Greetings fellow movie goers from across the globe. Today’s Top 12 List is a follow up to my previous Top 12 List centering around a list of actresses who need to be in a Christopher Nolan film. Chris Nolan is my favorite filmmaker of all time. I idolize him as a role model. His upcoming movie, “Tenet” will be released in 2020 with John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kenneth Branagh & last but not least, Chris’ good luck charm, Michael Caine. If you’re interested in my previous list titled, “Nick’s Top 12 Female Fan Casting Choices for a Christopher Nolan Film,” go ahead and check it out.
Ground Rules
1. The Top 12 List featuring an individual actress is handpicked by me based on his filmography, iconic status, awards, box office etc.
2. Anyone who has worked with Chris’s favorite filmmakers including Stanley Kubrick, Michael Mann, Ridley Scott & his late brother Tony are added to the list.
3. Darren Aronofsky is gonna be mentioned. What do he & Chris both have in common? They began their careers in 1998 starting with Pi & Following shot in black & white format. Made their second feature film in 2000 titled Requiem for a Dream & Memento shot in color format. Darren’s themes are arguably similar to Chris’ distinctive tropes. They also have a connection to Batman. Darren was nearly hired by Warner Bros. until Chris beat him.
4. Anybody possibly connected to Darren Aronofsky is gonna be included. Think of Chris & Darren as Coca-Cola & Pepsi who are very similar. Cue the line, “We’re not so different you and I.”
5. Actresses who were originally handpicked by Chris, dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, are also gonna be featured.
6. Notable actresses who already starred in a Nolan related project like Evan Rachel Wood in HBO’s “Westworld” or Amy Adams in “Man of Steel” will not be on this list.
If you’re a Nolanite like me, (fan name for Nolan) now’s a good time to read. This is just my personal picks and I want to retain Nolan’s style that fits in this Top 12 article.
Top 12 Fan Casting Choices
12. Jennette McCurdy (False)
Bear with me folks. Jennette McCurdy has been through a lot since she made it big on Nickelodeon’s “iCarly.” After Nickelodeon cancelled a crossover spin-off of iCarly & “Victorious” with Ariana Grande (whom I’m not a fan of her music) titled “Sam & Kat,” Jennette transitioned herself as an independent filmmaker directing short films. She also co-starred in a sci-fi drama series on Netflix titled, “Between” in an attempt to take her acting chops seriously. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled due to mixed reception, she was able to showcase her dramatic chops.
Similar to Harry Styles’ unexpected yet decent performance in “Dunkirk,” I can picture Chris Nolan hiring her as a focal character in an epic ensemble adventure film hired as a rookie by the main character or mentor to guide cadets on an expedition to recover artifacts from a forgotten civilization. If Chris is able to use a wild card like Matthew McConaughey as Cooper from “Interstellar,” Jennette is the right actress with an opportunity to release her potential as a compelling character the audience can relate to.
12. Joey King (True)
Hear me out fellow Nolanites, Jeanette McCurdy is no longer active in acting. I had to replace her with Joey King. I know she already participated in “The Dark Knight Rises,” but I think Chris should collaborate with one of my favorite actresses in recent years, due to her performance as Gypsy Rose Blanchard in “The Act.”
Joey has a bright future ahead of her career. She will work with Brad Pitt & Sandra Bullock in an action thriller titled, Bullet Train” directed by David Leitch who’s also involved in the “John Wick” series, “Atomic Blonde,” “Deadpool 2″ and Hobbs & Shaw.” Joey appeared in a string of films since childhood including “Ramona and Beezus, ” “Oz the Great and Powerful,” “The Kissing Booth Trilogy,” “The Conjuring” & “White House Down.”
If Chris wants to reunite with Joey, I can picture her in a movie as a spiritual successor to “Madoka Magica” known for taking a darker route of the “Magical Girl” genre known for “Sailor Moon.” She can either portray the protagonist or antagonist struggling with an internal/eternal conflict.
11. Peyton Elizabeth Lee
Fresh from her role as the title character from Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack,” this young actress is one of my favorite actresses, who managed to showcase her acting abilities shifting between seriousness and comedic timing as her character Andi. After the show ended spanning three seasons, Peyton Elizabeth Lee has a bright future ahead of her career. She will star in an upcoming fantasy spy film called, “Secret Society of Second Born Royals” streaming on Disney+.
If Peyton decides to transition her career into mature roles like Zendaya & Ryan Gosling, I can picture her in a Chris Nolan project described as a James Bond-esque spy film. Peyton can portray a protege of a veteran secret agent who shows her the ropes of become a professional spy as they’re assigned on a dangerous mission, no point of turning back home. Think of this possible concept for Peyton transforming her as an action star that young fans of Andi Mack can mature with her just like a young audience growing up with the stars of “Harry Potter.” Maybe headline an original intellectual property?
