Mistborn: The Sequels

Mistborn's sequel is probably more engaging than even the first. The funny thing is, it's almost entirely about a protracted siege, and yet it's a very involving read. It probably doesn't, however, lend itself as easily to film format, especially if it's marketed to teens and young adults, who might be expecting more of a Hunger Games type film. Despite that, I know there are ways to make it work.

As with the first, this has pretty much gotta be a movie. It's a longer novel, but there's a lot of internal monologuing and scenes that could be shortened. That said, while there's a lot of cast from the first film coming over to this one, there are also a lot of new characters.

For this blog, I'm not going to mention the characters I've already cast from part one. There's no need to. They don't really age much from then, and I don't plan on needing to recast any of them. I will say, however, that this will be the film that really fleshes out the roles played by Jamie Blackley and Diogo Morgado, and preps them for future stardom.

So, here's the new characters, and my choices for each.

First, there's Zane, a Mistborn who intrigues Vin, and who has some anti-establishment ideas. Zane's hiding several secrets, and in the interest of refraining from spoilers, I won't say what they are, except to say that it's very hard, initially, to know what side he's on. This is a very engaging role, and I think should be played by an up-and-comer who doesn't have a ton of star power yet, but who could very soon. I chose Black Sails actor Luke Arnold.

Luke Arnold

The next role was harder, and open to numerous different interpretations. Lord Ferson Penrod (whose first name I pronounce "FEHR-sun" because I don't think it should rhyme with "person") is an older, conservative nobleman who likes Elend but doesn't think much of Elend's present rule. Again, not much I can say without spoilers, but for some reason, the image of Timothy Spall came to my mind. He's aging, but not elderly, and isn't bald, but I still think he could work.

Timothy Spall

Next, we have Lord Ashweather Cett. I had no trouble casting this one. The only real concern I have is the actor's age. He's 77, but I'm not all that upset about it because he seems to have stopped aging somewhere around 60, plus he just fits the character so well. Cett is a pompous blowhard with a booming voice and a huge beard. He's implied to be rather heavy of frame, but even if he isn't, it fits the idea that Cett is also a paraplegic, and therefore doesn't likely get much exercise (not that the actor is fat). So...can do pompous and loud with a booming voice and wears a big bushy beard? That sounds like Brian Blessed to me.

Brian Blessed

My next choice might be somewhat controversial. Terriswoman Tindwyl shows up early on to help Elend look and behave more Kingly. As she's from Terris, I wanted a Latina actress for her, but I wasn't sure who would be best. However, she's described as "mature" but still beautiful, and young enough that Sazed feels she's his contemporary. So, I didn't want someone aged, just maybe in their late 40's and still with good looks. I picked Salma Hayek.

Salma Hayek

For Lord Cett's daughter, Allrianne, I wanted someone who was easy to mistake for a brainless beauty, since that's exactly what Allrianne wants you to think she is. I also figured this is a great role for a not-yet-famous actress who's star is just beginning to rise. So I picked The Wolf of Wall Street's Margot Robbie.

Margot Robbie

The next choice is for a voice actor, so a picture probably isn't necessary. Vin's shape-shifting footman, OreSeur, spends most of the film in the body of a dog. His voice isn't really described, but somehow, I think British comedian Matt Berry could handle the gruff, but still very cultured and mannered, tones of OreSeur's dog body. A picture of Berry doesn't do much good here (though I'm still including one) because really, you'd have to hear him speak. Trust me, he has an impressive voice.

Matt Berry

Two minor, but very important roles are next. The first is newly-empowered merchant-turned-city councilman Philen Frandeau. Frandeau makes me think of a weaselly little runt who makes you want to smack him the first time you see him. I see him simpering and sniveling, and being obsequious. Sounds like a role that Adam Godley could play with ease.

Adam Godley

I'll have part three up soon, but to be honest, there aren't many new characters in that one. There's certainly a few, but few enough I may even just add them to this entry. We'll see.

EDIT:
Yeah, I decided to just update this entry. There are really only three characters in The Hero of Ages that are new.

