The Hollywood trade papers are currently all abuzz about “The Office” actor John Krasinski being in final negotiations to play Ethan in the big screen adaptation of Atlanta author Emily Giffin‘s debut novel, “Something Borrowed.”
Intel immediately wondered what Giffin’s reaction was to the potential casting development. She was kind enough to pass along these thoughts to Intel Central.
“He’s my first choice,” she wrote in an email. “I had very exacting, high expectations for Ethan as he is my favorite character in these books. I love Krasinski in ‘The Office’ and I thought his performance in ‘It’s Complicated’ was brilliant. He is so funny, smart and charming — the three adjectives I’d use to describe Ethan.”
Krasinski first shot to fame playing Dunder Mifflin paper salesman Jim Halpert on the hit NBC sitcom in 2005.
Since then, he’s starred on the big screen with George Clooney in “Leathernecks” and Maya Rudolph in “Away We Go.”
While Ethan, a London-based childhood friend of Giffin’s protagonist (antagonist?) is officially a supporting character in Giffin’s 2005 debut novel, “Something Borrowed,” he’s firmly center stage in Giffin’s perspective-skewing, best-selling sequel, “Something Blue.”
And Hollywood loves a sequel.
Giffin tells us she’s been involved in the casting process for “Borrowed” from watching auditions to meeting the actors.
“It’s surreal to watch characters I created literally come to life in the form of some of my favorite actors,” she says. “It can also be quite emotional and nerve-wracking, but so far, I’ve been thrilled with the decisions.”
The potential casting of Krasinski also thrills Giffin on another level: “My readers adore him and I always have them foremost in mind when I discuss casting with the producers and director.”
Shooting is set to start on “Something Borrowed” in New York City on April 27.
Giffin’s next novel, “Heart of the Matter,” meanwhile, hits bookstores on May 11.
Oh, and what was Giffin’s take on a certain Hollywood starlet landing the juicy role of Rachel in the screen adaptation of “Something Borrowed?”
Praises Giffin: “She has such a sweet, genuine quality as well as a certain wholesomeness — which is important given the very unsympathetic choices the character makes in the story.”
So who is the lucky leading lady?
We’ll have all the dish in our debut column in the April issue of Atlanta magazine on newsstands soon.
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