After reinventing sci-fi cinema with his seminal masterpiece A Clockwork Orange. The experimental rehabilitation of serial criminal Alex DeLarge is a decidedly darker tale than Kubrick’s previous spacefaring adventure, but it’s just as thought-provoking.
If Burgess’ novel hadn’t been adapted into a movie until today, then it wouldn’t have starred Malcolm McDowell as Alex. Instead, it might’ve featured Marvel star Tom Holland giving a subversive turn as the oddly charming sadist.
Tom Holland As Alex DeLarge
Malcolm McDowell gave the performance of a lifetime as Alex in A Clockwork Orange. Despite being the protagonist of the story, Alex is utterly reprehensible. McDowell managed the near-impossible feat of playing a ruthless, sociopathic gang leader with a disturbing charisma.
This role, one of the most challenging in film history, needs an actor with both A-lister charms and serious dramatic chops. Marvel star Tom Holland could be an interesting choice. Holland has only ever played likable leads, so playing a remorseless criminal with a joyful penchant for ultraviolence could subvert his clean-cut on-screen image.
Colin Firth As Mr. Frank Alexander
Played by Patrick Magee, Mr. Frank Alexander is a writer who is beaten and tortured by Alex and his droogs during a home invasion. Despite his initial objections to the Ludovico Technique, Mr. Alexander torments a post-Ludovico Alex with the now-tarnished music of his favorite composer, Beethoven.
This character experiences some dark, complex emotions as he loses his wife to Alex’s ultraviolence and is then faced with the decision of whether to forgive him. Colin Firth would nail the complicated nuances of this character.
Daniel Kaluuya As Georgie
Georgie is the most significant droog in A Clockwork Orange besides Alex himself. Originally played by James Marcus, Georgie becomes the gang’s new leader after staging a mutiny against Alex.
Since getting his career breakthrough with an Oscar-nominated lead performance in Judas and the Black Messiah. He could’ve done a terrific job playing Georgie opposite Tom Holland’s Alex DeLarge.
Will Poulter As Dim
Initially played by Warren Clarke, Dim is the brawniest and – as his name would suggest – least intelligent droog in Alex’s gang. He’s shown to be easily influenced, as he quickly gets on board with Georgie’s mutiny against the gang’s de facto leader.
In spite of his sinister nature, Dim is characterized as somewhat goofy. Will Poulter played a similar goofball alongside Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston in We’re the Millers.
Craig Roberts As Pete
The fourth member of Alex’s gang, Pete, doesn’t make as much of an impression as Georgie, Dim, or indeed Alex himself, because he doesn’t have his own little quirk that makes him unique.
Pete is the least outspoken and arguably most reasonable of Alex’s droogs. Since he played a quiet, timid kid in Submarine, Craig Roberts could easily play this part.
Dave Bautista As Julian
Julian is only a small role in A Clockwork Orange, but thanks to the unforgettable presence of David Prowse – best known as the physical embodiment of Darth Vader – he’s still a memorable character.
As the hulking bodyguard that Mr. Alexander hires to protect him following Alex’s break-in, Julian needs an actor with a strapping physique. Today, the role could be played by Dave Bautista, the wrestler-turned-actor renowned for playing Drax the Destroyer in the MCU.
Tom Hiddleston As P.R. Deltoid
While Post-Corrective Advisor P.R. Deltoid is somewhat sympathetic toward Alex in the book, he was played as a corrupt monster by Aubrey Morris in the movie adaptation.
Tom Hiddleston brought genuine creepiness to Loki’s straightforward villainous facade in Only Lovers Left Alive. He could bring a similarly sinister smarm to Alex’s perverse corrections officer in A Clockwork Orange.
Emma Thompson As The Cat Lady
Originally played by Miriam Karlin, the “Cat Lady” is a middle-aged woman (elderly in the source novel) who lives in a large house with her many pet cats. Alex kills her with a giant penis sculpture during the break-in, and this murder ends up being what gets Alex thrown in prison.
Emma Thompson is an Oscar-winning dramatic actor who could’ve done wonders with the signature Kubrickian gallows humor of A Clockwork Orange. Thompson nailed the dark comedic tone of Robert Carlyle’s directorial debut The Legend of Barney Thomson, in which she played the ing role of Cemolina, Barney’s mother.
Idris Elba As Chief Guard Barnes
Chief Guard Barnes is the sadistic prison guard played by Michael Bates who takes a lot of pleasure in dehumanizing Alex during his jail sentence. With lines like “Shut your filthy hole, you scum!,” the role of Barnes is darkly humorous.
Since The Suicide Squad, he could be an ideal choice for this part.
