Wednesday, January 12, 2011

It's My Trumpet And I'm Going To Blow It

Thanks to everyone who came out to meet me at Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds last weekend. It was nice chatting to you all. Looking forward to Lakeside and Bluewater a week on saturday, 22nd January.

Some great comic feedback came in while I was away, so I thought I'd link it here:

Let's start with this.

Then this.

Then this.

Then this.

Then this.

Then this.

And finally but not least....this.

Mmmh. Nice warm glow. And at the risk of becoming so fething pleased with myself you all hurl and never talk to me again, may I just thank all the readers out there for making Prospero Burns the number one SF book in the UK and the US this week, and popping it straight in to the New York Times Mass Market Fiction Bestseller's List.


Okay, now I'd like to point you all in the direction of the blog by Viktor and Magnus Nystrom, which you can find here. Just scroll down and enjoy. The guys have been involved in this awesome project for a while now, and the blog recounts the whole history and development of it.

They're coming to an end now. I think they deserve a large number of hearty pats on the back - I've tried to give them a little feedback as they've gone along, but it really is all down to them. here's a little taster image:



I bestow upon them the first Awesome Sauce Award for 2011, and invite you all to go tell them how splendidly they've done.

FINALLY finally, I was thinking that maybe it was time we started doing a little casting. Haven't done that for a while. Let's see how ideas have changed. And we'll begin with Gaunt's Ghosts. If the books became a movie, who would you cast? And it can be a fantasy cast of all time fave actors and actresses, too!

54 comments:

  1. Y'know, I could almost see Bill Nighy as a very old Gaunt, but I worry that he might be too short..

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  2. Shadowheim10:55 am

    Jeff Bridges as Corbec! Wow, I was gonna name all the originals and who'd act them, but now you've gon and put me on the spot, I'm really struggling!

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  3. haha this again?
    I'm sticking with Daniel Craig as Gaunt,
    Christian Bale as Rawne,
    Ray Stevenson as Bragg,
    Robert Carlisle as Larkin,

    Roles for Billy Connely and Sean Bean, anyone?

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Jeff Bridges as Corbec (yes, I did just see Tron Legacy)

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  6. I really think Tim Roth as Larkin would be aces and I 'll go with popular opinion on Jeff Bridges.

    The dude abides.

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  7. Greg C.12:19 pm

    After looking at the sculpts, and realizing that Tona Criid is blonde, as opposed to the dark hair I always envisioned, I'd have to go with Kristana Loken. Wow! Now, who would make for a suitable Caff??

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  8. Sticking with :
    - Hugh Laurie as Gaunt
    - Ray Park as MkVenner
    - Willem Dafoe as Larkin (or possibly Cuu)
    - Vincent Cassel as Cuu
    - Ron Pearlman as Soric
    - Me as the Ghost extra who gets his head shot off ?

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  9. Hugh Laurie is a comic actor. The success of House notwithstanding, he would never fly as Gaunt with a British audience.

    Ray Park can't act. You can choreograph fight scenes with actors, use stunt doubles, and when all else fails, use CGI, but you can't teach a martial artist to emote. That said, Tamoh Penikett might be good as Ven, altho I've never heard him with a Brit accent.

    Willem Defoe is too big to be Larkin, but otherwise good.
    Vincent Cassel as Cuu, maybe, and Pearlman as Soric could definitely work.

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  10. Mark Strong as Gaunt? That may not be popular, but I like his jawline for the part.
    Tom Hardy as Varl.
    Sharlto Copley as Larkin. He's mad enough.
    James Franco as Caffran.
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Brin Milo.
    I like Ray Stevenson as Bragg and Jeff Bridges circa The Big Lebowski as Corbec.
    Vincent Cassel is wayyyy too tall IMO to play Cuu, who should be samll and nasty. He's got a face and build to play MkVenner, though.

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  11. TheSGC4:10 pm

    Morgan Freeman as The Emperor. That is all.

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  12. Here's a list of just the original Tanith that I would cast for a first movie.

