Have Your Say

Television and Film

Talk about Christie TV and Film here

Who could play who?

TheButlerDidIT 16 Mar 10 at 5:34 p.m. GMT

If you were adapting a Christie novel for fil or television who would you cast as characters? I think I would adapt ATTWN and have Micheal Caine as Wargrave. David Jason I would cast as Blore. Maybe David Tennant as Lombard (just for the ladies).How about Thelma Barlow as Emily Brent. Could Toby Stephens play Marsden? Also what about Fenella Woolgar as Vera Claythone. What do you think? Also I would stay true to the novel as I'm fed up of having to complain about the recent adaptions. I would like to say Miss Marple would NOT feature in my ideal adaption!

Login or register to add posts and reply

31 replies

Reverse order

Puffinjill 17 Mar 10 at 2:02 p.m. GMT

If it would stay true to the original, not squeeze in Miss Marple for the sake of it and have David Tennant in it, I'd be first in the cue to see it!!!

HeiseiHolmes 17 Mar 10 at 3:32 p.m. GMT

I'd do Sleeping Murder! Although I have no idea who the popular actors of today are (probably due to all my time spent reading) I can think of lots of ways to make Gwenda's memories very creepy...

TheButlerDidIT 17 Mar 10 at 6:14 p.m. GMT

I know David Tennant and Toby Stephens were poplular on these boards!

I think Tennant is the best actor of the two because Toby Stephens' awful protrayal as Colonel Tan-Sun-Moon and Gustave Graves in Die Another Day. Really horrifc. I am not really a Doctor Who fan but have seen just a few and thought that Tennant was great!

cameronjhw 18 Mar 10 at 1:59 p.m. GMT

If I were to adapt a Christie novel for TV or film I would two of them.

1. And Then There Were None-I would do this for the movies. I would have Michael Caine as Wargrave, Jude Law as Marston, Sean Connery as General Macarthur, and I can't think of for the moment any other actors to play the other characters if you have any suggestions let me know.

2. Crooked House-I would do this for British TV and it would certainly not have Poirot or Miss Marple in this film. I don't like the marple movies where she is in Christie mysteries that don't feature her like Towards Zero or Ordeal by Innocence it ruins the story with her in the way. Anyway, I would have James D'Arcy as Charles Hayward, Toby Stephens as Roger, Zoe Wannamaker as Edith, and Joanna Lumley as Magda. If you can think of any other actors to play the roles like Eustace, Sophia, Josephine, Philip, Clemency, etc please let me know.  

Santonix 18 Mar 10 at 9:55 p.m. GMT

For film, I want Mandy Patinkin to play Hercule Poirot and Rosemary Harris to play Miss Marple. They would appear in all-star casts for:

Three-Act Tragedy - with Daniel Day-Lewis as Sir Charles Cartwright, Emma Thompson as Muriel Wills, Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Bartholomew Strange, Ben Whishaw as Oliver Manders, Natalie Portman as Egg, Olivia Hussey as Lady Mary Lytton Gore, Kristin Scott Thomas as Angela Sutcliffe and Daniel Craig as Captain Dacres!

The Mirror Crack'd - with Meryl Streep as Marina Gregg, Alec Baldwin as Ardwyck Fenn, Amy Adams as Lola Brewster, Warren Beatty (or Robert Redford) as Jason Rudd, Lisa Kudrow as Ella Zielinsky, Christopher Lee as Dr. Gilchrist, Brenda Blethyn as Dolly Bantry, Alan Rickman as Dr. Haydock and Gary Oldman as Inspector Craddock!

cameron & TBDI: I have always wanted Caine to play Wargrave and Connery to play Macarthur! How about Kate Beckinsale or Eva Green as Vera Claythorne and Alan Rickman as Dr. Armstrong (always the doctors for me!)?

And cameron...Samantha Bond as Clemency, I think.

AndThenThereWereToon 18 Mar 10 at 11:13 p.m. GMT

What about Rosemary Harris as Poirot?  They could change the first name from Hercule to Freda and make her a lesbian Nazi nun.  Well, anyway, that's my idea for The Big Four.

