BridgetotheStars.net community member Queste Oscure Materie report that an Italian VFX technician working on visual effects for The Golden Compass movie has disclosed that Ian McKellen will be providing the voice for Iorek Brynison. This part has previously been thought to be that of British actor Nonso Anozie.
QOM’s source also reports that the rumour which appeared on Christopher Lee’s official fansite regarding a possible cameo appearance by the veteran actor may well be true. The source writes, “[Lee] plays a member of the Magisterium: a grumpy man dressed in dark colours, whom we see sitting at a table with another character, whose daemon is a panther.”
Additionally, it is also reported that the final scenes in the film have been, at the request of the producers (rather than the director), significantly altered. This has, apparently, left post production teams running very late – meaning that they have to work flat out from now until the end of October.
Read the full story on Queste Oscure Materie here.
Please let this NOT be true. When will film studios trust director’s and let them do their job?! Ian McKellen is not right for the voice of Iorek; Nonzo Anozie was perfect; if this turns out to be true, this is ridiculous!!
agreed, adore mckellen, but for iorek prefere nonso. and im very afraid with this news, that producers changed the end. all experiences like that in the past were horrible, we have a example with “the invasion”, they did other movie. hate when producers mixed up. wanna more news about this, a comment from weitz.
Well, I don’t like the sound of the producers having the end changed.
However, I wasn’t at all likeing the clips of Iorek’s dialogue we’d heard and Ian McKellen is a very fine actor. I’d be more worried if they’d chosen a well-known film actor but as long as they’re sticking to stage actors, who tend to be very good at voicing animated characters, I’m happy.
If either of these things are true, then… the movie is dead to me.
One voice does not a movie make.
I’m having so many issues with the route in which they have adapted the material thus far that a significant change to the end and McKellen voicing Iorek is enough for me to lose the little hope I have left.
Reading the article, it says that the scenes where most of the work is being done is at Bolvangar, which means if they are following the chronology of the book is nowhere near the ‘final scenes.’ Lyra still has to go the bear’s kingdom for a showdown with Iorek and Iofur/Ragnar and then she goes to meet Asriel.
What gives? When they talk about the final scenes do they mean the stuff at the top of the mountain with Asriel, Roger, Lyra and Coulter, or are they talking about the stuff at Bolvnagar. The fact that the producers enforced this is also worrying, as that has NEVER proven a good thing.
Plus, as much as I think Mckellen rocks, he sounds too old for Iorek. His voice doesn’t have the power that I’d expect him to have.
Iorek is meant to be expressionless and powerful; Ian McKellen’s voice is full of expression and warmth, which is wrong for this. I am really, really, disappointed with this news.
Ian McKellen can bark like the best of them. I doubt he’ll do a bad job. It’s more the celebrity casting which I think is disturbing.
I was thinking, this news was brought to us by a special effects technician, when they say significantly altered. I wonder how much of the ‘significant’ is brought on by the fact that they now have a bucketload of extra work to do. I.e. is it really that different or have there been made a few changes, with new material, and they now need to do the effects for that? Or perhaps Iorek’s part has been changed as well?
It’s quite frustrating this whole business. I wish they would just release the film already.
I’m a bit worried that the producers will change a possibly awesome ending into a bad one. But then again, I guess they can possibly make it better too. I’m not going to judge the movie any more until it is released.
Ah yes, you’re right Situ. In which case, he probably is playing Boreal, which is good..
Also, my opinions on the casting of McKellen… (sorry to post this twice, but I want to hit home my point):
Why replace an actor who’s voice was virtually perfect for the role of Iorek, with another actor, merely because the latter is a household name? To me, it’s a way of pulling in more punters and is the wrong reason to make a change. If he was more suited then fair enough, but he clearly isn’t.
