Clare Mulley's "Agent Zo"

Clare Mulley is an award-winning public historian, author and broadcaster, primarily focused on female experience during the Second World War.

Her new book is Agent Zo: The Untold Story of a Fearless World War II Resistance Fighter, the critically-acclaimed biography of Elżbieta Zawacka, the only woman to parachute from Britain to Nazi German-occupied Poland. Previous titles include the award-winning The Woman Who Saved the Children, on Eglantyne Jebb, founder of Save the Children although not fond of individual youngsters; The Spy Who Loved, a biography of the first woman to serve Britain as a special agent in the Second World War and who was acclaimed as Churchill’s ‘favourite spy’, Krystyna Skarbek aka Christine Granville; and The Women Who Flew for Hitler, which tells the story of Nazi Germany’s only two female test pilots, one of whom tried to save Hitler’s life while the other tried to kill him. Mulley’s books are widely translated, and have all been optioned for film or TV.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of Agent Zo:

Agent Zo opens with Zo perched on the edge of the circular hole cut in the floor of the mighty four-engine British Halifax bomber in the seconds before she becomes the only woman to parachute from Britain to Nazi-German occupied Poland during the Second World War. The adrenalin rarely drops as Zo served variously as an intelligence officer, resistance courier, Home Army soldier, and the only woman in the Polish elite special forces, the Cichociemni or Silent Unseen, from the early hours of 1 September 1939 to the end of the conflict. She is perfect movie material: brilliant, funny, courageous and highly effective in the fight against Nazism.

Zo was one of many remarkable women who played crucial active service roles on or behind enemy lines during the war, and I often wonder why they rarely appear on our screens. Before casting, I would want to secure a good screenwriter to ensure that Zo’s role is not diminished, and her achievements not side-lined. Phoebe Waller Bridge could produce the perfect script. Alternatively, I would give Steve McQueen a shot, but perhaps he could direct!

As for actors, I would like someone who reflects Zo’s Polish roots. Resistance in the Second World War usually conjures up images of Paris, but this is very much a Polish story, and all the more resonant for that today. Agnieszka Grochowska could probably do Zo justice, and Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman all have Polish roots, so they could also audition. Alternatively, Jodie Comer brought a brilliant steeliness to Killing Eve’s ‘Villanelle’, and Alicia Vikander can convey the right kind of intensity whether in Ex-Machina or ‘Lara Croft’ in Tomb Raider. Zo serves with several trusted friends; communications experts, saboteurs, doctors and soldiers, so there might be room for them all! There’s certainly space for some lad as well – Polish stunt man Jack Jagodka cold definitely leap from a train / airplane several times, and what film would be complete without Dominic West, just saying!

Visit Clare Mulley's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Women Who Flew For Hitler.

The Page 99 Test: The Women Who Flew For Hitler.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jen Marie Wiggins's "The Good Bride"

Jen Marie Wiggins's first book, the gifty nonfiction title Married AF: A Funny Guide for the Newlywed or Bride, was published in 2022. She has a background in advertising and public relations, and her writing has appeared in Southern Coastal Weddings, Savannah Magazine, Savannah Homes, and elsewhere.

The set-up for her new novel, The Good Bride:

One year after a devastating hurricane, bride-to-be Ruth Bancroft is marrying her perfect groom in a quaint fishing village on the Gulf Coast. The weekend is carefully curated, with the displays of pomp and social media magic meant to promote an area still struggling to rebuild as well as bring Ruth’s estranged family back together.

Yet as good intentions often go, this road to wed is hell and paved in complications.

Here Wiggins dreamcasts an adaptation of the novel:

Ruth: A young Natalie Portman (a la Black Swan)

Kayla (the wedding planner): Zendaya

Mother of the Bride: Robin Wright or Meryl Streep

Father of the Bride: Eric Roberts

Teo (her fiancé): Diego Bonito

Marcus (the sheriff): Denzel Washington

Visit Jen Marie Wiggins's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Alex Kenna's "Burn this Night"

Alex Kenna is a prosecutor, writer, and amateur painter. Before law school, Kenna studied painting and art history at Penn. She also worked as a freelance art critic and culture writer. Originally from Washington DC, Kenna lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer, Zelda. When she’s not writing Kenna can be found nerding out in art museums, exploring flea markets, and playing string instruments badly. Her debut novel, What Meets the Eye, was nominated for a Shamus Award for best first PI novel.

