Change, My Dear

When faced with the option of recasting, some series are faced with another question: actually recast, or introduce a new character? Sitcoms often opt for the latter, with varying results. Everything from The Office, That 70’s Show to Only Fools and Horses and Community has had to deal with cast members leaving for other opportunities, behind-the-scenes drama, or an actor’s death. While the first two of these examples were less than successful, their replacements didn’t quite have the same chemistry as the regulars. The latter two did create some much-loved characters. A key part of the success is that, while they may fill the same role, they do not have to be the same character to do so. For Only Fools and Horses, Grandad and Uncle Albert, both fill the role of an incompetent elder member of the family, but their characters are very different, both in how they are treated and how they act. Jokes that work for one character would not work for the other, and vice versa, which the show embraces.

We already know that Hemsworth is going to be playing the same character. For all intents and purposes, Geralt will be the same. What remains to be seen is whether the show chooses to acknowledge it, and how Hemsworth approaches the role. With all the magic and mutations going on in The Witcher, there are certainly ways the showrunners could acknowledge the change if they wished too. Doctor Who writes the changing of it’s lead actor into the story with regeneration, which has not only allowed the show to carry on for 60 years, but also semi-reboot itself every few years. Every actor puts their own spin on the role, but they all play the same character. The act of regeneration allows for a change in personality, which helps every portrayal be different.

You Look Different

Of course, many famous characters have changed faces. Batman, James Bond, Spider-Man to name a few. There may be similarities between each version of the character, something that Spider-Man: No Way Home explored, but each actor isn’t trying to copy what came before. These are often considered reboots, with each version being disconnected from other versions (although there are exceptions). This allows actors greater freedom, as they do not have to fit their version into an existing world. For example, it’s hard to imagine Daniel Craig’s Bond in Moonraker or Christian Bales’ Batman in Batman & Robin. A challenge that a recast on TV faces is putting a new version of the character in a world established by the previous actor.

One of the more successful recasts is of the title character in Spartacus. After a successful first season, star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with early-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma, meaning he was unavailable for filming a second season. After a prequel season that featured him less, he gave his blessing for the role to be recast and passed away before the third season aired. Liam McIntyre leads the series for the rest of its run. Upon being cast, he realised he could not simply recreate Whitfield’s performance. As a result, he opted for the “emotional core” of the character. Playing the same character, in the same world, but in his way, rather than an impression of what came before.

This is likely the space Hemsworth’s version of Geralt will occupy. While his relationship with characters like Ciri and Yennifer will not change, we will see some different sides to him. This is one aspect that has been explored in the games. Unlike most games in the genre, Geralt is a character, not a blank slate. However the player can still make choices that can affect the plot, but these are presented in a way that they are still in character for him. Cavill is iconic as Geralt for a reason, but Hemsworth can certainly bring something new to the character.

Also Read: Small Screen To Big Screen: TV Shows That Deserve A Movie

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However, film adaptations of video games rarely do well, both critically and commercially. Some have even gone as far as to say the genre is cursed. Will the upcoming release of Sonic the Hedgehog, be able to break the infamous curse and prove that Detective Pikachu’s success wasn’t a one-off? Or will it turn out to be like the infamous Super Mario Bros?

Experience Vs Viewing

One of the key differences between film and video games is that, while both are primarily visual mediums, games are interactive. Films are a viewing experience, that the audience has no control over, although there are some exceptions which blur the lines between the two.

The Assassin’s Creed series of games, for instance, transports players to detailed historical settings, allowing them to explore and interact with famous figures and climb lots of towers. The plot of the games centres around the centuries-long conflict between the Assassins and the Knights Templar. The detailed backstory is often told through journal entries or optional elements in the game. The 2016 film based on them, however, is forced to give all this information upfront. Dragging the pacing down as it has too much plot to cover in such a short time, rather than naturally over several hours.

Gameplay Vs Story

Another problem involved in the translation is they have different goals. Games have to focus on gameplay, with the story and other elements sometimes being an afterthought. This often means that a game can be fun to play, but not always to watch.

A good example of this is the Mortal Kombat film. The game features a cast of characters from multiple worlds fighting in a tournament. While the story itself does get deeper at times, the gameplay is the fights between these characters. The film focuses on the fights, but this leaves the actual fighters feeling one dimensional and a very loose plot. However, the plot is not the reason people play Mortal Kombat, so the film was successful in a sense. The newer games have brought its popularity back, prompting another attempt at a film, with James Wan producing.

Player Vs Audience

Video games are much more personal experiences than films. Roleplaying games (RPG) and First Person Shooters (FPS) often try to make the experience immersive. As part of this, they often leave the player character intentionally vague, allowing them to fill in the details themselves. The idea is that makes it more personal and immersive.

This idea doesn’t work as well for films. The main character needs a personality in order for an audience to care about them. The Doom series, for instance, places you in the shoes of “Doom Guy” and that’s pretty much all the context you get. The filmmakers clearly realised this and created a squad of marines for the film, but the game makes a point of one character being all-powerful and marines as disposable. Even The Rock himself couldn’t carry the film and cites it as an example of what not to do.

However sometimes just getting the lead right is not enough. The Lara Croft: Tomb Raider films cast Angelina Jolie (And Alica Vikander in the reboot) as the title character and she plays the character well. However, the rest of the film falls flat, with reviewers citing flat characters and a generic plot. IGN went so far as to give the original a rating of 0 stars.

The Future

Recently, there have been some exceptions to this rule. While the Resident Evil films have had some box office success, they aren’t exactly highly regarded. They are so far removed from the game that they only share some character and location names.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was released last year and was well-received. While some criticised its plot, there was near-unanimous praise for the creatures themselves. Likewise, Netflix’s recent series of The Witcher has been another win for video game adaptations (Although the plot is based on that of the books)

Things do slowly seem to be turning around for video game movies. After all the comic book genre was once thought of in the same way. Now comic films are some of the biggest films each year. Sonic the Hedgehog could speed up their credibility if it manages to hit the mark.

Also Read: Weapon of Choice: Iconic Weapons in Movies

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