Hugh Howey

Bestselling author of Wool and other books. Currently sailing around the world.

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Casting On!

Couldn’t resist the knitting term. Okay, a movie/TV option is getting more and more likely. That doesn’t mean WOOL will actually be made into anything (99.99% chance that it doesn’t), but it’s getting real enough to dream up a cast. Based on your feedback and my own ideas, here’s who I have as my all-star cast for the major roles:

Holston: Jeffery Dean Morgan

Allison: Julianne Moore

Jahns: Helen Mirren

Marnes: Sam Elliott

Juliette: Evangaline Lilly

Lukas: Wil Wheaton

Bernard: Gary Oldman

70 replies to “Casting On!”

LOVE Sam Elliott as Marnes! Wil Wheaton as Lukas is an interesting idea – I did always picture him a little “nerdy” rather than “hunky”. You know who I pictured as Juliette? Michelle Rodriguez.

Bernard/Gary Oldman would be just perfect.

I share jonriegler’s doubts about Evangeline Lilly… it’s not that I don’t like her, but in Juliette’s role… I don’t know. I think I would like better Miranda Otto.

After having seen Wil Wheaton in The Big Bang Theory, I’m really having a hard time imagining him as Lukas, but maybe… ;)

All the others seem to fit their roles quite well!

I agree with others, these all rock…except Evangeline…she’s too soft for me. I initially thought you meant Julianne Moore for Juliette which was different than what I had in my mind but perfect. I always pictured Juliette as sinewy, with curly (more kinky really) hair like that lady from the Abyss. Evangeline MIGHT be able to play it off but we’d need to see her reading for it:)

Rhona Mitra might be an interesting contender for Juliette though not exactly what I originally pictured.

These are the faces I had envisioned! This would be an AWESOME cast. I would like to add Angela Basset as Shirly! JUst seemed to have that face on her while I was reading!

I love the pic you uses of Will Wheton pale and kinda stoic, this role would be a role changer for him, so long as he had great direction. Also love Gary Oldman as Bernard. What about Walker? Solo? Just curious:(

I bought your omnibus yesterday, and I devoured it yesterday. So because I believe it was that good, I am willing to offer my very selective services to play the part of Holston. Since I don’t even have an agent, you can complete control me. :)

I truth though, I hope you have a say in the filming of this. You have a great vision!

Padme Amidala as Jules. OMG, that would make my head explode. Cate Blanchett would be great too.

If you could go back in time – Carrie Fisher (princess Leah was bad ass). But barring a time machine, Charlize Theron. Ever see Aeon Flux, the movie version?

I like Evangeline! She did a great job on LOST, so we know she could pull off those action scenes. For some reason, I always picture Juliette from LOST as Juliette (even though our Juliette is supposed to be brunette).

Jahns= Judi Dench for me, but Helen Mirren would be great too!

Christoph Waltz – Bernard , he just needs to gain some weight.

Keith Carradine – Marnes – I feel like he could pull off the depression in the end well

I always imagined Jules with a more angular face. Hard lines yet pretty at the same time…

Silo18.com has been registered by someone in the U.K. – maybe unrelated? :)

It looks a bit too pro for a fansite. I bet as soon as the BBC thought of making Wool a series they registered the domain. Yeah, probably pro – they took .mobi , .org , .info , and .net.

Well, I did some googling while I had this up and http://www.statscrop.com/www/silo18.com – says the site has been registered for 2 years + so… beats me now!

@chris: you are right, Michael Emerson as Bernard could be even better than Gary Oldman.

My wife suggests Katee Sackhoff (Kara Thrace / Starbuck) from Battlestar Galactica :)

Is Juliette supposed to be brunette? I don’t know why, I was picturing her dark blonde…

Well I was thinking Jack Black for Solo, wasn’t sure how that would be taken though. Then I saw someone suggested Charlie Sheen and I knew I was on the right track :)

Not really what I pictured but what about an Edward Norton or Kevin Spacey playing Solo?

whoa whoa whoa. Why does it say Wool 9 on the progress bar? Did I miss something in 24 hours? Or is that an upside-down 6 ? haha.

Jon has a point. If you could get Michael Emerson in there, I don’t know what I’d do. Greatest actor ever. He played Ben Linus in Lost and he’s in Person of Interest now.

