MovieChat Forums > Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) Discussion > If you could cast a Remake … Who would y...

If you could cast a Remake … Who would you cast?


I would love it if they re made this movie, and stuck a little more closely to the book, even though this version was very good. So this brings me to the heading, who would you cast for it if SWTWC was made now?

Here are mine:

Charles Halloway: Nicolas Cage
Mr. Dark: Colm Feore (just because he was extremely good in Storm of the Century, if you don’t know who he is check him out on this site)
Will Halloway: I don’t know very many actors that are the right age …
Jim Nightshade: same as above lol, ;D
Miss Foley: Natalie Portman for the young blind version and for the old version Johan Collins (and yes, I am serious ;D)
Tom Fury: Hugo Weaving
Dust Witch: Cate Blanchet

My best friend says that my casting skills are idiotic (at best) but what do you guys think?


Then rang the bells both loud and deep. God is not dead nor doth he sleep. ~Mr. Dark

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Charles Halloway: Richard Gere
Mr. Dark: Ralph Fiennes
Will Halloway: any young star
Jim Nightshade: any young star
Miss Foley: Camilla Belle for the young one, Eilleen Essel for the old one
Tom Fury: Donald Sutherland
Dust Witch: Sarah Michelle Gellar

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I never though to R.F. as Dark, that would be awesome, and S.M.G. was a great idea as well!!!

Then rang the bells both loud and deep. God is not dead nor doth he sleep. ~Mr. Dark

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I really like the idea of Nicolas Cage as Charles but I believe the best choice for Dust Witch would have be Helena Bonham Carter.

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i don't know about the other characters but i would put alan rickman as mr. dark.

After I got to Sin City, all the color came back.

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John Glover (Lionel Luthor) as Mister Dark.

Carpe Noctem

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Helena Bonham Carter is a Dust Witch. She would be perfect for it.

I would like to see Jonathan Pryce play the dad. I know, scandalous.

The barber guy should be played by Zach Galifianakis. The actor in the movie I nicknamed "Zach Galifianakis Sr." As long as he tries to act and not just stand around being goofy, but a lot of the barber's lines about the ladies are goofy anyway.

I like Angela Lansbury as the teacher and I wish she would turn into a young girl who isn't blind like in the book. Who would play her, maybe Lily Cole or some other fairy tale model type to keep it more storybook.

Mr. Dark? It would have to be an English actor of some kind. Someone tall, so Russell Brand? I know it's a long shot, but he did do Willy Wonka at the Olympics and all. Or maybe Johnny Depp or Christian Bale, as long as they acted really scary and not silly-stupid. I am looking at Depp's Willy Wonka here. Or maybe just cast a good character actor, maybe someone from Hell on Wheels or something.

The kids...I don't know any great child actors right now.

I am assuming the one arm, one legged man will be out of this one. :)





Note: I don't want this to be a remake. I don't think anyone does Mr. Dark like Mr. Pryce does. Maybe it is was a remake that was exactly like the book with HBC in a hot air balloon.

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Charles Halloway--Anthony Hopkins (yeah, he's been typecast as the heavy a lot, but he's a wonderful actor!)
Mr. Dark--Alan Rickman
Will Halloway--Jake Lloyd (but he's too old, darnit)
Jim Nightshade--Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick (was the kid in The Omen remake--he'd be about the right age now)
Miss Foley--young Miss Foley--I agree with the Natalie Portman, old Miss Foley--I'm thinking Angela Lansbury.
Tom Fury--Christopher Lee (hee!)
Dust Witch--Penelope Ann Miller

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cabwriter: I LOVE your ideas!!!!

Who is the spy? Is it me? Is it you? Here, drink this wine...

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As for the casting job, I would like to see some unknowns, I thought it worked very well for Lord of the Rings (I know that they all weren't unknown). As for the director's chair, Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam would be very well suited.

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I think that Guillermo Del Torro could nail this movie. He's got enough of the horror element to keep it scary, but still make it whimsical. Tim Burton, would just muck it up, and make it look like all of his other movies. I'm sorry, but the man is past his prime.

Terry Gilliam has the same problem as Burton. Hi smost recent films have been underwhelming at best.

I think that Christopher Walken could make a good Mr. Dark too.

