Me? No, just kidding. :)<br><br>How about Anna
Friel? I saw her in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and she
even looks the part.<br><br>Or maybe Catherine
McCormack? She might be a little on the older side (she's in
her twenties) and might not be able to play a girl of
fourteen.<br><br>We'd probably need to have two actresses, one for the
younger Anne and one for the older.<br><br>~~Kavita

Good idea! Cary Elwes . . .yes, he might do very
well. How old *is* he? I've always thought he was
really young or maybe he just looks that way . . . Who
knows?<br><br>Hmm . . .Edward. How many gorgeous, blond, British
actors are there?<br><br>~~Kavita

How about Cary Elwes? He could even be good as George though maybe he's too old
for that role by now. AND he's actually English and looks very natural in period
pieces.

Oh, you mean Cate Blanchett? She's an utterly
marvelous actress and I really loved her performance in
"Elizabeth". You have something going there . . .<br><br>When
you say the 'bad guy' do you mean Norfolk? If so,
that's Christopher Eccleston. He might be good as
Buckingham but isn't he a bit old? I thought Buckingham
wasn't supposed to be much older than Richard.<br><br>I
got another idea for Warwick though people might balk
at that too. Has anyone considered Rupert Everett?
Sure, he's gay but what does that matter? But, then
again, he seems more the comedy sort. If he could pull
of Warwick's darker side though . . .<br><br>I can
see where you're coming from on the whole
"blockbuster names" thing. When I mentioned Nicole Kidman, I
was speaking mainly on terms of looks. She has the
ice princess thing going perfectly though I can see
Cate Blanchett pulling it off equally well. Though her
character in "Elizabeth" was considerably more sympathetic
than Lisbet Woodville.<br><br>On the subject of the
film, "Elizabeth" I certainly agree! It was one of my
favorites from this year, by far and I wanted to scream
when Cate Blanchett lost at the
Oscars.<br><br>:)Kavita

Nicole Kidmann - please say you are kidding!! I
really liked the girl who played Elizabeth in the movie!
I don't pay attention to people's names so bear
with me please - the guy who was against Elizabeth -
the bad guy in that movie. Wouldn't he make a good
Buckingham? I always picture Warwick as a Oliver Reed type -
when he was in the 3 Musketeers - maybe someone who
looks like that. I really balk at the idea of "block
buster" names like Pitt, Kidmann, Cruise, Gibson, you
name it. I think it should be people who truly fit the
character & not a $$$ draw for the producers - I felt
Elizabeth was like that. I really enjoyed that movie - only
why did it end so soon?

Great ideas though I still baulk at Brad Pitt in
it! If he can get the accent right he might be okay
but he'd need to stack on the weight by the end of
the movie.<br><br>Who could play Anne? It would have
to be someone quite young and a bit Winona Ryder-ish
I think. NOT Clare Danes though - she's too whiny
but there must be some young British actress who'd be
good. Perhaps an unknown would be best in this
part.<br><br>I'll have a think about the rest and post more
tomorrow.

I was beginning to wonder if *I* was the only
person secretly praying for a film made of "The Sunne in
Splendour". Now, reading the messages makes me want to cry
with joy! :)<br><br>As far as casting calls go . .
.<br><br>Richard- whoever said Christian Bale, I bow before you! He
would be *perfection* itself!<br><br>George- I know
someone wanted Ewan McGregor for the role of Buckingham
but after seeing him in Trainspotting, I saw him as
George perfectly.<br><br>Edward- Don't bite my head off
but what about Brad Pitt? True, he isn't British but
he played a 'similar' (a stretch, I know) character
in The Devil's Own, a handsome, nefarious assassin
who would do just about anything to get what he
wanted and used his looks to do it.<br><br>Elizabeth-
Nicole Kidman? She has the age and the ice-queen beauty
for it. Has anyone seen "Malice"?<br><br>Duchess of
York- Julie Christie . . .I saw her in Kenneth
Branagh's Hamlet and she played Gertrude
beautifully.<br><br>Duke of Warwick- Now *this* is a hard call. He must be
handsome, charming, yet extremely ruthless. Any ideas? Mel
Gibson . . .just a suggestion, mind
you.<br><br>Marguerite d'Anjou- Isabelle Adjani. She's absolutely
*gorgeous* and can be extremely cold at the same
time.<br><br>Buckingham- Jude Law? He plays the charming cruel one very
easily. Take Wilde for instance . . .<br><br>When I think
of more, I'll post them.<br><br>~~Kavita

