WI: Leonardo DiCaprio Does Play Anakin Skywalker

What if instead of during down the role for the second Star Wars prequel film in 2001, he accepts it and plays the character?
 
The second movie still suffers from poor direction and bad dialogue, but Leo's still a world class actor and he does a slightly better job with the role. The movies real problems were bad direction, writing that needed improvements, and Portman who phoned it in.
 

Polemarchos

Banned
The second movie still suffers from poor direction and bad dialogue, but Leo's still a world class actor and he does a slightly better job with the role. The movies real problems were bad direction, writing that needed improvements, and Portman who phoned it in.

Portman did a real good job considering how Padme in episode 2 is only meant to be an object of desire.
 
The second movie still suffers from poor direction and bad dialogue, but Leo's still a world class actor and he does a slightly better job with the role. The movies real problems were bad direction, writing that needed improvements, and Portman who phoned it in.

Hopefully DiCaprio could pull a Harrison ford and improv most of his lines. Which might inspire Portman to give a shit, giving the lead couple some much needed personality. It wouldn't fix much given how schizophrenic and poorly paced the prequels always were. But this might be slightly better.
 
You think Lucas, by 2000-2001, would let himself be influenced by any actor ? What was Liam Neeson's influence in episode 1 ? None, nil.

Lucas in 1997-2005 was not Lucas in 1974-1983. He was beyond influence and had absolutely total control on what he wanted to do. We all saw the results.

Anyway, Di Caprio is a great actor so, like Mac Gregor and Portman, his career would survive the bombs that episodes 2 and 3 were.

But unfortunately, these films would still be bombs because of Lucas.
 
I would like to think it would make a difference, but if Sam Jack, Neeson, and Portman couldn't, what's DiCaprio going to do? Beg Scorsese to direct it?

The reason I will never watch Episode 1 again, or even bother seeing 2 and 3 in their entireties is that they look like CGI bullcrap with storylines you don't give a crap about. All the good acting in the world can't fix that.

If the acting was really good, perhaps it might make Episodes 1 through 3 respected enough in the public mind ("they were good, but underwhelming") that they might earn a solid reboot. However, their storylines are so bad, I don't think anyone would touch them with a ten foot pole without dramatically re-writing the timeline.
 
Eh the preqeals were pretty good anyway. Adding in a great actor who might have the strength of reputation and personal charm to get through to Lucas on some minor scenes would probably improve it marginally.

The real issues with the prequels is they try too hard to be serious and fleshed out when Star Wars works best when its a bunch of gun fights and duels mixed with explosions and the vague idea that stuff that is important is happening.

I mean we don't know much about the Empire at all save its big, its bad (at its job) and has cool looking stuff. We don't need to know more, job done.

Revenge of the Sith was the Best of them all imo because it had a giant ass space battle, various good combat and duelling scenes and some real drama and loss towards the end. The politics one could more or less ignore.
 

jahenders

Banned
He certainly does a much better job than the other guy and (hopefully) comes across as far less stupid and whiny. But, it's still a bad script and bad direction.

I don't think Portman did a bad job, but her role was very constrained.

Ultimately, if Leo takes the role, the prequels are a bit better, but not great. Perhaps the best scenario would be if he takes the role in #2 and is very popular in it, but then says he'll refuse to do #3 without major changes. Lucas isn't inclined to accept much input at this point, but it'd be a real problem if his key actor changes between the movies.

The second movie still suffers from poor direction and bad dialogue, but Leo's still a world class actor and he does a slightly better job with the role. The movies real problems were bad direction, writing that needed improvements, and Portman who phoned it in.
 
Can Leo even in that time frame pass for a 21 year old he is in real life ten years older then Natalie Portman . Yet his role would have to have him be five years at least younger then her.
 
I actually think this might have seriously nerved DiCaprio's career compared to OTL, where (since our PoD) he got to work with directors like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese (several times), Edward Zwick, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, and Alejandro G Iñárritu. Having something as embarrassing as a Star Wars prequel in his resume likely means he wouldn't be writing his own ticket as much TTL; I'll bet he's relieved he dodged that bullet.
 
I actually think this might have seriously nerved DiCaprio's career compared to OTL, where (since our PoD) he got to work with directors like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese (several times), Edward Zwick, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, and Alejandro G Iñárritu. Having something as embarrassing as a Star Wars prequel in his resume likely means he wouldn't be writing his own ticket as much TTL; I'll bet he's relieved he dodged that bullet.

Nathalie Portman won a Academy Award despite the prequels. Liam Neason has not suffered either.
 
I actually think this might have seriously nerved DiCaprio's career compared to OTL, where (since our PoD) he got to work with directors like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese (several times), Edward Zwick, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, and Alejandro G Iñárritu. Having something as embarrassing as a Star Wars prequel in his resume likely means he wouldn't be writing his own ticket as much TTL; I'll bet he's relieved he dodged that bullet.

I doubt any of them would balk at hiring a good actor who has a few embarrassing films under his belt. In Tarantinos case that might even be a positive. It's not going to be great for his career while it's happening since I'm sure Star Wars is an intense workload. But in the long run I don't think it damages his reputation.
 
What if instead of during down the role for the second Star Wars prequel film in 2001, he accepts it and plays the character?

One Blogger I stumbled upon recently suggested to cast Heath Ledger, who could have been an awsome Anakin Skywalker in the Phantom Menance. He had more the rough and dark aura that would fit to a young Anakin Darth Vader.
 
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