Book to screen adaptations seem to be where the bread and butter is these days. I mean, it really shouldn’t be surprising because books have some great stories, and some of those stories do make us think they could be really good onscreen. Apple TV+ sure thinks so considering they’ve optioned quite a few books. The latest project they’ve added sounds like a really odd one, but we’re also really interested.
The Changeling based on the book of the same name by Victor LaValle has been referred to as “a fairytale for grown-ups. A horror story, a parenthood fable, and a perilous odyssey through a New York City you didn’t know existed.” Now this had us very curious because first of all, who doesn’t love a fairytale for grown-ups? They are always creepy and weird but so entertaining.
We know that this probably didn’t give you a ton of information so here’s the shows official synopsis:
When Apollo and Emma have their baby, Brian, it feels like both a reward and a challenge for the new dad. Apollo, the son of a single mother, had been scraping by as a bookseller who hunts estate and garage sales for rare first editions, so even the unusual circumstance of Brian’s birth (on a stalled subway train) seems like a blessing, as does the way Apollo stumbles across a first edition of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ (inscribed by Harper Lee to Truman Capote, no less) shortly thereafter. But after some young-parent squabbles and inexplicable images on their smartphones foreshadow trouble, the story turns nightmarish.
Personally, we hadn’t even heard of this book until this series was announced. Once we found out that Malcolm Barrett had joined the cast, we were immediately on board. If you’ve followed us for years, then you know we’ve been fans of Malcolm’s since his time on the NBC series Timeless. That was one of our favorite shows and we still never fully recovered after it was canceled. And if you don’t believe us, see our “Gone Too Soon” piece about it.
Someone else we’re looking forward to seeing in The Changeling is Lakeith Stanfield. Stanfield is an incredibly talented actor (See The Photograph, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Harder They Fall) so we’re always happy to watch anything he’s in. Stanfield has been cast as the lead character Apollo. Barrett will play Apollos best friend Patrice Green, an ex-veteran and fellow book enthusiast.
So far, this series seems like it’s going to be a good one and we’re already liking these casting announcements. We look forward to finding out even more about it. Check out the rest of the cast members that have been added to this adaptation.
Clark Backo
Clark Backo (Supernatural) will play Emmy, Apollo’s wife.
Adina Porter
Adina Porter (Outer Banks, Paper Girls) plays Apollo’s mother Lillian Kagwa.
Alexis Louder
Alexis Louder (The Originals, The Terminal List) will also play Lillian Kagwa. We’re guessing she may be playing the younger one in some flashbacks.
Amirah Vann
Amirah Vann (How To Get Away With Murder) will play Emma’s sister and sole family member Kim Valentine.
Jared Abrahamson
Jared Abrahamson (Travelers) will play Brian West, a parole officer and Lillian’s husband.
The Changeling adaptation was written by Kelly Marcel (Cruella) who also serves as showrunner. Melina Matsoukas (Insecure, Queen & Slim) will direct.
