Film Fantasy Friday: The Dark Is Rising

Hello, dear readers. I know, I know--you pined and balsamed after I deprived you last Friday of a wildly overblown book-to-movie cast. Let me make it up to you! Let me create a cast for one of my favorite books, a book which was in recent years very, very badly served by Hollywood, a book which is such a primo Christmas story that I reread it every year around this time. You are correct, ladies (I don't think there is a gentleman among you): it's time for the Dark to rise. Let it be so! Keep in mind: this is a very pared-down cast, since the Stanton family alone has eleven members.

Will Stanton: played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Will finds out on his eleventh birthday that he is an Old One and must seek out six Signs, coveted by the forces of darkness.

Merriman Lyon: played by Ian McKellen, Merriman is a Lord of the Light and Will's mentor. He miiiiiight also be Merlin. Oops, SPOILERS.

The Lady: played by Helen Mirren, the Lady is one of the greatest of the Light.

Hawkin: played by Ian Holm, Hawkin was once Merriman's liege man and loyal to the Light (enough Ls in that sentence?), but he betrayed them and became the Rider's servant.

The Rider: played by Gary Oldman, The Rider or the Black Rider is Will's main adversary and a Lord of the Dark.

Miss Greythorne: played by Maggie Smith, Miss Greythorne is the mysterious lady of the Manor, the largest and oldest house in Will's village of Huntercombe. As gradually becomes clear, Miss Greythorne is also one of the Old Ones.

And that's how Diana casts it! All images pulled from Google and Wikipedia. Also...I know what you're saying. Ian McKellen for the wizard, really? IT HAD TO BE DONE. So that his t-shirt can say "I'm Gandalf, Magneto, and Merriman Fucking Lyon."