The first new role is Obligator King Aradan Yomen. He's about the same age as Elend, crafty and analytical. Also a fanatical devotee to the Lord Ruler, and presented as a villain for much of it. Rising star Daniel Sharman came to mind.

Daniel Sharman

Another villain is skaa tyrant Quellion, AKA "The Citizen". He claims to have realized Kelsier's dream of skaa ruling skaa, but he's at least as bad, and as much a hypocrite, as the Lord Ruler. Somehow, the mix of handsome charisma and pretty-boy arrogance of up-coming actor Kyle Schmid seemed appropriate.

Kyle Schmid

Finally, there's the Citizen's sister. Beldre has led a sheltered life, and has an innocence you don't see in many of the other characters. Worldly wise, she is not, but she's still a good character, and one who will have to be able to show strength of character even in her ignorance of how the world works. Think Rose in Titanic. I like Kay Panabaker for her.

Kay Panabaker

I just started the Mistborn distant-sequel novel The Alloy of Law. It seems like the stuff of movies, so I may cast that one as well. We'll see when I'm finished.

Mistborn: The Final Empire

The Mistborn series is a trilogy of fantasy novels from the increasingly renowned author Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson combines the ability to tell a fascinating story with characters that are flawed, easy to relate to, and yet still quite heroic, inventive, unique settings, and what truly sets him apart; his often complex, entirely original, and fully fleshed out magic systems.

This series takes place in a semi-post-Apocalyptic world covered in ash from a series of huge, but presently mostly dormant, volcanoes that cause frequent ash-falls. During the day, is lit by a red sun and at night, it is deluged by an omnipresent mist that seems at least semi-sentient, unable or unwilling to enter homes of the living and seemingly attracted to the presence of those who use Allomancy (the most prominently featured magic system), swirling around them whenever they venture out into it.

This crapsack world is ruled over completely by a mysterious, apparently immortal Lord Ruler, who could give Stalin, Pol Pot or Idi Amin a run for their money in the fascism department. The people are divided into two groups; the Nobility, and the Skaa, a working class that the Nobility literally believe are little more than semi-intelligent animals.

Nobility regularly kill skaa, and since skaa are not afforded basic human rights, they don't get in trouble for it. They also rape skaa women, and are supposed to murder them afterward so that they don't create any "half-breeds".

Here's the twist: among the Nobility there are some called "Mistborn", who are capable of practicing an arcane art known as "Allomancy", which is the practice of ingesting, then "burning" (which is to say, using) certain metals and their alloys, which give them various abilities. Iron allows you to push against other metals (any metal). Steel allows you to push against the same. Tin enhances your senses. Pewter enhances your physical body (strength, speed, endurance, balance, etc.). And so on and so forth. Basically, a full Mistborn, who can burn all these metals, is one major badass. Less badass but still powerful are "Mistings", who can burn one metal, but not all.

Did I say these people exist only among the nobility. Hah, well. They're supposed to, but considering how hard it is to make sure you never create a child with a skaa, the ability has spread.

Revolts have happened before, but they're increasingly uncommon, as the present generation of skaa literally believe that the Lord Ruler is God, or at least a god, and therefore not only is removing him impossible, but as a god, ruling is simply his right. But there's one man who wants to change all that, and truly end skaa oppression and the totality of the Lord Ruler's regime.

That's how our story begins, and I'm gonna stop there because I'm getting too bogged down in story. I will say, however, that I think these would make a good movie trilogy rather than television. The plot, while intricate, is quickly-moving and could easily fill a three-hour-ish running time (each book is about as long as one volume of The Lord of the Rings) and whoever directs this is gonna have to have a sharp eye for interesting visuals, like the Wachowskis, Zack Snyder or Tarsem Singh. It's important to get the right look of the setting, the red light, oppressive ashfalls, the mists, and above all, the fight scenes, which will, if done right, out-Matrix The Matrix.

Unlike several other books on this list, a film version of this book has already been optioned, and I sincerely hope this project moves forward. It's still in development hell right now. Maybe this cast list can get some studio bosses talking.

