News coming out of The Hollywood Reporter tonight is that Sir. Anthony Hopkins is in talks to play Thor's father Odin, the Norse God of Asgard in the Marvel comics superhero production set to be released in May 2011. Director Kenneth Branagh has called on his fellow Shakespearean actor and good personal friend Hopkins for what is a pivotal role in the picture, as all the psycho-babble wisdom and big speeches will have to come from him. Hopkins is surely one of the greatest British actors of all time and the casting should pay of dividends for Marvel.
Odin is known for his great Wisdom, so the casting of a guy like Hopkins is a smart, smart move. The role of Odin will be a walk in the park for Hopkins, especially in this genre heavy phase of his career. He played a drunk, aging King in Beowulf, he plays the father of Lawrence Talbot in a chewing scenery kind of part in The Wolf Man and a few years ago appeared in Alexander. If the "hammy" Anthony Hopkins is what Branagh wants, then Hopkins is well trained for it. The casting really doesn't sour my huge concern over this picture, a deep underlying fearsome gut feeling of "this is gonna suck... BIG TIME" I've had for Thor ever since it fell into the hands of Kenneth Branagh. I respect the guy as an actor but I really think people have forgotten what he is like as a director when they praise Marvel's decision to hire him. Do you not remember his last big motion picture adaptation Frankenstein and just how hammy, how over-the-top insane, how "Hammer Horror with no thrills" kind of campy it was? Branagh took one of the best screenplays of the 90s and turned it into a hyperactive mess that until Van Helsing came along, was the most confused movie ever to feature a Universal monster. You don't even have to go back 15 years to see what a mess Branagh is behind the camera, you could just watch Sleuth with Jude Law and Michael Caine that was released in 2007. One of the worst written and directed pictures with respected actors I've seen this century. Anyway, Hollywood Reporter gave us an updated plot synopsis...
The movies story sees the god of thunder Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions re-ignite an ancient war. As punishment, Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans. Once here, he learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends dark forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
For those catching up... Chris Hemsworth is Thor (he was Kirk's father in this year's Star Trek), Natalie Portman is Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston is the villain Loki, Jaimie Alexander as Sif, Samuel L. Jackson is likely to cameo as Nick Fury. Jude Law, Robert De Niro and Stellan Skaarsgaard have all been rumored to play supporting parts. Production begins in January.