    Gaunt - Paul Bettany. Fits Gaunt's physical characteristics to a tee and has the acting chops.
    Milo - Ryan Kwanten. Such a tough choice really to coose for Milo.
    Corbec - Kevin McKidd. Again fits the physical aspects, with dyed hair, and can act the part. Hell, he was an officer of Caesar.
    Rawne - Alexander SkarsgÄrd. Dark, handsome, and ruthless. Look at True Blood and Generation Kill. Substitute would be Jude Law.
    Feygor - Jason Statham. He knows how to be a trouble maker and a tough son of a bitch.
    Dorden - Jeff Bridges. This is where I would put the now "senior" actor.
    Mkoll - James Franco. He has that quiet, serious manner about him and can command the screen when he wants. Just Like the lead scout.
    Mkvenner - Matt Damon. Look at the Bourne series.
    Varl - Ryan Reynolds. Varl is a joker after all.
    Caffran - Chris Pine. Would definitely grow well in Caff's shoes.
    Larkin - Ben Foster. Yeah the kid from the first Punisher movie with all the piercings who plays a neo-nazi in Alpha Dog and a startled crew member in Pandorum. If anyone could be as believably unhinged as Larkin it's him.
    Bragg - Vin Diesle. He's a big dude, he's an action star, and a lot of his roles have revolved around him protecting a character younger than himself aka Milo. He could also play Brostin, see Riddick for that cast.

    Well there's my first movie Ghost cast.

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  13. Kevin Mckidd, James Franco and Ben Foster are all FAR too young for those roles. Paul Bettany is a good call, if Daniel Craig isn't available.
    I love Matt Damon, but part of the reason he's great as Bourne is he LOOKS harmless. Mkvenner looks like, well... like you should look somewhere else!

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  14. Ibram Gaunt: Jeremy irons, maybe a little too old now. but in his prime years. hell yeah.

    Colm Corbec: Gerade butler.

    Elim rawne: Jensen Ackles

    Hlain Larkin: Williem dafoe

    tolin dorden: Bill connolly

    Tona criid: milla jovovich.

    Dermon Caffran: ? total loss here, none springs to mind ^^;

    Viktor Hark: Karl Urban

    oan Mkoll: Richard Brake

    Gol Kolea: jason statham

    Ana Curth: Stana Katic

    try again bragg: hmm can't think of an actor that combines the size need for bragg, with the talent.

    ceglan varl: ryan Renolds

    brin milo: total loss here.

    Murtan Feygor: David Tennant

    Agun Soric: can't quite decide between Ray Winstone and Brendan Gleeson

    and that's what I could come up ^^

    Ayatani Zweil: Christopher lloyd

    well that's what I could come up with just off the top of my head

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  15. Henning7:35 pm

    Daniel Craig as Ibram Gaunt
    Billy Conolly as Colm Corbec
    Ron Perlman as Brostin
    Jeremy Irons as Tactitian Biota

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  16. Anyone who can make the Marvel Comsmic entertaining and relevant deserves a big ole toot.
    Let me ask you this,If marvel said you can have any character/book and run with it,which would it be?
    With all these number ones how much pull do you have with Marvel these days?
    That might not be too far fetched.

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  17. I understand what you're saying Duke but remember those would be my choices for a founding movie. If you were to base them off the characters at the current run that the Ghost's books are at then they would definitely not work but if they are fresh off the founding then they would definitely work really well based off of they previous work as actors.

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  18. Chaz Dane10:19 pm

    I always saw Gaunt as looking a lot like Harrison Ford. Weathered, but far from gone. (Obviously at 68 he's a bit beyond it now)

    Viggo Mortensen could do a good MkVenner. He can look very dangerous and has the right physique.

    Gerrard Butler is pretty much the only person I think could pull off Corbec.

    And what about Johnny Depp as Rawne? Plausible? He's an incredibly versatile actor and I think he'd be able to pull it off.

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  20. I have to agree with Boom's choices with the exception of Vin diesel for Bragg. He just aint big enough for me, although it is difficult to think of an actor who is big enough and has the acting talent. Also maybe a blonde Natalie Portman as Tona Criid?

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  21. Feygor, for some reason, was my favorite character aside from Mkvenner. Brilliant choice of Jason Statham Boom!
    And I think the late Pete Postlethwaite would have been a great Doc Dorden. And Mila Kunis as Tona Criid.

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  22. Hey Dan, I wanted to share Multiversity Comics' video review of Thanos Imperative: Devastation as well. I'm glad you liked our written review, and you might have fun with our video one as well.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QM6gSL2SeQ

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  23. Gaunt-Hugh Laurie from TV's HOUSE or Daniel Day Lewis.