I initially considered waiting until I'd read all the books in this series and then casting the series as a whole, but it's becoming clear as I near the end of the second book that each movie deserves its own post. And, of course, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD!

Now, on to the casting!

Our hero is a young skaa thief named Vin. Vin has grown up on the streets of the capital, Luthadel, moving among the thieving crews with the help of her brother, Reen. Now Reen has disappeared, and Vin has caught the eye of another thieving crew...a special one with a daring plan. What is special about Vin, and what will she learn about herself?

Vin is young, waif-like and riddled with self-doubt, even as she does what she must to survive, and only gradually begins morphing into a confident badass. Whoever plays her should have the ability to look both totally vulnerable and also hardened. I understand that Sanderson himself wanted Ellen Page in the role, but Page is a bit old for it at this point, and while she wouldn't suck, I want Chloe Grace Moretz. I mean, this kid has done it all. She knows how to do a fight scene (Kick-Ass). She can play someone who goes from wallflower to threatening, with arcane powers (Carrie), she's the right age, but always seems to be in roles typically given to older people. She can alter her voice (important as Vin begins to infiltrate Noble society). Personally, I can't see anyone else in the role at this point. Also, it doesn't matter if they don't start filming for a few years because she's very young-looking despite being Vin's age now and will still look the proper age in a few years. (Wow, this is the second time in four posts I've thought of Ellen Page and Chloe Grace Moretz for the same role).

Chloe Grace Moretz

Next is our protagonist, Kelsier. Like Vin, Kelsier is skaa-raised, but is actually a bastard child of Nobility, so he is a full Mistborn who becomes her Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kelsier's a complicated character. The leader of a thieving crew made up almost entirely of Mistings, Kelsier is a charismatic man, a natural leader, and is always quick with a smile and a quip, even though inside he's boiling with rage against the nobility, for a host of reasons. He's gained legendary status of late because he's the first, and so far only, person to survive the brutal internment camp known as the Pits of Hathsin, and he's spent the last couple of years honing his Allomantic abilities. His newest job, which he took for idealistic reasons rather than money, is to literally overthrow the Lord Ruler and give Luthadel to the Skaa. But he's after more than that; he wants the Lord Ruler dead.

Kelsier is described as being 38 years old with dark blonde hair and an outwardly flippant personality. However, he's also very dangerous, and many on his crew wonder if he hasn't started believing his own legend and started thinking that he can kill the Lord Ruler just because he's who he is. I think Jude Law could do this pretty well, especially because we know he can be serious (lots of his roles) but also jokey, smiley and flippant (AI: Artificial Intelligence, The Talented Mr. Ripley). He's older than 38, but looks somewhere around that age.

Jude Law

I'm going to list our primary antagonist next, despite the fact that the role is not all that large. The Lord Ruler is described as looking young and handsome, tall with a slim but muscular frame. His face has a stone, unreadable expression and he speaks with a voice that sounds bored and tired. His hair is long and dark, but that sort of thing can be accomplished with wigs. I always imagined him as looking kind of elfin, and somehow the image of Alex Pettyfer kept springing to mind. He's blandly good-looking and capable of stoic evil. Also, I'm gonna be honest here and state that I really don't like the title "Lord Ruler". It's just...so...generic. Maybe that was Sanderson's goal, but it always felt to me like he just couldn't think of a good title for him, so he substituted "Lord Ruler" until he could think of a better name, but then forgot to come up with one. I would have called him the "Lord Ascendant" or something like that. But that's just me.

Alex Pettyfer

Now onto Kelsier's crew. Most of them are at least half-skaa, but they're city-bred skaa who are mostly tradesmen or administrators. They know oppression, as well, though the plantation skaa are the ones most beaten down.

To start with, there's Kelsier's right-hand-man, Dockson, who is the only non-Allomancer within the central crew. Dockson is good with numbers, and acquiring things, and it's his administrative skill that gets Kelsier the materials and preparations he needs. Dockson himself is something of a straight man to Kelsier, but he's more than that, as well. He, like Kelsier, believes there's no good in the Nobility, and he has his own dark history to live with. He'd described as being shorter and somewhat older than Kelsier, stocky, with dark hair and a beard. This isn't a "normal" choice, but I pictured Paul Giamatti in this role. Something about how Dockson is a bit of a sad-sack may have brought me to this casting.

