Thursday, 16 July 2009

Beastly Movie

There are a tremendous amount of YA titles being adapted into movies of late. Of course having your rights optioned doesn't mean that the movie will be made.

I read Alex Flinn's Beastly over the weekend and was shocked to learn that they are already in production. I quite liked the book, the allusions to Beauty and the Beast, the integration of a tech-savvy teen and some magic as well.

But as a movie?

Here's my thoughts on the casting:
KYLE - Britain's Alex Pettyfer is pretty but has that sharp edge to him that James Spader used so well in the 80s, except he's prettier. (As you can see, I am really shallow). He was Alex Rider in Stormbreaker but I don't have any opinions on him acting wise. I am just impressed they didn't hire a 27 year old actor from the latest CW hit show. Do I think he will play a good Kyle/Adrian? I have a sneaking suspicion he might...and it has nothing to do with the 'pretty'.
The makeup? I am not so sure about because he's supposed to be beastly. Hence the title. Where's the hair? Instead he looks like the Joker after falling into the chemical tank and before the ridiculous makeup. Still it's enough to break a pretty boy's heart and that was the aim of the spell.
KENDRA - The witch who's behind it all as played by one of the Olsens (Mary Kate if you want to be exact but who really cares.) I know she's been in Weeds but it smacks of deliberate, publicity whoring casting to me. Couldn't they have hired an unknown?

WILL - The blind tutor will be played by Neil Patrick Harris. No complaints here, the boy can do everything and anything.

LINDA - Okay here's where I get super annoyed. Vanessa Hudgens? Really? That's the best you can freaking do. How are they going to make her plain? Put her hair in a ponytail? This girl has about as much talent as a paperclip. Her acting range is completely determined by how far she can lean her head to the left and depth of her dimples. I am officially aghast. I don't see a way that she can convey Lindy in an honest or real way. (Before people start crucifying me for hating HSM, I actually thought Zac Efron was reasonably good in the third movie, considering the material. Yes, I saw the third movie - I am offficially embarrassed. But I will reiterate, Miss Hudgens is in no way a thespian.)

Director/Screenwriter...Daniel Barnz was quoted as saying this :"It's sort of a curious mixture of Juno, Twilight and Say Anything. The premise is this incredibly magnetic good-looking 17-year-old guy is transformed into somebody who is hideously ugly and must find love in order to reverse that. So there are shades of Beauty and the Beast in it." This does not give me hope. He's definitely after the Twilight market like a Twilighter in heat. I don't see any of those movies in Beasty. It makes me genuinely scared for Ms Flinn.

Sigh.

11 comments:

Catherine said...

They're really jumping on recent releases, rather than going back to some "older" books that really deserve a story.

"Wings" has already been optioned by Disney with Miley Cyrus to star. And that book's not even been out two months.

Anonymous said...

OMG haha. "this girl has about as much talent as a paperclip." I agree though, from what I've seen, she's not a very great actress. I mentioned in another blog about the Miley/Wings casting that I wish they would find someone relatively unknown. They use the same teen actors in all the teen movies.

Steph Su said...

I have huge qualms about this movie, because of the incredibly Disney-like, tweeny-bopper cast. Fine, Alex is good-looking, but I don't know how he acts, and the Beast makeup is hideous and not at all beastly. The female leads are just... ugh! Definitely publicity whoring. As in, "please save my acting career" whoring. Probably won't happen in this movie, dears.

ClareSnow said...

I just read Beastly, altho I didn't think as highly of it as you did, it was fun. And this is the first I've heard about the movie. I'm totally gobsmacked, mainly by who's playing Linda. The book Linda has red hair/pale skin/freckles - a complexion very hard to replicate with makeup. And her plainess was so important to the story. And the Beast can't be without hair, that was a big part of his uglyiness.

Liv said...

Oh gross. An Olson twin and Vanessa in the same movie? Nonono. The only way I'm going to see this is if the trailer looks reasonably decent. And maybe just for Alex Pettyfer. Because he is a marvelous piece of eye-candy. :)

Catherine (On The Nightstand) said...

It's sort of a curious mixture of Juno, Twilight and Say Anything. The premise is this incredibly magnetic good-looking 17-year-old guy is transformed into somebody who is hideously ugly and must find love in order to reverse that. So there are shades of Beauty and the Beast in it."

I wouldn't call it "shades"! I'd be worried if they're trying to make it more like Twilight than the base premise.

Melanie said...

I haven't read this book yet, although it sounds really interesting. I'm unsure of the casting myself. I actually haven't seen Vanessa in anything other than the 1st and 2nd HSM, but if she somehow (and I don't know if she has it in her) manages to pull it off, it would be amazing for her career. It probably wouldn't be too hard to make her plain... They'd just have to lay off the make-up. Doesn't really sound like she fits the book, though.

Korianne said...

This girl has about as much talent as a paperclip, is another Adele-ism that I am going to have to steal. Great summary of characters.

CandyRapper said...

I am PISSED OFF, too. I read the book and I loved it, but I am NOT going to watch this movie because of Vanessa Hudgens. She has no talent and she's just sad. She doesn't fit the charcter of Lindy who is described as scrawny,freckled, and smart. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I think you should decide a bit better on Kyle and Kendra too. Vanessa is absolutely not good for Linda! Yet again Neil Patrick Harris could do perfect for Will.

Having to think that Twilight didn't really fit as a movie but it's worth the chance I mean if Twilight made it I bet Beastly can too. I've read this book hundreds of times.

Melanie said...

So, I just finished the book, and I pretty much agree with everything you've said here. Especially on Neil Patrick Harris as Will. One thing I'm wondering is who's going to be playing Adrian's maid?