Stuff.

[the_grynne]

Oscar nominated Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, The Brothers Bloom) has been cast as the female lead of Guillermo del Toro's monster sci-fi movie Pacific Rim. She will play Mako Mori, a young Japanese pilot of Jaegers, the enormous robotic creatures built to battle strange extraterrestrial creatures attacking earth. Her co-lead is Charlie

Comments

[missnyah]

Mmm. I do news that Idris Elba is going to be in ANYTHING.

[the_grynne]

I'll watch Kikuchi, Hunnam, or Elba in ANYTHING.

[angstbunny]

Noooooooooooooo, didn't want Fassbender to drop out of Trance, but only because McAvoy is in it too.

I'm still super side eye at Gaiman, to be honest, for his comments regarding Journey to the West, so I'm not really looking forward to seeing how he messes it up, if those comments are going to be reflective of his attitude toward the material (of course, I can't find the damn thing now, but something that sounds a lot like his absolving himself of being a non-Chinese person adapting a culturally significant piece of work by saying how universal it is, I mean, after all, nobody thinks Greek myths are particularly Greek).

[the_grynne]

When the best known version of Journey to the West is a Japanese TV series...I don't see how this can be any worse. I see where you're coming from, but "universal" is very Chinese, from the point of view of a country that's trying to extend its soft power.

[angstbunny]

"Universal" is the pretense of every single culture so it's not a particularly Chinese trait. I don't inherently have a problem with Gaiman doing this at first because I like his work, but he came off very poorly in his justification. He started off well by saying it's a great responsibility but ruined his point by going, oh well it's not very Chinese anyway, it's so universal. Considering how often Chinese things and Chinese characters are un-Chinese-ed in Western entertainment, it urked me to hear it. I hope it was a case of bad context quoting or he just worded himself poorly.

[the_grynne]

I hope Gaiman is intimidated by the project, because he bloody well ought to be, but I don't think that having a Western screenwriter is necessary a hindrance. James Schamus was a writer on both Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Lust, Caution, despite not knowing any Chinese, and while both those films got a mixed reception on the mainland, they're well loved abroad and also by the diaspora, which is the particular brilliance of Ang Lee. I just wish Zhang the producer wasn't so intent on hiring a Western big-name director (apparently he's courting Guillermo del Toro...which, just, NO), because I feel like an Asian director would really do the story better justice.

[rodlox]

more Dichen Lachman is always good.

-

Pacific Rim sounds interesting - (imho) particularly the part about neither of them speaking one another's language...do they send one another mental pictures of what they want the robot to do?

now I'm curious what parts of American Gods he's going to change...the places in America the characters visit? the way some are depicted in dreams (such as Anubis) ?

for both paragraphs - I know, I know: one way to find out: watch the show.

[the_grynne]

Pacific Rim sounds interesting - (imho) particularly the part about neither of them speaking one another's language...do they send one another mental pictures of what they want the robot to do?

I think you're probably quite close with that guess... It sounds like a psychic link is formed when they are in the machine. Hunnam's character's ex-co-pilot was also his biological brother, and (according to a script review), when the brother died, Raleigh mentally shared in his death. So both Mako and Antrobus have that trauma in their past.

[staubundsterne]

+1 on Dichen Lachman, I really adored her on Dollhouse. Now if only the Seeker cast would somehow make it back onto my TV …

One of the issues with del Toro* is, I think, that he just has about 50,000 projects on his hands at any given time, but I really hope he makes sufficient time for that one, because it does sound awesome.

* I adore Pan's Labyrinth and I wish more of the superhero-blockbuster franchise were as lighthearted as Hellboy.

Also, because I can never be trusted to leave my comments at the posts where they belong: I hope you had a safe trip!

[the_grynne]

I've never watched Torchwood before, but I'm downloading Miracle Day now, for Lachman. So, yeah. Maybe I'll give Being Human another go too.

Thank you!

[staubundsterne]

Fyi, I think she'll show up in the second episode.

I should have said 'nice trip' because wishing somebody safety after the fact is, uh, a special kind of redundant. ;-)

[fan_elune]

1) That cast has got me hooked, really. Besides, I do like del Toro, I'm sorry. ;)

2) Colin Firth taking over for Michael Fassbender? I... cannot really see that. Sadface! As for the female lead, I will hope for either one but Scarlett Johansson, tbh, despite her being more famous. Zoe Saldana could probably really shine if this is going to be one of Doyle's better movies.

3) Neil, I love you.

4) That looks fantastic. Both the cast and the trailer. And the scriptwriter.

5) Thank you, Dichen, now of course I'll watch S2. Hmpf.