Dracula New Movie (i Wish)

[grimicoh]

Okay...got done watching Bram Stoker's Dracula this weekend. Okay movie, that easily could have been great. Keanu Reeves and Wynonna Ryder were absolutely terrible so I thought I'd open a thread about who should play the main characters if someone gave this great story another shot.

I think Johnny Depp could play a very good Dracula and I think he'd enjoy doing it. (I have no complaints about Gary Oldman's original portrayal...it was very good)

Possibly Christian Bale could replace Keanu "I know Kung Fu" Reeves as Jonathon Harker.

Keira Knightly would be perfect at replacing Wynonna Ryder as Mina/Elisabeta.

I loved Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, but I don't see him returning to a remake, so how about Sean Connery or Hugh Jackman taking over this role again.


So those are my main characters in what would be a awesome remake to correct the terrible casting in the first film of two main characters. Please post your ideas.

[Sylin]

If you've ever read the book, I thought the casting was pretty spot-on. It was the script that was fairly limited (too short; none of the better scenes were really fleshed out to their full potential), not to mention the special effects were lackluster.

The only problem with Keanu and Wynonna is that neither are British and do a fairly crap job on the accent.

My revised cast would actually put Natalie Portman as Mina, Andrew Lincoln as Jonathan, and John Hurt as Van Helsing, Natalie Tena as Lucy, and Eddie Izzard as Renfield.

[mechagrover]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

... and Eddie Izzard as Renfield.

Brilliant!

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by mechagrover

Brilliant!

Oh, he'd be so good. And since Renfield is nuts they could put him in makeup and everything. Eat a spider. Put on some rouge. Eat a fly. Put on some mascara. Not in a comedic way, but in a tragic sort of sad way.

Forgot to put my choice for Drac himself... let's do the world a favor and leave it as Gary Oldman. The guy is money.

[Frumious Boojum]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

The only problem with Keanu and Wynonna is that neither are British and do a fairly crap job on the accent.

The BBC put out a list of the top 10 worst accents of all time a few years ago... Keanu was very high on the list. #2, if I remember right -- I think just right after Robert Downey Jr's attempt in Chaplin. (Why does Anthony Hopkins keep getting stuck in movies with stars destined to be on that list?!)

[Joe Cain]

Originally Posted by Frumious Boojum

The BBC put out a list of the top 10 worst accents of all time a few years ago... Keanu was very high on the list. #2, if I remember right -- I think just right after Robert Downey Jr's attempt in Chaplin. (Why does Anthony Hopkins keep getting stuck in movies with stars destined to be on that list?!)

Keanu is a pretty bad actor (my opinion)---Dracula is the only film I own in which he's a featured player.

Why does it seem so much harder for US actors to pull off British accents than for Brit actors to do American accents?

[grimicoh]

Originally Posted by Joe Cain

Keanu is a pretty bad actor (my opinion)---Dracula is the only film I own in which he's a featured player.

Why does it seem so much harder for US actors to pull off British accents than for Brit actors to do American accents?

This is probably because US actors have to learn numerous accents from South, West, Midwest, East, Canadian, and English...not to mention many more. English actors learn the Standard US film accent and most of them can master any accent in Europe because unlike the US they can speak more than one language.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by grimicoh

This is probably because US actors have to learn numerous accents from South, West, Midwest, East, Canadian, and English...not to mention many more. English actors learn the Standard US film accent and most of them can master any accent in Europe because unlike the US they can speak more than one language.

Well, the US accent is just an offshoot of English accents anyhow. It all depends on the British accent, tho. There's a variety of English accents, depending on the region (people from London and Liverpool do not sound alike).

Actors like Don Cheadle (Oceans) and Brad Pitt (Lock, Stock) do a fabulous job. Natalie Portman isn't bad. I saw a preview for a new movie starring Demi Moore called Flawless and her accent was very good. Also, one of those two comic-relief guys in PotC is NOT English... he's from Los Angeles... but you'd never know it.