Voice Actor Announcement Tomorrow

[Apollo]

If someone truly hated them not going with Glynnis as much as you seem to they would not go with any of the positive options. You are in the minority on this one.

Oh please. There have been numerous complaints on various websites about them not going with Glynnis.

Seriously, man, I've been arguing harder than anyone for Glynnis, but let's hear who they cast before we judge

Listening to the Kerrigan vs Zeratul clip, was it confirmed that was Strassman? Because if not, I'm pretty sure it's Tricia voicing her there.

[Eligor]

It doesn't matter. HEAR THE VOICE FIRST.

Seriously, man, I've been arguing harder than anyone for Glynnis, but let's hear who they cast before we judge.

My issue is with the idea of recasting in the first place. Of course it'll be nice if whatever replacement they have is actually good. But it's much more than just an issue of good vs. bad acting.

[Raisk]

She can be as brilliant as she wants. Was Glynnis not brilliant?
And its a bit silly this is spread over two threads, but I'll say it here too. We heard her in the new Old Rivals Kerrigan vs Zeratul CG. What if I do hear more of her and I still dislike it? It wont matter anymore.

[Pandonetho]

I'm just glad that at least clotworthy is back. If I had to choose between Raynor and Kerrigan it would be Raynor's original VA.

And come on people, it's been 4 years since BW, listen to her damn voice and give it a chance as Aldrius says.

Also, I'm ecstatic that Mengsk's original VA is back, I love his voice.

[FrozenArbiter]

Mengsk's voice is so god damn fantastic I'm considering committing the rest of my life to mimicking it :P

Tricia Helfer as Kerrigan makes me feel weird tho. Maybe because the only roles I've seen her play were as characters you kinda hate? (Six in Battlestar Galactica, whatever her name is in Burn Notice)

Even if she's good, and she may very well be, I don't like the idea of such an important character being re-cast. Especially when she did such a good job the first time around... It really makes me sad - it's like if you'd replaced James Earl Jones with Morgan Freeman inbetween the first and the second Star Wars movie. Sure, both are great, but it doesn't feel right.

Oh well, everyone else sounded great - wish they'd played a clip with her at least.

[Eligor]

Another thing to consider is that they DID bring Mengsk and Raynor back... Kerrigan though...??? In a way it would have been MUCH more tolerable had they recast everyone from the get go and been adamant about it.

And I have to repeat that it has nothing to do with "giving the new actress a chance" (why does it seem to me that this is a question of affection for actor winning over affection for character?). Characters SHOULD stay consistent, unions, money and second thoughts on the creative side be damned! Metzen should have thought over his choice for Kerrigan back when they were casting her for the first StarCraft. By now, since he "let it out into the world" the character "belongs" as much to the audience as to him. I'm sick of Blizzard's recent "we didn't do it well enough on the first try/it sucked, so let's change it completely" attitude. It's all very fine and well that the people you cast "weren't exactly what you had in mind/weren't up to industry standards", but that's what the audience fell in love with. Have the integrity and artistic backbone to stick with it (it's not like they didn't do the best they could at the time, they did, but it would be nice to acknowledge and respect it). Especially if you're making a POINT out of continuity and coherence. Gaming is a young industry but one that sure as hell doesn't need famous and glamorous actors to stand on its own ("glamour" in the modern sense of the word is one of the most irritating and pernicious things about show business, all hype and gossip taking attention away from what really matters).

Now, with all this in mind. I still respect Metzen, at least as a writer, and everyone else working on this game (in fact, that the ones responsible are NOT idiots but immensely talented and intelligent people makes it all the more painful). I will still buy the game (most of the effort gone into it wasn't coming from the perniciously self deprecating point of view delineated above) and I would (by most probabilities) enjoy and appreciate the story (yes, including Tricia Helfer as Kerrigan, after all it's not her fault and she will most likely put her best into the character (and actors live to be appreciated)*). However, Blizzard (if you're reading this): if you do bring Glynnis Talken back as Sarah Kerrigan I will buy two, no, FOUR copies of the game and would encourage everyone I know to do the same (hell, I'd happily buy a copy of StarCraft 2 every month for the span of a year or two if you do that!). So, have we got a deal?

