This week features a couple of prominent holidays for my household, as well as a trip to the airport for the annual trip to Grandma’s, three days of extended shifts and building our annual gingerbread sculpture, delayed thanks to the need to glue the reindeer back together before we could assemble it. In short, it’s gonna be a long one, so I’m giving myself little imaginary gifts each day, because… Y’know, season of givin’ an’ all that. Today’s present is a no-brainer: A big-budget remake of Dave Stevens ‘The Rocketeer’, featuring the kind of special effects and budget that one can get in the post-Avengers world. But WHO, you ask is ready to fill Cliff Secord’s (hopefully fireproof) boots? Therein lies today’s retro-steampunk query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) is thinking perhaps maybe Lee Pace, with John Cusack as our grizzled Peavey, and a dark-haired Emma Stone as Bettie/Jenny, asking: Which actors would you cast in an updated version of The Rocketeer?
3 Comments
I’m not sure there are any big name actors at the moment that I feel could pull off the right look. Maybe Joseph Gordon-Levitt? He’s one of the few people I can think of off the top of my head that I think could fit the look of the time period the movie takes place in, but he may be a bit too old for the role by now.
Personally, I’d go with some unknown, someone from some theater production (like musicals and such on stage) who knows how to act but hasn’t had TV or movie roles in any major capacity. Or maybe even just someone from open casting calls.
I almost always prefer unknown actors for roles of established characters, it doesnt distract me from the character. Well known stars always bring baggage with them, and sometimes they just act themselves. Its good to give new person a chance and let them grow on people over time. Luckily I dont follow Hollywood gossip or watch everything they put out, so relatively well known actor might be kinda new to me.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who prefers new faces to established characters. Don’t get me wrong, there are sometimes actors who I think are absolutely perfect for a role (for example, Patrick Stewart as Prof. X or Samuel L. Jackson as the Ultimate Marvel version of Nick Fury), but overall I prefer to see someone who hasn’t performed a major role breathe life into a character.