In our Make it a Movie section, we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” by Gillian McAllister is for those who enjoy time-bending thrillers, family drama, and a touch of criminal intrigue.

***SPOILER WARNINGS***

Plot: A mother witnesses her son commit a shocking crime, then finds herself traveling backwards in time, trying to unravel the mystery and prevent the crime from happening.

Production Notes: There is already a movie with the same name released in 2021, wouldn’t recommend confusing the two. No news on this book becoming a movie, but it did end up on our arch nemesis, Reece Witherspoon’s book club list, and they have a pretty good track record of becoming movies, so you never know!

Genre: Psychological Thriller / Time Travel

Logline: Memento meets Back to the Future

Proposed Casting for “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” by Gillian McAllister:

Jen – Cleary the lead of this movie and the person really driving the story. We’ll keep this one easy and go with Emily Blunt who has experience with both this genre (Girl on the Train), and time travel (Edge of Tomorrow). She’ll have no issues sliding into the role of concerned mother grappling with time travel and family secrets.

Kelly – These books always need the mysterious spouse that has some big secret they’ve been hiding from their trusting significant other. Kelly fits the bill in this book. We liked Jeffrey Dean Morgan for this role. His rugged charm and ability to play complex characters make him ideal for the role. Plus, as noted in the podcast, he’s tall, dark, and handsome and has a great… anyway onto the next character.

Todd – Will keep the star studded cast going choosing Tom Holland to play Todd. Yes, at this point he may be a little bit too old, but Tom Holland could bring a lot to this character and would probably make Todd more than seemingly a science nerd who suddenly stabs someone.

Joe – Quick who is the first person you think of as British enforcer/tough guy? If you said anyone other than Vinnie Jones’, I’m sorry, but you’re incorrect.  Sign him up, easy casting.

The film would need to carefully balance the thriller elements with the emotional core of the story. Special attention should be paid to the visual representation of time travel, perhaps using subtle changes in clothing, technology, and set design to orient viewers in each time period.

How did we do? Let us know what you think and what roles we’re missing. You can also check out our podcast episode or book club questions while patiently waiting for the movie adaptation announcement.

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, is for those that like video games, or rags to riches stories, or relationship drama, and want a book that’ll fly by.

** SPOILER WARNINGS

A movie is already in the works with ‘CODA’ Filmmaker Siân Heder set to direct. I imagine these types of movies are super hard to make. Spanning so many years and with such a focus on relationships that usually only a book can capture. But we’re excited to see what they do with the movie, and if Siân needs any help with casting we’re here to help. You can also check our podcast episode we did on the book while patiently waiting for the movie. 

Plot: Two friends build a video game company together, and unfortunately can’t put their egos and past drama behind them and just be nice, successful, rich people.

Production Notes: Paramount Pictures purchased the film rights to the Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow adaptation in an auction for $2 million prior to the book’s publication. Gabrielle Zevin is working on the screenplay.

Genre: Coming of Age

Logline: The Social Network + The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Proposed Casting for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Sam Masur/Mazer – Sam is an interesting character, he had a troubled childhood, and is a introvert, but also goes on to become the public face of a major video game company. I think we just run back the Perks of Being a Wallflower cast in this instance casting Ezra Miller to play Sam. I know Ezra has gotten into some trouble of late, but no one doubts his talent and I think Ezra would be able to capture the dichotomy that is Sam Masur/Mazer.

Sadie – is the brilliant game designer and real driving force behind most of the companies success (but doesn’t get much of the credit). She’s a unicorn in the gaming industry being a talented female in a male-dominated space. Sam and her are very similar in a lot of ways but also exact opposites in other ways. Emma Watson, I think would make a lot of sense for this character, and I think someone she could relate to.

Marx – The one true likable character in the book. He is able to manage Sam and Sadie’s egos while also being a genuinely good friend. In order for his death to hit home later, this character needs to be likeable and charming. Darren Barnet makes a lot of sense. Just saw him in Anyone but You, he’s a a likeable, attractive, and a Japanese-American actor, that checks off all of the boxes for Marx’s character.  

Dov – Saving the worst character for last. Terrible person, the real bad-guy of the story if you ask me. I was pretty upset that they were still friends with this dickhead at the end of the book. For this character, we need someone who can play the arrogant, pompous guy, who is also charming enough for Sadie to fall for. I’m a big fan of Sam Claflin (he was great in Daisy Jones & The Six) so this is no knock on him, but I think he could pull this character off (he did this well in Peaky Blinders).

Plenty of other characters we could have cast but we’ll stick with those for now. Let us know what you think and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or check out our Book Club Episode or Book Club Questions on Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Here is a clip from the podcast:

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by BuddyBookClub (@buddybookclubpodcast)

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, is a super dark, horror filled, adventure story set in the plague ridden Dark Ages of France. 

