My thoughts on casting

Ange1e4e5

Well-Known Member
So I made this casting of The Silmarillion several weeks ago, before I found this site. Here it is:

Eru and the Valar

Eru Iluvatar: Liam Neeson

Manwe: Christian Bale

Varda: Marion Cotillard

Melkor/Morgoth: Toby Kebbell or Hugh Keays-Byrne

Aule: Jamie Bell

Yavanna: Elizabeth Henstridge

Ulmo: Daniel Craig

Mandos: Jim Cavaziel

Nienna: Lea Seydoux

Orome: Sebastian Stan

Irmo: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

Este: Sally Hawkins

Tulkas: Chris Hemsworth

Nessa: Emily VanCamp

Vaire: Katie McGrath

Vana: Emma Watson

House of Finwe:

Finwe: Jason Isaacs

Miriel: Charlotte Gainsbourg

Indis: Charlize Theron

Feanor: Harry Lloyd

Fingolfin: Tom Hiddleston

Finarfin: Tom Felton

Nerdanel: Rosalind Halstead

Maedhros: Domhnall Gleeson

Maglor: Nicholas Hoult

Caranthir: Matthew Lewis

Fingon: Jack Davenport

The Tale of Beren and Luthien

Directed by Michael Mann

Written by Michael Brandt

Music by John Williams or Trevor Jones

Beren Calmost: Richard Madden

Luthien Tinuviel: Alicia Vikander or Daisy Ridley

Finrod Felagund: Nico Evers-Swindell

Sauron: Adam Driver

Elu Thingol: Paul Bettany

Melian: Eva Green

Celegorm: Jonathan Groff

Curufin: Shia LaBoeuf

Huan: Idris Elba

Celebrimbor: Asa Butterfield

Barahir: Jason Clarke

The Children of Hurin

Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu

Written by Mark L. Smith

Music: John Williams or Trevor Jones

Turin Turambar: Liam Hemsworth

Nienor Niniel: Elizabeth Debicki

Brandir: Iain de Caestecker

Glaurung: Javier Bardem

Beleg: J.J. Feild

Gwindor: Charlie Cox

Finduilas: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Orodreth: Andrew Lincoln

Androg: Sharlto Copley

Mim: Timothy Spall

Hurin: Nick Blood

Morwen: Abby Cornish

Saeros: Burn Gorman

Brodda: Luca Calvani

Sador Labadal: Brandon Gleeson

The Fall of Gondolin

Directed by James Mangold

Written by Robert Rodat

Music: John Williams or Trevor Jones

Tuor: William Moseley

Idril Celenbridal: Lily James

Maeglin: Freddie Highmore or Frank Dillane

Turgon: Sasha Roiz

Aredhal: Charlotte Riley

Eol: David Tennant

Gothmog: Nathan Jones

Istari

Gandalf: James McAvoy

Saruman: Ed Skrein

Radagast: Jonas Armstrong

Akallabeth

Directed by Sam Mendes

Written by David Self

Music: John Williams

Elendil: Tom Hardy

Amandil: Jeremy Irons

Ar-Pharazon: Michael Fassbender

Tar-Miriel: Felicity Jones

Isildur: Skander Keynes

Gil-galad: Oscar Isaac

With Aaron-Taylor Johnson as Earendil

Helena Bonham-Carter as Ungoliant

and Sean Connery as Cirdan
 
Some good casting choices there. I can certainly agree with some of them - for example, if you look in the thread named "Elves", you'll see that I've suggested Paul Bettany for Thingol just as you have. Some of the actors you've listed have already been chosen, like Marion Cotillard who is our Nienna, and Liam Hemsworth who is Eonwë. All casting for Valar is done, as you know by now (and most of the casting for Maiar). But hang on to these ideas because next season is about the elves, from the time of the awakening and up to and including the darkening of Valinor, so, in a few months we will nominate actors to play Finwë, Ingwë and all of those guys.
 
(Voice of) Ilúvatar - Ralph Fiennes
Manwë - Daniel Day-Lewis
Varda - Lucy Liu
Melkor - Michael Fassbender
Ulmo - Manu Bennett
Aulë - Liev Schreiber
Yavanna - Gina Torres
Nienna - Marion Cotillard
Námo - Idris Elba
Vairë - Holly Hunter
Irmo - Alexander Siddig
Estë - Lyndie Greenwood
Oromë - Alexander Skarsgård
Nessa - Summer Glau
Vana - Amandla Stenberg
Mairon - Simon Woods
Olórin - Gael Garcia Bernal
Uinen - Sofia Boutella
Ossë - Ben Schnetzer
Curumo - Domhnall Gleeson
Eonwë- Liam Hemsworth
Ilmarë - Yoo-Jeong Kim
Melian - Rachel Weisz
Gothmog- Chris Pine
Ungoliant - Morena Baccarin
Estel - Jason Drucker
Gilraen - Alicia Vikander
Elrond - Benedict Cumberbatch
Bilbo - James McAvoy
 
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When I had made my casting, I had primarily focused on Beren and Luthien, The Children of Hurin, and the Fall of Gondolin. Funny how some of the acting ideas crossed over. For example, I had James McAvoy in mind as Olorin and McAvoy had expressed personal interest in the part.
 
I think the best way to get into this is to begin from the beginning - the session audios and notes beginning with the first three sessions of season 0. It'll take some time of course but you'll get on track and it will actually not take long - especially if you consider that the executives are talking about this being a project that will span 40 years...
 
Why, of course. The main thing is to enjoy yourself with all of this. The casting is the thing that would be most likely to change in the unlikely event this project ever moved past the theoretical. It gives us an idea as to who we'd like to see in the roles, but I seriously doubt any known actors would sign up.


Besides, anyone who told you it wasn't ok to have an opinion would clearly be a powermad loon, and I don't think we have any of those here.
 
To show which actors we'd like in the roles - it aids in designing costumes and writing scenes to have some idea of what type of actor will be in the role.
 
But everything regarding the script and costumes is decided as far as the actor is concerned? For example, I'm having a hard time imagining Chris Pine as Gothmog, seems too snarky and playboyish.
 
The purpose of discussing casting at all is to get an idea of how you want a particular character to be portrayed - short/tall, race, personality, age, all of those factors. Using actors people know from other projects allows us to quickly convey what we're looking for. Realistically, most of the suggested actors would not take a role in a TV show anyway.

The casting for Season 1 has been decided, so those actors are no longer 'available' to portray any of the remaining characters in later seasons.
 
And I would much prefer a different Elrond, but oh well, it's what it is. You can be involved in nominating and voting in the next season.
 
I think we will all have to accept different ideas and that the ideas of others are chosen rather than ones we would favour. On the bright side, it's possible to entertain a private fantasy with a casting you prefer.
 
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