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I say Anders Hove. I have always like hi as an actor. While many say Christopher Walken (one of my favorite actors) I prefer him as Lord Dunscon.

Martin Sheen would make an excellent Prosek.

Yeah. Too familiar.

I initially would choose Martin Sheen as well, considering some of the artwork makes him a dead ringer.

However, I could also see possibly Sam Niel in the role, but I think Fred Ward could pull off the role nicely if given a chance.

Good call, Mercdog....as soon as I saw this post, my brain said "Sam Niel"

Mandy Patinkin.

Good actor and even looks like ole Karl IMO!!!

I'm gonna come from way out of left field and suggest Dolph Lundgren. Put him in a nazi-esque uniform, stop him from bleaching his hair, and dye his temples grey, and he looks the part. He's got the athletic muscled build and blocky head of a typical Kevin Long character and a broad square face that isn't round or overfed, he's the right age, and his body language is naturally confident and intimidating. And as a veteran action star, he's ideal if the script calls for a grand finale where the hero gets a chance to go mano e mano with the emperor.

Plus Karl Prosek is a cartoonishly menacing evil overlord in a Bruckheimer movie, so it's not like you need someone who's Oscar material to play the part. Whether Prosek's portrayed as a sinister calculating and urbane Robespierre or a scenery-chewing Harkonnen, he'll be a role that calls for overacting rather than good acting.

And unlike the other suggestions I was going to make (Paul Eddington or Nigel Hawthorne, who played Prime Minister Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby respectively in Yes, Prime Minister), Dolph has the big advantage of still being alive

I don't think Dolph Lundgren can act, much less over-act.

Besides a role like the one he played in Rocky IV, or perhaps playing a Terminator, I don't see any role in which he would actually be a good casting decision.

Unfortunately, I don't have a good suggestion, either.

The dude can overact. It's the only form of acting he's ever been observed to do. Besides, you know and I know that evil dictators in sci-fi action movies aren't roles that call for nuanced, expressive actors. This is the sort of role that anyone except Stephen Seagal can do as long as they look the part.

Harrison Ford, seriously.

I'd love to see Christopher Walken in the Rifts movie, but I'd cast him as Gen. Ross Underhill. Or Death.

I'll take your word for it, I guess. Personally, I would LOVE to see a more nuanced performance for the Emperor Prosek role. Letting Joseph Prosek II be the crazy one would be, in my opinion, even more menacing. To see how evil the Coalition is with a relatively sane leader, and then know that one day soon he will be surpassed by his son, who is a thousand times worse, would make for a much more villainous Coalition States. However, this is even assuming that the Proseks will have a major role in the film. They may not.



Not sern-looking enough, IMO. Even as The President in Air Force One, he was sort of casual. More like Obama and less like Bush, I guess. He's too cool and cocky to be the harsh dictator type. He's got too much Han Solo and Indiana Jones in him.

Even if the character of Karl Prosek does appear in the film you can bank on it being a nuanced performance. Rifts is not a game known for complex political intrigue, deep social commentary, immersive setting, or rich character development. And Bruckheimer movies aren't known for those things either. If the Rift movie ever gets beyond treatments and scripts, it's going to be a straightforward action blockbuster with all the subtlety of a brick studded with chainsaws.

You're probably right, unfortunately. Didn't Bruckheimer produce Black Hawk Down? In the end, Bruckheimer is just a business man and not a storyteller, filmmaker, or creator. He's made all kinds of different movies. However, I'm pretty sure the reason he optioned Rifts is because he wants it to be like a Michael Bay movie.

A RIFTS movie could be great, but what I'm really hoping for (for Palladium's sake) is that it's successful. Hell, I might even be okay with Michael Bay directing the movie. That would probably make Kevin a very rich man.

Having played E/c^2 Effect 2, and seeing his portrayal of the Illusive Man, I'd say that yeah he would be a very good choice.

Either Martin & Charlie,

or,

Gary & Jake

Having a legit family resemblance would be cool, but I wonder if the buseys are just a little "too" unhinged to play the proseks.

Um, doesn't that really depend on the GM and players? I've played games that ranged the gambit from shoot 'em up and political intrigue. Frankly, this applies to all RPGs, since the games books are only really there to give building blocks for the real story tellers.

My name is Emperor Karl Prosek. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Who cares about what good GMs and players? We're talking about how a canon character is likely to be portrayed in a Bruckheimer action movie.

Given that Prosek is more or less a cartoon supervillain in the Rifts books, and given that Bruckheimer isn't exactly famous for introspective, character-driven reflections on human nature, I think it's safe to say that "nuanced performance" is not a phrase anyone's gonna use to describe the movie version of Emperor Prosek. Comparisons to Ming or Palpatine are probably more likely.

Are you the 6 fingered man?

They would be perfect(just dye Gary's hair). I like my Proseks unhinged.

Terrence Stamp.

Jermey Irons IMO. He does "evil warlord" exceptionally well.

I could almost see Bruce Campbell to be honest. He's actually not a bad actor and some of the flavor text in the books indicate that Carl has a...morbid sense of humor that he could probably hit well.

Damn that's a good fit

If the CS is posed as villains in a movie, the "high-ranking" official that will be getting screen time as a villain will be some no-name disposable Colonel. The nature of the movie-going audience states that villains have to suffer a terminal setback at the end of the movie (or trilogy or whatever). The only movie in recent memory that has tried to break this mold was The Dark Knight, but for reasons we all know, that probably won't come to fruition.

