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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit:
Dwayne Johnson as Beorn??

boldog
Rohan


Jun 26 2015, 4:27am

Post #1 of 22 (5772 views)
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Dwayne Johnson as Beorn?? Can't Post

When I first heard the movies were being made, I always thought that Dwayne Johnson could be a good candidate for the role of Beorn. And now that the whole trilogy is over, I really wish he was Beorn! Nothing against Mikael though! He did a great job. Here me out......

One thing I hated with this trilogy, was the Legolas plot.Mad Seriously, the character was not even consistent with the LOTR version. Plus, who wants to spend time watching a character they already know, when we can watch a new Character develop! And im sure everyone (at least most) would rather more Beorn over Legolas.

Now if Dwayne Johnson was cast as Beorn, that might have changed things a bit.

Firstly, with the actor being quite popular, there would definitely have been a fair bit of promotion for Beorn. And with the added marketing, would mean that he would need a decent amount of screen time. Even for the producers this would have been good for box office boosting.

And with the added screen time, there would be a more book friendly and lore friendly adaptation of the hobbit. Beorn would have had more screen time, and we could have had the epic encounter with Bolg we all dreamed of! But then again it depends on what direction PJ had taken with the character.

See to me, the reason Legolas was prominent in the films, was wholly marketing reasons. A well known character played by a popular actor, would surely get peoples attention. This could have been the case with Dwayne Johnson, only he will be in the role of an interesting new character.

And finally I reckon Dwayne could have made an imposing Beorn, with his physical strength, and also with his non European complexion, he could have made Beorn much more Exotic. Plus, I reckon he would have done a fine job in the acting department too!

what do you think of this?
This is just what I think. And remember I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST MICKAEL PERSBRANDT!
WinkLaugh

Azog and Bolg. That is all I can say.............


Aragorn the Elfstone
Tol Eressea


Jun 26 2015, 4:37am

Post #2 of 22 (5678 views)
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No. No. No. No. God. No. Please God No. Nooooooo!!!! [In reply to] Can't Post

Was I too subtle?

Then no.

Tongue

"The danger with any movie that does as well as this one does is that the amount of money it's making and the number of awards that it's got becomes almost more important than the movie itself in people's minds. I look at that as, in a sense, being very much like the Ring, and its effect on people. You know, you can kind of forget what we were doing, if you get too wrapped up in that."
- Viggo Mortensen

(This post was edited by Aragorn the Elfstone on Jun 26 2015, 4:47am)


boldog
Rohan


Jun 26 2015, 4:41am

Post #3 of 22 (5661 views)
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Just a little subtle........ [In reply to] Can't Post

 

Azog and Bolg. That is all I can say.............


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jun 26 2015, 4:47am

Post #4 of 22 (5655 views)
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Sorry. [In reply to] Can't Post

I have to agree with A the E.

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock


Milieuterrien
Rohan

Jun 26 2015, 5:50am

Post #5 of 22 (5643 views)
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Dwayne Johnson isn't a bad actor, but... [In reply to] Can't Post

When you see him, you know that he gets to the gym to get bulked.

What was interesting with Mickael Pernsbrandt physique is that his strength looked natural


Glorfindela
Valinor


Jun 26 2015, 8:38am

Post #6 of 22 (5598 views)
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Definite no to the idea of the actor substitute [In reply to] Can't Post

I liked Mikael Persbrandt in the role of Beorn. Think he is a fine actor and has the physical attributes needed, and I didn't mind how they developed his appearance.

What I do agree with you on, however, is the lack of character development that Beorn had in the film (along with Thranduil) – while Legolas, played by someone whose acting can best be described as wooden, was given far too much time, as were the non-Tolkien character of Tauriel, and the pointless and un-Tolkien grot scenes.

Beorn in the book is a very memorable, iconic character for me. I am very disappointed with how little time was allocated to him in DoS and the final film.


CathrineB
Rohan


Jun 26 2015, 9:15am

Post #7 of 22 (5583 views)
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Hehe [In reply to] Can't Post

I don't like the actor we got, but nu-uh Dwayne Johnsons couldn't possibly be any better XD If anything I like him better, but character wise I wouldn't want him as Beorn. he feels too "Hollywood". At least with this Swedish actor he's not in every action movie in Hollywood. You can see the character and not the actor.


painjoiker
Grey Havens


Jun 26 2015, 1:14pm

Post #8 of 22 (5536 views)
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I do not really like The Rock... [In reply to] Can't Post

So I would have to say no Smile

Vocalist of the progressive doom rock band Mater Thallium.


