captainsblog | ♫Whooooo are you, Who Who, Who Who.....♫ (Reply)

On the day I brought home the divvid of David Yates's final Harry Potter film, word got out that he's now attached to direct, yes, the Major Motion Picture of Doctor Who:

Yates said it would take "two to three years to get it right" as the show needs "quite a radical transformation".

"Russell T Davies and then Steven Moffat have done their own transformations, which were fantastic, but we have to put that aside and start from scratch," he said.

Yates is reported to be working with the head of LA-based BBC Worldwide Productions, Jane Tranter.

A BBC spokesman said: "A Doctor Who feature film remains in development with BBC Worldwide Productions in Los Angeles.

"The project is unlikely to reach cinemas for several years and as yet there is no script, cast or production crew in place."

Intrigued, I turned to my resident expert on such things, thanatos_kalos, who quickly noted that the most significant words in that release are "BBC Worldwide." You can read her full thoughts here if you're enabled for that), but the relevant-to-here part is this:

BBCW are based in LA, too, so the shooting location(s) will have a major impact on cast and crew. Generally, in order to get tax breaks in a given country a production must employ X number of nationals of that country (I've no idea how it works for resident foreigners with valid leave to work/stay). This is why on s4&5 Primeval not only are most of the guest artists suddenly Irish, but all the crew and their lead actor suddenly are. (Note that I'm not objecting to this, just explaining). It's also why US shows shot in Canada use mainly Canadian cast/crew (again, not objecting in the slightest). That said, if the DW film shoots Stateside, that means most of the cast & crew will be American. (I'm not sure they'd go so far as to cast an American as the Doctor).

Ah, but consider the possibilities.

The role calls for a survivor. Full of impertinence and the constant presence of below-the-surface rage, aimed at years of perceived slights and injuries. Random! Words! Yes! become part of the Whovian landscape! Strange costumes! And we'll need someone not already attached to a particular project, or licence fees would have to rise back home to pay for it all. Can't have that.

And so, present for your approval: the Twelve and A Half Man!

Before you laugh it off, consider two things. One, BBCA's speculation about, and eventual surprise at the reality of, the contenders to take Charlie's role on the CBS show. And second, that it wasn't THAT long ago that Robert Downey Junior was seen as similar casting poison. Did he ultimately redeem himself and his career? No shit, Sherlock;)