Sequels, prequels, and remakes are the most prominent tools Hollywood has employed to make sure they don't have to think of anything original to do for the next 10 or 12 years. With the recent success of Iron Man and Christopher Nolan's resurrection of the Batman franchise, they can now add comic book films to their arsenal of tools to stifle originality. Still, just because something is adapted from source material doesn't mean it can't be good (once again, Nolan) and some of the upcoming comic book adaptations have potential to be really good.
Recent Interweb newsers are indicating that the next film from the DC Universe to be fast tracked at Warner Brothers may very well be Green Lantern, and why shouldn't it be? Green Lantern's history is just as storied and rich as either Batman's or Superman's and if nothing else, he's worth mentioning for his continuous penchant for pissing off the Caped Crusader with his ability to overcome great fear - the primary weapon of the Dark Knight. Rumor has it that Martin Campbell of Casino Royale fame is attached to direct a script from Eli Stone’s Marc Guggenheim.
These prospects seem promising (although not quite as promising as a script from Green Lantern genius writer Geoff Johns, or as promising as my own idea of a 7-part film series would be), but we’re still a long way from the pivotal casting process. There’s been a rumor of an "Emerald Dawn" for Ryan Gosling, but if you couldn’t already tell, I’ve been thinking long and hard about who would be perfect to join up with the Corps. We all know that not everybody is on point with their casting, because in spite of having the likes of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man and J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man, we still had to endure Halle Berry as both Catwoman and Storm.
Anyone familiar with the Green Lantern comics knows that his foes and allies, just like any superhero, are as numerous as the number of sectors over which the Green Lantern Corps watch (3600. If that didn't go way over your head and you're not subsequently repulsed by my nerdery, than by all means, continue reading). Just as there was speculation about which characters would feature prominently upon the news of Batman Begins and Iron Man being adapted for the big screen, there will undoubtedly be speculation as to which good guys and bad guys will join Hal Jordan. Unlike other heroes brought to theaters, Green Lantern's transition will need to involve a bit more of a stringent filtering process seeing as he's a member of large group of heroes, some of whom are just as significant as he. So who should make the cut and who should bring these characters to life?
The Corps:
Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan: It’s difficult for me to think of somebody else more fit to ring sling than Mal Reynolds himself. Fillion’s characters from Serenity and the vastly underrated Slither embody the right attitude to play Hal Jordan - down to business while cracking-wise without being too corny.
James DeBello as Guy Gardner: I’d love to put Thomas F. Wilson (a.k.a. Biff Tannen) in this role, but I’m afraid he’d be just too old for the part. Another lunkheaded character from a recent movie I love is DeBello’s character from Cabin Fever. If he were to rein that in a bit as a thickheaded guy that can take charge, he’d be a prime candidate.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as John Stewart: A lot of rumors have been going around about Common playing this Lantern, but I’d rather see somebody with proven acting chops than the next big rapper-turned-actor (not that all rappers are bad actors -- I love Ice-T’s hilarious turn in 3000 Miles to Graceland). Ejiofor has proven he’s one of the most versatile actors working today. Just observe the diversity found in his roles in Serenity and Kinky Boots and you’ll see.
Freddy Rodriguez as Kyle Rayner: The idea of this guy being an action star seemed like an odd choice when he was cast as El Wray in Planet Terror. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say Robert Rodriguez completed his goal of transforming Rodriguez into “the ultimate badass,” he did prove that the other Rodriguez could hold his own as an action star. I’d like to think that he could display the underlying torment of Rayner, the Lantern whose perpetually bad luck often results in things like his girlfriend in a refrigerator.
John Goodman as Kilowog: John Goodman is amazing (Editor's Note: and really fat). Where has he been lately? (Editor's Note: probably getting fat). Hopefully he’ll be thought of for playing the gruff trainer of the Green Lantern Corps.
Malcolm McDowell as Ganthet: As fellow contributor Gavin Mevius has said, “Malcolm McDowell could do Hamlet naked in a cave and I would watch it.” He was the only worthwhile thing about the Halloween remake, and his presence could only improve the film. It doesn’t hurt that he looks like the little blue guy, too.
The Rogues:
Daniel Day-Lewis as Sinestro: Most would think Day-Lewis would scoff at the idea of playing a comic book villain, but Sinestro is a bit more complex than your average ‘take over the world’ types. He thinks himself an altruistic benefactor, believing his tyrannical oppression is benefiting the universe by helping maintain order in it. The complexity of Sinestro and his motivations could give DDL plenty of material to sink his teeth into. Since he’s notorious for his method acting, it’d be pretty amusing to see him walking around in purple makeup all day, ordering people to do his bidding. Would you disobey Daniel Day-Lewis? I sure as hell wouldn't. I saw what he did to Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood.
David Dean Bottrell as Hector Hammond: Geoff Johns’ take on Hector Hammond basically has him as the creepiest, most perverted psychic paraplegic ever (though admittedly, the perverted, psychic paraplegic archetype is a sparsely populated one). Fans of “Boston Legal” may know Bottrell as playing a murder victim’s “favorite peepy” Lincoln Meyer. Most people flub the perv act by being over the top and becoming too weird or too slapstick, but Lincoln Meyer had just the right balance of being disgusting and menacing.
Chevy Chase as The Shark: It’s a shark that walks around on land. How can you not call Chevy Chase for this?
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