Bethesda Secures Big-Name Hollywood Talent for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer Amongst Project's Stars
In case you're not convinced that video games really are starting to equal major motion pictures in terms of production values and budgets, then take note of the recently announced voice cast for Bethesda's upcoming role-playing title, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
True, few video games feature big-name voice talent, but the inclusion of AAA Hollywood talent does periodically occur. Take, for instance, Ray Liotta's role as Tommy Vercetti in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City or rising Mad Men star Aaron Staton's portrayal of Cole Phelps in the recently released LA Noire.
The Elder Scrolls is a long-running role-playing franchise that is no stranger to top-flight voice talent. The last game in the series, Oblivion, featured work by Star Trek: The Next Generation's Patrick Stewart and Wonder Woman Linda Carter.
Carter returns for Skyrim and will be joined by a number of other celebrities. Swedish actor Max Von Sydow, best known for roles in The Exorcist, Minority Report and (the new) Robin Hood will apparently play a part in the game, though it's not yet known who he will portray or how much time he'll contribute to the project.
Beyond Von Sydow, Bethesda says it's also hired on Christopher Plummer, the famous Canadian actor known for work in The Sound of Music and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, to lend his talent to the production.
The last major addition to Skyrim is Joan Allen, best known for playing Pamela Landy in the Jason Bourne trilogy of films, The Bourne Report, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum. We do know that Allen will portray the warrior "Delphine" in the game, though again we don't know how much this will play into the overall gameplay experience.
A few other notable actors making appearances in Skyrim include LA Law star George Coe, Battlestar Galactica regular Michael Hogan, and Weeds' Renee Victor.
Of course, star power does not necessarily make for a great game. However, it does indicate that Skyrim is a serious project with a serious budget and serious sales expectations for paying off that budget. Given that the other big-name games with loads of acting talent include the Grand Theft Auto series and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, all of which received outstanding reviews, it is, at the very least, a good sign.
Comments (0)