part two of the original casting picspam.
THE GODS
DEMETER --→ Kate Winslet
"He's a slick bastard. He stole my daughter, seduced her, and everyone expects me to just forgive and forget. Three thousand years in, and well, I just can't pretend any more."
Demeter, the Goddess of the Earth and Fertility, has long been looked upon as a the doormat of the Gods. Since her tempermental outburst over Persephone's abduction, which resulted in a complete imbalance of the seasons and harvests, Demeter has subsided into the background and tried to be content with the status quo -- which included her daughter's marriage to Hades and Persephone's half-and-half living arrangements. But fired up by the new modern sensibilities, and taking Aphrodite's lead, Demeter is beginning to make her voice -- and displeasure -- more known. Still furious with her son-in-law, Demeter has made it her goal to disrupt Hades' business and life as much as possible, and to reassert her power among the other gods. Her biggest friends and allies are Hera (who's had her own issues with asshole-ish behavior) and Aphrodite. (I chose Kate Winslet because damn, she's talented, and gorgeous, and soooo good at playing fierce and fiery, but also vulnerable and soft -- important for those scenes with her daughter. Also, I'd love to see her and Raaaarmitage butt heads.)
HESTIA --→ Sophia Myles
"Maybe I don't want to be a virgin anymore."
Hestia's has always been very like Demeter, one of her best friends: a bit of a push-over, and seen as a weak doormat by most of the other Gods. Granted, her domain has always been the hearth -- and who cares about hearths any more? So Hestia has decided to make some drastic changes in her life. She's going to be her own woman, and challenge everyone's preconceived notions about her. First on the docket? Finally pursuing the man she's long loved from afar, a man she's always sympathized and empathized with, a man who deserves to be truly loved and respected by a serious woman like herself... (Sophia Myles is gorgeous, with a great degree of fierce fire to her performances, and she plays emancipated, strong women very well. Also, I'd love to see her opposite Tim Roth's Hephaestus. MMMMMMmmmmmmh.)
EROS (CUPID) --→ Jim Sturgess
"If I see one more Valentine's Day card depicting me as an obese baby with wings and curly yellow hair, I'm going to do a damage to someone."
Being the God of Love, with the responsibilities of making sure mortal creatures continue to fall head-over-heels for each other and procreate, isn't always an easy job. Especially in today's cynical, jaded atmosphere. Eros has been putting in long, difficult hours jet-setting around the world with his quiver of invisible arrows, and he's beginning to wonder if outsourcing to cherubs isn't all that bad of an idea. At least then he'd get to spend more time at home with the missus. If only he had better aim with the fast-moving celebrities -- maybe then the world wouldn't be so skeptical of true love. (Jim Sturgess is freaking adorable. How can you deny it? Look at those cheeks, that hair, those puppy eyes. He and Andrew-Lee Potts' Hermes would have to be good friends, though he'd be the more responsible and serious of the two thanks to his job. When I think of Eros/Cupid, I can't help but imagine a fellow who looks more cute than sexy on an average day: thus, Jim Sturgess.)
PSYCHE --→ Billie Piper
"In case you didn't notice, dear, your Mum doesn't really fancy me."
Life hasn't always been a bed of roses for this clever beauty. Just because the God of Love falls in love with you, that doesn't necessarily mean everything will be heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. After surviving a variety of traps and near-impossible tasks that a jealous and vindictive Aphrodite threw in her way, Psyche finally found her happy ending with husband Eros, and has been realtively happy ever since she was granted immortality and accepted by the other Gods. Course, when your husband is constantly jetting about to maintain the world's balance of love, you've got to find some way to keep yourself busy. Psyche occupies her free time with writing chick lit novels of a satisfyingly frothy manner under a pen name, as well as philosophical treatises about the soul, love, and the mind under her own. A couple of her novels have even been adapted for TV and the movies, one of which -- ironically enough -- starred her mother-in-law, Aphrodite. The only rough spots in Psyche's life these days come during family reunions, meetings, and dinners, when she invariably clashes with the Goddess of Beauty. (BILLIE PIPER. BILLIE PIPER. BILLIE PIPER. You all should know how much I love this woman, and there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to cast her in this. I'd love to see her play the bubbly, happy Psyche, and she and Jim Sturgess would just be freaking adorable together. Also: CATFIGHTS WITH DIANE KRUGER. GUH.)
HEDONE--→ Carey Mulligan
"I've been burned by love once before. And I promised myself: never again."
