Just as I cast my doubts on the production of the Gears of War movie, it rears its head at this year’s SDCC with a panel featuring Len Wiseman (director) and Chris Morgan (writer, Wanted). Production is still in the earliest stages, but more importantly—it is still in production. How early? No concept art, casting or production stills yet. Wiseman and Morgan did however offer up their thoughts on the adaptation.
Casting
The first questions concerned casting, in particular the (entirely unsubstantiated) rumors that wrestlers would be cast as main characters. Wiseman said that casting strong men wouldn’t be his choice, instead, “I’m looking for an actor for the role and then [I’ll] put him into shape”, adding “I’m always thinking who could play the best Marcus. You want to get hooked into the character [first] and then all the amazing spectacle.”
As for the casting of Maria, Len Wiseman wants his wife Kate Beckinsale to play the badass female role, “If I can convince [Kate Beckinsale] — and I think I have a shot — I’d love to see that.”
Plot
Emergence day will play a big role in the movie’s plot, but the films are unlikely to closely follow the games. Whilst promising to follow the Gears history closely, he made no guarantees about “appeasing gamers”. Rod Ferguson, the game’s executive producer, explained:
“You can be too tied to what is the game. We’re so oriented at grabbing the gaming audience, we don’t leave behind what shouldn’t be in the movie. We’re about making the best movie possible, not about making Gears of War the game into a movie… previous movies haven’t been willing to let go. We had only three pages [of notes for Wiseman]. ‘Please don’t kill Marcus.’
To summarize, the studios have been asked to:
“make the best movie possible that fits your medium.”
Changes may include female COGs.
Wiseman and Morgan add:
“The tone of the characters and how they interact with each other [lends to] the overall experience of the movie. Look at Aliens in terms of the dark environment, but then how much fun you have with the characters.”
“Even though the world is literally at an end, they still joke. They have real emotion and compassion.”
Before Wiseman concludes,
“There’s so much opinion out there about what this movie should be and shouldn’t be, it falls on a very small group of people… and I’m one of those people. Are you going to respect the game? Of course I am. It is a different experience from watching a movie, but it’s my job of translating it into the best cinematic story [possible].”
Thanks Bill!
Comments 72 Responses to “Gears of War movie rears its head at Comic-con; Kate Beckinsale, new story, no wrestlers”
NO WRESTLERS TRY VIN DEASIL AS MARCUS
Ray Stevenson could be a good choice
It should be Mickey Rourke!
Kate Beckinsale as Maria? I’d think she’d make a better Anya, myself.
Female COGs? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life, and I won’t see the movie if that happens. Cast Dolph Lundgren as Marcus, he has the look & correct age, and he’s in great shape.
Dom: Adam Rodriguez
Baird: Robert Downy Jr.
Cole: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Tai: Luis Guzmán
Carmine: Brendon Frasier
Marcus is hard to say. Vin Diesel might work, but I don’t think he has the voice for it. Karl Urban maybe, but still iffy. As for the others, I think they’d do it well, some others would easily do well.
i think between johnny messner or dave batista to play maruc phoenix…i know no wrestlers but at least batista. messner and batista were born to play this role. they better not f**k up this movie.
johnny messner or dave batista as marcus
johnny messner or dave batista as marcus. one of them were born to play marcus fenix. len wiseman done mess uup this movie. dont just put no skinny S.O.B. get some real big bad ass motherF***ers…make us proud.
Marcus: Dave Batista
Dom: John Cena
Cole: The Rock
A. Carmine: Brendan Fraser
Baird: dunno ?????????????????
no way should there be females no way t will ruin it baldly get musley men wif a bad a** attudutte
this movie probably, will suck, just like other movies based on video games, however, since resident evil was a hit, i guess you need someone like that beautiful woman, to play the role of Anya. and Maria, kate, i dont know, batista i dont know, watching that smallville episode, already tells me he can’t act. and i hope the film is a prequel to the game because the game didn’t explain nothing.
Hi to all fellow GOGs i was just talking to a couple of mates after the footie about making a movie Gears Of War and here i come down on this site today and i think it should happen but a make a good movie stick to the plot and please choose the right people for this movie whether it is going to be a real life movie or well advance animation just make the main characters look the ones in the game but never the less here are my choice as Actors
Marcus Fenix
ominic Purcel (From Prison Break)
Dominic Santiago :The Rock
Augustus Cole :Lester Speight (The man himself)
Damon Baird :Ryan Reynolds
Minh Young Kim :Jason Scott Lee
Anya Stroud :Jessica Biel
Victor Hoffman :R. Lee Ermey
Now to me that would make for a perfect Gears of War movie team what do u guys think if u don’t know some of these actors just Google their names and compare there pictures next to the actual game characters, u will see it matches this should be the cast!!