I think Ewan McGregor would be good in this role. He has the personality.

i can't think of who could play edward - it would
have to be someone who could start off really gorgeous
but then get ravaged and dissapated by the end of the
movie.<br><br>gwyneth paltrow would be good as elizabeth if she was a
bit older. she has that haughty blonde ice-princess
thing going on.

<a href=http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/5295/bale109.jpg
target=new>http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/5295/bale109.jpg</a><br><br>I
didn't know Christian Bale's name (or work).  Yeah, he looks like he is the
right age, who would be Edward?

Who could play Richard III? I think definitely an
English actor and one not too old either. How about
Christian Bale (from Little Women and Midsummer Night's
Dream)? He's about the right age and isn't spectacularly
good-looking either.

I have another cast member (sorry I have never
done this before - thought about this stuff, and my
husband is on an overnight fishing trip - so I have time
on my hands!) Here goes - Greg Kinnear as Davyyd -
he is in "As Good As it Gets", "Mystery Men" and
used to be the host of Talk Soup. I never noticed him
until I saw that movie AGAIG the other day, then I saw
him in Mystery Men - I think he would be a good
Davyyd. Sorry - stop me if you think I go to far - but
what the
hey????<br><br><br><a href=http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Agency/3595/
target=new>http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Agency/3595/</a>

Think me...Wouldn't be nice if directors of Movies picked about 10 fans of a
book and let them cast the lead roles.  Imagine...

I've seen Anthony Andrews in Scarlet Pimpernel
and I thought he was very good. He really has got
that sneering down well hasn't he. And he NEVER seems
to age - I saw a picture of him recently and he
looks more or less exactly the same as he did in TSP.

<a href=http://www.anthonyandrews.net/aa12.html
target=new>http://www.anthonyandrews.net/aa12.html</a><br><br>Separate web sites
with words or they run together - lesson of the day<br><br><a
href=http://www.anthonyandrews.net/Scarlet.html
target=new>http://www.anthonyandrews.net/Scarlet.html</a>

<a
href=http://www.anthonyandrews.net/aa12.htmlhttp://www.anthonyandrews.net/Scarle\
t.html
target=new>http://www.anthonyandrews.net/aa12.htmlhttp://www.anthonyandrews.net/\
Scarlet.htm
l</a><br><br>If you are interested - here are some pixs of
Anthony Andrews - what do you think? King John or another
character in the movie? If you have the chance and haven't
seen it - please please please rent the Scarlet
Pimpernel with Andrews & Jane Seymour, you will love it! I
adore the music.

I don't know who that lady is - I know Liam
Neeson and I guess he would be ok. But I would like to
see the rest of the actors cast maybe from unknowns
or almost knowns. People who actually look the way
you think they would (I am still upset over Tom
Cruise - bunny boy - playing Lestat - I will never
figure that one out!)<br><br>Whoever makes the movie
should be interested in being true to the novel more
than creating a block buster. I love Anthony Andrews
(English actor - "The Scarlet Pimpernel" - he might be a
good King John - he has that snearing quailty - I
really think he would be great the more I think of it.)

Yes Liam Neeson would be splendid as Llewellyn.
Helena Bonham Carter would be good as Joanna once she
got older but they'd have to get someone else who
resembled her to play the younger Joanna. As good an
actress as Helena is, I don't think she could come across
as a 14 year old. But the way she is described in
the book sounds a lot like HBC.

I Have also read the Welsh trilogy in order, and
by far my favorite character is Llewelyn Fawr (The
Great). I believe Here Be Dragons would make a
magnificent movie. I have thought about Liam Neeson and
Helena Bonham-Carter in the title roles. That is how I
imagine them.<br><br>I also enjoyed When Christ & His
Saints Slept, very much. I am eagerly waiting for the
continuation, about Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitaine.

