Dream Cast

I've been attacking my rewrite of my supernatural thriller with renewed vigor (and yes, Ian, I named a character after you).

Sometimes, when I think about the characters, and making them deeper or more interesting, I think about who my dream cast would be. This can sometimes be handy, because it'll add an edge to a character that wasn't there before; it's when I started picturing Clive Owen as my bad guy that he started coming to life for me.

Ironically, I started writing my Nicholl script so many years (and drafts) ago, that the main character, an 18-year-old girl, has now seen a bevy of actresses pass through the role in my thoughts, only to age up and pass the torch on to someone else. Initially, it was Winona Ryder (yeah, the original idea is that old). Then Drew Barrymore. Natalie Portman owned it briefly. Two years ago it was an Anna Paquin role. Right now, it's probably a Jena Malone part.

But the lead role in my supernatural thriller is a woman in her late 20s, and I can't really picture her. When I first started writing the script, a few years ago (when it was rather different), I was picturing someone like Maura Tierney in the part. But now I don't see her in it anymore.

I'm not sure who is perfect for it now. Maybe Natalie Portman, though she's a bit young. Still, reuniting her with Clive Owen can work (yeah, yeah, in my dreams. Exactly.)

I'll have to ponder over it some more.

Anyhow, I just thought it might be a fun thing to throw out there, for the writers who haunt this space. Who is the dream cast for your current script? Who do you picture roaming its pages?

Don't have to give any plot. Genre, maybe, with the names. Let's see who people are writing for.