It seems these days the only movies being made by movie studios is comic book adventure movies and horror films. No one would mistake Between Two Fires with a Marvel movie, but it does have many of the adventure story elements and it has plenty of horror. So what I’m trying to say is, someone make this a big budget movie. It just missed out on our top 10 podcast books list, but a book we both enjoyed and would recommend to anyone that could handle a little change of pace. You can check our podcast episode, if interested. 

Plot: A drunk priest, a disgraced knight, and young mysterious girl walk into a bar, venture through plague riddled France on their way to see the Pope. Horrors and laughs are abound at every turn.

Production Notes: As far as I can tell there hasn’t been any television or movie updates on this one. It remains a hidden gem… For now. But here at the Buddy Book Club, we speak these things into existence. We’ll help the future production team with casting.

Genre: Horror/Adventure

Logline: The Last of Us + Black Death

Proposed Casting for Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

Thomas – Thomas would be a great character to play. He’s a foul mouthed, morally questionable, former knight. He’s basically a mix of Billy Bob Thornton from Bad Santa and Bruce Willis (in any of his movies). Or a combination Russell Crowe’s Nice Guys and Gladiator characters, which is why we selected him to play the role. Seems like he’d be a perfect fit for a darker version of Gladiator gone wrong.

Delphine – A somewhat mysterious figure throughout the book who preaches non-violence (although conveniently after violence is needed to save them), and is very Jesus-like (hint-hint). This role needs to be someone that can stand out while sharing the screen with many more boisterous characters but also possess angelic vibes. Thomasin McKenzie, of Jojo Rabbit fame, seems like a great fit. She has a young innocent look but a great overall actress who could stick out in this type of role.

Father Matthieu – In the dark ages of France, an alcoholic priest isn’t that big of a deal. A gay priest, caught in the act is a big deal. Father Matthieu is a kind hearted, pious man (who likes his wine), but has been ostracized by his community before joining up with Thomas and Delphine. He is the perfect third member of this unusual traveling trio. He cuts the tensions a bit and is a great sounding board (and drinking mate) for Thomas. Sam Rockwell just seems like a guy that can balance being both a bit silly but also serious. We may have just cast him in a recent MIAM but, what can we say, he’s a good actor and we’re tying to become his agent. 

Plenty of other characters we could have cast but we’ll stick with those for now. Let us know what you think and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or check out our Book Club Episode or Book Club Questions on Between Two Fires. Here is a clip of us discussing our stock ups and downs for the book:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cra8hqys8i4/

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. We’re All Lying is a psychological thriller, packed with everything you look for: deception, violence, heavy-emotions, and of course lies.

There have been a number of psychological thriller books turned movies in the past. They’re hard to nail because it’s tough to get inside the head of the characters the same way books do, but We’re All Lying has enough plot and mystery to work well on the big screen. We actually got a chance to talk about what the movie would look like and who would be casted with the author Marie Still. Check out our podcast with author interview if you’re interested.

Plot: Cass has a seemingly perfect life. Head of a marketing agency, two kids, and chivalrous doting husband. That is until she gets an email that turns her life upside down. Jealousy, anger, and hatred fuel Cass as her life spirals ominously out of control. 

Production Notes: Nothing on the production front, this book is pretty new (released March 14th, 2023), so we may not hear anything for some time.

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Logline: Girl on the Train + Chloe

Proposed Casting for We’re All Lying by Marie Still

 Cass – The main character of the book and one that goes through a ton of ups and downs. Personally we would have left Ethan’s cheating-ass immediately, but we understand the long history and other variables at play. This would be a very emotional draining role for whatever actress took it on. Kate Winslet clearly has the acting chops to pull off this type of role, plus she just seems like the type of person who could be the head of a big marketing agency. 

Ethan – Outside of Ethan coming to Cass’ defense when they were in college, he’s a pretty shitty dude. He is a serial cheater, liar, and someone that collects items from past conquests… A complete serial killer move. He seemed like more of a sociopath than Alice to me. I think for the movie they’d make him a bit more likeable, since he isn’t the villain of the story. A guy that plays the ambiguous good/bad guy character really well is Jon Bernthal. In real life he seems like a really stand up guy, but he seems to be cast in the noir roles frequently. Side note – his small role in Wind River was one of the most chilling scenes I’ve seen in a long time.

