Kait Mae

Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Realm novels have grown up with me, and it’s time I do what I usually do and make a hypothetical adaptation of the series. The series is full of rich worldbuilding, compelling and complex characters, and intricate plots, all laced with light and heavy themes and topics, making them perfect for a screen adaptation. As a long-time fan, I’ve always imagined how they would look onscreen, from imagining myself as Katsa when I first started reading to now imagining a full cast and editing style.

What Is ‘The Graceling Realm’?

This series by Kristin Cashore starts with Graceling in publication order, and I highly suggest starting with it if you plan to read the whole series. From there, it jumps back in time to Fire, which is set across the large mountain range in the Graceling world. After that, we jump ahead to Bitterblue, Winterkeep, and Seasparrow.

In an interview with Publisher’s Weekly, Cashore said Seasparrow isn’t it for this series, so now is the perfect time to catch up so you’re ready when she puts out another book. It’s a series I started reading when I was 10, just after the first book was published and I’ve grown up with the books.

I want to add a warning that it’s not a children’s book, so please check all warnings for every book if you’re looking to start because they get into heavier topics and themes within the overarching plot.

What Would It Look Like?

If I adapted the Graceling Realm books, I can’t see it working as a movie series. There are too many details and worldbuilding we wouldn’t get to explore like in a television show. I see it as a show with 13 to 16 hour-long episodes per season.

In terms of how I’d structure the seasons, I’d follow the publication order, starting with Graceling, then Fire, then Bitterblue, and onward. I would also want it to be a bright-colored fantasy – enough of this dark editing style where we can’t see anything on the screen.

Who Would I Cast?

Let’s start with our main two from Graceling: Katsa and Po. For Katsa, I went back and forth because she’s such a beloved character to me. But I finally narrowed down my pick to Lilly Aspell, who you may recognize as the young Wonder Woman from the 2017 and 2020 films.

As for Po, he was the hardest to pick, but I think Evan Evagora would do him justice in every scene he’s in. I’ve only seen him in The Quarry and clips from Star Trek: Picard, but I think this would be a great change of pace for him.

Up next, we have King Leck. I’ve decided not to cast his younger version because I want who he is to be a surprise to audiences who haven’t read Fire yet. But for this age in Graceling, I’ve chosen Hugo Weaving. For some reason, his face was the one I saw while re-reading a few years back.

Moving on to Katsa’s cousin, Prince Raffin, Michael Bishop is my choice. Something about his role in Superman & Lois just sealed it for me, and that’s all I can say about it.

Giddon, who you’ll see several times throughout the series (he’s also one of my favorite characters if you were wondering), starts the series at about 18 years old. So, I’ll be choosing one actor and just continuing his portrayal as the character ages. For Giddon, I’ve chosen Levi Miller, who recently was the young Kraven in the Marvel-Sony movie.

While you’re here, why not click this link to another post and read about another hypothetical adaptation of a beloved childhood favorite of mine?

Moving on to Fire, let’s cast the titular character. I wanted someone who I could see play every aspect of this character well. And I settled on Jaylen Barron, who I first saw in Free Rein. The character starts as 17 in this book, but is in her mid-60s by her next appearance – but we’ll get to that casting in a little bit.

As for supporting character Cansrel, I chose Omar Sy. He just looks like the character I imagined and I just know he’d bring what’s needed for the character.

For Archer, who you’ll meet in Fire, I chose Maxwell Jenkins. He’s been in a few shows recently, with a notable role as young Jack Reacher in Reacher and Jordan in Dear Edward. I think he looks the part, and he’s shown he’s a talented actor in his roles so far.

With the last Fire character on this list, I’m choosing Josiah Cross as Nash. I’ve yet to watch through his projects, but from what I have seen in clips, he’s perfect to portray this 27-year-old King.

Moving on to the Bitterblue actress for Bitterblue, Winterkeep, and Seasparrow, I chose not to cast her younger version because I want her to be a complete unknown. However, for her older version in the latest three books, I chose Chelsea Zhang. I pulled her from Titans because this role is so different from Rose that I think she’d enjoy the change of pace.

For our thief Saf, I chose Finn Little from Yellowstone. I will admit I don’t watch Yellowstone (yet – it’s on my list), but I’ve seen clips. Plus, he looks exactly how I imagined the character, minus the eye colors.

Moving on to Hava, I’m going with Alana Cavanaugh. She started her career with Dolphin Tale 2 in 2014 and has been working up since then. I chose her because I think she could play the role well after looking into clips of her projects.

We’re back to Fire as of her appearance in Bitterblue in her mid-60s. I chose Angela Bassett because I wanted someone who could convey a room but still have that edge that Fire needs to have. Plus, I just want to see Angela in everything.

Moving across the world to Winterkeep, I can’t see anyone play Lovisa Cavenda than Sanai Victoria. I’ve seen a few of her projects, and she would do this complex character justice.

Moving on to another Winterkeep major character, Quona Varana, I think Danai Gurira is perfect for the role. Not only does she look like the character’s description, but she has played a character before with the same no-nonsense attitude.