    Rwane-Jeremy Renner
    Corbec-Jeff Bridges
    Larkin-Willem Dafoe
    Caff-Casey Affleck
    Harkin-R Lee Ermey

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  24. Anonymous7:07 am

    steve buschimi as larks

    Michael Chiklis as soric (or Al Murry :) )

    Cristian Bale as Guant

    Jason sta...stath...stanh....the guy of snatch as Gol

    jake the muss.....ahem... temuera morrison as Ezrah

    and orlando bloom as Milo

    Michael Clarke Duncan as bragg ( i know, i know. but still)

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  25. Some Generals....;-):

    Lord General Dravere - Brian Cox
    Lord General Sturm - Bernard Hill
    Senior Chief Tactician Antonid Biota - Bill Nighy
    Lord General Van Voytz - Kenneth Branagh

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  26. BTW I totally forgot
    Congrats on snagging a NY times bestseller.

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  27. Raymond1:01 pm

    Gaunt: Hugo Weaving by far! He IS a commissar in his spare time.

    Corbec: Let's throw in Sir Sean Connery.

    Rawne: Michael Madsen, he IS a badass

    Larkin: Johnny Depp (mad)

    Mkvenner: Christopher Lambert(wily)

    Mkoll: Matt Damon

    Zweil: Morgan Freeman. He has to in a film for it to be any good.

    Doc dorden: Patrick Stewart (yeah, but wearing a wig offcourse)

    Tona Criid: Uma Thurman all the way

    Can keep going, but the basics are here...now you go and give them a ring Dan!

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  28. Congratulations about Prospero burns!

    I'd agree with ben about
    Corbec: jeff bridges
    Larkin: Willem Defoe
    Caffran: Casey Affleck
    Casting Gaunt...damn hard choice! I'd pick Christoph Waltz or Clint Eastwood from his middle age years. He's hard boiled enough.
    Dorden: John Hurt
    Mkoll: viggo Mortensen
    Brostin or Soric: ron pearlman.
    Rawne: robert Carlyle or Daniel Day-lewis
    Bragg: It's got to be The Rock :D
    Meryn: Benedict Cumberbach
    Varl: Bradd pit.
    Jessi Banda: Antonia Thomas from Misfits if she was a bit older.

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  29. Chris2:39 pm

    My choices:
    Gaunt - Damien Lewis (Richard Winters in Band of Brothers - might have to dye his hair though)
    Corbec - Darragh O'Malley (Patrick Harper in the Sharpe series)
    Rawne - Sean Pertwee
    Feygor - Vinnie Jones
    Daur - Christian Bale
    Caffran - Daniel Radcliffe
    Criid - Summer Glau (with blonde hair)
    Dorden - I second John Hurt
    Curth - Nicola Bryant (Peri from Dr Who)
    MkVenner - Ewan McGregor
    Larkin - Pete Postlethwaite would have been perfect IMO (or for Mkoll), maybe Steve Buscemi
    Bragg - Jason Statham
    Cuu - Michael Madsen

    Stuck on, amongst others, Mkoll, Hark, Kolea and Milo though.

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  30. Bud Spencer as Bragg.

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  31. Anonymous7:50 pm

    Gaunt Daniel Craig
    Corbec Hugh Jackman
    Rawne Sean Bean
    Criid Keira Knightley
    Kolea Ron Pearlman
    Dorden Ron Rifkin
    Mkoll Tommy Flanagan
    Larkin Sharlto Copley
    Caffran Matt Damon
    Bragg Kevin Durand
    Curth Kate Beckinsale
    Zweil Frank Langella
    Cuu Tim Roth

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  32. Robert David Hall from CSI as Doc Dorden?

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  33. Keira Knightly as Criid, seriously??
    Guys you are so on the wrong track , Tona Criid is NOT a babe, she's razor-sharp and hard as nails. Really, you want Ellan Ripley crossed with Jack from Mass Effect II.

    I've heard Michelle Rodriguez suggested but I can't get my head around her ethnicity. Maybe, MAYBE Eliza Dushku would do a good job, she's a cracking actress with excellent action experience.

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  34. Eliza would make a superb Kara Swole

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  35. TheSGC3:56 am

    Matt Damon with Caff is the one choice that strikes me the most as "awesome". Loved his performance in SPR and Bourne series and Oceans series..and...um...well, he's great in most if not all movies he's in.

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  36. Gary oldman as Pious Kowle. that is all.

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  37. Anonymous7:45 pm

    Thought daniel day-lewis as gaunt but if he`s to old i`d throw in a curve ball with Ryan Gosling.

    Did also consider Hugo Weaving but he fits Eisenhorn so perfectly.

    Defo Viggo Mortensen as Mkoll.

    Liev Schreiber all bearded up is corbec,failing that he`d suit Fischig.

    Been thinking about this lots but been difficult.

    Got a clearer vision of Eisenhorn.

