Reepicheep Recast! Again!? Simon Pegg takes over?

[HM Swanwhite]

I must admit I've never heard of Simon Pegg before. I'd finally resigned myself to Nighy's voice though this was because I liked Reep's voice in the trailer. Sounded just like Izzard to me but it possibly is because sometimes in trailer's they had lines that aren't going to be there. Hopefully, it was Simon so we'll know what he sounds like as Reep and it did sound tlike a more mature Reep too. pogginfan You are right! If the change is that subtle people won't even notice. I too noticed the change on narnia.com but it still says TBA.

[Movie Aristotle]

It sounded in the interview with Nighy as if he had already finished recording for Reepicheep. So why would they scrap his sound files and hire Pegg instead? I look forward to hearing Pegg, and I am sure he'll do a fine job, but I still wonder why on earth they aren't having Izzard reprise his role in the first place. And in the second place, if they truly couldn't go with what Nighy had recorded, then why not go with hat in hand back to Izzard? This is one very confused fan who doesn't see the need to hire a new actor in either case. Perhaps it has to do with contracts, as opposed to artistic decisions like I had assumed.

[Claire-ayes]

I went back to the trailer and I'm preeetty sure it's Simon Pegg doing the voice. This is really strange, not that I mind it much - Bill Nighy and Simon Pegg are both actors that I really like (most famous for Star Trek(!)). Both would make a funny and dignified Reepicheep.

Plus, if that is Simon Pegg in the trailer, then I'm sold that he will do a fantastic job as Reepicheep already.

The only question really is 'why?' but there you go.

[coracle]

I think it is Simon's voice. I've seen him in two or three films, including "Hot Fuzz" and "Run Fat Boy Run" - probably a lot of members here wouldn't have seen them!

Perhaps we'll never find out 'why'....
I'd like to see Nighy used in another film - I think he'd make a great Uncle Andrew in MN.

[fantasia]

Man this makes me feel SOOOOOOOOOO much better. The very first time I saw the trailer, one of my initial reactions was "Wow, that can't be Bill Nighy voicing Reep, it sounds nothing like him!" I thought I was going crazy. And then I told myself that Nighy is a very good actor who could probably imitate Eddie Izzard very well. Now I can DEFINITELY hear Simon Pegg's voice in that line.

My best guess as to what happened was something very similar to what happened with Brian Cox (for those who weren't around, Brian Cox was originally cast as Aslan). When they brought Brian into the studio and listened to him reading the lines, they realized he just didn't work in the part. I suspect the same thing happened with Nighy.

...probably a lot of members here wouldn't have seen [Simon Pegg's movies]!

The biggest film Simon's been in (here in the States) is the new Star Trek movie. He played Scotty. Though Shaun of the Dead was a pretty big hit here as well... if you like that sort of thing.

[narnialover4]

Okay, well, like most people I'm really confused. I was perfectly happy with Eddie Izzard voicing Reepicheep!

[AslanIsOnTheMove]

I was happy with Izzard as well, but whoever that is in the trailer is pretty close. I just think perhaps we wouldn't have to worry about how close he sounded to Izzard if he was Izzard. Could they not have just asked him to sound a bit older? Oh well. I will love the movie anyway. Even though I'm confused!

[Liberty Hoffman]

I have never heard of Simon Pegg, and I have never heard his voice. but I am not worried!
I think he'll do well and somehow, this piece of information didn't shock me.
*ducks to avoid the flying tomatoes*

[bkey]

I don't believe I've weighed in on this topic yet. I don't have a problem with the recasting. I personally quite like Simon Pegg, a lot more so than Bill Nighy.

I'm not convinced that they didn't just reuse a clip of Eddie Izzard for the trailer, but if that was indeed Pegg, than his voice sounds very similar to Izzard's, which is fine by me.

I think Pegg will do fine in the role. I'm certain that Nighy hadn't already done his voiceover work, so I guess either Apted decided he wanted a different take on the character than Nighy was aiming for, or Nighy had a scheduling conflict, possibly with any post-production work for Harry Potter.

[fantasia]

...and I have never heard his voice.

Yes you have. Unless you didn't watch the trailer, and then I WILL throw tomatoes at you.
Nah, I'm just giving you a hard time.

[DamselJillPole]

Okay I feel much better now of the change. I had no idea of this actor until I looked him up on IMDB and saw that he was in Star Trek (2009). Scotty!

Good ole Scotty

It was then i realized his voice could be very perfect for Reepicheep!

[220chrisTian]

I know Izzard and Nighy. I don't know Pegg. But it doesn't matter to me because (1) I'm not a voice expert at all, and (2) I loved Reep's voice in the trailer! It sounded majestic, royal, silky, and smooth. "Your majesties!" is beautiful. Period. Whoever Pegg is, if he's the voice in the trailer, I love it!

[Liberty Hoffman]

^^ yay! at least I'm not alone in my opinion!

[Claire-ayes]

Is it supposed to be Reepicheep speaking the 'you've got an extraordinary destiny, greater than you could ever have imagined' line?

That sounds extraordinarily like Simon Pegg &, I think, sounds really good.

Sorry if everybody has already been working on this assumption, but it sounded to me like people were only thinking of the 'you're majesties' line. Perhaps, if it is Pegg, it'll help people gauge what he'll sound like better.

How many times can I use the word 'Sound' in one post? ... 4 - oh, hold the phone, 5.

[Movie Aristotle]

I saw a scene of Star Trek last night with Simon Pegg in it and was very encouraged by what I saw (and heard). I think he'll make a great Reepicheep.

[icarus]

Is it supposed to be Reepicheep speaking the 'you've got an extraordinary destiny, greater than you could ever have imagined' line?

I thought so too, but i think a few people had that down as Coriakin, even though to me it doesn't sound much like his first line in the trailer. But i've had a hard enough time convincing people that Eustace has two lines in the trailer, so i'll just wait and see with that one. lol

Anyway, I think it would be interesting to see what people's reactions to the recasting would have been if we had just gone straight from Eddie Izzard to Simon Pegg without ever being aware of the Bill Nighy step inbetween. I could imagine the whole thing wouldn't of been as much of a big deal as it was, as Izzard and Pegg's voices are so similar anyway that i think most people would have assumed that there was some sort of scheduling/contract issue that meant they couldn't get Izzard to return and so went with Pegg to match the voice. There wouldn't of been all the debate about different performance styles or as much fuss about continuity issues i don't think.

But throwing Bill Nighy into the middle there generated all sorts of debates about the way they might perhaps change the character from Prince Caspian, and many theories (and even semi-official reports from the preview screenings) that they had decided to make Reepicheep a much older, more serious character in this film. But if you look at the recasting as simply an Izzard to Pegg change, and ignore the Nighy casting inbetween, then its very clear that isn't the case. You don't replace a 48 year old comedian/actor with a 40 year old comedian/actor to make your character older or more serious - it wouldn't make even the slightest bit of sense.