I just finished reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt, author of The Goldfinch (which was just made into a surprisingly terribly rated movie). The Secret History is Tartt’s first novel, but it is an absolutely powerhouse. She’s an incredible writer and a master storyteller. I won’t get into my thoughts on the book too much because I don’t want to spoil it, and it’s also not why I wrote this post. I’ll just say this: if you haven’t read it, please do. And, if you know me, I’d be happy to lend you my copy.

Anyway, as I was reading the novel, it struck me how fantastic it would be as a movie. I don’t often think that about books mainly because I’m typically just happy with a book as is and films often ruin the book. However, with the way the novel is structured, I think you could easily cut large chunks of it and still convey the overall story and feeling of it on the screen. For example, there are ~30 pages devoted to the group of characters hanging out at a country house, drinking and getting to know Richard. You could easily make that into a single scene or montage. Of course, like with any film, nuances would be lost, but I believe this novel would remain relatively unscathed. (For those who’ve read it, drop a comment if you disagree.) Come to find out, others thought likewise and purchased the film rights; unfortunately, it was never made.

Therefore, I have come up with my own fantasy cast list should I be the one who would make The Secret History into the blockbuster movie it deserves to be. In the Town & Country article linked above, writer Maris Kreizman argues, “We can still do casting in our heads—the 2019 version might have Timothée Chalamet as rich and handsome Frances, or John Boyega as outsider Richard…” That was just enough to set me off on making my own list (which filled up about two hours of quarantine). Before you read it though, I want to explain two things about my casting: (1) I wouldn’t want this movie to end up as more of a teen drama à la CW. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with cheesy and dramatic teen movies; it just wouldn’t fit the vibe of the novel. (2) I recognize my casting choices are really white. I did this on purpose because, to me, the fact that Bunny is racist is important. He wouldn’t willingly hang out with people of color. Why does this matter? Why not just eliminate that aspect of his character? When Bunny is killed (Don’t worry; this is not a spoiler. You find out about the murder in the prologue.), we have to understand why he was murdered and, for the rest of the novel to work, at least somewhat agree with the motive. We have to dislike this annoying, racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic ass enough to not feel so bad for him when he’s killed. (There are, I am sure, people who will disagree, and that’s fine. Comment below, and let’s debate! I am always willing to keep an open mind.) Finally, without further ado, here are my (almost completely spoiler-free) casting choices for my fantasy film version of The Secret History:

Henry Winter – Max Minghella

Henry is a studious, rich, cold, and pretentious boy, but it’s also mentioned that he has a tall and commanding presence. Initially, I considered KJ Apa, but I think he’s much to fresh as an actor to handle such a challenging role. Henry needs to be both extremely attractive (in the sense that he’s interesting, not good-looking) and easily hated at the same time. Really, if I was a casting director, I would look for an unknown actor because I think the mystery of Henry is what makes him so attractive, and an unknown actor would really add to that. I settled on Max Minghella because I think he’s enough of an unknown that he just might do the trick. We can see in “The Handmaid’s Tale” he’s also fantastic at the emotionless stare crucial to Henry’s character. His character, Nick, also switches between being likeable and unlikeable–a necessary quality for Henry.

Francis Abernathy – Timothée Chalamet

Like (what seems like) everyone else right now, I love Timothée Chalamet. He’s an incredible actor and, with his career being so hot right now, would bring people into the theatre to see the movie. (I considered Ezra Miller–and even thought about Miller for one of the other roles–but he’s in hot water right now with the press and fans and, honestly, Chalamet is just way too perfect.) I know Francis is supposed to have bright red hair, but I’m just going to ignore that. Francis needs a good dose of boyish charm and fluid sexuality I think Chalamet could easily provide. Additionally, we need to like Francis but also see his incredibly delicate emotional state. Like Henry, Francis has two sides, and the actor would need to be able to hold both in each hand. Chalamet has proven his acting chops over several movies in recent years, and I think this film would push him even further.

Charles Macaulay – Jesse Plemmons

I remember very little of the description of the twins in the novel, but I could not get Jesse Plemmons out of my head once I started thinking about casting. I hated him on “Breaking Bad” in the sense that he played a really awful person and was such a fantastic actor that I truly believed he was that person. Charles, honestly, was one of the least likeable characters of the group (abusive, alcoholic, etc.); however, we have to like him when we first meet him. That’s exactly what the character Plemmons played on “Breaking Bad” was like–and that character rationalized his evil actions in the same way the characters in The Secret History rationalize their horrific decisions.

Camilla Macaulay – Cara Delevingne

I originally considered Brie Larson here but decided against it. It didn’t have to do with her age (She’s actually younger than both Mainghella and Plemmons–with Chalamet being almost 10 years younger than the bunch.) but with her as a person. Larson is strong and outspoken, and I’ve not seen her play a softer role yet. Delevingne, too, is outspoken, but her career has shown a wider range. I wanted someone pretty (as the boys, as a whole, are captivated by her beauty), but I also wanted an actress who could be passive and victim-like in addition to being poisonous. (Why poisonous? She may appear to be quiet and innocent, but she’s well aware of the fact that the boys are in love with her and uses it to her advantage.) Like with all the characters, the actors need to be able to be two people. I’m not a huge fan of Delevingne personally, but I think this role would be a good fit for her. I also don’t think she and Plemmons look enough alike to be twins, but Charles and Camilla are described in the novel as not looking alike–so much so that Richard initially mistakes them for boyfriend/girlfriend.

