Casting Talk: What we know so far
With filming on ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ set to begin on August 15, the buzz of pre-production has fans eager for news.
There have been a lot of rumors about casting circulating around the Internet and sometimes it’s hards to pinpoint what rumors have credibility and which ones are just false.
Here’s what we know about casting so far:
LILY COLLINS CAST AS CLARY
Lily Collins has held the role of lead heroine Clary since December 2010 and there is no doubt about her casting.
JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER CAST AS JACE
It’s been just over a year since Jamie Campbell Bower was cast as snarky Shadowhunter Jace and while at one point there was some uncertainty surrounding whether he still held the role, there is no doubt that Jamie will be Jace.
CHRIS RIGGI NOT CONFIRMED AS ALEC
While Chris Riggi revealed that he has auditioned for the role of Alec, his rumored casting IMBD is nothing but a rumor. Riggi admitted that he didn’t believe he was still in the running. Note: Do not trust IMDB as a reliable source of information until a film goes into production.
ADELAIDE KANE NOT CONFIRMED AS ISABELLE
Adelaide Kane was another actor that falsely appeared on IMDB, this time rumored as Isabelle. Cassandra Clare addressed fan questions about the rumor and she immediately shot it down with a “not true.”
CASTING COMING IN A FORTNIGHT
According to a fan that attended a Cassandra Clare signing, Clare revealed that casting would be completed in about a fortnight, which translates to two weeks, and would begin to be announced.
CHEMISTRY READS WITH LILY COLLINS
According to the same fan report, Lily Collins had chemistry tests with actors for Simon last week and will have chemistry reads with actors for Magnus this week.
WE HAVE A SIMON
We just don’t know who he is yet. According to a fan that attended a Cassandra Clare signing, casting director Stephanie Corsalini and the producers have already decided on an actor for Simon and are currently working on sorting out his schedule to make sure he can do it and negotiating his salary.
CASTING LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK
According to that same fan report, they were casting Luke and this week they will be casting Magnus and Isabelle.
OVER 100 ACTORS AUDITIONED FOR MAGNUS
Actors that have auditioned for Magnus have been no strangers to reaching out to the fans for support. At the ‘City of Lost Souls’ launch party on May 8th, Cassandra Clare revealed that over 100 actors had auditioned for the role. Here are eight that we know have auditioned: Shannon Kook, Simon Raymond, Ross Butler, Ben Cho, Osric Chau, Austin Ku, David Sakurai, James Adam Lim and Kris Conde-Bolos.
ISABELLE NARROWED DOWN TO EIGHT
According to a fan that attended a Cassandra Clare signing, Clare said that the actresses vying for the role of Isabelle has been narrowed down to eight–six are British, one is American and one is Australian.
TMI Source 
Out of all the actors applying for Magnus mentioned, I can imagine Kris Conde-Bolos as him the most. But maybe that’s because he already seems quite eccentric!
I’m really concerned they’ll pick that Kris guy for Magnus… he keep posting things on twitter and I don’t like him at all to be Magnus… Not to be prejudicial or anything, but he looks like a girl :s
Well, Magnus shows up in TMI as a very sparkly, flamboyantly gay warlock. So maybe having someone who looks like a girl would be best 🙂
Malec forever!!!!
Even though he’s sparkly, I don’t see him looking like a girl at all… but then again, opinions. I’m also a “Malec forever” kinda girl
That’s how I feel too. Just because Magnus is eccentric and openly gay and stick thin, it doesn’t mean he is girly at all. The fact that he’s being cast as ‘looking’ gay is absurd.
I really hope they don’t pick him as Magnus because even though he gay.. The guy looks like a girl… I think Shannon Kook would be best from Degrassi!
Phoebe Tonkin for Isabelle *fingers crossed*
I like either Shannon or Kris to play Magnus. Kris actually looks like an Indonesian the most out of all of them, IMO & I’ve always imagined magnus to look like an androgynous Visual Kei artist & he seems like he can pull off that look. but acting-wise, I think Shannon is better.
Just to clear things up, I didn’t specifically mention Kris because I thought he looks like a girl – like, I said, I think he just seems eccentric already and so would probably work with the Magnus character well. Him looking feminine had nothing to do with it.
if i had to pick a magnus it would have to be shannon
omg looking forwarrd to see who gets cast as simon and isabelle
i’m excited for the casting news!
i just want any sort of casting news! it’s been sooo long since we have had any and i know it’s coming soon! very excited!
I know it is “wrong” but I always think that the manner and speaking tone of Magnus is like Chris Colfer. I know he is not an Asian and he probably is not tall enough!! He will surely be not playing the role. I just hope that they can find a person that can exhibit the same kind of confidence and intelligence from the way he talks and acts.
good god people, do you not know hollywood makeup? not even after the transformation of many actors into beloved book characters? I’m sure with a haircut, right makeup, glitters and the right clothes kris will look like magnus. just hope we get a guy who can can do justice to this character.