Paul Giamatti

Next, there's Hammond, known as Ham, a tall, muscular "Thug", who can burn pewter to enhance his already considerable fighting skills. But Ham is no "dumb muscle". Instead, he's an armchair philosopher who enjoys posing ethical questions and pondering then out loud, much to the annoyance of his crewmate, Breeze. To me, there is no one who can play this role but Ray Stevenson.

Ray Stevenson

Next is Breeze himself. A Soother, Breeze's Misting talent is that he can calm emotions of others. He's a bit of a smarmy, kinda jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold type who seems to put on airs. He's portly, and could be considered comic relief, at least the more deadpan snarker type. I kept picturing him as Eddie Izzard.

Eddie Izzard

The next roles are a bit different. They're not members, per se, of the thieving crew, but they're pretty important roles. It's just that in this film, we won't really see that yet. The first is Elend Venture, who is the son of the most important Nobleman in Luthadel, barring the Lord Ruler. Elend, however, isn't like most Nobles. He's a bookish, honest young man who is genuinely disgusted by most of his Noble peers and the way they oppress the skaa. He dreams of creating a better society, but isn't sure how to do it. Then he meets Vin, and it all begins to fall into place. This type of role would be a great "star-maker" for a young, little-known actor, as he segues into the male lead role, and I've chosen Jamie Blackley.

Jamie Blackley

The other role I mentioned is that of Sazed, a Terris steward who is genuinely a hard role to describe. Terrismen can often practice a powerful magical investiture known as Feruchemy, and in order to breed this ability out, and make them easier to control, the Lord Ruler has them castrated at birth (and their women kept in breeding programs). This makes them docile, but also very tall and with arms that seem too long. Sazed, like his people, is very tall, quite docile, but with a rebellious streak that makes him want to actually affect change, thus making him work against the Lord Ruler's empire. He's also a Feruchemist. His earlobes are stretched and lined with earrings, which are actually used with his abilities. He mainly collects information on religions, which is part of why he'd love to see the Lord Ruler toppled, and is very unassuming and warm, friendly, etc. And also very wise. While Kelsier is Vin's trainer in Allomancy, Sazed is in many ways her trainer in life. I had a hard time with the casting. For some reason I picture his skin as being darker, though the book makes it clear that Terrismen are not African in skin tone, and, much like Elend, I think this role should go to someone who's not very well known yet. I chose Diogo Morgado, who played Jesus in The Bible miniseries and the theatrical version, Son of God. This is appropriate, as Sazed is a rather Christ-like character. Camera angles, forced perspective and other visual tricks can help him achieve Sazed's great height.

Diogo Morgado

A secondary villain who grows into a major one later, Elend's father is Lord Straff Venture, and boy, if he isn't a boo-hiss villain at near Joffrey Baratheon-levels. A villain role like this can be well-done in the hands of a good actor, but a bad one can make him uninteresting or even goofy. We need someone who can behave like a complete asshole who expects the world to just do what he demands, and have fun doing it. I say that man is Christopher Eccleston.

Christopher Eccleston

Kelsier's brother Marsh is taller than he, hard-faced (his nickname is Iron Eyes) and devoted to helping end skaa oppression. He and Kelsier don't really get along because he doesn't think Kelsier takes anything seriously and cares more about himself than his people. He is willing to go to great lengths to accomplish his goal, including infiltrating the Lord Ruler's Steel Ministry. For reasons I'm not going to go to great lengths to describe here, I will simply say that I've chosen Christopher Heyerdahl to play the role.

Christopher Heyerdahl

Then there's the "leader" of the skaa rebellion himself, a laborer named Yeden. Yeden dreams of leading the first successful skaa rebellion, and hires Kelsier to do it, despite not liking Kelsier's reputation. Yeden isn't a large role, nor does he have much personality besides always being worried, but he's an important role, and needs to be cast. I chose Kim Coates, an underrated character actor who disappears into his roles.

