According to the
Daily Mail:
Sienna Miller is in early talks to play Cathy, the heroine of Wuthering Heights, while Michael Fassbender the fast-rising London-based actor has now signed (as this column was first to predict) to play the brooding figure of Heathcliff.
Sienna entered negotiations following the dramatic withdrawal from the production of actress Natalie Portman.
Ms Portman, by the way, may have a hard time avoiding those involved in Wuthering Heights at the Cannes Film Festival, since she happens to be on the main jury.
This column broke the news that Portman entranced director John Maybury after actively pursuing the role of Cathy Earnshaw.
Maybury and producers from Ecosse and Hanway Films were so taken by Portman's enthusiasm that they handed her the role - plus casting approval over who would play Heathcliff, and she accepted.
Then, with little warning, she quit.
Maybury had already screen-tested Fassbender and was knocked out by the power of his acting. The actor's portrayal of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands was being shown last night at the Cannes Film Festival.
Robert Bernstein, from Ecosse, told me: "Michael's our Heathcliff. He has the raw quality we were looking for. He's the right actor for the role, and he has a sense of star quality about him."
Understandably, the film-makers were being cautious about Sienna because they are only informal talks at present.
But the actress has worked with Maybury before so he knows the score and should be able to keep her fully engaged on the project at hand, and persuade her that, for three months, she can miss out on going to fashionable restaurants so he can extract a top performance from her.
For whatever reason, Sienna has become more famous for her celebrity than her acting. But in Maybury's forthcoming film The Edge Of Love, Sienna does her best screen work (as does Keira Knightley) as Caitlin Mac-Namara, wife of Dylan Thomas. (Baz Bamigboye)
Categories: Movies-DVD-TV, Wuthering Heights
According to the Daily Mail:
She doesn't look like my conception of Cathy. But that can be changed i suppose. The thing with Sienna is that she is actually a talented actress, but her personal life overshadows that. Hopefully, if she does end up with the role, she'll do well.
ReplyDeleteGood god, what are the casting people doing?
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree that while she takes an inordinate amount of flack from the British media, she has shown glimpses that she can act - and that only recently - but Cathy she is not.
:(
She doesn't look like my image of Cathy either to be honest.
ReplyDeleteBut I guess we should still be glad that this is not Lindsay Lohan. And goodness knows whether I'll grow to repent even that.
Let's try and give her a chance though, I suppose.
I just thought i'd find this post to say that since Sienna has been cast as Marion in Nottingham and that starts filming in summer. So, since Wuthering Heights starts shooting in october, then it will conflict with Wuthering Heights.
ReplyDeleteAt this point the three people who i'd think would be a great Cathy to Michael's Heathcliff are Rose Byrne, Emily Blunt and Hayley Atwell.
This film project is starting to look like the biopic Brontë, with all its changes in cast, etc. We will have to wait and see whether Sienna Miller can still take part even it implies postponing shooting for a few days. Nothing official has been said, so thanks for letting us know!
ReplyDeleteI'm rooting for Hayley Atwell since you first mentioned her.
I'm not sure it's in such a bad condition with that the Bronte biopic is. As far as i know they still have all their backers and are still on schedule to shoot in October.
ReplyDeleteThere just seems to be a bit of an issue with casting Cathy. However, i don't think it is a major issue. After all Sienna/Keira/Lilo have only been rumours. Natalie was the only one ever attached to the part.
I am starting to wonder though. Only Michael has been cast as Heathcliff, i thought they'd have an Edgar or Isabella by now, even if Cathy was still missing.
I think i'm looking more forward to the ITV miniseries. Even though i prefer Michael as Heathcliff to Tom.
Oh, you're right, nothign can be quite so bleak at the moment as the Brontë biopic :P
ReplyDeleteOctober is fast approaching and either they're keeping their information to themselves or they have a lot to do in a relatively short time.
Let's just wait and see. Sooner or later there will be news.
True. They may be playing their cards closer to the chest after the Natalie Portman incident.
ReplyDelete