MORTAL INSTRUMENTS Movie: Shadowhunters to have British accents
It’s been a question that has been on the minds of fans long before filming began on THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES nearly a month ago.
What accent will the Shadowhunters have in the film?
Lily Collins (Clary) revealed in an interview with Josh Horowitz on Sunday that the Shadowhunters will have British accents.
“The Shadowhunters, yeah, they’re British.”
Because they live–and for Clary and Simon’s case grew up–in “mundane” New York, Clary (Lily Collins), Simon (Robbie Sheehan), Jocelyn (Lena Headey) and possibly Luke (Aidan Turner) should have American accents.
Director Harald Zwart’s decision to have the Shadowhunters speak in British accents has good reason behind it, according to Cassandra Clare:
The decision to have the Shadowhunters speak with British accents (their native accents in the case of all the actors pretty much except Kevin) has to do with Harald wanting to show that they are different from those that surround them, that they are a people who are separate, different, and with an older heritage.
If it’s any consolation, Clare is a fan of the British accents.
I actually do like the Shadowhunters’ British accents (they all did their auditions with both British and American accents and the British accents for whatever reason worked better) – and I don’t think it’s contrary to the books’ spirit, but YMMV!
Read Cassie’s full explanation here
What do you think? Are you excited about the Shadowhunters’ distinguishable accents in the film? Sound off in the comments!
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But looking at where Allicante is supposed to be, shouldn’t they have belgium accents? Or something else from inside europe? O.o
why is it such a huge deal that they have British accents.. are people really this shallow? In the COLS book trailer Sebastian has a British accent and it works really well. Pass judgement when you actually see the film. I love the American accent and I love English accents too.. I don’t see why there has to be so much negativity surrounding an accent…
I agree. It’s not a big deal, and just because we think so doesn’t make us less of a fan. If anything the Lightwoods hail from London, so if you want to get technical… Lol. And for those saying Issy should have a New York accent should take into consideration that she’s shamelessly admitted to having barely any contact with the mundane world, including their pop culture. So she’d get her accent from her family, not her surroundings.
I just find American accents so witty and sexy… Jace is going to be too Will in my eyes.. I’ll support it either way.. I just hope they don’t keep changing it too much – if we learned anything from The Hunger Games’ success, it’s to keep the movie true to the book!
I agree with the director. The shadowhunters are supposed to be different. The easiest way to show that is with an accent. And, since most of the cast is british, it seems like a no brainer. Also, ladies seriously, british accents are HOT!!!
Of course they should be British. It is clearly statedin The book that Idris is in Europe! I don’t understand why it should bother anyone! The British accent is beautiful to hear, has anyone actually listened to Jamie speak? He sounds amazing Sorry but you can’t Amercanize everything. The book should bd honored and I’m so glad it will be it wouldn’t sound right otherwise
Um Emma Tessa what exactly are they changing? the only Americans are Simon and Clary? All the ShadowHunters are European? so what changes are they doing? if you even bother to read the books Jace, Alec and Izzy don’t have any mundane friends they only hang with each other their parents and Hodge so why pre-tale would they speak American?
Even Cassie Clare the Author agrees they should have accents so I don’t know what book you are talking about and look at the globe honey we are not the only people on Planet Earth.
agreed 🙂
Thank you! Yes. There are more cultures in the world with value other than America. Embrace it. Well said
I think the characters(espcially Jace) would have sounded sexy with either accent. It does make sense that they retain their British accent. In COLS, Clary does remark in passing on Sebastian’s accent (from Idris) that the accent sounds British. Anyways Jamie has a nice voice. I think the director made a great decision and he has Cassie’s support and that’s a good thing. Btw It’s TeamEdwardJace I’m justing using a different email name because of gravtar’s being stupid today lo.
the same TeamEdwardJace on twitter
Wouldn’t Izzy and Alec have New York accents? They grew up in New York and only went to Alicante for visits. Max as well but he doesn’t appear in the first book.
