We’re back with another week of Casting Couch, and with a Saga related contest dropping today as well as a most excellent process piece for the book, we figured it was as good a time as any to figure out who we think should be involved with a Saga film (although we admittedly think it will likely end up being a better TV series than movie.
So who would make the cut based off the first arc? Well, you can find out who below.
Director: Danny Boyle
You can’t get much more versatile than Danny Boyle, a guy who has successfully pulled of sci-fi (Sunshine) as well as deeply personal stories that occasionally verge on comedy (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting). Not only that, but there is an ever present feeling of magic to his films, and we think he would be better equipped than anyone else at bringing Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ story to life.
Marko: Toby Kebbell
We’re very, very big fans of Toby Kebbell around these parts. He’s shown up in bigger roles – Rocknrolla, Black Mirror – and smaller – War Horse – but no matter what, he’s killed it. He’s a live wire, and someone who takes good dialogue and makes it great. Throw him as the lead in a BKV dialogued film? Man. That dialogue is going to crackle. Our only issue (and by that, I mean David’s) is that he’s a bit on the odd looking side, which makes him a bad fit for the classically handsome (with horns) Marko. Alas, we still think he’s the best fit.
Alana: Amara Karan
For me, when this name was suggested, I was not very familiar with her by name only. Then I realized she was Rita in The Darjeeling Limited, and in her short time on screen, she inarguably stood out amongst a cast that included Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman. She’s not just beautiful, but a talented actress just waiting for her breakout role. As Alana, the co-lead of the story, we have no doubt she’d find just that.
The Will: Ewan McGregor
We considered a lot of names before McGregor – names like Fassbender and Hardy were thrown around – but after we named Boyle, someone jokingly said what about Ewan McGregor. At first, it seemed a little unlikely. But then, we realized he fit. The Will is the type of character whose intelligence and competence emanates from the page, and someone who has a lot of heart – enough that you find yourself rooting for him even though his presence in the book is as someone looking to kill the two leads. Now close your eyes and envision Ewan McGregor dealing with Lying Cat in that opening scene on Sextillion. Now tell me he isn’t a perfect fit.
You can’t, can you?
Oh, and The Lying Cat would be mo cap and played by Andy Serkis.
The Stalk: Uma Thurman
Beautiful. Dangerous. Enigmatic. Spider Legs. Three of those four things describe Uma Thurman, and the fourth can be done with CGI (and by that, I mean the beautiful part – ba dump bump). Thurman is a very gifted actress who is believable as both a stunner and as an ultimate badass, and could we see her driving Ewan McGregor’s The Will up the wall? Hell yes we can. Spider legs or not, we think Uma is perfect for The Stalk.
Izabel: Elle Fanning
The usual suspects were considered here: Chloe Moretz, Saiorse Ronan, Evanna Lynch. Yet, when we thought about it, we needed someone age appropriate that wasn’t Moretz (jeers of “she can’t act!” were bandied about). Fanning might always be compared to her sister, but in something like Super 8, she made it apparent that she does her own thing, and she does it incredibly well. As the sassy and omnipresent (as long as it is night) Izabel, we’re confident she’d be stealing scenes aplenty.
Prince Robot: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Open up Saga. Read dialogue from Prince Robot (preferably something that finds him discussing the romance novel he is reading). Imagine Jamie Lannister as his voice. Case closed.
