Firewall Saga Fan Cast

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Most cordial greetings to all my readers- old and new.  :D  I apologize for yet another of my long absences- but I assure you that it has not been in vain.  During my silence I have written a two-act musical, which I am hoping to have performed by the end of the summer, though time will tell if that's actually going to happen.

I got a new job in addition to working at that hotel I mentioned before;  I am proud to tell you that I am now officially a librarian!  Not the kind with a college degree of course, but one of those nice underlings who shelves books, puts them in their nifty little plastic jackets, and checks your books in an out.  I am now living my lifelong dream of being an author and librarian- all of which I owe to God, who has been so gracious as to grant my prayers.  I always said I would give Him the glory for the things He's done in my life- so I just had to tell you.  ^_^

I've also read several new books, both good and bad, which I will be reviewing soon.  I've been experimenting with some new genres I've never tried before, including graphic novels and verse novels.  :)  It's been pretty fun, and I owe a lot of it to that library job.  Being around so many books has rekindled my love of reading.  

One of the things I've been reading lately is a web serial called The Firewall Saga, by Braden Russell.  It's a really neat sci-fi dystopian cyberpunk story that's been going on for a while now.  The characters are fantastic, the world is intriguing, and each installment brings yet more questions and agony as we wait for the ever elusive answers.  You should really check it out- it's worth the read.

Though it is on-going and we haven't nearly reached the end yet (I think), the characters have been buzzing around in my head, becoming vivid enough for me to do one of my favorite pass-times;  a fan cast!  :D

So, though to my knowledge none of my readers read this story, I thought I'd share the fan cast with you and direct you over to an exciting saga at the same time.  Now,  let the show begin!

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Karl Urban as Decker

Decker is a Downgrade, that is, a typical human like you and me- as opposed to most of humanity, who have technological implants in their brains that allow them to do super cool, computery stuff with their minds.  Unfortunately, this also leaves them open to attacks from a wretched virus that ravaged the world not too long ago, turning many humans into cybernetic zombie-like creatures called Infects.  Decker, as a downgradge, is very valuable as a mercenary.  He hires himself out to the Firewalls, safe havens for the Upgrades who hide from the virus.  Throughout most of the story so far, Decker has been on a mission to get to Firewall Zero to investigate the suspicious secrets they've been keeping.

Character-wise, Decker is rather complicated, and I'm not going to go into that for fear of spoiling the story for you.  However, after seeing Karl Urban's work in Red (among many other films, including the Lord of the Rings), he was my first choice for Decker.  

Gregg Sulkin as Lyan

Lyan is a young man who's cerebral implants are particularly special.  He spends his days locked in a cell training in digital battles with others like himself, in hopes that they will someday defeat the Infects and destroy the deadly computer virus that threatens to kill all Uprgaded humans.  Most of the book is told through either Lyan's or Decker's perspective, and each of them has a very different way of looking at thing.  Lyan's perspective is very amusing, despite the difficult circumstances he faces.

Gregg Sulking has a bright, cheery face I felt fit with Lyan's character.  He is known for his work in Avalon High.

Anna Popplewell as Jazzy

Jazzy is a young woman whom Lyan meets on the Grid, the digital plane to which he often escapes in his mind.  She is fun, eccentric, beautiful, and full of many dark secrets.  We all know Lyan loves her, but can he save her from her mysterious prison?
Anna Popplewell, whom I first saw in Narnia, has a spark of life in her eyes that I think is perfect for Jazzy's character.  She has the perfect balance of innocence and mystery at the same time.  :)

Anthony Lemke as Rosin

Rosin, a downgrade mercenary, is sent on a mission to Firewall Zero with Decker.  He is hostile an unlikeable, but seems to be able to hold is own in a fight.  He often challenges Decker's leadership- though (uncommonly for a jerk) not without good reason.  

I'm familiar with Anthony Lemke's work in Dark Matter, a Canadian sci-fi show.  His character there seems similar to Rosin, and since I started watching the show around the same time I started reading Firewall, I naturally pictured him as Rosin.

Kirsten Dunst as Shonda

Another downgrade Mercenary assigned to accompany Decker on his mission.  Though not openly hostile to him, she's not exactly friendly either.  But she comes across as an experienced, hardened fighter who's probably seen too much grief.  Although she sometimes seems selfish, I get the feeling she wasn't always that way.   Kirsten Dunst is known for her work in the Spider-Man Trilogy.  

Christopher Larkin as Tyler

Tyler is a young downgrade mercenary who knew Decker in the past as well, but has significantly fonder memories of him.  He's a very endearing kid, but he's currently in some trouble and I'm particularly anxious to find out if he 's okay.  

I've not seen any of Christopher Larkin's work, but he's pretty much exactly how I pictured Tyler reading about him.  Christopher Larkin is known for his work in Canadian post-apocalyptic drama, The 100.

Lucy Griffiths as Alice

Alice is one of the most important characters in the story- but I can't tell you why without major spoilers.  I can tell you that she is very close to Decker, and is pretty much the reason he is who he is.  She is also very likeable, and thus needs a likeable actress.  I thought of Lucy Griffiths right away.  Her work in Robin Hood won me over years ago.    

Ryann Shane as Katy

Katy is a character who so far has had only brief appearances, but she's already proved to be very useful.  I look forward to seeing more of her in the future, largely because I'm doing to find out what happens to her after- Oops!  Spoilers, sorry...

I've never seen Ryann Shane's work, but she has this sort of vulnerability and strength in her eyes all at once, which is fitting for the character.

Tom Hanks as Falconer

Falconer is Lyan's commander, always seen with a pipe to smoke and a lie to cram down his throat.  We still don't know the half of what he's hiding, but the more I see, the more I cringe.  This guy is a snake, no joke.  And though I like it when Tom Hanks plays kind, good guys, I thought it might be interesting to see him in a villainous role.  :)

Rollo Weeks as Weedly

I can't really tell you much about Weedly without spoiling anything... that's the kind of character that he is.  But I will say that he was really, really hard to cast.  At first, I didn't think I'd be able to think of anything.  I thought about putting up a picture of Andy Serkis in a green screen suit and calling it good.  XD  But after some thought, I figured that Rollo Week's interesting face might prove adequate for Weedly's, well... Weedliness.  However, there are many other ways for Weedly to be portrayed, and this is just one of the options I find I rather like.  :)

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Well, that's that!  There are other characters, of course, but I haven't known them long enough to cast them yet.  Let me know what you think in the comments- and don't forget to stop by The Firewall Saga to check it out!  

-Emmarayn Redding

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(DISCLAIMER:  This is a fan cast only.  Actors are not aware of this post at all.. unless one of them is secretly reading my blog, which would be pretty cool.  XD  I did not create the image for the Firewall Saga.  Someone else did... so all credit goes to that person.  :)