barbaric shapeshifter.

[Bêthberry]

Bob Hoskins. Here he is as Odin and then as Badger, from Wind in the Willows.






He's maybe a bit short for a bear, but that's no impediment to an actor of his abilities. He lumbers very well, has a great sense of humour, and does delicious villians.

I could even see him as Bilbo, depending upon how young the director wants to make Bilbo appear (as opposed to how old he is in the book).

[Macalaure]

Originally Posted by Sir Kohran

I don't think they'll get rid of Beorn as he's an important character - he saves Thorin from instant death and almost single handedly turns the tide of the battle on the ground. Besides that, is any film director going to pass up a bearded shapeshifter who transforms into a giant fighting bear?

The problem with Bombadil was that he would have totally ruined the atmosphere. Think about it - we have the scared Hobbits fleeing through the night in the shadowy forests from the ghostly Ringwraiths, when suddenly...'Hey dol! Merry dol! Don't you crush my lillies!' The movie would have lost all credibility, I'm afraid.

I expect that the film-makers will take a bit of the 'children's book'-character of the Hobbit away to make it more similar to the LotR in atmosphere. It would be less of a financial risk as that is what the general audience might expect the Hobbit to be.
In the LotR movies we have not heard of shape-shifters, so we need to spend more time for the introduction of Beorn than for those of other characters, because he will appear very weird otherwise (not to mention the animals that serve the companions). The same holds for Bombadil in a way - you'd have to invest a lot of time to make him look "realistic". Otherwise, as cool as Beorn might be, I fear many movie-goers might think "Huh? What is that guy supposed to be? This is soo not Middle-earth!"
And then the question arises: is it worth the effort? Would it be so disastrous to let the Eagles drop the travelling party immediately at Mirkwood? Is Beorn's appearance at the Battle really that important? Would we cut him in order to have more time to invest at the other stages of the story, to give more depth to other characters (for example certain characters that can fly and breathe fire and whom this story actually is about)?
The alternative would be to increase his role, like morm suggested. Of course I'd favour this as well, but what if screen time is getting short?

And now you may throw the stones.

[Brinniel]

Originally Posted by Mänwe

Oh and why not have John Rhys-Davies back as Thorin or one of the thirteen dwarves?

I'm afraid not. He has stated on the RotK dvds that he will never again play a dwarf (due to his allergic reactions from the makeup).

If anything, why not bring back Lawrence Makoare as Beorn? It'd be interesting to see him play a good guy for once.

EDIT: My 1,000th post!

[Nogrod]

Congrats Brinniel for the milestone!

Otherwise I'm afraid that Macalaure is right. The party is most economically carried to Mirkwood by the eagles and Beorn can be written off from the battle... Sadly so.

But it could make also a fine action-movieish (?) introduction to show Beorn shifting shape in an introductory action-scene! It would just require lots of explanations afterwards and an action movie would not bear (sic!) that...

Why I speak of an action movie? Well it's not going to be a Bergman-drama anyway...

[Macalaure]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

But it could make also a fine action-movieish (?) introduction to show Beorn shifting shape in an introductory action-scene!

Oh no! The introductory/prologue scene needs to be how Gollum loses the Ring in his cave without noticing it (perhaps while choking one of the more witless orcs from behind?). Putting myself into somebody who has only seen the LotR on screen, this is something I'd like to know about and see, and I can't think about a different time in the movie where it could be placed.

Besides, I'm seconding Lalaith on Vinnie Jones.

[FeRaL sHaDoW]

Originally Posted by Mänwe

I think the role would be best suited to Arnold Schwarzenegger, his roles in Predator and Terminator are perfect for the "isolated" and "weary" Beorn in the Hobbit. Not to mention his build would be ideal.

"Jaa, I'm a cybernetic organism, living tissue over a metal endoskeleton."

mabey he would be the best Beorn ...

[Mänwe]

Originally posted by FeRaL sHaDoW

mabey he would be the best Beorn ...

Good Lord NO! And I have noticed a spelling mistake. I meant "wary" not "weary".

[FeRaL sHaDoW]

he would be a good beorn he might even put in the "ill be back" somewhere in the movie

[narfforc]

If Peter Jackson makes the film watch out for Bjorn the Bare leader of a nudist colony.

[Lush]

Vinnie Jones is fabulous.

[Aaron]

Can he actually act?

[Macalaure]

Can Craig Parker?

I'm being mean, I'm sorry. Seriously though, I don't think you need a Shakespeare-actor for Beorn. It's not like he's that complicated.

[Aaron]

No but he is quite a deep character being a representation of the awful force of nature in that he is (in my view) equally treacherous and loyal. He'll rip the dwarves apart if he has to, could Vinnie Jones portray this type of person? After watching him very recently in Snatch I'm not too sure

[Sardy]

Though not a household name, I think that actor Marc Nelson (who is a large man, not to mention an absolute master of dialects) would be perfect! He has a long history in theater (starred with Amanda Plummer in the critically acclaimed "Killer Joe") and more recently was the lead in my own film "The Nuke Brothers."





--Scott
www.myspace.com/sardy

[Selmo]

Like others before me, I'll vote for Brian Blessed acting in the over-the-top style he used in Flash Gordon.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Selmo

I'll vote for Brian Blessed acting in the over-the-top style he used in Flash Gordon.

If he took the role, he couldn't do it any other way.

"Gordon's alive!"

Still, while he does rather look the part, I am not sure that "over the top" is what is called for in Beorn's role. I see him as a rather more understared character. So, for me, Brian Blessed would top my list of picks for Tom Bombadil, rather than Beorn.

Robbie Coltrane would seem the obvious choice, given his association with the Hagrid role in the Harry Potter films, and I am sure that he would be considered for the role.

Stephen Fry is an interesting suggestion. He certainly has the stature, but I am not sure that it is his sort of role. Then again, Beorn in the style of Jeeves or, better still, Oscar Wilde might be interesting ...

What about Stellan Skarsgård? He certainly made an imposing Viking leader in King Arthur.

Or even, as was suggested earlier, Ray Winstone - for a bit of a dodgy-but-salt-of-the-earth-geezer-type Beorn.

[Holbytlass]

Gotta love imdb. Most of the actors suggested I had to look up.

I like the looks of Marc Nelson, Sardy.

How about Michael Clarke Duncan.
He's a big guy and he can certainly pull off the hospitable yet don't get too comfortable Beorn.

I agree though, they probably won't put him in.