Myke Cole's "Control Point"

{[['']]}

As a security con­tractor, gov­ern­ment civilian and mil­i­tary officer, Myke Cole’s career has run the gamut from Coun­tert­er­rorism to Cyber War­fare to Federal Law Enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deep­water Horizon oil spill.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of Control Point, his debut novel:

Control Point is ... cinematic, to put it mildly. One of the publishers we flirted with called it a "Michael Bay" story, which I took as a huge compliment. Shortly after the book came out, a Hollywood agency picked it up and began shopping it around, seeing if they could get anyone interested in optioning it. That's a long process (with the same odds of success as getting a book deal in the first place), and I keep my fingers crossed.

I did an ARC signing of Control Point at New York City Comic Con before the book came out, and was lucky enough to spark the interest of a small segment of Jim Butcher's fans. We hung out at the con, squeed over the video of Star Wars: The Old Republic, and became fast friends. About a week later, they'd all read the book and a fairly detailed conversation about casting for the movie erupted over Twitter. It gave me a chance to really think about what my casting calls would be. It also helped that, when Penguin solicited inputs for the cover [at right; the UK cover is below left], I had to come up with what famous actor each character would look like. We're fantasizing here, so I reserve the right to take aging actors and melt some years off them.

My picks are:

Oscar Britton - The book's protagonist. Oscar is a bald, African-American, heavily-muscled army officer. He needs to have a combination of a tough military exterior and the ability to convey the troubled waters beneath the surface as he struggles with hard call after hard call. The US cover makes him look like Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel, but I think he'd be better played by a buff Christopher Judge of SG-1 fame.

Harlequin - An army officer and Aeromancer. Harlequin is the call sign of Jan Thorsson, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed 3rd generation Scandanavian American. I'd need someone nordic, who could portray a hard-edged rule-bound bureaucrat driven by rock-solid belief in the righteousness of his calling. It would need to be a young Dolph Lundgren or someone similar. Maybe Val Kilmer after some gym time? Chris Hemsworth might work, but he's too ... well ... pretty.

Scylla - One of the book's villains, Scylla is a witch whose honeyed words do as much damage as her rotting magic. She was always Catherine Zeta-Jones in my mind. Wise looking, gorgeous. Wicked in a way. She needs to be older, alluring and sinister.

Therese - Therese Del Aqua is a Puerto Rican woman from California possessed of the ability to manipulate live flesh, a power she swore to use only for healing, though she has the ability to destroy flesh as easily as she can repair it. I always envisioned her in my mind as J Lo. Unfortunately, J Lo can't act. So, it would need to be Roselyn Sanchez.

Truelove - Simon Truelove (call sign - Rictus) is a skinny, nerdy kid possessed of powerful Necromancy, which makes him a mighty weapon for the US army. I need someone skinny and pale for this role, but with an earnest charm. Steve Buscemi would be good if he weren't so fish-eyed, so I'd go with a young Anthony Michael Hall or John Cusack.

Sarah Downer - A scared kid who made some bad mistakes, Sarah Downer can create magical elementals that are self-willed, and therefore illegal. Pushed around and manipulated, I need her to look innocent, haunted and just on the cusp of real beauty. I picture her as Natalie Portman with her shaved head in V for Vendetta. A young girl hardening in a tough world.

Marty - A goblin, prince among his own people, but a lowly contractor on a US military base in occupied territory. Dobby from Harry Potter [ha].

Fitzy - Mean, uncompromising and a fighter down to his marrow. He provides Oscar Britton with much of his training, and much of his angst. R. Lee Ermey plays every drill instructor in every war film ever made. Fitzy is younger, bald and mustachioed, but whomever played him would have to have that same granite hard presence.

Learn more about the book and author at Myke Cole's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

--Marshal Zeringue