Cast the Legend of Drizzt Movie (should it ever be made)

[Jarlaxle]

Fair enough, McConaughey would play a better jarlaxle than he would a artimis. Give him a shave and tell to act like he knows everything, I think he would do a good job.

 

[Thundarr]

And he actually named a dwarf Dagnabit (which I'm guessing he later regretted since the character is referred to as Dagna in later books).

Anyway, I don't want to trash the guy... I do love his work. And perhaps you're right... Sojourn might be a great place to start the story, as long as it includes flashbacks to Homeland and Exile.

The Franchise Menace... that's great.

Actually, Dagnabit is Dagna's son. He died during the defense of the town of Shallows in The Thousand Orcs. And I've said from the beginning that scenes from Homeland and Exile would be written into the Sojourn script to get the casual movie goer caught up on what happened to Drizzt prior to the movie.

 

[Thundarr]

Jessica Biel as Cattibrie


Brandon Routh as Wulfgar


Mathew McConaughey as Artimis


Luke Goss as Drizzt

As for Bruenor and Regis, Im totally lost. I dont have any idea who could play those two.

I like all your choices except Brandon Routh and Matthew McConaughey. Unless everyone in Superman Returns stands close to 7' tall, there's no f**king way in hell he could ever be big enough to play Wulfgar. You need someone between 6'8" and 7' and neer 300 lbs of solid muscle with a bodybuilder's physique. The guy just can't be only a few inches taller than Drizzt. And you need someone better at being an evil bastard than McConaughey to play Entreri. As for Bruenor an Regis, I'd go with little people as the actors. It's easier than using a bunch of CGI and camera tricks to make regular sized actors look like they're 3' to 4.5' tall.

 

[GhostPoet]

Dominic Purcell would be the ultimate Wulfgar. Come on now.

 

[Thundarr]

Dominic Purcell would be the ultimate Wulfgar. Come on now.

Could you post a picture of him? I don't recognise the Name Purcell, so I don't know how good he'd be for the role. If Tyler Mane were younger, he'd be great. Maybe playing Wulfgar in Passage To Dawn and later books. Earlier books like from The Crystal Shard to The Legasy, they need someone in his late teens to mid twenties, who's about the same size.

 

[GhostPoet]

 

[That-Guy]

I think Purcell is too old now... Wulfgar needs to look like he's in his early 20's.

 

[That-Guy]

Also, unrelated... but I just found out that apparently Nicolas Cage was in consideration to play Aragorn back when they were getting ready to do The Lord of the Rings. I can't imagine how horrible that would have been.

 

[Thundarr]

I think Purcell is too old now... Wulfgar needs to look like he's in his early 20's.

I concur. He might be good for playing Wulfgar in The Thousand Orcs, but you need someone who can at least pass for his late teens/early twenties for The Icewind Dale Trilogy and The Legasy.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Brendan Gleeson as Bruenor


Jessica Biel as Cattibre



Luke Goss as Drizzt



James Caviezel as Artimis



Nathan Jones as Wulfgar



Liam Neeson as Zaknafein


This will be my last time on here, this is the last casting list for you guys. I dont think it can get any better than this. If there is ever a movie about drizzt made, it should start from the begining when he was born and end the movie when he is leaving the cave with Quen. Explain how he was going to die if it wasn't for his brother being murdered in that war the day he was born. Going through his training with Zak and how he dealt with his mother. Drizzt (luke Goss) could even narrorate some of his inter turmoil. Anyway, good luck with the casting and I really hope this movie is going to be made.
God Speed;
Jarlaxle

 

[Thundarr]

Brendan Gleeson as Bruenor

Only if they do the same greenscreen technique that they used in LOTR for Gimli and the hobbits. This guy is HUGE. He would make a great King Heafstaag though.

Jessica Biel as Cattibre

I thought you wanted to start with the Dark Elf Trilogy. Cattibrie was only 10 or 11 when she met Drizzt. She'd be great for The Crystal Shard though.

Luke Goss as Drizzt



James Caviezel as Artimis

Those ones I agree with.

Nathan Jones as Wulfgar

He's got the right build, but I don't know if he's tall enough. Also you want someone younger to play Wulfgar in The Icewind Dale Trilogy and The Legasy. You can recast him for Passage To Dawn, The Silent Blade, etc.

Liam Neeson as Zaknafein

I totally agree.

This will be my last time on here, this is the last casting list for you guys. I dont think it can get any better than this. If there is ever a movie about drizzt made, it should start from the begining when he was born and end the movie when he is leaving the cave with Quen. Explain how he was going to die if it wasn't for his brother being murdered in that war the day he was born. Going through his training with Zak and how he dealt with his mother. Drizzt (luke Goss) could even narrorate some of his inter turmoil. Anyway, good luck with the casting and I really hope this movie is going to be made.
God Speed;
Jarlaxle

I like your other casting suggestions.

 

[Thundarr]

Homeland: The Movie

Matron Malice Do'Urden: Halle Barry

Zaknafein Do'Urden: Liam Neeson

Dinin Do'Urden: James Marsters

Nalfein Do'Urden: Leonardo DiCaprio

Briza Do'Urden: Cory Everson

Maya Do'Urden: Beyonce Knowles

Vierna Do'Urden: Kiera Knightly

Rizzen Do'Urden: Luke Goss

Drizzt Do'Urden: Orlando Bloom

Belwar Dissengulp: Warwick Davis

 

[Thundarr]

Exile: The Movie

Belwar, Drizzt, and the entire Do'Urden family are the same as above. Additional characters:

Jarlaxle: Christian Bale

Clacker: Andy Serkis (the voice, the character's CGI)

I think those are the only new characters added to the story. Well, there's also the crazy wizard who turned Clacker into a hook horror, but I can't remember his name off the top of my head. I'd probably cast Leslie Neilson in the role.

 

[Thundarr]

Sojourn: The Movie

Drizzt Do'Urden: Orlando Bloom

Roddy McGrissle: Randal "Tex" Cobb

Dove Falconhand: Jessica Biel

Fredegar "Fret" Rockcrusher: ????

Montolio " Mooshie" DeBroochie: Donald Sutherland

Spokesman Cassius: Vin Diesel

Bruenor Battlehammer: Brett Beatty

Cattibrie: ????

 

[Thundarr]

The Icewind Dale Trilogy & The Legasy

Regis The Halfling: Verne Troyer

Young Cattibrie (13 yrs):????

Cattibrie (18+ yrs): Dakota Fanning

Young Wulfgar (13 yrs): ????

Wulfgar (18+ yrs): Richard Sandrak (if he's tall enough)

Artemis Entreri: Jim Caveisel

Lady Alustrial: Angelina Jolie

Harkle Harple: Jim Carrey

Bruenor, Drizzt, and Cassius are all played by the same actors as in Sojourn. In Passage To Dawn through to the latest Drizzt novel, Wulfgar could be recast with Tyler Mane in the role.

 

[WardTheSteak]

I've read the Icewind Dale Trilogy myself, mostly just to see where the whole Drizzt thing started. It was pretty good, but considering some people were saying that the Drizzt books were "better than Tolkien", I was expecting more than I got from that trilogy.

Actually there seemed to be an awful lot of derivative elements taken from LOTR in the Icewind trilogy, from some of the names ("Cryshal Tirith", "Alustriel") to certain events (an abandoned Dwarf mine is home to an evil army, a father-figure to the group goes over a cliff in the grips of a flaming creature only to survive, a halfling loses his finger, characters "keep score" of dead foes, etc).

Overall it was a fun read however, and since it was written back in 1989-1991, I realize that Salvatore probably got sharper with his characterization and originality in later books. I'm going ahead to read the Dark Elf Trilogy next (after I finish the latest Harry Potter that is), since there seems to be a lot of potential for orginality in that storyline.

Is The Dark Elf Trilogy the best of the Drizzt series, or is there a better storyline later on?

The Drizzt storyline definitely gets better later on, and the whole Mithril Hall scene is not that closely related to Tolkien. First of all the mine in Tolkien was well known, and had just recently been overtaken by Orcs, Gimlee even thought that they would be going to warm fires and get to meet his cousin. In Salvatore's works, the "Prosperous City" Mithril Hall had been overrun by a dragon hundreds of years prior, and all information about it had been lost, and when they went back duergar dark dwarfs. Plus, Gandalf was techincally dead because he only came back to help complete the quest, and he was pulled down unwillingly. Different stuff man, but of course almost any fantasy righter, and even fantasy game developer has been hugely influenced by Tolkien. Also, if you read on it gets soooooooo much better, in my opinion the best book I have ever read is all the way in the Transitions series, called the Orc King. It is awesome, and so are many of the series leading up to it. Salvatore's works are great and he definitely deserves Drizzt reaching the big screens.

 

[That-Guy]

Whoah... The Thread That Wouldn't Die returns! lol

Yeah, I still maintain that Drizzt could work on the big screen. I just don't know, honestly, which stories would be the best to adapt. I think that the ones that revolve around Menzoberranzan are the best of the lot, with the Icewind Dale trilogy (which really should be renamed since only the first book took place there) being among the worst. The Halfling's Gem is great, but the first two books of that series I found to be pretty poor, aside from the characters.

 

[rsdriver85]

I gotta say that I would love to see Adrian Paul as Drizzt. We all are all familiar with his skill and experience in swordplay.
I also like the idea of Mark Decoscos as Drizzt. He would be a fine choice as well.
I think the suggestion of Ray Park is right-on for Artimus Entreri. Thats exactly who I envisioned before I even came to this site.
Liam Neeson as Zacnafien would be my first choice too.
How about Billy Zane as Jarlaxel, or Samuel L. Jackson they're also both bald as well. How convenient.
Other suggestions would be:

Ron Pearlman; Bruenor
Ericka Durance; Catti-brie
Glen Close; Matron Baenre
Tina Turner; Malice
Robert Patrick; Gromph
Jim Carey as Harkel Harpel (too big a star for a supporting role but he would
be absolutely hilarious though.)

 

[Thundarr]

I found some interesting stuff on You Tube. Some amateur film makers have put together some movie trailers for a live action Legend Of Drizzt movie. I thought they looked pretty good for fan films. Here they are for those of you who are interested in taking a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsO9qMdzsgM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dUlSU0XvRI&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDgKfvyCPxM&NR=1

Here's a list of casting suggestions that someone put together. I agree with some of them (Cate Blanchett as Lady Alustriel? ), others not so much (Hugh Jackman as Drizzt? ). Take a look and post your own opinions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy3MQ5Nb6iQ&feature=related

 

[Thundarr]

Whoah... The Thread That Wouldn't Die returns! lol

Yeah, I still maintain that Drizzt could work on the big screen. I just don't know, honestly, which stories would be the best to adapt. I think that the ones that revolve around Menzoberranzan are the best of the lot, with the Icewind Dale trilogy (which really should be renamed since only the first book took place there) being among the worst. The Halfling's Gem is great, but the first two books of that series I found to be pretty poor, aside from the characters.

And like Jason Voorhees, The Thread That Wouldn't Die returns once more! Mwahahahahahahaha!!!

The books that revolve around Menzoberranzan are great, but they're also the most difficult to adapt to the big screen. If there are any weaknesses to the Icewind Dale Trilogy, it's due to the fact that it was R.A. Salvatore's very first trilogy for Lizards Of The Coast (back then known as TSR). His writing only got stronger as he got older and wiser. And any similarities between The Crystal Shard and LOTR are very understandable, as LOTR was the reason he got into writing fantasy in the first place.

 

[Thundarr]

Whoah... The Thread That Wouldn't Die returns! lol

Yeah, I still maintain that Drizzt could work on the big screen. I just don't know, honestly, which stories would be the best to adapt. I think that the ones that revolve around Menzoberranzan are the best of the lot, with the Icewind Dale trilogy (which really should be renamed since only the first book took place there) being among the worst. The Halfling's Gem is great, but the first two books of that series I found to be pretty poor, aside from the characters.

Like the pheonix rising from the ashes, The Thread That Wouldn't Die returns yet again! Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

 

[That-Guy]

And like Jason Voorhees, The Thread That Wouldn't Die returns once more! Mwahahahahahahaha!!!

The books that revolve around Menzoberranzan are great, but they're also the most difficult to adapt to the big screen. If there are any weaknesses to the Icewind Dale Trilogy, it's due to the fact that it was R.A. Salvatore's very first trilogy for Lizards Of The Coast (back then known as TSR). His writing only got stronger as he got older and wiser. And any similarities between The Crystal Shard and LOTR are very understandable, as LOTR was the reason he got into writing fantasy in the first place.

