old kingdom trilogy - casting
SABRIEL
PLAYED BY KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
Sabriel is described as being a 'curiously pale' young woman with dark hair cut fashionably short. She's willowy and slender in physique, and is quite tall - almost the same height as Touchstone. She's also the protagonist of the first book, a prominent character in the last two, and the Abhorsen. I'm a little biased since I absolutely adore Keira, but she was the face of my Sabriel ever since I read the series oh so many years ago, and I think she'd be perfect in the role. Not to mention - she rocks any sort of period piece she chooses to do, always.
MOGGET
VOICED BY JEREMY IRONS
Mogget is an incredibly powerful (and sarcastic) Free Magic being who acts as guardian to Sabriel and for the majority of the series takes the form of a white cat. I know there's a tie between the popularity of Alan Rickman and Tim Curry for the voice of Mogget, but what about Jeremy? He's done voicework before as the magnificent Scar in The Lion King, and his voice is amazing. It's hard to show that in images, obviously, but I didn't want to leave him out.
TERCIEL, THE ABHORSEN
PLAYED BY MADS MIKKELSEN
Terciel is Sabriel's father, who raises her from birth after her mother dies in labor. He is the Abhorsen, who is "one of the most respected figures in the Old Kingdom, the Abhorsen uses both the dangerous Free Magic-based powers of a necromancer and the benevolent magic of the Charter to keep the gates of Death against the return of Dead spirits back into Life." He's not a large character but is important nonetheless, and Mads is both an amazing actor and has the perfect look for the role.
TOUCHSTONE
PLAYED BY HENRY CAVILL
Touchstone first appears as a stone figurehead on a ship after being put into a years-long sleep. He's described as having curly black hair and is, of course, handsome. He's also got a little berserker rage problem and, as you can see from the colour picture I chose of Henry, he can portray that sort of thing well. It also helps that he's devastatingly handsome and, like Keira, really knows how to rock the period genre.
LIRAEL
PLAYED BY GEMMA ARTERTON
Lirael is the main character of the second and third novels in the trilogy, and is Sabriel's half-sister and the Abhorsen-In-Waiting. She grows up amongst the Clayr, a race of people who are mostly blonde, blue-eyed and tanned. I love Gemma, and she has both the perfect colouring for Lirael but also just the right look - at least in my opinion. She also has the talent to go from socially awkward Lirael in the beginning to kickass Nick-rescuing golden-handed Lirael in the end of the novel.
THE DISREPUTABLE DOG
VOICED BY HELEN MIRREN
Like Mogget, the Dog is a powerful Free Magic being and Lirael's companion and guardian. She's also amazing, and I love her. I can hear Helen's voice in my head now - she's both warm and wise but commanding and fierce and guh, I can't say enough. Also, her and Jeremy Irons as Mogget snarkying it up would be wonderful.
SAMETH
PLAYED BY TOM STURRIDGE
Sameth, Sameth, Sameth. My god did I want to punch this kid repeatedly, but I think that's the point. He's only around in the second and third novels and is Sabriel and Touchstone's son, and thought to be the Abhorsen-In-Waiting. He's a big ol' coward, though, but his journey through the novel is interesting (and he grows on you). Tom looks the part and is, I think, a very nice young actor.
ELLIMERE
PLAYED BY KAYA SCODELARIO
Ellimere is Sabriel and Touchstone's daughter and first child, and will become Queen when her parents pass away. You really only see her through Sameth's eyes and he thinks her to be rather bossy and annoying, but by the end of the trilogy their sibling bond is a lot stronger. Kaya can do a lot with a little and she also looks the part to a T! Look at those eyebrows. Very Keira Knightley!
NICHOLAS SAYRE
PLAYED BY GARRETT HEDLUND
Nicholas Sayre is the nephew of the Chief Minister of Ancelstierre, and a close friend of Sameth. He's an unwitting participant in the scheme to release Orannis, and is possessed by Orannis himself. He's also my absolute favourite character, if only for the extremity of his journey. Initially I wanted to use Jacob Pitts, who you might know from The Pacific, but settled on Garrett if only because of age. Nick and Lirael are around the same age and Jacob's almost thirty, I think. Anyway! Garrett works well too, he displays a great acting range - especially in Four Brothers - and I'd love to see him opposite Gemma Arterton in an adorable little romance.
CHLORR OF THE MASK
PLAYED BY REBECCA MADER
Chlorr was once a powerful Free Magic sorcerer but was bound into Death by the Sabriel. She returns for the second book by possessing a new form, but ends up bound to Orannis instead of commanding him and Hedge like she'd wanted to. There's hints at a much deeper character than we're shown in the books, and apparently Nix is underway in writing her as the main character in another novel. You really only see her with a mask on for most of the time, but oh my god, Rebecca has the most amazing eyes. And I like Chlorr as a redhead. I'm allowed to, since I am one, there's no dissin' here.
HEDGE
PLAYED BY JOHN MALKOVICH
Hedge is a powerful necromancer who manipulates Nick and is in service to Orannis. He's around a hundred years old and is bald, and I mean, come on, Malkovich could phone this in he's so goddamn amazing. But he wouldn't, because he is amazing and therefore would rock the shit out of it.
KERRIGOR / ROGERIK
PLAYED BY MATT BOMER
Kerrigor is the Big Bad in the first book, and it's also revealed - oh, spoiler alert lulz - that he's Touchstone's half brother. Now come on, Matt Bomer is like Henry's twin, but he's also got that crazy Jonathan Rhys-Meyers rape eye thing going on, so he could totally play the twisted scary Kerrigor and his ambitious murdering princely former self, Rogerik.
