Comic Book Casting: The STRANGERS IN PARADISE TV Series

There had never been a comic like it, and there’s never been one like it since. Terry Moore’s long-running Strangers In Paradise series mixed romance, action and friendship in a epic, stirring character piece that lasted for 90 issues. Described by the author as the “story about 2 girls and a guy who gets to know them,” it’s a love triangle between the threesome that brings in added intrigue once one of them, Katchoo’s, secret life as a secret agent.

With it’s run now complete, it’s sitting on comic shelves waiting for the right approach to bring it to the big or small screen. And we think we’ve figured it out.

The Concept:

Strangers In Paradise was always a hard concept for comic readers at-large to understand, so what hope would we have for Hollywood-types? Although they may not have an excellent track record at translating comics-to-film, Hollywood does have comics beat when it comes to exploration of genres outside of the typical comics norm. I’d pitch this to them as an unconventional half-hour sitcom that is an open-minded Friends that could appeal to a wide range of audiences.

The role of Francine seems like an Award-winning role waiting to happen, and Katchoo can be a minx when she wants to be. The inclusion of David into the mix gives the series a further new dimension, as would the supporting cast pulled from Moore’s books. Would it be hard to showcase a furtive lesbian relationship on television? Yes, but now is the time.

The Creative Mastermind:

To make this work, you need a special kind of mastermind to put it all together; I’d turn to Hung / The Riches creator Dmitry Lipkin to make it happen. Lipkin’s shown himself as having a unique perspective on live, and bringing what could be unconventional lives into a more traditional context without foresaking the source material. I’d definitely bring Terry Moore in to keep the tone as he developed it in the comic; I could see him having long conversations with the main actors to help them get inside the heads of the roles they play.

The Cast:

Francine – Sara Rue: SiP‘s Francine is arguably one of the most unconventional characters when it comes to comics. After debating internal for weeks, I’ve determined that actress Sara Rue would be a perfect fit. Best known as comedic actor from appearances on TV’s Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement and her own sitcom Less Than Perfect, Rue has a special kind of talent that draws viewers in.

Katchoo – Rachael Taylor: Dangerous but fragile is a hard combination to play, but I’d give former Grey’s Anatomy actress Rachael Taylor a shot at making it her own. She handled action in the short-lived Charlie’s Angels reboot recently, and I’d imagine some interesting chemistry between her and Rue if given a chance to share the screen.

David – Justin Chon: Francine is a hard role to cast, but casting David is a different kind of difficulty. In the end the decision ended up being Twilight actor Justin Chon, but less so for his vamp role and moreso for his part in the YouTube comedy group YTF. Chon has the chops to weather the storm between Francine and Katchoo and carve out a place for himself in that mix.

 

Comments

  1. I pretty much see this as a 30 minute series on Showtime. There are some great humorous parts but the overall tone of this series is pretty serious. I would really love for it to finally be turned into a tv show as it’s one of my favorite comics of all time.

  2. I have volume 1 of the digest-size books that has been just sitting on my shlelf for years now. I should read it sometime.

  3. I think casey wilson from Happy Endings would make a great Francine.

  4. Rachel Taylor is a horrible choice

  5. I’m down with it, especially Sara Rue!

  6. I swear to god I didn’t join just to say this, but this article could use an editor.