Casting The “Sweet Valley High” Movie
Posted by: Amelia McDonell-Parry
Filed in:
entertainment
12:30PM, Thursday September 24th 2009
When I heard that Diablo Cody had signed on to write the big-screen version of my beloved Sweet Valley High series, I died a little inside. In a good way. You see, I’m such a hardcore SVH fan that I collect the series and read them on the regular. I am still not over the butchering that occurred when SVH became a TV show, starring a bunch of losers who had no business tainting Francine Pascal’s vision. However, Diablo Cody I trust. Mostly. I’m thrilled to learn that the film will be taking place in the ‘80s, which means it will, hopefully, be inspired aesthetically by the original book covers, recognizable by their soft-focus-colored pencil drawings. However, I’m concerned that Diablo might need help casting the film. I’ll never forgive her if Lila Fowler is played by, shudder, Megan Fox, or Bruce Patman’s brawny bad boy is ruined by faux badass Shia LeBeouf.
As far as the twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are concerned, the filmmakers are either going to have to find a pair of twins that can act—sorry Mary-Kate and Ashley!—or cast a bigger star to play both twins with the help of some CGI action. I suspect they’ll go with the former, in which case, I wish them good luck. But the rest of the cast I’ve got plenty of ideas for. There are others, obviously, who I am missing—Winston Egbert, Nicholas Morrow, Cara Walker—but these are the characters I care most about. Diablo, I hope you are reading.
LILA FOWLER should be played by LEIGHTON MEESTER. I’m sorry, but rich bitch Blair Waldorf was totally modeled after Lila, so this role would not be a stretch in the slightest.
Oh, BRUCE PATMAN, what a complicated man you are. Semi-newcomer KELLAN LUTZ has the sexy, mean bad boy thing down.
I always kind of hated Elizabeth’s best friend ENID ROLLINS. She was dorky and a goody-goody like Elizabeth, so she should be played by someone on the mousier, tomboyish side, like ELLEN PAGE.
AMY SUTTON was Elizabeth’s bestie in middle school, but then she moved away, turned into a snotty beyatch, and then moved back to town, only to become new besties with Jessica. I don’t know if Kristin Cavallari can act, but sister looks and acts just like her on “The Hills.”
TODD WILKINS was the best out of Elizabeth’s lame boyfriends. I would sex him up by casting that hottie ZAC EFRON.
It will take a real actress to play REGINA MORROW, the deaf girlfriend of Bruce Patman, who dies of a cocaine overdose. EMMA WATSON should have the chops.
LYNNE HENRY was a much smaller character in the series, but as I was doing research, I was struck by how edgy and indie rock Lynne’s look was back then. ALEXA CHUNG would be all over that shizz.
FYI, our homies over at Lemondrop cast the movie too, and lo and behold, some of our picks for actors/actresses are the same, but for different roles. Check out the differences here.
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amandabear
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 11:43 am: [report]
Leighton as Lila and Ellen as Enid are particularly inspired and spot-on.
sklut
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 11:45 am: [report]
Wtf are thinking? Kellan Lutz has a jacked up face.
sophiaclovee
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 11:57 am: [report]
I agree.. His face is rather jacked.. lol
workerbee
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 11:59 am: [report]
Ok, I wasn’t that obsessed with the books but did read some. How did I miss Regina dying from a cocaine overdose?! When did that happen?
bethlynn00
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:05 pm: [report]
I can see Brittany Snow in the role of Amy rather than Kristin C., Brittany has some acting shops at least. And agreed Kellan Lutz may have a nice body, but he not hot in the face at all! Maybe he’s a bit too old, but it would be a good role for James Franco, I just think he’s sexy. The rest I’m cool with, but yeah it’s going to be hard to cast the twins, I just hope they don;t pick someone completely lame and ruin the whole movie.
AbbyUNC07
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:06 pm: [report]
I always had a crush on their older brother, Steven.
Amelia McDonell-Parry
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:08 pm: [report]
@workerbee Book #40, “On The Edge—Regina and Bruce broke up and Regina started hanging out with the wrong crowd. She went to a party, tried cocaine, and totes overdosed and DIED. It was TRAGIC. More here.
Amelia McDonell-Parry
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:10 pm: [report]
Must defend my choice of Kellan Lutz. See here. I considered James Franco, but he’s not preppy or fratty enough. Also thought of Chris Pine, who is mega sexy.
writergirl
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:13 pm: [report]
I must have stopped reading the books before #40 because I have absolutely no recall of a Regina character….