Alice – Maybe we’re a bit crazy, but we actually sympathized with Alice, the villain of this story. She’s had a rough up bringing and despite her efforts and importance, she still seems to be treated like a second class citizen by pretty much everyone she is in contact with, including Cass. Were her actions in the book justified… No but I do think she makes for a compelling well-rounded villain. Typically in these types of books/movies there really isn’t much ambiguity with who is bad/good, in this book there was a lot of that, which we appreciated. The person who I imagined the whole time while reading was Christina Ricci, who happens to play a very similar character in the show Yellowjackets (which had an awesome first season). Check out the show and tell us she isn’t the perfect casting for Alice.

Emma – Emma is a character we don’t really get in the head of much, but all we know is that she’s a bit of a wild card (yes, Cass made her out to be crazy, but conference appearance was as crazy as you can get). Sleeping with the bosses wife too? That’s an insane move. For this role we need some one good looking enough that you could imagine Ethan risking it all for, but also a little bit on the wild side. Sydney Sweeney makes a lot of sense. Between Euphoria and The White Lotus, she seems to already have this role down, and she’s easy on the eyes as well. 

 

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, is a World War II historical fictional novel about the code breaking efforts that took place at Bletchley Park. 

The Imitation Game already proved that a movie about code breaking and math can be wildly successful. I would say the The Rose Code offers more in the way of romance, espionage, mystery, and the royal family. All things that would make it a great movie adaptation. It didn’t make our top 10 book podcast list, but a book we both enjoyed and would recommend. You can check out the podcast we did on it if interested. 

Plot: Three young women with vastly different backgrounds become best friends while helping to break codes at Bletchley Park. We get to see what daily life is like at Bletchley Park for and most importantly get to sit in on their monthly Book Club Meetings (the Mad Hatter Club – which is a great name, just not as great as the Buddy Book Club). Trials, tribulations, heart break, and espionage ensue. A movie or TV show that has something for everyone.

Production Notes: The last update was almost two years ago, when it was reported that it was being adapted for TV by Black Bear Pictures. This is the same company that developed the aforementioned Imitation Games, so they know what they’re doing when it comes to Bletchley Park. Haven’t seen any recent updates or casting, so we’ll help with that.

Genre: Romance/Historical Fiction

Logline: Imitation Game + Allied

Proposed Casting for The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Osla – Our favorite character in the book. On the surface Osla is a petite, well-off, debutant. But really she’s clever, fiery, funny, and a fiercely loyal friend. For her character we needed someone who could be silly and funny, but also bring some legitimate sass. Juno Temple of Ted Lasso fame, fit the bill perfectly. She already has a few period pieces under her belt as well so jumping into this character (who is actually based on Osla Benning) should be pretty easy for her. 

Mab – Mab grew up in a working class family, her family was like a stereotypical Boston family, always telling her ‘you think you’re better than us!?’ She and Osla immediately hit it off as they are both the type not to take shit from anyone. Plus, Mab is around 6-feet so she could literally beat up any of her foes.  While the Irish actress Saoirse Ronan doesn’t measure up in the height department (she’s 5’6″ which is tall by actress standards) she more than makes up for it with her acting chops. She is another actress ‘primarily known for her work in period dramas’, so while she may be reluctant to hop into another one, she’d be a great fit. 

Beth – Beth was raised by to two of the worst parents of all time. Her mom is just pure evil, and her dad is just an apathetic coward (which as we discussed at length on the podcast is way worse). Because of her awful parents, Beth, who is a mathematical genius, is very shy and reserved, and constantly apologizing. She eventually breaks out of her shell and becomes much, much more. A character that came to mind for this role was Gilly from Game of Thrones, played by Hannah Murray. She played the shy reserved roll really well, so why not run it back?

Francis – Francis is a not a man (all men kinda suck in the book), he is a super hero. A reserved gentlemen, but a caring, forgiving, amazing husband/lover/writer. Can’t ask for much more if you’re Mab. We casted a good ol’ American for this one in Sam Rockwell. Francis is on the older end so he fits the bill there, and Sam Rockwell just seems to have the quiet reserved strength that makes him super likeable. Lot of actors could probably fill this one out, and the role may go to someone a bit younger, but I’m sure the studio would be happy about adding some additional star power.

Harry – Harry is as British as anyone, but his race and skin color make him stick out. Harry constantly faces racist barbs from his supposed countrymen and women. I was a bit mad that Harry eventually gave into those barbs and left to go to war, but I hold grudges/spite like no other. For this role Riz Ahmed seemed like a good casting. He may not have the physical stature that Harry posses (although in Sound of Metal he looks pretty big), but he is another great actor. He’s another British actor I was shocked to find out wasn’t American because his accent is so good. He was born to play this role as he experienced much of the same things Harry went through while at Oxford.

