21 Book-To-Screen Castings That Are Utterly, Truly, And Undeniably The Best

"Honestly, when I was watching, I could have gasped at how much Tom Blyth looked like a younger version of Donald Sutherland. The casting for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was spot on." 

—fantasy15

"The character is a Texan aeronaut arctic explorer, and when they announced the casting I was like, 'Well I love Lin-Manuel but I don't buy him as this cool, tough-as-nails cowboy.' But then he brought a brilliant, sassy energy to the character and totally stole the show!" 

—beckstickles

"Perfect casting!"

—elizabethpotter1

"I read that series so many times and was super excited about the movie. I remember watching it and thinking, 'Yeah, that's Lara Jean.' She was awkward, family-oriented, a baker, uncomfortable, and quirky when she needed to be. That series will always have a special place in my heart." 

—brookeyamada_

"I thought she was perfect in that role."

—barbed

"I honestly couldn’t come up with a more perfect casting. The movie got some other roles pretty spot on as well, like Alexandra Shipp as Abby, Nick Robinson as Simon Spier, or Jennifer Garner as Emily Spier." 

—bridget11egan

"Little Women was all around well cast, in my opinion, but Saoirse Ronan as Jo March was just perfect for me. I know a lot of people love the 1994 version with Winona Ryder, but Saoirse Ronan just captured Jo so perfectly. Greta Gerwig’s script and direction were also perfect to me."

—gracelyn

"Saoirse Ronan was the best Jo March!"

—jostuwrt6361

"She really made me fall in love with the character again, and she brought Jo's spirited personality to life in a whole new way." 

—districtrue

"I knew Luke was a bad guy, but Charlie made me feel sympathy for the character and actually made me forget he was bad in the first place, which made his betrayal THAT much more emotional."

—kayleighpowell

"He really embodied the character."

—notdoinganythingsus

"Alan Rickman definitely added a true depth to Snape's character in the movies. I already loved this character in the books, but Alan was such an incredible actor that even people who hated Snape were moved by his performance." 

—silverhera

"She's absolutely iconic and brought depth to a character that was (much like the whole book) rather shallow."

—witchycentipede62

"That’s probably the best book to movie casting of all time!" 

—evasofie

"He so perfectly fits the role of Gatsby — he's practically made to play that role. Handsome, charming, smart, so perfect. When I was in high school in 2003 and had to read that book, I was still riding the Leo train from Titanic, and I pictured him in the book so I would pay better attention 😁."

—angelav45d8cf1a3

"He knew exactly what he was doing when he played Gatsby. He brought depth and backstory into every single scene!" 

—mollball03

"I know I might be riding the Dune train, but Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha was incredible."

—hezekiahhappy

"Paul Mescal gave such a powerful performance as Connell. I couldn’t have pictured a better person to play him."

—kristiney4fa8a371f

"She was absolutely fantastic and made me love the book and movie even more."

—cutehawk11

"She really brought Lou’s quirky, fun character to life and she played that role perfectly. I can’t see anyone else playing that part." 

—danidani22

"Sissy is supposed to be a tall, blonde, willowy model, with gigantic thumbs. Except for the thumbs, Uma matched the character to a T. I totally bought her as a legendary hitchhiker, model, and cowgirl aficionado."

—the_electric_mayhem

"Harry Shum Jr. was PERFECT as Magnus Bane. He really brought one of my favorite book characters to life."

—c_someone_m

"Harry Shum Jr. does not get enough credit. He definitely captured the extravagant, sassy, and complex character that is Magnus." 

—tvelazquez10

"He brought Thomas's dedication to get the gladers out of the maze to life and was, without a doubt, the perfect casting choice."

—pacific_18

"Shailene as Hazel will forever own my heart — she just possessed so much of her fire and introspection. The Fault in Our Stars is one of my favorite books, and I was very protective, but they chose a beautiful soul to play a beautiful soul, and it makes me smile every time."

—marveloustortoise92