Destro Has Been Re-Cast - Christopher (Dr. Who/Heroes) Eccleston

[Cth]

http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4293&Itemid=99

Breaking News: G.I. Joe's Destro Has Been Re-Cast! PDF Print E-mail
Written by Robert Sanchez
Monday, 11 February 2008

The IESB has received breaking news, a last minute change has been
made to the G.I. Joe cast - Who to play Destro.

A devastating blow has been dealt to David Murray, the actor set to
star as Destro in the new G.I. Joe film.

Seems he had unforeseen problems getting into the United States and
wasn't able to get a work VISA in time for the film's start date of
Wednesday February 13th.

Studio sources say Murray is a phenomenal actor with a great body of
work and are disheartened that he was unable to get his immigration
issues in order before the film was set to start shooting.

Well, although the higher ups were dismayed that Murray would not be
able to play the role, what's a studio to do other than re-cast? The
actor will no longer be in the film, instead they have given the role
of Destro to Chris Eccleston.

Eccleston, a British actor, is most known for his stint as Dr. Who for
one season and his role as Claude aka The Invisible Man on the hit NBC
TV series Heroes. He also had a villainous role in Fox/Walden's The
Seeker as the Rider.

 

[TheVileOne]

Though I still would've preferred Vosloo in the role, you can't really argue with Dr. Who.

I dunno, the VISA stuff seems sort of like a cover. I think they knew that Murray was the wrong guy for the role, but that's just my instinct talking.

 

[CorpusBlack]

This guy looks more the part.

 

[Balthus Dire]

I like this guy, so this is good news for me.



Now the best news would be if they announced another recast for Destro and made him Vosloo.

 

[tamron]

I'm all for this one. I haven't see him in a whole lot of things, but Eccleston was great as the villian in Gone In 60 Seconds. That character, like Destro, was cultured, yet intimidating. I think he's a good fit.

 

[That-Guy]

This is awesome news! I love this guy. He can play a great villain. This replaces Ray Park as my #2 favorite casting decision in this movie. (#1 is Quaid).

 

[TheVileOne]

Eccleston needs a hit after The Seeker . He was also good in 28 Days Later before that crappy ass sequel.

 

[Balthus Dire]

Hahahaha "The Seeker"....

 

[Voyeur]

Hmm...I saw him as a great Major Bludd. But I'll take him as Destro. He's certainly got good intensity.

 

[CorpusBlack]

Eccleston needs a hit after The Seeker . He was also good in 28 Days Later before that crappy ass sequel.

Was he the military guy in '28 Days Later'?

 

[TheVileOne]

Yes.

 

[CorpusBlack]

He was awesome.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

This is great news. I'm liking the casting for Cobra more than I do for the Joes after this.

 

[TheVileOne]

Admit it. No one was excited about that Murray guy at all.

 

[tamron]

Admit it. No one was excited about that Murray guy at all.

How could we be? We had nothing to go on. He could've been great, he could've been meh. The world will never know.

 

[QueerMike]

Let's give it up for fate!

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

I was hoping they'd say David Murray was re-cast as Cobra Commander and Levitt as Flint.

 

[TheVileOne]

How could we be? We had nothing to go on. He could've been great, he could've been meh. The world will never know.

Just saying. Pretty convenient that it all worked out this way.

 

[terry78]

Yeah, he "couldn't" get a visa. We all know what that means.

 

[TheVileOne]

Sorry, I don't buy that excuse at all for a movie like this with virtually unlimited resources. Unless Murray committed some sort of crime to screw that up.

 

[Balthus Dire]

Just like how Matt Vaughan didn't want to do X3 because "he'd be away from his family".

Pffffft.

 

[TheVileOne]

Hey Claudia Schiffer said that was bogus .

 

[Compi716]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice!

 

[Bug-Eyed Earl]

Sorry, I don't buy that excuse at all for a movie like this with virtually unlimited resources. Unless Murray committed some sort of crime to screw that up.

http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/29/ap/celebrities/main3767300.shtml

ith immigration as a hot-button issue in an election year, the internationalization of Hollywood _ nine of the 20 acting or supporting Oscar nominations this year went to foreign-born movie stars _ begs the question: Is it easier for an actor to get a U.S. work visa than, say, a dishwasher?

"It is and it isn't," said immigration lawyer Mark Ivener, who has handled work permit and residency applications for numerous entertainers, including Ledger.

While English skills and hailing from a favored nation can certainly help, it turns out that star power helps grease the skids with government officials, too.

"It is easier if you are well-known," said Ivener. "Then you don't have to go through the labor certification process where you have to demonstrate to the Department of Labor that you won't be taking away a job from an American."

But for a struggling actor who's been waiting tables in London or Mexico City and would rather sling hash in Hollywood, the process is just as hard as it is for anyone else, say Ivener and others.

Judging from that article, the problem may have arisen from the fact that Murray is not well-known in the US. And there's the fact that it still takes time:

Step One
Contact the consulate of the country in which you intend to work. Most consulates are located in Washington, D.C. Call for directory assistance in the 202 area code or visit the U.S. State Department Web site and type in the country name, then click on Consulate.
2
Step Two
Ask your employer, if you already have a job arranged, to fax a letter of sponsorship.
3
Step Three
Provide any other documents required by your host country. Required documents vary from country to country, but may include a letter of sponsorship, identification papers, and a copy of your passport.
4
Step Four
Include a check for the required fee. Fees vary greatly from country to country, from nothing to more than $100.
5
Step Five
Submit the material at least two months in advance of departure, sooner if possible.
6
Step Six
Speak to the consulate about your plans and the length of your visa.

The interview with LDB in early January said they were two weeks away from casting Destro.

Steven Berkoff(the bad guy in beverly Hills Cop) was deported for Visa issues in 1997. It's not like it's impossible. And all this talk of "unlimited resources-" it still takes time and throwing money at a bureaucracy doesn't always work.

 

[Balthus Dire]

How did he shoot his part in Batman Begins without a work visa?

 

[Bug-Eyed Earl]

How did he shoot his part in Batman Begins without a work visa?

Batman Begins was partially shot in London.

From what I can tell from the above, you need a new Visa for every job. If his stuff was shot in America, he obviously was able to get it in time for that movie.

Anyway, the point is is that it is far from impossible for this to happen, even with a big-budget movie.