You rang? lol.
Well, skarsgardfans, who runs the site, has legitimate contact with Alex...and it implies that the anonymous source is in fact her who got the word from Alex...However, I will say that she's had no problem in the past stating that she contacted Alex outright and quoting him directly...and she did label it a rumour too...so...read into that what you may.
I just feel like the whole thing smells fishy. Mostly because of Alex signing to the CAA. True, he was good in Generation Kill, but like he said at Paley, he was a glorified extra in S1 of True Blood...With the people that they have in the CAA, like any agency's wish list of mega stars, but is actually IN one agency...it just seems unlikely that you'd sign a guy like AS, whose biggest exposure to the American audience, Generation Kill, True Blood and Zoolander, which are all pretty low profile, either on a cable network or a minor role, to a huge agency like the CAA without something big behind it, like Thor. I mean, they signed Johnathan Rhys Meyers too...but he's had a lot more exposure, not only on the Tudors but in other roles. He's much more familiar to American audiences and has booked lead roles in movies from major studios. Plus, he's been in the American consciousness longer than AS...so why sign AS...unless he's on the verge of something huge. I mean, we had reports that what may be delaying him from booking the project was the fact that his former agent, Daisy Wu went from Endeavour to Gersh. Well, now he's got an agent...a huge ass agent...so...To think that he got into the CAA based on his talent alone and body of work up to now...is naive. His exposure levels just don't seem up to where a company like the CAA would be interested...at least not yet.
And as for AS saying he doesn't want to do Thor...well...First of all, Kenneth Frakking Branagh...accomplished, acclaimed and awarded director, writer and actor. And the reason he played Eric Northman on True Blood in the first place was because of Alan Ball...so I just can't fathom why Kenneth Branagh would be any different. This is the guy who directed the awesomest Shakespeare movie EVER in Hamlet. Marvel sent a signal when they hired Branagh...and Branagh sent a signal too...You don't get Kenneth Branagh on Thor if your script or project is sucky...and Kenneth Branagh wouldn't leave a London stage production of Hamlet with Jude Law if the script or the project is sucky. I can't fathom why any up and coming actor would turn that guy down...I mean, working with Branagh would be HUGE and it's a huge compliment that he's Branagh's number one guy for Thor...
I really think that Alex is covering his butt, so that if he doesn't get it, he won't look like an idiot. I mean, how smart is it to say that you've screen tested and are in talks when things aren't all in the can yet...I just feel like Alex is saying on thing...but behind the scenes actions, like the signing to the CAA...and not following his manager to Gersh, and landing the CAA instead say a lot more...Endeavour is part of the 'big five' apparently, Gersh isn't. Not only that, we've had reports of Alex having lunch with Branagh and him being Branagh's number one man...
And as for the fact that he may not have enough time to shoot or do other projects...I call BS too...he's got like 6 months free to shoot Thor when you work it out with True Blood and HBO. Filming won't plausibly start until like summer 2010. HBO will most likely renew and want to film TB like they're doing this season. I mean, it feels like a summer show...and by having it air in the summer, they have less competition from the major networks and sports...Alex wants to direct or do a screenplay he wrote two years ago home in Sweden. And he's got time...to go home and do that this summer, into the fall and winter and to also do other projects before having to maybe film S3 of TB. He won't have to give up every single year to only do Eric and Thor...
Some people think he's gonna get typecast as a viking...and it's like...how many viking movies/media can one guy star in...seriously...and I feel like the characters are very different, Thor and Eric. But also, Alex will probably have 2/3 films released this year that are nothing like True Blood or Thor...so I don't think he will have to worry about being typecast. In Beyond the Pole, he's in a British comedy playing a Norwegian green trekker in the North Pole, in Metropia, he's some sort of character in dystopia Europe and then 13 is about Russian Roulette in New York. So while he could be playing 2 vikings...I just don't see how he could be typecast when he's got different projects up his sleeve and he's a very versatile actor.
Although...I think part of this may have to do with the 5 picture deal.
Just a few ramblings and thoughts from me...
~simba_317