Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Guardians of Childhood Dreamcast

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Salutations, my readers!  

Many of you have likely seen the Dreamworks movie Rise of the Guardians.  Some of you may have read the children's book series by William Joyce upon which the movie is based.  I happen to have done both, and am very fond of both.  However, my favorite of the two is definitely the book series.
While Rise of the Guardians was done beautifully, I could not help wondering what it would be like if a movie version of the books were to be made.  In particular, a live action film.  

As such, I created this dreamcast, my own personal take on what the characters of the Guardians of Childhood series would look like. Let me know what you think!

And if you have not read The Guardians of Childhood, I encourage you to do so. It may be a children's series, but it is well worth a read for anyone, even adults!  :D

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CHRISTIAN BALE
as
NICHOLAS ST. NORTH




I recently watched Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy, and was suddenly struck by the resemblance Christian Bale  bears to the young Santa Claus from the Guardians Series.  Having seen him in a few other roles, I believe he could do the part quite well.

AMARIAH FAULKNER
as
KATHERINE



Since I don't know many child actresses, it took me a while to find the right one to play the young heroine of the Guardians Series.  After hunting around on IMDB, I found this lovely girl.  I've never seen her in any of her roles, but appearance-wise she was perfect.  I can see her working very well with Christian Bale as North.

TED ALLPRESS
as
NIGHTLIGHT



At first I was at a loss as to who to cast for my absolute favorite character in the series; Nightlight, the Spectral Boy.  But then, suddenly, I thought of Ted Allpress.  I've only seen him in his brief role as young Loki in Thor.  Sure enough, he has that bright, clear, innocent look that Nightlight is famous for.  I believe he is perfect for the part.

GINIFER GOODWIN
as
QUEEN TOOTHIANA



Toothiana is described as a warrior with the heart of a mother.  After seeing Ginifer Goodwin in Once Upon a Time, she seemed a fine choice for the beautiful Tooth Fairy.

JEREMY IRONS
as the voice of
E. ASTER BUNNYMUND



E. Aster Bunnymund is very different from the Bunny portrayed by Hugh Jackman in Rise of the Guardians.  While I found the latter very entertaining, I am also very fond of the Spock-like Pooka of the book series.  Jeremy Irons is one of my favorite actors.  I first saw him in Longitude, and have since been impressed by many more of his performances.  His voice, (also the voice of Scar from the Lion King), has that perfect mix of posh grandure and poetic majesty necessary for the voice of the mysterious Easter Bunny.

IAN HOLM
as
THE SANDMAN



Sanderson Mansnoozie was perhaps the hardest Guardian to cast of all.  However, just when I was about to give up hope, I thought of Ian Holm  That warm, kindly, but eccentric character he played as Bilbo Baggins is similar to Sandy's character in the books, though perhaps the latter is much more quiet than Bilbo.
And besides, look at that hair!  It's perfect!

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH
as
PITCH BLACK



It was my mother who first pointed out the resemblance between Benedict Cumberbatch and the infamous Pitch Black.  After a closer look, I suddenly saw it!  Those same high cheek bones, piercing eyes, and tall frame are perfect to play the villain of the Guardians Series.  Not only is Cumberbatch an expert on playing villains, but he also has that warm, very human side to him that makes Pitch all the more tragic.  Just imagining this actor playing the terrifying Bogey Man, as well as the tragically heroic father Kozmotis Pitchine gives me the shivers.

LARA PULVER
as
MOTHER NATURE



Is there an actress more perfect for this role?  Lara Pulver, in her role as Isabella in BBC's Robin Hood showed that she can play a woman who is both fragile, pitiable, ambiguous, and deadly.  Will she help, or harm you?  No one knows.

PATRICK GODFREY
as
OMBRIC THE WIZARD



His role in Ever After as Leonardo DaVinci convinced me that he could play the role of Ombric well.

PATRICK STEWART
as
THE MAN IN THE MOON



While in the books, the Man in the Moon is said to be a little round man, and Patrick Stewart is most certainly not round, I thought that he could portray the character very nicely.  Patrick Stewart is famous for playing characters who are wise, compassionate, and devoted protectors of humankind.  That certainly describes the Man in the Moon, so I think Mr. Stewart would do perfectly.

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-Rayne Speryll

(DISCLAIMER:  This casting list is purely a fan-cast.  It is by no means official, or approved by the actors mentioned, nor by the creators of The Guardians.)

8 comments:

  1. BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS PITCH! This I would DEFINITELY go see. X-D

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    1. Good! It would make an epic movie, wouldn't it?

      Even better would be a movie focusing on the back story of Pitch/Kozmotis Pitchiner, his daughter, and Sandman. Their stories intertwine in a most interesting way. :D

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    2. I have not read the Guardians books, but I would like to. :-)
      I should really try writing a story with anthropomorphism. It would be fun... Sorry, just watching the squirrels on the deck and wondering what their secret lives are like, and thinking their fur is the same color and as adorably bristly as a fox's... My most recent tale has shapeshifters; the MC turns into a white wolf with blue eyes, because I kind of thought it fitted... besides, it's a canine/lupine animal. :-P He's no sort of wildcat! :-P

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    3. Stories that feature anthropomorphic animals are fun. Have you read Brian Jacque's Redwall series? Those are the best that I've read.

      I once thought of writing a story that featured barn swallows as the protagonists. :D It would have followed their battle against the invasion of crows, led by four vicious hawks, and their interaction with a young artist who has been sketching their battles.

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  2. That is hysterical. But yeah, I feel you...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTTwpZ3noFA
    There. That's my favorite song to dance to in the kitchen. ;-D

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  3. Whoops... I meant to post that on the other tab... heehee...

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  4. That was supposed to go on the "Dancing in the Kitchen" post, sorry...

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  5. I Love the cast! I would so see this!

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