They
have each replaced an actor for another actor in the same role.
Hollywood
has prided itself on being able to capture reality. The Hollywood method is to
use all of these specific elements such as editing, lighting, sound, music,
costumes and much more to make a film look natural. However, Hollywood does not
want the viewer to know or care about all of the elements that went in to making
the production a success. Hollywood wants to take audiences on a journey, even
if it is to another planet or a small town in Middle America. No matter how
wacky, magical, or unrealistic the film is there is always something the
audience can relate to. Whether it is within themselves or an idea the viewer
needs to find a way to make it believable to them. If the film can’t find that
idea or something that the audience can relate to then the film is just a wacky
unrealistic film that no one will believe and as a result the film will not
make money.
One thing that can keep me from completely
giving in to a film and ultimately making it unbelievable is any break from
reality that will take me out of the narrative and have me wonder why that is
happening. Sometimes this break in reality is on purpose. Filmmakers like to
play with the art form, hone their craft, and push the envelope; however, there
is a purpose behind the change that the filmmaker wants to get across to the
viewer.
One
break from reality that I find the most disconcerting is the replacement of an
actor with another actor in the same role with no cause behind it. Now when I
say cause I mean within the narrative itself the character changes form and
therefore a new actor is needed. When I see a new actor or actress in a role
that a previous actor or actress has made their own I am confused and my mind
begins to wonder about what happened to the other actor, this actor is nothing
like the character, where did this actor come from, what else has this actor
been in, and so on. I am thinking about everything except the narrative. I
watch films for the story primarily and when I am taken out of the story I don’t
get much out of the film. However, there are circumstances that warrant the
changing of an actor. For example, Richard Harris, who played Professor
Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, passed away in 2002. The Harry
Potter series is a beloved and highly profitable property so of course Warner
Bros. studios are going to replace the actor to continue the series. Warner
Bros. went with Michael Gambon to carry on the role. I am a huge fan of Michael
Gambon and I think he is a great Dumbledore, but the character changed in a lot
of ways, not drastically, but enough that even 12 year old me recognized that
he wasn’t the same. Dumbledore became more playful in a sense with Michael
Gambon compared to Richard Harris’ more wise and older looking Dumbledore.
The
Dark Knight and The Mummy series each replaced their respective female leads in
their films as well. The Dark Knight replaced Katie Holmes in the role of
Rachel Dawes with Maggie Gyllenhaal. The excuse for the replacement was that
Katie Holmes did not have the acting ability to do what the character was going
to go through emotionally. The Mummy series replaced Rachel Weisz in the role
of Evelyn with Mario Bello in the third installment, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,
because of scheduling conflicts. For The Dark Knight the change didn’t affect
them because there was so much hype for the film and Maggie Gylenhaal in fact
does have better range than Katie Holmes as an actress. However, for The Mummy
it was a train wreck.
When
Katie Holmes was replaced in The Dark Knight after appearing in the first
installment of the new Batman trilogy, Batman Begins, not many people cared. OF
course, there were headlines and maybe a hint of controversy but everyone was
basically in agreement that as an n actress Katie Holmes has a limited range.
Besides, by the time The Dark Knight was released it was as if the switch had
never happened because by that time Heath Ledger had passed and the media was
raving about his brilliant performance as the Joker. The hype and buzz for the
film was deafening. Everyone wanted to see Heath Ledger’s final performance for
which he won an Oscar for. When I saw the film it barely registered to me that
there was a new Rachel because I was drawn in by everything else. Everything
was working for this film and Rachel was a big part in the film but Maggie
Gyllenhaal was great so I didn’t really lose focus on the narrative.
The
Mummy was a different story entirely. The first two movies worked because of
the chemistry between Brendan Frasier and Rachel Weisz, and an engaging storyline.
Frasier and Weisz together elevated the film and made it an exciting and great
film. So several years later when Universal decided to make another installment
in the franchise, I was excited. Those films were still appreciated and highly liked
by audiences so it seemed appropriate to make another film. So, I am not sure if
there was a tight schedule or not but Rachel Weisz decided to pass on the
project due to scheduling conflicts. Now when your star is not free to work on
a new film in a franchise that some circles may call classic, you would think
that the studio would push back the film dates. But the power of money is
stronger apparently, so Universal decided to move forward with the film with
another actress, Maria Bello. I was not pleased with the changed but I decided
to give the third film a chance to prove itself. When I saw the trailer,
however, I was not impressed. I felt like the magic had been sucked out of the
franchise. The storyline had nothing to do with the original two films and
Maria Bello, who is a fine actress by the way, was no Evelyn. I decided to stay
away from the film when it was released and apparently so did everyone else.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor grossed $102 million domestically and is
the lowest grossing film in the franchise even before ticket price inflation. And
what makes it even worse is that when you do factor in ticket price inflation
it made less than the spin-off to The Mummy series, The Scorpion King. I did
finally see The Mummy 3 and my initial reaction was correct. The story was weak
and Maria Bello fell short to Rachel Weisz performance.
Replacing
actors in franchises is a tough decision. It ruins the magic for me most of the
time, but sometimes it is necessary.
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