How are they going to meke loucust that is going to be hard. And that person who said john cena as dom u are stuiped he isn’t mexican.
Marcus: Adam Rodruigez
Dom: Johnny Hanskette
Baird: Brad Pitt
Cole: Ving Rhames
Carmine: Robert Downey Jr
Kym: Vin Deasel
Personally i think that Josh Dumahal would be perfect as Baird.
I say this because
(A). he’s my favourite COG
(B). he both looks and sounds the part.
Anyone here who saw transformers ROTF remember when Optimus says
“What if we leave and you’re wrong?”
–long silence–
Lennix –quietly– “That’s a good question…”
I immedietly thought of baird when i was that.
please dont f*** up this movie it will mean so much to every fan of the game, Girl cogs i will not be happy with because it was such a hard hitting brutal game and i want the movie to be like that, the movie should still stick to the game and not go to fair from it,i know you guys probly are going to fuck it up,and cast marcus not a big dude or young one,marcus is a older guy and everyone looks up to him in the game so make a good choice,
PS: dont skip out on the gore i plan to see a MA or R Rated Movie
bruce willis would make a good marcus,just have to worry bout him beefing up,the guy that played the casino owner in the walking tall movie with the rock would be a great baird
marcus — dominic purcell (prison break)
dom — Amaury Nolasco (prison break)
cole — “the terrible” terry tate
baird — ryan reynolds or sean william scott (both would have to bulk up like crazy but both have the cocky/sarcastic attitude need. as far as the other ones go dom and amaury have worked together so they would work well as story line friends and are of an adequate size to play the roles and terry tate can just be himself.
If not for his lack of height, Jason Statham would make a great Marcus. Whoever said Robert Downey Jnr. as Baird was spot on as well. Lester Speight is Cole and Cole is Lester Speight, end of. Can any of us really picture a guy that’s supposed to be Cole without THAT voice?
They’re gonna have a hard time finding some guys with tree trunks for arms
Your blog is so informative ?keep up the good work!!!!
cole-the rock
marcus-batista
baird-brad pit
dom-robert downney jr
carmine-brendon fraser
minh-stone cold stave asten
i dont know about all the other charactors but i do know that COLE should be played by none other that TERRIBLE TERRY TATE the office linebacker. i thought that was him doing the voice for the game anyways.… . . think about it.
yo i think having female COGs would be a great idea and more realistic
female COG’s could work there is in the book’s why not the movie and besides anya is a female and a COG is she not, karl urban could make a good marcus they are more then a little simalar
why not let cole be him self? baired is easy just fine some dude how lookes like him and talks alout of trash. dom is sort of hard cant think of someone for him. fenex well theres a lout of guys. besides cant the make up artest make anyone look older. theres just one thing im wondering. is this before or after marcus gos to jail. cause we dont really see why. on part one carmine looks up to him because he fout at astrode fields or whatever yet he whent to jail for some other resin. so tecnicly who said cole or baired would be in it. what if the gears tryd to use female cogs but it faled. and what was marcuses squad before delta? lots of qustions butt zero ansewers
i am excited about this film. gears is my fav game. not just because of the graphics but the amazing story. i would love to see this movie to become a work of art not with just action. but with story, cinaphotgraphy and with all the major elements that make a master piece film. i do have high hopes. i hope that the love of story telling is see and felt in this film.
i think the obvious man for the job has got to be the man who created the caesarian section by round house kicking his way out of his mother womb. the man who when he does push up he isn’t really doing push ups he is pushing the world out the way of a meteor the one and only chuck Norris
oh yeah
ron perlman for marcus fenix, he basically resembles him, Lester speight for cole
NO wrestlers. Never in the history of cinema have those clowns made a good movie. Maybe as a cameo one can come in as marcus but overall i think they should write in their own story (whilst working with the good folks at epic) and cameo the characters from the VG story. That way nobody gets hurt and there is room for the director to make an awesome movie that escapes the clutches of the VG toouch of death
I agree with the people above who said Micke Rourke should play Marcus Fenix.