Do they hang with New Yorkers? NO
Yes, actually, they do! They (Izzy especially) hang out with the New York downworld population, which (werewolves especially) associates with normal people.
Exactly! And Jace spent most of his concious years, if you will, in New York, so I don’t see why he would have a British accent.
And another thing that bothers me is Jocelyn – I know she spent her live in Idris (which is between Great Britain and France, so they might aswell have French accents, which I think would work for Jemima), but doesn’t having a foreign accent bothering to a person who tries to leave her past behind and hide it from her daughter? Wouldn’t taking on an American accent have more sense? I’ve heard Lena do American accent and she does it perfectly fine. And Lily is, like, the only American person in the cast, and she has a *very* American accent, so it stands out tremendously.
I think the English accents are just fine in fact do make the Shadowhunters different which they are. Jamie has a wonderful way of speaking. Very easy to understand. Some English accents to us Americans are hard to understand on film or in the Theater but his voice and accent are wonderful. Hope the rest are as good.
I am SO glad they have British accent. It so totally sexy and yummy but that’s not the reason why Im happy about it. Actually, I just wanted them, as the director said, to speak in a different way that would relate to their older heritage. Like in The Lord of The Rings. None of the characters is British, actually, the story doesnt even takes place in this world, yet, they all speak with British accent which is much more an older accent than american.
Im so glad they have accent! =D
NO!!!!!!!!!!! Jace is not British! He grew up in Idris (along with Hodge, Valentine, Luke, Jocelyn, etc.)! He should have an Idris-accent (the sexiest accent in the world, by the way, and I’m joking). And Izzy, Mayris, Robert and Alec grew up in New York. If Luke and Jocelyn won’t have British accents, then that is illogical. Also, where would they even get the accents from? Shadowhunters are all races and cultures, not just British! If they have any accent, it should be one from the city where they live! Sorry to be so critical, but I really don’t think British accents will add to the plot, and I’m a huge fan.
Its like you didnt even read what cassie said.
all the things your complaining about are addressed in what cassie said…
just read it for gods sake.
You are not a huge fan just a close minded bigot who doesn’t accept the fact that there are other people in the world.
THE IDRIS ACCENT IS DESCRIBED AS SOUNDING BRITISH IN COLS.
If you’re going to complain, at least be informed.
I agree with you one hundred percent!!Each Shadowhunter should have their different accents that make each of them unique. it should match the location of where they were raised. I’m not BSing on the British accents it’s just that the book claims that Jace, Alec, and Izzy have been raised in New York. Also they had to make contact with humans because it is part of their duties as a Shadowhunter!!!!
Is this argument still going in? Move on and just enjoy!
Pah, that wasn’t meant to be a reply to you, Adriana, ‘scuse me
I am totally against it. Most of the shadowhunters were raised in NY so they should have American accents-perhaps with a twist but not British. I think the British accent is a fall back with most shows because they think it sounds mystic or something. Personally, I’m fed up up with it-it’s a world of fantasy, why should they have British accents instead of american, swedish, german, etc? It’s preposterous. And there are plenty of ways to show that the shadowhunters are different.
Cassandra said that she left it up to us to determine how we wanted the characters to sound, (not all of them, when it’s clearly stated in the books) So no single opinion is right. It’s up to you when you read the books, how you want the characters to sound, and it’s probably different for everyone. In the movie they chose British accents, which would make sense in a way because that’s where some of the characters heritage is from. In others ways it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it doesn’t matter because the movie is already made and it’s not going to be changed. So no one should be fighting about whats right and what is wrong.
Also, saying someone is close-minded and calling them a bigot, is completely unnecessary. Especially when someone is just stating there opinion, that in no way hurt anyone. You call someone those words if they are extremely racist or intolerant to ethnic groups other than their own. She was not being racist, nor not accepting the fact that there are other people in the world. If anyone here is close-minded, it is you, for so harshly refuting what she said.
Im pretty much over the accents, considering that the movie already is nothing like what the book is, in my and many other peoples opinion around me. Low expectations. Hopefully the acting really makes up for the faults.