It would seem that casting news for Young Adult Hollywood revolves around just a few hot and very in-demand names, and what a busy bunch they are! But because things change in showbiz faster than it takes Disney to fast-track something into production, the names on that list are changing all the time. So to that end, we here at YA Mag will undertake the hefty task of keeping you up to date each month on who’s playing what, who’s not, and who should. The roles and stars everyone can’t stop talking about are all here…
ABC’s Once Upon A Time is hard at work on its Snow Queen/Frozen storyline, with two new character additions and casting along with it. John Rhys-Davies and Tyler Jacob Moore are slated to join the show as a troll named Pabbie and Prince Hans, respectively.
Actor J.R. Ramirez will be joining Arrow‘s long-awaited third season as Wildcat, aka Ted. Ramirez’s character is an ex-boxer who manages a gym for underprivileged youth. We’ll just how involved he becomes in Laurel’s/Black Canary’s storyline…
In other superhero news, actress Kelly Frye has taken on the plum role of Plastique on the new spin-off The Flash. Otherwise known as Bette Sans Souci, Plastique was an expert bomb diffuser in Iraq who gains explosive new powers after a freak accident.
Marnie from Girls, aka Allison Williams, is the unorthodox choice to play the boy who never grows up in Peter Pan Live! for NBC, opposite Christopher Walken as Captain Hook. We’re like, really? We know she can sing, but she seems way more suited to play Wendy in our book…
The BBC is working on a huge miniseries project by the name of War and Peace, and two hot young stars are eyeing the leads: Lily James and Paul Dano. Lily is coming off the heels of her successful turn as Lady Rose MacClare on Downton Abbey. Little Miss Sunshine’s Paul Dano will also soon be appearing as one of the Beach Boys in the biopic Love & Mercy.
Talk about capitalizing on success. Disney has announced its intentions to create a Guardians of the Galaxy animated series for Disney XD, which will supply even more exposure for the intergalactic fivesome between the movie out now and the just-announced sequel.
It’s been confirmed that MTV is forging on ahead with the Scream TV show, with casting set to begin any minute now. The show will begin with a YouTube clip that goes viral, leading (of course) to some slice-and-dice murder. The good news is, Wes Craven has reportedly signed on to direct the pilot for the series, so some of the original energy will remain intact. While nothing has been confirmed, three hot names are circulating to become part of this series: John Karma (from Premature), Carlson Young (of Pretty Little Liars and As the Bell Rings fame) and Amadeus Serafini.
In renewal news, VH1 has ordered a third season for dancing series Hit The Floor! The series focuses on a fictional basketball team, its players, dancers and owners, whose personal and professional lives are often more complex and interconnected than they expect. The series stars Dean Cain and Kimberly Elise.
Finally, Nickelodeon is greenlighting 100 Things To Do Before High School, taking the bucket list trope and bringing it down to the lives of three best friends on a quest to fulfill their middle school fantasies and adventures in order to overcome the traumas of junior high: class cliques, menacing bullies and clueless teachers. The series will star Isabela Moner, Jaheem Toombs, and Owen Joyner.