Plenty of other characters we could have casted but we’ll stick with those for now. Let us know what you think of who we casted and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or check out our Book Club Episode or Book Club Questions on The Rose Code. Here is a clip about British slang and the usage of Torch from the book:

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, is a dark mysterious thriller, that had us second guessing everything and everyone. 

Spoilers ahead… It’ll be very interesting to see how they develop this movie and if it will mainly be through the eyes of Theo. Obviously the big twist depends on making it seem like the two timelines are occurring at the same time. The Silent Patient sits as Keith’s, 7th best overall podcast book and the best dark thriller, it gets a strong recommendation from us. 

Plot: Theo is a therapist who has become intrigued/obsessed with a convicted murderer, Alicia Berenson. Alicia has remained silent (and drugged up) for the past 7 years. Theo gets hired on at her psych ward with his only goal being to help get her speaking again. Even if that means a few violent attacks on himself and other patients, all that matters is Alicia! He starts investigating her story and everyone involved in it. It’s like a true crime podcast, with more twist, turns, and questions than you can imagine.  

Production Notes: The last update for the adaptation was back in March 5th, 2019. Things move slowly in Hollywood, but we’re not overly encouraged by the progress.  Reportedly, Annapurna and Plan B are producing it. Not much else in terms of updates or casting, so we’ll help them out. 

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Logline: Gone Baby Gone + Shutter Island

Proposed Casting for The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Theo Faber – We get to know the protagonist, Theo, as a therapist who truly wants to help others. Theo himself, was a victim of abuse from his father, and someone that attempted suicide, so naturally there is sympathy for what he’s gone through, and it’s commendable that he has chosen a professional to help others. He also seems to be somewhat of a fragile person (in both emotions and physically — I mean Alicia managed to beat him up). So when it turns out he is much, much more sinister than we can imagine it makes for a great twist. This character has to be one that we sympathize at first but can also flip the switch and become a psychopath. We went with Benedict Cumberbatch. An actor that has shown he can play characters that are shy, eccentric, gregarious, intimidating, and be believable in all of his roles.  He’s also someone that is super likeable, which will help make the twist hit home even more.

Alicia Berenson – Probably not the most desirable role as an actress, a character that doesn’t speak for most of the movie. For this role we need someone who can give off a lot of emotion without much dialogue. A female version of Tom Hardy (Director Christopher Nolan said Hardy can do more with his eyes alone than most actors can with their whole body). The first person that came to mind was another actor that Christopher Nolan cast in his movie Inception, Marion Cotillard. Marion has unreal eyes and can portray a lot without speaking. We fawned over her and her eyes a a bit much on the podcast. So once the restraining orders are lifted, we’d reach out and cast her as Alicia.

Gabriel Berenson – Gabriel is a photographer and husband of Alicia, who ends up murdering him. The further you get into the book, the less and less likable he becomes. Eventually we felt his cheating and cowardice were to blame for his death. I imagine Gabriel being an attractive, beanie-wearing artist who is likeable at first glance but once you start peeling the onion back, there is not much there. Orlando Bloom seems like someone who could fit this role well. Viewers know him as Legolas and Will Turner, so when his true character is revealed I think it’ll make for a great twist.

Ruth – Ruth is a sweetheart of a therapist. Really one of the only good characters in the book (which immediately made me think she was up to something). I just imagined Ruth as the Dame herself, Judi Dench. Fun fact: She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1970, a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1988 and a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 2005. I’m not sure what any of those titles mean, but I assume she has a key to the nukes? Anyway, she was made for this role, sign her up.

Plenty of other characters we could have casted but we’ll stick with those for now. Let us know what you think of who we casted and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or check out our Book Club Episode or Book Club Questions on The Silent Patient. Here is a clip below that pertains to this very blog!

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney, is a another page-turning psychological thriller, that would make for a interesting movie or tv adaptation. We covered the book on our podcast and did some fun book club questions as well if you’re interested. 

Spoilers ahead… Rock Paper Scissors may one of the tougher books to make into a movie because 1) Capturing what Prosopagnosia is like for Adam visually may be a bit difficult 2) The big twist is that the letters are from Robin, so showing flashbacks with a different woman may be a bit difficult.  We would recommend telling the story in three parts first through the eyes of Adam (with him narrating). We get to understand his infliction and get to see how the story progresses through his eyes. Next the story shifts to Amelia narrating and what we believe to be Amelia and Adam’s back story (covered in the letters), but the twist at the end is it’s actually been Robin’s story the whole time. Lastly once the twist has been revealed we shift to Robin narrating and see what has really been happening all along. This will keep the suspense and twist plausible for the watcher, just like the book did for the reader. 