Definitely Al Pacino was too old to be playing
Richard. So was Ian McKellan (even though her was
excellent) I don't think there has been a single version of
Richard III where the actors have been the right age.
It's about time someone tackled the Wars of the Roses
as a film. They've done Braveheart, Cleopatra, Joan
of Arc etc so why not the Wars. I think the Sunne in
Splendour would make a great mini-series. I can't think of
what actors could be in it though. Definitely not
anyone too Hollywood like Tom Cruise though. Any ideas?

My favorite I think is Llewlyn & Joanna (sorry
about the spelling) and Davydd - then Richard III. I
read Saints 1st, then Sunne, I read the Welsh trilogy
in order. I liked it best. I like the slant that
Penman takes on these characters. I would like to see
one of them made into a movie. Who would you cast for
your favorite roles? I would love to see actors who
were closer to the ages of the characters (like what
is up with Al Pacino playing Richard III - euch!)

Yes there are other books about him. Edith
Pargeter has a Welsh series of 4 books that are about the
Welsh princes. I can't remember all of their names -
one is called The Hounds of SUnset I think. Also
Barbara Erskine has written Child of the Phoenix which is
about Elen, his daughter. Although the Elen in that
book lives about 80 years when the one in Sharon
Penmans only lived about 40. I think Llewellyn had 2
daughter called Elen/Helen and Barbara Erskine merged them
into the one character who she called Eleyne. I did
read another book about Llewelyn and Joanna some years
ago but I can't remember the title of it.

I have only read one of her books (HBD), but I totally fell in love with
Llewelyn.  I also liked Gruffydd, even though he was not such a nice guy.  Are
there any other notable works about Llewelyn?

Who is your favourite character in Sharon
Penman's books? Mine would have to be Eleanor of Aquitaine
(she's my hero - I never get tired of reading about
her), Richard III (naturally) and Dafydd from the Welsh
trilogy. He was just so complex and capricious. But I also
love the fictional characters she creates - Hugh and
Caitlin were my favourites. I found myself wishing that
there was a sequel about them too!

I'm SO glad that some of you have come here and
posted your comments. It's great to finally hear from
people who enjoy these books as much as I do. My
favourite would have to be The Sunne in Splendour as it was
the first Penman book I ever read. I also loved
Saints and the Welsh trilogy. I've read her mysteries
but I don't like them as much as I do her historical
works.

I would also enjoy reading about them, Eleanor especially.  I'd like to see how
she came to hold so much power, & I'd like to read about her children in their
younger days.

Hello! I just finished Here Be Dragons. I still
think about Llewelyn! :) I am now reading The Mists of
Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It's good so far. I
intend to read Falls the Shadow in the near future.

I hope your club takes off. I started a club
about interior decorating and it hasn't gone anywhere.
Very disappointing. I will be here if you get any
messages!<br><br>What is your favorite Penman book? Mine is "Here Be
Dragons" - that story really sucked me in.<br><br>What is
your least favorite Penman book? The "mysteries" I
could really do without them. They are fluff - I hope
she writes a new BIG book soon. I am looking forward
to the story of Henry III & Eleanor of
Aquatine!<br><br>Karrel in Tampa

Okay if you're reading this that means that
someone got those invites I sent and decided to come here
and have a look. I wish the invitations I sent out
gave me more room to explain myself but they didn't so
here goes. I got your email addresses by reading
reviews at Amazon.com. (If you are annoyed that I
contacted you please feel free to ignore the invite) It was
just that I noticed that there were many good points
raised in the Amazon reviews and wanted to make some
sort of forum where we could discuss Ms Penman's work.
If you've ever visited her official website you'll
know that it isn't usually updated and there is no
guestbook or discussion forum.<br><br>I know that Ms
Penman's next book will be released next year and is
called Time & Chance and is part 2 of her Saints
trilogy. Then she releases Dragon's Lair, the next Justin
De Quincy mystery, followed by The Devil's Brood,
the conclusion to the Saints books.<br><br>Anyway I
hope that some of you DO respond and that we get a
good discussion going before long.

Welcome, This is the Yahoo! Message Board for Sharon Penman fans community.