If you could remake 'Nicholas and Alexandra'....

[Pravoslavnaya]

To play Alexei, I think the ideal would be someone with a miraculous gift of being wise and empathetic beyond his years and yet come across at the same time as profoundly innocent -- someone we don't know is out there yet.  Do they make children like that any more?

Ralph Fiennes would not be half bad as Nicholas!

Part I of a trilogy:  Nicholas and Alexandra: First Love
Part II:  The Funeral Bride:  1894-1904
Part III:  Faithful Unto Death: 1904-18

[JaneEyre5381]

To play Alexei, I think the ideal would be someone with a miraculous gift of being wise and empathetic beyond his years and yet come across at the same time as profoundly innocent -- someone we don't know is out there yet.  Do they make children like that any more?

Ralph Fiennes would not be half bad as Nicholas!

Part I of a trilogy:  Nicholas and Alexandra: First Love
Part II:  The Funeral Bride:  1894-1904
Part III:  Faithful Unto Death: 1904-18

Great thoughts Elizabeth!!!!!!.  I like the trilogy idea.  However, I would keep Ian McKellen as Nicky.  In my opinion, he did a GREAT job in "Rasputin".  

Dasha

[Louise]

The movie Nicholas and Alexandra should be viewed in the time period it was filmed. There are some excellent parts in the movie and there are some not so excellent parts. The lavish sets, the music, the actors brought a sense of realism for me. The first time I watched the movie I was about 16 years old and was captivated by it. Watching it again recently, with what is available on the Romanov's brings a different light to the film. That said, I still enjoyed it, flaws and all. As far as I'm concerned Janet Suzman's portrayal of Alix raised the standard to other actresses that attempt to play this role. Ms. Suzman was and is the perfect Alexandra.

Just MPO on this great Sunday.

Louise

[Janet_W.]

I completely agree with Louise.

For many of us on this website, Nicholas and Alexandra provided our first compelling glimpse of Romanov history. Yes, there are flaws--dialogue to be argued, favorite people left out, and also at least one very notable historical inaccuracy. But it remains, for me at least, a handsome film with some very fine performances, namely those of Janet Suzman, Michael Jayston, and Irene Worth. I am as beholden to this film as I think Bob is beholden to the Anna Anderson book that introduced him to the subject!

[jackie3]

How odd that this should come up as I was watching Young Sherlock Holmes with my son last night and I thought...
"That Sophie Ward would make a perfect Alexandra!"

I have no idea what she looks like now but at the time YSH was made she would have been perfect as young Alix.
I only BEG that we don't end up with a bunch of drawn through a knothole, skinny, bleached starlets as OTMA.
I say find some wholesome looking unknowns, some girls who look natural and healthy and sweet.

I always thought the young Sophie Ward would have made a good Tatiana. It was in the unusual eyes I think. I always imagined Tatiana's were like that. Of course I no longer try to cast movies in my mind with current actors anymore. Actors age but the movie ideas don't. I remember when Sophie Ward was young enough to play Tatiana, now she's old enough to play Tatiana's mother!  

[Ammie]

Ralph Fiennes would not be half bad as Nicholas!

Not sure if anyone mentioned this before, if so I apologize. I watched Discovery's The Last of the Czars and I belive that Ralph Fiennes did the voice for Nicholas.  I think he was great exactly how I imagine Nicky would sound.

Ammie

[anna]

Thank you Louise and as always Janet for your last remarks on the N&A film. I couldn't have said it better

Anna

[Louise]

Anna, my adivse to you is to read all you can on the Romanovs, even the books that offer different opinions, such as Peter Kurth's book on Anna Anderson. I have it in my collection and I enjoyed it. I have books on the IF written in the 1970's that discusses their "escape" to safety. I, like many others here read anything and everthing they can get their hands on. That also includes watching anything on the IF. Oh heck, even give the cartoon Anastatia a go. If nothing else, it's kinda cute. BTW, many of the younger people on the board became interested in the Romanov's because of this movie.

I guess what I am trying to say, is don't let anyone dissuaded you from learning, and obtaining more knowledge.

