Carving The Light - (Hypothetical) Casting Call

What if Carving The Light was made into a movie?  Who would you cast? 

That's the question posed on the ABNA message boards and, coincidentally, a subject which has come up a few times between some of my friends/readers and I since the book was first published.

There have been MANY suggestions, some of which I agree with, and some of which I do not.  And, truth be told, I had very specific and completely different people in mind while I was writing it.  But let's face it, even if it ever were to be brought to life as a film, I would have NO say as to who got approached to star in it, so this is really my only chance to make my wishes heard.

So here it is, take it or leave it.  What follows is my first choices for who I think should play the main roles in the big screen adaptation of my book, Carving The Light.

Emily Collins:  I would love to see her portrayed by one of "the Laura's" - either Laura Linney, or Laura Dern

Regardless, for the flashback scenes involving Young Emily, I'd totally love to see spunky Magda Apanowicz kick some ass:

Julie Collins should absolutely be played by Carrie Anne Moss.  I actually wish it could be a movie just so I could watch her take on this part, and show the world what she can do with it!

Samantha Collins was a tough one for me to cast.  There were several suggestions, from Rose Byrne to Missy Peregrym.  But I think if I had my first choice, I'd go with Ashley Scott:

EDIT:  Scratch that.  Ashley is cute as a couple of bugs, but I need to move Michelle Williams over to play Samantha.  She is just too good not to be in this movie - you know, if it were a movie!  lol

So, Samantha Collins is now hypothetically being played by Michelle Williams:

Likewise, the role of Sarah was another hard one for me.  I'm good with the Elizabeth Moss suggestion, but honestly, I'd rather the raw energy and natural beauty of a Laura Prepon or Michelle Williams.  Both look amazing no matter what they are doing, and both can demonstrate the emotional range that Sarah has to display throughout the story.

EDIT AGAIN:  I'm so dumb.  Somewhere inside, I always knew that there was only one person on this earth who would play Sarah, if ever there was a chance.  Sorry Laura Prepon.  You are awesome, but if I can't cast the person this character was based on, I will have to send the world the next best thing.

Katee Sackhoff is Sarah.  She just is:

Ryan was a weird one for me to cast, because I named him for a character in a show I used to watch.  But had another actor in mind physically when I wrote about him.  Mark Ruffalo and Dermot Mulroney are both really excellent choices and, in a way, sort of go with the feel I was trying to get for Ryan.

But in my heart of hearts, he was always supposed to be played by Chris Bruno:

Finally, our Big Bad, Duncan Rolston.  I actually never had anyone in mind for Duncan.  In fact, when I first wrote the book, he didn't even exist as a character, except in one quick scene as he pulls away in a car.  He was more talked about and made reference to - not so much seen.  He didn't even have a name.

But then I decided to tell part of the story from Duncan's point of view, and he became so interesting to me that I couldn't stop talking about him for awhile.  He became important. 

He's sort of flipped with Emily, in a way.  Emily is seen mostly in the present, and a very little bit in flashback.  Duncan, however, is glimpsed very briefly in the present, and his whole big raison d'etre is shown in flashback scenes.  There were some varied but very interesting suggestions for such a man, from Jeremy Renner and Paul Bettany as Present Day Duncan, to Kyle Gallner as Flashback Young Duncan.

But for me (and this just hit me today, actually), I think a brilliant pairing would be Karl Urban and Thomas Dekker.  It would actually make me want to write more for Karl Urban to do, were he playing the part!

Additionally, the screenplay would be written by Diablo Cody, and the flick would be directed by Joss Whedon.  Just 'cause.  ;)

So there you have it!  For better or for worse - possibly for changing - and definitely for fun...my casting call for the movie version of Carving The Light.  Enjoy, and feel free to weigh in!

You can read the preview excerpt here.  But if you don't like downloads, I can put up a different, slightly shorter preview, too.  Just let me know!  :)