[magicalhippo]

While I loved the overall production, for me the choice of actors for several of the side characters actually made it feel like a more generic Hollywood action movie.

For me it had been better to pick less well-used actors than Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem etc. Just robbed it of some of the mystique I think.

[theshrike79]

You need big names if you want big bucks nowadays.

Unless you're a studio onto yourself, there's no way you can get $150M+ of funding for movie with only no-names as leads.

[magicalhippo]

Not saying they had to go no-name though, plenty of good known actors out there who hasn't been in a bunch of blockbuster movies recently etc.

But I get what you're saying. Sad, because it really detracted from the movie for me.

[theshrike79]

Mid-price movies disappeared when streaming became a thing.

We either get low-budget stuff (10-20 million), mostly horror. Or movies that are huge gigantic blockbusters that MUST succeed.

The mid-price stuff is gone. The ones that have enough budget to make a director's vision come true, but not so much that it brings in people from The Company suggesting their pet things to be added.

[magicalhippo]

I'm sure they're out there, but it just boggles my mind that someone would decide to go watch Dune or not based on say Jason Momoa having a few minutes on screen.

[kevinventullo]

Totally agree. Casting both Bardem and Brolin was particularly rough for me since my mind jumped immediately to No Country.

[rado]

Jason Momoa was 100% Jason Momoa. His (lack of) characterisation was so bad I stared at his scenes in disbelief.

[bena]

To be fair, Patrick Stewart was 100% Patrick Stewart when he played the role.

[jhbadger]

Although that's really only recognizable in hindsight. In 1984 Stewart was still a fairly obscure character actor who had minor parts in BBC shows like I, Claudius.