Dreamworks Rise of the Guardians is based on the book series, The Guardians of Childhood by Williams Joyce which centers around the icons of our youth such as Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, The Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and many others. The film is set 300 years after the book series for which it is based upon and it features the Guardians of Childhood coming together with the help of Jack Frost to defeat none other than the Boogeyman himself, Pitch Black. The film is honestly one of the most beautifully animated films I’ve ever seen with the classic attention to detail that Dreamworks has become known for. Rise of the Guardians is one of my favorite animated films and it has become a Holiday tradition for me. With all of that said this Holiday season I thought it would be fitting to dream up a fun fancast for a live-action Rise of the Guardians.

Ryan Potter as Jack Frost The Guardian of Fun

Jack Frost is the films reluctant new addition to the Guardians of Childhood. He is also the groups most free-spirited and mischievous as children cant see him because they don’t believe in him like they do the other Guardians. Not to spoil the film for those who haven’t seen it but Jack has a terribly tragic backstory which makes you feel for him even more. Jack’s mischievous and fun-loving personality makes him a kid’s best friend, but it originally put him in contention with the Guardians, especially The Easter Bunny. Ryan Potter would be absolutely fantastic as the Guardians mischievous herald of Winter.

Nonso Anozie as Nicholas St. North The Guardian of Wonder

This version of Santa Claus might quite possibly be one of my favorite interpretations of the character. In the Rise of the Guardians franchise North is depicted as a very large muscular man with a full beard and full forearm tattoo sleeves that say “naughty” and “nice”. He is extremely jolly and kind and the embodiment of a warrior, but he has a heart of gold which makes him downright lovable. He is shown to be a fierce and brave warrior unafraid of the fight and fully willing to protect not just those he cares about, but anyone who deserves it. I chose Nonso Anozie to portray North because he would do absolutely fantastic portraying North’s physically imposing elements while also making you feel the essence that we all love in Santa Claus.

Kevin Michael Richardson as Yeti Phil

The Yeti’s serve North in the North Pole along with the Elves and in actuality, the Yeti are the ones who do most of the toy making. The Yeti is also apart of the security of the North Pole meaning they were directly aware of the time Jack tried to break into the North Pole workshop. Over the course of the film, we see a Yeti by the name of Phil who clearly has a very stressful life as well as a lack of patience. In many instances, Phil acts as comedic relief. Kevin Michael Richardson is an iconic voice actor who could breathe life and personality into the Yeti and make the character more than angry gibberish.

Deepika Padukone as Toothiana The Guardian of Memories

Toothiana is the Tooth Fairy. She is the guardian who comes to collect children’s baby teeth and in return, she leaves them a small token. Toothiana resides in her castle in South East Asia where she stores the teeth which contain a child’s most important memories. Toothiana appears to be a human hummingbird hybrid. She is covered in gorgeous iridescent feathers. She is loyally served by her adorable mini fairies. Toothiana is kind, just, and extremely gentle and loving. As the Guardian of Memories, it is her duty to protect and safeguard the memories held by a child’s baby teeth. Deepika Padukone would be an absolutely adorable Toothiana.

Jeffrey Wright as Sanderson Mansoozie The Guardian of Dreams

Sanderson Mansoozie or as he is better known The Sandman is the original Guardian and easily one of the most ancient and wise of them all. The Sandman is a short quiet man who doesn’t speak but instead elects to communicate by conjuring golden sand images above his head. Sanderson chooses not to speak so that he never wakes anyone up. Considering that he has the ability to connect with and affect the minds of every living person on Earth The Sandman is easily the strongest and most powerful of the Guardians. He is Pitch’s natural enemy and the only Guardian whom Pitch seems to genuinely fear. He is peaceful and kind by nature just like many of the Guardians. Considering he doesn’t speak I needed an actor who could perfectly portray a range of emotions through nothing other than their facial expressions and that is why I chose the immensely talented Jeffrey Wright.

Hugh Jackman as E. Asther Bunnyman The Guardian of Hope

E. Asther Bunnyman is the Easter Bunny. He is an Australian Pooka who once belonged to a village of other Pooka before they were wiped out. Bunnyman resides in his Warren in the depths of Australia. The Easter Bunny is a brilliant warrior whose talents extend far past the art of fighting and into the art of making chocolate and painting. Bunnyman is extremely cool, calm, and collected and he is mostly only irritated by North’s insistence that Christmas is more important than Easter. He is sarcastic and confident in not just himself, but the Holiday that he represents and that at times puts him in competition with both North and Jack Frost. Hugh Jackman was the original voice of Bunnyman so I thought it would be fitting that he portrays him in live action.

Miles Brown as Jaime Bennett

Jaime Bennett is the main child of the film. He has a natural curiosity that one can expect from a child his age and he also has an indomitable spirit. When all of the world’s children began to give up on the Guardians Jaime kept his faith and love for them. Jaime is also the first child to believe in Jack Frost and actually see him. Jaime trusts in the guardians and his belief in them is pretty solid. He is an extremely imaginative and resourceful little boy with a heart of gold. I chose Miles Brown to portray Jaime because when I think of all of Jaime’s qualities of all the young actors in Hollywood right now Miles is the one that perfectly fits the character.

James Earl Jones as The Man In the Moon The Guardian of The Children of Earth

The Man In the Moon or “MIM” was the original Guardian. He was the first to watch over and protect the worlds children and their innocence from his ship. He has the power to hear the secret thoughts, dreams, hopes, and fears of the children of Earth via lost balloons that make their way up to the moon. MIM is the one who chooses Guardians to join The Guardians of Childhood. Just like The Sandman The Man in the Moon doesn’t directly speak but he uses another means of communication, the moon’s light. Mim is the one responsible for choosing Jack Frost as the newest addition to the Guardians of Childhood. I chose James Earl Jones because while the Man in the Moon doesn’t speak I just imagine him speaking with James Earl Jones voice and commanding presence.

Toby Kebbell as Pitch Black The Nightmare King

Pitch is this worlds version of the Boogeyman. He is tall, thin, sallow, and gaunt just like you’d expect the Boogeyman to be. Pitch’s skin is pale grey and his eyes are a shimmering golden yellow color that’s a stark difference to his skin tone. Pitch is the thing that goes bump in the night, the thing hiding in every corner and under every single bed. He thrives off of children’s fear and absolutely hates when children no longer believe in him, which causes him to be noticeably jealous of the Guardians. The Films entire plot centers around defeating Pitch before he can cause the children of the world to stop believing in the Guardians, making them weak. Pitch is extremely resourceful and intelligent, seeming to almost always be a step ahead of the Guardians no matter what they do. I chose Toby Kebbell because he can perfectly portray that charismatic darkness that is Pitch.

In Conclusion, Dreamworks Rise of the Guardians is a fantastic film with a lot of heart and great characters. The Film’s ideas about belief and innocence are beautifully written and acted out by the voice cast. The film’s animation is top quality and definitely more than worth the viewing. So gather the family around the tv with a nice hot cup of cocoa and dig right into Rise of the Guardians.