Richard Papen – Dylan Minnette

Outsider Richard needed to be someone who enters into college innocent but quickly slips into a dark world. He needs to be smart, insecure, and likeable. He has to be the everyman. Richard is us: we enter into the twisted world of these characters with him. Minnette plays a similar role in “13 Reasons Why” and, while I still think he could use some more time to develop as an actor, his youth will give him the innocence Richard’s character needs. (Minnette is currently only 3 years older than Richard’s character in the novel.) I definitely think this role will be a challenge for Minnette in comparison with some of his previous roles but, honestly, I’ve really enjoyed him in other things, so I think he would be able to handle it.

Bunny Corcoran – Dave Franco

I really wanted an obnoxious, large, and irritatingly sloppy presence. Bunny, despite being taken down by the rest of the group, is rather commanding in size. I considered both Kellan Lutz and James Marsden, but neither of them really fit what I was going for. I did want someone a touch older than the rest of the crew since Bunny is the oldest of the group as well–a point which matters because he’s also the least academic (i.e. he’s dumb). I sorta settled with the younger of the Franco brothers. I don’t think Dave Franco is a bad actor by any means, and he already sorta has that New England prep school vibe; however, I still think he’s a bit scrawny for the role, and I’m not sure he’s acting chops are up to the challenge of playing such a crass and irritating character. I ultimately picked Franco because he’s recognizable, a bit annoying, and has what one might call a “punchable” face.

Julian Morrow – Jude Law

I wavered between Colin Firth and Jude Law for quite some time. I ended up going with Jude Law because I felt as though he had more experience playing characters who were mysterious, pretentious, and a touch immoral than Firth (who I see as more of a fun and loving uncle than a serious scholar). Law has proven himself to be a great actor, and I also think his attractiveness (here, I mean good looks) is necessary for us to understand the students’ obsession with him–particularly Henry who views Julian as if he were divine (and is probably in love with him despite maybe being straight… maybe). Julian needs to be cruel and aloof while also being someone with whom we’d want to gain favor–similar to the way Miles Teller’s character views JK Simmons in “Whiplash” but not exactly like JK Simmons because I want him to have a British flair. (The group, although American, all give the appearance of being vaguely British which I would, in the film, attribute to their admiration of Julian.) The only downside is that Law isn’t as old as necessary to really play Julian (who has decades of experience), but we’ll just ignore that small issue.

Cloke Rayburn – Joe Keery

Originally, I cast Ansel Elgort here–who I absolutely love (and considered for Richard as well)–but I decided I really wanted Cloke to serve as some comedic relief in such a dark story. I felt Joe Keery could provide that much more easily. On the flip side, Cloke also needs to be jumpy and paranoid when he’s questioned about Bunny’s death–and I feel like Keery has proved he could do this based on his acting in “Stranger Things”.

Marion – Madelaine Petsch

(Side note: Does Marion have a last name?)

I wanted Marion to be played by someone who could appear sweet but, ultimately, have a tough attitude. Marion doesn’t let people push her around, and I think she’s a lot nicer of a person than Bunny (or the rest of the crew) gives her credit for. They find her dull, and she’s pretty forgettable. However, based on the arguments she and Bunny have and the way she handles his death, I want her to be seen as more sympathetic than she’s portrayed in order to drive home the idea that the boys and Camilla should not be pitied. Marion is one of the novel’s only victims actually worth feeling sorry for. Initially I considered Britt Robertson, but she was so god-awful in Tomorrowland. Then, I considered Emilia Clark, but I felt like she was too cheery. I ended up with Madelaine Petsch because I feel like she’s a better actress than she’s given credit for (I mean, she’s on “Riverdale” which is a really poorly scripted show.), and I think she can give Marion the strength I believe the character deserves as well as garner our sympathy. I think the only thing Petsch might struggle with is making her pain over Bunny’s death believable as I felt like her acting in “Riverdale” when her character’s brother died could have been stronger.

Judy Poovey – Hailee Steinfeld

Honestly, I find Steinfeld to be a really mediocre actor and mildly annoying. However, I also felt that way about Judy. She’s overly perky, talks non-stop, and–despite actually being a decent human being in a sea of characters who are absolute trash–is just someone who you want to go away. Plus, since Judy doesn’t play too big of a part in the novel, Steinfeld’s weaker acting, in comparison to the rest of the cast, will be overshadowed and, consequently, unnoticeable.

For those of you who’ve read the book, who would you pick for you dream cast? (I’m obviously not the first to fantasy cast this film, so here are a few other opinions.)

–Mads