Casting decisions (was: Half-Blood Prince)

[cubfanbudwoman]

SSSusan:
>>> Then again, JKR could always have gently instructed the casting 
folks about what age Snape should have been, if they were way off 
course like that.  That she didn't makes me think she must've 
approved of the decision. <<<

md:
> Rowling had no say in the casting. None. Only the producer / 
> director gets that. And before anyone starts with telling me how 
> big she is and how powerful her money makes her, no, she had no say 
> in the casting. Her only involvement in the film was with the 
> screenwriter and some consulting on visuals / costumes. Basically, 
> details. If she'd have even a co-producer credit, then I'd say she 
> might have had a say in the cast.


SSSusan:
I recognize that she wasn't asked to provide a wish list of actors.  
I also am not saying that she had veto power over an actor (outside 
of her insistence that all be cast with British actors).  What I said 
was that, if casting was going in a direction that didn't make sense 
(such as using an inappropriately-aged actor), she might well have 
let the movie folks know.  And I base that upon interviews I have 
read.  

It's long been acknowledged that JKR WANTED Robbie Coltrane as 
Hagrid.  It's also been acknowledged by Alfonso Cuaron that she *did* 
have input into some key features of the film (e.g., he wanted to 
place a graveyard on the Hogwarts grounds, and while she didn't 
demand that he not do so, she told him that a graveyard *would* play 
later in the series, and Cuaron was quite content to do something 
different after finding out).  I remember that interview and his 
saying how helpful she was.   

This is a particularly useful interview to read on these matters:
http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2001/1111-telegraph-alderson.html

The Cuaron interview is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_3758000/3758101.stm

So I guess I would like to ask for your source for the "had no 
say...none" remark. 

Siriusly Snapey Susan