He would be the best choice concerning facial features and most important voice.
No wrestlers! some don’t know how to act.
As for the story E-Day would be good. Telling the stories of that and how Marcus ended up in prison, as well as Dom and his wife. And how Marcus dad is involved.
Gerard Butler– As Marcus
Sam Worthington-One of the rookies(always dies) lmao
the Rock-As Cole Train would be good, maybe even fifty cent.
The voice can be important but not really.
R. Lee Ermey-general
Fuck the general public. Make it follow the game story and put it out on dvd. Otherwise it WILL be shit. Count on it.
I’am a huge G.O.W. fan. When I read in the game informer of a movie, I had to look in on it. Now I wish I hadnt. I mean come on dude is so gonna screw this up. Kate Beckinsale as Maria, what, has he even seen the game. Maria is hispanic and so is her husband Dom. As far as girl Cog’s, another screw up, the girls r Anya and Maria and they r all shaped like women, they dont eat the Gears Crunch, and they wouldnt be able to hold the weight of the Gear. Half of the people that will be lining up to see this opening day are going to be Gear Heads, those people who have spent tons of money on DLC and merchandise. So to say it want be like the game, is just a douchebag thing and I think Weisman is a lil to full of himself. I do however agree with the one guy’s comment that it should be pre-game, you know, this is how it started. Get with the game developers and maybe read some of these forums, then you will realize that people are going to hate this movie, and trust me I play online and there are alot of us Gear Heads out there.
uggghhhh
There is no one who looks like Cole more than Terry Tate…in fact he does the voice for Augustus Cole. He is jacked…perfect size to do it.
Oded Fehr as dom
hes the guy that played carlos in resident evil
Read the books people there are female COGS Bernie and ALex.
even tho im a lil young, id be willing to try casting for Baird. Anyway, cast wise i think it should be this:
Marcus: Unknown, A NFL guy? or John Travolta?
Dom: Another NFL guy?
Baird: Meeee! if all else fails, a Hockey or Soccer player?
Tai: Jason Mamoa or Christopher Judge
Carmine: Zachary Levi or Shia LaBeouf, they both got the right kind of personality…
Hoffman: Deffinently R.Lee Ermey
Also i think some female Gears would be pretty cool, not just as pilots or medics but as ground pounders also
This movie needs to have a lot of gore bottom line. Also I have no Idea who they are going to cast for marcus that is so tuff
ok so no female cogs or if there is no stupid love between marcus and the girl
i mean its ok but seriously you will ruin the entire storyline with that i will no longer be a fan if that happens i swear it
@ Mammoth
Marcus and Anya have a thing going on in the games and books anyways…
I think that vin deisel would be a really good marcus. either that or micky rourke
Marcus Fenix: Batista or Vin diesel hard to get.
Dom: Frank G (the same face as Dom the same)
Baird: Neal Mcdonough
Cole: Lester Speight (duh is the same guy)
Maria: Megan Fox (they look alike but great paper for her)
Hoffman:R.Lee Ermey
Anya: Jessica Biel
Carmine: Can be anyone he wears a mask
Kim (if his ganna be in the movie): Jason Scott Lee
Those guys are perfect in the movie they look alike are u guys agreed with me or i make a mistake?
I’d love to see “no-name” actors doing all the parts, I’d hate seeing Vin Diesel, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Brad Pitt or any other “A”-list actor doing the movie. Give some new people a chance and save some money while you’re at it. Because Mickey Rourke wouldn’t be Marcus Fenix, he would be Mickey Rourke playing Marcus Fenix if you understand what I mean.
If I had to chose one at least semi-famous actor for the movie, it would definitely be Vinnie Jones to play Marcus Fenix.
Marcus Fenix:Sylvester Stallone fits role perfect.no dumb wrestlers! Baird:seann William Scott Cole:got to Terry Tate! Carmine:Tobey Maguire Hoffman:R.Lee Ermey was born to play Hoffman Tai:would be real hard. Anya:Kate Hudson email me tell me what you guys think.
