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Whedon Dreamcasts

As you may or may not know, Joss Whedon has directed an adaptation of the Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The first official trailer for the film was released this week (watch it here) and, needless to say, it looks completely fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that we here at Doux Reviews have decided that our beloved Mr. Whedon should make it his life’s goal to film the entire Shakespearean canon. That would obviously encompass a great deal of work, so we have decided to help him out by providing some casting ideas for various plays. Want to get in on the action? Just one rule: all actors must have appeared in at least one Whedonverse project. Read our picks below.

As You Like It

(by Josie)
Amy Acker as Rosalind
Alexis Denisof as Orlando
Alyson Hannigan as Celia
Nicholas Brendon as Oliver
Anthony Stewart Head as Duke Senior
Sam Anderson as Duke Frederick
Fran Kranz as Jacques
Danny Strong as Touchstone
Scarlett Johanson as Audrey

Hamlet

(nightmare cast by Josie)
Vincent Kartheiser as Hamlet
Keith Szarabajka (Holtz) as Dead King Hamlet
David Boreanaz as Claudius
Charisma Carpenter as both Ophelia and Gertrude
Nicholas Brendon as Horatio
The “evil trio” as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Andy Hallet as the first player
A FOX executive as Fortinbras

(by sunbunny)
Neil Patrick Harris as Hamlet
Amy Acker as Ophelia
Mark Sheppard as the Gravediggers

Henry IV Parts 1 and 2

(by Mark)
Tony Head as Henry
James Marsters as Prince Hal (complete with Spike accent)
Alexis Denisof as Hotspur
Nathan Fillion as Falstaff (original suggestion by ChrisB)

King Lear

(by sunbunny with ChrisB and Mark)
Anthony Stewart Head as King Lear (original suggestion by ChrisB)
Olivia Williams as Goneril
Stephanie Romanov as Regan
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Cordelia (original suggestion by ChrisB)
Sam Anderson as Earl of Gloucester
James Marsters as Earl of Kent
Enver Gjokaj as Edgar
Tahmoh Penikett as Edmund
Nicholas Brendon as Fool (original suggestion by Mark)

Othello

(by Josie)
Andy Hallet (in Lorne makeup) as Othello
Alexis Denisof as Desdemona (aka “Desmond” in this version)
Amy Acker as Iago (“Iaga”)
And it’s been so long since I’ve read the play that I don't really care about the other characters.

(by sunbunny)
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello
Amy Acker as Desdemona
Alan Tudyk as Iago
Clark Gregg as Brabantio

Romeo and Juliet

(by sunbunny)
Neil Patrick Harris as Romeo
Sean Maher as Juliette (Julio)
J. August Richards as Mercutio
Tahmoh Penikett as Tybalt
Morena Baccarin as Paris
Danny Strong as Friar

Twelfth Night

(by sunbunny)
Felicia Day as Viola
Chris Hemsworth as Orsino
Dichen Lachman as Olivia
Sean Maher as Sebastian
Jonathan M. Woodward as Malvolio
Emma Caulfield as Maria
Fran Kranz as Sir Toby Belch
Tom Lenk as Andrew Aguecheek

13 comments:

  1. I'm terrible with Shakespeare characters and don't have anything to contribute, but this is just great. :)

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  2. I simply cannot remember a time I was more excited for a film to come out. I don't care what else is going on in my life, or what lies I have to tell to not work that day. On the 7th of June, I will be in some cinema somewhere. It wouldn't surprise me if I sit through it twice.

    I LOVE the choices you all have made. I have to say, sunbunny, that I think the idea of an entirely male cast for Romeo and Julietis inspired. Especially, as that's how it would have been played the first time it was ever seen.

    Now, we need to start working on the rest:

    Taming of the Shrew must have James Marsters as Petuchio, but Katherina is up for grabs. Thoughts?

    The Merchant of Venice has Amy Acker as Portia written all over it.

    The one that is completely stumping me is Macbeth. Someone must have some ideas...

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  3. I could be crazy, but of the Whedon regulars I'm going to go with Eliza Dushku for Katherina. Based on the limited interactions between Spike and Faith I think it could work well. And Eliza has enough of the "don't mess with me/you can't tell me what to do" spirit about her to pull Katherina off. Though I also think that Amy Acker could do it (but then she can do almost anything).

    Side note: I am so ridiculously excited about Much Ado About Nothing I almost can't stand it. I made my sister promise to go with me to see it months ago. I mean, seriously: Joss Whedon + Shakespeare + A bunch of my favorite actors = A completely fantastic movie :)

    Mandy

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  4. I thought someone else would do MacBeth.

    Confession: I read MacBeth in seventh-grade English class, and all I remember are a few brief clips from the Orson Welles version, which none of us understood, and how much I disliked my seventh-grade English teacher, who clearly didn't like me, either. When I think of MacBeth, I think of her.

    Therefore, I dreamcast Mrs. ***** as Lady MacBeth. Take that, Mrs. *****.

    [Name redacted to maintain her privacy.]

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  5. Mark, in your version of Henry IV, does Anthony Stewart Head speak with his natural accent? Because those accents add a whole new dimension to the play. A fun one.

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  6. Josie -- I'm with you on Macbeth which is why I can't cast it. My least favorite of the "major" plays.

    I even went to see the Patrick Stewart version back in 2007 that all the critics said was a game changer. For fun, I re-read the review tonight that I wrote at the time. I was not impressed.

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  7. Yeah, I'm really stumped on Macbeth. I don't dislike it particularly, but I just don't know who could/would make a good Macbeth. It's been a while since I've read that one, any way.

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  8. Josie, he will and yes it would.

    How about Adam Baldwin for the Scottish Play. And maybe Morena Baccarin as Lady Macbeth.

    As for the Three Witches, the answer is obviously Alyson Hannigam, Amber Benson and Elizabeth Anne Allen. Or possibly the Evil Trio if your in the mood for a gender swap.

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  9. I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare, although I did enjoy some versions by Kenneth Branagh. But this trailer is a WOW. Huge smile on my face for seeing Captain Hammer ! And it's in black and white : artsy. I've noted the date on my calendar.

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  10. I love A Midsummer Night's Dream so here's my contribution:

    Theseus: Alexis Denisof
    HIppolyta: Amy Acker

    Egeus (Hermia's father): Anthony Head
    Hermia: Alyson Hannigan (supposed to marry Demetrius but loves Lysander)
    Lysander: Nicholas Brendon (begins by loving Hermia but then falls for Helena thanks to Puck's spell)
    Helena: Felicia Day (loves Demetrius but can't accept it when he and Lysander are fighting over her)
    Demetrius: Neil Patrick Harris ( begins by loving Hermia but then is magicked into loving Helena--can you tell I wanted Dr. Horrible to get the girl?)

    Bottom: Nathan Fillion (the foolish actor with an ass's head)

    Oberon: James Marsters (king of the fairies who wants to embarrass his queen)
    Titania: Sarah Michelle Gellar (queen of the fairies who is magicked into loving Bottom)
    Puck: Seth Green (mischief maker extraordinaire)

    And there are plenty of fairies and mechanicals to fill in with others...

    Plus, it's in the same vane as Much Ado, so you could easily film it in a short amount of time and make it lots of fun...

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  11. Mark - I had Willow and Tara for the three witches too, but I didn't post it because I couldn't come up with a third! :)

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  12. a.m., I love your Midsummer's Night Dream cast! I love that play as well but hadn't gotten farther than Nathan Fillion as Bottom. I tip my hat to you. Great choices. :)

    Mandy

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks, Mandy! Nathan Fillion as Bottom was my first thought too:)

    ReplyDelete

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