Fantasy Film Casting for 'Journey To Ghana and Other Stories'
BY CHI CHAVANU ÀSE
It's no secret that books are often turned into movies. Keeping that in mind, we asked Chi who she'd select to be part of the cast if given the opportunity to turn her novel, Journey To Ghana and Other Stories, into a feature film and why these actresses would be perfect to fill those roles.
Samira Wiley as Britt in “The Healer”
Samira Wiley is an amazing actress, but she’s also queer and married to a woman. I think it is important for queer characters to be played by queer actors and actresses.
Issa Rae as Nzinga in “Belly”
Issa Rae is physically ideal for this role and she’s a magnificent actress. I think she would be able to bring out the depth of confusion for Nzinga as she discovers the intensity of her situation.
Danielle Brooks as Compton in “A Witch Named Compton”
I enjoyed Danielle on Orange Is The New Black and I think she would contribute well to playing Compton. In addition, she is stunning and physically ideal for this role.
Danai Gurira as Nanyamaka in “Journey To Ghana”
Danai’s acting style would fit in perfectly with the Nanyamaka I envisioned. She is physically stunning and a serious actress who is also superb at the fight scenes that would be required for her role.
Kyla Pratt as LaKiera in “LaKiera Jones”
Kyla Pratt is a seasoned actress who would do great with LaKiera. I have not seen her in any serious roles since she became an adult, but I think she could tackle the complexity of this character.
Eris Baker as Mawusi in “Journey to Ghana”
Eris is an up-and-coming child actress, who would play a formidable Mawusi. Mawusi’s character is as complicated as she is brilliant, and Eris would be able to portray her character effortlessly.
Chi Chavanu Ase is a science-fiction/fantasy author who was first introduced to sci-fi by her mother at an early age. Often sent to her room for misbehaving, she would curl up in a blanket with one of her mother’s books which subsequently ignited the spark that would fuel her love for literature. She initially began writing and performing poetry at the age of twelve. Over time, she began to notice how difficult it was to find books that she could associate or identify with the characters, given the lack of representation. Thus, it became her greatest desire that little Black children would see themselves represented in every genre, especially sci-fi. Her first book, Journey to Ghana and Other Stories, focuses entirely on the Black experience. Likewise, it is her desire to continue writing stories and producing literary work that Black people can see themselves represented in. Chi currently resides in California with her fine-ass husband and amazing children.