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I agree with the Christopher Walken remark, but Guillermo del Toro? He's made 1 great movie, 2 good movies, and a handful of averge movies. Burton's and Gilliam's repertoires are lightyears greater than his at this point. Maybe in time he'll catch up.

When do you think Burton was in his prime? Big Fish was made four years ago and it's in the top 250. The only movie of his I didn't enjoy was Planet of the Apes, since I really never enjoyed the original.

As for Gilliam, yes The Brothers Grimm was no great piece of work, but have you seen Tideland?

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See I think that almost every Del Torro film I've seen was well done (except Mimic, and Blade 2). Those were kind of iffy. But Hellboy was an excellent comic adaptation, Devil's Backbone was excellent imho, Cronos was also good, though very early in his career. Pan's Labyrinth just further proves that he has the capability to handle a story like this very well. At least imho.

I think that Big Fish was the last decent film Burton has made. It isn't so much that they are bad, just that they all feel lik a Tim Burton film. He never really branches out and approaches his film making from different angles. It's always the same visual aesthetics.

I mean I do like many of his films, and Danny Elfman is one of my biggest musical influnces, so I'm quite naturally familiar with Mr. Burton's work.

I hav not seen Tideland yet, but I had heard mixed reviews. I have learned not to completely trust reviews though, so I'll probably get around to watching it sometime soon.

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First: script needs a re-work...Disney disneyfied it too much & lost a great deal of Bradbury's sheer poetry. I think Guillermo Del Toro would be the 2nd best choice for director...Tim Burton & Terry Gilliam have too strong a point of view...so does GDT, but his is more in synch with Bradbury's writing, in my opinion. Best of all, though, would be Peter Jackson...he seems more flexible in POV/opinion, and could probably immerse himself in Bradbury's language/vision the best.

I'd like to see what could be done with modern CGI & MoCap; the original was quite state of the art for its time, but even then there were very clunky moments.

I can think of many actors I could stand to see in any of the adult roles...but here is one against-type I'd like to see: I'd like to see Alan Rickman as Charles Halloway...anyone who ever saw him in "Truly, Madly, Deeply" knows he can also do 'nice'. Casting as Mr. Dark would be type-casting and after 10 years of playing Severus Snape, he can probably do that role in his sleep. I'd rather seem him do the powerful despair and redemption of the Father...I think he'd be marvelous.

Miss Foley should be a younger actress (not double-cast), aged up through makeup for her earlier scenes. Uma Thurman or Helena Bonham Carter spring to mind.

The boys should probably be unknowns.

Tom Fury should be a cameo by Christopher Lee (he's 80+, so probably shouldn't take a more stressful role).

The Dust Witch is an interesting role...depends if you want to repeat the Disney version of seduction, or if you want to go older....Judi Dench comes to mind...older, but comfortable in her skin...could look old, but still be seductive if she put her mind to it.

Anyway, those are my opinions.

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All great suggestions, and yes Peter Jackson would be an excellent choice as well.

Helen Mirren might also be an interesting choice for The Dust Witch role.

"IMDB... where 14 year old's can pretend to be jaded 40 year old movie critics"

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Alan Rickman would have to grow a beard. I don't know, I see Mr. Dark as more of an younger attractive guy vs. just plain scary, like his attractiveness would draw you into the horror...sort of like Russell Brand. The horror being some of the movies he's been in.

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I don't go for too many remakes but if this was remade...
Mr.Halloway-Ed Harris
Mr.Dark-Jonny Depp

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I think Alan Rickman could play Mr Holloway or Dark. Richard Gere may also make a good Mr Holloway.

Johnny Depp as Dark (if Alan Rickman is Holloway).

Penelope Cruz or Megan Fox as the Dust Witch (most of the actors suggested by everyone are too old! The Dust Witch is supposed to look young and semi-EXOTIC).

Scarlett Johannson or Amanda Seyfried as young Miss Foley and Fionnula Flanagan as Older Miss Foley (Angela Lansbury is TOO old!)

Jasper Newell (school-age boy from 'We Need to Talk About Kevin') as Jim Nightshade

Isaac Hempstead Wright (kid who played Bran Stark in Game of Thrones) as Will Holloway

Kate Beckinsale as Will's mother (or whoever she is!)

