Previously we told you there was to be an open casting call in the coming weeks for the roles of young Tom Riddle as well as Lavender Brown for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film. MTV now has an article online quoting director David Yates about his quest to cast the perfect person to play Lavender Brown, the girl who will capture WON-WON's fancy in the sixth Harry Potter film. The director has a test in mind, and it involves...snogging.
"You know what I'm going to do?" Yates said. "I never did this before, but I'm going to get Rupert together with the top five Lavenders, get him to come and read with them and snog with them. It's a chemical thing, and you want to feel that chemistry between them. That will help me decide."
"Really?" Grint asked — since this was news to him. "Oh, wow, I didn't realize that. That's going to be interesting. It's going to be embarrassing."
Also confirmed in the article is that the role of Tom Riddle will not be performed at all by previous actor Christian Coulson. David Yates says
"I think Christian's a brilliant actor, and I thought it was a terrific piece of casting, but he's too old now," Yates said.
...
"What I want is that equality of spirit," Yates said. "Someone who is odd, charismatic, cool, has a quite cold spirit which Voldemort embodies. If I find that, that's the most important thing."
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will begin filming later this summer and is due in theaters November, 2008. Thanks Ryan!
So it’s alright for them to hire a woman in her late 30s/early 40s to play Moaning Myrtle, but they can’t have Coulson play Tom? Pathetic… He was fantastic for the part!! I hate recasting!
padfootrocksmysocks – the name says it all – and i agree 100% – gary oldman, what a chameleon! he can be evil and ugly, or a sexy hero like sirius… drooool!! and a SERIOUSLY good actor (him and Jean Reno in the Professional – aka Leon – ROCKED!!)
and it’s a perfect person FOR Won-won, so it’s correct… but enough semantics!!
I reckon Rupert will be just FINE snoggin’ girls on set and in auditions – i mean, he is a teenage male right? he may be a little embarrased, but i reckon he’ll LOVE it ;)
OH WOW. That’s just.. ridiculously HILARIOUS! Rupert is so shy it seems, it’ll be really embarassing to have peopele watching him kiss girls he hardly knows… I feel for him and yet, I think he won’t mind. X)
I think they may have an even bigger line-up for Lavendar than they originally thought! :P Ah well, it’s more likely that they’ll find someone perfect for snogging this way then!
WoW! i wish i could audition for the film. red heads and british accents are my love<3 and i wouldnt mind snogging with rupert grint at all. But i can't beleive that christian coulson isn't going to play tom riddle! i mean he is older, but hes so gorgeous and he really did do well in the chamber of secrets.
Redob, I agree with every word you said. We probably should expect this from the inconsistency that goes into making these movies, though. I’m going to miss Christian Coulson in HBP.
WoW! i wish i could audition for the film. red heads and british accents are my love<3 and i wouldnt mind snogging with rupert grint at all. But i can't beleive that christian coulson isn't going to play tom riddle! i mean he is older, but hes so gorgeous and he really did do well in the chamber of secrets.
Oh thats Going to be interesting wonder who Lavender is going to be played By wish it was me! hahaha Can’t wait to see what happens and how harry and voldemort spin their webs in the 7TH BOOK! WOOT!!
Great Point Redob. I am a little mad over this. ANyone who looks at a recent pic of Christian would see he would be fine 4the part. Plus, whats more annoying in a film- a character looking a bit too young or too old or completely recasting a character and pretending its the same guy.
I still can’t believe that they are casting lav lav and including that whole eposide. I thought david heyman said they aren’t going to include non harry centric story. Of all the other interesting things they cut from these movie, they decide to include won won. this sucks.
That is ashame about Christian Coulson, but he will be 30 when it’s time to film. Plus, you never know what goes on behind the scenes. He may not have wanted to come back. Or, it could be because of something in DH. If they need to change actors because of age, now is the time to do it.
Either way, I want Simon Woods as Tom. He was just soooo cold and charasmatic as Octavian in Rome. You could just see the evil swimming in his eyes.
oooh I don’t envy Rupert. That could be embarrassing!
kendra-
you’re right about the chemistry thing. I think Ron only went out with Lav to get back at Hermione.
also, yes I’ve seen pictures of Seamus so I think he’s in the film.
I’d like them to try CC out before making their minds up that he’s too old. Whoever they choose will have to play a few different ages, anyway, not just sixteen. He must have been in his twenties when he went to Heb.. Smith’s.
i really thought that at the very least Christian Coulson could play the slightly older Tom Riddle (the one in his 20s) and with make up and some digital enhancement he could even look 16 or 17 (in movie terms, he can really look 20-22).
it is very true about the moaning Myrtle character, Shirley Henderson is actually 41 and she plays a 16 year old. that’s retarded!
Christian Coulson was a PERFECT Tom Riddle and it is a shame if they don’t bring him back! i doubt he doesn’t want to come back and be in the same movie as some of England’s (and the world’s!) best actors!
10 out of 10 for enthusiasm for Yates! I bet the number of girls trying for Lavender Brown triples just for that.
Shame Yates won’t keep Coulson, though. He really was the best Tom Riddle, fit everything described about him in both Chamber of Secrets and Half-Blood Prince.
"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Harry. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"[br]"This is all your fault," George said angrily to Wood. "'Get the Snitch or
I really wanted Christian Coulson. I think he could still do it. What a shame!