Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy did a great job adapting the book series, but if it were to be made in the 80s, this would be the cast.
Peter Jackson'sLord of the Ringstook the early 2000s by storm, given its epic source material and near-accurate adaptation (animplausible feat for any other period of time prior). The graceful Elves, the mighty Dwarves, the adorable Hobbits were all incredible, but nothing was as impressive as the sheer grandeur of the cinematic narrative its battles and landscapes.
RELATED:Lord Of The Rings: 5 Heroes That Act Like Villains (& 5 Villains Who Act Like Heroes)
Ralph Bakshi had already come up with an animated version in 1978, but how would Lord of the Rings as a live-action movie be different had it been produced in the eighties? There were tons of actors skilled enough to play every character, and then some, but which of them would possess the required emotional strength to do justice to the story.
The charm of Ferris Buelleris evident to this day: this iconic movie made Matthew Broderick a superstar, permanently altering the trajectory of his career.
He may have gone on to do other roles, such as voicing adult Simba in The Ling King (1994) as well as the live-action Dr. Niko Tat0poulos in Godzilla (1998), but the best one remains his plucky teenager taking an unsanctioned school holiday with his friend and girlfriend. Ferris' adorable delinquency makes for a great Frodo (although rather different from Elijah Wood).
The incandescent Sydney Poitier has mastered the concept of versatility: he shifts from serious portrayals of race-relations in mid-century America to gangster-hunting to sports comedies.
Ian McKellen's Gandalf is no doubt one of the bestimaginable versions of the beloved wizard, but picturing the fiery Mr. Tibbs or the disciplinarian Mark Thackeray in long white robes and a flowing beard is surprisingly easy to do.
Eowyn is a rare example of a strong female character in the Lord of the Rings (Galadriel and Arwen taking on more indirect, passive roles in comparison). To cast her correctly, therefore, is not a matter of acting talent as much as the inner vigor of the actor involved; ergo, Linda Hamilton.
RELATED:Lord Of The Rings: 5 Ways Gandalf Is Different From The Books (& 5 He's Not)
Her performances in The Terminator franchise, Black Moon Rising (1986), and King Kong Lives (1986) prove beyond a doubt that she possesses the fighting spirit that Eowyn has been endowed with.
It's impossible to choose a superior option than 1980s Harrison Ford when it comes to Aragorn, a major player in the storyline (who also has the third installment in the series refer to him directly).
The actor had established himself firmly in cinematic sci-fi/fantasy with Star Wars, as well as Blade Runner (1981) and the Indiana Jones franchise. Ford is clearly able to pull off a strong, heroic character without having the audience doubt his motivations, which is a compulsory requirement to take on the mantle of Aragorn.
Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy is as iconic as the films themselves: thesprightly scoundrel who accidentally falls into an ocean of adventure when an old man (inadvertently) drags him into the convoluted world of time-traveling.
This parallel with Samwise Gamgee notwithstanding Gandalf being the old man in thiscase it shows that Fox is more than capable of playing Frodo's best friend, and, arguably, the real hero of the Lord of the Rings.
In the 80s, Robert Rusler and Robert Downey, Jr. were known fortheir teenage-oriented filmography, for instance,Vamp and Back to School, both released in 1986. However, as a pair of close pals working together (and pulling pranks on others), they shine in Weird Science (1985).
RELATED:Lord of the Rings: 5 Ways Frodo Is Different From The Books (& 5 He's Not)
To be clear, their characters, Max and Ian, are jock bullies who torture the two innocent nerd protagonists for the fun of it, but their villainyis just a matter of casting here. All they would need to do to become Merry and Pippin is to not take pleasure in the suffering of others.
Gollum is hands down the most difficult character in the LOTR universe, not just because of his visual uniqueness, but also his peculiar mannerisms, incomprehensible grammar, and tendency towards bursts of aggression, all of which have been carefully cultivated by the inimitable Andy Serkis.
Assuming that the technology to render Gollum on-screen so believably existed in the eighties, the pool of possibilities expands ever so slightly. In the end, though, Steve Martin is the perfect choice.
The grumpiest member of the Fellowship, Gimli, might seem like a serious character, but to be able to handle his various eccentricities requires an actor of considerable comic skill.
This is because the Dwarf's sense of humor, however negligible, is undeniably deadpan, the trickiest type of comedy to grasp. Bill Murray's Caddyshack (1980) and Ghostbusters (1984) are films that lend support to the argument that he would have been an excellent Gimli.
Johnny Depp is acknowledged as a fantastic actorof the absurd be it Edward Scissorhands (1990), Arizona Dream (1993), Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and so on.
RELATED:10 Things You Didn't Know About Bilbo's Adventure In The Hobbit
But one must never forget that he began his career as Glen Lantz, Nancy's protective boyfriend in ANightmare on Elm Street (1984). Regardless of the fact that he ends up gruesomely murdered anyway, Depp demonstrates his ability to portray caring, vigilant characters, the very definition of Legolas Greenleaf.