I know what the studio will say already; “we wanted Iorek to be more likeable; to have a warm and fatherly voice” – something like that. But fatherly and warm isn’t Iorek and that strips away the very reason that Iorek was my favourite character. He was my favourite precisely because he was emotionless, with little expression or warmth, or compassion in his voice. You’re meant to warm to him over time, you’re meant to be frightened of him before you grow to like him. There is nothing likeable about Iorek’s superficial elements; he’s huge, dirty, vicous, savage, with no emotion… everything we like about him is built over time due to his actions of courage and loyalty.
With McKellen’s voice, people will immediately like Iorek and that is wrong.
I haven’t been disappointed about anything else so far and to many this may seem like a minor change (even a positive change), but to me they have taken the very essence away of my favourite character, and replaced him with someone who will make the film more financially viable. Which, I believe, shows a lack of integrity.
Oops sorry about that… I copied and pasted from somewhere else, so have a completely irrelevant first sentence!!
Haven’t they bastardised our beloved book enough? I am very much in two minds about seeing this film now.
You people are very exagereted. It’s a voice! And it’s a voice being replaced by one of the best actors of England! Belive me, McKellan will know how to do Yorek! No worry about that!
My concerns aren’t with McKellan who is a very fine actor, but with the addition of ‘signifficantly altered’ scenes, not to mention the entire removal of what is my opinion a very important theme of the book, the evilness of organised religion. I doubt the Magisterium have anything to do whatsoever now with the Authority.
It is reasonable to assume the cages at Bolvangar / the disempersoned daemons have been removed to make the film a 12A / PG13.
“…the entire removal of what is my opinion a very important theme of the book, the evilness of organised religion. I doubt the Magisterium have anything to do whatsoever now with the Authority.”
On the contrary — “Magisterium is a technical ecclesiastical term in Roman Catholic Church referring to the teaching authority of the church.”
I am aware of the etymology of the word but Weitz has said in the past that the authority have been removed from the storyline, to make it financially viable in the US. This was very big news not too long ago, check the BridgetotheStars archive if you don’t believe me.
I was trying to find a post somewhere that would back up my argument, but I can’t find it. It was something about the words in the floor of the Magisterium place that Fra Pavel steps on. They’re in Latin, and the English translation is definitely church-related, but I can’t remember exactly what they say.
I do know that they will never come out and say that the Magisterium is the church, but I believe that those who know will know.
I don’t think they would cut the cages at Bolvangar / the disempersoned daemons, beacause then nothing have sense. I think that changes are more tecician that refering to the plot. If not, they would have done reshoots right now, and this isn’t happening.
I hope that if the intergrity of the story is fully compromised that the movie flops, the sequels aren’t made, New Line goes out of business and someone someday comes along and makes the movies proper.
Maybe I’m overreacting. We’ll just have to see ’till the movie comes out.
Haha, JV, massive overreaction there, but I agree with the sentiment completely.
Wait till the movie comes out, I doubt Phillip Pullman let this to happen. The story will have all the things that make the univers of Pullman so interesting. New Line always has done very truthfull materials. So wait and will see a great film. And this tuesday will see that trailer is great!!
Good grief, it’s a movie adaptation that no one has seen. If it ends up being a sucky movie, it will have no effect on the world or the books’ greatness. I will only worry if they rewrite the book to be faithful to the movie and then release the revised editions.
ermmmmmmmmmmmm
im sure none of that can be right, why the hell shud Ian McKellen voice Iorek wehn Nosie Arosie or w/e his name is was doin a bang up job, according to the trailer!
i thought he was perfect – “i ahve a contract, wi the child” …
was well good
I THINK they may be getting mixed up wi Lord Boreal . SURELY, surely wehn reading the books, lord boreal jus WAS ian mckellen?
well he was for me . so i vote that instead of being iorek, any film makers who read this [lol] ian mckellen shud deffo be Lord Boreal . Slash Charles Latrom .
🙂
x
im starting to get afraid….for the movie AND the book. i…i just wont accept this!
