Recast Anakin Skywalker
- Thread starter Jedi Marso
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Hypotheticals are fun.
ETA:
I present Star Wars exhibits A, B,C and D as evidence that hypothesizing regarding an actor is part of the a general trend of hypothetical within the fandom:
Recasting the Original Trilogy Today
So, nothing new.
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Sure, plenty of people could have. As great as Mark Hamill was, Luke wasn't exactly the most complicated character and wouldn't be that hard for someone else to play. But in general, people are a lot more unhappy with Christensen as Anakin, so I can see why people would like to wonder what he would have been like with a different actor in the role.
For the casting of Luke Skywalker, there were many, many people. In fact for Han Solo and Princess Leia as well. What it came down to for Lucas was three actors who had chemistry in their read through. Sure maybe on of the other actors might have been better for Luke, but whoever that was didn't play well across from Harrison Ford or Carrie Fisher.
This might be why their is a disconnect with the casting of Anakin Skywalker...he was cast after Padme and Obi-wan were established, and it seems like Lucas was casting to get someone would could do the darker Vader scene emotions. However this didn't seem to translate to the romantic scenes with Portman. The scenes with McGregor work fine, both as friends and antagonists. The thing is, you can see takes and off screen stuff of the three of them playing around. They did work well together, but there was something wrong with I guess maybe half of the romance takes between Portman and Hayden. I am not sure if it was just Lucas' script, directing, or just Portman not feeling it on those days, since she seemed to with in on the day for the picnic scenes out in the grassy field and at least some of the arena takes where they are believable (a well as I suppose the wedding scene, though there is no talking).
This might be why their is a disconnect with the casting of Anakin Skywalker...he was cast after Padme and Obi-wan were established, and it seems like Lucas was casting to get someone would could do the darker Vader scene emotions. However this didn't seem to translate to the romantic scenes with Portman. The scenes with McGregor work fine, both as friends and antagonists. The thing is, you can see takes and off screen stuff of the three of them playing around. They did work well together, but there was something wrong with I guess maybe half of the romance takes between Portman and Hayden. I am not sure if it was just Lucas' script, directing, or just Portman not feeling it on those days, since she seemed to with in on the day for the picnic scenes out in the grassy field and at least some of the arena takes where they are believable (a well as I suppose the wedding scene, though there is no talking).
I blame the dialogue/script/editing for the clunkiness of the romance scenes. There are several fan edits that have almost salvaged this aspect of AOTC by editing back in the footage at Padme's family's house, editing out some of the worst of the groaners, and using a little judicious editing here and there. It wasn't the actors- that much I feel sure about.
We know that Lucas had a specific look in mind, and didn't want to go with known actors.
I'm with the folks who felt that Christensen was fine in the role, he just got poor direction and some questionable dialogue. But that being said, if I had to recast the role, in the 80s it would've been Kiefer Sutherland. In the early 90s Rick Schroeder. In the late 90s, perhaps Macauley Culkin (who showed he could play dark in The Good Son), and in the 00s, perhaps Schroeder again if they were going with an older Anakin from jump (which I think is what Lucas should have done).
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