I don’t care anymore! I just want them to pick people so that I can start imagining 🙂
Wow! 100 people auditioned for Magnus?! That’s amazing! I didn’t know that they were that plenty!
Personally I would love Ross Butler to be Magnus. If not then maybe Kris Conde-Bolos .
But whatever the casting director decides, I’d still be very happy that this amazing series is being brought to life ❤
I honestly do not like any of the castings so far, except maybe the guy being considered for Alec. I really love the books, but I feel like the actors chosen don’t live up to the characters looks, I.E. Jace is portrayed as a beautiful person but (in my opinion) Jamie looks kinda “eh”. I hope this turns out better than I think it will. Being a huge fan, I do have high expectations.
I agree with this comment. JACE should be re-cast. He’s a great actor (Jaime) but he just isn’t right for JACE- Jace needs to be more masculine, jaw dropping, chiseled, complicated. Although he isn’t much older than Clary and the rest- he needs to look slightly older and more ADONIS, dreamy. My imagination has done much better- I would be let down with Jaime as Jace. I couldn’t put these books down with what I imagined them all to be!
Totally agree. With Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, I won’t see the movie. The books have given me such a great image of Jace I am not going to give that up.
Okay, I think that Shannon Kook would be the best choice for Magnus. He looks about 19, he has the spiked hair, and he is also Asian. And I would just like to say that Jamie Campbell Bower and Chris Riggi dont look anything like I pictured them in the book. I just hope the movie dosent suck.
Go to Cassandraclare.com and check out the pictures she has for Jace and Clary in that picture I finally saw what the casting director saw with Jamie because I agree that I did not like Jamie at all until that picture and Chris Riggi AUDITIONED he has not gotten the part
Could you post a link to the pictures?! I’d like to see them but can’t figure out where they are!
Okay, so still not my dream cast BUT I can see potential.
http://www.cassandraclare.com/faq/who-has-been-cast-in-the-mortal-instruments-movie/
Aww yeah I see what you mean!! I kind of hope that maybe they give Jamie a bit of a flicky fringe or something, because tbh I think it’s more his forehead which spoils his looks just a tad!
If he has his hair the way it is in that picture I think it will be good, plus that is how it is supposed to be in the book. I think people just need to get over the fact that the person they wanted didn’t get Jace. I wan’t someone else also, but there is nothing we can do except accept and see the positives.
I have every confidence in Jamie’s acting/ability to surprise -everyone-!~ even though he is definitely -not- how I really pictured Jace myself, either.
~ but…if, for some really odd reason, they _did_ recast him….I would vote for someone such as Mitch Hewer.
The character I most anticipate and dread in equal portions the casting of is Magnus Bane xDD ….I could live with someone like Shannon Kook, I guess, but I’m always gonna think it would be -so- AMAZING if it were Shirota Yuu. ^__^
Shirota Yuu is my dream Magnus~ Lol
Both of the cats had better be in this!! ~they are way more important/pivotal than they may seem…. -besides — it’s just one of the loveable little things about the story. :-}
I’m still hoping it’s Logan Lerman for Simon!
….no idea about Isabelle, for some reason, she’s difficult for me to pick a face for…I’m just hoping for someone who really brings her character -alive-, kick-ass, and truly vivacious. ..just as Izzy should be .. but not totally unattainable..she needs to be able to connect on those more gritty and -real- / down-to-earth levels..like talking unexpected girl-talk and insecurities with Clary or worrying for her siblings^^
.. I would really hate to see -any- of the characters come out too cliche or two-dimensional. ….
Nicholas Hoult could be the -perfect- Alec, imo ~
I don’t think I will ever be able to stop picturing Ewan McGregor as Luke.
I think Savannah Jayde would make a -great- Maia. ^ ^
Diego Luna is almost perfectly Raphael, in my head, until such a time as I see him cast as someone more amazing /more Raphael-ish. …Lol
I think Claire Forlani would be an excellent Jocelyn.
I hope they don’t forget little Max!!! *sniff*
The only character who might let me down as much as Magnus’ casting could is probably not anywhere -near- being cast yet..if ever….and that would be “Sebastian”.
–Garrett Hedlund is my -ideal- “Sebastian” .. so, unless they find someone really excellent and surprising ..Lol … that’s another role I’m going to be both anticipating and dreading to the nth-degree….if it ever comes to that(which I truly hope it does) xDD ^^
-I really just want this movie to be so good that I don’t even care whatever they decide for anything in the end~Lol
Shannon Kook for Magnus!!! ❤