Post by alexia on Oct 27, 2006 14:18:14 GMT -5
Cornelia`s comment on the choice of "Meggie" and "Farid" and on the Inkheart movie project
I have been reading lots of your letters in the past few days and I think I have to say a few things about the casting of Inkheart: First of all - Eliza didn`t become Meggie because she is famous. She became Meggie because she was the best. Iain Softley and John Hubbard didn`t do the open audition as a publicity stunt - they hoped for a long time that they wouldn`t have to do it as it costs a lot of money, but finally decided to do it as we were all not totally happy with the (famous) choices we had so far. There were several girls from the public auditions which Iain thought very interesting (he called to tell me) and they tested them further. They also looked at the tapes sent in AND did additional tests with actresses like Eliza.
I am very happy with the result. I saw Eliza play two scenes from the script (one, in which she talks with Mo, another in which she talks about her missing mother) and in both scenes she was absoluetly brilliant and the most perfect Meggie. So please - be happy with me. This is an excellent cast, and the result of a long process.
As for Farid - I agree. Rafi doesn`t look like I imagined Farid (there were other boys who did much more) but this is not just about appearance. This is all about acting. Iaian Softley always says to me, that that is the one thing he is looking for: brilliant, absolutely extraordinary acting abilities, and I am very glad he thinks this to be more important than the right haircolor. Rafi is Arabian AND English. He is supposed to be one of the most talented actors of his generation. he is NOT too old - I saw him in a
movie and he looks very boyish and young and heavens, he is an
incredible actor! And he is a reknown freerunner, which makes him perfect for Farid. I feel so honored that he decided to be Farid. It is a risk for such a young actor to take a part that binds him to three movies, especially with a career that starts as promising as his, and I am sure, he and Paul Bettany will break your hearts telling the story of Dustfinger and Farid. Farid is one of the most challenging parts in my trilogy - he has to play the most intense scenes in Inkspell - and Rafi will be talented enough to do them.
So...that`s the writer`s opinion.
Be prepared that there may be more casting decisions where the faces
don`t match your imagination! They sometimes won`t match mine. But the only thing that matters is whether the actors will be good enough to
portrait the heart and spirit of a character - and I trust my director that he will take good care of that! The movie will never match your imagination. The movie will be my story told by other artists, so keep your imagination while you read and have an open heart for the screen story of Inkheart. As Fenoglio would say: is there anything more exiting than a story living many lives, a story being sung by many many different voices?
I have been reading lots of your letters in the past few days and I think I have to say a few things about the casting of Inkheart: First of all - Eliza didn`t become Meggie because she is famous. She became Meggie because she was the best. Iain Softley and John Hubbard didn`t do the open audition as a publicity stunt - they hoped for a long time that they wouldn`t have to do it as it costs a lot of money, but finally decided to do it as we were all not totally happy with the (famous) choices we had so far. There were several girls from the public auditions which Iain thought very interesting (he called to tell me) and they tested them further. They also looked at the tapes sent in AND did additional tests with actresses like Eliza.
I am very happy with the result. I saw Eliza play two scenes from the script (one, in which she talks with Mo, another in which she talks about her missing mother) and in both scenes she was absoluetly brilliant and the most perfect Meggie. So please - be happy with me. This is an excellent cast, and the result of a long process.
As for Farid - I agree. Rafi doesn`t look like I imagined Farid (there were other boys who did much more) but this is not just about appearance. This is all about acting. Iaian Softley always says to me, that that is the one thing he is looking for: brilliant, absolutely extraordinary acting abilities, and I am very glad he thinks this to be more important than the right haircolor. Rafi is Arabian AND English. He is supposed to be one of the most talented actors of his generation. he is NOT too old - I saw him in a
movie and he looks very boyish and young and heavens, he is an
incredible actor! And he is a reknown freerunner, which makes him perfect for Farid. I feel so honored that he decided to be Farid. It is a risk for such a young actor to take a part that binds him to three movies, especially with a career that starts as promising as his, and I am sure, he and Paul Bettany will break your hearts telling the story of Dustfinger and Farid. Farid is one of the most challenging parts in my trilogy - he has to play the most intense scenes in Inkspell - and Rafi will be talented enough to do them.
So...that`s the writer`s opinion.
Be prepared that there may be more casting decisions where the faces
don`t match your imagination! They sometimes won`t match mine. But the only thing that matters is whether the actors will be good enough to
portrait the heart and spirit of a character - and I trust my director that he will take good care of that! The movie will never match your imagination. The movie will be my story told by other artists, so keep your imagination while you read and have an open heart for the screen story of Inkheart. As Fenoglio would say: is there anything more exiting than a story living many lives, a story being sung by many many different voices?
