MovieChat Forums > The Elephant Man (1980) Discussion > Who would you cast in the remake?

Who would you cast in the remake?

posted 13 years ago by K_kugelis
20 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed the movie but I feel as if it needs a remake badly. So here are my picks:

Director: Guy Ritchie - it may seem like a weird choice but I just watched Rocenrolla and he just feels like the right "guy" for the job.
Frederick Treves: Keanu Reeves. What made the character of the doctor really special was his inner peace and that he was just such a good guy and call me crazy but I think Keanu was born for the role, he could pull it off.
Mrs. Kendal: not sure yet. I have a lot of possibilities for this one.
Carr Gomm: Al Pacino
Freddie Jones: Timothy Spall
John Merrick: Ben Affleck

What would be your picks?

[–] oscars075-1 12 years ago

Director: David Fincher
Frederick Treves: Gary Oldman
Mrs. Kendal: Debra Winger
Carr Gomm: Anthony Hopkins (or Michael Caine)
Freddie Jones: Brian Cox
John Merrick: Johnny Depp
Mothershead: Venessa Redgrave

Hey, you created me. I didn't create some loser alter-ego to make myself feel better. - Fight Club

[–] RoyShacham 12 years ago

Director: David Fincher
Josh Merrick(Elephant Man): Kevin Spacey
Frederick Treves: Kevin Costner
Mrs. Kendal: Sela Ward(She's not an outstanding actress but she's seems like the right person based on "The Guerdian")
Carr Gomm: Brian Cox
Bytes: Jeff Bridges
Mothershead: Kate Beckinsale

[–] depth_charge 12 years ago

OP, no-one, you're a fool!
.
Hockey Stick Behind The Ear!

[–] foka_12 12 years ago

Guy Richie? Do you want to turn this into a comedy?
Could you explain why do you feel he is the "right guy for the job"?

[–] K_kugelis 12 years ago

No no I don't want this to be a comedy (maybe some comical elements? just maybe?). I think it is immature to think that this "guy" is only capable of doing comedies.

To my mind he has a way broader range. Remaking the elephant man might just be his big break. Just look at the unappreciated masterpiece that Rokenrolla is! The clockwork orange of our generation. And yet the great artist behind that piece is left unknown to public.

All in all spicing elephant man with some clever one liners, increasing the pace a bit and adding some "wackiness" might just make it better.

[–] foka_12 12 years ago

hm... now I got where you're coming from. Makes sense!

But I don't think this movie needs a remake. It's perfect as it is.

[–] g_dekok 8 years ago

NO. No remake, ever.

[–] Osova 12 years ago

Oh no no no this needs no remake.

[–] ClarenceRockyHorror 12 years ago

Director: Gus Van Sant

John Merrick:Peter Saasgard/Gary Oldman

Fredrick Treves:Benedict Cumberbatch

Mrs Kendal: Michelle Pfeiffer

[–] zooymtoo 12 years ago

There are certain movies that should not be remade. This is one of them.
No reason to.
It's perfect as it is.
I really despise they way they want to remake films that already stand the test of time.
Hollywood should give a try at being a little more original. There's plenty of books and source material to draw from. Leave classic stuff alone.

[–] KoshVader 12 years ago

Okay, I love this movie and the history, really he is my favourite historical figure and I think he is amazing.

However, I don't think this film is perfect.
Some of the narrative does seem rather fast at times and could be better explained and developed.
Now granted alone they are not enough to warrant a remake, but then you have to take history into account.

This film is not that accurate, it's good and I feel that it is respectful to Joseph (his name in real life), but I would like to see a true to history account of his life and there are so many people who didn't appear in this movie who could have done. I also think that he wasn't as strong in this film as he was in real life and it would be good if that could be got across.

You may be thinking that such a film would not be a remake, more an 'adaptation' but I think there's a fine line and this movie did so much right that it would be nice to draw on it for inspiration.

To summerise, it's a fantastic film and has my seal of approval, but as a Joseph Merrick fan I would like to see one that portrays him and the people around him more accurately (also the history has some relationship dynamics that would make fantastic character arcs).