Kim Coates

"Clubs" Cladent, another, though reluctant, member of Kelsier's crew, is an elderly, grumpy "Smoker", whose job it is to mask any Allomancy going on in his vicinity. He also provides their hide-out. His role is pretty small, as well, as Clubs is a man of few words who basically just sits in their meetings and scowls. Despite that, he does have an important role and it will be necessary to cast a good actor, who can say a lot without saying much at all. I chose Mark Margolis.

Mark Margolis

Clubs also has a nephew nicknamed Spook, a "Tineye" who can use tin to enhance his senses. He speaks in a very odd manner, thanks to growing up on the streets of the Eastern Dominance and learning their "street slang". Spook's role is fairly small in the first book, but grows, and he's going to be a fun character who might even be the break-out from this film. I didn't want to cast a well-known actor in this role, either, though whoever gets cast will need to be able to play him memorably. I ultimately decided on Game of Thrones actor Joe Dempsie, though this role is open for a ton of interpretation.

Joe Dempsie

In order to secure funds and a face among the Nobility, Kelsier has a mysterious Nobleman working for him who seems to have no problem with Kelsier's extreme anti-Nobility stance. Lord Teven Renoux is another small role that will be important to cast, and I chose Jonathan Hyde, who is good at playing stiff, upper-crust gentlemen.

Jonathan Hyde

We've reached the end of the major, must-cast-these-roles type characters, but there's many, many minor roles that I think are important to include. So, all of these guys are one-scene-wonders or background characters, but still got casting decisions from me. Here we go.

The first one I'm gonna talk about is a character who's not even a character in the books but a memory of one. Vin's older brother, Reen, looked out for her and kept her safe, but he also abused her and kept her always doubting, never trusting. Throughout the book, in Vin's insecure moments, Reen's voice echoes in her head. I think it could be visually demonstrated by having Reen appear to her as an apparition (well, physical manifestation of her inner thoughts) and taunt her. And for some reason, I see him being played by Bronson Webb.

Bronson Webb

Speaking of characters from Vin's life on the street, there's always her initial thieving crew boss, Camon, the sort of "Fagan" character that Kelsier rescues her from. He's described as being heavyset and always angry, so Jamie Foreman came easily to mind.

Jamie Foreman

Lady Shan Elariel is a Noblewoman who tries to manipulate Vin and is trying to find out what Elend is really up to. She's a purely evil character, and one I look forward to seeing on screen due to her Mistborn fight with Vin. I chose Caitlin Stasey, even though I don't know much about her, because she looks pretty close to how Shan is described.

Caitlin Stasey

One role that's very minor in terms of screen time, but I still feel needs to be cast, is that of Lord Prelan Tevidian. He's the chief Obligator (essentially Attorney General) in the Lord Ruler's empire, a frightening, powerful man with a secret even he doesn't know in full. He needs someone who can look stonily intimidating, and I chose Downton Abbey's Brendan Coyle

Brendan Coyle

The only other young Nobleman who sees a need for change in the empire is Jastes Lekal, one of Elend's closest friends. Unlike Elend, he isn't an idealist and while he doesn't see the skaa as tools to be used and thrown away, he's not exactly a nice guy. He strikes me as a bit of an idiot, a sniveling twerp who's been handed more power than he could ever handle, and this comes out even more strongly in the sequel. I chose Leo Bill to play him.

Leo Bill

Then there's Kliss, a Noblewoman of low social standing who seems to be little more than a fluttery gossip. She's on the large side and her fashion sense is horrid. She annoys Vin, but Vin finds her useful to spread rumors. I couldn't picture her as anyone else but Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant. I think it could be a fun cameo, comic relief with a point.

Aidy Bryant

Demoux is a young skaa recruited into the rebellion's army, who becomes a true believer. This is another role that starts off rather small and grows in the sequels. I don't know why, but I think Eugene Simon could communicate Demoux's aching earnestness.

