Kait Mae

Ever since I read The Westing Game, it’s been one of those stories that I couldn’t stop thinking about. The twisty plot, the eccentric characters, and the way it all comes together in the end—it’s exactly the kind of mystery I love. Over the years, I’ve often found myself daydreaming about how I’d adapt this childhood favorite novel. So, I’m excited to share my vision for bringing The Westing Game to life in a way that would make Ellen Raskin proud.

What Is ‘The Westing Game’?

The Westing Game is a mystery novel that focuses on the death of Samuel W. Westing. Sixteen heirs are named and brought together to play a game to inherit his fortune, paired off into mismatched teams.

As they delve into the puzzle, secrets are uncovered about each heir, revealing how they are all connected to each other and Westing. It was one of the first mystery novels that actually caught me off guard with the major plot twist at the end.

In 2020, HBO Max got the rights to adapt it. But nothing’s come of it since it was announced the same day that MGM and UA Television would be in charge of the script to series order.

What Would It Look Like?

In 1997, there was a movie. Ellen Raskin was one of the writers, but the movie only has a 5.2 out of 10 star rating. I have yet to see it, but I genuinely would prefer a miniseries if I were to adapt this book.

So, if given the chance, I would make this a 15-ish episode miniseries. Each episode would be about 30 minutes long.

I believe this could help follow the main storyline, but it would also allow viewers to see other sides of the heirs’ lives at the Towers.

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Who Are The Sixteen Heirs?

Up first, we have the Wexlers. Jake, the father is said to be Jewish in the books, so that plus needing to look like a believable father to his two daughters were my criteria. And through that, I settled on Gabriel Macht (you’ll probably recognize him from Suits).

For his wife Grace, I knew exactly who I would cast when I re-read the book. That is Keegan Connor Tracy – I know her from Descendants and Once Upon a Time.

As for the youngest Wexler, I chose Jeté Laurence for the thirteen-year-old sleuth. She’s about the right age and has shown her range in her movies and show appearances so far.

Moving on to the older Wexler daughter, we have Angela. For her, I remember seeing Lili Reinhart one day and going, “that’s her.” For her fiance, Dr. Denton Deere, I went with Dacre Montgomery. Despite the actors being close in age, they look like they have a similar age gap to the characters.

Up next are brothers Chris and Theo Theodorakis. For 15-year-old Chris, I went with Gavin McHugh – he’s a prominent character in 9-1-1. And for his older brother, Theo, I went with David Mazouz. They look like they could believably play brothers, so it was easy to cast these characters.

Next are James, Sun Lin, and Doug Hoo. I cast James last out of this family, and I settled on Russell Wong because of his acting chops. For his wife Sun Lin, she is a recent immigrant, so I wanted to find an actress who hasn’t been in a lot of American films – and I found Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung. As for James’s 18-year-old son Doug, I went with Ian Chen. Just like Lili, I saw him and just knew.

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Moving on, we have Judge J.J. Ford. I didn’t remember much of her from the books, but after a re-read, I knew exactly who I wanted as her – Garcelle Beauvais. I think her character from NYPD Blue readied her for the role.

As for Sydelle Pulaski, re-reading the book and then seeing a clip from So Help Me Todd solidified Marcia Gay Harden as this character. I went through a few more of her works, and she just screams Sydelle in a few roles.

Next is Crow. Even as a kid, I think I was set on Emma Thompson as her – she just feels like the Crow I was reading every time.

And with Otis Amber, the delivery boy, I think Chris Noth would just be perfect – I’ve only ever seen him in crime shows or as a romantic partner (specifically in Sex and the City), so this would be a great chance to see him in a different role.

Flora Baumbach was always a joy for me to read about, even as a child. And based on just what we know of her character, I think Sigourney Weaver would portray this character well.

And for Dr. Sidney Sikes, I went with Iain Glen (I recognize him mostly from Game of Thrones). I genuinely think he could bring the character to life and make him even more likable.

I know I said I was casting the sixteen heirs of Sam Westing, but I still wanted to cast him. And the only man I could feasibly believe in this role is J.K. Simmons. If you’ve read the book, you might see it, too.

So, who would you cast if you were in charge of the adaptation? And HBO – where’s the Westing Game adaptation?