Damn i’ve been waiting for this movie for 4ever. I like Len Wiseman & Wanted was a decent enough action film i’d trust chris with a script. Im not casting specifis but people who could fit: Dominic Purcell, Gerard Butler, Vin Diesel, Tim Olyphant, oded fehr, Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Kate Beckinsale, Terry Tate, but i could live with michael jai white or terry crews. Liev Schriber? pretty much the people who should’ve been in the new Predators movie
ok ok ok first off there are girl cogs gota read the books… second i say the movie should start off right when marcus and doms older brother enlist into the cog like in the books and contnue from there intill whatever certain point where u can continue a second movie. For the cast well thats a little tough
Marcus — Micke Rourke
Dom — a mexican built like a brick shit house
Carmine — Shia Leabouf
Cole — The Rock or an nfl player
Baird — Ryan Renoylds but needs to beef up a little
Anya — someone hott o course
Maria — Someone hott of course
Doms older brother well could be anybody isnt much of a specicfic there
Rock as Cole? WHAT? Rock is not a black dude, he is some tropical island dude. Do you just not want a black dude to be a star. Too bad. ~laughing~
I like Anton’s idea, do NOT pick from the A list because the reasoning is right too; you won’t see the character, you’ll see the actor playing the character.
But please, I’m begging whoever is casting the actors, please make sure to get solid actors that can own the part, not just play the part.
shit try antonio banderas as dom
Sam Worthington should play marcus
Really people? Wrestlers for actors? That would ruin the movie. How many wrestlers are honestly decent actors? And wrestling itself doesn’t count because it’s obviously fake; therefore, they’re horrible actors(with maybe two exceptions).
No female COGS. That ruins everything about the story for me. When I think of Gears of War, I think of Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, Cole Train, Baird, the whole lot of them. I don’t think of women on the front lines fighting the ruthless Locust Hoard. Women could not handle the excessive weight of COG armor on their bodies while still being able to function as a soldier. Women could not handle the size and force of many of the weapons wielded by the COG forces. I guess I’m saying, if there will be women in the COG army, they’ll have to be bodybuilders or WWE divas.
Randy Routoure or some heavyweight UFC fighters might fit into the character roles…rampage as Cole train… Sweet
none of the main people should die and i was told marcus was in jail because he killed every one in his first team but dom because the leader was curopted and was curopting every one else i though it was because he helped save his dad or didnt listen to orders
Blue you are a twat — the new gears game (GoW 3) has a female COG in it!! Why would it be dumb??? It’s dumb to have Americans as leads because they’d be the first to die cause of friendly fire — then run outta money because they fuck the economy.
Female COG isn’t new or a change — just shows that people who read this and make this site haven’t bothered reading material on the gears world.
wow for real. Most of you have played the game right? whoever said Robert Downey Jr for baird was not on spot he was on crack. also Brad Pitt honestly? people shouldnt use drugs and then post things on sites like this. I even made this account just to say that most of you guys should maybe play a different game because you cant even cast accurately. go break your gears games, either one or two, in half you don’t deserve them.
the rock as Cole? hell no!
that Neal guy as Baird? possibly, hes kinda got the face.
females gears aint a bad idea, there just cant be too many of them, (this is ainty gonna happen) but they technically shouldn’t be hot per say. all the “hot” woman or capable to bear children are put into breeding.
mighty rusta should definately play Cole.
some no name actors would be great, authentic, you could say.
in the first gears, i think Anya slightly resembled Kristen Bell.
wisement doesn’t know shit, Kate cant play Maria, mainly for the fact that she AINT hespanic; hes just trying to get his wife work.
in the end though, it doesnt matter what we say; when does Hollywood ever listen to the people, especially when it come to VG movies.
i agree with you justin, go play bionic commando or something people.
–the Rock as Cole? Hell no! Mighty Rusta all the way.
–that Neal guy as Baird? possibly, he does kinda resemble him.
–Female gears? they do exist, if they do appear in the movie they shouldn’t (they will be) “hot”, and they should be rare, all the ‘hot’ or capable of child bearing woman are put into breeding.
–i like the idea of no-name actors in the movie.
–Kate beckinsale as Maria? Len wiseman is an idiot, he’s just trying to get his wife work.
–in the end it doesn’t matter what we say or think; when has Hollywood ever listened to the people, especially when it comes to VG movies. all we can do it sit back, complain at all the news and rumors and hope for the best.
–by the way, i agree with justin; go play Bionic Commando or something people.
–by the way: Shia Lebouf in a Gears movie? what are you folks smoking?
Hey,
First off, everyone of you guys makes good points and picks great actors for the roles. Here is my list of who should which character and a reason why:
Augustus “Cole Train” Cole — Lester Speight
Lester Speight is the voice of Cole in the games, and Cole
is based on Lester Speight.
