by Ben Mapp
Over the last year it has been revealed that game franchises such as Ratchet & Clank, Assassin’s Creed and The Last of Us will be receiving the big screen treatment. With that in mind, we have decided to offer some casting guidance to other big brand developers who may also be considering the transition from game to film. We feel that as lovers on both games and films it is therefore our duty to ensure that future movies based on games should only be done if they are done right.
Over the last year it has been revealed that game franchises such as Ratchet & Clank, Assassin’s Creed and The Last of Us will be receiving the big screen treatment. With that in mind, we have decided to offer some casting guidance to other big brand developers who may also be considering the transition from game to film. We feel that as lovers on both games and films it is therefore our duty to ensure that future movies based on games should only be done if they are done right.
Let’s face the facts, Hollywood. You’ve made some unforgivable casting choices in the past. Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47? Really? Christian Slater as Edward Carnby? Riiight… Don’t even get me started on whoever Milla Jovovich was meant to be in those trashy Resident Evil adaptations. Since the reputations of those games have been tarnished beyond recognition, let’s just start afresh shall we? Here are ten examples of actors and actresses we would cast if it were up to us. Take from it what you will.
1. Nathan Drake (played by Michael Trucco)
Sci-fi fans will recognise Trucco as Sam Anders from the critically-acclaimed TV series Battlestar Galactica, in which he demonstrated his wide range of acting capabilities, from cocky hero to broken-hearted whelp. Although Michael is not an A-list star, movie execs could fill the shoes of other characters with top names in order to pull in a larger mainstream audience (such as Salma Hayek as Chloe for instance).
2. Lara Croft (played by Jennifer Lawrence
Staying on the genre of action/adventure, Jennifer is an Oscar winner now and can therefore step into any role she wants. The abilities she gained whilst shooting the Hunger Games saga will no doubt come in handy should she decide to take on the role of a new rebooted Tomb Raider film. J-Law also has an excellent screen presence as an actress which may help her portrayal of Lady Croft to be somewhat less permissive than Angelina Jolie’s attempts. Now all she has to do is perfect a southern British accent and we’re good to go!
Sci-fi fans will recognise Trucco as Sam Anders from the critically-acclaimed TV series Battlestar Galactica, in which he demonstrated his wide range of acting capabilities, from cocky hero to broken-hearted whelp. Although Michael is not an A-list star, movie execs could fill the shoes of other characters with top names in order to pull in a larger mainstream audience (such as Salma Hayek as Chloe for instance).
2. Lara Croft (played by Jennifer Lawrence
Staying on the genre of action/adventure, Jennifer is an Oscar winner now and can therefore step into any role she wants. The abilities she gained whilst shooting the Hunger Games saga will no doubt come in handy should she decide to take on the role of a new rebooted Tomb Raider film. J-Law also has an excellent screen presence as an actress which may help her portrayal of Lady Croft to be somewhat less permissive than Angelina Jolie’s attempts. Now all she has to do is perfect a southern British accent and we’re good to go!
3. Commander John Sheppard (played by Matthew Fox)
Whether you’re a fan of LOST or not there’s no denying that Fox has enough likeability in his performance to keep you involved. Commander Sheppard would be one of the more challenging characters to adapt as their personality is all relative to the choices of the player. That said, paragon Sheppard leans more towards the brave and heroic archetype which Fox has shown he is more than capable of portraying throughout his various on-screen roles.
4. Commander Jane Sheppard (played by Cobie Smulders)
Perhaps a more interesting take on a Mass Effect movie adaptation, Smulders showed her maximum bad-assery skills as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill in 2012’s Avengers Assemble. Her incarnation of Sheppard might lean more towards the rebellious heroine who makes the more hard-felt choices in order to save humanity from the Reapers, becoming the Admiral Cain to Fox’s Commander Adama, as it were.
Whether you’re a fan of LOST or not there’s no denying that Fox has enough likeability in his performance to keep you involved. Commander Sheppard would be one of the more challenging characters to adapt as their personality is all relative to the choices of the player. That said, paragon Sheppard leans more towards the brave and heroic archetype which Fox has shown he is more than capable of portraying throughout his various on-screen roles.
4. Commander Jane Sheppard (played by Cobie Smulders)
Perhaps a more interesting take on a Mass Effect movie adaptation, Smulders showed her maximum bad-assery skills as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill in 2012’s Avengers Assemble. Her incarnation of Sheppard might lean more towards the rebellious heroine who makes the more hard-felt choices in order to save humanity from the Reapers, becoming the Admiral Cain to Fox’s Commander Adama, as it were.
5. Captain Edward Kenway (played by Aiden Turner)
Trying to imagine him adult-sized instead of Dwarf-sized and trade his Irish accent for a soft Welsh one and you have an actor who somewhat resembles the great pirate assassin himself. As the homeless Dwarf Kili in The Hobbit, Turner possesses an undeniable charm and presence not too dissimilar to Kenway. Out of all in the Company of Dwarves, Turner was no doubt the one who made the female half of the audience swoon the most. Although Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie will no doubt deal with Desmond’s journey and focus somewhat on Altair instead of Edward, this is at least a ray of hope that – against the odds – the movie adaptations will spawn a multitude of sequels.
6. Aveline de Grandpré (portrayed by Kerry Washington)
From slave to liberator, it was Washington’s role as a helpless servant girl in 2013’s Django Unchained which made me consider her for the part. Aveline is an Assassin based in New Orleans who makes it her business to rescue slaves and uncover Templar conspiracies during the process. As an actress Washington understands that going the extra mile makes a performance all the more believable. She’d have to get used to other peoples’ blood on her, although Leonardo Dicaprio gave her a lesson in that!