““we wanted Iorek to be more likeable; to have a warm and fatherly voice†– something like that. But fatherly and warm isn’t Iorek… With McKellen’s voice, people will immediately like Iorek and that is wrong”” — Jaime Sutherland
Oh yes, because everyone knows two-time Olivier Award recipient Sir Ian McKellan got his honors playing such warm and likable characters as King Lear and King Richard the Third. Are there no depths to which these producers will not sink?
Seriously, I’m inclined to doubt this. What kind of a producer is going to change the voice actor of a major character two months before the film comes out? Not to mention that the promos with Anonsie’s voice are already buttering up the masses. Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, New Line Cinema, you’ve got enough star power right there, I think.
And on that note… it’s not the end of the world. The books will not explode. For all we know, this could be a completely false report, the VFX guy’s meaning of “significant changes” could have been lost in translation from one source to another (maybe they had to change the scene from being set in daytime to being set at night, for instance), and Sir Ian McKellan is drinking tea right now in England completely oblivious to all this fuss.
Relax.
well said vifetoile!
I’m well aware of Ian McKellen’s acting credentials, thanks, but the fact is you can’t change your voice and Ian McKellen can’t remove his vocal chords and replace them with someone’s who is younger and speaks with a deeper pitch. Ian McKellen has a wide enough range of voices to be able to pull off a brilliant perfomance; I just don’t think he is perfect for the role like I believe Nonso Anozie was. I’ve seen Nonso live on stage and in the film Atonement and his voice basically sounds like I always imagined Iorek before he even tries to act the part. I’m not saying Ian McKellen is bad, of course not; that would be stupid – I just don’t think he’s perfect for the role, and without knowing the full story, it just seems a little bit star power over integrity to me. I could be wrong… and I hope I am!!
Whinge, whinge, whinge. *sigh*
I should honestly expect more from mature fans of the books but I can’t really say I’m surprised.
Bastardising the books… being afraid for the books… *rolls eyes*
What Brenden? Is nobody allowed to have an opinion ffs?! Should everyone just be happy with everything in the world and not criticise anything?!
This is getting silly.
We don’t even know if it’s true.
I say we watch the movie, then make judgments.
I think it’ll be great.
whats worrying me most is that they’re drastically changing the end of the film…
But we don’t know what they’re changing it -from-.
Yea, we don’t know… I agree we shouldn’t pass judgement before we know for sure, or until we’ve at least seen the trailer. Regardless of who does the voice, it can still be a great film; I just think the implications of the change might be reflective of the direction the film is taking (i.e, studio control), which is surely a bad thing.
Anyway, people are allowed to voice an opinion, otherwise what’s even the point of having a discussion board? Brenden clearly thinks everyone should be quiet entirely, or at least just smile and say “this film will be awesome” constantly. 🙂
The point of being allowed to leave comments is so the fans (or whoever) can say what they feel. I agree that some people’s complaints (i.e, hair colour) are pedantic, but they’re still allowed an opinion and are certainly allowed to voice said opinion. It’s called “free will”, which is actually what the books are all about!! 🙂
We don’t know anythig! So….we only can wait, I think all will be good. I have read the posts of the italian boy who is working in the cgi that has said the bolvanger scenes are being changed and I understood (I know little italian) that the changes are for good, they add sounds, scenes that were filmed when the shooting take place, so…don’t worry is my advertisment. This guy is only complaining that now he has to work so hard to have the final product, nothing more, he is very enthusiasted with the final film (he say he saw a cut) and also he say that Christopher Lee will be in the final trailer. Don’t worry all….
Jamie, relax. Brenden is not attacking free speech. If I may speak on his behalf, he’s just saying that everyone is overreacting a little bit. I mean, it’s just a movie, it’s just two hours of attempted storytelling. We don’t know the whole story, this could be a false lead, there’s no reason to get so agitated. He is NOT advocating compliancy, he is advocating maturity. Don’t vent out at him.
And for my part, I apologize, I didn’t know that you had seen Nonso Anozie in real life. (That must have been awesome.)