Here Kenna dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Burn this Night:

Burn This Night follows Kate Myles, a former cop, who became a private detective after an accident and resulting pain pill addiction ended her police career. Early in the book, she learns that the man who raised her is not her biological father, and that she’s distantly related to a cold case killer. Kate looks into this mystery after she’s hired to investigate an arson murder that occurred in the same small town. In the arson case, Jacob, a mentally ill man is accused of setting the blaze that killed his sister, Abby. Along the way, Kate finds romance with Sam, a local chain saw artist and bar owner.

KATE – I originally envisioned Kate as the Irish actress, Jessie Buckley. Buckley has incredible emotional range and a vulnerability that fits the character. However, after seeing Shailene Woodley in Big Little Lies, I’d have to choose her to play Kate. Woodley excels at playing strong, introverted characters who hold their cards close to the vest. When Burn This Night picks up, Kate has lost her career. She’s renting her house and living with her mother to save money for a custody battle, and she’s just learned that her dad is not her dad. As an ex-cop, Kate is also someone who rarely complains and is good at suppressing her own emotions – for better or for worse. Woodley has a great ability to show strength and vulnerability at the same time. She can play an understated character while projecting emotional nuance, which makes her a perfect fit for Kate.

JACOB – Jacob is a troubled man, who makes a series of bad decisions that lead him down a path of crime. Tormented by his own mistakes, Jacob turns to methamphetamine as an escape. He progressively loses touch with reality over the course of the book. My first choice for this role would be Andrew Garfield based on his incredible performance in the 2007 independent movie, Boy A. That film follows a young man trying to build a life after being released from juvenile detention following a horrific crime. Jacob is a decent human being who is tormented by his own terrible mistakes. Garfield exudes warmth and pain at the same time and would allow Jacob’s humanity to shine through. Garfield also has a frenetic energy that works for a character with an unsettled mind.

ABBY – Abby is Jacob’s devoted sister. She starts out as a failing actress and later decides to study social work as she watches her brother’s rapid decline. Like Jacob, Abby is sensual, restless and feels things intensely. But she has heightened empathy and self-awareness, which keep her from self-destructing. She would do anything to help her brother. My first choice to play Abby is Brie Larson. She has the delicate beauty of a Hollywood actress, but also excels at playing strong, adaptable women motivated by familial love (Room, Lessons in Chemistry). I think she would also have believable platonic chemistry with Garfield.

SAM – Kate’s love interest, Sam, is a charming an unassuming local bar owner, who spends his spare time making chain saw art and playing the fiddle. Like Kate, he’s also a single father and has suffered the loss of his professional dreams. My first choice for Sam would be Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton from Yellowstone). He is good at playing easy going characters with a quiet intensity, and he has a rugged sex appeal. He can also convey a sense that there is a lot going on emotionally under a calm surface.

Visit Alex Kenna's website.

Q&A with Alex Kenna.

My Book, The Movie: What Meets the Eye.

Writers Read: Alex Kenna.

The Page 69 Test: Burn this Night.

--Marshal Zeringue

Bonnie Kistler's "Shell Games"

Bonnie Kistler is the author of The Cage and Her, Too. A former Philadelphia trial lawyer, she was born in Pennsylvania and educated at Bryn Mawr College and the University of the Pennsylvania Law School. She and her husband now live in southwest Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina.

Here Kistler dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Shell Games.

Shell Games features Kate Sawyer, a self-made billionaire of 70, who’s just married her long-lost, high-school sweetheart, Charlie Mull. On their wedding night, Kate calls the police in hysterics to report that Charlie confessed to the Tylenol Murders, a notorious unsolved crime from decades before. Charlie says she imagined it––too much wedding champagne––and the authorities quickly establish that he couldn’t possibly have committed those murders. But Kate insists that he did confess, so if he didn’t do it, he must be trying to gaslight her to get control of her fortune.

The story then becomes the plight of her daughter Julie who doesn’t know what to believe. Is her brilliant mother sinking into dementia as her husband Eric argues? Or is her beloved new stepfather actually a con man?