Eugene Simon

Finally, I'm going to cast two of the Lord Ruler's Steel Inquisitors. The Inquisitors are frightening characters, powerful Allomancers with strong resistance to the powers of others. They have tattooed faces and spikes driven through their eyes and out the backs of their heads, which, obviously, means that there is something incredibly unnatural about them, and the fights Vin and Kelsier have with them are pretty intense. I've cast Ian Mercer, whom you might recall as the Quartermaster in the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie as Bendal, who has the most fight scenes, and Michael Nardone as Kar, the Inquisitor with the most dialogue.

Michael Nardone

Ian Mercer

On a final note, I should point out that many of the actors I chose are American, or Canadian. Basically, I made sure I chose actors who could at least affect a "British" accent, despite the fact that unlike a lot of fantasy, this isn't really a quintessentially British world. I kinda picture it that the higher up you are in the Nobility, the more "posh" your accent sounds, while most skaa speak with a generic sounding accent. I'm fairly certain that most of my choices are capable of that.

Ketty Jay: The Series

In the past year, I have been fortunate enough to become acquainted with a series of novels that's just plain fun, yet a serious, adult read at the same time. I've heard people describe Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay series as Firefly crossed with Pirates of the Caribbean in a dieselpunk setting. That's not a bad description, even if it does barely scratch the surface.

Part science fiction, part fantasy, part western, part sky-pirate story, and mixed together in a way that feels familiar and yet fresh at the same time, Tales of the Ketty Jay is a four-novel long action/adventure story set in a fictional world where electricity, machinery, etc. exist yet society is still at about the level of about early 20th Century. Our heroes are the captain and crew of the Ketty Jay, a Millennium Falcon-esque airship that's seen better days. Darian Frey and his crew are freebooters; they'll take almost any job that pays well, even illegal jobs, even if there are some lines they won't cross. Action and danger rule the skies, and our heroes are frequently at the heart of it. 

For those of you who aren't familiar, I'll try and go light on the spoilers, but I will encourage you to go pick yourself up a copy of these books right away. You won't be disappointed.

Now, up until now I have been casting film versions of the books I've read, but this time, I feel a television series would be best. The books aren't super-long but there's a fascinating world and set of characters to be explored here and I'd love to see a four-season TV series running on, say, Starz or BBC America. I think the best title for the series would be simply Ketty Jay rather than Tales of the Ketty Jay, since really, none of the individual book titles would work for the series as a whole. Well, maybe Ace of Skulls but it sounds a little too obscure.

Also, I mentioned in my first post that I take into consideration the age of the actors vs. the characters, and for the most part, I've followed that here, but for a few of the roles, I've aged them up a bit (and perhaps down a bit, too). In this case, characters' ages are less relevant, and in the case of at least one of them, I feel he was too young in the novel to have amassed the life experiences he supposedly has. Despite that, I still feel these actors will do a great job.

The Regular Cast

For our intrepid (hah) hero, Darian Frey, I kept picturing Dominic West of The Wire and The Hour fame, but I'm afraid he's just a bit too long in the tooth by now. Darian is self-centered, often greed-driven, treats women poorly in general and is a burgeoning drug addict. We're talking about a seriously flawed, yet very human and engaging, lead character. I'm picking Tom Riley, formerly of Da Vinci's Demons, but I'll confess, I'm primarily familiar with this actor thanks to his performance as Robin Hood (seriously) on Doctor Who, where he showed a great deal of charisma and charm. This tells me he's an actor with range, as his role on Demons was darker and more brooding. There's darkness and charm to Darian, so Riley should work perfect.

Also aboard the Ketty Jay is gentleman daemonist Grayther Crake. Crake is on the run, and with him is a mysterious golem named Bess. Crake's main talent is in binding daemons, which comes in handy a lot, and really, his only other skill is fitting in with society crowds, which comes in handy for infiltration purposes. He eventually realizes he belongs on the Ketty Jay. The foppish dandy seems like a good role for Stephen Campbell Moore.

