From "Little Women" To "The Great Gatsby" – 17 Casting Decisions That Majorly Irked Fans

    "He played him like a weedy little petulant child."

    Benjamin Dzialdowski
    by Benjamin Dzialdowski

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Casting a film is never easy, particularly when fans have preconceptions from their knowledge of the source material. Sometimes though, a casting decision can be so misaligned that it dooms a project from the start.

    NBC

    Well, we recently asked the BuzzFeed Community for the casting decisions they just couldn't get on board with, and here are some of the best responses:

    1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

    Four men, Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, and Colin Petersen, are playing music outdoors in colorful, decorative military-inspired jackets
    Universal Pictures

    "Worst casting choice? The BeeGees and Peter Frampton in as the Beatles in this infamously awful film, which I actually saw in the theatre."

    —smileyturtle62

    2. Les Misérables

    Russell Crowe dressed as a 19th-century officer, Helena Bonham Carter, Isabelle Allen, and Sacha Baron Cohen in 19th-century attire, scene from Les Misérables
    Universal Pictures

    "Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thénardiers! 'Master of the House' is one of the stand out songs and supposed to be big and rousing. Sacha puts on a dodgy French accent and Helena almost sleeps through the song! They should have been golden and they are easily the worst part of the movie (followed closely by Russel Crowe!)"

    —neilweeman

    "I literally came here to say Russell Crowe in just about anything, but particularly Les Mis. He managed to ruin an otherwise *chef's kiss* movie for me! Who thought that was a good idea? He can’t sing or act and always looks confused."

    —lizm4075643b7


    3. The Great Gatsby

    Carey Mulligan, in an embellished dress and headband, sits at a lavish party, looking over her shoulder at a man with his back to the camera
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. It hurts to say as I usually love her."

    —potatoesaregood

    4. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

    Emily Browning, Jim Carrey, and Liam Aiken in gothic-style costumes from "A Series of Unfortunate Events," standing together in a dimly lit, ornate room
    Paramount Pictures

    "Jim Carrey as Count Olaf. He did not match the vibes of Count Olaf in the books. Carrey portrayed the character as a jerk, but the character in the book comes off as downright evil. The portrayal of Count Olaf in the Netflix series is much more faithful to the books than Carrey’s portrayal."

    —missmercury5

    5. Spencer

    A woman dressed in 1980s-style clothing, including a black hat with a veil, looks intently at the camera
    Netflix

    "Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana just didn’t work for me."

    —alexcatalano

    6. Little Women

    Saoirse Ronan in a pastoral setting, wearing a beige jacket, a red scarf, and patterned vest, standing on green grass with a background of trees and countryside
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "Saoirse Ronan as Jo March in Little Women. She's a fantastic actor and I love her, but she was so painfully miscast as Jo that I couldn't get through the first ten minutes. Tall, clumsy, ungainly, boyish Jo is my favourite character of all time, and beautiful, petite, delicate Saoirse is not her!"

    —inthewintermoonlight

    7. Interview with the Vampire

    Tom Cruise, dressed as a 18th-century vampire in a loose, ruffled shirt, with long hair, stands beside a lit candelabra in a scene from "Interview with the Vampire."
    Warner Bros.

    "Tom Cruise. What an absolute bloody nightmare casting that was. He tries, but he just doesn’t have the range for this seductive, manipulative, dark character. He plays him as surface level camp, and it just doesn’t hit right. Thankfully we have Sam Reid playing the role in the series, and making Lestat the character that he always deserved to be, but the Tom Cruise (and Stuart Townsend) versions need to be buried in cement."

    —garebehr

    8. Constantine

    Keanu Reeves, dressed in a suit with a black coat, looks to the side inside a dimly lit room with boxes in the background
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "Keanu Reeves as John Constantine. Look, I like Keanu as much as the next person, but John Constantine is a blonde English man with a dark sense of humour. Keanu didn’t even wear the iconic bloody trench coat! 

    It’s BAFFLING to me how fanboys will get mad if most comic characters don’t have so much as the right eye colour, but you all forgave this one? (Strangely, it got really popular when Matt Ryan’s Constantine was confirmed as bisexual – like the comic). The casting was horrible, and I really wish they’d give me a Matt Ryan Constantine film instead of another Keanu sequel."

    —garebehr

    9. Elvis

    A person with a styled pompadour hairstyle gives a confident look while wearing a lace-patterned top. The background is blurred with lights and structures
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "Austin Butler as Elvis was too boyish… Elvis was more manly, husky looking."

    —miavalastro86

    10. Jack Reacher

    Tom Cruise with a slight bruise on his face, wearing a brown leather jacket, looking off to the side in a nighttime setting
    Paramount Pictures

    "Jack Reacher books were some of my favourites so when I heard they were making a film I was so excited. Then I found out it was tom cruise playing the 6ft 5, 250lb, ex army, private investigator! The worst choice possible and I still haven't watched it."

    —doublekmama

    11. The Da Vinci Code

    Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks are standing in front of a large glass pyramid. Both appear focused and attentive
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "Tom Hanks. I'd read the book and pictured whatshisname as a good-looking older bloke because the character is charismatic. I thought Dennis Quaid would've been great. Instead we got Hanks (who looked exactly like Frasier)."

    —famouslamp98

    12. The Little Mermaid (2023)

    Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King in a wooded setting, both dressed in period costumes; Halle in an off-the-shoulder dress, Jonah in a vest and period shirt
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    "Jonah Hauer-King, who played Eric in the 2023 Little Mermaid. It wasn’t that he was bad, It's just that he was huge next to Halle Bailey and too old for her character, so it looked like a relationship between an adult and a child. I cringed whenever they were on screen together."

    —fayealroy1234

    13. Far from the Madding Crowd.

    A person wearing a military-style jacket with a mustache stands outdoors with a serious expression. No identifiable celebrities are present
    Searchlight Pictures

    "Tom Sturridge as Sgt. Troy. He is meant to be this manly, rockstar type but Tom just played him like a weedy little petulant child. Put me off the entire film."

    —beckij41bc2d27d

    14. My Policeman

    Harry Styles dressed in a blue military-style uniform, holding a hat, looking back while standing near a building with a window and red mailbox
    Amazon MGM Studios

    "Harry Styles in literally everything but most especially My Policeman. It felt genuinely unfair to have him as a scene partner with the likes of Emma Corrin and David Dawson who are both exceptionally talented. He dragged down what might have been a good (if somewhat cheesy) film. I don't understand why he keeps getting acting work!"

    —calypsosbirthday

    15. The Phantom of the Opera

    A scene from "The Phantom of the Opera" with Gerard Butler wearing half a white mask, positioned behind lit candles in a dimly lit setting
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "Gerard fucking Butler as the Phantom. He was in a rock band in HIGH SCHOOL so the casting directors thought he was a good fit. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Atrocious. All love to him, but Ramin Karimloo was the best Phantom by far. Full stop."

    —thisismyidea

    16. Beauty and the Beast (2017)

    Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, wearing a peasant-style dress in front of a village backdrop
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    "Emma Watson. It was my favourite film growing up but she can't act or sing – it ruined it for me."

    —j4bd133df2

    17. The Golden Compass

    Nicole Kidman wearing a glittery high-neck dress and Daniel Craig in a suit and tie are pictured side by side
    Entertainment Film Distributors

    "Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel (I saw James Bond. the entire time) and Nichole Kidman as Mrs. Culter – they just didn't fit."

    —mudda8139

    Editor's note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. 

    What's a casting decision that you simply couldn't get on board with? Let us know in the comments below!