Damon Baird — Robert Downey Jr.
I have a little reluctance to suggest the development team
to try and attempt to cast Robert Downey Jr. for the role of
Baird as there is a chance he won’t accept the role as he
has become quite famous because of the Iron Man movies, but
it is also because of his portrayal of Tony Stark that I
would like him to portray Damon Baird. It is my opinion that
Baird and Tony Stark are the same kind of characters, highly
intelligent smart alecs (smart *sses), but do care about
the people around them.
Anya Stroud — Gemma Arterton
Some people may want to cast Scarlett Johansson, but I
believe that Gemma Arterton would be a better choice as
from what I’ve seen from her movies, Gemma Arterton is very
similar to Anya Stroud in her movies.
ok i like the whole idea with pregame you know using E-day and all but Maria wasn’t a badass in the game she played as Dom’s wife and then she dies in gears 2 from torture she never had entered combat.
I’m not so much worried about the casting just that you guys might screw the whole gears universe to hell.
I have only one cast suggestion that i can’t believe no one ha even bothered bringing up — Thomas Jayne as Marcus, think about it, he looked and sounded baddass enough in The Punisher…
MARCUS= RAY STEVENSON HE WAS A GOOD PUNISHER I THINK HE’S GONNA BE A GREAT MARCUS¡¡
OR GERALD BUTTLER TOO..
ok now im a person likes a good movie and the movie should be amazingly awesome…now finding people to play them is hard as everyone has seen thus far…so i propose wiseman team up with the people who made Final Fantasy 7 Advent Childeren. Making the movie in CG would be much easier and would look better to. Searching for that actor with the best personality and physique would be unnecessary. So why not go for it. if your going to make this movie why not do it the best possible way.
Marcus-Mickey Rourke
Dom-George Lopez just to shake things up haha(I don’t have an actual actor in mind)
Cole-Lester Speight
Baird-Brad Pitt for the look, Ryan Reynolds for the smart-assery
I love whoever said Brendan Fraser for Carmine…poor Carmines
And I think it would be awesome to have have female Gears in the movie, they played a big part in the Pendulum Wars so why not have them in the movie?
im assuming that almost none of these people have read the gears books? otherwise they would know that there are females cogs, bernie mataki for one…oh and anya strouds mum was a cog war hero. female cogs need to be in it, they add to the stroy, as long as they dont sex them up, as long as they pick someone who can pull off marcus’s voice and attitude it will be good.
all you people seem to think that there isnt female cogs…and some of them seem to call themselves gear heads…any gear head should have read the books to call themselves this and in doing so they would know that there is plenty of female cogs, considering that anya’s mum is a war hero from the aspho fields battle in the pendulum wars. you people need your facts straight before you say theres no female cog. and some seem to say that females wont hold the armour weight first off thats crap, females are just as strong as men or stronger in some cases, also you dont think that maybe just maybe the cog hadnt already thought this and designed a different type of armour for females if need be. also listen carefully this isnt set on earth these aren’t humans, they live on a planet called sera, as far as we know the females could be stronger.
Lester Speight has to be Cole … he has the looks, knows the character already, and he IS the voice already!
Josh Dumahal would be awesome as Baird.
Adam Rodriguez as Dom would work. He’d make a good whiny ass (Am I the only one who kept telling Dom to shut the hell up?).
Roselyn Sanchez as Maria.
Tai: Peter Navy Tuiasosopo
Marcus: Andrew Divoff
If Vin Diesel even steps on the set, I won’t watch the movie. He can’t act and does not even look like Marcus.
Anya: Nan McNamara
Marcus– Christian Bale. Batman voice very similiar to marcus fenix
Dom– Frankie G
Baird– Paul walker
Cole– Lester speight
Kim– Jason scott lee
Tai– Dwayne johnson did u see the movie awards looked just like him
Carmine– James franco
Hoffman– Tom sizemore
You all are forgetting about the PERFECT Marcus, A wrestler would be a little over the top but how about a more realistic person that we’ve all seen.….….…the true hero Victor Samuel Mackey (The Shield) A.K.A. the actor Michael Chiklis hed be Awesome.
You hear many different comments on what would be right and what would be wrong, sorry book readers but gaming has launched this idea of the movie and the common person knows gears as big meaty men!!
Female gears = Meat shields for the Locust and we know they dont want them!!!!!
Defo no wrestlers they couldnt act in a school play!!!!