It's not easy to justify placing anyone other than Christopher Lee in Saruman's shoes: the veteran performer delivers an exquisitely eerie rendition of the White Wizard who turns evil midway through the plot.
In fact, the man was old enough to play the role even back in the 80s, but there is an equally intriguing alternative. Marlon Brando's deceptively violent characters from Apocalypse Now (1979) and Last Tango in Paris (1972)substantiates his casting as Saruman.
NEXT:Lord Of The Rings: 10 Major Things The Movies Cut (Because They Had To)
Next 10 Best Modern Film Noir Movies, Ranked According To IMDb
In real life, Ajay disguises himself as an academic, mainly writing textbooks for children who all hate him for making their lives more miserable. He also writes about TV and film, strewing his opinions across the internet to see if people care (they don't).
The rest is here:
Retro-Cast: If Lord Of The Rings Was Made In The 1980s - Screen Rant
- Christopher Lee Was Furious About This 'Lord of the Rings' Moment - Collider - April 2nd, 2024
- Airdate: The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee - TV Tonight - April 2nd, 2024
- Christopher Lee's casual shorts and slippers outfit in Taiwan made heads turn - TODAY - March 16th, 2024
- Christopher Lee Dead: Horror Icon and Legendary Movie Villain Was 93 ... - February 19th, 2024
- "Chris wasn't hearing a bar of it": Christopher Lee Forcefully Auditioned For Another Lord of the Rings Character Before ... - FandomWire - February 11th, 2024
- 'Cancel everything': How Christopher Lee disciplines his son with this one phrase - Yahoo Singapore News - February 3rd, 2024
- Actress Fann Wong surprised by husband Christopher Lee on birthday - The Straits Times - February 3rd, 2024
- Fann Wong surprised by husband Christopher Lee on birthday - The New Paper - February 3rd, 2024
- Christopher Lee: The actor and hunter of Nazi war criminals - Far Out Magazine - January 9th, 2024
- Sir Christopher Lee's Favorite Performance is in a Film You've Never Heard Of - MovieWeb - December 12th, 2023
- Christopher Lee dies at the age of 93 - The Guardian - April 27th, 2023
- Christopher Lee - Tolkien Gateway - March 31st, 2023
- Christopher Lee filmography - Wikipedia - February 10th, 2023
- Where to Start with Christopher Lee - The Film Magazine - October 19th, 2022
- 'Were you desperate to get proposed to?' Christopher Lee crashes Rebecca Lim's new show and roasts her while dishing out relationship advice - AsiaOne - October 19th, 2022
- The Wicker Man TV Series In Development With Andy Serkis The Imaginarium And Studiocanal-Backed Urban Myth - Deadline - October 19th, 2022
- Tim Burton names his five favourite horror movies of all time - Far Out Magazine - October 19th, 2022
- Ten celebrities who served in the military, from Adam Driver to Prince Harry - The National - October 19th, 2022
- These 13 Actors Have Earned the Right to be Called Scream Kings - Dread Central - October 19th, 2022
- David W. Smith | Obituaries | thedailynewsonline.com - The Daily News Online - October 19th, 2022
- Jennifer Hudson Recounts "Fanning Out" Over Duet With Sheryl Lee Ralph: "I Wanted to Make Her Proud" - POPSUGAR - October 19th, 2022
- Tangipahoa Parish Jail - October 11th, 2022
- A monster calls: why the horror universe is an idea whose time has come - The Guardian - October 11th, 2022
- Oblong Box, The (Blu-ray Review) - The Digital Bits - October 11th, 2022
- Was that the balrog that killed Gandalf in the Rings of Power? - Polygon - October 11th, 2022
- Every James Bond movie ranked by critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes - Insider - October 11th, 2022
- Overwatch 2: All Voice Actors And Cast - eXputer - October 11th, 2022
- She got Covid-19 four times this year alone - The Star Online - October 11th, 2022
- Nursing School Collaborates with Nursing School in The Philippines - Boston College - October 2nd, 2022
- The Terrifying, Terrific Horror Movies of 1972 - Nerdist - October 2nd, 2022
- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: A beautiful conclusion to the iconic trilogy - The Shield - October 2nd, 2022
- Tyson Fury through the years: Photo gallery - MMA Junkie - October 2nd, 2022
- Duncan man jailed, accused of madness on meth - The Lawton Constitution - September 24th, 2022
- Conor McGregor "can't believe" he's being paid to film Hollywood movie - The Mirror - September 24th, 2022
- The Government of Malaysia Launches the National Energy Policy 2022 - 2040: What it Means for the Renewables Landscape - Lexology - September 24th, 2022
- New Brockton native Brandon Lee part of team cherishing NASCAR win at Bristol - Dothan Eagle - September 24th, 2022
