Liam Neeson is on a good roll at the moment, you just have to look at the past few movies he’s been in and the list of movies to come, he’s certainly top of the list for imposing characters. So that trend continues with the news from Coming Soon that he’s replacing Brian Cox as Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Cox has a really impressive voice and it seems just perfectly suited for the character, and at first I thought that maybe Neeson’s voice is too soft, not imposing enough, not carrying that tone of “I could turn on you any second”. After all Cox played the first, and in my mind the best, screen outing of Hannibal. Still you can hear the match when you listen, the warmth, depth and gruffness that would match with the character. I don’t think it’s that bad a move.
What of the movie though? It’s been surprisingly quiet of late. I have high hopes for this series, could it be another Rings style adaptation?
The reason Cox was supposed to have not done the voice was scheduling conflicts, not the popular rumor that he “lost too much weight & it changed his voice”. Neeson has apparently already recorded in the studio – they were just keeping it quiet until Comic-Con, I believe. Anyhow, I think Neeson is a great choice – Brian Cox never really felt like he should be the one. I really would have preferred Douglas Gresham (Lewis’s stepson, who can be heard on the Focus on the Family recordings of the books), but I have to say Neeson was a close second.
Great actor, every performance I have ever seen him in I have enjoyed greatly. And as for these movies, they very well may have Lord of the Rings style potential in growth and popularity terms. Looks promising, we will obvioulsy just have to wait and see what happens.
I think either would be great. Cox’s voice is very regal, very authoritative… but I think Neeson could do it just as well. Look at the roles he played in Phantom Menace and Batman Begins… solid, powerful, don’t-fuck-with-me types.
What concerns me is the change… isn’t it a bit late to be swapping the main character’s voice at this stage? I know it’s not the same as for a live-action character (obviously), but it still seems a bit odd. Have they given a reason?
I too have high hopes though…