Casting the Characters #3: 'Half Bad' by Sally Green

Casting the Characters is a feature where I choose the actors/actresses that I would like to see bring the characters from my recent reads alive, if the novel was ever to be adapted. Recently, I read and reviewed Half Bad, which had a set of characters that were described in such depth, and so distinct when compared to other novels. Where I usually struggle, this time it was surprisingly easy to pick actresses/actors, and I didn't need to use IMBD for help!

 

Header designed by Ruby from Feed Me Books Now

The Cast

Asa Butterfield as Nathan
 

 
Nathan, the protagonist in Half Bad, is a character we see at different ages throughout the novel. We see him await the arrival of his seventeenth birthday throughout, watching his siblings experience their Giving Ceremonies, from a young age. But, for the most part, the novel is told when he is a teenager, experiencing endless Assessments by the Witch Council to decide whether he is a Black witch(like his father) or White witch(like his mother). He faces bullying - even for his siblings - and brutality for being a Half Code, but also falls in love and questions who he is.

 

As an actor, Asa Butterfield has proven his depth, playing the lead in the book adaptation The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. He could tackle the emotionally-charged scenes with ease, and then take on those that are crammed with action(after his role in Ender's Game). I don't think I could see another actor in this role; especially as Butterfield has the jet black hair that Nathan describes. Most importantly though, he already has the English accent!
 

Jake Abel as Arran/Kristen Stewart as Jessica

 



Nathan's half-siblings, Arran and Jessica, act very differently towards him. Jessica hates Nathan; blaming him for his mother's suicide and refusing to act decently towards him. She is described as being 'full of herself' and tries to trick Nathan into revealing his thoughts towards his Black witch father. Arran is very protective of his half-brother, taking on the role of defending him.





Kristen Stewart

I've seen Jake Abel in both Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and The Host. The wit - and charm - that he brought to these roles reminds me of Arran, and Abel would be able to settle into the brotherly scenes with ease, possible adding in some humour. Kristen Stewart's role as Bella Swan would really help her when playing Jessica, as their personalities are quite similar. When discussing the physical appearance, both look how I pictured Arran and Jessica when reading, and they would be able to tackle the brother-sister dynamic.

Jeremy Irons as Marcus/Meryl Streep as Mercury
 

Nathan's main focus during the novel is to find Mercury: a powerful Black witch who is rumoured to eat boys - and who could give him the three gifts needed to become a full witch. With a gift that controls the weather, she is short-tempered and cunning, and is described as being "as cold and heartless as an iron bar". She isn't weak, though. The main character is also waiting for his father; another Black witch who steals the gifts he wants. Hunters, the Witch Council, even Mercury, all want his head.

 

If you've read Half Bad, you've probably come to the conclusion that I didn't choose these actors for the similarities that they have with Marcus and Mercury appearance-wise. Marcus demands attention, and only Jeremy Irons could have such a powerful presence. His role as Macon in Beautiful Creatures highlighted that. With a few hours in hair and makeup in the mornings, Meryl Streep would be the perfect choice, especially since she would be playing the villain. It would be so much fun to witness this!

 

Although these characters aren't found in every part, they are the ones I could picture most vividly when working through Half Bad. I'd also love to see Helen Mirren as Nan, and Sophie Turner(from Game of Thrones), possibly, as Annalise.

 

So, have you read 'Half Bad'?

Who would you cast?

What if your latest read became a movie?

 

Tell me in the comments!

Casting the Characters #2: 'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell

It's been a few months since my first 'Casting the Characters' post - where I choose the actors/actresses that I'd like to see bring Cassia, Xander and Ky from the Matched series alive if it were to ever become a film - but as more adaptations are announced, I really want to continue with this feature. Recently, I finished reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, in which I adored almost every aspect. But, it was the characters that stood out for me; a cast that I fell in love with.



Header designed by Ruby from Feed Me Books Now
 

The Cast

 

Emma Watson as Cath and Wren

 

As identical twins, Cath and Wren have always shared everything, but university means new friends. Wren adjusts quickly to her new life, making friends and spending her time at parties, whilst Cath hides away; spending her time writing Simon Snow fanfiction, surrounded by the posters from the movies. Until she is almost forced to leave the dorm room, staying in with her laptop becomes the norm, cowered over with anxiety about where to sit at the lunch room. Without her sister, she's almost lost. The only world she knows is the World of Mages(where The Simon Snow Series is set).

 

Finding an actresses that could play Cath - and also Wren - was really tough; especially when their personalities are so different. Nobody fit the twin's look exactly, despite how many I considered choosing. I scrolled through lists on IMBD until I found a few that could take on these characters. Emma Watson is someone I instantly thought of when admiring the inside front jacket of Fangirl, where the characters as cartoons are drawn. She seems to perfectly capture Wren's character - especially when she had short hair post-Harry Potter. I then stumbled across this picture and immediately saw who I had pictured as Cath(especially the added addition of glasses). As Watson has proven before, she is extremely talented; and can balance humour perfectly. Other actresses that I think would be great choices include: Lily Collins, Anna Kendrick and Saiorse Ronan.

 

Andrew Garfield as Levi

 

The best friend - and ex-boyfriend - of Cath's roommate Reagan, Levi makes it his goal to smile at everyone: the public while he works at Starbucks, women while out at a Bowling Alley, his own friends. Levi spends most of his time outside Cath's dorm, waiting for Reagan to come home so they can study, listening to the lectures he recorded during class on his phone. Yet, he's willing to do almost anything for Cath, including walking her home from the library at midnight. It's no surprise that his charm soon wins her over.