Plot: Nothing better than a romantic anniversary weekend away right? For their 10th anniversary, Adam and Ameila win a weekend away to snow packed Scotland, at a 1-star AirBnB. No phones, food, or warmth. Only real positive is that they have their trusted dog, Bob, with them. Well, that is until he goes missing everything starts to unravel. 

Production Notes: According to the most recent Variety update (in April 2021), Rock Paper Scissors was optioned by Netflix. The book is not being made into a movie but rather a six-part series for Netflix. Alice Feeney’s Instagram still has states” ROCK PAPER SCISSORS coming to Netflix soon.” So our guess/hope is that nothing has changed but we haven’t heard any casting news, so we’ll help with that.

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Logline: The Lodge + Memento

Proposed Casting for Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Adam – Adam’s character is a bit of an enigma. On the one hand he is a confident, charismatic screenwriter, who can work a room (despite not being able to read the faces he’s looking at). On the other hand he has a dark disturbing past and is haunted by his childhood. Collin Ferrell was the first actor that came to mind for Adam. I think he’s criminally underrated as an actor, who could easily pull off both sides of Adam. This is the type of role that would have you falling in love with him, despite the fact that Adam is a pretty terrible person.

Amelia – By the end of the book all of the characters are hateable, but none more than Amelia. A deceptive, manipulative, schemer who turns out to have a disturbing past as well. I’ll be honest, I just can’t get over the fact that she hid Adam’s cell phone so he had nothing to do for an 8 hour car ride. Of all the things she’s guilty of, that may be the worst. Casting Rosamund Pike in any of these thriller roles at this point, is a give away as she plays the dark manipulative characters so well. But if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it (speaking of broken, Fracture is a great under rated movie that I first saw her in). So she’s getting the nod as we work to put together an all-star psychological thriller cast.

Robin – Rosamund Pike could play either of these roles, but the key for the Robin casting is someone that looks somewhat similar to Amelia and potentially just as unstable. The ending of the book made you really question Robin’s mental state, so it’ll be interesting how they portray that in the series. For this role we’ll keep the all Irish/British cast going and go with Kate Winslet. She has shown she can pretty much play any role so casting her as an ex that holds an 11 year grudge? Eazy peazy lemon squeezy.

Henry Winters – Last but not least is the wild card in this book, Henry Winters. My guess in a movie/series he would end up playing a much larger role, because of the reveal and family connection discovered at the end of the book. For this part Anthony Hopkins made a lot of sense. He’s naturally an intimidating, intelligent, father type figure, who seems like he would have an extravagant desk in his home. (He also happens to be in the movie Fracture as well).

Let us know what you think of who we casted and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or Check out our book club Podcast or Rock Paper Scissors Book Club Questions.

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. Verity by Colleen Hoover, is a page-turning thriller that played out much like a movie.

What makes Verity a great book, is the same reason it’ll work well as a movie. It has you at the edge of your seat, questioning everything. The movie would have two timelines, much like the book, pre-Verity injuries and post-Verity injuries. The movie would likely be even more mysterious/vague with the autobiography timeline only adding more questions. I really hope they make this, as it has the potential to be a Gone Girl type movie if made correctly.

Verity wasn’t a book we read for our illustrious podcast but it is one we would highly recommend. We’re currently reading The Silent Patient right now which is in a similar vain, so pick that up and catch us on the next podcast!

Plot: A struggling writer, Lowen Ashleigh, meets Jeremy Crawford, aka the perfect man. He’s smart, charming, and good looking.  Not only does he posses great qualities, but he also helps solve all of Lowen’s writing and financial issues. Too good to be true, right? Well, yeah, otherwise it wouldn’t be much of a book. Unfortunately his wife, famous author Verity Crawford, is currently brain dead and living in his house, and two of his three children have passed away. When Lowen discovers Verity’s autobiography, things get even more tense, dark, and sexual.  

Production Notes: Not a ton of updates on the production of this one, but as of two years ago now Colleen Hover said, “I also sold film rights for Verity to Amazon Studios. But, just selling film rights doesn’t mean a film will be made, so I have my fingers crossed, but that’s really all I can do!” We’ll be crossing our fingers as well, in the meantime we’ll help give Amazon Studios some ideas for the movies casting.

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Logline: Gone Girl + Nocturnal Animals

Proposed Casting for Verity by Colleen Hoover

Lowen Ashleigh – The protagonist of the book, we see everything through Lowen’s eyes. The book does a great job making you question her motives/psychological state, and I think this will be key in building tension/having you questioning everything in the movie. Although Lowen is a shy, reserved writer, by the end of the book it is apparent she is much, much more. I picture her starting to dress like and act more and more like Verity by the end of the movie (in order to win over Jeremy), and as a viewer this makes you start to question her character. Natalie Portman is an actress that could definitely pull off Lowen’s character. First off, she was in the Star Wars prequels, so she already has a special place in my heart, but she has proven to have a ton of range, and would have no issue going through the transformation Lowen has in the book. In many ways she’s already played this same type of character in Black Swan.

