Kait Mae

The sequel series to Caraval really delved deep into the fantasy aspect and open endings of several fairytales. With its spellbinding twists and magical characters, it really captured my heart. It would be perfect for an onscreen adaptation from its perfect balance of whimsy and mystery, which lent easily to my imagination of how I would adapt it. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

What Is ‘Once Upon a Broken Heart’?

Once Upon a Broken Heart, which I’ll be called OUABH from now one, is the sequel trilogy to the Caraval trilogy. It actually kind of starts in the beginning of Finale, but the story really picks up immediately after in OUABH.

The series follows Evangeline Fox’s love story that’s meddled with by the Prince of Hearts and his “friends.” She finds herself tangled up in magical deals, unexpected revelations, and hidden agendas.

How I Would Adapt It

Similarly to the Caraval series, I’d make this a live-action movie trilogy. As much as I’d love to see this as a television show to explore the world more, there’s not enough action to constitute it – the books describe the world more than the characters act.

For costuming and scenery, I would love to see something similar to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. The costuming was so whimsical and had so many interesting designs, it just fits this series. As for the scenery, just take another watch of the movie – it’s stunning.

Who I Would Cast

Starting with our protagonist, Evangeline. I’ll be honest – she wasn’t my favorite, but I loved her character arc regardless. For her, I think Josephine Langford would do wonderfully. It would give her a chance to play another originally soft-spoken to a driven character.

I’ve already casted Jacks in my Caraval post, but in case you missed it, I chose Italian actor Saul Nanni. If you don’t know who he is, check out Love & Gelato to see why I picked him.

Moving on to the Princes, we have Apollo and Tiberius. Apollo is our first love interest, and I had to do him justice because I was swooning for him the entire second novel. For him, I think Michael Cimino would do well. We haven’t seen him in a role like this yet, but I just see it working out.

And for Tiberius, Apollo’s brother, I wanted someone who didn’t necessarily look too similar since the brothers don’t really look alike in a lot of the artwork I’ve found online – nor are they described too similarly. So, I went with an actor who I’ve enjoyed the work of every time – David Mazouz.

When it comes to Evangeline’s “best friend” who is friendly but still has her own motives every chapter – LaLa – I wanted someone who looks both youthful but has an older aura about her. And Naomi Scott is the actress for this role.

And for Evangeline’s step-sister, Marisol, I knew immediately from the first time she was mentioned in Finale before this series even started. That actress is Kaylee Kaneshiro – I know her from Legacies.

Moving on, we have Luc, the guy that started Evangeline’s journey way back in Finale. I wanted someone who I knew could portray both sides of the character. And Aubrey Joseph’s role as Cloak in Cloak and Dagger was exactly what I was picturing.

And lastly, for Aurora – a character I both hated and loved to hate. She drove me insane every step of the way. And maybe I chose this actress because I watched her episodes of House of the Dragon around the same time, but Emily Carey’s portrayal of young Alicent secured her place in my hypothetical casting as Aurora.

Did you love this series? Or do you prefer Caraval? Which series would you rather see adapted – or both?