As a child, I dreamed of becoming a director. I would write out my career, detailing the movies I would make, the awards they would win, and even how much money they would earn. But most of all, I loved casting the roles in the films. I would get just the perfect actors and actresses for each film. What I realize now is that instead of being a film director, what I was really interested in becoming was a casting director.
Since we’re in the age both of adapting animated movies into film (thanks, Disney?) and of bringing anime to live action, I propose an exercise: Let’s cast a Ghibli film! Of all the Studio Ghibli classics, two come across to me as having a good chance at becoming wonderful films themselves—Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Porco Rosso. And while the latter has live-action sensibilities, I’m afraid I’m just not familiar enough with European actors to effectively offer suggestions for many of the roles for that one. We’ll go with Nausicaa, which not only screams “sci-fantasy epic,” but features meaty roles that could be modified for a PG-13 audience. It also holds a real world fascination for so many, demonstrated by the development of a functional glider like Nausicaa’s and a recent live-action trailer.
Here are my suggestions—let me know if I got it just right or missed it entirely, and if the latter, who you’d select instead!
Role: Nausicaa
[NAUSICAA] [GENDER: FEMALE] [AGE: 17-22 to LOOK 18] Strong-willed and free-spirited, Nausicaa is adventurous and though a princess, is more of a tomboy. She is typically measured and compassionate but can display a fiery temper. Physical role. MUST NOT BE SCARED OF HEIGHTS. Average height (5’5″ to 5’9″). Athletic build. Any ethnicity.
One of the brightest young stars in the industry, Sophia has demonstrated both qualities necessary to play a live-action Nausicaa: a youthful exuberance and a maturity beyond her years, the latter coming with an edge that we saw out of Lillis in It. A question here is the action-hero side to Nausicaa—other possible actresses have action-roles on their resume, while Lillis only has a bit from the first chapter of It, but more important are the character qualities she carries. Oh, and the red hair is a nice touch.
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Role: Yupa
[YUPA] [GENDER: MALE] [AGE: 55-75] Patient and mature, Lord Yupa acts as a mentor to the protagonist. He provides a voice of reason, but remains a strong physical presence, playing the role of an explorer and former warrior. Average height (5’8″ to 6’1″). Any ethnicity.
I admit, the litany of older actors who have played the role of wise man ran through my mind—Ian McKellen, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, and even Patrick Stewart, who voiced this very role in Disney’s release of the film. However, I like the idea of Clooney being an unexpected selection. He would bring physicality to the role (I also considered Harrison Ford) and both his voice and eyes convey understanding and gentleness that I think could work real well in the important role of mentor (think of his role in Gravity), and even father figure to Nausicaa. Plus, we need a big star to bank this movie upon.
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Role: Kushana
[KUSHANA] [GENDER: FEMALE] [AGE: 28-34 ] Betrayed by family and with a fiery devotion to the men she leads, Kushana is a vocal and physical leader through and through. Her men respect her entirely as Kushana is both fearless in presentation and able to overcome the loss of three limbs—the accident which caused this motivates her to destroy the creatures which Nausicaa protects. Acts as a foil to the protagonist, but goes through a growth arc of her own. Physical role. Average to tall height (5’5″ to 6’1″). Athletic build. Any ethnicity.
Perhaps the most complex character in the film, Emilia Clarke will be able to use her experience playing the multi-faceted Daenerys to reflect different aspects of Kushana’s personality, and to help her along a growth arc. Kushana appears ruthless in some junctures, but has a heart devoted to her men; she is also a skilled general and leader. Sounds quite like Daeny to me! The role is physical, which Clarke can do well, and will also require her to act on green screen and to inhabit a character with prosthetics for several limbs. Khaleesi is up to the challenge.
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Role: Asbel
[ASBEL] [GENDER: MALE] [AGE: 17-22 to LOOK 18] Brave and youthful, Asbel reflects integrity and strength. He is a good counterpart to Nausicaa, willing to take a strong stand and fight back, even violently, in the face of injustice. As a refugee and prisoner, the actor playing Asbel must convey a determination against extreme odds. Must be able to have strong chemistry with actress playing Nausicaa, though friendship and partnership is regarded over romance. Physical role. Medium height (5’8″ to 6’1″). Slim or athletic build. Any ethnicity.
Justice Smith has already experienced major roles in tentpole pictures and even anime / game adaptations—in Jurassic Park and Detective Pikachu, he demonstrated an ability to play along well in a flow of events out of his control, and a willingness in character to acts as second fiddle to bigger actors and computer generated ones. Both characteristics are important in this film as Asbel is secondary to Nausicaa, while dealing with his own pains involving the loss of his city and injuries to his family.
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[JIHL] [GENDER: MALE] [AGE: 45-60] Sickly and measured in his words, Jihl desires to be an effective leader despite being bed bound. However, frustrations mount due to his inability to prevent incursion into his small kingdom and his loss of mobility. Must be able to convey great passion in a restrained manner.
Selection: Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, The Darkest Hour)
Don’t recognize this character name? Jihl is only in Nausicaa for a brief time, but his role will be expanded some in the film. He is Nausicaa’s father, and his death helps set her arc into motion, and also leads to a display of Nausicaa’s lack of self-control. Oldman can play a bit with shaping this character, and provides the gravitas needed in a film full of actors who are mostly strong, but don’t have the hardware that he owns.
That’s it for my selections! Interesting? Weird? Right on? Terrible? Whatever you think, I’m interested in know who it is you’d like to see in Nausicaa. Let us know how you’d cast all the roles, or any of them in the comments below.
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