I don't think he read the books, either.
Best casting choices vs. worst casting choices
- Thread starter Dreddful
- Start date
I don't think he read the books, either.
I'm sorry but I completely disagree and I read all the books. The first two Harry Potter movies are the worst two of the eight and I never watch them and always start with the third one. I can't imagine how Harris would have handled the darker stories as the series went along and I loved the casting of all the parts. Thank God they got rid of those stupid hats the students wore by part 3. Lol. Just my 2 cents!
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mkstewartesq
Sr Member
Agreed. The films got markedly better after CoS mainly because they got directors who were willing to takes some risks with direction and tone to give the films some distinction, as opposed to Chris Columbus, who basically seemed to view his job as "putting the book up on the screen" without taking advantage of any of the unique aspects that can come from translating a work from one medium to another. I remember being a bit thunderstruck when I saw Prisoner of Azkaban in the theater because I simply could not have imagined, after seeing and enjoying the first two films, how much better and more true to the "spirit" of the books the films could be when directors brought their own spin to it.
But, to stay on point, I much prefer Gambon over Harris, who seemed much too frail and hesitant as Dumbledore (and, yes, I am sadly aware he was ill during much of the filming.) Harris was the stereotypical "old wise wizard" (in line with Columbus' tendency to just spit everything very literally form the book to the screen), and, as the later books went on to reveal the layers of Dumbledore's character (including his strength, rebelliousness and humor), I just think the fit between Harris and the character would have grown worse and worse over the course of the subsequent films.
M
I wasn't trying to be snide. I honestly remember him saying in an interview that he hadn't read the books when he started filming (I could be mis-remembering, however).
Edit: I was right
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...chael-Gambon-has-never-read-Harry-Potter.html
I didn't think you were snide at all. I just think Gambon's take on the roll was well suited for the darker series especially his final speeches he has with Snape regarding Harry having to die and then with Harry after he died at Kings Cross. I'm not sure Harris's version of Dumbledore would have had the same emotional vibe, that's all. Gambon's owned that role and made all his scenes have such raw emotion.
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I based my choices on expectation I had of the characters prior to seeing the movies
There are so many "perfect choices" like Harrison Ford for Indy, but the difference there is I knew nothing of character like that prior to the movies
These were characters I had pictures of in my head and had certain expectations on how they would be
Best
Ian McKellan - Gandalf. This was one of the most seemless transitions of what I imagined to on screen
Worse
Hugo Weaving as Elrond ( I just kept hearing Agent Smith every time he talked). It's not that he isn't a good actor, just wrong for that role. It kept taking me out of the movie when he would show up
There are so many "perfect choices" like Harrison Ford for Indy, but the difference there is I knew nothing of character like that prior to the movies
These were characters I had pictures of in my head and had certain expectations on how they would be
Best
Ian McKellan - Gandalf. This was one of the most seemless transitions of what I imagined to on screen
Worse
Hugo Weaving as Elrond ( I just kept hearing Agent Smith every time he talked). It's not that he isn't a good actor, just wrong for that role. It kept taking me out of the movie when he would show up
Ok, I'll take a stab...
BEST:
- MIchael Keaton: Batman
- The Main Cast of the Original "Star Trek" (that is 70% of the "lightening in a bottle" of that show).
- Christopher Reeve: Superman
- Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones
- Heath Ledger: The Joker
- Robert Downey Jr.: Sherlock Holmes / Chaplin
- Tom Hanks: Captain Miller (Saving Private Ryan)
- Ian McDiarmid: The Emperor (ROTJ)
- Patrick Stewart: Jean Luc Picard
- Sean Connery: James Bond
- Alec Baldwin: The Shadow
- Humphrey Bogart: Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon)
BONUS:
Rutger Hauer: Roy Batty
WORST
- George Lucas: As "George Lucas"
(Horribly miscast as the "genius director and writer of the original Star Wars" during the Star Wars prequels)
BEST:
- MIchael Keaton: Batman
- The Main Cast of the Original "Star Trek" (that is 70% of the "lightening in a bottle" of that show).
- Christopher Reeve: Superman
- Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones
- Heath Ledger: The Joker
- Robert Downey Jr.: Sherlock Holmes / Chaplin
- Tom Hanks: Captain Miller (Saving Private Ryan)
- Ian McDiarmid: The Emperor (ROTJ)
- Patrick Stewart: Jean Luc Picard
- Sean Connery: James Bond
- Alec Baldwin: The Shadow
- Humphrey Bogart: Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon)
BONUS:
Rutger Hauer: Roy Batty
WORST
- George Lucas: As "George Lucas"
(Horribly miscast as the "genius director and writer of the original Star Wars" during the Star Wars prequels)
Last edited:
J EM
Well-Known Member
Ahh yes. That line. lol
It always bothered me how you go from this
No wonder so many people confuse Dumbledore and Gandalf. See, I always have Harris' Dumbledore in mind who looks very distinct from Gandalf. Gambon's, however...
They even had him wear a costume that might as well pass for being entirely grey. How dare they!
And here I completely disagree with your post and think the movies got worse as they went on. I love it when opinions differ greatly :lol
Ahh yes. That line. lol
It always bothered me how you go from this to this
No wonder so many people confuse Dumbledore and Gandalf. See, I always have Harris' Dumbledore in mind who looks very distinct from Gandalf. Gambon's, however...
They even had him wear a costume that might as well pass for being entirely grey. How dare they!
And here I completely disagree with your post and think the movies got worse as they went on. I love it when opinions differ greatly :lol
Absolutely. The first two movies are for kids as the main case were kids but the movies had to evolve as the kids grew up and some people hate change which is why most TV shows end with nothing ever really changing in character development. But people do change as they grow and arc in story development. The later series were for older kids and adults who had grown up with the books over the years. That is all.
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