I think the perfect adaptaion, at least for me, should be an animation. That way we can enjoy all the absurity and fantastic setting with lower budget and maybe even more faithful adaptaion to the source material.
The two 97 Cosgrove Hall mini-series got dang close at times, IMHO. Don't recall much from Wyrd Systers because I was like... ten, but I got to rewatch Soul Music a few years ago, and it held up in a lot of parts! Especially the voice acting. Highly recommended if you can track 'em down. They missed some of my favorite bits, but still, they were THE best I'd seen until Hogfather came out.
Christopher Eccleston as the Vetinari is one I have had in my head for years. The eyes and the nose just fit. I can see him looking at the visitor slowly clipping out 'Don't let me detain you.'
@@markwaddington5185 I think Sean Bean is too handsome, TP described him as looking like Pete Postlethwaite. I'm convinced that he is referred to as bulky and balding in one of the books, however I have not found any record of it online so I may be misremembering.
oh man I would love to see a Tiffany Aching series as a part of that. It has some iconic characters like Granny Weatherwax and Death but also introduces the Nac Mac Feegles and Tiffany herself is such a good character.
Kinda unrelated, but I wanted to thank Daniel for recommending Discworld, I just got started. I know you said not to start with The Colour of Magic, but I really like to see an author's evolution in time, so I decided to do publication order. Really enjoying it so far, so thank you again!
That's so cool, I also started Discworld this week thanks to his recommendation! I started with Small Gods though and absolutely fell in love with it, best book I've read in a long time, and I'm currently starting on the Guards storyline. I'm loving the writing and I'm looking forward to reading the whole series! So glad I also took Daniel's advice!
I'm with you there - you should start with Colour of Magic but... readers worry that people will be put off because the tone is different and they might stop without realising how it sets up the world but the books just get better and better.
@@jonevansauthor I see. Obviously I still don't know how it compares to the rest of the books, but I can tell you I was captivated from the first lines. Everything is so unpredictable, in the best of ways.
@@MaryaHach tbh the unpredictability was a problem for me, it felt like a series of "Lol so random" skits for me (very good skits but still). I probably wouldn't have continued if I hadn't started with the city watch storyline first instead of publication order.
I think starting the first series with the Witches may work better. Simply because the first two books (we ain't including equal rites) and then the Maskerade have very well known plots that they draw from. People that ain't familiar with the characters or concepts of Discworld will none the less be able to watch and go "oh its Macbeth, or its Cinderlla" and that may help break the ice for them.
I agree. Either Witches or Guards would make a good introduction, they're very accessible and still beloved. I think Death is actually best saved for last - he is naturally part of every other story and if he is even half as charming in the adaptation as he is in the books, people will be wanting to see more of him. As such, he's the perfect victory lap for the series. Not to mention the great symbolism of Death closing out the story. Wizards can go in the middle somewhere.
I'm just really happy to see how this comment section is mature enough to appreciate the possibilities of an animated adaptation! although, we would still need voice actors, right? And I think Daniel really picked some kickass choices there, great video!
It would be awesome if they did a rotoscoped animated adaptation like the 70s lotr. They could make reference/jokes to that film's expense. I don't think the mainstream audiance would catch it but I personally would find it hilarious lol.
There is an animated adaptation of Wyrd Sisters. It was made and released in the UK and you can get it on DVD or its on youtube. But yeah I would LOVE if they went down the animated route for Discworld adaptations.
I love the Going Postal adaptation. The casting was fantastic! Charles Dance was my Vetinari before he even was cast as Vetenari! Richard Coyle and Claire Foy were perfect. I want Idris Elba as Sam Vimes.
I recently read Going Postal and then watched the adaptation. Completely agree about fantastic casting! I also liked seeing a visual representation of the Clacks, which I had a hard time envisioning while reading. The writing, however, and especially the dialogue, I found disappointing compared to the book - which is some of Pratchett's best writing, IMO.
I really liked all of Dan's choices, although I personally would have it as an animation and would pick Christopher Ecclestone as Sam Vimes (based mainly on his intensity and working class grit, not to mention anti-monarchism, which would be a perfect fit for Vimes).
Omg! Christopher Eccleston is such a good choice, I never thought of that! Bringing my two favourite franchises together like that (Discworld and Doctor Who) would be amazing!
@@ErmenBlankenberg Exactly! I think he'd bring a rawness and earnestness to Vimes, especially since Vimes is so revulsed by social inequality, much like Ecclestone is in real life.
@@jaydee4697 Plus despite being primarily serious dramatic actor, he has great comedic timing as well, so would be able to navigate effortlessly between Vimes's dry, sarcastic remarks and raw, cold fury against injustice.
I absolutely agree with your choice for Sam Vines. After you said it, I could instantly picture it. I have always pictured Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Nobby and Colon.
I agree with a few of the comments here that an animated show would suit the absurdity a little better. I'm thinking the guys behind Arcane, but obviously slightly more whimsical. You could really get a show that looks a lot more like the official artwork of the characters in motion, and you don't have to then get the non-human characters to somehow fit seamlessly into live action.
I don't think they'd have to fit as seamlessly into Discworld as they would in something like LOTR. Animation would be better, IMO, but because of the absurdity and irreverence I think they could get away with something like the TMNT adaptations from the 90s. It was campy fun that didn't have to be hyper realistic.
Just Sam Rockwell. Yes! For DEATH, if it's someone who can do the gravitas of an immortal being with self doubt and humility, I think Ian McKellen proved he's well up for it with Gandalf the Grey. I also think Bill Nighy could do the part complete justice. I Definitely want Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout) to play Nanny Ogg in the Witches series. She's got an offbeat exuberance that's hard to match. Especially if you watch her on the Graham Norton show. I never EVER would have seen Nick Frost as Rincewind, but I need it! Oddly enough, I could see him as Carson in City Watch too.
Sticking in the Waititi-verse: Matt Berry -Lazlo, WWDitS-would make a fantastic Archchancellor Ridcully, playing a somewhat similar character. It may seem strange, but I can see Hugh Laurie as Vetinari. I can’t think of seeing a menacing performance from him, but I intuit that he could do it.
The problem with Hulu is that it is only available in the US and Discworld is so quintessentially British that I don’t think it would be the right pick. But, no matter what, Nanny Ogg must be Miriam Margoyles.
She may be aged out of the role by now, but I thought Michelle Dockery did a good job as Susan Sto Helit in Hogfather. I do like your pick of Anya Taylor Joy though. Hugh Laurie, I think would work as Mustrum Ridcully the Archchancellor of Unseen University or Havelock Vetinari.
I honestly quite like almost every casting decision made for the discworld movies. Didn’t necessarily m fit the characters in the books to a complete T but damn did they fit well within the movies
If you look up "troll bridge" on TH-cam you'll find a spectacular adaptation of one of my favourite short Discworld stories, published in the "A Blink of the Screen" collection. It's really good, I'd recommend it!
As soon as you said Nick Frost for Rincewind I laughed but honestly I think getting the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost duo back together again as Twoflower and Rincewind would be the ideal (and either role for either of them would be fantastic)
I'd cast Matt Smith as death - the dude's work in Doctor who clearly shows his ability to be whimsical, but at the same time subtly realising the darkness of an inner conflict, but rising up against it in a way that is still in his whimsical nature. I feel like discworld's death is within that sort of range
I'm gonna say animation is the future for most adaptations of fantasy, and Discworld already had a few animated films made years ago by Cosgrove Hall. Not great animation, but stellar voice work and adaptation of the humour. Also, Miriam Margoyles for Nanny Ogg, either live action or voiced.
Yeah, I scrolled down to the comments specifically to say this, so I figured I'd just second your comment instead. Hogfather and Going Postal were both excellent. Maybe not perfect, but they got the tone just right.
@@Kohanman Huh, I seem to recall Hogfather being pretty faithful. A few minor changes and a lot of things left out, but that's to be expected if you want to fit everything within a couple hours, but all the major story beats and all the beat lines were there. Going Postal was a lot less faithful, but even there it was very faithful to the spirit of the original. And when it comes down to it, being faithful to the spirit is what really matters. After all, the modern incarnations of Santa Claus are in no way faithful to the original, but we keep believing, and thus the sun keeps rising every morning, rather than a mere ball of flaming gas becoming visible over the horizon...
I can't believe you didn't bring up the Patrician in this video! It might be basic of me, but I always imagines Jason Isaacs as the Patrician (yes because of lucius malfoy), but I maybe Giancarlo Esposito is just the current best "secretly terrifying boss" actor right now. It would be nice to see him in a role as someone who is actually working towards the greater good, even if in a morally dubious way.
Jeremy Irons would also be a magnificent Patrician. If there was ever an actor who could chew up the scenery to terrify and intimidate with a single understated shift of tone or facial expression, a la the Patrician, it's Irons.
@@sonipitts Jeremy Irons did a great Patrician in the movie version of A Color of Magic, and then in Going Postal they recast the role for Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) and it was better.
I think Granny Weatherwax needs to be older. For me, I'd cast Helen Mirren - totally has the gravitas for it. Then Judi Dench as Nanny Ogg. Then Anna Taylor-Joy as Magrat. I think she'd be a better fit here. Magrat has such a great evolution over the witches series I can see ATJ totally carrying a whole series, with the older witches shining as support. I'd love to say Miriam Margolyes should be Nanny Ogg (because she basically already is) but realistically she's too old to do a series (even for a fantasy cast). But just to get her in there have her show up as Desiderata Hollow (who has one awesome scene with Death) to kick off Witches Abroad.
@@MartijnHover but she's playing Lady Sybil Ramkin (in my mind), so she can't also be Nanny Ogg. Margoyles would still be the perfect Nanny if they could get her to do it. She's so much like her.
@@tokeeriksen2425 I have changed my mind about Nanny Ogg. I do now think she should be played by Miriam Margolyes. And in that case Liza Tarbuck would be a great Lady Sybil. 🙂
I would of said Dame Maggie Smith for Granny Weatherwax but… I don’t mind Jamie Lee Curtis, though! She certainly has the right build and look and is not afraid to really dive into the character.