Hobbity Hobbit
Lorien


Jun 26 2015, 2:09pm

Post #9 of 22 (5507 views)
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I agree... [In reply to] Can't Post

No offense, but he doesn't look anything at all like the Beorn I had in mind. Beorn is a nature person, putting someone like him in who goes to the gym and isn't very natural a lot might imply to some people he's not peaceful and is a fighter like the ones in the 300 movies. I always pictured Beorn being somewhat natural in strength, but still a very big man. One thing I loved about Middle-Earth is that you don't need to have big muscles to be a hero. In my opinion, I think you would be showing you need to have them to be a hero if you gave them to Beorn, even if it isn't implied, it's a rather prominent sterotype.

"Obviously the idea of being human is a very human idea."
-Dominic Monaghan


Eruonen
Half-elven


Jun 26 2015, 2:53pm

Post #10 of 22 (5489 views)
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He could have made a fierce orc - uruk hai. [In reply to] Can't Post

http://content5.promiflash.de/...gt-seinen-finger.jpg


(This post was edited by Eruonen on Jun 26 2015, 2:57pm)


dormouse
Half-elven


Jun 26 2015, 5:28pm

Post #11 of 22 (5443 views)
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Confess I've never heard of him.... [In reply to] Can't Post

... so your popular actor = more screen time theory falls flat there, I'm afraid. He may be popular where you are but his name hasn't travelled. And having googled him to see what you're talking about I have to add my no to the others. A professional wrestler with a body-builder's physique? That's not Beorn, however good an actor the man is. I can't judge that, of course.

They chose a man who could look and sound convincingly 'other'. Someone with an accent you couldn't quite pin down who seemed to be a part of Wilderland rather than someone who happened to live there. I think they chose extremely well. I would have liked to see more of him - but of HIM - Mikael Persbrand's Beorn - not someone else. It's never been part of Peter Jackson's casting to go for big familiar names and I applaud him for that - it makes his characters so much more believable.

I didn't hate the Legolas plot - and as for consistency, they were showing us an idea of Legolas before we know him - how he grew into the character we know. That's not inconsistent, it's character development. The idea was to get to know him better - I reckon a lot of people were happy to do that, same as I was. I'd still like to see more of Beorn, though.


Salmacis81
Tol Eressea


Jun 26 2015, 6:19pm

Post #12 of 22 (5422 views)
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I like Dwayne Johnson as an actor... [In reply to] Can't Post

...but I think casting him as Beorn would've been hard to take seriously. I think Mikael Persbrandt was fine in the role. The hair and make-up were a bit overdone, but I thought his stature and accent fit the role pretty good.

On a side note, it seems like a lot of people would have preferred Beorn be played by a black actor, and that's something I never got. Aren't the Beornings/Woodsmen supposed to be Northmen, and therefore distant kin of the Rohirrim? I mean, what reason could there be for wanting Beorn to be a black guy, other than simply wanting a black guy in the movies?


MedwedtoBeorn
Rivendell

Jun 26 2015, 8:08pm

Post #13 of 22 (5394 views)
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Brian Blessed [In reply to] Can't Post

I think with his natural physique and demeanor, the scale sets and slave camera techniques would have made him look huge and incredible in the role. His acting chops and personality would have been awesome for the role as well. Not taking anything away from Michael Persbrandt and hid performance.


Ostadan
Rivendell

Jun 26 2015, 8:52pm

Post #14 of 22 (5368 views)
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Brian Blessed [In reply to] Can't Post


In Reply To
I think with his natural physique and demeanor, the scale sets and slave camera techniques would have made him look huge and incredible in the role. His acting chops and personality would have been awesome for the role as well. Not taking anything away from Michael Persbrandt and hid performance.


My dream-casting for Beorn was Brian Blessed for some decades. He has always had such bigger-than-life roles. But, now in his 70s, he really wouldn't be suitable, regrettably. Interestingly, a fair number of people dream-cast Blessed as Tom Bombadil in their imagined Lord of the Rings film. There are some resonances between the two characters.


(This post was edited by Ostadan on Jun 26 2015, 8:58pm)


Aragorn the Elfstone
Tol Eressea


Jun 26 2015, 8:56pm

Post #15 of 22 (5373 views)
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But...but... [In reply to] Can't Post

...Brian couldn't have played Beorn since he was my dream casting choice for Thorin Oakenshield.