These were good books though. Thanks for reminding me of them. Now I have something to give all my neices for Christmas.
Riley
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:14 pm: [report]
You have to do quite a bit of cocaine to overdose, she must have been rich or something.
Amelia McDonell-Parry
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:18 pm: [report]
@Riley SVH was never really about accuracy. She did a very tiny amount of cocaine and it was all over.
bethlynn00
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:19 pm: [report]
Yeah, Chris Pine would be good, he’s pretty cute. Okay, well maybe Kellan would work if he wore a hat thru the whole movie? Or maybe if he got a tan, Bruce would never be that pale, he needs like a super dose of LiLo spray or something.
And you know if they did go the CGI route with the twins, I think Amanda Seyfried might be able to pull it off.
Erin Flaherty
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:20 pm: [report]
basically, they don’t even need to hire a csa for this movie. the casting is DONE. spot. on.
Riley
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:23 pm: [report]
@Amelia - I figured, it is just funny in the way it reminds me of after-school specials. Some kid smokes pot once, his family dies, he becomes homeless and millions of kittens are murdered.
spatula
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:25 pm: [report]
Lila, Amy and Regina = PERFECT. I am stoked for this movie. I’m also super glad it takes place in the ‘80s. A modern version would be all wrong.
bumbler
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:26 pm: [report]
Eh I never read too many SVHs, read some Babysitter’s club when I was really young and some Nancy Drew. Personally I’d prefer an R.L. Stine movie, totally pre-Goosebumps R.L. Stine.
spatula
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:26 pm: [report]
PS that is hands down the wors picture of Zac Efron I have ever seen LOL!! He looks like a homeless person.
amandabear
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 12:30 pm: [report]
@bethlynn00: Amanda Seyfried would be great! She totally looks the part and is a strong enough actress to pull off Both Jessica and Elizabeth.
gillybeans
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 01:13 pm: [report]
This is perfect casting. Now, when are they going to make teen movie versions of some Christoper Pikes???
workerbee
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 01:38 pm: [report]
Thanks Amelia! I definitely missed that one. Did anyone else read the Sagas? Also, on that link Amelia posted, they show the cover to all the books; a different series by the same author has Amanda Seyfried as the cover model. A sign?
lindseylee21
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 01:45 pm: [report]
@gillybeans I LOVED Christopher Pike books when I was younger!! They were so awesome!!
Claire0213
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 03:46 pm: [report]
EXCITED!
abbylyn
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 04:01 pm: [report]
nerd alert: if I remember correctly, it wasn’t that she overdosed, it was that her body had a rare and fatal reaction to the cocaine.
develange
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 04:36 pm: [report]
NO F’ING WAY! now we need more BSC movies
Amelia McDonell-Parry
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 08:24 pm: [report]
@abbylyn wow. at the time the difference didn’t register to me!
TTB
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 08:47 pm: [report]
OMG. @gillybeans You totally called it—when ARE they turning c pike books into movies?!? Was totally obsessed. I was the junior high loser that cried about Christopher Pike novels because they MOVED me. Yes, moved.
And @amelia mcdonell-parry, your casting is genius. You can now quit your day job and become a casting director.
effing hickster
wrote on September 24 2009 @ 10:39 pm: [report]
@Amelia and Riley: I’m assuming the book death was a beautiful one as well, with a misty haze in the atmosphere, and bluebirds tweeting in the trees—not like the real thing, with the blood, foam, sweat and convulsions with paramedics practically beating her up via CPR to keep her from dying.
vanya
wrote on September 25 2009 @ 08:57 am: [report]
I always thought the old drawings of Lila were based on Jennifer Connolly. Check out some of her late 80’s acting/modeling looks and compare.
KitKat
wrote on October 20 2009 @ 10:24 am: [report]
Good job on the cast picks! I would do Paul Wesley as Todd, though… and maybe Ian Somerholder as Bruce? Not trying to bring the whole Vampire Diaries cast into this, but Ian has the bad boy, smoldering dark looks I always pictured Bruce to have…and I can see him prowling around in a sleek black Porsche.
I still bust out my SVH books to read every once in awhile, I hope Diablo can do them justice! And for the record, I came up with an idea to redo the TV show months ago (since the original show SUCKED and was nothign like the books) ... damn her for getting to it before I could figure out how to get my ideas to hollywood! =)