- Cape Cod theater reviewers' thoughts on 2 scary plays and a comedy - Cape Cod Times - September 24th, 2022
- 'His presence is going to be there': Lee Roy Selmon will attend in spirit as trio of OU brothers honored with statue - The Oklahoma Daily - September 24th, 2022
- Nicolas Cage inspired by Christopher Lee for vampire movie Renfield - The Digital Fix - September 16th, 2022
- Reece Shearsmith Tells Richard Herring About Christopher Lee - Beyond The Joke - September 16th, 2022
- 8 Horror Movies So Awful They Were Pulled From The Cinema - WhatCulture - September 16th, 2022
- Man-Thing Makes his MCU Debut in Werewolf by Night - Here's what we know about Man-Thing - Attack of the Fanboy - September 16th, 2022
- Summer of Blood (Blu-ray Review) - The Digital Bits - September 16th, 2022
- Get it over with: Suspect in Kokomo child exploitation case tells police to arrest him on the spot - FOX 59 Indianapolis - September 16th, 2022
- Alabama says it won't be ready to use nitrogen hypoxia method at Sept. 22 execution - USA TODAY - September 16th, 2022
- Christopher Lee, The Real-Life "Most Interesting Man In The World" - August 31st, 2022
- Inside The Fact And Fiction Of Christopher Lee's World War II Service - August 31st, 2022
- How to watch The Lord of the Rings movies and the series in chronological order - Lifestyle Asia India - August 31st, 2022
- Court and arrest reports for Martinsville and Henry County - Martinsville Bulletin - August 31st, 2022
- Every Tim Burton Movie Ranked from Worst to Best - Consequence - August 31st, 2022
- Court lists defendants to appear in Criminal Division on Thursday - Magnoliareporter - August 31st, 2022
- Lee County School Board makes minor revision to Parents' Bill of Rights - Wink News - August 31st, 2022
- A Cardiologist Breaks Down the AHA's New Report on the Most Common Heart Disease Symptoms Best Life - Best Life - August 31st, 2022
- Exclusive Interview: Director Philippe Mora On His Films With Christopher Lee - FANGORIA - August 14th, 2022
- 10 films turning 10 in 2022 - NewsNation Now - August 14th, 2022
- Persephone and the Poultry of the Night | Thumper Forge - Patheos - August 14th, 2022
- Unexpected Demands Made By Lord Of The Rings Actors - Looper - August 14th, 2022
- Rings of Power: Everything you need to know about Amazon's 1bn Lord of the Rings prequel - The Mirror - August 14th, 2022
- Slash Tells Us Why There Will Never Be a Guns N Roses Movie - MovieMaker Magazine - August 6th, 2022
- On the record for Aug. 4 - Seymour Tribune - August 6th, 2022
- Judge Talley will hear criminal docket on Thursday - Magnoliareporter - August 6th, 2022
- Dr. Christopher Reber Receives ACCT 2022 Northeast Regional Chief Executive Officer Award - The Hudson Reporter - August 6th, 2022
- Theatre Review: This 101 Dalmatians is barking up the wrong tree - The New European - August 6th, 2022
- Christopher Lee Euro Films, Dennis Hopper's 'Out of the Blue' Among Titles Due on Disc From Severin and MVD July 26 Media Play News - Media Play News - July 28th, 2022
- 25 Scariest Movies of All Time (2022 Edition) - Cultured Vultures - July 28th, 2022
- Fans Wonder Why a Fantasy Epic Too Big to Fail Did Just That - We Got This Covered - July 28th, 2022
- The Best Witch Movies of all Time, Ranked - The Mary Sue - July 28th, 2022
- NASCAR Driver Christopher Bell and CRAFTSMAN Raise Awareness for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals; No. 20 Special Edition Paint Scheme to be... - July 28th, 2022
- Singer Stefanie Sun turns 44 with cakes and loved ones - The Straits Times - July 28th, 2022
- Tony Dow dead: Wally Cleaver 'Leave It to Beaver' actor was 77 - USA TODAY - July 28th, 2022
- Roane Co. authorities looking for man convicted of neglecting and murdering an elderly relative - WBIR.com - July 20th, 2022
- 22 Incredible Facts About The Life and Career Of Sir Christopher Lee - July 20th, 2022
- Police and Fire Report - Winchester Sun - Winchester Sun - July 20th, 2022
- What We Do in the Shadows cast shares their favorite vampire movies, books, and more - Polygon - July 20th, 2022
- Courteney Cox Set To Make Horror Movie History With 'Scream 6' - We Got This Covered - July 20th, 2022
- Every James Bond Movie, Ranked: The Best of Bond - CNET - July 20th, 2022
- Grandparents of Dean Kerrie say he was just defending his mother and should not be jailed - Sunday World - July 20th, 2022
- Ray Wise Has Always Been More Than "That Guy" - Defector - July 20th, 2022
- Angela Ledgerwood on the Psychic Relief of Reading - Literary Hub - July 20th, 2022
- Athens man charged with manslaughter in fatal hit and run - News Courier - July 12th, 2022
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero