Why it is so hard to make a great book into a great movie? (Part 2)

Why it is so hard to make a great book into a great movie? (Part 2)

Another area of frustration is in casting.  Let’s face it, as readers we often quickly mentally cast our favorite characters.  I will admit it… I love seeing YouTube videos of ideal fan casts.  It is interesting to see what fans come up with and how other people see the characters.  Sometimes the film cast will match what fans envision, but most times it does not.

Let’s look at some real life examples…  I remember a lot of readers were really upset with the casting of Robert Pattinson as Edward in Twilight… but I think most of them got over that fast.  And as much as like Josh Hutcherson as an actor, I would not have cast him as Peeta with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss simply because he is about two inches shorter than her.  Little bit of an issue for me… Now, after seeing the Hunger Games, I think the casting worked, but still not my choice…  I would not have cast Toby Maguire as Spiderman either, but I think he did a great job.  I also would not have Heath Ledger as the Joker in Dark Knight, but he was phenomenal. 

So who ultimately makes the final casting choices in films?  Most people think the Casting Director has that job.  While that is a good guess (I mean it makes sense with the name and everything), they’d be wrong.  What the Casting Director really does is weed out and suggest the top people from auditions.  What you may not have known is that, in most cases, the Director ultimately has the final say in who makes the cast.  So if you don’t like the cast, blame the Director, not the Casting Director!

Now, while we may be angry over these choices from time to time, let’s give the guys a break.  They are just interpreting words on a page (like we are) and trying to bring them to life.  For no matter how descriptive the writer may be with characters, we’re all going to see something different.  Only the writer knows what they really mean and what they see when they create their stories.

However, I would say that usually casting turns out well.  Directors know what they’re doing.  But I think that the best way to ensure the best cast would be to include the author in the casting process.  Just throwing it out there!

Let me know any of your thoughts!