This week in Multiversity Casting Couch, we offer a slight change in format. We had a lot of people noting last week that we didn’t really say what kind of format we want for the show, when what we wanted for Y the Last Man was a series of movies. Going forward, we will have a format worked out along with the person behind the camera and the cast.
Perfect timing too, because this week brings the sprawling saga that is Bill Willingham’s Vertigo series Fables. This comic has a huge cast and a lengthy run (111 issues and counting), so we have a lot to deal with. Check out after the jump to find out which direction myself, Matthew Meylikhov and guest writer Jessica Graham go, and you decide for us: would you rather watch this or ABC’s Once Upon a Time?
The Format – Six Episode Seasons, Each Episode an Hour Long, on HBO (further seasons pending ratings/growth of younger stars)
Why that format?: With the lengthy format of the series, we thought a short season per arc on HBO (allowing for more adult situations) would be ideal. The biggest problem given some of the younger cast members would be if the show was aged out in this format, but we like the idea of Luther (the BBC show starring Idris Elba) style smaller seasons. It allows us to have a slightly bigger cast due to smaller time commitments. However, the show wouldn’t go on a crazy extended hiatus between seasons like The Walking Dead.
Showrunner – Bryan Fuller
Why him?: A story full of darkness and whimsy? Large cast of quirky characters? Mature themes often approached with child-like glee? That could describe Fables, sure, but it also could describe any TV show Bryan Fuller (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Pushing Daisies) has ever been involved with. Of course, every show Fuller has done gets canceled way too fast, but we have faith that this one wouldn’t.
Bigby Wolf – Joel Edgerton
Why him?: For Bigby Wolf you need a guy who exudes dominance and aggression, but with an underlying layer of intelligence and competence. You also need a guy who isn’t classically handsome, but someone who is believable for Snow White to fall in love with. That’s our boy Joel Edgerton, a guy who is verging on movie stardom after this year’s underrated Warrior but still available for a high profile TV show of this sort. We’re very confident in his ability to be capable of carrying this first season, and playing any role asked of him going forward. He’s a great lead to this ensemble.
Snow White – Justine Waddell
Why her?: This is more of an unknown name, but those people who have seen Tarsem Singh’s wonderful film The Fall know of the beauty and talent of Waddell. While even that role wasn’t the biggest, she did a fantastic job with it and we know that she can steal scenes with the best of them. This would be a coming out party for her, and we think she could bring the integral character of Snow to life and then some.
Rose Red – Keira Knightley
Why her?: Rose Red is completely and absolutely a slightly less crazy/intense version of Keira Knightley in the movie Domino, and Knightley is a great star who has proven herself willing to take roles not just for their showiness but for the meat on their bones. I’m sure once Fuller walked Knightley through Rose Red’s character arc, she’d realize that this role could be an Emmy factory for her. She’d kill on this one, and I’d love to see her make it happen.
Boy Blue – David Kross
Why him?: Chances are unless you’re a film buff or a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences, you didn’t see The Reader (even though Kate Winslet won an Oscar for it). If you didn’t, you missed out on a breakout performance by the young and very talented Kross, who managed to bring maturity and gravitas to his love stricken young man. Boy Blue is the heart of Fables in a lot of ways, and we think that Kross could be the same for this show (particularly in later arcs).
Flycatcher – Toby Kebbell
Why him?: This was a character we went all over the place with, because we weren’t really sure on Flycatcher’s age. We decided to go with late 20’s/early 30’s as to bring the electric talents of Toby Kebbell (Rocknrolla) to the role. If you’ve seen that film, you know that Kebbell kills in it and takes over scenes featuring names like Mark Strong, Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler and Idris Elba. That’s a real gift, and we think he could play the unassuming Flycatcher as well as the Flycatcher who creates Haven later on.
Jack Horner – Nick Stahl
Why him?: This is another one we went all over the place with, but we ultimately ended up with Stahl, an underrated actor who has had shots at breaking out but has never quite done so. With Jack Horner, the duplicitous scourge of the Fabletown community, we feel like Stahl could finally get that breakout role and do some serious damage with it.
Prince Charming – Brandon Routh
Why him?: While you might look at our casting of Routh as Prince Charming as a little on the nose (crazy handsome guy as the storybook representation of “crazy handsome”), we think Routh is a lot more than a pretty face. While some will look at Superman Returns and write him off, he proved himself as someone who can do more than previously seen in his dramatic efforts in Chuck and comedic efforts in Zach and Miri Make a Porno/Scott Pilgrim. He’s an underrated actor, and we think he’d do a great job as Prince Charming.
King Cole – Richard Griffiths
Why him?: Hugo, The History Boys, Harry Potter, Withnail and I… Griffiths is someone who shows up in a lot of acclaimed works as one of the best “That Guys” around. As the genial and occasionally overmatched King Cole, Griffiths would knock it out of the park for sure.
Pinocchio – Hunter McCracken
Why him?: This is arguably the toughest role to cast because if we cast an actual kid for the eternal kid that is Pinocchio, the role gets aged out quickly. But if we CGI this business, we run the risk of making the show ridiculous. We erred on the side of quality in this case, choosing to cast McCracken on the strength of his role in this year’s The Tree of Life. Of course, we’d have to get his parents to sign a waiver allowing him to curse and be kind of a punk, but assuming that happens we think he’d be fantastic.
Bufkin (Voice) – Zach Galifianakis
Why him?: We wanted someone who could bring a blend of high pitch lunacy and misappropriated confidence to the role of the oft lubricated librarian of Fabletown. It was between Galifianakis and John C. Reilly, but with the comic leanings of the former (SUPER RAY!) and his strong relationship with HBO, Galifianakis seems like the perfect person to bring our favorite blue, winged monkey to life.
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Bluebeard – Mark Strong
Why him?: For one, he’s a great actor who looks the part and would kill as the de-facto villain of the first arc. For another, we’d like to give him a shot to be in a comic book property that doesn’t turn out horribly. Let’s give him that shot.
