I'd like to thank author Tim Meyer for putting together this Guest Post for today's blog. Come back tomorrow for my review of his newest novel, Kill Hill Carnage. But now...
CASTING KILL HILL CARNAGE
I know some authors who “cast” their novels during the prewriting or first draft stage. It helps them keep track of certain attributes. It’s also easy to picture them in their heads, gives their characters’ development, a certain cinematic feel. I’ve never done this. Not because I think it’s a bad idea - quite the contrary, I think it’s a fantastic approach that can be very useful. However, I prefer to let the characters stand on their own without the help of someone else’s image. To me, the characters feel more personal, and I, in turn, feel more invested in them, their struggles and story arcs. I like to build them from scratch from the inside out.
However, on a few occasions, I’ve thought about casting after I’ve written the story. After all the drafts, revisions, and edits are complete. After it’s been published. Sometimes it’s fun to muse: what if this actually got made into a movie? Who would they cast? Who would play the characters that I made from nothing? I’m a pretty big film buff and as an author, I think it’s perfectly natural to daydream about having your work adapted for the big (or small) screen.
So, Frank invited me to write a blog post about KILL HILL CARNAGE and I thought it’d be cool to answer those questions. Without further ado, here’s who I’d cast in the film adaptation, using actors and actresses from today (like, you won’t see Harrison Ford cast as a twenty-year-old college student, cool as that would be).
Jenna - Jessica Rothe - I loved Rothe in Happy Death Day. I thought the film was brilliant and a large part of that was due to her performance. I think she’d be perfect in the role of Jenna - a smart but somewhat broken, down-on-her-luck type character who decides to throw caution into the wind and join her friends on an impromptu camping trip. Honestly, I think Rothe is probably one of the most talented young actresses out there and we need to see her in more stuff.
Frank - Timothy Olyphant - Ah, Frank. For those of you who haven’t read KILL HILL CARNAGE yet, Frank is a long-time member of a criminal organization and he’s just taken his first hit job, which puts him in the same location as our campers: near Kill Hill. Frank sees this as his last job for the mob; after it’s over, he’s out, on a plane to some tropical island. He’s a little rough, doesn’t take a lot of shit, but he’s unqualified and way over his head. I think Timothy Olyphant - who has unbelievable range - could nail this part down. I’ve loved his acting since I first saw him in the comedy, The Girl Next Door. I think he’d bring a certain charm to Frank, the same way he did with his characters on Justified and Deadwood.
Seth - Timothee Chalamet - This Academy Award-nominated rising star would be perfect for the role of Seth, a character who so desperately wants Jenna to notice him. He’s the hopeless romantic sort who is much too shy to pursue his love interest. That, and his best friend Dave, an aggressive sack of testosterone, proves to be a major roadblock on the path to Jennaville. I believe Chalamet will probably grow to become one of the greatest actors of his generation, and I think he’d do the character of Seth a great justice.
Warren - Devin Druid - Not as well known as the actors and actresses on this list, Devin Druid is probably best known for his role on NETFLIX’s 13 Reasons Why. On that show, he portrays an introvert with some major psychological and anger issues. The character of Warren is the complete opposite. He’s very much outgoing. As a student of the performing arts, he dreams of being a Broadway superstar. So… he’s a little dramatic, over-the-top, and won’t pass on an opportunity to see himself into the spotlight. I think Druid’s acting is solid enough to take on the role, and I see him doing a great job with Warren. He definitely has the chops.
Fiona - Emilia Clarke - You probably know her as Mother of Dragons from Game of Thrones. Emilia is a fantastic actress, and with GOT ending next year, I can’t wait to see where her film career goes. Fiona is Warren’s girlfriend and the sensible one of the pack. She thinks rationally and when chaos forces the group into terrifying situations, she’s the one who keeps it together. She’s also Jenna’s best friend and helps talk her through her personal issues. I think Emilia could bring something special to the role of Fiona.
Dave - Ansel Elgort - You might recognize his name/face from such films as The Fault in Our Stars and Baby Driver. He was also in the Carrie remake, a film I really enjoyed. The character of Dave is a tricky one - plain and simple, he’s a class-A douchebag. His behavior toward Jenna and his outlook on women in general are appalling. His conduct is disgusting. Let’s face it, he’s a pile of human garbage. I imagine these types of characters are difficult to “get into”, but I think with Elgort’s talent, he could slide into Dave’s skin quite well (yuck). Dude has range and I think he could pull it off.
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