Kait Mae

When I first heard of this series from Piera Forde on YouTube, I was genuinely skeptical because I wasn’t into science fiction at the time. That said, once I caved and tried the first book, I fell in love with the universe and characters Pierce Brown created. And after looking through the internet, I noticed I wasn’t the only one who wants a Red Rising adaptation. The author has confirmed a show is in development, but I decided I’d try my hand at a hypothetical adaptation that I would be a part of making.

What Is ‘Red Rising’?

The Red Rising saga is a science-fiction series set in a dystopian future where society is divided into a rigid caste system with each caste given a color denoting a specific role in society. The main character at the heart of the series is Darrow, a Red-turned-Gold fueled by his desire for justice and revenge.

The first three books follow Darrow’s life infiltrating the Golds and tearing it down with his allies. The following books take place ten years after the original trilogy. It sees Darrow and Mustang leading the new Solar Republic as a new war starts brewing.

Want another science-fiction hypothetical adaptation to read about? Here you go.

How Would I Bring It to Life?

I know so many people want this to be a live-action show or movie series, but live-action wouldn’t do it justice. In my honest opinion, it could only work well as an animated show.

That said, I’m torn on animation styles. I’m leaning towards elements of The Legend of Vox Machina, Harley Quinn, Netflix’s Voltron, and the original Ben 10. But I’m also considering an Invincible-style animation.

Who Would I Cast?

Now I know there are a ton of characters – so many that I couldn’t possibly cast in this post alone. So, I’m focusing in on the characters that are pivotal in the first three books that I also loved reading.

First up, I needed to cast Darrow in order to fill out the rest of the cast. For him, I wanted a voice that could sound both young and older. And I found that with Leo Suter.

Next is Mustang – and this might surprise people, but I think Millie Gibson is perfect. If you’re unfamiliar with her, she was recently in Doctor Who as the Doctor’s companion. I know this might be out of left field, but she just has what I wanted in Mustang’s voice.

For Darrow’s major enemy, The Jackal, I went back and forth several times. I nearly went with who I ultimately chose for Cassius before listening to a few clips of Taron Egerton’s voice in several different projects. So, Taron is my Jackal.

Now that I’ve touched on Cassius, it’s only fair that he’s next. As soon as I heard his voice in House of the Dragon, I knew Tom Glynn-Carney needed to be part of Red Rising in some way. And looking at Cassius’s character, I think Tom could carry that nuance and struggle he deals with.

Want to see another beloved book series that I think works better animated than live-action? You might be shocked.

For Sevro, I wanted someone who could convey “survivor” despite all the odds being stacked against him. And just from that description alone, I was reminded of a character from The 100. And that’s how I chose Richard Harmon.

With Pax, I knew I wanted someone whose voice just sounded big. And who better than Winston Duke – or as many recognize him as: M’Baku in Black Panther.

Next up, we have Fitchner. I knew immediately upon reading his description – even knowing I would go with animated over live-action – Karl Urban would be my pick. Karl’s voice just screams this character.

Moving on to Dancer, I went back and forth on several actors. But I wanted someone whose voice sounded like they hold a lot of weight on their shoulders but are willing to do it anyway. And I think Charlie Hunnam is perfect.

On the other hand, with Mickey, I wanted someone who could sound flamboyant and nonchalant at the same time – and Jeff Goldblum is the only person I think could carry this role flawlessly.

With Harmony, I didn’t think I was going to cast her until I heard Emily Carey’s voice. Just from her short time on House of the Dragon, I knew she was perfect for this role.

With Roque, I didn’t know what I was looking for. But I guess fate has it that I’d be watching season 4 of Legacies as I was reading the first three books – and Zane Phillips’s voice caught my attention. So, he’s my Roque.

Lastly, my favorite – I won’t say sorry for saying that – Ragnar. Everytime I read his scenes, I only heard Grog from The Legend of Vox Machina. So, it’s no surprise I went with the creator and voice of that character, Travis Willingham.