Discussion on fantasy

just a quick query,
why is it that in almost all hollywood films in a fantasy type world eg lord of the rings, the golden compass, the spiderwick chronicles, there will almost always be someone with a brit accent; usually a cockeny accent?
do americans believe that england is a land of fairies and hobbits or what?
anyone involved with hollywood on these fora take note: trolls and hobbits dont speak in an english/cockney/irish accent; they speak in a stupid nasally new yawker accent. hell look at joe pesci.

discuss

do americans believe that england is a land of fairies and hobbits or what?
anyone involved with hollywood on these fora take note: trolls and hobbits dont speak in an english/cockney/irish accent; they speak in a stupid nasally new yawker accent. hell look at joe pesci

No just a way to differentiate characters, and the fact that it is comparatively easy to get British actors. Hollywood makes movies in English so realistically if you want an accent your biggest source is going to be Britain; I suppose you could get Canadians but really the accent just is not going to be distinct to an American (for most of Canada - sans say Newfoundland and I'm betting Hollywood is not crawling covered in newfy actors - and even they probably sound more and more like Peter Mansbridge). On the plus side a British accent don’t risk any suggestion of racism, they way that say having all fairies use a Jamaican accent might.

Finally Shakespeare was British->A Midsummer Night’s Dream had Fairies AND Tolkien was British->ergo fantasy creatures, fairies and such must be British (unless they are obviously of Scandinavian origin than they can have any generic German-like accent (Dutch, Danish whatever) if you can find actors who can do one and of course any Vampire should have a generic 'slavic' or maybe German accent).

Besides what Hollywood really knows is that all oppressive Romans and Germans (in WW2) films have British accents – but upper-class ones…

Have you noticed also, that very few heroes (with English accents) have northern accents (i.e grass instead of grarss) and tend towards the stereotypical heroic King Arthur type character.
Also, in the Golden Compass, there are only really two major English accents- posh upper class English (everyone except the Gyptians) and Southern town not posh English (half of the Gyptians).
We all know Lee Scoresby is Texan, but apart from that no other accents really jump out at me.
Like the above poster said, I suppose it's because most movies are dramatisations of English work, i.e if Harry Potter spoke in an American accent a lot of English people would be very affronted.
(I haven't seen Eragon, but I'm assuming they have American accents for an American author?)

lol, too true fellers
have u also noticed how in the realm of fantasy, almost all the protagonists happen to be caucasian?

Might just be me, but I find the majority of American accents sound common. Not what I'm looking for concerning the Heir of Isildur.

And as already stated, if all the evil goblins had German accents, somebody would be offended - at least the entire globe can accept the evil that is the upper-class British.

frankly, i find it weird hearing cockney accents on elves/goblins. i mean we're talking about hollywood here man! they love to stereotype ppl!

Originally Posted by Exarch

just a quick query,
why is it that in almost all hollywood films in a fantasy type world eg lord of the rings, the golden compass, the spiderwick chronicles, there will almost always be someone with a brit accent; usually a cockeny accent?
do americans believe that england is a land of fairies and hobbits or what?
anyone involved with hollywood on these fora take note: trolls and hobbits dont speak in an english/cockney/irish accent; they speak in a stupid nasally new yawker accent. hell look at joe pesci.

discuss

It's not?

Originally Posted by Exarch

frankly, i find it weird hearing cockney accents on elves/goblins. i mean we're talking about hollywood here man! they love to stereotype ppl!

Hey, which elves have cockney accents?

Originally Posted by _Pontifex_

It's not?

It is,

Originally Posted by Tweety the Conquerer

It is,

Q:Why does the Imperial commanding officers in Star Wars all have British accents?
A:They sound more stately, better suited to the role.

When we think fantasy, we think medieval, as opposed to science fiction and space. Fantasy was like a setting closely similar with rolling countrysides, English in origin, no less.

Originally Posted by Da Skinna

When we think fantasy, we think medieval, as opposed to science fiction and space. Fantasy was like a setting closely similar with rolling countrysides, English in origin, no less.

I agree. Fantasy = History, so to an English speaking consumer there is only the English, everywhere else is too young.
Space Heroes in Sci-fi are always Yanks, so I guess it all balances out.

Most actual medieval heroes would have spoken some dialect of French.

Yup, but more people understand English.

Ok, they could go for French accents, but to the vast majority of people all French accents sound the same. Easier to give them all British/American accents. As it is, British accents are more exotic to an American audience (and an American studio team), so they go with British.

Except when there's an obvious need for German, Russian etc accents.

i reckon it'd be really original if they go a kiwi accent for some of them elves