Jodie Foster (back when she didn’t bash at superhero films) used to star in Disney films as a kid, until she transitioned to mature roles like her Oscar winning performances in “The Accused” & “The Silence of the Lambs.” If Jodie can do it, so can Peyton, as long as she makes the right decisions to prove herself worthy to become a possible future Oscar winning actress. I don’t wanna see her as another has-been like Amanda Bynes, because she went off the deep end.
10. Dakota Fanning
At the age of seven, Dakota Fanning (also one of my favorite actresses) became the youngest actress to earn a nomination at The Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG for short) for her breakout performance as Lucy Diamond Dawson in “I Am Sam.” Afterwards, she later co-starred in notable films such as “Man On Fire,” My Neighbor Totoro,” “War of the Worlds,” “Charlotte’s Web” and her best film to date is “Coraline.” Dakota shifted towards mature roles beginning with “The Runaways,” “Now Is Good” “The Alienist” & “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
Despite several setbacks in stinkers like “The Cat in the Hat,” “The Twilight Saga,” “Please Stand By,” “Very Good Girls” just to name a few. Dakota made her comeback on The Alienist as Sara Howard, the first female police officer on the show who joins forces with Dr. Laszlo Kreizler & John Moore by operating outside the law to investigate a string of murders. A second season titled, “The Angel of Darkness” is under development with Dakota scheduled to reprise her role.
Wise beyond her years, Dakota has worked with a list of well-known filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Tony Scott, (Ridley Scott’s late brother) Hayao Miyazaki, Gary Ross, Steven Soderbergh, Neil Blomkamp, Cary Fukunaga & Quentin Tarantino. She’s come a long way as a little girl, now she’s pushing forward, attempting to recalibrate her career as a young woman. Darran Aronofsky almost casted Dakota in “Noah,” but was replaced by Emma Watson.
Dakota has worked with Ridley Scott’s younger brother Tony in Man on Fire as Pita, the daughter of a wealthy family, who’s kidnapped by a group of criminals who demand a hefty ransom. Her bodyguard John Creasy (played by Denzel Washington) seeks revenge on his attackers who kidnapped Pita. Chris & Jon Nolan both grew up watching The Scott Brothers’ work which inspired them to become a directing duo. If Dakota can prove herself worthy, the pair can hire her as an Ellen Ripley (from the Alien franchise) type character in a spiritual successor to Ridley Scott’s Alien. Eventually, lead an action-horror franchise.
9. Hunter Schafer
A newcomer since her acting debut in HBO’s “Euphoria,” this model turned actress earned a bunch of praise for her performance as Jules Vaughn, a new girl attending high school who befriends Zendaya’s character Rules. As the show progresses, tensions escalate over their personal lives and their friends going through difficult struggles based on drug addiction, sex, peer pressure, fitting in and coping to let the past go. A second season is currently in development with Hunter scheduled to reprise her role.
Hunter has a bright future ahead of her, she’s gonna have to put a lot of maximum effort to get Chris Nolan’s attention. Sometime in a possible future, I can see her playing an android like Rachel from “Blade Runner” as a cross between a femme fatale and an angelic blonde similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s trademark of using blonde characters with a hidden agenda.
8. Viola Davis
Beginning as a stage actress, Viola Davis transitioned to the silver screen in her breakthrough role in “Doubt,” earning her an Oscar nomination for “Best Supporting Actress.” She went on to co-star in big films such as “State of Play,” “Knight & Day,” “The Disappearance of Ellenor Rigby,” “Prisoners,” “Suicide Squad.” Viola earned critical acclaim for her performances as Aibileen Clark in “The Help” & “Fences” as Rose Lee Maxson. Viola’s latter performance ultimately won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Besides movies, she has won Tony Awards and an Emmy for her role as Annalise Keating in “How to Get Away with Murder.”
Now a trailblazer working with established filmmakers including F. Gary Gray, James Mangold, Denis Villeneuve, Michael Mann, David Ayer & will work with James Gunn in “Suicide Squad 2” reprising her role as Amanda Waller. Prior to becoming a high-profile actress, she had minor parts working with other known directors like Steven Soderbergh, Oliver Stone & Todd Haynes.
Due to her experience collaborating with acclaimed filmmakers, and her involvement as character from the Batman franchise. Viola is overdue to collaborate with Chris Nolan. I would definitely picture Chris selecting Viola in a villainous role as a female version of President Snow from “The Hunger Games Trilogy.” Who knows, maybe a villain similar to Blofeld, known as the archenemy of James Bond.