Eligor signing off.

*That of course doesn't change the fact that the characters and story will suffer from Talken's absence, however good the replacing actress.

[Aldrius]

Did you guys really think blizzard gave in and brought Glynnis back?

They easily could have. They already brought Raynor back.

Oh well, everyone else sounded great - wish they'd played a clip with her at least.

It's her in the new version of the Old Rivals trailer, and they did show a clip, but I couldn't hear it. =[

And I'm really positive Tricia Helfer wasn't hired for the glamour. That's why they built her up over the last few weeks, but I've heard her play voice roles, and she's been fantastic in all of them.

[Nicol Bolas]

I'd argue with that. As good as she may be, it breaks continuity, and that's something which is not redeemed by an actor's skill (unless there truly is no other choice, the original actor is sick/dead e.t.c).

You don't hire an actress like that, parade her around, and then fire her because some people on a forum say so.

I never thought I'd see the day when I'll identify with those Star Wars fans complaining about Lucas making changes to the original trilogy, but hell, now I do more than ever

So, Blizzard is going to remake SC1 using Trisha's voice? No? Then your analogy doesn't work.

Blizzard sold out by going the route of the higher profile actress

Yeah, that's a total sellout. It's not because Trisha rocks ass or anything.

would ask you to imagine Darth Vader being recast in the middle of Empire Strikes Back with Orson Welles now doing the voice instead of James Earl Jones.

In the middle of the movie? Is Trisha only voicing half of Kerrigan's lines in SC2? When was this said?

No. Before or after the movie is acceptable. During it is not.

I'm sick of Blizzard's recent "we didn't do it well enough on the first try/it sucked, so let's change it completely" attitude.

Well, that's your right as a viewer.

It is Blizzard's right as an artist to choose whatever they feel is appropriate for the artistic work they're making currently.

[Eligor]

So, Blizzard is going to remake SC1 using Trisha's voice? No? Then your analogy doesn't work.

Actually, it's worse, because then we'd have two alternative versions to choose from. Here there's no alternative.

Yeah, that's a total sellout. It's not because Trisha rocks ass or anything.

Just because someone "rocks ass" is no reason to cast them as a certain character, in fact, it's the crummiest and shallowest reason possible. There must be more to a casting choice than that.

In the middle of the movie? Is Trisha only voicing half of Kerrigan's lines in SC2? When was this said?

No. Before or after the movie is acceptable. During it is not.

Let me amend it then to "in the middle of a story".

It is Blizzard's right as an artist to choose whatever they feel is appropriate for the artistic work they're making currently.

Not quite. As an artist you can't just go and erase the past, or disregard your former works because you consider them inferior. If you propose to make a sequel to something you ideally should respect not only the letter but the spirit of the thing, especially if you're setting high standards for yourself. You need a very deep and solid reason for any fundamental change, you don't do those things on a whim (of course you can, but then your standards go out of the window).

[FrozenArbiter]

In the middle of the movie? Is Trisha only voicing half of Kerrigan's lines in SC2? When was this said?

No. Before or after the movie is acceptable. During it is not.

I'm gonna quote myself from earlier in the thread, as I made basically the same point as the person you quoted, with a slight difference (which is significant):

Even if she's good, and she may very well be, I don't like the idea of such an important character being re-cast. Especially when she did such a good job the first time around... It really makes me sad - it's like if you'd replaced James Earl Jones with Morgan Freeman inbetween the first and the second Star Wars movie. Sure, both are great, but it doesn't feel right.

Wouldn't that feel weird to you? The new VA will probably do a good job (I mean, it's a Blizzard title... they wouldn't hire her if she didn't), but there is something to be said for continuity and throwing old fans a nostalgic bone.

Plus, Talken's Kerrigan is very, very good.