A friend of mine mentioned to me the other day that, given the way George Lucas enjoys beating the dead horse of Star Wars over the head, he was surprised there hadn't been a remake yet. That gave me a few thoughts as to who would play each role...
DISCLAIMER: I do not want any of these films to be remade! They are classic films and one of my favorite trilogies, next to Lord of the Rings. But this is just for fun.
I tried to keep each of the characters cast as original as possible, even though I realize some of the voice actors are still alive and well.
So, let's get started!
"I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it right now... it's all such a long way from here." Topher Grace is a spectacular actor, known for his starring role as Eric Foreman in
That 70's Show ,
In Good Company , as Eddie Brock in 2007's
Spider-Man 3 , and as the serial killer in
Predators .
I think it would be great if Topher Grace was Luke Skywalker. It would be a cheeky throwback to
That 70's Show .
"This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." I have wanted to put
Rachel McAdams in a fan cast for a while, without making it too cliched. I think she is a marvelous actress who would give all the spunk and toughness Carrie Fisher brought to the role.
Rachel McAdams is known for her roles in
Mean Girls ,
Sherlock Holmes , and
Wedding Crashers .
"I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced." Gary Oldman is one of my favorite actors and I think he would be absolutely brilliant as Obi-Wan Kenobi. While he's not quite as old as Alec Guinness was when he became Luke's mentor, I think Gary Oldman has the right appeal to be a fantastic guide.
In addition to being in the latest Batman films,
Batman Begins and
The Dark Knight , Gary Oldman has been in the
Harry Potter film series,
Hannibal , and will be starring as George Smiley in
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy .
"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon? She's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?" Bradley Cooper was the first and only choice I thought of for the alien smuggling rogue Han Solo. I think he would pull off the smug, sarcastic attitude very well. He has appeared in the films
Wedding Crashers ,
The Hangover , and
Limitless .
For some reason the idea of
Brad Garrett as Chewie made sense to me. He has a great voice that I think would suit Chewbacca's signature howl. Brad Garrett is best known for the role as Raymond's brother in the smash hit television series
Everybody Loves Raymond .
"I am C-3PO, Human-Cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart, R2-D2." I did this as a two-fer, just because C-3PO and R2-D2 are always seen side by side.
David Hyde Pierce is best known for his supporting role in the hit television show
Frasier , as well as the voice of Abe Sapien in the first
Hellboy film. David Hyde Pierce has a great dry sense of humor that I think would be awesome for C-3PO.
Peter Dinklage has been in countless films, including
Elf ,
The Station Agent , and he is currently in the HBO television series
Game of Thrones .
"Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." This was probably a predictable choice, but the truth is there is nobody better than
Andy Serkis for Yoda. He has paved the way of motion capture technology and CGI with his role as Gollum and Smeagol in
The Lord of the Rings franchise, as well as King Kong in the titular film. His latest role, as the rebel leading monkey Caesar in
Rise of the Planet of the Apes , has even garnered Oscar talk.
Idris Elba is a great actor who I have come to see has a great acting range in his arsenal. I think he would do wonders as Han Solo's old friend.
Idris Elba has notable roles in the films:
Takers ,
The Losers , and was seen in 2011's
Thor as the guardian sentry Heimdall.
"The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi." Malcolm McDowell not only has the right look for the corrupted Senator, bent on ruling over the Republic, but he is a terrific actor. His acting credits include
A Clockwork Orange ,
Star Trek Generations , and
Hidalgo .
Bring me Solo and the wookie. They will all suffer for this outrage. Hank Azaria is a tremendously talented voice actor, known for his roles in
The Simpsons ,
Mystery Men , and
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian . I think he could work it to have the right voice for this intergalactic gangster.
"Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it, signing the order to terminate your life." While this character only appeared in
Star Wars: A New Hope , he was an important character as he commanded the first Death Star.
Played by the brilliant Peter Cushing, I could find no one better to take over the role than
Michael Gambon . Michael Gambon is best known for taking over the role of Albus Dumbledore in the
Harry Potter film series, however he has also starred in
The Singing Detective ,
The Book of Eli , and
Sleepy Hollow .
"What if he doesn't survive? He's worth a lot to me." Clive Owen is one of Hollywood's coolest actors, so I could think of no one better to play this dangerous, mysterious bounty hunter hired by Lord Vader himself.
Clive Owen has appeared in
Shoot 'Em Up ,
Sin City ,
Closer , and
Children of Men .
And now for one of the greatest villains in cinema history... to take over the role from the great James Earl Jones...
Morgan Freeman is by and far one of Hollywood's most powerful actors. While no one can replace James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader, I think Morgan Freeman can be a satisfactory substitute.
Star Wars is one of the most popular films in Hollywood's history, those films, along with the likes of
Star Trek broke the ground for intergalactic entertainment.
These films should
NEVER be remade, redone, or rebooted in anyway (despite what may be going on in Skywalker Ranch right now), because let's face it...
...nothing beats the classics.