Is the Doctor Who movie a good idea?

A ‘Doctor Who’ film has been rumoured for a very long time but last night the first legitimate signs that it’s on its way came to light when ‘Harry Potter’ director David Yates told Variety that he was working with the BBC to get production rolling.

It may be a few years off as Yates himself suggests but that’s not going to stop the hordes of web-faring fans (and us) from speculating about how it will all come together.

Let’s start off with what we know for certain about this:

1) It is a ‘Doctor Who’ movie.
2) David Yates is involved.

That’s it. Yates may have said some interesting things about it taking place separate to the long-running television series (i.e. reboot it) but the BBC were quick to calm things down a bit by simply saying it “remains in development” and little else.

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A reboot isn’t as terrible an idea as the quick-to-judge internet might have you think. The key to the success of a reboot is having a new Doctor that people will easily accept and want to watch.

Problem is that ‘Doctor Who’ makes stars and not the other way around. David Tennant is a big name now, but he wasn’t when he first became the Doctor in 2005. Yet it’s unlikely that a film would cast an unknown in the role because of the risks that would entail.

If this film were to be set in new universe then whoever plays the Doctor would be the crucial element and that name would have to draw people in. New Doctor’s on television have the luxury of the series’ popularity, famous villains and the fact its free (ish) to watch, giving them time to ease into the role. A film wouldn’t have that luxury.

Who could play the part then? Being British is a huge requirement of course (just imagine the fury if an American was cast) so the names that immediately lend themselves to the role are the likes of national treasures Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

Richard E Grant and Robert Carlyle are respected actors with the ability to be great Doctors, and each has been named as possibly actors for the role in the past.

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David Yates could look to one of the actors he got to know on the set of the final four ‘Harry Potter’ films. Daniel Radcliffe makes us shudder with fear but maybe David Thewlis, who played Remus Lupin so brilliantly could be a good alternative?

The only other name that fits the role is James McAvoy who has displayed Doctor-like qualities in his career. His Charles Xavier in ‘X-Men: First Class’ is perhaps the most appropriate comparison but would his take on the role be too similar?

Ultimately though each of those names just doesn’t feel right, and it doesn’t take much to realise why thinking of someone to play a big screen Doctor is so troublesome.

Like it or not, it’s simply not a series made for the big screen. ‘Doctor Who’ is a show tailored for television, with the kind of quirks and borderline silly villains that make for perfect Saturday evening entertainment, and hopefully that’s how it will remain.