Thank you vifetoile, you really said all I wanted to. 🙂
Attacking free speech… where do you get that from, Jamie? Of course everyone is entitled to voice their opinion; as critical or immature or ignorant or overemotional as that may be. Such as, like I said in my earlier, those who think a horrible movie will somehow damage the books in some way. That is honestly just an incredibly silly and immature opinion.
Skye: “I say we watch the movie, then make judgments.”
Skye: “I say we watch the movie, then make judgments.â€ÂÂ
^That’s my view exactly. (sorry that got cut off)
*takes deep breaths* haha… ok, maybe getting myself a little worked up here.
Ok, let me give you my personal reasoning for why I’ve reacted like this… I am an actor myself who worked hard to try and get an audition in this film. Evidently the audition never happened and I don’t feel hard done by, but let’s just say that I understand only too well how this business works, and how it is usually the studio (rather than the director) in films such as this, who has the final say; regardless of whether or not those decisions are right for the integrity of the movie. It’s the way the business works at that level, which is why you tend to get a lot of independent movies which are of a better quality (because it isnt studio big-wigs calling the shots, who think they know best).
So far on this production it had looked like the studio wasn’t interfering too much, and when I was finally on the set of the film (as I settled on being an extra in the film – you can read about my experience as an extra on the film somewhere on this site), I was impressed with the overall ethic and standards being set.
Secondly (stop me if I’m going on), I am friends with a girl who’s best friend is none other than Nonso Anozie (she went to the Central School of Drama with him). And whilst I have never met the guy, I have heard that he is a lovely bloke (obviously not relevant), but more importantly in this instance, an amazing actor. He was the youngest guy ever to play the part of King Lear and he won awards for his performance in Othello. Again, this isn’t entirely relevant to him doing the voice of Iorek. What IS relevant is that his voice is amazing. Low, booming, powerful and distincitive; his voice is literally perfect for Iorek.
Whilst I can’t deny that Ian McKellen is an amazing actor – he is one of my favourites, in fact – I still don’t think his voice (whatever he manages to pull off), is as perfect for the role of Iorek as Nonso’s is; in fact, it can’t be – because Nonso’s IS perfect.
Obviously this doesn’t affect – per se – the quality of the film; it could still be brilliant. But I am more annoyed by – if this change IS for real – the indication that the studio has gone for the big name to pull in the punters. If this is the case, what about poor old Nonso? I spoke to his friend only a month ago at an audition and she was talking about how excited he had been about doing the voice. I just think it’s a shame.
Obviously I’ll still be there on opening night anyway, and obviously it could still be amazing, but I just thought I’d explain my over-reaction!! 🙂 Actors are too often told that talent is not as important as who you know, but it’s just sad to see at this level; especially when the actor actually got the part and then loses it (despite being perfect). It’s just a cruel business.
But now I will wait before blowing my lid anymore!! Hehe.
NOO, think back to lotr for those who have seen it, think about his voice then: it will not suffice for the role of iorek. If the voice of iorek was that guy who voiced him in the frirst clip we saw with iorek in the we should keep him. No offence to McKellan, i am a big fqan of his and he is a great actor, but not for the role of iorek.
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!!! It’s the only thing I can say. You are speculating all the time, one thing is say that Nonso was perfect (I belive this) but another is to say that Mckellen is bad to play Yorek. Wait till you see him voicing. And that’s not too far. The trailer will feature his voice I suppose. Then we can say all we want.
Webmaster Note: This should be taken with a pinch of salt – we’ve had no official verification that any of this is true.
Well, it’s all true.
Basically, Bob Shaye (the boss of New Line) freaked out because test audiences thought the ending wasn’t happy enough. So he decided to have the film cut to pieces, most likely ruining it in the process.
Here’s how the last part of the movie goes… beware of spoilers, if you haven’t read the book.