Trying to imagine him adult-sized instead of Dwarf-sized and trade his Irish accent for a soft Welsh one and you have an actor who somewhat resembles the great pirate assassin himself. As the homeless Dwarf Kili in The Hobbit, Turner possesses an undeniable charm and presence not too dissimilar to Kenway. Out of all in the Company of Dwarves, Turner was no doubt the one who made the female half of the audience swoon the most. Although Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie will no doubt deal with Desmond’s journey and focus somewhat on Altair instead of Edward, this is at least a ray of hope that – against the odds – the movie adaptations will spawn a multitude of sequels.
6. Aveline de Grandpré (portrayed by Kerry Washington)
From slave to liberator, it was Washington’s role as a helpless servant girl in 2013’s Django Unchained which made me consider her for the part. Aveline is an Assassin based in New Orleans who makes it her business to rescue slaves and uncover Templar conspiracies during the process. As an actress Washington understands that going the extra mile makes a performance all the more believable. She’d have to get used to other peoples’ blood on her, although Leonardo Dicaprio gave her a lesson in that!
7. John Marston (portrayed by Brad Pitt)
In 2010 it was reported that Brad Pitt had been interested in playing the part of John Marston in a film adaptation of Red Dead Redemption. Whilst no more was heard from the idea in the years that followed, it certainly made us raise our eyebrows at the possibility. After all, Brad Pitt has complete command over his acting roles, from a fledgling undead in Interview with the Vampire, to a deranged terrorist in Fight Club, to a controlled warrior in Troy, to a reckless military commander in Inglourious Basterds, and he could even go for Producer credit too. Hell, Brad Pitt is so well-known enough he might as well direct the project himself. He is Brad Pitt after all. All heeds now is the sexy, gravelly voice that comes with the part.
8. Ellie (portrayed by Ellen Page)
Ellen Page admitted she should have been flattered that Naughty Dog ‘ripped off’ her likeness, but as she was starring in another game at the time (Beyond: Two Souls), Ellen did not appreciate it. She also received countless fan messages and praise for her ‘role’ in the game, despite the fact that she had nothing to do with it. At all. That said, since apparently The Last of Us is being made into a feature film, would it not be possible to stitch up the wounds (via accepting an acting contract for a few million dollars) by starring in the new movie itself? Who knows? Maybe voice actress Ashley Johnson will receive the same amount of accidental praise after it hits theatres!
In 2010 it was reported that Brad Pitt had been interested in playing the part of John Marston in a film adaptation of Red Dead Redemption. Whilst no more was heard from the idea in the years that followed, it certainly made us raise our eyebrows at the possibility. After all, Brad Pitt has complete command over his acting roles, from a fledgling undead in Interview with the Vampire, to a deranged terrorist in Fight Club, to a controlled warrior in Troy, to a reckless military commander in Inglourious Basterds, and he could even go for Producer credit too. Hell, Brad Pitt is so well-known enough he might as well direct the project himself. He is Brad Pitt after all. All heeds now is the sexy, gravelly voice that comes with the part.
8. Ellie (portrayed by Ellen Page)
Ellen Page admitted she should have been flattered that Naughty Dog ‘ripped off’ her likeness, but as she was starring in another game at the time (Beyond: Two Souls), Ellen did not appreciate it. She also received countless fan messages and praise for her ‘role’ in the game, despite the fact that she had nothing to do with it. At all. That said, since apparently The Last of Us is being made into a feature film, would it not be possible to stitch up the wounds (via accepting an acting contract for a few million dollars) by starring in the new movie itself? Who knows? Maybe voice actress Ashley Johnson will receive the same amount of accidental praise after it hits theatres!
9. Master Chief (played by Karl Urban)
Like most of the actors on this list Karl’s flexibility as a performer knows no bounds, and he seems to have found a home in the science-fiction genre. Arguably, his most well-known roles have each featured in futuristic films such as the Star Trek movies, Chronicles of Riddick and – perhaps more relevantly – Dredd. It was the latter which made us imagine him in the chief’s armour, giving an intense and much enjoyable performance by adding a depth to a character which has none. Urban also has the advantage of being massively cool.
10. Elizabeth (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead)
Okay, just hear us out. Elizabeth is an almost impossible character to cast but if we absolutely had to it, would be Mary. Not only has she proven her interest in geek culture (did you see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World?) but she is quite capable and being both incredibly vulnerable and incredibly bad-ass (see her as McClane jr. in Live Free or Die Hard). The role is transformative too as Elizabeth’s exploration of Columbia leads her to discover everything about herself which – as a result – gives Mary the opportunity to flex her creative muscles like never before. If that doesn’t convince you, then at least she looks the part.
Like most of the actors on this list Karl’s flexibility as a performer knows no bounds, and he seems to have found a home in the science-fiction genre. Arguably, his most well-known roles have each featured in futuristic films such as the Star Trek movies, Chronicles of Riddick and – perhaps more relevantly – Dredd. It was the latter which made us imagine him in the chief’s armour, giving an intense and much enjoyable performance by adding a depth to a character which has none. Urban also has the advantage of being massively cool.
10. Elizabeth (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead)
Okay, just hear us out. Elizabeth is an almost impossible character to cast but if we absolutely had to it, would be Mary. Not only has she proven her interest in geek culture (did you see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World?) but she is quite capable and being both incredibly vulnerable and incredibly bad-ass (see her as McClane jr. in Live Free or Die Hard). The role is transformative too as Elizabeth’s exploration of Columbia leads her to discover everything about herself which – as a result – gives Mary the opportunity to flex her creative muscles like never before. If that doesn’t convince you, then at least she looks the part.
So there you have it. If you disagree with any of our choices feel free to comment below and let us know who you would have cast instead!
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