Boovie Stars

Mikael Blomkvist is a middle-aged journalist/crusader, just out of prison after having lost a libel case. He doesn't want to further damage the reputation of magazine he runs, so he steps down from the board. I was thinking someone like Goran Visnjic, although he may be too dark - as in, not Swedish looking. On the other hand, it's my fantasy cast... However, I do have some runner-ups. Viggo Mortensen and Rob Lowe. I know! But just look at this picture from a Stand Up 2 Cancer ad, and you'll see what I mean.


So, Mikael is hired by gazillionaire industrialist Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance (murder?) of his niece Harriet some 40 years ago. Henrik is in his 80's now, in failing health but still a man to be reckoned with, and has never been able to get over not knowing what became of his niece. The obvious choice here is Paul Newman. Maybe a little too obvious. So, I've got another gentleman in mind. Alan Dale played Charles Widmore on Lost. I think he has the air of a gazillionaire industrialist. Plus he played one on TV.


Henrik is no fool. He had Blomkvist thoroughly checked out by Milton Security. The job was done by hacker extraordinairre Lisbeth Salander. She's mid-20's but could pass for a 14-year old boy. She's got some serious demons, but other than hacking, she pretty much minds her own business. Until she get shit on, and then she's ruthless. As with Henrik, there are two obvious choices here: Lori Petty and Fairuza Balk. And, as with Henrik, I've got some alternates, some more obvious than others. Consider Pink - not an actress, but she's got the attitude; a young Winona Ryder; a young Christina Ricci; a young Selma Blair (maybe too tall?); or, my choice, Emily Blunt.


What do you think of the cast so far? I'd love to hear your comments. In a future post, I'll give my picks for the supporting cast.

First let me give you a little synopsis that doesn't give too much away but somehow conveys the unique tone and characters of the book.

This novel is set in the ambiguous near future, and as I read it I became more and more convinced that the setting was tomorrow, if not yesterday. Makers is about the lucrative and crazy engineering projects with all the technology junk that has accumulated and is just sitting around after the collapse of the technology and silicon valley booms.For example, one of the book's main characters, Lester Banks, creates a tiny army of old Tickle Me Elmos that, together, drive a smart car. So the main idea of the book is that there are these two anti-corporate trash-hackers, Lester Banks and Perry Gibbons, both brilliant tech engineers who pretty much create a new labor movement out of the slums of ghostmalls. The US is pretty much a giant slum in the book. Their work, especailly as they build an interactive tech thrill ride in an abandoned Wal-Mart, is covered by journalist-gone-blogger Suzanne Church.

The villian in the book? Disney. Disneyworld, which has become a theme park for goth-punks, wants to destroy Banks and Gibbons, the ride, and their huge cult following.