Casting Call for Ellie Stone from James W. Ziskin

You’ve done the impossible - sold your book/series for the screen. Who would you choose (living or dead) to play your protagonist? Why?

I confess that I’ve never been able to picture anyone playing Ellie Stone, the protagonist of my seven-book series. That’s probably because I don’t watch many new shows or moves. And thinking back over actresses of the past (do we still say actress?), I’m not having much luck either. 

She should be young, fairly small, with longish curly brown hair. Other than that, I can’t give you many more details. I like to think of Ellie as one of those characters you see on book covers. They’re all viewed from behind, so you don’t know what they actually look like. This gives readers the freedom to imagine them as they want to, with minimal guidance. I like that. And so, for Ellie, I offer no one.

But a friend who knows about these things once said that Hailee Steinfeld would be a good match for Ellie. What do you think? I’m not sure. She’s great, but I’m no expert on casting. They do wonders in Hollywood in recreating looks from the 1960s, so maybe she’d be perfect.

Okay, that’s Ellie Stone. What about her best pal, Ron “Fadge” Fiorello? Fadge is Ellie’s best friend in the world. He’s the huge, lumbering Watson to Ellie’s Holmes. He’s also a little sweet on her. This one was a little easier for me. I’ve always thought a John Candy type would be perfect for him. Especially as he appeared in Uncle Buck.

Let me know what you think. Suggestions from readers are welcome in the comments below.