One of the good Dr.'s more lengthy works, One Fish can effectively be divided into two acts. The first is a kid-friendly, apparently LSD-inspired translation of Darwin's Origin of the Species; the second a series of encounters with some of the weirder members of the diverse Seussian animal kingdom. Filled with enough characters to give Robert Altman pause, One Fish's vast ensemble would likely have to be pared down for the big screen. Here are the ones we'd recommend:
CASTING CHOICES:
The Kids
Freddie Highmore -- These are the two main characters and most of the action is seen from their wide-eyed perspective. One's male and the other female, and both appear to be prematurely balding. Highmore portrayed identical twins in The Spiderwick Chronicles; let's see if he can play fraternal ones.
Ned
Nick Stahl -- A pear-shaped, mustard-tinged creature who's "too tall for his bed," Ned looks eerily similar to the Yellow Bastard character played by Stahl in Sin City.
Nook
William H. Macy -- A character who spends all of his time attempting to read a cook book even though he's functionally illiterate, his frustrated, hang-dog expression is perfect for him.
Zans
Joe Camel -- An oddly phallic-looking character (rhymes with "glans") whose primary role is to open cans. It's a fantastic opportunity to bring another famously phallic character out of retirement.
Gox
Russell Crowe -- A tall, imposing fellow who likes to box, this role is right up Russell Crowe's alley.
Yink
Keith Richards -- This eccentric creature likes to wink and drink pink ink -- hopefully the non-toxic kind. It's a nice fit for the Stone -- a rocker famous for ingesting odd and interesting substances.
Zeep
Vince Vaughn -- The last character in the book, Zeep likes to sleep, and the last page features him snuggling peacefully with the two kids. Michael Jackson is too easy for this one, so we're gonna go with an actor who looks like he could use some rest.