D&D Movie/TV (Yet another) D&D Movie Speculation thread.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Iris Elba is too tall to be a halfling. Lucy Lui as a Barbarian though, yes please.

Everyone who has ever played a Halfling, hobbit, dwarf or similar species in the past 30 years is too tall. It’s all done with forced perspective and other camera tricks or special effects.

 

[Pauln6]

Everyone who has ever played a Halfling, hobbit, dwarf or similar species in the past 30 years is too tall. It’s all done with forced perspective and other camera tricks or special effects.

The Halfling actors tend to be short, maybe 5'6" to 5'8", the dwarves tend to be a bit taller, maybe 6'. Idris is more dwarf height. I wasn't overly impressed with the Dwarf casting in the hobbit. They needed stockier actors imo. On reflection, the cast might be a bit too old on average for a neophyte group.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Are you meaning they should have chosen a more masculine looking actress to match her depiction on the coinage at that time?

They should have chosen a black actress, since the ruling Egyptian dynasty at the time was black (which was why the Romans responded so negatively when Caesar brought her to Rome, racism isn't new). Although most of the Romans in that movie didn't look very Italian either (and neither did Russell Crowe, many years later).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Everyone who has ever played a Halfling, hobbit, dwarf or similar species in the past 30 years is too tall. It’s all done with forced perspective and other camera tricks or special effects.

That's not entirely true, they used scale doubles in the long shots. So the parts where played by appropriately sized actors, just not in close-up.

Also, Peter Dinklage and Warwick Davis played dwarves in the Narnia movies.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

One way to handle drow in a mainstream movie without offending anyone would be to give them medium gray skin like in this classic illustration from the 2nd ed. Monster Manual http://dedpihto.narod.ru/games/Monsters1/elfdrow.gif . There are no humans with skin anywhere near that color.
Make sure to show that even though it's a matriarchal society, the males are just as evil as the females, the female drow are just the ones in charge because they are stronger.

Of course, not having any drow at all is even simpler. They are only one of many D&D villains, and unlikely to show up unless you're in the underdark.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

They should have chosen a black actress, since the ruling Egyptian dynasty at the time was black (which was why the Romans responded so negatively when Caesar brought her to Rome, racism isn't new). Although most of the Romans in that movie didn't look very Italian either (and neither did Russell Crowe, many years later).

Um what? The Ptolemaic dynasty were Greeks, where did you get this idea that they were black?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's not entirely true, they used scale doubles in the long shots. So the parts where played by appropriately sized actors, just not in close-up.

Also, Peter Dinklage and Warwick Davis played dwarves in the Narnia movies.

Haven’t seen the Narnia movies, at least, not in their entireties. A regretful gap.

 

[Sadras]

They should have chosen a black actress, since the ruling Egyptian dynasty at the time was black (which was why the Romans responded so negatively when Caesar brought her to Rome, racism isn't new). Although most of the Romans in that movie didn't look very Italian either (and neither did Russell Crowe, many years later).

Could you kindly provide the source which reflects on a black skinned Cleopatra?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Um what? The Ptolemaic dynasty were Greeks, where did you get this idea that they were black?

It's controversial and unclear (and can be Googled), but she was certainly darker skinned than the average Italian, who are darker skinned than the average Liz Taylor.

But my point was that historical figures are no more cast by matching ethnicity than fictional characters. And maybe that is as it should be, if people are as happy with a black Elizabeth I as they are with a white Cleopatra.

 

[Pauln6]

It's controversial and unclear (and can be Googled), but she was certainly darker skinned than the average Italian, who are darker skinned than the average Liz Taylor.

But my point was that historical figures are no more cast by matching ethnicity than fictional characters. And maybe that is as it should be, if people are as happy with a black Elizabeth I as they are with a white Cleopatra.

I had no issues with a mixed race Gwen in Merlin. Angel Coulby was one of the best things in it.