7. Rosario Dawson
Since her film debut in “Kids,” this underrated actress (also one of my favorites) entered a new phase of her career partaking in movies like “25th Hour,” “Sin City,” “Clerks II,” “Death Proof,” “The Lego Batman Movie” among a few good ones. Despite a good resume, she participated in stinkers such as “The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” “Eagle Eye,” “Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief” & “Unforgettable.” Thank goodness Rosario played Claire Temple on Marvel Netflix shows, most notably “Daredevil.” Don’t forget she voiced Wonder Woman in DC Animated Films.
Rosario has a decent resume collaborating with directors such as Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Barry Sonnenfeld, Kevin Smith, Spike Lee, Peter Berg, Chris Columbus, Phil Lord & Chris Miller. Quite a good list.
Star Wars fans want to see her as Ahsoka Tano in a live action spin-off film. I also want Rosario as Anakin’s former padawan turned vigilante. She’s similar to Batman. If you want to know why, I wrote a “Top 12 List of Star Wars Characters Who Need a Spin-Off” with details listed why Ahsoka is the Batman of Star Wars.
If Chris wants to make a Star Wars movie centering around Ahsoka. I would definitely pay my money to see him direct Rosario as the character during her solo years during The Galactic Civil War or set immediately after “Return of the Jedi.” Think of Ahsoka’s movie as a cross between “The Dark Knight Trilogy” & “Inception.”
6. Jennifer Lawrence
A former cast member of “The Bill Engvall Show,” Jennifer Lawrence’s breakthrough role in “Winter’s Bone” marked Hollywood’s attention to partake in movies as Mystique in “X-Men First Class,” gaining recognition to Marvel fans, but J-Law’s role as Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games Trilogy” made her a household name earning millions. In addition to becoming a bankable star, J-Law co-starred with Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook,” which ultimately won her an Oscar for “Best Actress” portraying a nymphomaniac named, Tiffany Maxwell.
J-Law later starred in movies like “Red Sparrow, the “X-Men series,” “American Hustle,” “Joy,” “Passengers” and a divisive film titled, “Mother!” With a combination of wealth and image as one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood, J-Law is sorta the next Angelina Jolie. Only time will tell in the future if she stays relevant to the public eye.
J-Law has worked with a list of directors including Matthew Vaughn, David O. Russell, Garry Ross, Francis Lawrence, (not related) Bryan Singer (who used to be a respected man) & Darren Aronofsky. After J-Law worked with Chris Nolan’s rival Darren in Mother, now is the time that J-Law should definitely work with Chris. Maybe a spiritual successor to Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut,” similar to Nicole Kidman’s role as Alice Harford hiding a secret from her husband.
5. Michelle Rodriguez
Beginning her career in her first movie in “Girlfight,” Michelle Rodriguez (one of my favorites) made her breakthrough role as Letty Ortiz, the love interest of Vin Diesel’s character Dominic Toretto in “The Fast & The Furious” franchise. Besides her recurring role, Michelle also worked in action films ranging from “S.W.A.T.,” “Avatar” & “Machete.” Michelle has some ups and downs involving her career. The downside is when she once worked with Uwe Boll in that god awful film adaptation of “BloodRayne,” which is based on a video game.
Michelle is doing ok so far, she is gonna be back as Letty in ninth and tenth installments of The Fast & The Furious series as both of them will conclude the franchise. I’m interested in seeing her work with Chris Nolan. Maybe see her in a conspiracy thriller told in a non-linear (out of order) format, as part of an ensemble cast trying to figure who’s the culprit of a billion-dollar pyramid scheme. Michelle could play a journalist, or a con artist led by a businessman based on Bernie Madoff.
4. Alicia Vikander
Since she started her career at the age of seven performing on stage, Alicia Vikander officially transitioned to film as an adult starring in a Swedish movie, “Pure.” During her early years, she participated in projects such as “Anna Karenina,” “A Royal Affair” & “The Testament of Youth.” A miracle happened, Alicia signed on for the role as an android named, Ava in “Ex Machina,” earning her a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Supporting Actress.” Afterwords, she ultimately won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gerda Wegener in “The Danish Girl.”
Alicia later participated in films including “Jason Bourne,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and a reboot of the “Tomb Raider” film. Alicia recently worked on a Ridley Scott produced movie called, “Earthquake Bird,” which will stream on Netflix this November. One more thing, Alicia will portray a young Gloria Steinem alongside Julianne Moore as an older Gloria in a biopic titled, “The Gloria’s: A Life on the Road.”
