OLD HOLLYWOOD / NEW FACES - RECASTING THE CLASSICS

Did you know that the first remake ever made was a direct copy of one of the first official American films ever made? Well, according to the experts, Edwin S. Porter's 1903 classic, 'The Great Train Robbery', was the first successful film that utilized simple editing techniques. In fact, it was so successful, both artistically and financially, that a year later, an unscrupulous filmmaker decided to duplicate it so they could cash-in on its notoriety.





Sounds familiar, doesn't it? And to some extent, explains why my mates over at BetVictor.com have devised a simple method for recasting modern-day actors into classic film roles. Or to be more specific about it, the following method that's focused on three areas of interest...

1. Age and Experience) BetVictor compiled a list of classic Hollywood film stars, based on their age and experience, so each one could be compared with modern-day actors at similar stages in their careers. 
2. Film Quality) They also calculated the average Rotten Tomatoes film score for each of these classic actors and then compared those scores against similar scores for today’s top actors (total award wins, number of nominations, etc, etc, etc). 
3. Career DNA) And finally, using IMDb’s genre tags, they examined each classic actor’s career, by genre, and then compared them against the current careers of today’s top actors. 

Now to see this methodology in action, here, have a look at these six examples of classic movies starring modern-day actors (along with an additional filmic fact).

Titanic (1997)

Director: James Cameron / Genre: Period-Drama

Filmic Fact: Gloria Stuart, who played the older version of Rose in this film, made her silver screen debut in the 1932 rom-com, 'The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood'.

The Modern-Day Replacements: Chris Evans would be hired to take on the guise of the slick stowaway, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), while Cynthia Erivo would play his adorable love interest, Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet).

Scarface (1983)

Director: Brian De Palma / Genre: Crime-Thriller

Filmic Fact: This gangster film was initially going to be a straightforward adaptation of the original 1932 version of 'Scarface'. But all of that changed when Sidney Lumet briefly jumped on board and altered the narrative to reflect the eighties Cuban crisis.  

The Modern-Day Replacements: To mix things up a bit, Jessica Chastain would be picked to play the female equivalent of Tony 'Scarface' Montana (Al Pacino), while Tom Holland would play the male equivalent of Tony’s sultry suitor, Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer).

Pulp Fiction (1994) 

Director: Quentin Tarantino / Genre: Crime-Drama

Filmic Fact: The role of Vincent Vega was originally written for Michael Madsen, not John Travolta, but unfortunately he was unable to play the part because there was a seven-month delay in writing the script and Michael already accepted another role before shooting. A role in the 1994 ‘Wyatt Earp’ film.

The Modern-Day Replacements: Sam Claflin would be cast as the charismatic crook, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), John Krasinski would play his partner in crime, Vincent Vega (John Travolta), and Maisie Williams would take on the role of their boss’s sexy wife, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman).

Die Hard (1988)

Director: John McTiernan / Genre: Action-Adventure

Filmic Fact:  During pre-production, a variety of different actors were considered to play the part of John McClane before Bruce Willis was eventually cast into the role, including Richard Gere, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Charles Bronson, Don Johnson, Richard Dean Anderson, and Michael Madsen.

The Modern-Day Replacements: Mark Wahlberg would be hired to embody the determined  NYPD cop, John McClane (Bruce Willis), Tiffany Haddish would play his estranged wife, Holly Gennaro McClane (Bonnie Bedelia), and Chris Pratt would take on the role of the German terrorist who kidnaps her and her colleagues, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).

Casino (1995)

Director: Martin Scorsese / Genre: True-Crime Drama

Filmic Fact: Martin Scorsese is such a big fan of stand-up comedy, that he decided to hire several well-known comedians to star in this film, even though none of them would play comedic roles. Comedians like Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, Dick Smothers, Steve Allen, and Anthony Russell.

The Modern-Day Replacements: Tom Hardy would take on the guise of the infamous Las Vegas oddsmaker, Sam Rothstein (Robert De Niro), Jamie Chung would play his drug-addled wife, Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), and Hugh Jackman would be cast as the cruel crook who ultimately rips them both apart, Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci).

Casablanca (1942)

Director: Michael Curtiz / Genre: Wartime-Drama

Filmic Fact: In the early 2000s, Madonna tried to remake this cinematic classic because she wanted to play the part of Ilsa and hire Ashton Kutcher to play the part of Rick. But, as you might have guessed, her idea was rejected by every major studio as they deemed this film, 'untouchable'.

The Modern-Day Replacements: Michael Fassbender would be cast into the role of the gruff bar-owner, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), KiKi Layne would play his long-lost lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), and Zac Efron would take on the guise of Ilsa’s current sweetheart, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid).

Now if you want to see who else BetVictor recast into classic Hollywood films, then I suggest that you click here to check out their interactive guide. Otherwise, why not pop on over to their official Website and Twitter pages.