I think that Ron Pearlman fits your description for Cohen the Barbarian perfectly. Although I also like Carl Weathers as Cohen. Hmmm, perhaps Ron Pearlman could also play Detritus 😁 and then you could have Carl play Cohen. But I feel that Ron Pearlman should have a role in Discworld.
Another commenter said this and I must agree, the best Discworld adaptation would be animation. The way Pratchett describes things in an overly exaggerated way that feels like classic animation films (from Disney, Looney toons, etc). Imo the most perfect Discworld adaptation would be an animated series of films or as you said, small series within a larger series, that is created by either Aaardman animation (Wallace & Gromit, Shawn the sheep), Laika (Coraline, Kudo and the two strings) or Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s lab, Samurai Jack), written by Taika Waititi (with any of his collaborators), and produced Neil Gaiman, Rhianna Prachett, and Rob Wilkins. In terms of Casting, I’m gonna focus this if it is Live action, but I’m sure many of these actors could pull it off in animation as well. Breaking it up into each series Venessa Redgrave, Michelle Gomez, or Indra Varma - Granny Weatherwax (Indra Varma’s Granny in the new audiobooks is perfection) Miriam Margolyes - Nanny Ogg Amy Lou Wood - Magrat Garlick Nichola Coughlan - Anges Nitt Tilda Swington - The Queen Vivian Lyra Blair - Tiffany Aching Emily Blunt - Miss Tick Every scottish actor ever - the Nac Mac Feegles Chiwetel Ejiofor or Jeremy Irons - Death Roman Griffin Davis - Mort (excellent pick!) Anya Taylor Joy - Susan Sto Helit (Daniel, your Death series choices were perfection) Asa Butterfield - Brutha Taika Waititi - Om Benedict Cumberbatch - Vorbis Charles Dance - Vetinari Jerome Flinn or Idris Elba - Sam Vimes Tom Hooper or Rege-Jean Page - Carrot Emma Mckay - Angua Colon - Nick Frost Nobby - Simon Pegg Beanie Feldstien - Cheery Littlebottom Steve Buschemi - Reg Shoe Simone Ashley or Patricia Allison - Sally Ncuti Gatwa - Visit-the-infidel-with-explanatory-pamphlets Domhnall Gleeson - Rincewind Bill Nighy - Cohan The Barbarian Brian Blessed or Michael Gambon - Ridcully Jim Broadbent - the Dean Toby Kebbel - the Librarian Jason Sudeikis - Moist Von Lipwig Claire Foy - Adorabelle Dearheart
I'll probably come back and add to this once I finish waking up... Bonham Carter is a nice choice, but the first person to come to mind for me is actually Maggie Smith. She is closer to Granny in age, her acting range is fantastic, and well, the Harry Potter movies showed how well she could rock the wardrobe. Plus, I can actually see her as Granny, whether she's lecturing on "Headology", shouting at... and individual... about "and you never had any fun?", to the dinner scene with the publishers. Nanny requires more thought. Must have excellent chemistry with Granny's actress. Irons as Death is a good choice, since the Perfect one (who has actually voiced Death in the earlier BBC adaptations) is no longer with us. Christopher Lee in the role was a marvel. Also reaching from the earlier mini-series..-es? mini-series'? Whatever, still not awake yet. Specifically from "Going Postal" is the casting choice they made for Vetinari. I would have initially picked Irons - he did the best they could give him with the script for "The Colour of Magic", and could absolutely shine with a better one, but while I would not have initially chosen Charles Dance myself (not angular enough), in less than a minute on the screen, he -was- Vetinari. I also think that Willem Dafoe could also fill the role nicely, as could Bill Nighy. Oddly (because he doesn't fit the physical image so much), my first thought for Vimes - Martin Freeman. Partly from his role as Watson, but also from snippets of other roles. He definitely manages the "worn down by life" vibe that is Vimes at the start. Lady Sybil... this is a tough one. For myself, I would have to insist they keep the build she has in the book. Her size does not define her as such, but it absolutely does have an influence on her behavior, and the contrast in behaviors is part of the chemistry between her and Vimes. If we were to follow one casting element of her character in "The Watch"... well, it might be fun to see/hear Queen Latifah with a posh British accent. I need to wrap this up quickly, as I need to take my housemate to work, but in closing, I think that Carrot, Magrat, and Tiffany should be played by new faces, as those are perfect roles to grow into.
I agree that Maggie Smith would be perfect as Granny Weatherwax. I love Helena Bonham-Carter, but Maggie Smith would just BE Granny. No-nonsense, kinda exasperated. Love it.
@@nikkihall7994 Unfortunately, though Maggie is superb, they would need to cast someone younger. Granny is old but she is spry. I never would have thought of HBC but I think she could do a great job.
I totally see Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout) as Nanny Ogg. And Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) as Lady Sybil. I first went to Maggie Smith as Granny too, but I'm not sure she has the physical energy Granny exerts regularly. Whoever played Rita Skeeter in HP should Miss Tick. Your spot on that the young protagonists should be relatively unknown. Hugh Laurie should be Willikins the Ramkin Butler. Finally, am I crazy for wanting Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vetinari? I think he'd kill that role.
I know, I know, I am 5 months late on this, and there is a very very very high chance that literally no one is going to read this comment ever, but I don't care! I feel like I spent years thinking about the best theoretical Discworld Cast, so I have to share it. This is my dreamcast for a complete Discworld adaptation, if budget wouldn't be an issue: Sam Vimes: Christopher Meloni. If you don't believe me, just go and watch "Happy", I really believe, that this guy was born to play Vimes! Carrot Ironfounderson: Aron Taylor-Johnson (Mainly becuase he is the only famous actor I can think of, that looks hunky enough for Carrot but probably would not look ridiculous with red hair...) Nobby Nobbs: Andy Serkis. I just think it would be funny to have Gollum portraying Nobby. Plus Serkis actually is a Discworld-Fan, so he probably would be relatively easy to get. And if he is already there, he might as well play the librarian, because...Andy Serkis... Fred Colon: Nick Frost. Does this even need an explanation...? Reg Shoe: Steve Buschemi. I don't even know why, I just feel like he looks the part... Lord Vetinari: Charles Dance. He already nailed the character once, so I don't see, why we should look for someone else... Rufus Drumknott: Richard Schiff. He's a relatively unknown actor, but some might know him from "The West Wing" or "Dirk Gentlys hulistic detective agency". I know that he is older than the Drumknott in the Books, but I like the idea of an older Drumknott just doing his duty... Harry King: Alan Tudyk. I also don't know why, but I feel like this could work. Maybe I just like Alan Tudyk... Sacharissa Cripslock: Thomasin McKenzie. I'll just borrow Daniels desciption of Sacharissa: "exraordinary charming, somewhat manipulative, very beautiful, young, energetic", and honestly, This just sounds like McKenzie... The Bursar: Jim Broadbent. Just seems like the perfect acor for an old harmless lunatic... Rincewind: Paul Rudd. This is probably a very unpopular opinion, mainly because he seems to be to old. But as we all know, Rudd doesn't age for some reason, he would absolutely rock a wizzards beard and I feel, like he would bring the perfect energy for Rincewind. Plus he has the physicality needed for running away from things for the majority of a movie. Esme Weatherwax: Maggie Smith. She just looks like Esme... alternatively Jamie Lee Curtis. Nanny Ogg: Kathy Bates. She looks the part and undoubtely has the acting talent... Magrat Garlic: Ophelia Lovibond. Another not really well know actress, one might know her from "Elementary". She would bring the needed general nervousness for the character. Tiffany Aching: Malina Weissman. Yes, the girl from "A series of unfortunate events" is my take for Tiffany Aching as a Teenager, mainly because the Artwork of Teenage-Tiffany really resembles her. Death: Benedict Cumberbatch. I basically want the exact same thing for Death that Daniel wants, but I settled for Cumberbatch. He can also be very shakespearian (he literally played Hamlet), in my opinion he has the perfect voice for Death (probably because it remarkably resembles a younger version of Christopher Lee when you think about it...) and in case Death might be animated he has the talent and experience to do the motion capture. Albert: David Jason. I liked him in the Hogfather adaptation and he obviously loves the source material, so he could and would play Albert again. Susan Sto Helit: Michelle Dockery. She was also great in Hogfather and for some reason she still looks young enough for the role... Mort: Roman Griffin Davis. Yeah, what Daniel said! Quoth the raven: Patton Oswald. After "The Sandman" I just like the idea of Patton Oswald voicing birds for a living... Moist von Lipwig: Chris Pratt. This is honestly the pick that I am most unsure about. I think Pratt would be perfect for playing Moist as a con artist, but as he honestly isn't a great character actor he might have problems with the serious parts of Moists character development... Adora Belle Dearheart: Claire Foy. She was perfect for the role once, she would be it again. Next. Cohen the Barbarian: David Strathairn. This is probably another unpopular opinion, but I never saw Cohen as a action hero. All the drawings of him look like a very skinny old man who survives only because of experiense and not because of physical strength, that's why I like Strathairn for the part. Yes, he actually might be a bit too young, but...make-up... The silver horde: Monty Python. Yes, I know it sounds silly, but I'd really love seeing the remaining members of Monty Python as the silver horde. Also, since I really don't like "The last hero" and wouldn't include it in an adaption, they would only be in "interesting times" and we wouldn't have to be afraid that they might die between movies/seasons... Carcer: Jared Leto. Seems like a good fit... Mr. Tulip and Mr. Pin: Joel Kinnaman and Bill Skarsgaard. For some reason I really like the idea that both of them are swedish (and since we don't know where these characters are from, it would actually make sense for them to have a slight unusual accent), plus Kinnaman has the right physicality for Mr. Tulip, while Skarsgaard is obviously well known for villainous roles and he actually looks, like he is planning something all the time... Mister Teatime: Marc Warren. While the movie itself is obviously flawed, I actually quite like the cast of the Hogfather adaptation, so he could keep the role as well, if it would be up to me... Wolfgang von Überwald: Tom Hardy. Everyone who thinks something else is wrong! Rhys Rhysson: Peter Dinklage. Unfortunately I can't give Peter Dinklage every single dwarf role, so I gave him the one that most closely resembles a classic fantasy dwarf. Rob Anybody: Ewan McGregor. Paul Kidby himself said, that he modelled Rob Anybody after McGregor for the artwork, so...yeah... King Verence: Jesse Eisenberg. His natural awkwardness would fit perfectly for this role, plus, Verence used to be a fool, and Eisenberg literally played Marcel Marceau once... Foul ole Ron: Rhys Darby. I you have seen "Hunt for the wilderpeople" you will agree, that no one can shout absolute nonsense as charming as Rhys Darby... Altogether Andrews: James McAvoy. The character is basically a homeless Kevin Wendell Crumbs... Leonard of Quirm: John C. Reilly. Mainly because of the Paul-Kidby-drawing of Leonard that looks like an aged and bearded John C. Reilly to me... Inigo Skimmer: Chris Conner. That's the guy who played Poe in "altered carbon". Once again I am following the Paul-Kidby-drawing of Inigo, which just looks like Conner... Miss Flitworth: Mia Farrow. Honestly, I have absolutely no idea, why I think this could work. I only saw Farrow in "The Watcher" where she played a role, that had absolutely nothing to do with Miss Flitworth, but for some reason I immediately thought of her for this role...it is strange, but I am going with my gut instinct on this one... Princess Keli: Kiernan Shipka. She just looks like I imagine Keli to looks. There might be a problem with the age difference between her and Roman Griffin Davis (as there is some obvious flirtation between Mort and Keeli in the book), but honestly, I feel like every single romance in cinematic history was between a man and a much younger woman, so it wouldn't hurt to have it the other way around for once. Plus, it would be kind of funny, if it would become the running gag of Roman Griffin Davis' career, that he developes feelings for someone older in every movie he is in... Yeah, that's all I have. Ok, I'm going to do something useful now, have a nice life!
If this fantasy adaptation were to ever come about and Taika did not take on the roll of Detritus (a la Korg from Thor: Ragnarok), there is truly no justice in this world.
The perfect Discworld Adaptation is a stop motion or 2d animated show a lot like Marvel's What If. It's an anthology show where every 1 to 3 episodes are a single book and it's narrated by either a Terry Pratchet sound alike or his daughter. But that's just what I think would be the most interesting. 😁
@@WesY2K pretty much, yeah. Although not as dated animation and better character designs, etc. Although if i had to pick, I would rather it be Stop Motion. Could he 3d or 3d animation, but stop motion would add unique visuals and is a style that feels perfect for discworld.
A 2D animation like Marve's What If would be spot on! There were a couple of cartoon versions back in the 90s, but they were awful - the animation just wasn't good enough. And it was the kind of adaptation which assumes youo've read the book - instead of presentting the humour properly, it kind of referenced it and assumed you'd find it funny because you'd be reminded of the book. That was my impression of Wyrd Sisters, anyway... I really hated it.
I think the biggest challenge of adapting STP to the screen is the writing. Finding someone who can capture the humour embedded in the descriptive/narrative text and footnotes without it feeling squeezed into dialogue is, for me, one of the biggest hurdles I've seen in any prior adaptations. A new language needed to envoke Pratchett's world-building into the visual medium is needed. Perhaps someone like Waititi could pull that off
I think a stop-motion adaptation in a Josh Kirby art-style of small gods would be great. It doesn’t have to be childish, but can still be very absurd as as a disc-world story should be.
These are actually great casting, and I really believe Taika Waititi is the best choice for a director. The only casting that I would have liked differently might be Rincewind. I think Simon Pegg would be a great choice of actor considering his works in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, he sort of has this "Why me?" vibe that I liked. Come to think of it, won't it be fun if they make "The Color of Magic" with Simon Pegg as Rincewind and Nick Frost as Twoflower? XD
I absolutely think that that would be a great casting choice. Nick Frost has that sort of pushy and assured energy in his roles that fits with Twoflower, and Simon Pegg has the insecure and bewildered energy that would work great with Rincewind. Not saying they can’t play other roles, even switching around sometimes, but something about Frost’s delivery and facial acting says “this guy is utterly unabashed and confident” and Simon Pegg’s delivery says “this guy is a bit lost and anxious even when he’s in full control of the situation.”
The choice of Anya Taylor Joy is inspired! I personally always thought Granny Weatherwax already looks like Dame Maggie Smith and for my favourite Nanny Ogg it feels almost natural to talk about Miriam Margoyles. Also I think Bella Ramsey would be an exellent older Tiffany Aching. And in my opinion Laurence "Larry" Rickard could portray the insanity of the Bursar marvelously. And i would love for Ben Willbond to play one of the Nac Mac Feegles. And whilst Sean Astin was a perfect Twoflower I think in a new version Jim Howick could bring the same loveable energy to the character. And since I'm obviously a massive Ghosts fan I would love to see/hear Simon Farnaby as the toad or Daft Wullie and Katie Wix as Miss Level. And my last casting choice would be Lee Mack as Cmot Dibbler
There's a fantrailer on TH-cam of Night Watch that cast Idris Elba as Old Vimes and John Boyega as Young Vimes and I had a moment of 'Oh' and then a moment of 'OH F*CK YES' and Idris Elba is now my number one pick, although I do like yours.
the reason I like Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is due to his size.. the over muscled lead hero is just over done, imo. I love Idris but I'd rather they cast someone that's closer to Vimes as written.
Absolutely! I know you commented this a bit ago, but I was going back and trying to watch the Watch again and just realized how much I liked a lot of the actors and actresses and how they handled the characters they were handed.
I'd like to see: John Rhys-Davies - Death Charles Dance - Vetinari (already did the best job) Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont from GOT) - Vimes Dominic Monaghan - Rincewind Helen Mirrin - Granny Weatherwax Miriam Margolyes - Gytha Ogg Josha Stradowski - Carrot
I love this series idea, this is what I do all the time, I imagine book adaptations and pitch them to myself all the day cuz I have no friends, social life, or any idea what to do with my life. If they ever adapt Stormlight, they better hear my ramblings, I have it all mapped out in my head
When I read discworld to people i always use and professor Mcgonnagall impression for Granny. Maggie smith saying "THERE WILL BE A RECKONING" just fits so well to me.
I'll be honest, I've seen community theater adaptations of some of the books and they were awesome. I think all you need is :- - A thrift shop, the worn out look is so nice in going postal. It makes the world feel lived in rather than high fashion or clothes that have never needed a wash.. ever. - Actors familiar with the IP. If they love it, it will show on screen like what happened in Hogfather. - Someone that can read. Because apparently not a single person involved in the Watch series was capable of that. When the writing is top shelf GO WITH IT!
I actually wasn't aware there was ever any adaptations of Discworld. I'll have to check them out even if they aren't great. I lived the Bakshi lotr so I imagine I'd get some level of enjoyment out of them. Discworld is so great!!!
My book club is reading Mort and Guards Guards this month, so good timing! I love seeing my friends discover this for the first time, especially the ones who haven’t read Pratchett.
My fan cast- Carrot is Iwan Rheon. I know that's a weird choice but I'm thinking closer Vicious then what most people think of (Game of Thrones, Inhumans) Weatherwax is Makeup less Helen Mirren Rincewind and Ridcully are Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, doesn't matter who plays who
This is the first video of yours I have watched and I must say, you have done a very apt job of conveying your perfect adaptation of Sir Terry's works. I agree with almost all of your casting choices, even though some surprised me at first, but you managed to bring me around. To be fair, many of my original favourites for these roles have since crossed over. Neil Gaiman is the only one of the three best authors for this genre in my humble opinion, that is still with us, so he is a no brainer, the other two being Sir Terry of course and Douglas Adams. I particularly liked your idea for the season format type, giving each story line a whole season to flesh out properly, maybe adding some of the free standing novels in as episodes within episodes should they cross organically with the main story. To be honest with you, after the great authors passing I was sad to hear that none of his, I'm assuming vast, unfinished work would never be released, as I result I just thought a well done adaptation would ever be made, so I just gave up on that dream. So thank you for letting me dream once more and keep up the good work. One last thing, I'm not sure if you put someone forward for this role, but who would you have as the all important narrator? Perhaps Sir David Attenborough?
Curious to know if you’ve seen the British TV adaptations of Hogfather etc? They were kinda cosy but nice casting (David Jason, Nigel Planer and other uk comedy actors) Don’t think you need Neil gaiman - I think the point of good omens was that they were a clash stylistically. I think Rihanna Prachett and Terry’s assistant more important. As for writing and directing, I’d go Simon Farnaby. The ghosts characters are a bit pratchetty in their humour and I think with his history in Horrible Histories he’ll get the silliness. Curious to see his take on Wonka. Saw the Guards! Guards! Theatre production decades ago when i was in high school - Vimes was played by Avon from Blake 7 for an extra layer of UK-specific nerdery. My fondest adaptation tho has to be the Discworld game. Bloody impossible without a walkthrough but Eric Idle as Rincewind and Tony Robinson as Nobby Nobs are perfect voice casting.
I am glad you are making more Discworld content. There is already a great Discworld adaptation out there called Troll Bridge produced by Snowgum Films. I think they would be a great choice for consultation on creating a Discworld adapation. Discworld is my favourite series and I think its going to grow in popularity again with the new audiobooks and the Amazing Maurice movie coming out later this year!
for me the streaming service would probably have to be HBO in terms of the minor characters and backgroud characters i would fill the roles with people for the places that best represent them. counter weight continant = america, ramtops = whales, lancre = england/whales boarder e.g. herefordshire, Ankh-Morpork = london with a hodgepodge of accents for all over the uk with the more well off charcter (most members of the assassins guild for example) using RP english in the adaptation of the earlier books, whilst getting for global with the later ones, the nac mac feegle are just small, blue, angry highlanders, dwarfs = mostly working class midlanders the reason for doing this is because as i read through the books i noticed each area in discworld has people with different ways of speaking and personally i could hear the the accents as i read though the books and could easily place where the influence came from. although i doubt this would be doable as most actors im britain come from well off back gounds which mostly speak RP english. where as to do this you would need people to come from poor/working class backgrounds which generally have stronger accents and mannerisms the only character i can think of and actor for would be christopher eccleston for vimes but even then maybe for the later watch books (night watch onwards, maybe the fifth elephant) for directors it would depand on the books for example taika waititi for the Moist von Lipwig books, where as i would pick shane meadows for night watch, thud and possibly men at arms also i would do the industrial revolution and the watch books live action but most of the others animated in a style best suited for them (the rincewind books i could see as anime, were on the other hand for maurice and his educated rodents i could see something more in line of lady and the tramp)
Amazon though, did both Good Omens and American Gods. Good Omens being the very best example of a Pratchett adaptation we've yet seen. Absolutely on board with Taika Waititi though he may be the most expensive part of it
I find it funny (maybe you didn't know this) but Jeremy Irons played the Patrician in a BBC Color of Magic miniseries. His performance was perfect. What I've thought about is in one sense we already have had a perfect The Watch show- Brooklyn 99. You can even map on different characters to those who played (Rosa=Angua, Terry= Carrot, Hitchcock and Scully= Nobby and Colon). So maybe get Andy Samberg for that series? Also Emma Thompson is Granny Weatherwax fight me.
Yes! Neil Gaiman please! Also, I like both live action and animation, but I really want to see someone takes the time to do a serious, beautiful virtual world building first. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter already did very well on that while Discworld doesn’t have much yet asides from the mini-series, which feature mostly Ankh Morpork.
You just mentioned, Into the Badlands in ref to Nick Frost, OMG, just when I can't be more of a fan of yours, you mention one of my favorite shows. And Frost did such an amazing job!
That's why I could never fully enjoy The Colour of Magic adaptation. David Jason as the role of Rincewind was just insane. Physically, and especially vocally, I always thought of Rincewind as Eric Idle. It was 30+ years ago when I first read Sourcery though, so I mean a young Eric Idle :D
Fun fact. Jeremy Irons has already played a character in a Discworld adaptation. He played the Patrician in 2008's miniseries Discworld. Which, if memory serves me right, are the first two books.
Daniel: Netflix is a toxic pile of sludge. Me, a Redwall fan, knowing that Netflix has the rights and intentions to the series, praying that the "Over the Garden Wall" dude can just not fuck up the only reason I'm a half-decent human being : Don't I fuckin know it.
Actually, I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but I think discworld should be an animated series in the style of the original Josh Kirby covers, I think that would look incredible. I just can't see it in live action.
The issue with individual seasons of each set of characters I feel like would create a little bit of confusion? Just because they tie together more often than not. But I’d be open to watching. Also I love the Gaiman/Waititi combo. They could actually adapt any semi funny novel together. I wouldn’t complain. Here me out: Maggie smith or Helen Mirren as Branny Weatherwax with Helena bonham carter as Nanny Ogg for the humor. What about Jimmy Smits as Vimes? LOVE Nick frost as Rincewind.
I was chatting with my sister (not a Discworld fan, hasn't read them) and we were fancasting "Guards! Guards!". I said that been reading the book out loud to myself and I found that my Sam Vimes voice sounded like Alan Rickman's. And when my sister asked what Sam was like and I explained him, she said; "Yeah, I'd like to see Alan Rickman try that. He didn't get to do enough of those roles." So...maybe in another world? Oh, and I'm reading through the Death series for the first time and I'd like Hugh Dancy as Imp, please. I even wrote it in the margins: "I'm imagining Hugh Dancy".
I've always thought that Mackenzie Crook would make a good Rincewind - he has the look plus plenty of comic pedigree under his belt. Plus, a massive dose of heart thanks to stuff like The Detectorists
I think you hit that almost perfectly. Exec team, chef's kiss. However, HBC as Granny Weatherwaxe seems a bit too off kilter... too kooky maybe? I'd personally go with Emma Thompson there. Nick Frost as Rincewind is a truly inspired choice, and I need it *now*. As for Vimes, Jerome Flynn could be decent, but I think maybe Mark Strong would fit a little better. I think we all know Charles Dance is and forever will be Vetinari. Assuming that's why he wasn't in the list.
Jeremy Irons - not a bad casting choice for Death, but it might feel weird having the voice of Death be from the same actor who played Havelock Vetinari in The Colour of Magic (although personally I felt that Charles Dance did the best Vetinari in Going Postal)
I think the idea of multiple miniseries is a good one, but I think live-action adaptations are a big mistake. What they need to do is get some 3D assets that can be recycled and reused made. The primary thing: Start with "Guards! Guards!" The actual book, with no cyberpunk crap. The Watch characters are the most relatable characters in the books, and give a nice introduction to the important people/organizations in Ankh-Morpork.
Also as for Death I'm quite happy with the new "official" voice - Peter Serafinovicz. He does him in the complete new audiobook series and also in the Maurice movie.
My Ideal Casting Granny Weatherwax - Cate Blanchette Nanny Ogg - Miriam Margolyes Tiffany Aching - Millie Bobby Brown Sam Vimes - Karl Urban/Hugh Jackman Mustrum Ridcully - Stephen Fry (Think General Melchit from Blackadder) Rincewind - Rhys Ifans Mort - Rupert Grint Greebo - Jason Momoa Ponder Stibbons - Richard Ayoade Casanunda - Peter Dinklage CMOT - Andy Serkis Rob Anybody - Ewan McGregor Vetinari - Charlse Dance (I can't unsee that now. Don't care if he's a ginger)
I think we need the best Nobby we can get. If it's live-action then make him look stop motion or cgi when holding the little sign that says "I'm Human btw" or something lol. But I really really think Animation is best for this absurd fantasy that is Discworld as a whole.
I think the perfect adaptaion, at least for me, should be an animation. That way we can enjoy all the absurity and fantastic setting with lower budget and maybe even more faithful adaptaion to the source material.
Soul Music and The Witches have already been done as animations.
The two 97 Cosgrove Hall mini-series got dang close at times, IMHO.
Don't recall much from Wyrd Systers because I was like... ten, but I got to rewatch Soul Music a few years ago, and it held up in a lot of parts! Especially the voice acting.
Highly recommended if you can track 'em down. They missed some of my favorite bits, but still, they were THE best I'd seen until Hogfather came out.
Even better if it’s 2D adaptations
Agreed, and this is how I now feel about Wheel of Time too. You just can’t do it justice otherwise
Good animation is still expensive
Christopher Eccleston as the Vetinari is one I have had in my head for years. The eyes and the nose just fit. I can see him looking at the visitor slowly clipping out
'Don't let me detain you.'
Who?? (Get it?)
I would have Eccleston as Sam Vimes to be honest. He would be perfect for that role.
@@MrCraven666 Always saw Sean Bean as Vimes myself but nice idea :-)
@@markwaddington5185 I think Sean Bean is too handsome, TP described him as looking like Pete Postlethwaite. I'm convinced that he is referred to as bulky and balding in one of the books, however I have not found any record of it online so I may be misremembering.
oh man I would love to see a Tiffany Aching series as a part of that. It has some iconic characters like Granny Weatherwax and Death but also introduces the Nac Mac Feegles and Tiffany herself is such a good character.
Kinda unrelated, but I wanted to thank Daniel for recommending Discworld, I just got started. I know you said not to start with The Colour of Magic, but I really like to see an author's evolution in time, so I decided to do publication order. Really enjoying it so far, so thank you again!
That's so cool, I also started Discworld this week thanks to his recommendation! I started with Small Gods though and absolutely fell in love with it, best book I've read in a long time, and I'm currently starting on the Guards storyline. I'm loving the writing and I'm looking forward to reading the whole series! So glad I also took Daniel's advice!
I'm with you there - you should start with Colour of Magic but... readers worry that people will be put off because the tone is different and they might stop without realising how it sets up the world but the books just get better and better.
@@jonevansauthor I see. Obviously I still don't know how it compares to the rest of the books, but I can tell you I was captivated from the first lines. Everything is so unpredictable, in the best of ways.
@@alexanderdewitt8154 Let's both enjoy this new journey then!
@@MaryaHach tbh the unpredictability was a problem for me, it felt like a series of "Lol so random" skits for me (very good skits but still). I probably wouldn't have continued if I hadn't started with the city watch storyline first instead of publication order.
I think starting the first series with the Witches may work better. Simply because the first two books (we ain't including equal rites) and then the Maskerade have very well known plots that they draw from. People that ain't familiar with the characters or concepts of Discworld will none the less be able to watch and go "oh its Macbeth, or its Cinderlla" and that may help break the ice for them.
I agree. Either Witches or Guards would make a good introduction, they're very accessible and still beloved. I think Death is actually best saved for last - he is naturally part of every other story and if he is even half as charming in the adaptation as he is in the books, people will be wanting to see more of him. As such, he's the perfect victory lap for the series. Not to mention the great symbolism of Death closing out the story. Wizards can go in the middle somewhere.
I thought the Going Postal mini series that’s already been made was excellent. I would happily take many more series like that.
Would have to say Going Postal really hit the nail on the head for accurately depicting discworld
I'm just really happy to see how this comment section is mature enough to appreciate the possibilities of an animated adaptation!
although, we would still need voice actors, right? And I think Daniel really picked some kickass choices there, great video!
It would be awesome if they did a rotoscoped animated adaptation like the 70s lotr. They could make reference/jokes to that film's expense. I don't think the mainstream audiance would catch it but I personally would find it hilarious lol.
There is an animated adaptation of Wyrd Sisters. It was made and released in the UK and you can get it on DVD or its on youtube. But yeah I would LOVE if they went down the animated route for Discworld adaptations.
I love the Going Postal adaptation. The casting was fantastic! Charles Dance was my Vetinari before he even was cast as Vetenari! Richard Coyle and Claire Foy were perfect. I want Idris Elba as Sam Vimes.
Idris Elba, yes. He Would be perfect...
I recently read Going Postal and then watched the adaptation. Completely agree about fantastic casting! I also liked seeing a visual representation of the Clacks, which I had a hard time envisioning while reading. The writing, however, and especially the dialogue, I found disappointing compared to the book - which is some of Pratchett's best writing, IMO.
I always imagined Daniel Craig as Sam Vimes
STP said in the Art of Discworld that he always imagined Pete Postlethwaite as Vimes and I can't imagine anyone else meeting that standard.
In my mind Sam Vimes looks like Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry
I really liked all of Dan's choices, although I personally would have it as an animation and would pick Christopher Ecclestone as Sam Vimes (based mainly on his intensity and working class grit, not to mention anti-monarchism, which would be a perfect fit for Vimes).
Omg! Christopher Eccleston is such a good choice, I never thought of that! Bringing my two favourite franchises together like that (Discworld and Doctor Who) would be amazing!
@@ErmenBlankenberg Exactly! I think he'd bring a rawness and earnestness to Vimes, especially since Vimes is so revulsed by social inequality, much like Ecclestone is in real life.
@@jaydee4697 Plus despite being primarily serious dramatic actor, he has great comedic timing as well, so would be able to navigate effortlessly between Vimes's dry, sarcastic remarks and raw, cold fury against injustice.
@@ErmenBlankenberg Definitely agree with you on that.
@@jaydee4697 I'd never considered him as an option, but he's a very, very good one. His voice at least,
but possibly just him in general.
I absolutely agree with your choice for Sam Vines. After you said it, I could instantly picture it. I have always pictured Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Nobby and Colon.
This sounds so obvious I'm ashamed it never occurred to me!
I agree with a few of the comments here that an animated show would suit the absurdity a little better. I'm thinking the guys behind Arcane, but obviously slightly more whimsical. You could really get a show that looks a lot more like the official artwork of the characters in motion, and you don't have to then get the non-human characters to somehow fit seamlessly into live action.
I don't think they'd have to fit as seamlessly into Discworld as they would in something like LOTR. Animation would be better, IMO, but because of the absurdity and irreverence I think they could get away with something like the TMNT adaptations from the 90s. It was campy fun that didn't have to be hyper realistic.
Just Sam Rockwell. Yes!
For DEATH, if it's someone who can do the gravitas of an immortal being with self doubt and humility, I think Ian McKellen proved he's well up for it with Gandalf the Grey. I also think Bill Nighy could do the part complete justice.
I Definitely want Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout) to play Nanny Ogg in the Witches series. She's got an offbeat exuberance that's hard to match. Especially if you watch her on the Graham Norton show.
I never EVER would have seen Nick Frost as Rincewind, but I need it! Oddly enough, I could see him as Carson in City Watch too.
100% Miriam Margolyes was my first thought
Bill nighy is my perfect Death
Miriam Margolyes would be great as Nanny Ogg. Perfect casting there.
@@toothemaxx4027 I'm so happy he's gonna voice death in those new audio books. So exited.
Yeah, Ian McKellen could definitely be the perfect death, especially considering what Christopher Lee brought to the role, it could be a nice pairing.
i really hope this becomes more of a series of perfect adaptations for stories than just a one off
Sticking in the Waititi-verse: Matt Berry -Lazlo, WWDitS-would make a fantastic Archchancellor Ridcully, playing a somewhat similar character.
It may seem strange, but I can see Hugh Laurie as Vetinari. I can’t think of seeing a menacing performance from him, but I intuit that he could do it.
The problem with Hulu is that it is only available in the US and Discworld is so quintessentially British that I don’t think it would be the right pick.
But, no matter what, Nanny Ogg must be Miriam Margoyles.
She may be aged out of the role by now, but I thought Michelle Dockery did a good job as Susan Sto Helit in Hogfather. I do like your pick of Anya Taylor Joy though. Hugh Laurie, I think would work as Mustrum Ridcully the Archchancellor of Unseen University or Havelock Vetinari.
Hugh Laurie as Vetinari is a great shout. Ridcully would work too
@@ryan_17295 Honestly I still think Jeremy Irons was excellent.
I honestly quite like almost every casting decision made for the discworld movies. Didn’t necessarily m fit the characters in the books to a complete T but damn did they fit well within the movies
With Hugh Laurie as Vetinari, Stephen Fry could play Ridcully.
Hugh Laurie as Vetinari or Willikins. I can't not see the actor from The Hogfather as Ridcully, even when I'm reading.
If you look up "troll bridge" on TH-cam you'll find a spectacular adaptation of one of my favourite short Discworld stories, published in the "A Blink of the Screen" collection. It's really good, I'd recommend it!
I feel like missing out on Rhys Darby for Rincewind is a mistake! Though he could easily fit in elsewhere if you wanted - so I'm okay with it haha
ABSOLUTE YES!!!!
Great choice!
As soon as you said Nick Frost for Rincewind I laughed but honestly I think getting the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost duo back together again as Twoflower and Rincewind would be the ideal (and either role for either of them would be fantastic)
The Goblin pulled the rug under us about Beserk yet again XD
If you follow him on Twitter he told us no Berserk review this week yesterday
I'd cast Matt Smith as death - the dude's work in Doctor who clearly shows his ability to be whimsical, but at the same time subtly realising the darkness of an inner conflict, but rising up against it in a way that is still in his whimsical nature. I feel like discworld's death is within that sort of range
No, absolutely not! You think Matt Smith can SPEAK IN ALL CAPS? Death is James Earl Jones.
@@PuddilyOops 2 years have led me to think Brian Blessed might be a worthy candidate
I'm gonna say animation is the future for most adaptations of fantasy, and Discworld already had a few animated films made years ago by Cosgrove Hall. Not great animation, but stellar voice work and adaptation of the humour. Also, Miriam Margoyles for Nanny Ogg, either live action or voiced.
I really liked the Hogfather and Going Postal movies--if you haven't seen them, you should.
Yeah, I scrolled down to the comments specifically to say this, so I figured I'd just second your comment instead. Hogfather and Going Postal were both excellent. Maybe not perfect, but they got the tone just right.
Very much agreed. And Christoffer Lee was a perfect death!
David Suchet as Reacher Gilt was a bit jarring at first, but he killed it.
what these guys said^^^ hogfather is straight up great watch even if it wasn't so faithful to the source
@@Kohanman Huh, I seem to recall Hogfather being pretty faithful. A few minor changes and a lot of things left out, but that's to be expected if you want to fit everything within a couple hours, but all the major story beats and all the beat lines were there. Going Postal was a lot less faithful, but even there it was very faithful to the spirit of the original. And when it comes down to it, being faithful to the spirit is what really matters. After all, the modern incarnations of Santa Claus are in no way faithful to the original, but we keep believing, and thus the sun keeps rising every morning, rather than a mere ball of flaming gas becoming visible over the horizon...
I can't believe you didn't bring up the Patrician in this video! It might be basic of me, but I always imagines Jason Isaacs as the Patrician (yes because of lucius malfoy), but I maybe Giancarlo Esposito is just the current best "secretly terrifying boss" actor right now. It would be nice to see him in a role as someone who is actually working towards the greater good, even if in a morally dubious way.
Jeremy Irons would also be a magnificent Patrician. If there was ever an actor who could chew up the scenery to terrify and intimidate with a single understated shift of tone or facial expression, a la the Patrician, it's Irons.
Ooooooo! Some good shouts here. Love the idea of Giancarlo!
@@sonipitts Jeremy Irons did a great Patrician in the movie version of A Color of Magic, and then in Going Postal they recast the role for Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) and it was better.
Does anyone else think Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity & The Martian) would be a great Vetinari?
@@EvelyntMild Oooo yes please
I want Andre braugher. AKA captain holt from brookly 99, for Death. He has the gravitas and also deadpan timing to pull it off
I think Granny Weatherwax needs to be older. For me, I'd cast Helen Mirren - totally has the gravitas for it. Then Judi Dench as Nanny Ogg. Then Anna Taylor-Joy as Magrat. I think she'd be a better fit here. Magrat has such a great evolution over the witches series I can see ATJ totally carrying a whole series, with the older witches shining as support.
I'd love to say Miriam Margolyes should be Nanny Ogg (because she basically already is) but realistically she's too old to do a series (even for a fantasy cast). But just to get her in there have her show up as Desiderata Hollow (who has one awesome scene with Death) to kick off Witches Abroad.
I would like to see Liza Tarbuck as Nanny Ogg. She has the physical "gravitas" for the part and is also an excellent comedy actress.
@@MartijnHover but she's playing Lady Sybil Ramkin (in my mind), so she can't also be Nanny Ogg. Margoyles would still be the perfect Nanny if they could get her to do it. She's so much like her.
@@tokeeriksen2425 I have changed my mind about Nanny Ogg. I do now think she should be played by Miriam Margolyes. And in that case Liza Tarbuck would be a great Lady Sybil. 🙂
totally agree with Helen MIrren, she came first to my mind to
Hear me out: Jamie Lee Curtis as Granny Weatherwax. I think she can bring an air of maturity and superiority to the character so well
Looking at recent pictures, I can definitely see her as Granny... she even has the gorgeous perfect mature (wartless) skin that Granny hates so much.
YO YES
Miles better than Bonham Carter as a pick that's for sure.
I would of said Dame Maggie Smith for Granny Weatherwax but…
I don’t mind Jamie Lee Curtis, though! She certainly has the right build and look and is not afraid to really dive into the character.
I think that Ron Pearlman fits your description for Cohen the Barbarian perfectly. Although I also like Carl Weathers as Cohen. Hmmm, perhaps Ron Pearlman could also play Detritus 😁 and then you could have Carl play Cohen. But I feel that Ron Pearlman should have a role in Discworld.
I'm so sorry, but Mr. pearlman will be occupied playing Detritus, and what with all the makeup...
Another commenter said this and I must agree, the best Discworld adaptation would be animation. The way Pratchett describes things in an overly exaggerated way that feels like classic animation films (from Disney, Looney toons, etc). Imo the most perfect Discworld adaptation would be an animated series of films or as you said, small series within a larger series, that is created by either Aaardman animation (Wallace & Gromit, Shawn the sheep), Laika (Coraline, Kudo and the two strings) or Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s lab, Samurai Jack), written by Taika Waititi (with any of his collaborators), and produced Neil Gaiman, Rhianna Prachett, and Rob Wilkins.
In terms of Casting, I’m gonna focus this if it is Live action, but I’m sure many of these actors could pull it off in animation as well. Breaking it up into each series
Venessa Redgrave, Michelle Gomez, or Indra Varma - Granny Weatherwax (Indra Varma’s Granny in the new audiobooks is perfection)
Miriam Margolyes - Nanny Ogg
Amy Lou Wood - Magrat Garlick
Nichola Coughlan - Anges Nitt
Tilda Swington - The Queen
Vivian Lyra Blair - Tiffany Aching
Emily Blunt - Miss Tick
Every scottish actor ever - the Nac Mac Feegles
Chiwetel Ejiofor or Jeremy Irons - Death
Roman Griffin Davis - Mort (excellent pick!)
Anya Taylor Joy - Susan Sto Helit
(Daniel, your Death series choices were perfection)
Asa Butterfield - Brutha
Taika Waititi - Om
Benedict Cumberbatch - Vorbis
Charles Dance - Vetinari
Jerome Flinn or Idris Elba - Sam Vimes
Tom Hooper or Rege-Jean Page - Carrot
Emma Mckay - Angua
Colon - Nick Frost
Nobby - Simon Pegg
Beanie Feldstien - Cheery Littlebottom
Steve Buschemi - Reg Shoe
Simone Ashley or Patricia Allison - Sally
Ncuti Gatwa - Visit-the-infidel-with-explanatory-pamphlets
Domhnall Gleeson - Rincewind
Bill Nighy - Cohan The Barbarian
Brian Blessed or Michael Gambon - Ridcully
Jim Broadbent - the Dean
Toby Kebbel - the Librarian
Jason Sudeikis - Moist Von Lipwig
Claire Foy - Adorabelle Dearheart
I'll probably come back and add to this once I finish waking up...
Bonham Carter is a nice choice, but the first person to come to mind for me is actually Maggie Smith. She is closer to Granny in age, her acting range is fantastic, and well, the Harry Potter movies showed how well she could rock the wardrobe. Plus, I can actually see her as Granny, whether she's lecturing on "Headology", shouting at... and individual... about "and you never had any fun?", to the dinner scene with the publishers.
Nanny requires more thought. Must have excellent chemistry with Granny's actress.
Irons as Death is a good choice, since the Perfect one (who has actually voiced Death in the earlier BBC adaptations) is no longer with us. Christopher Lee in the role was a marvel.
Also reaching from the earlier mini-series..-es? mini-series'? Whatever, still not awake yet. Specifically from "Going Postal" is the casting choice they made for Vetinari. I would have initially picked Irons - he did the best they could give him with the script for "The Colour of Magic", and could absolutely shine with a better one, but while I would not have initially chosen Charles Dance myself (not angular enough), in less than a minute on the screen, he -was- Vetinari. I also think that Willem Dafoe could also fill the role nicely, as could Bill Nighy.
Oddly (because he doesn't fit the physical image so much), my first thought for Vimes - Martin Freeman. Partly from his role as Watson, but also from snippets of other roles. He definitely manages the "worn down by life" vibe that is Vimes at the start.
Lady Sybil... this is a tough one. For myself, I would have to insist they keep the build she has in the book. Her size does not define her as such, but it absolutely does have an influence on her behavior, and the contrast in behaviors is part of the chemistry between her and Vimes. If we were to follow one casting element of her character in "The Watch"... well, it might be fun to see/hear Queen Latifah with a posh British accent.
I need to wrap this up quickly, as I need to take my housemate to work, but in closing, I think that Carrot, Magrat, and Tiffany should be played by new faces, as those are perfect roles to grow into.
I agree that Maggie Smith would be perfect as Granny Weatherwax. I love Helena Bonham-Carter, but Maggie Smith would just BE Granny. No-nonsense, kinda exasperated. Love it.
@@nikkihall7994 Unfortunately, though Maggie is superb, they would need to cast someone younger. Granny is old but she is spry. I never would have thought of HBC but I think she could do a great job.
@@mumsageek1883 Sadly, probably true.
I totally see Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout) as Nanny Ogg. And Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) as Lady Sybil.
I first went to Maggie Smith as Granny too, but I'm not sure she has the physical energy Granny exerts regularly. Whoever played Rita Skeeter in HP should Miss Tick.
Your spot on that the young protagonists should be relatively unknown.
Hugh Laurie should be Willikins the Ramkin Butler.
Finally, am I crazy for wanting Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vetinari? I think he'd kill that role.
gotta put olivia coleman in the ring as granny W tho she cld rock it as nanny ogg too
I know, I know, I am 5 months late on this, and there is a very very very high chance that literally no one is going to read this comment ever, but I don't care! I feel like I spent years thinking about the best theoretical Discworld Cast, so I have to share it. This is my dreamcast for a complete Discworld adaptation, if budget wouldn't be an issue:
Sam Vimes: Christopher Meloni. If you don't believe me, just go and watch "Happy", I really believe, that this guy was born to play Vimes!
Carrot Ironfounderson: Aron Taylor-Johnson (Mainly becuase he is the only famous actor I can think of, that looks hunky enough for Carrot but probably would not look ridiculous with red hair...)
Nobby Nobbs: Andy Serkis. I just think it would be funny to have Gollum portraying Nobby. Plus Serkis actually is a Discworld-Fan, so he probably would be relatively easy to get. And if he is already there, he might as well play the librarian, because...Andy Serkis...
Fred Colon: Nick Frost. Does this even need an explanation...?
Reg Shoe: Steve Buschemi. I don't even know why, I just feel like he looks the part...
Lord Vetinari: Charles Dance. He already nailed the character once, so I don't see, why we should look for someone else...
Rufus Drumknott: Richard Schiff. He's a relatively unknown actor, but some might know him from "The West Wing" or "Dirk Gentlys hulistic detective agency". I know that he is older than the Drumknott in the Books, but I like the idea of an older Drumknott just doing his duty...
Harry King: Alan Tudyk. I also don't know why, but I feel like this could work. Maybe I just like Alan Tudyk...
Sacharissa Cripslock: Thomasin McKenzie. I'll just borrow Daniels desciption of Sacharissa: "exraordinary charming, somewhat manipulative, very beautiful, young, energetic", and honestly, This just sounds like McKenzie...
The Bursar: Jim Broadbent. Just seems like the perfect acor for an old harmless lunatic...
Rincewind: Paul Rudd. This is probably a very unpopular opinion, mainly because he seems to be to old. But as we all know, Rudd doesn't age for some reason, he would absolutely rock a wizzards beard and I feel, like he would bring the perfect energy for Rincewind. Plus he has the physicality needed for running away from things for the majority of a movie.
Esme Weatherwax: Maggie Smith. She just looks like Esme... alternatively Jamie Lee Curtis.
Nanny Ogg: Kathy Bates. She looks the part and undoubtely has the acting talent...
Magrat Garlic: Ophelia Lovibond. Another not really well know actress, one might know her from "Elementary". She would bring the needed general nervousness for the character.
Tiffany Aching: Malina Weissman. Yes, the girl from "A series of unfortunate events" is my take for Tiffany Aching as a Teenager, mainly because the Artwork of Teenage-Tiffany really resembles her.
Death: Benedict Cumberbatch. I basically want the exact same thing for Death that Daniel wants, but I settled for Cumberbatch. He can also be very shakespearian (he literally played Hamlet), in my opinion he has the perfect voice for Death (probably because it remarkably resembles a younger version of Christopher Lee when you think about it...) and in case Death might be animated he has the talent and experience to do the motion capture.
Albert: David Jason. I liked him in the Hogfather adaptation and he obviously loves the source material, so he could and would play Albert again.
Susan Sto Helit: Michelle Dockery. She was also great in Hogfather and for some reason she still looks young enough for the role...
Mort: Roman Griffin Davis. Yeah, what Daniel said!
Quoth the raven: Patton Oswald. After "The Sandman" I just like the idea of Patton Oswald voicing birds for a living...
Moist von Lipwig: Chris Pratt. This is honestly the pick that I am most unsure about. I think Pratt would be perfect for playing Moist as a con artist, but as he honestly isn't a great character actor he might have problems with the serious parts of Moists character development...
Adora Belle Dearheart: Claire Foy. She was perfect for the role once, she would be it again. Next.
Cohen the Barbarian: David Strathairn. This is probably another unpopular opinion, but I never saw Cohen as a action hero. All the drawings of him look like a very skinny old man who survives only because of experiense and not because of physical strength, that's why I like Strathairn for the part. Yes, he actually might be a bit too young, but...make-up...
The silver horde: Monty Python. Yes, I know it sounds silly, but I'd really love seeing the remaining members of Monty Python as the silver horde. Also, since I really don't like "The last hero" and wouldn't include it in an adaption, they would only be in "interesting times" and we wouldn't have to be afraid that they might die between movies/seasons...
Carcer: Jared Leto. Seems like a good fit...
Mr. Tulip and Mr. Pin: Joel Kinnaman and Bill Skarsgaard. For some reason I really like the idea that both of them are swedish (and since we don't know where these characters are from, it would actually make sense for them to have a slight unusual accent), plus Kinnaman has the right physicality for Mr. Tulip, while Skarsgaard is obviously well known for villainous roles and he actually looks, like he is planning something all the time...
Mister Teatime: Marc Warren. While the movie itself is obviously flawed, I actually quite like the cast of the Hogfather adaptation, so he could keep the role as well, if it would be up to me...
Wolfgang von Überwald: Tom Hardy. Everyone who thinks something else is wrong!
Rhys Rhysson: Peter Dinklage. Unfortunately I can't give Peter Dinklage every single dwarf role, so I gave him the one that most closely resembles a classic fantasy dwarf.