As she’s currently working on a variety of projects. It’s a possibility that she might finally collaborate with Chris Nolan. I would assume a heist film similar to “Heat” with a touch of a complex out of order narrative as a bank robber led by a seasoned mastermind.
3. Angelina Jolie
A powerhouse A-List actress ranked as one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, Angelina Jolie made her film debut in “Hackers,” then she starred in HBO’s “Gia” earning her a Golden Globe for “Best Actress in A TV Movie.” Angie later found critical praise for her role as Lisa in “Girl Interrupted,” which ultimately earned her an Academy Award for “Best Supporting Actress.” Over the years, Angie starred in hit films ranging from “Tomb Raider,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Wanted,” the “Kung Fu Panda” series, “Salt” & “Maleficent,” solidifying her as an action star.
Angie has worked with an impressive list of notable directors like James Mangold, Doug Liman, Clint Eastwood, Robert Zemeckis & Oliver Stone. As a result of working with professional filmmakers, Angie herself became a director making personal projects including “A Place in Time,” “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” “Unbroken,” “By the Sea” (co-starring her ex-husband Brad Pitt) and her most recent work, “First They Killed My Father.”
Angie reprised her role as Maleficent in a follow up to the first movie and will headline “The Eternals” set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU for short) playing Thena, a telepathic warrior who is a prominent member of the titular team. I’m setting my expectations low, because it’ll be tricky to top “Avengers: Endgame.”
Angie definitely needs to work with Chris Nolan in an action-spy thriller as the main antagonist described as an anti-female version James Bond battling her male/female counterpart with a personal connection to the hero’s mentor. Chris is a fan of spy films, he can pick Angie, because of her roles in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Wanted & Salt.
2. Michelle Williams
A former cast member of “Dawson’s Creek,” Michelle Williams went on to participate in dramatic roles in “Brokeback Mountain,” “Blue Valentine,” “Shutter Island,” “My Week with Marilyn,” “Manchester by the Sea,” “All the Money intThe World” and the FX mini-series “Fosse/Verdon.” Michelle has earned a reputation earning numerous award nominations winning a Golden Globe as Marilyn Monroe, an Emmy as Gwen Verdon and nominated four times at The Oscars ranging from Brokeback Mountain to Manchester by the Sea.
Michelle worked with highly acclaimed directors like Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, Sam Raimi, Charlie Kaufman, Tom McCarthy & Sarah Polley. She’s come a long way since her film debut “Species,” a carbon copy of Alien which failed to become a spiritual successor to the Alien franchise. Thank goodness Michelle made a name for herself picking right projects.
Michelle was married to the late Heath Ledger since they first met on the set of Brokeback Mountain. Chris & Jonah were close friends with Heath and they’re good friends with Michelle. Perhaps she can co-star in an epic murder mystery film similar to “Clue” as a possible suspect linked to a murder trying to prove her innocence. Again, it should be an out of order storyline focusing on specific individuals similar to a puzzle piece for the viewer to connect the pieces.
Honorable Mentions
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Emma Roberts
Elisabeth Moss
Rachel McAdams
Rebecca Ferguson
Laura Dern
Julia Roberts
Frances McDormand
Reese Witherspoon
1. Emily Blunt
Here it is folks, my number one pick is Jim Halpert’s real-life spouse. Emily Blunt made her breakthrough role in “The Devil Wears Prada.” A few years later, Emily participated in high profile projects such as “The Adjustment Bureau,” “Looper,” “Edge of Tomorrow” & “Into the Woods.” Besides several movies, she managed to earn critical acclaim for her role as an F.B.I Agent named, Kate Macer in “Sicario.” Emily worked with her real-life husband John Krasinski in “A Quiet Place.” They both earned praise as a husband and wife trying to protect their kids from monsters without literally making a sound or speak.
A sequel to A Quiet Place is in the works with Emily scheduled to reprise her role and John will come back to direct the follow up. Emily portrayed Mary Poppins in a sequel to the classic film titled, “Mary Poppins Returns” she’ll work with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in “Jungle Cruise.”
Emily has gotta work with Chris Nolan headlining a mind-bending psychological survival adventure thriller in a dual role as a human and genetically altered clone embarking on an odyssey to learn about the meaning of reality as they dodge dangerous obstacles in their way. If that doesn’t work out. Perhaps Emily could possibly showcase her range as an antagonist suffering from an existential crisis losing her grip towards morality, the human condition and which side to take either light or dark.
That’s all I got for my list of Top 12 Actresses Who Need to Be in a Christopher Nolan Film Vol. 2. Which actress do you think should work with Chris Nolan? Please leave a comment and I might write a third volume.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 