Let's dreamcast the movie adaptation of Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold
By Kyle Silagyi
Shylo Vitari — Pom Klementieff
When lacking an obvious pick for this role, I looked at who the people involved in the production of the Best Served Cold movie have collaborated with in the past. Ferguson’s attachment perhaps stems from her experience working with Skydance Media, as the studio is one of several production companies behind the recent entries in the Mission: Impossible franchise. When searching for an actress to cast as Shylo Vitari, I looked for performers who have appeared in recent Skydance-produced films and wound up back at Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, eventually landing on Pom Klementieff.
Physicality is perhaps the most important attribute for any performer who takes on this role, as Vitari—in both Best Served Cold and the larger First Law series—is ruthless. The former torturer is cold but complicated; she's an endlessly intimidating presence who's the odds-on favorite in any conflict she engages in. Klementieff—given her real-world boxing and taekwondo training—can pull off that vibe, with her turn as Mantis in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise suggesting that she can also deliver on Vitari’s occasional humorous moments.
And before anyone mentions that Klementieff does not share Vitari’s iconic red hair, the actress portrayed a character with antennas in Guardians, so I don’t think the idea of her wearing a wig is too crazy.
Honorable Mentions: Karen Gillan, Vanessa Kirby, Becky Lynch (just think about it)
Friendly — Alan Ritchson
As with Vitari, whoever plays Friendly must look the part. Friendly is a number-obsessed ex-con with a remarkably muscular build who has detatched himself from society. Though there are certainly layers to his character, the film may not have enough time to effectively explore them.
Alan Ritchson is certainly a physical match for the character and has the acting chops necessary to dive into the complexities of the character, should he be provided the opportunity. He’s earned praise for his performance as a huge, wandering do-gooder in Amazon Prime Video’s Reacher, and his past outing as Thad Castle in Blue Mountain State proves that he has the comedic timing necessary to thrive in Friendly’s humorous interactions with his colleagues.
Honorable Mentions: Dave Bautista, Tom Hardy, Wes Chatham