One can dream. Smile

"The danger with any movie that does as well as this one does is that the amount of money it's making and the number of awards that it's got becomes almost more important than the movie itself in people's minds. I look at that as, in a sense, being very much like the Ring, and its effect on people. You know, you can kind of forget what we were doing, if you get too wrapped up in that."
- Viggo Mortensen

(This post was edited by Aragorn the Elfstone on Jun 26 2015, 8:57pm)


Eruonen
Half-elven


Jun 27 2015, 4:58pm

Post #16 of 22 (5265 views)
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Brian Blessed is a great but I almost think his outsize personality would have been too much. [In reply to] Can't Post

Physically, he would have fit in perfectly:

http://www.standard.co.uk/.../Brian%20Blessed.jpg

http://www.independent.co.uk/...s/w620/103965218.jpg

http://static1.squarespace.com/...05/Brian+Blessed.JPG

Maybe a great choice for Dain too.

Health though has become a problem:

"On 19 January 2015, Blessed collapsed on stage during a performance of King Lear with the Guildford Shakespeare Company, in which his daughter Rosalind was also acting. He received medical attention from a doctor in the audience and returned, 20 minutes later, to the stage to complete the play. The production's director, Caroline Devan, said: "Brian was an inspirational wonder. He had a small heart operation three years ago. We are not entirely sure why he became so dizzy but he is a 20-year-old in a 78-year-old's body. There was no stopping him."[31] On 30 January 2015, it was announced that Blessed had "been compelled to withdraw" from the production on the advice of his heart specialist.[32]" Wiki


(This post was edited by Eruonen on Jun 27 2015, 5:00pm)


MouthofSauron
Tol Eressea


Jun 28 2015, 6:10pm

Post #17 of 22 (5205 views)
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LOL [In reply to] Can't Post

 


The flames of war are upon you..


Bumblingidiot
Rohan

Jun 30 2015, 1:55am

Post #18 of 22 (5126 views)
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Beorn was well cast. [In reply to] Can't Post

A talented actor first, but also Scandinavian. For a character that seems firmly rooted in Norse folklore, who transforms into a bear and came from the mountains, I think the accent was perfect and carried with it the right kind of subconscious associations. The character was exotic (from a British perspective) in just the right kind of way.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."


Milieuterrien
Rohan

Jun 30 2015, 6:22am

Post #19 of 22 (5113 views)
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Well cast and well characterized [In reply to] Can't Post

I remember having problems with Beorn's appearance at first. Not only unusual, but not what I expected.
In fact I expected a 'normal' man, not a half-brewd werebear.

PJ's team went far into making Beorn's face very distinct from an everyday people's face, but as they didn't change one bit of his natural body, the global impression stays that Beorn in his human form is indeed a very tall man.

The actor had to adapt too : Mickael Pernsbrand changed his voice to reach a more guttural tone. Added to a slow diction, you get 'Orcs I hate more', which stays in memories.

The most brilliant thing in my opinion is that they managed to keep some of his human appearance in his bear form (but we don't see much of it unfortunately)
It would be a good thing if at last, we get to look closer at his shape-shifting.

... and Dwayne Johnson would have to be hairy and somewhat dirty instead of being oiled and clean. Would he accept that ?


(This post was edited by Milieuterrien on Jun 30 2015, 6:26am)


Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor


Jul 2 2015, 9:51pm

Post #20 of 22 (5028 views)
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The thing about Peter Jackson is [In reply to] Can't Post

that he deliberately casts people who are maybe lesser-known, probably to save money on the actor's salaries. Now, I'm sure Ian McKellan and Cate Blanchett got pretty sizeable salaries for "The Hobbit," but back in LoTR they were both up-and-comers. Likewise with Viggo Mortensen, he'd done a fair number of movies but hadn't really played a leading role yet. And of course Orlando was straight out of film school. And although Richard and Martin were well-known in England and a few other countries, they weren't world-wide phenomenons yet. In other words, I don't think there's any way PJ would have cast someone like Dwayne Johnson, because the guy would want too much money for such a small part.

And compared to Lee Pace (another up-and-comer), no, Dwayne can't act worth $***!



Yeah, PJ sure knows how to cast 'em!

Proud member of the BOFA Denial Association


Starling
Half-elven


Jul 3 2015, 10:53am

Post #21 of 22 (4992 views)
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I think [In reply to] Can't Post

you might need to broaden your definition of what constitutes a well-known actor.




Scalpy
Bree

Jul 5 2015, 1:31am

Post #22 of 22 (4938 views)
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Geoff capes in his prime would have been perfect. [In reply to] Can't Post

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(This post was edited by Silverlode on Jul 5 2015, 8:07am)

 
 

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