(no subject)

[frelling_tralk]

So I don't know if anyone on my flist has even heard of these books, but I was a big fan of the Kelley Armstrong book Bitten and there's going to be a Canadian tv version of it. 13 episodes and airing on Space

And I'm sorry, but I just can't get past the casting. Laura Vandervoort is actually a very good actress, but she's just not Elena to me. I always pictured Elena as being more tomboyish, no make-up, hair tied back in a ponytail. The books always made a big deal about how casually she dressed and styled herself. Then you look at the pictures of Laura as Elena and she just doesn't fit that picture for me at all. Ditto Clayton who the book always made a big deal of having golden curls and being quite angelic-looking, this is just some generic beefcake guy. Not a comment on his acting as I've never seen him in anything before, just in terms of looks he is all wrong for Clayton IMO

First Look: photos from the set of Bitten






(Last pic is supposed to be Jeremy).

Or am I being too picky? :P

Comments

[waltzmatildah.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of that book, the TV series, or those actors but: those photos look nothing like the descriptions you've given from the book. And if physical appearance is such a factor in it, then I definitely don't think you're being too picky!

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

It's such a strange thing when one of your favourite books gets adapted and it's nothing like what you had pictured! Elena has always been described as tall and athletic and as someone who never wears make-up, Laura just looks so slight and delicate in comparison to how I always pictured Elena

[l-vera01.livejournal.com]

I heard about this too and was thoroughly disappointed they cast LV and chose Elena as a character to follow. There are far more interesting characters in the Otherworld series ( and I wonder if they're trying to capitalise on Teen Wolf's success), and I've just never thought LV was a good actress.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I've only seen Laura on SV, but I thought she did a good job at bringing depth to Kara, and I was impressed at her performance as Brainiac. She's just not Elena to me

And I don't even know what to think about the actor playing Clayton saying that he apologies to the fans for not playing it with a Southern accent, he's an actor and he can't put a southern accent on??? I wouldn't mind, but Clayton's accent was so frequently brought up in the books. He's saying there will be a lot of 'darlings' thrown in there, but it won't be the same if he just says it in some Midwestern American accent (if that's the right term!)

And I always really enjoyed the Bitten books and Elena and Clayton, so I would have been excited for it if the casting wasn't throwing me so much lol, they were always my favourite couple. Which of the books were you hoping to see them adapt?

[l-vera01.livejournal.com]

Hands down Paige and Lucas. I LOVE them both, hell even Savannah grew on me. Witches, mafia = perfect.

That quote from the actor about the accent kmade me go wuh? Dude, aren't you supposed to know how to act? I guess if he's worked with a dialect coach and can't do it, ok, but that quote makes me wonder if he has.

ETa: I saw LV at a con once and she's lovely in RL, but as an actress she's never been any good to me.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I've no idea if they even tried that, I just saw a quote from the actor saying that he apologises for not being Southern himself. Umm you're an actor, there are ways of getting around not being exactly the same as the character you're playing. Maybe unfair, but that hasn't given me much confidence in his abilities

[silverusagi]

So there are TWO supernatural book series with protagonists named Elena? lol.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

LOL Yeah Smallville fans were talking about that on Fan Forum when it came out that Laura had this gig, and people were saying it makes it confusing to also call her Elena. So of course I had to pop up and tell everyone that, at the time that the books were written, the author would have had no clue about TvD *g*

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

They were a fairly popular book series when they were first written 10 years before Bitten was published. Popular enough that IMO that both Joss Whedon and Stephenie Meyers were definitely influenced by the series. Two red haired best friend witches is just a little too much of a coincidence (let alone other similarities)and Twilight even copied an entire series of dialog from LJ Smith. The one where he says "What am I" and she balks and finally names him a vampire.

IMO it's possible that Armstrong never heard of TVD but I wouldn't rule it out.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Oh absolutely I always believed that Twilight ripped off TVD a bit, LJ Smith said that when her books were re-released a lot of SM fans were contacting her to complain that she ripped off Twilight and she would always respond by telling them to check the copyright dates :P

And I suppose it is possible that Kelley Armstrong did read TvD, I remember that Stolen had Elena reference Buffy The Vampire Slayer and season 4 which always made me smile heh, so she could well have been following vampire lit as well. Still the most we can say is that she may have been inspired by the name Elena, otherwise they don't have much in common really

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

Aside from having werewolves that's true. IIRC they treat the werewolves completely differently.

[legendarytobes.livejournal.com]

I'm disappointed that Clayton is neither that blond nor actually someone who can act with a Southern accent. I know they're hard to do (as someone with North Carolinian family and who's lived in the south for eleven years now, I can tell you HOW painful a badly faked accent is), but they're ACTORS. They should be able to cast someone who can and not just write it out!

I'm still excited. I like LV and I love the Elena Michaels character a ton.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Of all the changes to the books I think I am most devastated that he doesn't have a Southern accent quite honestly lol, I was always swooning when he would call Elena "Darling" and I was hearing it in my head *g* It was such a big part of the books with him keeping that distinctive accent and even being made fun of for it when he was younger in the Men Of The Underworld series, so I don't understand how they could just drop that with the excuse that an actor can't do an accent

I'm still going to watch though yeah, hopefully I will be able to get past none of the actors looking right if they all still do a good job with the parts

[janetmaca.livejournal.com]

I don't know about these guys but I love that Natalie Brown and Genelle Williams are in it. :D

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Heh I don't even know who they are, Laura is the only actor in it that I've heard of before, and that's because of Smallville. I take it they're good? :)

[janetmaca.livejournal.com]

I always have issues judging actors that way, but I liked shows they were in before. It's nice seeing them again.

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

My biggest problem with Laura Vandervoort is that she's just a terrible actress. Everything after that is going to cascade. She'll bring the whole cast down to her level.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I hasn't seen her in anything else, but I always thought that she did a good job as Kara on Smallville

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

She always looks botoxed to me. No facial expressions. I was similarly underwhelmed with her work in V.

[robinchristine.livejournal.com]

Not too picky. I thought the same thing. :( I love the books, but everytime I see Laura I see Kara from Smallville.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's part of it for me as well, I would rather an unknown actress play Elena, instead of someone I associate so strongly with another role