CUUUTTTT! Fan Casting 'ED GEIN: DEMON HUNTER'
It doesn't matter whether it's for a mainstream title, a decades-old underground book or a more recent indie publication...Fan casting happens all the time. This is why for a few years we have been inundated with art portraying John Krasinski as Mr Fantastic of The Fantastic Four or Norman Reedus as Ghost Rider. It's because of this that creators like myself are often asked 'If your book was being turned into a Hollywood movie or a Netflix show, who would you cast and why?
And today, I'm going to answer that about 'ED GEIN: DEMON HUNTER'...But only because someone else did it first!
PROJECT: GREEN LIGHT
Recently my friend Chris Elston from Flash Delirium LLC got in touch with me to let me know that he was reviewing the first issue of 'ED GEIN: DEMON HUNTER' on his YouTube channel (which you can subscribe to by going here). However, he was doing it by means of fan casting a movie based on the book.
I thought this was an excellent idea. Especially as myself and my friends have sat down and done the same thing with 'ED GEIN: DEMON HUNTER', and it sparked an interesting discussion that then became a debate.
Fan casting isn't something I normally do. I just like to write the books, have them made, get them into reader's hands and then rinse and repeat. But the more people ask me the question of 'Who would you cast if Hollywood made a movie about your book', the more I like playing this game.
So Let's not waste any time... Are you ready?... Neither am I... Let's do this!
But before we do, check out Chris' excellent fan casting video below and then we'll talk about who I would cast.
CASTING THE MAIN PLAYERS
While Chris has cast the lead character as well as special effects artists, director of photography and director, I'm just going to focus on the cast of characters... Although, it might be fun to add a director into the mix.
First off is the man himself...Ed Gein.
When I was first asked who I would like to play Ed Gein in a movie based on my book, I answered with 'John Hamm' and I was instantly told I was wrong...Which is weird because it's my opinion. An opinion can neither be right or wrong. Then I saw Chris' video and was over the moon when he too chose John Hamm. So that's who I'm sticking with!
One of the reasons I have chosen John Hamm isn't because of his looks. It's because of an episode of Black Mirror that he starred in called 'White Christmas'. He was absolutely fantastic. While the character he was playing in that show was nothing like Ed Gein, there was something about it that I found mesmerizing and I just couldn't help but see him with the Tartan cap on.
I cannot say that I'm well versed with John Hamm's acting career. But from the little that I have seen of his work in film and television, he clearly has the right kind of range to pull off this role, especially if he is paired with the right director. So I can confidently say that John Hamm is my choice.
Next Up is the antagonist of the piece...Augusta Gein
If you ask me I think an important part of casting Augusta is getting someone who can sincerely act kind and pleasant, allowing the audience to understand why Ed was so besotted with his Mother. However, the actress would also need to spin that niceness into vile aggression in a split second and be able to make the audience as well as Ed fear her. And an actress who I believe could do that amazingly well is none other than Dee Wallace.
Dee Wallace was a staple part of movie diets in the eighties. She was typically cast as the 'Mom' in almost every movie she appeared in. 'E.T.', 'Cujo', 'Critters'... you name it!
However, during her career, she was also able to earn the title of 'scream queen'. She has many years of experience appearing in several horror movie classics including, 'The Howling', The Hills Have Eyes' & 'Popcorn'. She is a wonderful actress, and many people have mentioned that off camera she is a very nice person...But I bet that if she was given half the chance, then she would nail playing the abusive, religious zealot that was Ed's mother, Augusta Gein. Especially when you take into account her excellent performance in the Peter Jackson movie 'The Frighteners'. I do not doubt that she would own this role in a way no other actress could.
CASTING THE SUPPORT
Now things get interesting. It's time to cast Satan
When I was writing scenes with Satan in, which weren't many, I deliberately wrote his speech pattern to be deceiving. His dialogue comes across as monosyllabic, giving the impression that he is a brute who doesn't do a lot of thinking. However, he would occasionally drop select words in his sentences proving that he wasn't as stupid as he was himself out to be. He was quite smart and in his own right, a little manipulative.
I also kept in mind that he is a being that existed for Millenia which means he is never in a rush when it comes to talking. Which compliments his speech pattern very well.
Ideally, I think the physical aspect of Satan's character needs to be portrayed by the actor behind the role and not rely on animation tricks used when creating the CGI. You need someone who can naturally portray assertiveness and power but still allow a little kindness to shine through. And I say that the best person to do this is none other than Tom Hardy.
Tom Hardy is a superb actor who has incredible range in his acting abilities. Ladies love him, and men want to be him. He is an intelligent man who naturally conveys charm, charisma and assertiveness. But if you want to see why I would choose Tom Hardy over anyone else, all you have to do is watch a movie called 'Bronson'. In fact, instead of me giving you my description of his performance in that movie and how it relates to the character of Satan in my book, let me show you a trailer for the movie:
Last but not least is Satan's right hand man, Ezra Railsback.
While there are a few scenes where the actor would need to be present to portray the character, most of Ezra's role in the story is when he has become a bloodhound. So, you need an actor who has had a fair amount of physical onscreen roles but who has also had a fair amount of experience as a voice actor. And there aren't as many of those as you may think.
While I did write Ezra's dialogue imagining him to have a British accent, I don't think this is a necessary trait for the actor to have or need to mimic. A transatlantic accent would work just as well. This is why I think
most people would choose an actor such as David-Hyde Pierce, who I think is a phenomenal actor. I'm a big fan of 'Frasier' and his performance as Niles Crane is second to none...But he would be my second choice.
Instead, I would like to see Paul Giamatti take the role. He is an excellent actor as well as a comedic actor and no matter how much make-up or CGI was put on top of him, you can always recognize one of his performances. And one thing that seals the deal for me is his performance for the animated version of Mike Mignola's 'The Amazing Screw-On Head' (where he starred alongside David Hyde Pierce).
LET'S TALK DIRECTOR'S, SHALL WE?
As you can probably tell, If I mention an actor who is still working chances are I'm thinking of their earlier work than their current work. And the same is true when it comes to directors....And that's exactly what I'm doing when I say that I think the best person for the job of directing a movie based on 'ED GEIN: DEMON HUNTER' would be none other than John Carpenter.
Hell, if he said he would only do it if he could write and perform the score my response would be, 'I wanted you to do that anyway'!
Now, I appreciate that later in his career he made a couple of movies that audiences didn't exactly love. But the majority of his filmography is excellent! And I don't care how many packs of cigarettes or video games I would have to buy him. I would do whatever it takes to get him to tap into the mindset he had when made such classics as 'Halloween' and 'Escape From New York'...Cause those are the movies I'm thinking of when I say that I would love for John Carpenter to direct a movie of 'ED GEIN: DEMON HUNTER'.
Before I leave you, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind taking a moment to sign up for my mailing list. Just scroll to the bottom of this page, fill out the form and hit the submit button. If you do, then as a token of my appreciation, you’ll receive a FREE PDF of the first issue of ‘ED GEIN: DEMON HUNTER’. A four-part mini-series that sees the infamous Butcher Of Plainfield tackling his inner demons seven years after his death so that he can return a deranged demon back to Hell before it’s too late!
I hope to see you again soon. Until then, take care of yourselves and remember: Don’t be afraid of the shadows. That’s where the unusual resides!