Stephen Campbell Moore

Jez, aka Jezabeth Kyte, is the new navigator aboard the Ketty Jay. She's small, looks younger than she is, and is maybe a little too good at her job. What's she hiding? Well, on the Ketty Jay, where everyone has secrets, she's right at home. Kaya Scodelario is a tad young, but to me captures the mysterious, yet inviting, young navigator.

Then there's good old Doc Malvery. I like Althazar Malvery, and you will, too. He's a fatherly, wise old feller, even if he is a functioning alcoholic. He's sort of the mentor character, and one of my favorites. I wanted to match his girth, age and wisdom with an actor that would be TV-ready, and came up with Game of Thrones's Ron Donachie. All he needs is a walrus mustache.

Ron Donachie

The role of the Ketty Jay's engineer, strong silent-type Silo, was tougher, because he's probably the most layered character in the book. A Murthian, Silo is basically a strapping, handsome black man with a thick accent and bass voice. He starts off so serious, quiet and withdrawn that he's hardly a character. But once we begin to delve into him, well, let's just say that still waters run very deeply in this case. I think I've found my Silo in Jimmy Akingbola.

Jimmy Akingbola

Then there are the two out-flyers. These are the men who pilot the planes that scout ahead of the Ketty-Jay and help in any dogfights they get into. First up is Artis Pinn, the whipping-boy for the rest of the crew who is a few bricks shy, and also chubby, sexist, perpetually horny, even a little mean-spirited. Sounds like a great guy, eh? Well, no, he's not, and the book even makes it clear. The only thing he's good at is flying, and he thinks of himself as a dashing hero because of it. To me, he looks like Calvin Dean.

Second outflyer is Jandrew Harkins. Harkins fought in the Aerium Wars (read the books to find out what they are) and is still shell-shocked from them. He's perpetually frightened, only ever feeling at home in his plane. He was another who was hard to cast, but I think Jason Flemyng could handle the jittery, rat-faced, balding, gap-toothed pilot.

In the last two seasons, a new regular comes aboard. Her name is Ashua Vode, and she's a street rat trying to break into bigtime thievery. She's a short ginger with a tattood face, and kinda looks like this:

Which to me, looks an awful lot like Karen Gillan. That's not Gillan in the photo, but it's a pretty good estimation of what she'd look like dressed as Ashua.

Recurring Cast

The following characters will appear frequently, but probably not often enough to be considered regulars.

The first of these, and the most important, is Frey's love interest, Capt. Trinica Dracken. After he left her, she became probably the most infamous and feared sky pirate in the world, and cultivates an evil persona that she uses to inspire fear. Underneath it all, however, there are hints that Darian's beautiful former fiance is still there. I chose Rosamund Pike for the part. I think she could handle both aspects of the character.

Rosamund Pike

The Century Knights are a fun group. They're the hundred most deadly fighters in the Coalition, and we get to know one of them quite well; Samandra Bree, a dual-rifle wielding, short, cute badass, she was a lot of fun and I wanted to cast a fun actress in the role. Believe me, I'm not just trying to work in as many Doctor Who companions as I can, but I think Jenna Coleman would rock this part.

Jenna Coleman

 Samandra's partner, giant, taciturn Colden Grudge, basically just calls for a really big actor. So I chose stuntman Spencer Wilding, who stands 6'7".

Spencer Wilding

There are lots of other roles, but few that appear as often as the ones I cast. I'm gonna leave it up to other Wooding readers to suggest actors for people like Kedmund Drave or Plome.

Gideon Smith & the Mechanical Girl

This one's a bit different from my last post. This book isn't a decades-old classic that quite a lot of people know of, and know in depth. This one's relatively new, and quite different. However, as new as it is, I need to advise you of potential spoilers below, so maybe if you haven't read this one and don't care for spoilers, just give this one a pass.

Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl is a rollicking, fun steampunk adventure from author David Barnett that hit shelves last year. Multiple reviews of the book talk about how it feels like a movie, and unlike a lot of the books I read, it's short enough that there shouldn't be any trouble fitting this into a two-hour running time.