It sounds like a really bad joke: the daughter of the God of Love is a spiteful, sarcastic, cynical singleton. But Hedone would rather be mocked and teased than give in to her true nature. She's been down the path of unrestrained physical pleasure before -- it was practically what she was made for -- and that path ended in heartached and disgust. Since that ill-fated love affair, Hedone has tried to distance herself from her powers, her family, and the Lito entirely. Picking up and moving to California, attending Stanford, and working towards a double degree in Philosophy and Chemistry, Hedone is trying to reinvent herself entirely. But best friend Pandora never shuts up, and the strapping new student Hercules can't stop catching her eye... (I just think Carey would be smashing in this role. She'd have opportunities to be vulnerable and emotional, but also a fiercely independent and sarcastic bitch. Plus, it would be delightful to see her playing off of Karen Gillan and Armie Hammer.)
PAN --→ Joseph Gordon-Levitt
"You think my Dad and Dionysius have all the patents out on bad behavior?"
The son of Hermes, the world's greatest shepherd, a ribald musician, and something of a trickster himself, Pan may be half-goat but he's got enough charm and persistence to win over almost any woman. While Hades doesn't have much patience or fondness for the satyr God, not even the God of the Underworld can keep this cheeky bugger from his after parties and concerts. When he's not chasing after the latest pop star or one of Artemis's friends, Pan can be found lounging about The Lito's impressive gardens playing his pipes. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt has quite the devilish charm about him at times, especially in interviews, and I'd love to see him play the raunchy rogue. Also: seeing him get up to shenanigans with Andrew-Lee Potts (Hermes) and Robert Downey Jr. (Dionysius) would be GREAT.)
ERIS --→ Lucy Lawless
"It's amazing how much trouble you can stir up with a few indiscreet photos of senators."
The Goddess of Strife has been living the high life. As much fun as she's had in the past, bringing about wars and setting the other Goddesses at each other's throats for a giggle, Eris has discovered that this bright new world has even more opportunities for discord and strife. Moonlighting as a high-priced call girl, Eris has collected quite a few dirty files on some of the world's most prominent men -- and even Zeus himself. She's only biding her time for now, waiting for the perfect moment to bring everything crashing down around The Lito -- and the world. (Lucy Lawless, guhhhh. I think she's seriously one of the most gorgeous women: it must be the super blue eyes and raven black hair. Also, she's got quite a fantastic body, even now. I'd love to see her play devilish and sneaky, and you can't go wrong with Xena in dominatrix gear. SERIOUSLY.)
MORPHEUS --→ Rupert Penry-Jones
"The dreams of mortals can be glorious, and terrible, and everything in between. Mortals can escape into them, their dreams inspire them. I envy them their dreams."
Sometimes serious and foreboding, other times cheerful and smiling, the God of Dreams' mood often depends on the dreamworlds he's been supervising. He often feels undervalued by his fellow Gods, but appreciates the importance of his work, knowing that it is often through their dreams that humans are inspired to do great -- or terrible -- things. In these modern times, Morpheus has gained a doctorate and is the creator of a new line of sleeping pills that have achieved what all others have not: they actually allow their users to not only sleep, but dream as well, and all without addictive or negative side effects. His work has been praised as a true breakthrough, and there have been murmurs of a possible Nobel Peace Prize nomination. (Even his name denotes regal badassery. Rupert would be noble and lofty as Morpheus, and could bring a level of pathos -- and also cheeky good humor -- to the character.)
IRIS --→ Marion Cotillard
"Can someone please tell me who started that stupid myth regarding leprechauns and their pots of gold at the end of my rainbows? I'd very much like to smack them with my staff."
The Goddess of the Rainbow and a messenger for the Gods, Iris can be quite a surprising spitfire. She frequently clashes with Hermes over the position of messenger, and can be something of a gossip. When she's not ferrying messages from The Lito to the jetsetting Gods around the world (namely Eros, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Aphrodite, and Artemis), Iris likes to write tell-all books, attend gala social events dripping with jewelry, and runs several of the world's biggest gossip websites. Her sometimes flighty nature often leads to disagreements with her more serious and sober-minded husband, Morpheus, but she truly doesn't mean any harm with her gossip-mongering, and she brings much needed light and colour to her hubby's often dark life. (I know Iris is usually married to Zephyrus, but there are times when she's matched with Morpheus, and I decided I'd rather have her and Morpheus/Rupert be together rather than add Zephyrus to the cast. Marion has had a lot of experience playing serious, heavy roles, and I'd like to see her try her hand at something a bit more frothy and fun. I really see her Iris as a Diva-type character, a modern socialite with slight delusions of grandeur.)