Jeremy Crawford – Jeremy is a little too perfect. This is how we described him in our book club questions: Tall, muscular, attractive guy, who also happens to be a caring and supportive spouse, a great dad, and phenomenal lover (with an iron stomach). Am I a little bit envious of him? Yes, yes I am. Let’s stick with another talented Star Wars actor in Adam Driver. He can play the strong sensitive type but also someone with a darkness behind the eyes, which is exactly what we need for this role to build the questions around his character.

Verity Crawford – We only really get to know Verity’s character through her autobiography and obviously if you read the book there are questions about it’s validity or purpose. I’m in the camp believing that everything from the autobiography is true and that would make Verity’s character a bit sociopathic and delusional, but a great writer nonetheless. The perfect casting would be Rosamund Pike, just running back her Gone Girl role, that she absolutely crushed. We could also argue that Amber Heard would fit the bill… but she may not actually be acting. We’ll go with Evan Rachel Wood who I think is a really underrated actress and I believe would crush this role. 

Those are really the three main characters. Let us know what you think of who we casted and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or Check out our book club Podcast or Verity Book Club Questions.

In our Make it a Movie section we play the role of movie producers and map out the movie production. We just finished reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (check out Book Club Podcast), and simply put, it is a book that needs it’s own movie. The book is a roller coaster adventure, with action, world building, magic, and has 6 vastly different characters.

Plot: A gang of six young thief’s, criminals, and misfits are tasked with breaking into the impenetrable “Ice Court” and breaking out with an imprisoned scientist. Imagine Ocean’s Eleven, add in elements of The Rock (side note – one of the greatest action movies of all-time), then sprinkle in some magic and some over arching political dynamics and you’ve got Six of Crows. What’s not to like?

Production Notes: Yes, we know there is already a TV show with these characters and it sounds like season 2 will cover much of this story, but I think it’s a movie that would stand on it’s own. Plus, the tv show is aimed at a younger audience, if we had to make a movie, we’d add A-List actors, and make it a lot darker/gritty.

Based on: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Adventure/Heist

Logline: Ocean’s Eleven + The Rock

Proposed Casting for Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

** Note I know the characters in the book are all between 17-19, but that’s not how I read them in the book.  The TV show casted all late-20’s actors, I don’t think them being young is really vital to the story. Plus, when making blockbuster movies, the actors themselves are most important, not their age. So I’m casting A-list actors and not worrying about ages. We debated about this as well if you wanted to check out a brief reel.

Kaz Brekker (TV Show: Freddy Carter) – Kaz aka “Dirtyhands” is the leader, mastermind, and grittiest of the crew. Much like the others in the crew his rough upbringing has left him scarred (he walks with a limp and has haphephobia), ruthless and violent. He develops a soft spot for those in his crew especially Inej, but is outwardly cold. I just thought of Jake Gyllenhaal for this part especially his grittier roles like Prisoners, Southpaw, or Nightcrawler. Not sure why I have Jake Gyllenhaal on my mind, but I casted him in the last Make it a Movie as well. All I know is he’s a great actor and one I could believe leading this crew of criminals. 

Jesper Fahey (TV Show: Kit Young) – Our personal favorite character, Jesper is happy-go-lucky, sarcastic, and someone that is always down to gamble or get in a gun fight. Gambling debts put Jesper in a hole and gotten him into trouble, but he is a loyal crew member and one that you’d always want by your side. I was picturing Will Smith from his Wild Wild West days for this one. Smith can be both funny and be a realistic action hero.

Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skogman) – A big hulking warrior or drüskelle (Grisha-hunter), Matthias is a bit of a religious nut. It takes him a little time to come around, but eventually he starts becoming one of the crew, and a valuable asset as he knows the layout of the Ice Court they must break into. The whole time I was reading this I was thinking of another big, strong intimidating actor in Jason Momoa. Give him a blonde wig and he’ll have no trouble fitting this role perfectly.

Inej Ghafa (TV Show: Amita Suman) – Known as the “Wraith”, for her abilities to quietly sneak on the rooftops and spy on enemies (thanks to her acrobatic background). Inej is Kaz’s right-hand-woman, and they have a relationship that can best be described as similar to Sam and Diane from Cheers. Much like Kaz, Inej is calculating, emotionless, and at time ruthless. Freida Pinto has a lot of experience with more serious and dramatic roles that this role calls for and I think would make a great fit for Inej.

