Chapter 618 Cast Lineup
In fact, Logan Lerman and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are only two years apart, but in the movie they need to play two completely different ages of Anson.
This is also the most severe challenge Marcia encountered in the process of selecting actors.
The only good thing is that Logan has not yet reached puberty. Although he is ten years old, he looks thin and weak. It is not a problem for him to be seven years old; while Aaron has begun to grow, slightly Stronger, the two-year age gap is much more obvious visually.
Marcia really tried her best——
He must be of the right age, fit Anson’s temperament, and be photogenic.
The most important thing is that the pay cannot be too high.
There are really not many child actors like this, not just in Los Angeles, but also in the UK and France; to be precise, this is true for all teenage actors.
As mentioned before, because the market audience is mainly between thirty and forty-nine, Hollywood movie protagonists often focus on this age group. Relatively speaking, there are not many works with teenagers as protagonists. .
Naturally, young actors have fewer opportunities to come forward, and the talent pool is also affected. The process of discovering outstanding young actors is full of challenges.
This time, "The Butterfly Effect" focuses entirely on college students, and the film requires a large number of young actors. Marcia's work does encounter severe challenges -
Child actors are part of the challenge, and young actors are another part of the challenge.
In the movie, Keller's younger brother Tommy also plays an important role. His almost obsessive protection and possession of his sister, and his full-scale attack without distinguishing between friends and foes, are the source of Keller's pain. An important factor in the tragedy of Evan and Caleb's emotional relationship.
For such a role, the selection of actors is also extremely important.
Marcia looked around and found nothing suitable.
Tommy should not be too strong or too dominant. He should be thin like Evan, which makes him unable to get a response from girls; at the same time, at home, Tommy sees his father extending his dirty hands to his sister, But he was unable to protect his sister. That weakness and helplessness twisted Tommy's mind, leading to a kind of madness that attacked him indiscriminately. Any outsider who came close to his sister would be attacked like a mad dog by Tommy.
So, while being thin, there is also a kind of madness.
These two contradictory temperaments do not easily coexist in young actors.
In the previous life, the crew failed to find such an actor, and finally chose a tall and strong actor, who perfectly fit the stereotype of a "gangster".
This is not impossible, after all, the script itself does not give Tommy much room for development; but the direct result is that such a tragic character is reduced to a tool man, and is completely unlikable. All the complexity and layers have been erased, and the power of the play itself has been lost.
William-Lee-Scott (William-Lee-Scott), this tough-style actor has appeared in "Pearl Harbor", "Deadly ID" and other works. However, he has never found his own characteristics and personality, and truly In the sense of a vase actor, his performance in "Butterfly Effect" is just a tool man.
It cannot be called a failed casting, but it is far from a successful casting.
This time, too, Marcia encountered difficulties when selecting actors.
Furthermore, Marcia also has her own considerations. The protagonist of the movie is Anson, a vase; she cannot choose a young actor with explosive acting skills to completely steal Anson’s style. This will not only cause the movie to be unbalanced, but also affect the overall performance of the movie. Box office prospects didn't help either. After picking and choosing, Marcia couldn't find the right one.
Then.
Anson gave a candidate: Heath Ledger.
The two were not friends and had no contact since the "Spider-Man" audition; but the brief encounter at that time left a good impression on the two of them.
So, when Anson found Heath’s phone number through his agent and called him in person, Heath just listened to Anson’s description and agreed without hesitation, and even cooperated in an audition. .
Logically speaking, this is Anson asking for help from Heath. Heath does not need to audition at all. He is willing to nod and agree, which is worthy of celebration; but Marcia insists that the fundamental reason is that she does not think Heath Suitable.
In terms of age, Heath was older than Anson and Rachel, and his appearance did not conform to the setting of a useless otaku; but Heath's rough and reserved temperament unexpectedly impressed Marcia, who was less than three years old. Marcia was convinced within a few minutes of auditioning.
Now Heath is still a little thin, and his body shape and muscles are not obvious, but his bohemian and unrestrained temperament is already shining silently. It is undoubtedly a bold and risky choice for him to play the role of Tommy. Choice, but there are more potential possibilities hidden behind the danger.
Marcia said:
Anson, be careful, this is an actor with outstanding talent. He still doesn’t know what energy he has. He relies entirely on instinct, but this raw power is the same. Packing a powerful punch, if he meets the right character he can shine.
So, for this work, you need to cheer up, otherwise the light may be taken away.
As a casting director, Marcia still pays more attention to the integrity of the film and tries to find the overall balance of the film; and she stands on Anson's side and protects Anson's interests, so she gave this reminder.
Of course, Marcia’s nod also proves Heath’s talent and talent. The actor’s energy is far beyond what a small supporting role can accommodate; even Marcia can’t help but look forward to the final effect. Come.
Anson accepted the opinions with an open mind, and finally chose Heath after careful consideration.
Is he worried that Heath will completely overshadow him?
It must be a lie to say that he is not worried. After all, he has already enjoyed Heath's radiant performance in his previous life, so he must be lying if he is not worried at all.
But compared to worry, the eagerness to try still prevailed. When filming "Cat and Mouse Game", it was very interesting to play opposite Tom Hanks. Not only did he play against each other, but he also learned a lot. Now Anson also looks forward to being able to collide with the equally young Heath, Rachel and others. This is the joy of performing.
The most important thing is that the "Butterfly Effect" in front of us is completely different from the previous version. Except for the script, which remains the same, other aspects have changed beyond recognition. From the producer to the crew, everything has changed——
This is a very, very bold step.
Whether it is Rachel or Heath, the fundamental reason why Anson spends so much effort on the selection of his opposite actors is that it is an attempt and a challenge. He is trying to create a brand new movie based on his own understanding and conception. Since the two directors’ attention is entirely on the script, the rest of the work will be left to him, the producer, to consider.
Anson couldn’t help but wonder, what will happen to the new version of the "Butterfly Effect"?
Perhaps in the previous life, "The Butterfly Effect" had a poor box office but thrived in the video rental market; but now there is no guarantee. "The Butterfly Effect" is already a completely different work, and everything in the future is unknown and new.
(End of this chapter)