[–] eyebrowmorroco 12 years ago

Hugh Jackman... Frederic Treves
Tom Hardy... John Merrick
Kate Beckinsale... Anne Bancroft
Michael Caine... Carr Gomm
Judi Dench... Mothershead
Ray Winstone... Bytes
Mark Strong... Night Porter

Directed by Christopher Nolan

[–] chivers677 11 years ago

Since we're totally turning this board into a farce...

Director: Michael Bay (Is very creative)
John Merrick: Nicolas Cage (Has great hair)
Mrs. Kendal: Kristen Stewart (Is very emotive)
Carr Gomm: Seth Rogen (Wisecracking balls busting loudmouth)
Freddie Jones: Dwayne Johnson (Has bills to pay) Note: A negotiation has been met that Johnson will only agree to play the part if he is permitted to wear the costume from 'Tooth Fairy'.

Rob Schneider will also make a cameo appearance.

OST by 'The Wiggles' feat. 'The Black Eyed Peas'.

Exec producer and script writer will be Adam Sandler (Known for distinctive character monologue).

e.g. quote from 'Jack & Jill'

Jill Sadelstein: Oh, please! Tell me you don't feel this.
[slaps herself]
Jack Sadelstein: I didn't feel it. Maybe if you did it harder.
[slaps harder]
Jack Sadelstein: Little harder.
[slaps a little more harder]
Erin Sadelstein: No, Jill, stop it. He's kidding
Jill Sadelstein: What?
[Gary punches her, knocks her out of the chair]
Otto: Donkey fight!
Erin Sadelstein: Jill, are you okay?.

Ok, I'm done.

"Stop looking at the walls, look out the window." ~ Karl Pilkington On Art

[–] KoshVader 11 years ago

I don't think the remake covers it exactly, but it is likely that there is going to be another movie about him. I made a video recently voicing my opinions on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1k3V0oITaU

[–] hachmom-1 11 years ago

They can cast whomever they want in a remake, as I wouldn't be caught dead at one. As a general rule I do not waste my limited moviegoing money on remakes of movies that are already perfect, or at least feature performances so iconic that its ridiculous to bother (ie. Psycho, The Manchurian Candidate, Fright Night, The Wicker Man...)

It is not our abilities that show who we truly are...it is our choices

[–] KoshVader 11 years ago

I liked The Elephant Man, but I have many problems with it mostly historically. I would like to see a newer film version that is more historically accurate.

Also, I'm very careful about the term remake. For instance, I've heard people complain about the 1997 Hunchback of Notre Dame movie being crap because it's a remake of the 1939 one, but that one's a remake of the 1923 one.

I think in the end it comes down to whether or not it can fix the flaws in the original (though ignoring historical elements I don't think the flaws in The Elephant Man are enough to warrant a remake) or whether they can bring a new interesting view or interpretation of the story.

[–] hachmom-1 11 years ago

I agree with you about the terminology. I wouldnt have a problem with another biographical film on Merrick. I would have a problem with a remake (same basic script and symbolisms) of this film. I don't like the play version of the Elephant Man, but i recognise it as a differant way to tell the same story.

The above posters were discussing, for the most part, an actual remake, as rgey were suggesting actors for Bytes for example. I think anyone approaching this material would have to have a completely different direction, justas the makers of this film went as far as rhey could from the play.

What really annoys me are remakes that either throw out everything good about the original film (The Wicker Man) or are so close to the original that one wonders why anyone bothered (psycho) . I don't waste any money on them, though I usually waste a few hours of my life watching them on cable.

Films like Hunchback fall into a differant catagory to me, because they are versions of classic works of literature. Its like doing another film of Romeo and Juliet. Every generation takes their shot at them.

I would love a new film to pursuade me I am wrong, by the way. Kenneth Branaugh did with Henry V, a film I thought could not possibly surpass Olivier's.

It is not our abilities that show who we truly are...it is our choices

[–] Rad_Robot_V 10 years ago

I was thinking about this film recently and was wondering if it would ever be remade. I didn't think about a hypothetical cast, but I imagined the director being Joe Wright.