After Trollesund, when Lyra gets kidnapped, instead of being brought to Bolvangar she is now taken to the kingdom the bears. And everything that happens there, Lyra’s cunning plan and the fight, is pretty much straight out of the book. Then, she rides with Iorek to a crumbling ice bridge, and ends up at… you guessed it, Bolvangar! And things again pretty much plays out like the book, all the way until after the big battle outside the station.
Then, Mr Scoresby (Hester’s voiced by Kathy Bates, btw) picks Lyra up in his balloon, and they fly away. A little later, in the balloon, Lyra has fallen asleep, and Serafina tells Scoresby about how important Lyra will be in the coming wars.
The camera holds on Lyra’s sleeping face for a few seconds, and then… the movie ends.
Yeah, that’s right. They don’t go to Svalbard, don’t meet Asriel, Roger isn’t killed, and Lyra doesn’t go into another world. Like I said, that ending wasn’t sugar-coated enough.
They did shoot all of the real ending though, so maybe one day you’ll see it, in one form or another.
Sigh. Hollywood executives.
I’m really not convinced of the credibility or authenticity of the sources producing these rumors.
Note: Ian McKellan and Ian McShane have very similar names. Iorek and Iofur have very similar names.
Isn’t it possible that somewhere, in the process of translating this information from another language (Italian wasn’t it?) that the phrase “Ian McSHANE will be voicing IoFUR” got confused with “Ian McKELLAN will be voicing IoREK”?
All I know is that I’m not gonna bother worrying about that until we get some official info from New Line. It seems to me that they would jump at the chance to advertise that Ian McKellan were part of the cast now… if it were true. I suspect it’s not.
As for changes being made by the producers… yeah there probably have been. With a month left before the release I’m sure they are making all sorts of tweaks. But as for what those changes are or how major they are or whether they will be good or bad, there’s no way to know, and speculation based on uncofirmed rumors really isn’t going to be very useful.
I think we all have to relax and just wait and see.
Well, Ian McShane sounds like a more credible source:
“And The Golden Compass I did, as well. I play the bad bear, the voice of the bad bear, and Ian McKellen plays the voice of the good bear.”
Unless of course he is also spreading bad info.
(from http://www.cinematical.com/2007/10/04/interview-ian-mcshane-star-of-the-seeker-the-dark-is-rising/)
Why can’t they just have the ending w/ Lyra walking toward the Northern Lights? It sounds like a better movie ending than sleeping Lyra, plus that’s how the book ends.
How on earth is that a better or more happy ending than the original one? There is so much wrong with that, it would in no way make for a better film.
I find it rather hard to believe that someone actually thought that was a better idea.
I don’t belive this information. Where did you found that Homer, or is a joke that you invented? It’s too surreal to be true. What the shots of Asriel and Coulter kissing, what the shot of Coulter in front of the cut box, etc. that are in the teaser.
This is not true! You have much time left to invent things i think!!!
Wait till the trailer comes, and you all will see that all this is being take out of place.
That Homer is not me (if you know what I mean). None of that is true. Except for Kathy Bates.
Changes of the type Homer postulates have been inflicted on other films, and I can’t recall any instances where it has resulted in a memorable product. You can understand why directors like Stanley Kubrick would not start on a project unless they had COMPLETE control – it’s the only way it seems to see the vision through and not be dictated to by the men in suits.
If Homer is correct and the story has been defiled to this degree (was Philip Pullman consulted about this?), then New Line would seem to be seeking closure with the end of GC and not setting it up to be followed by the sequels.
Even if Homer’s sources are completely misinformed, I am now getting very worried about the direction this production is taking. As Lance Parkin and Mark Jones wrote in their excellent book “Dark Materials”, the film could be “a dark, complex treatise on growing up and religeous faith; or (an) action story about a young girl going on an adventure with a talking polar bear.” If we’re getting the latter, I certainly won’t be getting in line on opening day to see it; I’d rather stick with the glorious journey the books have taken me on and not have that sullied.