    Eisenhorn - Hugo Weaving
    Fischig - Liev Schreiber
    Bequin - Yvonne Strahovski (i think im in love with her)
    Nayl - Dan Craig (dunno about him with a shaved head though)
    Cherubael - Paul Bettany
    Midas Betancore - Djimon Hounsou
    Kara - Kate Bekinsale

    could prob swap Kara and Bequin if you`d prefer.

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  38. Anonymous11:36 am

    Was watching true blood last night and Steven Moyer who plays bill would make a fantastic Gaunt.

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  39. Im getting Hungry for more Ghosts.....Salvations Reach is not a book i have chased Dan about because i cant wait for the pleasent surprise of opening a new book and being taken aback by the superb content and meeting old friends within the pages.
    Heres to Salvations Reach!
    Long Live the Tanith

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  40. Who would we cast for a Gaunt's Ghost movie series!?

    Ibram Gaunt: Paul Bettany
    Colm Corbec: John Rhys-Davies
    Elam Rawne: either Sean Bean or Christian Bale
    Try-Again Bragg: Ray Stevenson
    Ayatani Zweil: nothing jumps to mind, but some aged, small guy from India, as, from the description and the sound of terms they use (Ayatani, Infardi) it seems more Indian (IMO).
    Tona Criid: Summer Glow :) just dye her hair blond, and she would grow into the role over the years, from hab ganger on Vervunhive to Gereon.

    I know a lot of people like Daniel Craig, but I'd hate for him to be cast a Gaunt, only for the Eisenhorn movies to also be made and him not play Eisenhorn.

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  41. plenty o suggestions about the core group, but for some of the rest

    Cuu : Sam Rockwell
    Mkvenner : Neil or Adrian Rayment (they played the Twins in the Matrix sequels. remember, mkvenner is meant to be tall, and they got about 10 black belts between the pair of em)
    Hark : Josh Brolin
    Zweil : Tony Amendola (Bra'tac in SG-1)

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  42. I'm going mostly with those actors that look/act most closely to what I imagine when reading the books:

    Oddly enough, when I read the Gaunt books I always see Larry Rew as Gaunt. Commisaar Holt from Final Liberation obviously left a bigger mark on me than I thought...

    Danny Webb (Alien3) would make a nice Larkin IMO. (He's got some 40k pedigree having read some of the BL audiobooks, too)

    Viggo Mortensen would be a nice Mkoll.

    Some more:

    Anthony Hopkins as Doc Dorden

    Ray Winstone as Trooper Brostin

    James Purefoy as Elim Rawne

    Mads Mikkelsen as Eszrah ap Niht

    Sean Bean as Colm Corbec

    Ray Stevenson as Gol Kolea

    Brad Dourif as Lija Cuu

    Eric Bana as Mkvenner

    Radha Mitchell as Tona Criid

    Frank John Hughes (Bill Guarnere in Band of Brothers) as Commissar Hark

    Robert Carlysle als Maggs

    Ron Perlman might be nice as either Agun Soric or Bragg

    Brian Cox or Ian McShane as VonVoytz

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  43. Personally....I think you're all completely out of your gourds with you choices!

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  44. This is a lot of fun! So weird choices above, but who am I to judge. Though some of you most certainly have cerebral worms.

    Here's me list.

    Gaunt: Michael Fassbender
    Rawne: Andy Whitfield
    Faygor: Ray Stevenson
    Mkoll: Rufus Sewell
    Bonin: Ben Barnes
    Milo: Aneurin Barnard
    Corbec: Gerard Butler
    Caffran: Toby Kebbell
    Larkin: Robert Carlyle
    Soric: Sean Pertwee
    Kolea: Kevin McKidd
    Ban Daur: Sean Maher
    MkVenner: Luke Goss
    Commissar Hark: John Noble
    Jessi Banda: Kate Magowan
    Major Baskevyl: James Purfoy
    Varl: Tom Hardy
    Bragg: Jai Courtney
    Cuu: Karel Roden
    Dordon: Wayne Pygram
    Shoggy Domor: David Wenham
    Doctor Curth: Lena Headey
    General Sturm: Colm Feore

    I'm ff to check for worms.

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  45. Anonymous3:35 am

    Keeping in mind what the Big "C" can do to your physique, and that he'll come in knowing a thing or two about swordplay, I'd say Andy Whitfield as Gaunt.
    Then there's the other side of the action: fighting styles can make or break any movie that hinges on warfare. With the Straight Silver, I'd recommend either Krav Maga or Silat for all the Tanith. For Gaunt, I'd recommend a look at George Silver's 15th c. English Broadsword manuals; a distinct and elegant style that most folk haven't seen.
    With the las, I'd recommend that any real training in ground tactics not start until the start of filming, showing a marked difference in the way that troops move in battle as they acquire experience; or take them out for paint-ball in a heavily-wooded area so they can get a (admittedly crude) sense of what force-on-force is like.

