When America Singer was chosen to compete in “The Selection,” the process described in the acclaimed novel series was said to be by lottery. Now that Singer’s story is coming to Netflix, one can hope the casting method is anything but by chance.
“The Selection” is the first of a three-part series that tells the story of Singer competing to win the heart of Prince Maxon Schreave and become the Princess of Illéa.
The series has two additional books, but they are not told from Singer’s perspective.
With the movie recently getting greenlit by Netflix, author Kiera Cass revealed that the film will be directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour.
Cass wrote on her blog “Do I know anything about casting? No! Do I have any idea when the release date is? Also no! Am I stupid excited? YES! All I can say for now is that things look good! I’m very [excited] to finally be able to give you all a screen adaptation, and I’m hoping to have even more information soon.”
With this in mind, fans can only speculate who Netflix will choose to cast.
Given Singer’s physical look of being pale with red hair, blue eyes, and somewhat lanky is a particular style that can be more challenging to find in an actress.
However, many fans of the series only see one person as Singer: Audrey Hollister.
Hollister is the model that portrays Singer on the cover of the novels.
It is challenging to know if Hollister will even be a fit for the role. She has never acted before, and it is uncertain whether she would want the role.
Yet, fans want her to portray the role very much. They even go as far as flooding her Instagram comments about her playing Singer in the movie. Whether or not she is inclined to accept the role is pending.
In addition to Hollister, there are also the tough roles of Singer’s two love interests, Aspen Ledger and Schreave.
For Ledger, fans have suggested numerous names, from Matthew Daddario to Timothée Chalamet. Ledger is described in the novels as muscular and tall with black hair. Netflix may also choose to give a new actor the role, and that is fine too. (As long as Netflix does not use its resident actor, Noah Centineo, fans will likely not be too harsh on who they choose for the role.)
To fulfill Schreave’s role, Netflix must get it right on casting. He seems to be preferred of the two in the love triangle and appears in the novels more often than Ledger. Fans have suggested many names, but the one that will spark the most contentment would be Evan Roderick. Roderick embodies the description of Schreave, a muscular, blonde man with tan skin, and he has also appeared in other Netflix films.
Netflix also has the challenge of casting Singer’s competition, particularly Celeste Newsome and Kriss Ambers, as well as her confidant Marlee Tames. Newsome is an antagonist to Singer as she will stop at nothing to win the Selection.
The tricky part about Newsome is that her character is seen as a superstar, to an extent. The actress that plays her must mirror this. With the actresses suggested, it feels that none of them possess these qualities fully.
Ambers may be easier to cast, yet the actress must successfully embody her “silent regalness,” a quality that Singer resents her for portraying.
Fans have suggested Lucy Hale for the role, and she has the potential to be a great fit.
One of the last major characters that will be a challenge to cast is Tames, a character that has a vague description of her. Other than the fact that she is described as pretty and blonde, not much else is known.
The actress that portrays her must also have good chemistry with the actress that plays Singer as the two are close friends within the novels.
With so many expectations, it appears that Netflix has its work cut out for them in delivering the story of “The Selection.”
Staff Writer, Mark Harris