Rob Anybody: Ewan McGregor. Paul Kidby himself said, that he modelled Rob Anybody after McGregor for the artwork, so...yeah...
King Verence: Jesse Eisenberg. His natural awkwardness would fit perfectly for this role, plus, Verence used to be a fool, and Eisenberg literally played Marcel Marceau once...
Foul ole Ron: Rhys Darby. I you have seen "Hunt for the wilderpeople" you will agree, that no one can shout absolute nonsense as charming as Rhys Darby...
Altogether Andrews: James McAvoy. The character is basically a homeless Kevin Wendell Crumbs...
Leonard of Quirm: John C. Reilly. Mainly because of the Paul-Kidby-drawing of Leonard that looks like an aged and bearded John C. Reilly to me...
Inigo Skimmer: Chris Conner. That's the guy who played Poe in "altered carbon". Once again I am following the Paul-Kidby-drawing of Inigo, which just looks like Conner...
Miss Flitworth: Mia Farrow. Honestly, I have absolutely no idea, why I think this could work. I only saw Farrow in "The Watcher" where she played a role, that had absolutely nothing to do with Miss Flitworth, but for some reason I immediately thought of her for this role...it is strange, but I am going with my gut instinct on this one...
Princess Keli: Kiernan Shipka. She just looks like I imagine Keli to looks. There might be a problem with the age difference between her and Roman Griffin Davis (as there is some obvious flirtation between Mort and Keeli in the book), but honestly, I feel like every single romance in cinematic history was between a man and a much younger woman, so it wouldn't hurt to have it the other way around for once. Plus, it would be kind of funny, if it would become the running gag of Roman Griffin Davis' career, that he developes feelings for someone older in every movie he is in...
Yeah, that's all I have. Ok, I'm going to do something useful now, have a nice life!
Some excellent suggestions there!
If this fantasy adaptation were to ever come about and Taika did not take on the roll of Detritus (a la Korg from Thor: Ragnarok), there is truly no justice in this world.
After seeing David Copperfield, I definitely want to see Dev Patel as Rincewind, also I think Peter Capaldi would make a great Vetinari
The perfect Discworld Adaptation is a stop motion or 2d animated show a lot like Marvel's What If. It's an anthology show where every 1 to 3 episodes are a single book and it's narrated by either a Terry Pratchet sound alike or his daughter. But that's just what I think would be the most interesting. 😁
Or Neil Gaiman could also work as narrator too I suppose
So, like Wyrd Sisters or Soul Music were done? And The Nome Trilogy was done stop-motion. Like that?
@@WesY2K pretty much, yeah. Although not as dated animation and better character designs, etc. Although if i had to pick, I would rather it be Stop Motion. Could he 3d or 3d animation, but stop motion would add unique visuals and is a style that feels perfect for discworld.
Upvote because Stop Motion is so underused that any suggestion of doing anything with that style must be supported.
A 2D animation like Marve's What If would be spot on! There were a couple of cartoon versions back in the 90s, but they were awful - the animation just wasn't good enough. And it was the kind of adaptation which assumes youo've read the book - instead of presentting the humour properly, it kind of referenced it and assumed you'd find it funny because you'd be reminded of the book. That was my impression of Wyrd Sisters, anyway... I really hated it.
Also, everything aside if Arnie steps in to play Cohen, that would be so poetic.
That would be very meta, indeed.
Man, loved the video. Daniel just keep on making this shit. We want more series having these kind of videos.
I think taika waititi would be the man best suited to direct the Discworlds unique sense of humour
I think the biggest challenge of adapting STP to the screen is the writing. Finding someone who can capture the humour embedded in the descriptive/narrative text and footnotes without it feeling squeezed into dialogue is, for me, one of the biggest hurdles I've seen in any prior adaptations. A new language needed to envoke Pratchett's world-building into the visual medium is needed. Perhaps someone like Waititi could pull that off
Charles Dance was Vetinari in the going postal mini series and I think he was perfect!
he *is* Vetinari for me
I think a stop-motion adaptation in a Josh Kirby art-style of small gods would be great. It doesn’t have to be childish, but can still be very absurd as as a disc-world story should be.
a stop motion animation in the style of american comic book artist jack kirby? did jack kirby do stop motion? i never knew that.
Sorry I meant josh Kirby who did the original cover art of the series for terry Pratchett. So like the style of the cover-art is what I’m saying.
Thank you for the wide variety of content, Daniel! It's always a lovely time.
These are actually great casting, and I really believe Taika Waititi is the best choice for a director. The only casting that I would have liked differently might be Rincewind. I think Simon Pegg would be a great choice of actor considering his works in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, he sort of has this "Why me?" vibe that I liked. Come to think of it, won't it be fun if they make "The Color of Magic" with Simon Pegg as Rincewind and Nick Frost as Twoflower? XD
I absolutely think that that would be a great casting choice. Nick Frost has that sort of pushy and assured energy in his roles that fits with Twoflower, and Simon Pegg has the insecure and bewildered energy that would work great with Rincewind. Not saying they can’t play other roles, even switching around sometimes, but something about Frost’s delivery and facial acting says “this guy is utterly unabashed and confident” and Simon Pegg’s delivery says “this guy is a bit lost and anxious even when he’s in full control of the situation.”
The choice of Anya Taylor Joy is inspired!
I personally always thought Granny Weatherwax already looks like Dame Maggie Smith and for my favourite Nanny Ogg it feels almost natural to talk about Miriam Margoyles. Also I think Bella Ramsey would be an exellent older Tiffany Aching. And in my opinion Laurence "Larry" Rickard could portray the insanity of the Bursar marvelously. And i would love for Ben Willbond to play one of the Nac Mac Feegles. And whilst Sean Astin was a perfect Twoflower I think in a new version Jim Howick could bring the same loveable energy to the character. And since I'm obviously a massive Ghosts fan I would love to see/hear Simon Farnaby as the toad or Daft Wullie and Katie Wix as Miss Level. And my last casting choice would be Lee Mack as Cmot Dibbler
Yes to Dame Maggie Smith and Mariam Margoyles! Please, I just need to see the two of them haggling on broomsticks!
If budget is no issue, I would love if it was animated with the group that made Klaus.
Yay yay yay!
Discworld Content!
Thank you for your service Daniel
I love figuring out what we would pitch for our favorite books becoming either a Movie or TV Show
It's not fair.
You've gotten me super-hyped for a show that won't come out.
I couldn't help but notice your choices were very British. I'm loving it!
Maggie Smith for Esme. Violet and Minerva is Granny Weatherwax split in two.
I always pictured Maggie Smith as Granny - probably a bit old now
I love that your first wish was the one thing that leapt to my mind. Gaiman is a must.
I think we need a part two for more casting. Loving this!
There's a fantrailer on TH-cam of Night Watch that cast Idris Elba as Old Vimes and John Boyega as Young Vimes and I had a moment of 'Oh' and then a moment of 'OH F*CK YES' and Idris Elba is now my number one pick, although I do like yours.
Way too tall and muscular!! It would be like casting Chris Hemsworth as Nobby.
the reason I like Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is due to his size.. the over muscled lead hero is just over done, imo. I love Idris but I'd rather they cast someone that's closer to Vimes as written.
I think the best Discworld adaptation would be animated
Also your casting is amazing.
I really liked the casting of Richard Dormer as Vimes in The Watch. It’s a shame the show didn’t give him the chance to truly shine.
I completely agree.
Absolutely.
Absolutely! I know you commented this a bit ago, but I was going back and trying to watch the Watch again and just realized how much I liked a lot of the actors and actresses and how they handled the characters they were handed.
I'd like to see:
John Rhys-Davies - Death
Charles Dance - Vetinari (already did the best job)
Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont from GOT) - Vimes
Dominic Monaghan - Rincewind
Helen Mirrin - Granny Weatherwax
Miriam Margolyes - Gytha Ogg
Josha Stradowski - Carrot
I love this series idea, this is what I do all the time, I imagine book adaptations and pitch them to myself all the day cuz I have no friends, social life, or any idea what to do with my life. If they ever adapt Stormlight, they better hear my ramblings, I have it all mapped out in my head
When I read discworld to people i always use and professor Mcgonnagall impression for Granny. Maggie smith saying "THERE WILL BE A RECKONING" just fits so well to me.
While not necessarily a fan of Amazon, I've gotta give them credit for Good Omens, which is totally in the vein of Discworld for obvious reasons.
Miriam Margolyes is Nanny Ogg for me. If you only know her from HP movies watch her Graham Norton interviews.
I'll be honest, I've seen community theater adaptations of some of the books and they were awesome.
I think all you need is :-
- A thrift shop, the worn out look is so nice in going postal. It makes the world feel lived in rather than high fashion or clothes that have never needed a wash.. ever.
- Actors familiar with the IP. If they love it, it will show on screen like what happened in Hogfather.
- Someone that can read. Because apparently not a single person involved in the Watch series was capable of that. When the writing is top shelf GO WITH IT!
We already have a perfect Discworld film - TROLL BRIDGE.
I actually wasn't aware there was ever any adaptations of Discworld. I'll have to check them out even if they aren't great. I lived the Bakshi lotr so I imagine I'd get some level of enjoyment out of them. Discworld is so great!!!
My book club is reading Mort and Guards Guards this month, so good timing! I love seeing my friends discover this for the first time, especially the ones who haven’t read Pratchett.