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  46. Ok, Dan. Now that we've all gotten that out of our systems we all want to know: What are your picks for casting the GG movie? I mean, nobody knows these characters or has an idea of what they look like more than you!

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  47. Anonymous8:57 pm

    definitively christian bale for rawne
    alan rickman for feygor
    christina slater for beltyan
    mark whalberg for caffran
    oleg taktarov for bragg can't see anyone better :D
    sean connery as DR Dorden or ayat. zweil
    diane kruger for tona criid
    jean reno for brostin :)
    benno furmann as mkoll
    bear grylls for mkvenner if he can :D
    nick nolte for corbec
    evidently elias koteas as LARKIN !


    and the hardest gaunt ... someone said daniel craig, it was my first choice too but, he is too ... 007? :D
    actually i think of aaron eckhart

    i think of so much peoples but im gonna stop here :)

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  48. TANITH
    gaunt - hugh laurie
    corbec - brendan gleeson
    rawne - michael wincott
    feygor - richard brake
    domor - tony curran
    dorden - james cosmo
    mkoll - ben daniels
    varl - gerard butler
    caffran - danny dyer
    larkin - brad dourif
    milo - daniel radcliffe
    bragg - dominic purcell
    meryn - zachary quinto
    mkvenner - clive owen
    bonin - wes bentley
    brostin - adam fogerty


    VERGHASTITE
    kolea - peter stormare
    daur - daniel craig
    soric - stellan skarsgard
    criid - radha mitchell
    banda - jodi lyn o'keefe
    bourah - sienna guillory
    cuu - robert knepper
    vamberfeld - ewen bremmer
    curth - nicole de boer
    dalin - jamie bell


    BELLADONIAN
    baskevyl - nathan fillion
    volosim - thomas kretschmann


    IMPERIAL(good)
    sabbat - morena baccarin
    blenner - stephen fry
    zoren - dennis haysbert
    van voytz - r lee ermey
    biota - david hyde pierce
    gilbear - nick chinlund
    zweil - john hurt
    ezrah - vinnie jones
    jagdea - lena headey
    wilder - tom hanks
    hark - ray stevenson
    ludd - ben foster
    oktar - rip torn
    cirk - michelle forbes
    landerson - michael c hall


    IMPERIAL(bad)
    dravere - gerard depardieu
    flense - gary lewis
    brochuss - kevin grevioux
    fereyd - arnold vosloo
    sturm - peter weller
    dercius - dean norris


    CHAOS
    pater sin - clancy brown
    mabbon - james remar

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  49. Oh, forgot to mention that I take no credit for the above casting. My brother's opinions and I agree with around half of them.

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  50. Podzy3:23 pm

    I've noticed a lot of people have had a hard time filling Braggs role - how about Michael Cudlitz from Band of Brothers? He played Bull Randleman. Got the size and fits the bill perfectly. Eion Bailey from the same series would make a great Ban Daur to.

    Have a look and see what you think!

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/

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  51. Anonymous9:29 pm

    would it be wrong for Chuck Norris to spring to mind.

    Clive Owen as Gaunt
    Sean Bean as Rawne
    Cillian murphy as Caffran
    Jeff Bridges as Corbec...wouldnt have thought of it myself but is a great choice.
    John Tams (Hagman)as Larkin.
    Daniel Craig as Hark - scary eyes!

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  52. Zoroeyes1:23 pm

    I can't believe nobody has suggested Liam neeson as Gaunt?

    Getting a bit grizzled nowdays and he's doing a few more action role, and he even has the accent??

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  53. Anonymous1:10 am

    Dead serious. Liam Neeson as Gaunt.
    Jason Isaacs as Elim Rawne. He always reminded me of a snake...
    Kevin Durand as Try-Again Bragg.
    Sting as "Mad" Hlaine Larkin. Anyone remember him as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, I think he could get the ready-to-snap Larkin down.
    I see Billy Connely as a good Doc Dorden.
    And finally, I definitely agree with Jeff Bridges as Colm Corbec.eh?

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  54. Anonymous6:54 pm

    I'm surprised no One mentioned Sean Bean for Mkoll with his sharpe background and all. Vigo Mortensen would also make a grey Ven after seeing him As strider.

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