I didn’t cast actors in any of these roles while I was writing it Shell Games––I never do this in any of my books––but the images of the four leading characters were so clear in my mind that it wasn’t hard for me to find real-life stand-ins when I thought about it for this piece.

Kate is glamorous and shrewd and steel-willed but with a tender heart when it comes to her love for Charlie. This would be a plum role for any of our amazing older actresses for whom there isn’t enough good material anymore. The obvious choices come to mind: Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Helen Mirren.

All would be outstanding. But the one who best fits this bill is Sigourney Weaver. Picture her character from Working Girl but age her up to 70. She’s so elegant, so polished, so keenly intelligent. But I can see her veneer crack when her storybook marriage comes crashing to an end. And to imagine about how fierce and vengeful she could then become, you need only to remember her as Ripley in Alien.

Charlie is an ex-Marine, a man’s man, but a salt-of-the-earth guy with a genial, affable personality that endears him to everyone and makes it impossible for them to believe he’s either a murder or a con man. Jeff Bridges, please step up.

Julie grew up overshadowed by a powerful mother and is now married to a controlling Alpha male. She’s very unsure of herself, and although she has a quiet beauty, she strikes many people as mousy. Daisy Edgar-Jones could easily play this role, but think Normal People, not Twisters.

Julie’s husband Eric is an orthopedic surgeon with a God-complex. He drives a Lamborghini and thinks he knows more than everyone else. He’s tall and blond and icily handsome, with a sexual magnetism that keeps Julie in his thrall. Who else but Alexander Skarsgård?

Okay, that was fun. Now I want to see this movie!

Visit Bonnie Kistler's website.

Q&A with Bonnie Kistler.

The Page 69 Test: The Cage.

The Page 69 Test: Her, Too.

Writers Read: Bonnie Kistler (July 2023).

--Marshal Zeringue

Andrew Welsh-Huggins's "Sick To Death"

Andrew Welsh-Huggins is the Shamus, Derringer, and International Thriller Writers-award-nominated author of the Andy Hayes Private Eye series, featuring a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned investigator, and editor of Columbus Noir. His stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, the 2022 anthology Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon, and other magazines and anthologies.

Here Welsh-Huggins dreamcasts an adaptation of his newest novel, Sick to Death:

Sick To Death is the eighth book in my series about Andy Hayes, a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned private eye. When thinking about who would play Hayes in a movie, I always remind people that Keanu Reeves has twice played a former Ohio State quarterback—FBI agent Johnny Utah in 1991’s Pointbreak, and down-and-out NFL player Shane Falco in The Replacements in 2000. However, though I’m a big Reeves admirer, I don’t think he’s right for the role of Hayes. Thinking about Sick to Death on the big screen, I decided to focus on four characters:

Hayes; his newly discovered adult daughter, Alex Rutledge; Hayes’ friend and sometimes collaborator Otto Mulligan, a bail bondsman; and Suzanne Gregory, an award-winning TV journalist who also happens to be Hayes’ ex-fiancée. This time around, I’m selecting Jake Gyllenhaal to play Hayes. Although I like the breadth of his work, I’m leaning mainly on his performance in the 2024 remake of Roadhouse. Gyllenhaal is a lot buffer than I imagine Hayes, but what draws me to him is the baggage that Gyllenhaal’s character carries in the movie from a violent incident in his past as a UFC fighter. Hayes has baggage to spare, and I think Gyllenhaal could aptly portray Hayes’ ongoing efforts at redemption.

For Alex, I would tap Hailee Steinfeld. I first saw her playing Mattie Ross in the remake of True Grit and became an admirer for her role in the Marvel limited TV series, Hawkeye, in which she plays Kate Bishop. Bonus: at age 31, she’s close to Alex’s age in the book when we meet her.

For Otto, I’d love to see Mahershala Ali in the role. I know of him for his roles in House of Cards and the independent feature film, Moonlight, and enjoyed him more recently as a rental homeowner and financial adviser with a secret in the dystopian film, Leave The World Behind. I think he’d bring the perfect blend of humor, loyalty, and skepticism that characterizes Mulligan.