Jennifer Ehle as Jim's mother




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I'd like to see Kate Beckinsale in it somewhere.

Again, don't want a remake, just imagining. Not re-imagining.

Wasn't the Dust Witch in the book ugly and old?

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Halloway: Damian Lewis
Mr. Dark: Sean Bean
Dust Witch: Tilda Swinton

-Wm

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Tim Curry as Mr Dark

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This is one movie I'd love to see a remake of (as opposed to all
unnecessary remakes being produced). I really liked Robards and Pryce as Halloway and Dark, respectively, in the original film, but I'd love for a remake to be more faithful to the book.

Miss Foley: The older Miss Foley could be Olympia Dukakis. In the book, Miss Foley is transformed into a young child, not a beautiful woman who goes blind, so I'm going from the book and would cast an unknown child actress, since the part is small.

Halloway: He's supposed to be 54-years-old in the book, but looks and feels older, so it could be a toss-up in that department. The posters who have mentioned Alan Rickman have a really inspired choice there.

Mr. Dark: Those who said Ralph Fiennes have hit on a great one also. I could see Daniel Day-Lewis in the part also.

The Dust Witch: the movie leads you to believe that The Dust Witch and The Most Beautiful Woman in the World are the same character because Pam Grier plays both, but they're not. TMBWITW is a very small cameo at the first of the book, and in a block of ice at that. The Dust Witch would probably be played by an actress who would be jonesing for the part because of the classic material, but to tell the truth, she could be played by a stuntwoman as she would be wearing crone make-up (if they go by the book). I would suggest Patricia Tallman, who has made a living playing women in funky make-up and doing stunts at the same time. If they included her vital balloon chase scene from the book, and the gun trick, they'd save money by having a stuntwoman playing the role and Tallman used to be the go-to gal for stuff like this.

Jim and Will: Like everyone has said, any decent young actors working today.

Mr. Cooger: I have no idea. Drawing a blank here.

The Lightning Rod Salesman: Powers Boothe, Donald Sutherland, any great character actor that leaves an impression, with intense eyes so you recognize him later in his other form ala the book.

These eight roles are the major roles, with Will and Jim's mothers a little less so as they are not big roles. The main thing is to get the story and the events within right.




If you love Jesus Christ and are 100% proud of it copy this and make your signature!

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Charles Holloway: Tom Hanks
Mr. Dark: Johnny Depp or Michael Sheen (I can see them covered with tattoos)
Will Halloway: Zachary Gordon
Mrs. Foley: Joan Cusack
Dust Witch: Helena Bonham Carter or Tilda Swinton
Tom Fury: William H. Macy
Mr. Cooger: Jim Broadbent
Jim Nightshade: Max Records
Mrs. Nightshade: Melissa George

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Michael Sheen as Mr. Dark -- I like that.

Joan Cusack as well, good call.

Jim Nightshade I think should be Asa Butterfield or maybe Chandler Riggs from Walking Dead
Will Halloway no idea, I don't know of many blond kids.

Tilda is always a great witch.




I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.

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jadr-3, your choices are my favorites out of all the posts. Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp would be perfect as Holloway and Dark, and I could definitely see Helena Bonham Carter, William H. Macy, and Melissa George in the roles you specified. I think maybe someone a bit younger for Mr. Cooger since he appeared to be a strong, middle-aged man in the movie and Jim Broadbent might be a little too old for the part, but all of your other choices are spot on.

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I think the rights belong to Disney, so chances are this film actually could be remade as a Tim Burton film. With a Danny Elfman score.

So I started looking at Tim Burton regular actors:

Which means Johnny Depp would most likely play Mr Dark. (I'd love him in an outright villain role) although it would only work if he was playing the role as a straight villain role rather than zany or anti-hero which he's been doing a lot of, of late.
Christopher Walken would make an awesome Mr Halloway.
I really, really want to see Helena Bonham Carter madly twitching her fingers in that hot air balloon above the town (not in the original film but in the novel)
Michelle Pfeiffer as Miss Foley.
Michael Keaton as Tom Fury. Or possibly Martin Landau...
You could definitely have Deep Roy and Paul Reubans do cameos as freaky carnies.

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