Nina (TV Show: Danielle Galligan)- A Grisha Heartrender and former soldier, Nina is a voluptuous seductress who was able to turn the cold-hearted Matthias and start a very Romeo & Juliet-esque relationship.  Nina like Matthias was raised preparing for war and is probably the most physically gifted of the bunch (as she has Grisha powers). The biggest difference is she has empathy and doesn’t seem nearly as brainwashed. I was just imagining Scarlett Johansson for this role. I think she could nail the flirtyness of Nina, but also is a believable warrior (as she’s shown as Black Widow).

Wylan Van Eck (TV Show: Jack Wolfe) – Wylan fits into more of the misfit category. He grew up wealthy, doesn’t have the criminal skills or experience as the rest of the crew, but quickly finds a way to become a valuable asset to the group. Him and Jesper have a blossoming relationship where Jesper just basically makes fun of him all the time, but it seems to work. For this role we need someone that can come off as a bit nerdy, but could also be a key piece to the group. Nicholas Hoult has played this role several times, and I think would make a lot of sense as Wylan.

Well those are the biggest characters, but there are plenty of side characters to cast. Let us know what you think of who we casted and what roles we’re missing, reach out to us.  Or Check out our Podcast episode or Book Club Questions we did on Six of Crows. 

I went down a Wikipedia worm hole the other day, that somehow landed me on the Red Hot Chili Peppers Wiki page. There were so many twists and turns, so many band members, so many crazy stories, that someone has to make a movie about it. 

The Red Hot Chili Peppers story spans 5 decades, with a ton of up and downs, drug use, and amazing music. As an amateur screen writer (by amateur, I mean terrible), I’ll break down all the crazy stories that need to be in the movie, the story structure and who we’d cast. The movie will include flashback to childhood of each band member to show how they became the people they are today. I don’t claim to be a RHCP expert, but I may need to pick up a few of their memoirs to get even deeper into the story and help fill in the holes.

Genre: Biographical, Drama/Comedy

Based On:  Anthony Kiedis (Singer), Flea (Bassist), Chad Smith (Drummer) & John Frusciante (Guitarist) and past Band members:

Logline: The story of a band willing to cross (and do) every line to find musical success and rock the world… While wearing socks on their dicks.   

Working Title: Under the Bridge or Scar Tissue

Casting the Red Hot Chili Peppers Movie

Anthony Kiedis – Obviously being able to replicate Kiedis’ style and mannerisms will be key in this role. I’m also a fan of actors that can actually sing (like Taron Egerton in the Elton John biopic), so it’s not just lip singing the whole time (which takes me out of the story). So in terms of look and their ability to sing, we’re going with Noah Centineo of Black Adam and To All the Boys I’ve Loved fame. This role may be a little bit darker than what he’s used to, but he has the looks and the voice to give it a crack.

Flea – Flea is a good actor in his own right appearing in a number of movies over the last 30 years. For this role we need someone that is a little off the wall that can play the eccentric talented artist. How about a guy that has been a bit crazy in real life as well in Ezra Miller. Miller has a musical background being in the band Sons of an Illustrious Father and I think could nail this role.

John Frusciante – The amazing guitarist is another eccentric character that is a a lot more quiet and reserved compared to the rest of the band, but would be a key part in the movie. Again looking for someone that actually looks like they know how to play guitar, so we went with Dylan Minnette who is most known for his role in 13 Reasons Why. But he’s also the lead singer and guitarist of the band Wallows so he won’t look out of place with a guitar in his hands.

Chad Smith – The easiest casting for Chad Smith would be Will Ferrell he looks exactly like him, and can play drums. But unfortunately Will Ferrell is a bit too old for this role being only 6 years younger than Smith. We went with Ansel Elgort, who, staying on theme, is a talented actor that also has musical chops. Not sure if he can drum, but he did a good job drumming out songs in Baby Driver. I think look wise if he grew out a beard and hair he could look like a young Chad Smith (although I can’t get Will Ferrell out of my mind).

Red Hot Chili Peppers Movie Outline

Here is a breakdown of the movie by key plot points. Obviously a lot of the story would have to come from the band itself and I’m sure there is a ton of humor and good natured elements, but most of the below is a bit depressing. 

ACT I – Origin Story

1) Flea & Anthony Kiedis Meet in High School – Like any great movie we’ll have the artists being the bullied outsiders, that are brought together by music. Flea, Kiedis, and original drummer Jack Irons and guitarist Hillel Slovak all met in high school and initially the band went by “Tony Flow” and “Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem”, before settling on Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

2) Beginners Luck – Next we’ll show how the their energy and love for music created an immediate buzz. They saw immediate success with their punk-funk music, selling 300k copies of their initial album. They were pretty much playing every night as they went on a 60 show in 64 days tour. Sure there are a lot of early day funny stories that could be added in here. The early RHCP days had similar energy but the music was a lot more punk/rap in style.