Finally, there’s Suzanne. She and Hayes have a rocky history: their engagement ended the night she was receiving a journalism award and Hayes, his ego unable to handle the spotlight on her, sneaks away for a make-out session with a cheerleader with the Columbus Crew soccer team who is at the same event and also feeling left out. Over the years, Suzanne and Hayes reach a détente of sorts, with Hayes turning to her for information about cases in exchange for scoops when the case is solved. The actor I’d love to see play Suzanne is June Diane Raphael. I’m most familiar with her from her scene-stealing role as Jane Fonda’s daughter in Grace and Frankie, but also from her performance in Long Shot as assistant to presidential candidate Charlotte Field, played by Charlize Theron.

Visit Andrew Welsh-Huggins's website.

My Book, The Movie: An Empty Grave.

Q&A with Andrew Welsh-Huggins.

The Page 69 Test: An Empty Grave.

Writers Read: Andrew Welsh-Huggins (April 2023).

My Book, The Movie: The End of the Road.

The Page 69 Test: The End of the Road.

Writers Read: Andrew Welsh-Huggins.

--Marshal Zeringue

Marshall Fine’s "The Autumn of Ruth Winters"

Minneapolis native Marshall Fine’s career as an award-winning journalist, critic, and filmmaker has spanned fifty years. He has written biographies of filmmakers John Cassavetes and Sam Peckinpah, directed documentaries about film critic Rex Reed and comedian Robert Klein, conducted the Playboy interview with Howard Stern, and chaired the New York Film Critics Circle four times. The author currently lives in Ossining, New York.

Here Fine dreamcasts an adaptation of The Autumn of Ruth Winters, his first published novel:

The Autumn of Ruth Winters focuses on three central characters. Ruth is 68-year-old widow who has lived an unfulfilling life, punctuated by her fractious relationship with her younger sister Veronica. But Ruth is forced to re-engage with her sister when Veronica suffers a health crisis—at the same time that Ruth is corresponding with a high-school classmate and crush, Martin, who is coming to town for their fiftieth high school reunion.

Ruth is someone who deals with her constant social anxiety by being stand-offish and even snappish, while Veronica is someone who has always been able to ask for just what she wants in life, and usually got it. Martin is a bit of a dark horse, someone remembered fondly in flashback who turns out to be even better in person, even after fifty years.

If you’re casting any movie about a woman of a certain age like Ruth, the first choice is always going to be Meryl Streep, who I believe would be lovely as this lonely, repressed character. But I could just as easily see Mary Steenburgen, Alison Janney, Jean Smart, Sigourney Weaver or Catherine Keener.

I really only have two choices to play Veronica: Patricia Clarkson or Michelle Pfeiffer. Both of them have the ability to play the kind of self-centered sass that makes Veronica an interesting character.

As for Martin, I have a number of ideas, starting with Michael Keaton and including Ted Danson, Jeff Bridges, Jeff Daniels and Tim Robbins. They all have both the requisite warmth and that edge of mischief to them.

Re directors: I would want someone who could find the humor in the drama, who is able to shift tones easily and credibly, preferably someone like Nicole Holofcener, Tom McCarthy, Greta Gerwig or Greg Berlanti.

Learn more about The Autumn of Ruth Winters, and follow Marshall Fine on Facebook.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sariah Wilson's "A Tribute of Fire"

Sariah Wilson is the USA Today bestselling author of The Chemistry of Love, The Paid Bridesmaid, The Seat Filler, Roommaid, Just a Boyfriend, the Royals of Monterra series, and the #Lovestruck novels. She happens to be madly, passionately in love with her soul mate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance. She currently lives with her family and various pets in Utah, and harbors a lifelong devotion to ice cream.

Here Wilson dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Tribute of Fire:

This question is a bit difficult for me because these characters become so real to me that I can’t imagine any actor in Hollywood ever doing them justice. I definitely drew inspiration from Reylo (the Star Wars pairing of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Rey), so I can easily envision Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley playing these parts—the problem is that they’re too old for these characters (although I still think they’d both do an amazing job playing Jason and Lia). I am not as familiar with younger actors , but I think Xolo Maridueña and Ariana Greenblatt would do an excellent job.

Choosing a director would be incredibly easy. I would pick the man who created the Reylo dynamic in the first place—Rian Johnson. I think he is a brilliant storyteller, especially visually, and I know he would knock it out of the park. Not only does he have an incredible flow to his movies, but he seems to truly understand the female gaze and with a story that is so heavy on the romance and is told from a female point of view, I think he would get it. Patty Jenkins is another director that I always enjoy and she would also do an excellent job with the adventure and romantic aspects of this book.

