Matthew Costello's "Home"

Matthew Costello is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter and video game writer. His best-selling video games include The 7th Guest, Doom 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean. His horror novel, Beneath Still Waters, was filmed by Lionsgate. He also has written episodes and created TV formats for PBS, Disney, SyFy, and the BBC.

Here he shares some ideas for cast and director of an adaptation of his latest novel, Home:

Actors? There are two key adult roles that I would focus on. About those in a minute.

The kids would require finding a 9/10 year old boy and 13/14 year old girl. The boy, Simon, needs have that mix that boys that age can have -- of being little kids one moment, then turning into totally brash, take-on-the-world brats. One minute you adore them, the next you wish the pirates would come spirit them away.

For the girl, Kate, the actress playing the daughter in Homeland – Morgan Saylor – avoids the Katniss now-stereotype. She has that adolescent ‘edge’, and still conveys the feeling that she can rise to difficult responsibilities…to protect, to love, and to hold a Glock rock steady as the Can Heads come.

For the adults, Kathy Bates really resonates as the family’s early savior, Helen. And for mom…no one person leaps to mind but if you mixed Claire Danes with Weeds’ Mary-Louise Parker, that might be about perfect. Or maybe Parenthood’s Lauren Graham?

Director: Quentin (Please!) Or Robert Rodriguez. Or Sam Raimi, which would get him back to his Evil roots, to be sure.

Learn more about the book and author at Matthew Costello's website.

The Page 69 Test: Home.

Writers Read: Matthew Costello.

--Marshal Zeringue