McGinty 19 Mar 10 at 6:46 a.m. GMT

Santonix, I love your casting for The Mirror Crack'd. Rosemary Harris would make a wonderful Miss Marple

TheButlerDidIT 19 Mar 10 at 2:32 p.m. GMT

Santonix

Wargrave and Connery to play Macarthur! How about Kate Beckinsale or Eva Green as Vera Claythorne and Alan Rickman as Dr. Armstrong (always the doctors for me!)?

Eva Green very nice!

MissQuin 21 Mar 10 at 11:46 a.m. GMT

I have a cast for Secret of Chimney's

Anthony Cade- Matthew McNulty, Bundle-Keria Knightley, Lord Caterham-Nathaniel Parker.

Orient Express- Miss Debenham-Olivia Williams, Edward Masterman-Anthony Head, Mr Hardman-Tom Hanks.

I'd like to remake Murder is Easy, as the Marple version was a travesty.

Luke Fitwilliam- Jonathan Firth, someone really creepy needed for Mr Ellsworthy!

TheButlerDidIT 22 Mar 10 at 12:32 p.m. GMT

Someone crepy eh? I haven't read the book but I know someone creepy! Mark Gattiss! Or Jonathan Hyde.

MissQuin 22 Mar 10 at 3:27 p.m. GMT

They are creepy! But this man's quite alot younger mid late 20's. Long dark hair, very thin, pale. Anyone can be creepy though, if their a good enough actor.

AndThenThereWereToon 23 Mar 10 at 8:31 a.m. GMT

Harry Lloyd?  He played the possessed schoolboy Baines in the Doctor Who story with the scarecrows, if you've seen that (I believe David Tennant has a few fans round here).  He's about the right age for the part and fairly thin - get him to grow his hair, powder his face and bingo.  He can certainly do creepy.

MissQuin 23 Mar 10 at 3:23 p.m. GMT

You should be in casting Toon! He's just right, he doesnt lookk creepy in real life, but can be made to look that way. He acted really sinister in that doctor who as well.

TheButlerDidIT 23 Mar 10 at 4:43 p.m. GMT

AndThenThereWereToon

Harry Lloyd?  He played the possessed schoolboy Baines in the Doctor Who story with the scarecrows.

Family of Blood and Human Nature they were called!

I googled it!

Bundle_ 24 Mar 10 at 11:35 a.m. GMT

Is Johnathan Firth that really cute guy who played in Hickory Dickory Dock, MissQuin!?

MissQuin 24 Mar 10 at 4:07 p.m. GMT

Jonathan Firth was indeed Nigel in Hickory. Stylestocurtain and I were discussing the episode. I mentioned I like it because of JF. I thought I was the only one to gaze at him and his lovely hair. There are now at least 3 members on here of the Jonathan Firth Fan Club!

I'd like to cast Matthew McNulty for having such a handsome, rougish smile and eyes. We still need someone for Mr Satterthwaite.

Bundle_ 24 Mar 10 at 5:59 p.m. GMT

With all this talk of HOT guys it's really a mystery to me why I haven't fainted yet

Speaking of which, if there ever will be an Endless Night adapt (hopefully w/o MM 'cause that would be a travesty)I picture an actor named Goran Visnjic playing Michael Rogers. He's really handsome but at the same time he has that menacing look MR has.

Lone_Wolf 24 Mar 10 at 6:03 p.m. GMT

This reply contains spoiler information. Show reply

It's hard adapting unreliable narrators on-screen, though. Was there ever a succesfull attempt at adapting an unreliable narrator story?

MissQuin 24 Mar 10 at 6:49 p.m. GMT

I could have swooned after styles reminded me of Nigel Chapman coming out of the shower! I nearly needed smelling salts! I'll pass them over to you Bundle.

MissQuin 04 Apr 10 at 10:35 a.m. GMT

I thought that Jonthan Rhy Meyers would also be good as as Micheal Rogers, Endless Night because he can be seen as either handsome or menacing!