Kait Mae

How do we have amazing books that get butchered by adaptations? Or some that keep getting passed over? Or some that get good adaptations but still get canceled despite fans loving it? I’m sick of it – and Vampire Academy is one that breaks my heart. I will admit neither adaptation was just right, so here’s how I would adapt this series.

Disclaimer: I might cover spoilers if you haven’t finished the series. And if you’re looking for a hypothetical Bloodlines adaptation idea, stay tuned because I have to cover that in its own post.

Show or Movie?

I would definitely turn it into a show with six seasons (one for each book), followed by a spinoff following the Bloodlines series. Each episode would be about 45 minutes to one hour with about 15 to 20 episodes per season.

I’m going with this format because there’s so much going on in the books that a movie wouldn’t be able to cover. As for the 15 to 20 episodes a season – I’m tired of short shows with eight to 10 episodes a season – I want more!

Read More: All the Vampire Series I’d Rather See Adapted Than ‘Twilight’ Again

My Show Compared to the Past Adaptations

Before I get into my casting, I want to compare my hypothetical show to the two adaptations we already have.

The movie stuck closer to the main points of the first book, but it different in tone a lot more. It tried too hard to be a chick flick from the 90s and early 2000s while following the plot, and while it was fun, it wasn’t a good and faithful adaptation.

As for the show, I genuinely loved it, but it wasn’t a faithful adaptation. I loved the cast and story, but it felt much more like a prequel than an adaptation. That said, I wouldn’t have been mad if we’d gotten more seasons from Peacock.

In this hypothetical show, I’d follow in line with the movie’s way of thinking and stick to the plot points. But, I want a similar tone and filmmaking style and costuming to the show.

Who I Would Cast

First and foremost, for Rose, I searched for several hours to find the perfect actress – and I couldn’t find her. I want someone who is at least half-Turkish like the character, though. So, if you have any suggestions, send them my way.

For Lissa, I think Lena Torluemke looks like the Lissa I imagined while reading. She also has the talent to handle Lissa’s complex character arc. I saw her in Law and Order: SVU a few years back, and I just thought she was perfect for the role.

Since I’m not casting actors from the past adaptations, I sadly can’t keep Kieron Moore in this role despite his perfect portrayal. So, I’m going with Ivan Zhvakin, a Russian actor who looks the part and can easily have the accent I remember people complaining about when the Peacock show was airing.

Rounding out our four main characters, let’s cast Christian Ozera. I loved Daniel Dae Kim’s portrayal of the character, but I need to find a new actor for this hypothetical project. So, Ryan Potter is my pick because I know he could handle the sarcasm and actions scenes from his time on Titans and Supah Ninjas.

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The Other Major Characters

Starting with Natalie, after seeing Ashley Liao in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Fuller House, I knew she was my Natalie Dashkov. She could easily play the sneaky side while still bringing that shy, soft-spoken girl everyone thinks she is.

As for Victor Dashkov, I wanted someone to look like they could actually be related to Ashley. After a bit of searching, I think Chang Chen would be great as Victor. You might recognize him most recently from his role in the Dune movies.

Another major character that first shows up in the first book is Mia. I loved both actresses that have played her for various reasons, so I wanted someone who could combine elements from both adaptations.

For Mia, I think Ariana Greenblatt is my pick. Since Mia is a mean girl for quite a while in the books, Ariana’s time as Sasha in Barbie prepared her perfectly.

Moving on to Rose’s Dhampir friends, let’s cast Eddy and Mason. Going solely based on looks and acting ability, I think Michael Provost is a great fit for Eddy.

As for Mason, I loved Cameron Monaghan as him in the movies, but sadly, he’s too old (and I don’t want to cast actors from past adaptations). So, Graham Verchere might not have the red hair Mason has in the books, but he’d still be great as the character. You might recognize him from Stargirl.

One of the easiest casting choices for this project was Adrian. Evan Mock is my choice. I don’t remember much from the Gossip Girl reboot, but I remember a few scenes of him. And those scenes secured his spot as my fan cast of Adrian Ivashkov.

Let’s get Queen Tatiana out of the way real quick. As much as I enjoyed the show’s take on her, I’m sticking closer to the source material for this casting. I managed to narrow it down to two. First up is Glenn Close – imagine this, Cruella de Vil ruling over the Moroi and Dhampir – iconic. As for my other pick – Jessica Lange because of her performance in American Horror Story: Coven.

Moving on, we have Janine Hathaway. In a perfect world, we’d have a Scottish actress as Rose’s mom. So, that’s why Rose Leslie is my Janine Hathaway. She has the accent, she has the action chops, she’s got the attitude – she is the perfect Janine based on various book descriptions.

Now, before I get into who I cast for Ibrahim, I want to preface this by saying I had never seen this man before looking for Turkish actors for this blog post. But his face is the one I saw when I read the books somehow. This man is Engin Gūnaydin.

In the books, Alberta was one of my favorite mentor-type characters. So, let’s get her cast. The main things we need for Alberta is her pixie cut and she’s can kick butt. So, I went with Angela Bassett – this would probably never happen, but a girl can dream, right?

Rounding out the major characters, let’s finish this post with Sonya Karp. I loved both actresses who played Sonya, but only one reminded me of the book character while I just loved the other actress. I saw someone else fan cast Michelle Harrison, and I agree wholeheartedly. From what I saw of her in The Flash, she can handle this role perfectly.

So, what do you think? Should Vampire Academy get a third chance at a faithful adaptation?