I'd absolutely love to see Andrew Garfield take on the role of Levi; even though he is thirty and much older than his character. After seeing Garfield in Never Let Me Go, I've fallen in love with his acting, and think that he'd easily wear Levi's personality. Now I've got an image of him as Levi in my mind, I don't think anybody can change that. Alex Pettyfer is also a good choice - especially as a fan-favourite in Hollywood.

 

Alexandra Daddario/ Emma Stone as Reagan

 

As Cath's roommate, they have a love/hate relationship, especially when Reagan finds out about the Simon Snow fanfiction. But, she is the type of character that speaks her mind; and can be counted upon to be honest. An unlikely companion, Reagan is soon there to teach Cath about college life, and to offer her opinion. Always.

 

Reagan has such a powerful presence, which makes the casting for this role quite difficult. The blunt comments need to feel natural and the opinions have to feel real; the chemistry between the actress who plays Reagan and actor who plays Levi also needs to have the right balance. Emma Stone and Alexandra Daddario could easily tackle this character with ease, and both fit the description in the novel well. I'd love to see one of these actresses take on the role if it was ever to become a movie.

 

Miles Teller/Nat Wolff as Nick

 

A member of Cath's Fiction Writing Class, they begin to meet up in the stacks where Nick works at the library after agreeing to work on a piece together. As he says you can see the two different hands at work, he prefers to write longhand when with Cath, and in a second person narrative. However, as Professor Piper's Teaching Assistant, he needs to impress her.

 

There are numerous actors that could be brilliant as Nick - and portray a college student almost effortlessly. Choosing actors to cast for this role was so simple - and much quicker - than it was for the likes of Cath and Wren. Personally, either Miles Teller or Nat Wolff would execute this role, and be able to bring one of my favourite scenes from closer to the end of the book alive.

 

 

So, who would you cast?

Do you agree with my choices?

 

Tell me in the comments!

 

Sophie

x

 

Casting the Characters #1 - Matched

'Casting the Characters' is one of my new blog features for 2014, and involves choosing the cast for a book-to-film adaptation. Just like the next book-lover, I'm always extremely excited - and nervous - to see one of my favourite books on the big-screen, and see if the right actors/actresses have been chosen to play the characters. Matched is a YA Dystopia series with a huge-following, that I have recently joined after reading the first book in Ally Condie's trilogy, and I felt so connected to the characters throughout the novel. You can check out my review here.

 

Thank you to Ruby from 'Feed Me Book Now!' for the brilliant banner!

The Cast

Chloe Grace Moretz as Cassia Reyes

Cassia is the main-protagonist in Matched, and we are first introduced on her seventeenth birthday, as well as one of the most important days of her life in the Society, the Choosing Ceremony. The Choosing Ceremony is where you find your perfect Match, the person you are expected to marry and have children with. She attends the Ceremony with her childhood friend, Xander, and it is a shock when they found out they are Matched. However, Cassia over the course of the novel slowly comes to the realisation that it is wrong for her whole future to be planned and predicted, for her to just be another piece of data, and poetry plays a huge part in this.

Chloe Grace Moretz would definitely be who I would want to take on the role of Cassia. Not only does she bare a resemblance, Cassia does have brown hair though, Chloe would be able to both play the part of the girl that wants to change things, but the more down-to-earth and hesitant character we get to know.

Ansel Elgort as Xander Carrow

Xander is the best-friend Cassia grows up with, and they know everything about each other. Their fondest child-hood memories involve one-another and, when they are Matched, Xander couldn't be happier. As well as being one of the main supporting characters, no matter what Cassia does, he always stands beside her and does anything he can to protect her.

Personally, despite slight age-gap between Chloe and him, I would absolutely love to see Ansel Elgort as Xander. He matches the book's description perfectly, as well as executing the kind and calm demeanour effortlessly that you would expect from Xander. His role would need to be full of emotion in Matched, and after getting the role of Gus Waters in 'The Fault in Our Stars', I think it would be a brilliant choice. After doing some research, I found out they both worked together on Carrie!


Logan Lerman as Ky Markham

Ky has probably been the trickiest person to cast out of the whole book, as I have a very clear image of him in my mind, and could think of no actors that fit it. Ky moved from the Outer Provinces into the Society when he was age ten, and is extremely good at being average, perfectly fitting in to every situation so, he draws no attention to himself. This is until Cassia starts noticing him, after his picture appears where Xander's should have. He's mysterious, intriguing and extremely interesting; as well as having a 'way with words.'

Logan Lerman would be a great choice for Ky, in my opinion, as he's already taken on roles in the YA adaptations of 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' and 'Percy Jackson' so, he has proven he's really versatile and has a vulnerable side.

Other Characters

I'd absolutely love to see Elizabeth Banks, best known for playing Effie Trinket in 'The Hunger Games' take on the role of Cassia's Official, as the Official is quite serious, yet young, something that surprises Cassia. Also, the Official appears quite a lot throughout the book.

Em(Cassia's best-friend) and Bram(Cassia's brother), if I had a chance to choose who would play them, would be played by Hailee Steinfeld(Romeo and Juliet) and Riley Thomas-Stewart('The Lucky One').

So, who would you like to see play the main characters if Matched was ever an adaptation?

 

What do you think of this new feature?

 

Tell me in the comments!