I like the choices overall…especially Helen Mirren as Jahns…but my first choice for Juliette would have to be Hilary Swank. I could also see Susan Sarandon as Jahns.

Sarandon and Swank would be killer on-screen together. The scene in the down deep where Jahns is trying to convince her to come work for them . . . I can really see these two actresses with that banter going back and forth between them.

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Wonderful choices except Wil Weaton – not attractive enough and cannot see him and Evangaline Lilly having great chemisty. Also, I like Evangeline but not sure she’s a strong enough actor. . .

I think Evangaline Lilly a weak actress…however given that this would be on the smaller size of budgets she would in that range.

Oooo. That’s a good list. Younger and hipper. I know some readers would balk, but I would love Megan Fox as Juliette. Mostly because I would demand that I get to hang out on the set every single day of the shoot. And around her trailer.

By Post Author

I think I’ve seen Evangaline Lilly before. She was the girl in my imagination as I was reading this series.

Yuck to Megan Fox! She is too trashy for Wool and a little bit too Young for what I think Juliette is.

Hilary Swank would be good!

Love it. The Marnes moustache just SCREAMS Sam Elliott. And I like the suggestion of Noomi for Juliette. Excellent.

Love the list, especially Sam Elliott. I like Hoffman for Bernard as well. How about Robin Williams for Solo? He’s just schizoid enough to pull off a 50-year old who never grew up.

I’m late to the party but these are my casting ideas :)

Juliette – A buffed up Liv Tyler or Michelle Rodriguez
Lukas – Joshua Jackson
Jahns – Meryl Streep or Helen Mirren /nods
Marnes – Michael Caine or Craig Nelson
Bernard – Christopher Lee (too old?) or Gene Hackamn
Solo – Giovanni Risbi or Jeremy Davies
Holston – Jeffery Dean Morgan (he’s awesome!)
Allison – Natasha McElhone
Knox – Laurence Fishburne

I think Jeremy Piven would make a great Bernard. I think he has the right kind of attitude and that quality that makes the viewer kind of feel like, ‘something’s fishy with this guy, and I don’t like it..’

So just read omnibus. My wife suggested Naomie Harris (Eve from Skyfall) as Juliette. I think it works!

Hm, I am also not that happy with the choice for Jules. She looks not tough enough for the character. First “mechanicals” which came to my mind who are unique and tough enough – without being “overused” – are:
Noomi Rapace (Stieg Larrsons Lisbeth Sander; Elisabeth Shaw in Prometheus)
or
Saoirse Ronan (City Of Ember, Hanna)

ha, ok, well I appear to be in the minority here but wanted to say that I was actually picturing your Jules choice WHEN I WAS READING the Omnibus, and your Marnes, too. I like your Jahns, but I was picturing Dench in my mind. All the best!

Evangeline Lilly was my pick for Jules, and Sam Elliott as Marnes as well. I had pictured Jeff Bridges as Holston and Sigourney Weaver as Jahns. Kit Harrington was my idea for Lucas, with Michael Emerson as Bernard.

Few weeks before I read Wool I saw a movie ‘Shoot Em Up’ where Paul Giamatti played bad guy. Imagined him as Bernard while reading. Evangaline Lilly as Juliette would be cool.

I can’t believe it but before reading this thread I envisioned the same main actress as Juliet. What a coincidence out of all the actors in the world…Your omnibus made me interested in reading books again for the first time in ten years. I wanted a book that would remind me of the game “Fallout 3” and found it in Wool – Dust – Sand. I found them so good I gave my sister the collection for Christmas. If it does go to holywood please keep Michael Bay at bay…

First of all, what a phenomenal book Hugh.

As for casting, the list is pretty much spot on!

I’d suggest Judi Dench or Helen Mirren for Jahns for sure.

I would put forward Jena Malone for Juliette as she is growing in stature and she would really bring her A-game to this role. Evangeline is very limited in performance…

Timothy Spall (http://mimg.ugo.com/201003/38402/lemony-snicket.jpg) for Bernard would be an interesting choice. Gary Oldman is a phenomenal actor but not sure his physique is right for it. Timothy’s tantrums would be great fun.

Good luck with Ridley and can’t wait to see it on screen!

@James_Cyprus

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