"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" film - Forsaken?

For those of you TMI fans who may be, but probably aren't reading this, you get the title of this post. But do you really? As everyone should know by now, The Mortal Instruments is a book series of six fantasy novels, authored by Cassandra Clare, and it's the most recent endeavor to fall victim to Hollywood's book-to-film adaptation frenzy. Although I had my apprehensions when I first heard about my favorite series getting the "celluloid treatment" (just made that one up...pretty good, eh?) two years ago, I quickly warmed to the direction that this film might be taking. However, upon the recent revelation of several casting announcements, my anger reached an alarmingly high pique.  I soon realized that I had no other choice but to turn to the blogosphere. (Spoilers ahead)

TMI: COB Cover Art

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this franchise, "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" is the first in a series of six urban fantasy books about our young, fiery, redheaded heroine Clary Fray. She is a fifteen-year-old, seemingly normal girl just going through the motions of adolescence with her best friend Simon Lewis. She lives in Brooklyn with her mother Jocelyn Fray, who is a single mother and an extremely talented artist; a trait which Clary has inherited to the utmost capacity.  Her mother's best friend Luke Garroway is a father figure to Clary.  He has been there for her ever since she was a toddler and, although he is gentle and understanding at heart, he has a fierce side that you wouldn't want to mess with.
While at a club one night with Simon, Clary witnesses a murder. The victim? A demon, or Downworlder. The perpetrators? Demon killers known as Shadowhunters. Jace, Alec and Isabelle are the three Shadowhunters whom Clary is first acquainted with. She is shocked at what she witnesses and immediately interrogates the three of them, who quickly shrug her off as a "mundie" (Shadowhunter slang for mundanes, regular humans). However, Clary is quickly sucked deeper into this hidden world when her mother is kidnapped by a demon the next night. Desperate to get her mother back, Clary seeks out the help of Jace and his friends and she discovers that there is much to her past that her mother kept hidden from her.
Valentine, the white-haired, rogue Shadowhunter, is the suave and seductive, yet terrifyingly motivated villain. He is the culprit behind the kidnapping. Why? Because he is Clary's father and he knows that Jocelyn holds valuable information that he needs.  Through this journey, Clary realizes much about herself that she never knew existed.

Collins

I remember when I first heard that TMI: COB would be coming to the big screen. I read an article about two years ago which was announcing that Lily Collins would be starring as Clary Fray and that Scott Stewart, of "Legion" and "Priest" fame, would be directing. Naturally, my first instinct was to become overly elated. What crazily obsessed fan of any book franchise wouldn't want to see one of their favorite novels visually translated to the silver screen? I wasn't too thrilled about Lily Collins in the lead, simply because she wasn't (and still isn't) a well known actress and I had no idea how talented she may or may not be. The fact that she wasn't a redhead especially irked me. But once I did some research on her past acting credits (and saw her in a red wig) I became much more confident about the film.  My bigger concern was with Stewart directing.  Although I liked "Legion" and "Priest", neither of them were quality films. They were great, senseless action movies but nothing that I would pay to see in theatres. Little did I know at the time, but this would cease to exist as an issue in a couple years.
Then came the casting of Jace, who is the other main character, and a rather complex one at that.  He is a hotheaded and arrogant know-it-all who becomes surprisingly vulnerable when he meets Clary. Needless to say, a love story ensues. Anyway, the entirety of TMI fandom was dying for Alex Pettyfer to land the coveted role of Jace Wayland.  Although he definitely looks the part, I personally thought he was a crappy actor so I was glad to learn that the role went to Jamie Campbell Bower instead. Keep in mind this is a year after the announcement of Lily being cast as Clary.