Visit Sariah Wilson's website.

The Page 69 Test: A Tribute of Fire.

--Marshal Zeringue

Christina Lynch's "Pony Confidential"

Christina Lynch is at the beck and call of two dogs, three horses, and a hilarious pony who carts her up and down mountains while demanding (and receiving) many carrots. Besides Pony Confidential, her new novel, she is also the author of two historical novels set in Italy and the coauthor of two comic thrillers set in Prague and Vienna. Lynch teaches at College of the Sequoias and lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Here Lynch dreamcasts an adaptation of Pony Confidential:

Pony Confidential was actually born as a movie idea and only later morphed into a novel, so it’s a natural fit for this blog. Although it’s billed as a comic mystery, I'm not afraid to admit it's operatic in its internal and external conflicts (opera directors, take note!). The story of a pony who is trying to find the little girl who ruined his life by selling him twenty-five years earlier, it’s also the story of that little girl, now grown up and accused of a murder she didn’t commit. The novel is full of small satiric observations about human and animal behavior but it's also epic in scope: the pony crisscrosses America in various modes of transport many times, and faces all kinds of challenges including how to traverse a lake on a paddleboard.

I’m a little torn about animation vs. live action, but I think we’ve got the technology now to make a round and very furry little pony—and all his many feelings-- come alive in either format. If it’s live action, it would be incredibly funny to see a pony and a goat running through the streets of Los Angeles, and rat having therapy sessions with a racehorse in a trailer rolling across America. The birthday party scenes where the pony commits gentle violence on unsuspecting children would also be funnier in live action. I would love to have Bobcat Goldthwait, with whom I worked for many years on a sitcom, do the voice of the pony in his normal voice. He would be great at playing the many moods of the pony, from pissed-off critiques of humans to epiphanies about love. Bill Murray would also be perfect. Kristen Bell would be a great Penny because not only is she the right height (neither Penny nor Pony are tall), but she can play strength and vulnerability, comedy and drama. I love her range and her smarts.

Because the story is modeled after the epic The Odyssey, it would also be beautiful as an animated film. The tiny pony’s journey across vast landscapes, the horrors of a kill pen, and getting caught in a hurricane would make for breathtaking and heartstopping scenes in the hands of the right artist. I am fortunate enough from my days in Hollywood to know animation artists and directors, and I would love to work with old friends like Lauren MacMullan, a Simpsons director who was nominated for an Oscar for her short film “Get a Horse!” or Disney legend Paul Felix. Or someone I don’t know but whose work I deeply admire like Charlie Mackesy, whose film of his book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse had me weeping in the aisles.

Plus, I would like to attend the premiere with my own small pony, who has his tuxedo pressed and ready!

Visit Christina Lynch's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Italian Party.

The Page 69 Test: The Italian Party.

Writers Read: Christina Lynch (April 2018).

My Book, The Movie: Sally Brady's Italian Adventure.

Writers Read: Christina Lynch (June 2023).

The Page 69 Test: Sally Brady's Italian Adventure.

The Page 69 Test: Pony Confidential.

Q&A with Christina Lynch.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nikki May's "This Motherless Land"

Born in Bristol and raised in Lagos, Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian. Her critically acclaimed debut novel Wahala won the Comedy Women In Print New Voice Prize, was longlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award and the Diverse Books Award, and is being turned into a major BBC TV drama series. May lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard Schnauzers and way too many books. She should be working on her next book but is probably reading.

Here May dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, This Motherless Land:

I always cast my books before I write them – it’s one of the most fun bits. I print out pictures of my leads (and locations) and pin them to the board over my writing desk. When I can’t work out what a character would do – I look up and talk to them. It works!

For This Motherless Land, Funke was Thandie Newton and Kate was Rachel Weisz. I cast the supporting actors too, so Dominic West, Damian Lewis, Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Helen Mirren (I know – I dream big!) were on the board too.

The only thing is, Funke is nine when we meet her, and Liv is only ten – it’s easy to trawl the web for pictures of stars when they were young, slightly less easy to make a fifty-year-old pass for a pre-teen!