My fan cast-
Carrot is Iwan Rheon. I know that's a weird choice but I'm thinking closer Vicious then what most people think of (Game of Thrones, Inhumans)
Weatherwax is Makeup less Helen Mirren
Rincewind and Ridcully are Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, doesn't matter who plays who
This is the first video of yours I have watched and I must say, you have done a very apt job of conveying your perfect adaptation of Sir Terry's works. I agree with almost all of your casting choices, even though some surprised me at first, but you managed to bring me around. To be fair, many of my original favourites for these roles have since crossed over. Neil Gaiman is the only one of the three best authors for this genre in my humble opinion, that is still with us, so he is a no brainer, the other two being Sir Terry of course and Douglas Adams. I particularly liked your idea for the season format type, giving each story line a whole season to flesh out properly, maybe adding some of the free standing novels in as episodes within episodes should they cross organically with the main story. To be honest with you, after the great authors passing I was sad to hear that none of his, I'm assuming vast, unfinished work would never be released, as I result I just thought a well done adaptation would ever be made, so I just gave up on that dream. So thank you for letting me dream once more and keep up the good work. One last thing, I'm not sure if you put someone forward for this role, but who would you have as the all important narrator? Perhaps Sir David Attenborough?
Curious to know if you’ve seen the British TV adaptations of Hogfather etc? They were kinda cosy but nice casting (David Jason, Nigel Planer and other uk comedy actors) Don’t think you need Neil gaiman - I think the point of good omens was that they were a clash stylistically. I think Rihanna Prachett and Terry’s assistant more important.
As for writing and directing, I’d go Simon Farnaby. The ghosts characters are a bit pratchetty in their humour and I think with his history in Horrible Histories he’ll get the silliness. Curious to see his take on Wonka.
Saw the Guards! Guards! Theatre production decades ago when i was in high school - Vimes was played by Avon from Blake 7 for an extra layer of UK-specific nerdery.
My fondest adaptation tho has to be the Discworld game. Bloody impossible without a walkthrough but Eric Idle as Rincewind and Tony Robinson as Nobby Nobs are perfect voice casting.
James Spader is my perfect death. His ability to bring unearthly intelligence and sorrow to characters is amazing.
Oh man that'd be so perfect.
I am glad you are making more Discworld content. There is already a great Discworld adaptation out there called Troll Bridge produced by Snowgum Films. I think they would be a great choice for consultation on creating a Discworld adapation. Discworld is my favourite series and I think its going to grow in popularity again with the new audiobooks and the Amazing Maurice movie coming out later this year!
for me the streaming service would probably have to be HBO
in terms of the minor characters and backgroud characters i would fill the roles with people for the places that best represent them. counter weight continant = america, ramtops = whales, lancre = england/whales boarder e.g. herefordshire, Ankh-Morpork = london with a hodgepodge of accents for all over the uk with the more well off charcter (most members of the assassins guild for example) using RP english in the adaptation of the earlier books, whilst getting for global with the later ones, the nac mac feegle are just small, blue, angry highlanders, dwarfs = mostly working class midlanders
the reason for doing this is because as i read through the books i noticed each area in discworld has people with different ways of speaking and personally i could hear the the accents as i read though the books and could easily place where the influence came from. although i doubt this would be doable as most actors im britain come from well off back gounds which mostly speak RP english. where as to do this you would need people to come from poor/working class backgrounds which generally have stronger accents and mannerisms
the only character i can think of and actor for would be christopher eccleston for vimes but even then maybe for the later watch books (night watch onwards, maybe the fifth elephant)
for directors it would depand on the books for example taika waititi for the Moist von Lipwig books, where as i would pick shane meadows for night watch, thud and possibly men at arms
also i would do the industrial revolution and the watch books live action but most of the others animated in a style best suited for them (the rincewind books i could see as anime, were on the other hand for maurice and his educated rodents i could see something more in line of lady and the tramp)
Amazon though, did both Good Omens and American Gods. Good Omens being the very best example of a Pratchett adaptation we've yet seen.
Absolutely on board with Taika Waititi though he may be the most expensive part of it
I find it funny (maybe you didn't know this) but Jeremy Irons played the Patrician in a BBC Color of Magic miniseries. His performance was perfect. What I've thought about is in one sense we already have had a perfect The Watch show- Brooklyn 99. You can even map on different characters to those who played (Rosa=Angua, Terry= Carrot, Hitchcock and Scully= Nobby and Colon). So maybe get Andy Samberg for that series? Also Emma Thompson is Granny Weatherwax fight me.
Yes! Neil Gaiman please! Also, I like both live action and animation, but I really want to see someone takes the time to do a serious, beautiful virtual world building first. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter already did very well on that while Discworld doesn’t have much yet asides from the mini-series, which feature mostly Ankh Morpork.
You just mentioned, Into the Badlands in ref to Nick Frost, OMG, just when I can't be more of a fan of yours, you mention one of my favorite shows. And Frost did such an amazing job!
Rincewind was young in the early books, and the actor definitely needs to be a runner!
I just looked up how old nick frost is… now I feel old. Fuck.
Relatively, Rincewind is/was a failed student wizard so he's in his 30s in the early books.
That's why I could never fully enjoy The Colour of Magic adaptation. David Jason as the role of Rincewind was just insane. Physically, and especially vocally, I always thought of Rincewind as Eric Idle. It was 30+ years ago when I first read Sourcery though, so I mean a young Eric Idle :D
i just started reading discworld for my grandma and we are loving it and this kinda hyped me up to keep reading xD
Fun fact. Jeremy Irons has already played a character in a Discworld adaptation. He played the Patrician in 2008's miniseries Discworld. Which, if memory serves me right, are the first two books.
Daniel: Netflix is a toxic pile of sludge.
Me, a Redwall fan, knowing that Netflix has the rights and intentions to the series, praying that the "Over the Garden Wall" dude can just not fuck up the only reason I'm a half-decent human being : Don't I fuckin know it.
Jeremy Irons actually played Lord Vetinari in the Color of Magic mini-series
Actually, I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but I think discworld should be an animated series in the style of the original Josh Kirby covers, I think that would look incredible. I just can't see it in live action.
Ok that's the only animated series call I've seen that makes sense. I'd prefer live action but that art style would fit perfectly for the fans.
My pick would be Studio Laika Stop Motion adaptation.
Though to be fair, that's my pick for pretty much anything.
The issue with individual seasons of each set of characters I feel like would create a little bit of confusion? Just because they tie together more often than not. But I’d be open to watching. Also I love the Gaiman/Waititi combo. They could actually adapt any semi funny novel together. I wouldn’t complain. Here me out: Maggie smith or Helen Mirren as Branny Weatherwax with Helena bonham carter as Nanny Ogg for the humor. What about Jimmy Smits as Vimes? LOVE Nick frost as Rincewind.
I was chatting with my sister (not a Discworld fan, hasn't read them) and we were fancasting "Guards! Guards!". I said that been reading the book out loud to myself and I found that my Sam Vimes voice sounded like Alan Rickman's. And when my sister asked what Sam was like and I explained him, she said; "Yeah, I'd like to see Alan Rickman try that. He didn't get to do enough of those roles." So...maybe in another world? Oh, and I'm reading through the Death series for the first time and I'd like Hugh Dancy as Imp, please. I even wrote it in the margins: "I'm imagining Hugh Dancy".
I've always thought that
Mackenzie Crook would make a good Rincewind - he has the look plus plenty of comic pedigree under his belt. Plus, a massive dose of heart thanks to stuff like The Detectorists
Can't imagine him with a beard 😂 but think that a good shout!
he'd be a good Rincewind, but a great Nobby Nobbs
I quite like some of the mini-series and animated stuff the have done before there was a limited budget but it was true to the source material.
I think you hit that almost perfectly. Exec team, chef's kiss.
However, HBC as Granny Weatherwaxe seems a bit too off kilter... too kooky maybe? I'd personally go with Emma Thompson there.
Nick Frost as Rincewind is a truly inspired choice, and I need it *now*.
As for Vimes, Jerome Flynn could be decent, but I think maybe Mark Strong would fit a little better.
I think we all know Charles Dance is and forever will be Vetinari. Assuming that's why he wasn't in the list.
Jeremy Irons - not a bad casting choice for Death, but it might feel weird having the voice of Death be from the same actor who played Havelock Vetinari in The Colour of Magic (although personally I felt that Charles Dance did the best Vetinari in Going Postal)
Daniel you should do this adaptation series for other books like Jade, First Law, Red Rising, Faithful and Fallen, etc.
I think the idea of multiple miniseries is a good one, but I think live-action adaptations are a big mistake. What they need to do is get some 3D assets that can be recycled and reused made. The primary thing: Start with "Guards! Guards!" The actual book, with no cyberpunk crap. The Watch characters are the most relatable characters in the books, and give a nice introduction to the important people/organizations in Ankh-Morpork.
Jeremy Irons has already played Lord Vetinari in the Discworld universe, which I would argue he still suits.
I for a second expected a "sweded" style plan when you said "money is not an OPTION".
Omg Taika on Discworld would be a DREAM but as of now he'll probably be veeery tangled up with Star Wars for the next few years
I started discworld recently due to your recommendations. Started with Guards guards
Also as for Death I'm quite happy with the new "official" voice - Peter Serafinovicz. He does him in the complete new audiobook series and also in the Maurice movie.
Just so you know, Emma Mackey isn’t done with sex education, she’s already spoke about how she’s excited for series 4!
I think discworld should be animated.
My Ideal Casting
Granny Weatherwax - Cate Blanchette
Nanny Ogg - Miriam Margolyes
Tiffany Aching - Millie Bobby Brown
Sam Vimes - Karl Urban/Hugh Jackman
Mustrum Ridcully - Stephen Fry (Think General Melchit from Blackadder)
Rincewind - Rhys Ifans
Mort - Rupert Grint
Greebo - Jason Momoa
Ponder Stibbons - Richard Ayoade
Casanunda - Peter Dinklage
CMOT - Andy Serkis
Rob Anybody - Ewan McGregor
Vetinari - Charlse Dance (I can't unsee that now. Don't care if he's a ginger)
Ever since I first read "The Colour Of Magic" back in 1983 I have always imagined Rincewind as being played by Australian actor Bruce Spence.
I have been trying to start reading Discworld for a long time. I think I will start right now. I will watch this video after I finish the series.
See you in a year lol.
I think we need the best Nobby we can get. If it's live-action then make him look stop motion or cgi when holding the little sign that says "I'm Human btw" or something lol. But I really really think Animation is best for this absurd fantasy that is Discworld as a whole.