Lizards of the Coast? I think you meant Wizards.

But yeah, I totally agree. Like any writer, he improved as he went on. Unfortunately though it puts a filmmaker in a difficult predicament if they want to tell the story. Do you film the excellent story first that might not translate well to film, or do you make the film-friendly story that will likely receive criticism for being too close to LOTR?

 

[Victarion]

I think that Geoffrey Rush would make a good Bruenor, honestly.

I do believe that we can remain faithful to the writing; the key is all in the aesthetics and designs. Take the orcs for example; rather than humanish like those of LOTR, the ones in the Drizzt series apparently have a look that is a cross between an ape and a boar, what with their tusks and all (going by the cover art of The Thousand Orcs). Then there's the Rhemorazz tundra-wurm that Bruenor fought in Sojourn and the giants seem to have antler-like growths upon their heards. Errtu himself would look awesome on the big screen.

I think that by remaining faithful to such creature designs, we could skirt heavy criticism in regards to LOTR-like elements.

Todd Lockwood MUST MUST MUST be the concept artist for this movie! That dude's work is ****ing awesome. Whoever illustrated the original printings of The Legacy and Starless Night needs to stay far far away.

I would hope the movies could make it to the Hunter's Blades series. Obould is one of my favorite antagonists in the Drizzt series. Jarlaxle is second.

Finally, I encourage all Drizzt fans to check out Salvatore's DemonWar Saga and Saga of the First King. Both are set in a fantasy land of his own design, called Corona. You get the action scenes of the Drizzt series, with a darker tone and much better characterization.

 

[Thundarr]

Lizards of the Coast? I think you meant Wizards.

Nope, Lizards. They lost the right to call themselves Wizards Of The Coast when they decided to ruin the game I feel so passionately about.

But yeah, I totally agree. Like any writer, he improved as he went on. Unfortunately though it puts a filmmaker in a difficult predicament if they want to tell the story. Do you film the excellent story first that might not translate well to film, or do you make the film-friendly story that will likely receive criticism for being too close to LOTR?

That's the kanundrum. The Crystal Shard would translate very well to film, but there are many elements that were obviously inspired by LOTR (the body count competition between Wulfgar & Drizzt, the orc horde assault on Ten Towns, Errtu the balor, etc) which could cause the general audience to judge it unfairly. On the other hand, Homeland would have the challenges of the nonhuman languages (requiring subtitles), figuring out how infravision will translate into film (especially in a way that will be understandable by the general audience). Tough choice.

 

[Thundarr]

I think that Geoffrey Rush would make a good Bruenor, honestly.

I do believe that we can remain faithful to the writing; the key is all in the aesthetics and designs. Take the orcs for example; rather than humanish like those of LOTR, the ones in the Drizzt series apparently have a look that is a cross between an ape and a boar, what with their tusks and all (going by the cover art of The Thousand Orcs). Then there's the Rhemorazz tundra-wurm that Bruenor fought in Sojourn and the giants seem to have antler-like growths upon their heards. Errtu himself would look awesome on the big screen.

I think that by remaining faithful to such creature designs, we could skirt heavy criticism in regards to LOTR-like elements.

Todd Lockwood MUST MUST MUST be the concept artist for this movie! That dude's work is ****ing awesome. Whoever illustrated the original printings of The Legacy and Starless Night needs to stay far far away.

I would hope the movies could make it to the Hunter's Blades series. Obould is one of my favorite antagonists in the Drizzt series. Jarlaxle is second.

Finally, I encourage all Drizzt fans to check out Salvatore's DemonWar Saga and Saga of the First King. Both are set in a fantasy land of his own design, called Corona. You get the action scenes of the Drizzt series, with a darker tone and much better characterization.

I totally agree with you on the old cover art. Whoever drew Drizzt made him look like a shriveled up old man.

And as for the design of the orcs, I also agree. Design them using the cover art from novels like The Thousand Orcs as well as pictures from the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual.

You're mistaken on the giants though. They don't have antlers growing out of their heads, they're wearing horned helmets or head dresses. The polar worm and Errtu would both look awsome on the big screen though.