Bower

So now both of my main characters are cast and it's thrilling. Bower is another guy who is pretty unknown amongst Hollywood, but he looked the part and considering he had small previous roles in two huge blockbuster franchises, the final two "Harry Potter" films and the "Twilight" movies (which I bloody hate with a passion and can't believe those films were ever successful or even made into films in the first place), I had to keep the faith. The next big news after this was that Stewart had been dropped as director and replaced by Harald Zwart.  He is a director whom I know nothing about other than the fact that he directed the updated version of "The Karate Kid" which I knew got some pretty decent reviews.  Regardless of the fact that I was unfamiliar with this guy, I remained very faithful because I know that unknown directors can still produce great, quality films.  Plus I was mostly thrilled that Stewart had been dropped.
Now, a year after the Jace casting news and just a few months after the switching of directors, the production of TMI is right around the corner.  Casting news is pouring in day after day and all of the major characters' real life faces are becoming seared into our minds. Next after Jace was the announcement of Jemima West as Isabelle. She's another British actor (Bower being the first Brit of the cast) and one that I, yet again, have never heard of.  I was becoming ever more slightly concerned about the film regarding this announcement. She does mostly look the part, but I just have nothing to base her acting chops off of.  Although I remained skeptical at heart, I brushed aside my worries and allowed my elation to continue.
After the announcement of a couple more minor characters, which I didn't really care about because they're so minor, came a huge bit of casting news. YET ANOTHER unknown foreigner was cast as Simon Lewis, Clary's best friend.  Robert Sheehan.  I'm not a huge fan of Simon as a character, although I know many many people love him and he is a huge central character.  I don't dislike him, he's just not one of my favorites. So when I heard about Sheehan it was just kinda like, "Hm, okay, that's random." But then came the BIGGEST announcement to date. We got THREE major characters cast in one week! Jared Harris as Hodge (a mentor to the Shadowhunters and a big character in the story), Godffrey Gao as Magnus Bane (another unknown actor, but he seemed like a great fit for Magnus who is another huge character), and my favorite cast member to be announced thus far...Lena Headey as Clary's mom Jocelyn!!! It's  not that I am even a big fan of Headey, I am just very familiar with her work as an actress because of her roles in "300" and the short-lived TV series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."  Granted I was very excited about Harris and Gao being cast in their respective roles, but Headey became the first cast member whom I was really familiar with, so it was extremely exciting to see a well-known actress cast in something that I have been a fan of for years. It was honestly like one of those things where you wonder who in the world could possibly be the PERFECT actor to portray a character you know so well, and then viola! She is placed in front of me. Headey is perfect for Jocelyn (once the red hair is added, of course).

Headey

But all of this excitement would be shattered when I would learn just a short few days later that Aidan Turner would be cast as my favorite character Luke Garroway, a character so wise and guiding for Clary. He is her father figure and mentor of sorts. He's also a love interest to Clary's mother. He plays a huge, invaluable role in this series. He should be mid-late 30's at LEAST, if not early 40's...and they cast a freaking 29 year old who looks like he's 24 to play this role. Not to mention...HE'S BRITISH!!! Nothing could infuriate me more than hearing this announcement.  As trivial as this casting may sound, this single revelation in the entirety of production on this film is the one thing that has shattered my hopes.  I was clinging to faith throughout all of my skepticism over Bower and West and Sheehan and all of these foreigners taking over my damn franchise! Then all of the anger that I had so willingly and peacefully swept under the rug immediately erupted from deep within my soul and spewed out in a fiery rage so powerful it could reignite a dying star.  WHY WHY WHY!?!?! Why does Hollywood insist on thinking that it knows what is best for a film? WHY would you sacrifice the quality of a character and a story just to make a quick penny? IDIOTS, I say.

Meyers

As if matters couldn't get any worse...Valentine was cast today. Valentine, the villain and obviously another central and pivotal character in the story, will be played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. JONATHAN RHYS-MEYERS!!! Are you kidding me!?!? He is YET AGAIN about ten years TOO YOUNG for this role AND BRITISH!!! I am such at a loss for words.
Granted I probably wouldn't be as angry about Meyers being cast as Valentine if it weren't for my pre-existing anger about Turner as Luke.  I think I am slowly but surely becoming SOMEWHAT okay with Meyers as Valentine simply because I can see him being suave and evil. But he's still too young!!!
I thought I would feel better after getting my anger out in writing, but I'm still pretty fueled up on the hate juice. I guarantee you that they are using the success of the "Twilight" films as a reference for casting TMI.  This sole fact breaches any trust I ever had with any producer or filmmaker that I ever entrusted with this film.  TWILIGHT. IS. AWFUL. Those films are so phenomenally and infinitely and tragically despicable that I would personally pay all of my life earnings to see every millimeter of celluloid used on that film burnt to a poisonous liquid. It nearly brings me to tears thinking that the producers are sacrificing the quality of the story to go with a hot, young, inadequate cast because "it worked for 'Twilight.'" DO NOT compare this franchise to Twilight. EVER.
I must stop here before I say something that will get me arrested.
So there you have it my friends. The way things stand now, this production is as forsaken by me as a Mundie marked with angelic runes.
I guess I'll have to hope and pray that this film will redeem itself once it all comes together in the final product. If not, then by the angel...by the angel...