From Sadie Sink to Amber Midthunder,there are a lot of interesting casting choices for who could play Aloyin the upcoming movie adaptation ofHorizon Zero Dawn. After it had been developed as a Netflix series for a couple of years, Sony recently announced thatHorizon Zero Dawnwill be turned into a theatrical movie instead. While they might struggle to fit the entire story into a two-hour film, the big screen is a much more fitting home for the vibrant sci-fi spectacle ofHorizonthan the small screen would’ve been.
There are a lot of questions abouttheHorizon Zero Dawnmovie. How much of the story will they cover in the film? Will they adapt the world faithfully or make some tweaks to it? But first and foremost, who will play Aloy? Karen Gillan and Rose Leslie have been common fan-casting choices for Aloy, but they’re a little too old for the character, so someone else will have to play the part. There are a lot of great actors working today who could do this plucky heroine justice in the movie adaptation.
5Erin Kellyman
Best Known ForThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Erin Kellyman has quietly built an impressive résumé over the past few years.She played a sympathetic villain inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, an unsympathetic villain inSolo: A Star Wars Story, a knight-in-training inWillow, and a virgin martyr inThe Green Knight. It might be time for her to finally take center stage as the hero in her own blockbuster vehicle.
Kellyman has racked up plenty of experience working in major franchises, and she’s got the right age and look to play Aloy.
Kellyman has racked upplenty of experience working in major franchises, and she’s got the right age and look to play Aloy. With her previous high-profile roles — especially inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier— Kellyman brought real depth and dimension to what could’ve been a one-note archetype. Anyone taking over the role of Aloy fromher voice actor Ashly Burchin a live-action adaptation will need to do the same.
4Sophia Lillis
Best Known ForIt
Sophia Lillis certainly looks the part for Aloy — all she needs are some hair extensions and she’s practically a dead ringer — but she’s got the acting chops to pull off this character, too.Lillis’ breakout role in theItmovies demonstrated that she can play a heroic characterwho manages to triumph under difficult circumstances. Beverly Marsh is every bit as fierce and tenacious as Aloy, and Lillis knocked that role out of the park.
She proved she can handle the demands of an action-oriented role when she played Doric the druid in the massively underratedDungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. She was front and center in some of the film’s most exciting and elaborate set-pieces. Lillis’ turn as Doric introduced her ability to let a character’s humanity shine through amidst the spectacle of fantasy worldbuilding, which is what the role of Aloy requires above all.
3Amber Midthunder
Best Known ForPrey
Amber Midthunder has already played one young action hero hunting monsters with a bow and arrow in a jungle environment — she could easily do it again.Midthunder burst onto the scene with her badass performance as Naru inPrey, which was compared to Sigourney Weaver’s turn as Ellen Ripley inAlien. If she can take down a Predator, she can take down a Stormbird. Like Aloy, Naru has to dig deep to find the courage to become a hero, and Midthunder nailed that arc.
Horizon Zero Dawn Game Adaptation Gets Major Update As Sony Pivots To New Format
Hit 2017 action role-playing video game Horizon Zero Dawn is set to receive a live-action movie adaptation from Columbia and PS Productions.
Midthunder might not look exactly like Aloy does in the video games, but the actor’s appearance is secondary to their ability to capture the essence of a character. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey don’t look much liketheir video game counterparts in HBO’sThe Last of Us, but they’re undeniably Joel and Ellie. Midthunder would make a perfect Aloy.
2Sadie Sink
Best Known ForStranger Things
Sadie Sink is not only an appropriate age to play Aloy; she looks an awful lot like her. Sink gave a spectacular performance opposite an Oscar-winning Brendan Fraser inThe Whale, but she’s best known for her portrayal of Max Mayfield inStranger Things. She joinedtheStranger Thingscastlate, but quickly became just as beloved as any of the season 1 mainstays.
Sink’s turn as Max proves she’d make a great Aloy. Aloy’s defining characteristic is her resilience. She keeps her head held high and continues fighting in the face of insurmountable adversity. Sink portrayed resilience incarnate when Max fled from Vecna to the sounds of Kate Bush inStranger Things.
1Florence Pugh
Best Known ForBlack Widow,MidsommarAndLittle Women
To really do the role of Aloy justice, it’ll require a lot of acting range. She needs a daring action hero, but she also needs sharp comedic timing as she delivers one-liners and a soul-searching dramatic performance as she investigates the mysteries of her past. Florence Pugh would need to dye her hair red or wear a wig, but she’s proven that she could pull off all these facets of Aloy.
Pugh was an awesome action hero inBlack Widow, but she also delivered a devastating portrait of grief and trauma inMidsommar.
Pugh was an awesome action hero inBlack Widow, but she also delivered a devastating portrait of grief and trauma inMidsommar. She was hilarious in the sports biopicFighting with My Familyand the animated sequelPuss in Boots: The Last Wish, but she gave captivating dramatic turns inLady MacbethandLittle Women— and she tugged on the heartstrings inWe Live in Time. Whatever theHorizon Zero Dawnmovie requires of Aloy, Pugh could pull it off.
