Horizon Zero Dawn Fancast
If you’re familiar or in any way know of the world of gaming, then more than likely you’ve heard of Horizon Zero Dawn, a debut game by Guerilla Games which has taken the world by storm. If you haven’t heard of it, I’m telling you now – it’s worth the investment. It was not only the highest-selling original title for PlayStation in the UK, surpassing No Man’s Sky, but it’s gone on to sell extremely well and get rave reviews from critics – who praise not only the story and graphics, but the performance of the voice cast, particularly lead actress Ashly Burch who voices the main character Aloy.
Photo credit: GameChanger
Horizon Zero Dawn’s plot focuses on a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world where humanity has regressed to primitive nature – only robotic beings known as machines have replaced dinosaurs and other animals as our cousins on the food chain. The main character, Aloy, who is an outcast from the remaining human tribes, finds herself drawn into a horrifying plot to not only destroy the tribes, but life as we know it.
As Hollywood quickly becomes a business of reboots and adaptations of already popular brands, the sights are increasingly becoming set on video games – and I not only think that Horizon Zero Dawn is a perfect candidate for a film adaptation, but I have a pretty good idea of who could play all the characters.
Here are my casting ideas for a Horizon Zero Dawn film:
Rose Leslie as Aloy
Photo credit: Variety, Guerilla
You might recognize Rose Leslie if you’re a Game of Thrones fan – she played Ygritte, a woman who gave us the instantly iconic “You know nothing, Jon Snow” quote. Not only was Leslie great as Ygritte and proved she’s a great actress, but I think she’s a perfect match with the Aloy character. I mean, come on, she looks just like Aloy! I would be surprised if the game creators said they weren’t inspired by Rose Leslie in the creation of Aloy. Not only could Leslie bring pathos and depth to the character, but I think she could imbue Aloy with the trademark snark and sass that we loved about Ygritte, while still doing something fresh and exciting. (I think Daisy Ridley would also be good.)
Ben Mendelsohn as Rost
Photo credit: Telegraph, Guerilla
If you’re unfamiliar with the game, Rost is basically Aloy’s father figure. He takes care of her as a child and trains her; it’s through her that she learns how to fight, shoot arrows and destroy machines. Rost is a great character and a perfect opportunity for an older, more seasoned actor. I think Ben Mendelsohn, who many of us saw last Christmas in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Orson Krennic of the Empire, would be a fantastic choice. He’d have to bulk up for the role, but I think he could pull it off. He would play well off of Leslie and would provide a nice support to her.
Sterling K Brown as Sylens
Photo credit: GQ, Guerilla
This character’s existence and purpose is a bit spoilery, so I’ll just say he’s also a mentor and teacher to Aloy. Who better to play him than Mr. Sterling K Brown himself? Sterling is a fantastic actor, blowing us all away with his performances on This Is Us, and I think he has the chops to play Sylens. Sylens is a cold, calculating character who rarely lets anyone in or shows any signs of humanity, so it would be a fantastic character for Sterling to work with and show his range. Some other great choices for this role would be Omar Sy and Idris Elba.
Meryl Streep as Matriarch Teersa
Photo credit: Variety, Guerilla
Matriarch Teersa is one of three Matriarchs in the Nora tribe, where Aloy and Rost are closest to in the beginning of the game. She’s the only Matriarch who doesn’t treat Aloy like an outcast (and that’s all I’ll say). Teersa is a warm, sweet and compassionate character, so who better to play her than Ms. Meryl Streep herself? It’s not a huge role, so it wouldn’t require a lot of her time, but I think that Streep could have the opportunity to give a more subdued performance and show off her skills.
Florence Kasumba as War-Chief Sona
Photo credit: Deadline, Guerilla
One of my favorite characters in the game, War-Chief Sona is a badass chief that leads the Nora army. She’s a killer shot with an arrow, she’s brave and bold and is all about her job – anything else is unimportant to her. Florence Kasumba stole the show with one moment in Captain America: Civil War as a commanding Dora Milaje to Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. That commanding presence could very easily transfer over to this role. I imagine Sona would fit in perfectly with the Dora Milaje, so why not have one of them play her?
Lakeith Stanfield as Commander Varl
Photo credit: Bumble, Guerilla
Varl is the son of Sona and her ally in the game. He’s also a friend to Aloy and a great character, very strong yet compassionate. He fights at her side throughout the game. Lakeith Stanfield would fit the character – not only does he favor the way Varl is depicted in the game, but I think he’d look awesome in furs. Plus, I think we all just want to see Lakeith in more things. Does anyone disagree?
Ed Skrein as Helis
Photo credit: ScreenRant, Guerilla
And finally, we have Ed Skrein as the villain of the game. Helis is a Joker-esque character, someone who’s a bit off – he has a very sadistic way of looking at the world. He’s the leader of a villainous faction known as the Eclipse, and he’s working with an evil entity to destroy the world as we know it. Ed Skrein is a great actor and he does villain very well. I think he would fit Helis perfectly!
There you have it. This is my fancast for Horizon Zero Dawn. Here’s hoping it becomes a film someday – and if you haven’t tried out the game, what are you doing with your life?