NEMESIS --→ Penelope Cruz
"Don't let this playful smile fool you, Zeus: you put another of your large toes out of line, and I will smite you. God of the Sky or not, in this arena I am your better."
You do not want to mess with the Goddess of Vengeance, not even if you're the King of the Gods, as Zeus discovers. Nemesis takes her job very seriously, and there's no room for argument or persuasion where she's concerned. You fuck up, you ruin someone's life, you prove yourself to be an iredeemable, arrogant asshole, and she will mess you up. Even in this new time of multiple shades of gray, business is booming. Remember those one-hit wonders who got a bit too full of themselves and crashed-and-burned the next year, those Hollywood stars who fell from grace, the dirty cops exposed dramatically across national television, those insufferable politicians who were caught with their pants down (sometimes literally) and had their careers ruined in an instant? Then you've seen Nemesis's work. Sometimes Nemesis's and Eris's business overlap, but neither have much fondness for the other: to Nemesis, it's all a duty, a job to be done -- and to Eris, it's all just another source of entertainment. (I'm not Penelope Cruz's biggest fan by any stretch, but I do have to admire her more serious work, especially in her Spanish films. She can be a great actress when given great material or a great director to work with, and damn if the girl isn't fine in that passionate Latina way.)
CHRONOS --→ Ron Perlman
"It's all the same to me. I've seen this before, I will see this again. There is very little in the universe that is truly new -- only very old with a fresh shine."
Chronos can be dour and humorless, and his presence at family gatherings is usually an effective killjoy. Older than even Zeus, Chronos has never had youth or beauty or dominion over life: he has a solitary throne where he watches over time itself. Without his careful management, the smooth cycles of the universe would become imbalanced, and the sometimes petty and greedy actions of the other Gods (namely Zeus, Eris, and Ares) would have incredibly destructive results. He usually sees himself as above the world of mortals, or even of The Lito, but there have been times when he's lowered himself to Earth in order to chase off the worst of his depressive fits. Always gruff and brusque, he does have a softer side, which he usually only shows to the sweetest and most well-intentioned; he has particular soft spots for Persephone and Psyche. And he can do some incredible magic tricks. (Ron Perlman is such a BAMF. He does pathos sooooo well -- see: the 1990's Beauty and the Beast TV show -- and I'd love to see him occasionally pwn some of the more arrogant Gods. Can you just picture him facing off against JDM's Ares, or Clive's Zeus?)
THE ORACLE OF DELPHI --→ Tilda Swinton
"I am not a Psychic Hotline. Where did you get this number?"
While she's not technically a God, the Oracle has her own room at The Lito and prefers to spend most of her days in seclusion, where she can have her visions and write out her prophecies in peace. Unfortuntely for her, the temptation to cause mischief is often too much for Apollo, Hermes, Pan, and Dionysius, who frequently put her personal number into late-night television commercials. Granted immortality long ago by a council of the Gods, with the stipulation that she continue to soothesay for them when requested, she often laments her short love affair with that blabbermouth Nostradamus -- but then, much to her relief, normal humans never can properly interpret the future. (TIIIIIILDA. zombie_boogie suggested her before I'd even considered casting the Oracle, and OMFG, no one else could possibly play her after the suggestion had entered my consciousness. Tilda has such an otherwordly beauty in her androgyny, and she's such an incredible actress. In short: I LOVE HER.)
THREE FATES --→ Dame Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Dame Maggie Smith
"You lost the bloody glasses again, didn't you?"
"Did not! She did!"
"You put that finger in my face again, and I'll snap it off!"
The Three Fates, contrary to popular belief, have the normal number of eyes among them. The Eyeglasses of Fate, however, are highly contested among them, and they spend a large percentage of their time squabbling over who gets to wear them. While the Oracle divines the future and passes her prophecies down to the Gods, the Fates keep track of all of the interweaving lines of the mortal lives that come into contact with the Gods, and sometimes (when they're not screaming at each other) pass along cryptic advice to any who beg an audience with them. Since daylight hurts their cataract-covered eyes, they willingly live in the fully-finished basement of The Lito, where their constant tinkering with old recipes won't disturb anyone. (I've always seen the Three Fates as more comical than dramatic, and while all three of these talented ladies can do dramatic fantastically, I want to see them play bumbling, screechy harpies for laughs. Mirren, Dench, and Smith are three of my FAVOURITE actresses, and they're certified British acting royalty. Not to mention Dench and Smith are both Dames (BOOYAH), and they all could do the regal, lofty, and mysterious when necessary.)
PART THREE.