3) Second Album – In order to ramp up the funk, they turned to famous funk musician George Clinton to help produce their album, and while it didn’t propel them to stardom, it did get them a feature in the movie Thrashin‘.

4) Drug Use & Downward Trajectory – During the making of their second album Freaky Styley, Kiedis and Slovak both developed heroin addictions. It impacted their music and eventually became so bad that they ended up firing Kiedis. Flashback: Kiedis listening to rock legends Led Zeppelin & Jimi Hendrix and being introduced to drugs by his father at the age of 12. 

5) Rick Rubin Passes – The famous producer who helped a number of famous groups/bands, met with them but declined to help with their third album due to their drug problems.

6) Rock Bottom – Kiedis and Slovak both went to rehab and tried to get clean, but the withdrawals impacted their performances. Slovak at one point had a mental breakdown, and was unable to play a show. After touring ended, Slovak went home and overdosed on heroine while in seclusion. Kiedis was so distraught he didn’t even attend the funeral. Drummer Jack Irons decided to leave the band instead of seeing more of his friends die to drugs. It looked like everything was unravelling and this was the end of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

ACT II – Resurgence

1) Getting the Band Back Together – Kiedis finally took getting clean seriously and visited Slovak’s grave. Needing a new Drummer and Guitarist the band tries out a few people but eventually land on the core we know today, adding John Frusciante and Chad Smith. Frusciante was an avid fan of the band already and was an easy choice. Smith was considered more of a hair-metal drummer that the band initially wrote off, but he ended up winning them over. Flashback to show the independence of Chad Smith, teaching himself to drum at a young age and running away from home for a whole summer.

2) Immediate Chemistry – This is the RHCP we know and love as the quickly produced Mother’s Milk, Blood Sugar Sex Magic (with Rick Rubin now back in the picture and helping them produce the ladder album).

3) Global Success – With hit songs Under the Bridge and Give It Away, the RHCP not surprisingly saw worldwide success. They started doing major tours and even had small bands Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins opening for them. Lot of great stories along the way here and we’d have a lot of reenactments of some of their famous live events.

4) Frusciante Drug Use – Everything seemly was going great until things started to unravel once again, this time it was their guitarist Frusciante as the bands sparkplug developing a heroin problem.

5) SNL Performance & Frusciante Leaving – The SNL performance is quite infamous as it either was a culmination of a lot of tension or the start of things. Would love to be a fly on the wall for how this all went down, but things seem to come to a head during the SNL performance below.  It looks like Frusciante was purposely sabotaging the performance (although the alternative version still didn’t sound half bad) – and his bandmates don’t seem too pleased. Shortly after this he left the band.

6) Frusciante Living in Squalor – Frusciante could really have a full movie made just about him. After he left the band he went to work on solo projects, but really he was heavily into drugs and pretty much homeless. If you want to watch something really depressing here is a documentary made about him in 1993, well before he hit rock bottom. Flashback to Fruciante playing guitar alone for 12-15 hours a day when he was younger.

7) Band Troubles – Frusciante was really the key piece to the band and after he left, their next album, One Hot Minute, wasn’t as strong and the addition of guitarist Dave Navarro wasn’t necessarily meshing. A number of shows ended up getting canceled because of injuries, drug relapses, and band relations. Navarro was eventually kicked out of the band in 1998 and once again it looked like it may be the end of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

ACT III – The Second Wind

1) Return of John Frusciante – With no guitarist, Flea decided they needed to get the old band back together, and that meant finding Frusciante who at this point was in such poor shape that he had to have surgery because of the scarring on his arms, and needed multiple oral surgeries to fix a deadly oral infection. Flea convinced Frusciante to get clean and eventually asked him to rejoin the band. Flashback to Flea at 13 comforting his mother after another violent outburst from his step-father.

2) Californication, By the Way, Stadium Arcadium – Red Hot Chili Peppers went on to make 3 great albums and once again solidifying their place in rock-in-roll lore.

3) The band taking a break – After the three albums and touring for multiple years they take a break, but this one is differen.t This break will be the one time for positive reasons, they are taking a successful hiatus rather than a forced one. 

4) Ending – Accepting the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame award – culmination of their journey and the they still continue to rock to this day.

Lotta stuff happens after this obviously, but these are really the key areas. Well, this was supposed to be a short post but ended up being way longer than I anticipated and I had to read way more than usual (is there an audiobook version of Wikipedia?)

Let us know what you think, and what story lines and fun facts we missed out on. Reach out to us!