Guest Post: CASTING CALL FOR MOVIE ADAPTION

CASTING CALL FOR MOVIE ADAPTION

by Dan Romanello

Ted Sarandos, Netflix Co-CEO responsible for content operations, greets me warmly in the executive jet lounge at Tampa International airport. “Are you ready for the trip to California? We start casting tomorrow.” 

I smile broadly as I glance out the window and see the Netflix Gulfstream G550 sitting on the tarmac, stairwell down, gleaming in the afternoon sun. 

Okay, that hasn’t happened yet. However, authors and readers alike dream of their favorite books being made into movies, streaming series, or television shows (is that still a thing?). So let’s have some fun with it! 

First, here are some examples of the authors I enjoy and the actors who portrayed their characters on film. One of my favorites, John MacDonald who wrote extensive Florida-based fiction, had several novels adapted into movies. TRAVIS MCGEE, named after one of his main characters and starring Sam Elliot in the lead role, was based upon his book, THE EMPTY COPPER SEA. And who could forget the classic 1962 movie CAPE FEAR, based on his novel, THE EXECUTIONERS, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Later editions of epic films often pale in comparison to the originals, but that was not the case in the 1991 remake of the same title, featuring Robert DeNiro and Nick Nolte. 

Another excellent movie adaption was the Jack Reacher films based upon the character in the Lee Child novels. Despite the difference in height between the fictional character and the actor, Tom Cruise was excellent in the leading role in both JACK REACHER and the sequel, JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK. Mr. Cruise did not return for a third movie, but the character lives on in the streaming series REACHER, starring Alan Ritchson. Which actor do you prefer? 

Finally, Titus Welliver played the conflicted Harry Bosch in BOSCH, a streaming series based on the novels written by Michael Connelly. 

What about books and their characters you would like to see adapted into films that were never made? A few that come to my mind include the lovable psychopathic vigilante Serge Storm in the series written by Tim Dorsey, the Stone Barrington character from the recently departed Stuart Woods (he will be missed), and the dandy private eye, Archy McNally, featured in the books by Lawrence Saunders and Vincent Lardo. 

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a huge fan of mystery thrillers set in the eccentrically diverse state of Florida I call home.

Now onto the task at hand. Here is the dream cast list I would recommend for my novel, PAPERBOY. 

Dylan Tomassi (as an adult) – Chris Pratt 

Alex Malloy (as an adult) – Leonardo DiCaprio 

Esther Lott – Sally Field

Cheryl Tomassi – Catherine Zeta-Jones

Penal Stanhill – Shantel VanSanten

Governor Rocco Philips – Rob Lowe

Fred Philips – Woody Harrelson

Which actors would you choose after reading PAPERBOY? I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Book Details:

Book Title:  PAPERBOY (A Dylan Tomassi Novel) by Dan Romanello
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 332 pages
Genre: Coming of Age Contemporary Thriller
Publisher: Sanitas Publishing, Inc.
​Publication Date: August, 2022.
Content Rating: R: A series of explicit sex scenes, minimal bad language and drug use are utilized for character and plot development.

Abandoned by his father as an infant and raised by a single mother among the wealthy and privileged in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Dylan Tomassi grew up poor. As a boy he is befriended by a mysteriously reclusive widow he meets on his paper route. She mentors him with sage advice on matters facing a young man growing up without a father. She never pays for her newspapers, and he never asks for the money because of all the good advice she dispenses. When she finally does square up, it changes his life forever.

Dylan relocates to Florida and becomes a successful private investor, wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. His newfound socioeconomic status introduces him into the upper echelon of Florida society where he finds many things going on in the world simply don’t make sense. With the help of his old friend and mentor, he navigates life in a turbulent modern-day society and vows to use his wealth to make a difference when he’s not sidetracked running into nefarious characters or busy keeping his best friend, wealthy playboy Alex Malloy, out of hot water. With corruption, debauchery, deception, and murder swirling around him, Dylan proves nice guys can finish first.

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DAN ROMANELLO began his career working for a large Florida newspaper before attending law school at the University of Florida. After serving as an assistant state attorney, he entered private practice where he spent more than 20 years as a civil trial lawyer litigating cases in courtrooms throughout Florida. He retired from the active practice of law in 2017 and, before writing PAPERBOY, spent four years coaching college athletics. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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