I see the Proseks, the high-placed generals and whatnot all getting minimal screen time, perhaps even only a brief mention in conversation ("Sir, orders directly from Emperor Prosek..."). The only member of the CS military that I can see as the kind of "disposable" that would be required of a movie would be, maybe, Colonel Lubboc.

A little left-field, but think a moment.

Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington as Karl and Joseph Prosek.

Nah, if the CS are baddies it'll probably end with the evil emperor getting his butt kicked. Rifts is a very obscure franchise and I doubt Bruckheimer or anyone else ever expects it to be a universe that movies will revist again and again, so continuity isn't that big a deal. You can end with Karl Prosek being overthrown or Lord Splynncryth being destroyed by a secret superweapon or whatever because hey, it's not like you have to leave the setting in good shape for some other director who wants to make some other movie after you're done.

And since it's a setting that the vast bulk of the moviegoing public know nothing about, taking an officer in the evil empire's evil army and making him the main antagonist might seem a bit half-assed. Rifts is a setting that lends itself best to brainless let's-turn-the-awesome-up-to-eleven action, and that sort of stuff needs everything including the plot and the baddies to be larger than life. So whichever side is picked as the baddies (and the CS is the obvious choice since they're about as iconic as anything in Rifts), they're going down hard at the end.

To Prince Artemis:

Are you CRAZY (not the OCC mind you)?!?! If there was a washed-up ex-military special forces part, I could definitely see him playing that (Sam Axe from Burn Notice, anyone), but everything that I have every seen Bruce Campbell in was A) not all that serious, B) too over the top, or C) both. Not to mention that he is not in physical shape to play Emperor Prosek. He would have to lose like 50 or more pounds at least, on top of his busy schedule for Burn Notice. I think Kevin Bacon just might fit the bill though.

Prince Artemis, I honestly don't see Bruce Campbell as Karl Prosek or even Joseph. I would see him more as a washed up ex CS Specialist (like Sam Axe from Burn Notice). In every role that I have seen him in, he's never been too too serious, or it was over the top, or both. I think Kevin Bacon would be a good choice for Karl Prosek.

As for the plot, the CS would probably both viewed as the good guys and the bad guys. Something that probably would go similar to this, a low to mid ranking officer (2nd Lt to Capt.) fighting to protect humanity from the "monsters" his superiors tell him to fight when he's forced into a situation where he has to fight alongside and temporarily for them and sees them in a different way which causes him to begin to re-evaluate everything he ever held dear and causes him to defect from the CS.

What do you guys think?

Mel Gibson is the first name that popped into my mind.
He's got the acting skills and he's done multiple instances of grandiose inspirational speeches to large crowds!
Plus of late he's gotten the crazy ranting down!
And not to mention the tie-in to the Novels...heck at the very least have him in a cameo role wandering around, or if they use the novels for the script (highly doubtful)...Kro-Mar ftw!

I think he would make a much better General Ross Underhill. That would be epic.

I would not want Mel Gibson in the movie because of the negative attention he is receiving right now, not to mention that a lot of people wouldn't go to see the movie just because he's in it. I think it's stupid to do that, but hey, that's me.

Jack Nicholson could pull off Karl.

Karl's attitude, definitely, but physically, only if he lost a lot of weight. Karl is thin. I think Robert Redford could do a good job.

Bruce is silly/over the top because that is how he's cast. However he's actually classically trained and can pull off a serious role when needed. The fact is, he's a great emoter so he usually gets the over the top stuff. But if you want smug superiority that Karl wears with pride, then Bruce is perfect (just look up his oldspice commercial).

There still is the whole issue of Bruce not being as slim as he used to be. Back in the day, no doubt he could have physically pulled it off, but now, I just don't see it. He would have to undergo a rigorous diet and exercise regime to get back in shape to be Karl. I'm not saying that he couldn't, I'm just saying that I just don't see it happening.

Gery Oldman, when it comes to character actors his one of the best and he always makes a good villain.

Good call, but over used as lead villian.

I have to disagree he plays a good bad guy that's why he get's those roles. He also states he likes to play villains, which is cool imo.

I have a list of four.
Ron Pearlman
Jackie Earl Haley,would be good for at least three of the roles.
Christopher Bale,Might be a good choice for Jr.
Jeffery Daen Morgan,Let's face it.Get rid of the stubble and the mask and he to looks like Karl.(He did in the watchmen movie.Imao.)

James Brolin as Karl and Josh Brolin as Joseph II.

christopher walken would make an awesome prosek

Ok it seems as you guys have covored all possible Karl actors.

Allow me to put forth ..

General Holmes : Morgan Freeman.

Perfect !

I think one Prosek actor might have been missed. Bruce Boxleitner.

Tell me if this doesn't sound like one of the Emperor's speeches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlAPKsjAvns

Gideon for Emperor!!!
good choice!

Bruce Campbell also an awesome choice, and Gary Oldman as well.
I'd be happy with any of these 3, Gary Oldman is probably the most talented actor of the 3 tho, and lets face it the man is a chameleon of personality.

doesn't he play Gordon in both the newer Batman movies?

This is gold. No need to think further on the matter.

An unknown actor in my opinion. The reason being that Prosek is likely to be a minor actor in a Rifts movie. He's a major player in the world of Rifts, but living in Chi-Town, surrounded by thousands of guards and the best possible technologie, he's not likely to be a main character. For this reasonm I'd prefer the producers spend the money on special effects and main actors than Prosek.

My 2 cents

I can see where you get your username, oh Wiserbud!

Ben Cross would make an excellent choice for Karl Prosek.