Hmm, I was interested to hear everybody's input.
personally, i would pick:
Heathcliff: Joaquin Pheonix or Orlando Bloom
(they both have that tormented look, dark and
handsome and can transform into any character)
Catherine: Kate Winslet (she has soft features which would contrast with
Joaquin's hard features. That could cause them to
appear to have chemistry. Also, she has that old
fashioned classic beauty.)
Heathcliff: I would be inclined to go with Hans Matheson
but also, I think Rufus Sewell could pull it off, definitely Cillian Murphy, Ben Wishaw, (this one's gonna sound weird) Ryan Gosling
Linton: Matthew Goode, Alessandro Nivola,
Catherine: Eva Green, Sophia Myles,
I truly have no idea which contemporary actors would suit the part, but if i would recast the 1939 version i'd pick Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh all the way. Why adapt another famous love novel with this famous onscreen couple in the lead roles? Simple, the fullfilling richness of their parts in GWTW one year later is made of the same stuff that the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy is made of: it's twisted, often surprising, tormented, fiery and intense. Besides, the fact that the two hated each other in real life would have added even more credibilty to the love-hate relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy.
shareorlando bloom is not yet a good leading actor. his elizabethtown went down in the drain.
shareI think that Julia Sawalha could be a really good Cathy and Joaquin Phoenix would be a great Heathcliff but IMO the actor should be mixed race or middle eastern or mediterranean looking- making Phoenix perfect (after all heathcliff was called a lasker in the book!)
"Would you like to live with your soul in the grave?" Wuthering Heights
I agree with most saying Joaquin Phoenix or Gerry Butler as Heathcliff. I'd choose Winona Rider for Kathy. Someone before mentioned Julia Roberts or Nicole Kidman...OMG they'd KILL one of my favorite movies! NOOOOOO!!!!! Maybe Maggie Smith could play the part of Ellen. As for Isabella, hhhmmm...maybe someone playful like Claire Danes? I'm not too familiar with the actors/actresses of the 90's, etc. Most of them just fade out after a couple of movies. If you're going to redo a classic then you've got to cast actors who are true actors and would make these roles a part of their soul.
"Love many...
Trust few...
Do wrong to none" *Shakespeare* & *Yau-Man*
Heathcliff: Gerard Butler. He never occurred to me till I saw his name mentioned here and remembered him in 300...I think if a remake was made it'd definitely have to be him in the role!
Cathy: I don't know who could possibly play her. I mean we have some great actresses but could they be Cathy...?
I'm still not sure if I could really see anyone else playing Heathcliff and Cathy. I mean Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon did so amazing and were so made for their parts. I don't think anyone could top them.
Cold Mountain~ Inman: "I...came...back."
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Catherine: Scarlett Johansson
Heathcliff: Clive Owen
I haven't read the other posts, but I'm going to go with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Anne Hathaway.
Life is pandemonium!share
Just a bit of history: Vivien Leigh was set to make 'That Hamilton Woman' and wasn't free to do WH. Yes, totally, she would have been great.
Actually I think Clive Owen would make a great Edgar. Otherwise:
Heathcliff - Gerard Butler or Karl Urban
Cathy - Kate Winslet
The characters are country people so wouldn't have necessarily been frail, fragile like Rhys-Meyers, etc. Regardless, I think that he and Cillian Murphy are too pretty for Heathcliff.
Heath: If Heath Ledger was still alive. Johnny Depp of course.
Catherine: Emmy Rossum or Scarlett Johansson