There are few actors whose attachment to a project, even as a rumour, propels my interest in the film quite as much as Sir Anthony Hopkins.
So far all we know is the casting of Liam Hemsworth in Chuck Russell’s adaptation of the classic story compendium Arabian Nights, which I’m guessing will be a CG heavy spectacle, no doubt coming to us in glorious 3D-o-vision, following Russell’s previous works The Mask and The Scorpion King.
Like the casting of Hopkins in Thor (where he’ll face off against the senior Hemsworth) the tradition of adding an elder Brit to the cast of Hollywood epic continues apace and HeatVision have the story that Hopkins
will play Pharotu, an evil sorcerer who killed Sinbad’s love, a mermaid, and is looking to amass more magic for himself.
Written by Russell and Barry P. Ambrose, the period epic centers on a young commander (Liam Hemsworth) who, after his king is murdered in a coup, joins forces with Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Genie from the magic lamp to rescue the queen, Scheherazade.
I’ve got faith in Hopkins to turn in more than a perfunctory performance, but I’ve been burned by Clash of the Titans and wonder if Russell has more up his sleeve for this magical, mystical tale than an onslaught of CG and shouting.
