There has been some great casting news in the last few weeks, from projects it seems like we’ve waited forever to see come to fruition to new stories we can’t wait to enjoy in a new medium.
Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in Dark Tower
King himself announced this casting confirmation, and while the idea of Elba as the gunslinger Roland Deschain had been bandied about for awhile it was fantastic to see it confirmed. Not to mention McConaughey as the Man in Black with his slow, sultry drawl. Really I’m just excited for everything about this. A Dark Tower film is the stuff of which dreams are made, and here’s hoping that eight books equals eight movies. Make it so *Picard hand flick*.
Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday/Odin in American Gods
Who did this? Who is responsible for casting Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday in the Starz American Gods miniseries? This is likely the greatest casting done in, like, a really long time. I don’t know how long. Since the last time I got this excited about casting, which probably involved that live action Beauty and the Beast movie. I seriously can’t think of a better actor to play the crafty and a little bit depraved Mr. Wednesday. I’m hoping for Al Swearengen with a slight Scandinavian accent. I’m not quite as excited about the other casting announcements. Emily Browning seems like a decent enough fit for Laura Moon. She’s a bit baby faced, but she’s shown she can be tough in Suckerpunch and more mature in appearance in Legend. I’m a little disappointed in Ricky Whittle being cast as Shadow. While I’m sure he’s great and all, I don’t really know because I don’t watch The 100, I really wanted Jason Momoa to play Shadow. Mostly because I want Jason Momoa to play like everyone, but also because Shadow is a big dude, a bodybuilder and all, and while Gaiman was purposefully nondescript with Shadow’s race (per his usual) I did always think of him as being Native American. It would make sense with some of the interactions he has with some of the Old Gods. I’m sure being Aquaman wouldn’t have even allowed Jason Momoa time to play Shadow, and I’m also sure that Whittle will do fantastic and I’m being ridiculous. Still, Jason Momoa naked on a tree. Just saying, you know.
Simon Pegg as Ogden Morrow in Ready Player One
There’s only report of talks at this time but I’m going to just go with it because I’m happy to see Simon Pegg cast in anything. From Spaced to the Star Trek reboots, I’ve always liked the humor Pegg can bring to any character. Though I would think of Pegg as being a better fit for the withdrawn, cynical James Halliday in Ready, especially since Morrow is described as a hefty guy and let’s be honest is basically Steve Wozniak (with Halliday mirroring Steve Jobs). Tye Sheridan has been confirmed as main character Wade Watts/Parzival and Olivia Cooke as his romantic interest/competition Samantha Evelyn Cook/Art3mis. The former seems like a decent choice. Though I’ve only ever seen Sheridan in movies about him bonding with older male criminals, I have added his recent movie, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, to my “Maybe if It Comes on Netflix, Maybe” list. I’ll withhold judgment on Olivia Cooke because I’ve literally never seen anything she’s been in, but I will say I was hoping for Mae Whitman to get that part.
Peter Serafinowicz in The Tick
Amazon is bringing back The Tick but Patrick Warburton is Lemony Snicket in Netflix’s new Series of Unfortunate Events series. So while Patrick Warburton is most certainly The Tick, Peter Serafinowicz definitely has the chin and voice to do the big blue spoof of comic book heroes quite a bit of justice. Who might be filling Arthur’s white spandex? I don’t know, but I definitely want to see Ron Perlman return as Fiery Blaze!