I’m predicting that Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is going to be the movie that surprises the hell out of everyone this summer. Or praying, really. At the very least, it’ll be neat to see how Douglas Adams’ classic sci-fi comedy book is realized with more than the 200 quid the BBC spent on the 80s television production.
The first snaps of the cast in costume have popped up over at Dark Horizons, giving us a good look at rogue galactic president and apparent Phish fan Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell), capricious human Trillian (Zooey Deschanel, who I love lots), Marvin the lugubrious robot (that’s Warwick Davis in there, naturally, but none other than Die Hard villain Alan Rickman will be providing the voice) and Ford Prefect, who knows precisely where his towel is. There’s also a pic of our clueless foil Arthur Dent (played by Martin Freeman of the brilliant Brit show The Office), seemingly when he first meets Ford near his bulldozed home shortly before our planet is obliterated (if you’ve seen the teaser, this is no spoiler).
I’m still not entirely sold on the conspicuous selection of Mos Def as Ford – I dig the cat as both an actor and emcee, but I really hope he captures the demeanor of the roving Betelgeusian mentor. Fans will also note the absence of Zaphod’s second head – there was a rumor (since dispelled) that the spare cranium was located in his nostril, but I’m assured the the extra noggin will actually appear in the finished film in some manner.