So, the real cast will be very different. I’ve just finished watching Industry and think Myha’la would make a great Funke (if she can drop her American accent). And Michelle Dockery could make a good Liv (though she might have to put on a few pounds).

The ink has just dried on the contract for the TV option for This Motherless Land (woo hoo!) so Myha’la and Michelle – are you listening?

Visit Nikki May's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Nikki May & Fela and Lola.

The Page 69 Test: This Motherless Land.

Writers Read: Nikki May.

--Marshal Zeringue

Michael Wendroff's "What Goes Around"

Michael Wendroff is an author and marketing consultant, and has an MBA from NYU. His background is running marketing and advertising for Fortune 500 companies, and he now runs a global consulting practice (one of his clients is a $4 billion firm headquartered in India). He has homes in New York City and Sarasota.

Here Wendroff dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, What Goes Around:

I've been told my book, What Goes Around, would make a great Netflix Original (I was kind of thinking of the Silver Screen, but hey, I'll take it).

A key protagonist in my film shares some similarities with Jack Reacher, but I sure as hell don't want Tom Cruise playing him! I could see John Cena playing him. Given his impressive stature, and background in action films, he could easily portray his stoic and physical presence. Another good choice would be Chris Hemsworth, best known for playing Thor in the Marvel films. He has the size, strength, and charisma to play such a commanding character.

The other protagonist in the novel, his foil, is a female detective, Jill. She gets partnered up with Jack, and together they must solve a string of killings in a small town. They had been enemies ever since their days together in the police academy, and now must see if they can find the killer before they kill each other. Jill is smart, intuitive and beautiful. I think Emily Blunt would be a good choice to portray her. She is versatile and capable of playing tough, smart roles (Sicario, A Quiet Place). She combines depth with an approachable yet strong persona that would suit a detective role.

There is also a naive teenager in this thriller that gets caught up in the evil of others. This could be played by Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased) because he has the emotional range to play a character struggling with identity and regret. Another good choice would be Timothée Chalamet, who excels in roles where characters face emotional turmoil and personal growth.

For director, I would choose David Fincher. With movies like Gone Girl, Zodiac, and Seven, he has a talent for dark, psychological thrillers with complex characters and shocking twists. Another candidate would be M. Night Shyamalan, given the twist in The Sixth Sense and the twist in What Goes Around.

Visit Michael Wendroff's website.

The Page 69 Test: What Goes Around.

Q&A with Michael Wendroff.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tony Wirt's "Pike Island"

Tony Wirt was born in Lake Mills, IA, and got his first taste of publication in first grade, when his essay on Airplane II: The Sequel appeared in the Lake Mills Elementary School’s Creative Courier.

He's a graduate of the University of Iowa and spent nine years doing media relations in the Hawkeye Athletic Department. He's also been a sportswriter, movie ticket taker and Dairy Queen ice cream slinger who can still do the little curly thing on top of a soft serve cone.

He currently lives in Rochester, MN, with his wife and two daughters.

Here Wirt dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Pike Island:

Pike Island is a dual POV book split into two timelines, the current day and twenty years ago. Since the past timeline revolves mostly around teenagers, I’ll stick to the current timeline with my casting.

Krista Walsh – Krysten Ritter

Krista is a take-no-crap woman who is often underestimated because of her age and gender, but never lets that stand in the way of getting what she wants. Who better to play her Krysten Ritter, than the woman who brought Jessica Jones to life?

Andrew Harrison “Harry” Leonard – Glen Powell

I know he’s everywhere now, but Glen Powell is about perfect for the adult version of Harry Leonard. Tall, blonde, with an aura that makes you trust him even if something inside tells you not to, the guy just screams “young, ambitious congressman with a secret past.”

Jake Nelson – Jesse Plemons

The adult version of Jake is a guy who has been through the wringer. He’s been living with secrets his whole life, and those demons have taken a toll on him. He might be okay, but he might not, so you need an actor who has an edge to him. I fell like Jesse Plemons would be able to nail it. He’s guy you can scruff up and believe he’s been living out in the middle of nowhere with just a bottle and his memories for years.

Visit Tony Wirt's website.

The Page 69 Test: Pike Island.

Q&A with Tony Wirt.

--Marshal Zeringue