MovieChat Forums > Going Postal (2010) Discussion > Why do they do this to Vetinari?

Why do they do this to Vetinari?


I can't believe they've done this again. Any full-on Pratchetteer knows that Vetinari is Stephen Briggs. He is the man on which the drawings (like in The Last Hero), the money, and the stamps are based on. He is also an actor who puts on Pratchett plays regularly and PLAYS VETINARI! At least Jeremy Irons was made to look like him, but why wouldn't they hire HIM?

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Having seen Charles Dance as Vetinari, I think he's excellent - once you get over the pale hair & beard. Perhaps Vetinari in Discworld will become analagous to Number 2 in The Prisoner!

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And tbh it's all about boxoffice I should think. Charles Dance is a big draw. Only fans will know who Stephen is.

I think he would do a superb job but I'm not surprised they would cast him.

I'm very impressed with the stellar cast they do have including Timothy West :)

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The only thing i can't really understand is: why don't they dye black his hair, even temporarily? Vetinari had black hair and beard. Charles dance is great and has the right phisique, what's wrong with a tiny bit of hair dye?

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"...once you get over the pale hair & beard..."

Sorry, but I can't get over this, as Vetinari clearly has jet black hair. It just doesn't work as a ginge. Dance plays the part well enough (despite being hampered by the fact that no-one in the TV version actually feared him) but why on earth didn't they just wig him up and dye his beard? Talk about spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar!


"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars..." Oscar Wilde

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Actually Pratchett has always said that he imagined vetinari as and i quote 'the bad guy from die hard, no not the alan rickman the bad guy from the third one' (which is jeremy irons)

We all saw what you were discussing on this board the other day and we all thought you were a Dick

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Heh, Briggsy's too busy over at the Doctor Who set shouting "EXTERMINATE" into a microphone :-)

-B-

"There are kingly virtues other than bravery, Courtesy is one of them!"
Ynyr- Krull

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Oh wait, that's Nick Briggs...

...I'll get me coat.

-B-


"There are kingly virtues other than bravery, Courtesy is one of them!"
Ynyr- Krull

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Exactly. I can't imagine anyone BUT Irons playing Vetinari.

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Hear Hear! Having seen Stephen Briggs play Lord Havelock Vetinari many times I couldnt agree with you more. Even Terry Pratchett admits that although Vetinari started off in a particular way, Stephen's portrayals of him have lead to the character becoming more and more modelled on the man. In the last play (Unseen Academicals) his superb delivery of the second line below (delivered the morning after a very heavy night before)
'But you dont act drunk'
'No, but you have to agree, I do act sober very well' complete with one raised eyebrow and just ever so slightly condescending manner, brought a spontaneous round of applause from the audience!! And that takes some doing!

But you are right - Charles Dance is a bigger draw, and a very fine actor of sinister roles - superb in Bleak House as Mr Tulkinghorn. I am sure he will make a fine Vetinari - but he will never be Stephen Briggs!

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To me, Vetinari could be played by Rowan Atkinson. I actually find it strange that no one else mentions him. You can't deny that there are certain parrallels between Vetinari and Blackadder,... somewhat.

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^ You know...I agree.

I can sort of see Vetinari as Blackadder II, if he was in power and was even smarter.

And no one in their right mind should have an issue with Charles Dance Vetinari.

Only the dead have seen the end of war. Plato

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Blonde Vetinari... JUST NO.

If Stephen is not known enough, go cast Alan Rickman. And to be honest, I don't know ANY of the other actors either.



Starry Vere, God bless you!

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I agree, NO BLOND VETINARI
He's an assassin, dresses all in black, and his hair & beard are BLACK.

To me, Jeremy Irons IS Vetinari. I have not seen Stephen Briggs play Vetinari, so I can't comment for or against him playing Vetinari.

I could go with Rowan Atkinson playing Vetinari, if he did it right,which I think he could.
But I do not think I will accept Charles Dance playing him.

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I have no issue with Charles Dance (other than the hair - it wouldn't have been hard to deal with that, I agree). Jeremy Irons looked the part more, but there was that awful lisp (pace, TP) that really put me off.

Well, we'll see, won't we. The extended preview has "Don't let me detain you", which made me happy!

---------
I think animal testing is cruel. They get nervous and get all the answers wrong.

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Watch Richard Coyles interview on the sky website. Resevations from fans about Vetinari are quelled there. I think we should actually watch it before criticising, yes?

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TBH, the colour of his hair doesn't really matter as Charles Dance pretty much got him spot on. While I thought Jeremy Irons looked the part I don't think he really played it particularly serious.

Personally I think everyone is just about spot on. It's actually creepy how much they match how I imagined them. And whoever is responsible for coming up with the design for those broad shots of the city (cities, I suppose) and the clacks towers did a really great job.

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I thought Charles Dance did a really good job, it was the half of the cast hamming it up like they were in panto that was the problem.

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While I can understand (and agree with) what you say I do think it's a really big improvement on the previous ones. Looking at it that way it's going in the right direction:)

Anyway, I'm going to overlook that to a certain degree considering how much I enjoyed other elements of it.

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Any full-on Pratchetteer knows that Vetinari is Stephen Briggs

Yeah!

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