Now, the casting thing gets closer to reality even if we’re still waiting for an official anouncement. We now know who are in the run to play Ford and Trillian. This information, while not official, has been published on Hollywood reporter’s website, and i know from the production, that the article gets it right.
The two newcomers are some talented young actors, even if not very well known, Mos Def who would play Ford and Zooey Deschanel who would play Trillian.
Mos Def is a 30 years old black american actor. He previously played in The Italian Job (2003) and Showtime (2002). He will play too in Confederancy of Dunces which is in pre production. He is also a very talented New York City underground hip-hop artist and has played with many great hip hop musicians like The Roots, De La Soul, A… He even released a full lenght debut album “black on both sides” (1999).
Zooey Dechanel is 24 years old. Her parents and her sister are too in the movie industry. She had the leading female role in Elf (2003). She also played in Almost Famous (2002). And like Mos, she is also playing music but not quite the same one. Indeed she plays ukulele for the band If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies! Her odd name comes from a JD Salinger’s novel “Franny and Zooey” who was… the male part in the novel!
This names, along with Martin Freeman, confirm us that the production want to bet on mainly new names. A choice which is in the harmony with the first choice of the young director-productor team Hammer & Tongs to make the movie. In my point of view, these are all great choice, and much more interesting than to get a 100 million dollar movie with stars and a banal Hollywood director.
I also appreciate the choice of a black american actor to play Ford part. A perfect Hollywood cliché would have been to give Zaphod’s part to the black actor, because it’s the funiest.
Rumour has spread too that the more well known Robert Downey Jr (Ally Mc Beal,..) had an offer for Zaphod. But the deal was not made, and nobody seems sure of the reason.
Variety also anounced that the production will start the 19th april in London, which is also great news because h2g2 goes back home.
Here is Zooey :
And here is Mos :
