Ridley Scott has confirmed that Blade Runner 2 is a sequel and it's lead will be female. The question now is who will end up taking that role? Noomi Rapace and even possibly Charlize Theron could be returning for a Prometheus sequel which will end up shooting before this film. It's likely that neither Noomi or Charlize will end up landing the lead, theres nothing to say they won't get supporting or villainous roles. A bunch of actresses tested for Prometheus but didn't land the role. I get the impression these ladies could end up in the running for female lead in Blade Runner 2.
NATALIE PORTMAN: The Oscar winning actress (Black Swan) was one the more high profiled actresses originally in the mix for the lead in Prometheus. Recently she was attached to science fiction films Jupiter Ascending (from The Wachowskis) and tested for Alfonso Cuarón's (Children of Men) Gravity. She's had commercial successes with the Star Wars prequel and now with the Thor franchise. Let's not forget her equally interesting genre credits in films like V For Vendetta, The Professional and Heat.
GEMMA ARTERTON: The British actress also caught the attention of Ridley during the casting process for Prometheus. The director was impressed with her performance in the thriller The Disappearance Of Alice Creed which led to a meeting and testing for the film. Arterton ultimately didn't get the role but is obviously on Ridley's radar now. Most of her supporting roles in films like Clash of The Titans, Quantum of Solace and Prince of Persia didn't seem to help her career. As those films were considered terrible or average at best. Yet, upcoming films like the vampire thriller Byzantium and the fairytale action/comedy Hansel And Gretel: Vampire Hunters should give her the boost she would need to complete for a role like this.
ANNE HATHAWAY: You might not consider this actress as someone who can handle action scenes but after The Dark Knight Rises that opinion will change. Anne has proven so far that she's a dedicated actor and can deliver strong performances which earned her an Oscar nomination (Rachel Getting Married) previously. She was also in the running for Prometheus but luckily ended up with the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman instead. Depending on how her Catwoman role goes over with audiences expect her to be in the running for more action oriented projects.
CAREY MULLIGAN: Like Hathaway, Carey is a dedicated actress who has also earned her own Oscar nomination for An Education. She recently developed more of a cult following thanks in part to roles in last year's Drive and Shame. Her next film The Great Gatsby could end up a rather large Oscar contender if it's decent at all. Mulligan's lesser recognized role in the science fiction romantic drama Never Let Me Go had similar themes to Blade Runner. As the "borrowed time" and "manufactured people" aspects are shared in both films. While I can't see her as a hard boiled Blade Runner, an innocent replicant on the run seems like a more excellent casting idea.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY: Knightley who co-starred with Mulligan in Never Let Me Go was rumored to be involved with the casting for Prometheus too. The actress has kept quiet mostly with her recent projects London Boulevard and the comedy Seeking A Friend For The End of The World. Compared to her previous work with blockbuster projects like Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl, Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of The Caribbean: World's End and King Arthur. In the couple of years she did test for Captain America and The Dark Knight Rises which means she's looking for the right big film to do. Meanwhile Keira takes on roles that help her stock as an actress with projects like Atonement, A Dangerous Method, The Duchess, Edge of Love and the upcoming Joe Wright film Anna Kendrick. The latter could end up earning her second Oscar nomination after Pride And Prejudice.
OLIVIA WILDE: Wilde has to be one of the most promising actresses working today. She's been mostly in small supporting roles for films like Tron Legacy and Cowboys And Aliens. Given the right part she could explode as she's gorgeous on screen with an energy/fast-paced delivery that could be perfect for this sci-fi noir action thriller. Olivia was also in the running for the lead in Prometheus.
WHO ALSO SHOULD BE CONSIDERED?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: Her role in Avengers will likely boost her box office appeal to both domestic and international audiences. A fear that plagued the casting of Noomi Rapace in Prometheus because she wasn't a known actress at the time. Scarlett's also been jumping onto a lot of more dramatic roles with projects Hitchcock and Don Juan. Of course the young actress has the action backgrounded needed for the part as well with a massive amount of time dedicated for fight/stunt training for both Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Johansson's upcoming film Under The Skin is an science fiction thriller which she plays an alien picking off humans. She was also in the running for Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity before Sandra Bullock was locked in. I personally think she could be rather convincing heroine in a science fiction film like this. You might also believe that she could kick your ass if need be, unlike most actresses who look like they could barely lift a weight.
No comments:
Post a Comment