As the cover might imply, there's a ton of spectacle and high adventure. It's a mystery/adventure/quest story that involves vampires, monsters, automatons, airships, magical artifacts, you name it. It mixes actual history (it's set in Victorian Britain) with the fantasy/horrors of that day. Bram Stoker might actually exist, but so might his creation, Count Dracula, and other vampires. And I prefer not to say much more about this.

Anyway, our hero is a young, earnest fisherman from a village called Sandsend. His father's disappearance (and rumored death) start the plot, as young Gideon is certain that foul play is behind the situation and does what any loving son would do; attempts to contact the hero of the penny dreadful stories he enjoys reading: the dashing Capt. Lucien Trigger. Gideon, who's about 25 or so, is described as being muscular and broad shouldered, but to me, what came across far more in the writing was his earnestness, vulnerability and wide-eyed wonder. I kept trying to picture him as a strapping, muscular lad, but the image of Andrew Garfield wouldn't leave my mind. Despite that, having reviewed the choice, I think Aaron Taylor-Johnson would fit much better. Kick-Ass showed that he has the same vulnerability but is a much more impressive physical specimen.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Along the way, Gideon meets an Irish writer who refuses to believe in the supernatural...at first. His name is Bram Stoker. Michael Fassbender, like Stoker, is Irish, a ginger, and looks like he could pass for the historical Stoker.

Michael Fassbender

Bram Stoker

Stoker's take on the supernatural changes dramatically when he meets - not Dracula, but Dracula's widow, the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory. I'm less worried about historical accuracy when casting Bathory, because we really have no idea what she looked like, only paintings, which may or may not be accurate. All we need is a beautiful woman who also looks dangerous. Eva Green, anyone?

Eva Green

After getting separated from Stoker, Gideon's adventure takes him to Einstein's house. Well, not Albert. Albert's grandfather. Among the wonders there is a beautiful automaton (the titular mechanical girl) who looks almost perfectly like a young lady, who begs Gideon to take her with him. He agrees. She looks very young, innocent and blonde. Kinda like Sophie Turner.

Sophie Turner

After meeting back up in London, Gideon meets a foul-mouthed, decidedly hygiene-lacking fat reporter with a sharp mind. Aloyisius Bent is absolutely the comic relief here, but he's also that rare bird; comic relief that is actually useful. He comes along on their adventure, sensing a big story. And Nick Frost would play him to perfection.

Nick Frost

Bent leads them to Capt. Trigger, who, alas, is nothing like Gideon expected. He's actually a weak, frail, aging man whose one real talent is writing, and he has actually been chronicling the adventures of his friend (and lover) Dr. John Reed, who remains safely anonymous since everyone thinks the adventures belong to Trigger. He's not all that frail looking, but the image of Kenneth Branagh clung in my mind as I read about the aging, cowardly, closeted man.

Kenneth Branagh

It turns out that John Reed is missing, too. Trigger reluctantly decides to join the quest, hoping to find his lover. To facilitate the journey, they hire the Mistress of the Airways, Aerostat captain Rowena Fanshawe. She reminded me of Natalia Tena.

Natalia Tena

They run afoul of a notorious American pirate names Louis Cockayne, who's almost as much a figure of legend as Trigger and Fanshawe. I know that it sounds like type-casting, but every description of him given in the text made me think of Adam Rothenberg. So, I can't help it, he's my Louis.

Adam Rothenberg

 They need to go to Alexandria, it turns out, and hire local sub captain Mr. Okoth. Who better to play a large, intimidating, but ultimately jolly African man? Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbage, of course!

Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbage

They make it to Africa, and they do indeed find Dr. Reed. But is he friend or foe? Iain Glen looks like the middle-aged, strong, bearded man that Reed is.

Iain Glen

Ah, but who is the mysterious Walsingham, who appears to be the one who has been behind most if not all of the trouble? Walsingham is tall, elderly, thin, and has a sharp nose. Sounds like Charles Dance to me.

Charles Dance

Also, it's a minor role, but Varney the Vampire shows up. I couldn't resist casting everyone's favorite emaciated, reanimated corpse, Julian Richings.

Julian Richings