# What books would you like to see made into movies- and who would you cast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934 "2004-04-25T17:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/81 "2017-07-18T20:53:37Z")
I’d say the Dresden Chronicles, by Jim Butcher, but the problem in casting Harry Dresden is that he’s supposed to be 6’9" tall, and that’s kind of … a stretch. The closest current actor I can find would be Brad Garrett (the older brother in Everybody Loves Raymond), and I can’t see him in the part, and Kevin Durand, who I’ve only seen in Stargate: SG-1 and the Wolverine movies, and I dunno. Otherwise, if I’d seen this in 2010, I’d have said _Emergence,_ by David R. Palmer, with Chloe Grace Moretz. Main character’s supposed to be an 11-year-old girl, and she would have nailed it. Now, I’m not sure who the pre-teen actors are any more… Katie Douglas is 18 and could probably play the part, as she’s super-tiny (4’11"). ---
**Author:** ![TheSundial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@TheSundial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSundial)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/82 "2017-07-18T20:58:02Z")
Transmetropolitan into a movie or series. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/83 "2017-07-18T23:42:13Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I’ve scanned through and searched my copy, and I can’t find any reference to her being either Indian or Pakistani. Yeah, after I wrote that, I couldn’t think of _why_ I thought that. Pretty much every description of her in Stiletto and The Rook can be summarized as “petite with dark hair” with no ethnic heritage specified. I mean yeah, she’s from Wales but so is Catherine Zeta-Jones. I dunno if Byrne could pull off both versions. The star of Orphan Black would be my choice, as I can see her as mousey Myfanwy and assertive Thomas. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/84 "2017-07-19T03:55:58Z")
_Anansi Boys_. With Anthony Anderson\* as Fat Charlie/Spider and Stephen Fry as Grahame Coates. Before the show, I would not have thought of this actor in this role, but based on his work as Pops on _blackish_, Lawrence Fishburne as Mr. Nancy. Pops and Dre have a similar relationship as Mr. Nancy and Fat Charlie, so it wouldn’t be a stretch for either actor. I’m not familiar enough with black British actresses to cast Daisy and Rosie, so I’ll mention the only two I know - Freema Agyeman and Pearl Mackie. Viola Davis for Callyanne Higgler, \*\* and Helen Mirren for Maeve Livingstone. \*Assuming he can do a decent Estuary accent, that is. Still, Fat Charlie was born in Florida and spent part of his childhood there, so an American accent is not stretching credulity for the character. \*\*On the other hand, I’m just going to assume an actress of her chops can manage a passable Caribbean accent. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/85 "2017-07-19T07:18:21Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I’d say the Dresden Chronicles, by Jim Butcher, but the problem in casting Harry Dresden is that he’s supposed to be 6’9" tall, and that’s kind of … a stretch. The closest current actor I can find would be Brad Garrett (the older brother in Everybody Loves Raymond), and I can’t see him in the part, and Kevin Durand, who I’ve only seen in Stargate: SG-1 and the Wolverine movies, and I dunno. Zachary Levi, of _Chuck_, who I think would be perfect for the role, is 6’3" - which isn’t quite there, but is still pretty tall for Hollywood. Just surround him with shorter actors. And Caity Lotz was born to play Murphy. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/86 "2017-07-19T10:51:14Z")
Former wrestler [Edge](https://heroesandaliens.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/adam-copeland-sitting-jeans-leather-jacket.gif) is 6’5", and I was pleasantly surprised by his work on Haven, I could see him as Harry. I’m afraid all the pics of him in a longish coat are from his wrestling days, though, and looking very un-Harry. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/87 "2017-07-19T11:04:47Z")
I don’t really see Harry as having a wrestler’s build. He may be tall, but he’s not physically imposing. Remember, this is a guy who’s a badass for maybe 10% of the time; the remaining 90%, he’s either running away from monsters or getting the crap kicked out of him. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/88 "2017-07-19T11:25:03Z")
I’ve read all the Dresden books and never realized that Harry was supposed to be NBA-power-forward tall, as opposed to just ordinarily tall. I don’t think it’s essential to the character - just cast an actor who’s nicely over 6’0, and it shouldn’t be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/89 "2017-07-19T13:03:53Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > I’ve read all the Dresden books and never realized that Harry was supposed to be NBA-power-forward tall, as opposed to just ordinarily tall. I don’t think it’s essential to the character - just cast an actor who’s nicely over 6’0, and it shouldn’t be a problem. That’s the thing - Butcher _says_ he’s tall, but doesn’t _write_ him tall. Murphy occasionally mentions it, and that’s about it.There are numerous instances where his height should have an impact on a scene in the books, or at least be noted. He spent years driving a VW Bug around Chicago. Living there I drove a Smart ForTwo, Mini Cooper, and Fiat 500 and _always_ got comments and I’m just over 6’. (People on the street actually gasped once when I and a 6’5" friend got out of the Smart once). As Dresden’s written, pretty much anyone could play him. It’s nothing like Jack Reacher, where his size is a notable part of the character (and they still used Tom Cruise). ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/90 "2017-07-19T13:10:06Z")
It’s probably not too well known but there is a book called Nop’s Trials by Donald McCaig about a lost working border collie and his owner’s quest to find him. It is an adult dog story- it’s quite dark in spots and Robert Duvall was born to play Lewis, the dog’s owner. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934/91 "2017-07-19T16:16:44Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t really see Harry as having a wrestler’s build. He may be tall, but he’s not physically imposing. Remember, this is a guy who’s a badass for maybe 10% of the time; the remaining 90%, he’s either running away from monsters or getting the crap kicked out of him. …but he carries a big-ass gun and can wield a broadsword. And can carry off a leather duster. In my mind’s eye, he’s no Sheldon Cooper. At least by the time he’s the Winter Knight, he should be at “peak human” strength, IMO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-books-would-you-like-to-see-made-into-movies-and-who-would-you-cast/241934.md?page=4)