Louise

[anna]

Oh dear :-Sorry that I gave the wrong impression. A bit tooo sentimental I suppose . You would be surprised the books I have, and yes even books that offer different opinions. Did I sound so stupid?

Anna

[Lanie]

Alas, she's 30 now, but when she was younger, Laurie Holden looked like Olga (she was Princess Ekaterina Dashkova in Young Catherine).  She's an amazing actress.

I agree the gal who plays Wendy could have been one of the girls.  I forget her name, but I ended up thinking Maria instead of Anastasia for her...she has those same blue eyes and pretty mouth.

[Vive_HIH_Aleksey]

I can see Joaquin Phoenix having a part in there, perhaps playing Felix. He was fabulous in Gladiator, Signs, and Quills. Haven't seen Brother Bear yet cause my STUPID LAZY BROTHER WON'T GIVE IT BACK!!!! lol sorry venting. He's had it for MONTHS!!!! sorry venting again LOL.

[grandduchessella]

If it were dealing with the young N&A, Orlando Bloom (sigh) is dreamy-eyed enough and he's talented too. Maybe for the older Nicholas, Ralph Fiennes or Hugh Jackman (double sigh). For a middle-aged (though she can play younger or older with her great skin) Julianne Moore? I don't think Joan Allen right for Ella. I love her as an actress and she's certainly lovely, but no quite right to me--maybe Laura Linney? Cate Blanchett? Elegant, lovely--and can do royalty. Nicole Kidman for a younger Alix or Ella? That porcelein beauty. HJO would make a great Alexei, I say stick with Alan Rickman for Rasputin, for the girls, trickier. Kirsten Dunst? (Great acting in Cat's Meow where she played Marion Davies). Keira Knightley (beautiful and good actress). Natalie Portman? Anna Paquin for Anastasia? It's tricky, because the girls are more often than not "sidelined" so it would probably be a lesser known actress (though I'm for a 10-hr miniseries ala Band of Brothers!). I could see CZJ more for Minnie than Miechen except for her height. Too beautiful for Miechen. Plus, she did play Catherine the Great!    

[Michelle]

Oh what great fun!!!  I absolutely HAVE to give cheers to jackie3 on her idea on the ending for the movie, with NAOTMAA as "ghosts" in the Alexander Palace.  Also, I'm not quite sure who suggested this next idea (maybe Merrique ), but it was just AWESOME!!!  How cool would it be if the movie did have at the ending credits pictures of each actual person as taken in real life, and then an image of the actor/actress (an image taken from the movie) appearing beside the real person in a compare/contrast thing?  That is genius!!  Sorry, I'm being just a bit dramatic here, but I can't help myself    CHEERS MERRIQUE!!!!
(I think  :-/ )

For actresses I would say that Liv Tyler is an absolute MUST for either Olga or Tatiana. . .

Keira Knightley would also be excellent as one of our beloved grand duchesses. . . I'm thinking of her as Olga, and Liv Tyler as Tatiana because she reminds me of Tatiana with those interestingly haunting eyes and dark hair.  Maria and Anastasia I'm not sure about.  Possibly Charlotte Church for Maria and Emma Watson (I think that's that girl's name from Harry Potter ) for Anastasia.

Meryl Streep would be EXCELLENT as middle-aged Alix, and maybe Gwyneth Paltrow for young Alix.

Don't know about Nicholas. . .

I also think Catherine Zeta-Jones should have some sort of part in it.

Definitely there would HAVE to be a music theme like from Titanic, complete with some sort of "My Hear Will Go On" song

Wow!  I would pay big bucks to see this movie in the theaters!  Ha ha  

[DOMOVOII]

If you must cast Cathrine Zeta Jones with a part then let it be, Chionya Gusyeva... the syphyllitic ex prostitute who tried to murder Rasputin in 1914. (I don't like her!)

[Annie]

One of the things I really liked and think should stay is the soundtrack. I liked that theme song and how variations of it were used in the background. It was very classy, very Russian, yet so haunting, making it almost perfect. I wouldn't want different music, but I'm sure the original music could be improved with today's technology.