If you haven't heard by now, John Green's best selling novel "Looking for Alaska", is being adapted for the big screen. On June 25th, the project moved forward by finding its director.
Despite Paramount holding on to the rights since 2005, ten years later Rebecca Thomas has been tapped to direct the adaptation of "Looking For Alaska". While Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber who also adapted "The Fault in Our Stars", will pen the script.
Big announcement! The Looking for Alaska movie has its director, the brilliant Becca Thomas (@beccalouthomas). IT IS REALLY HAPPENING.
Casting also was announced later that day which got Twitter users very excited
#LookingForAlaska #castingbegins To be continued.
While some were suggesting actresses and actors that had been in previous John Green adaptations, other fans were wondering, "when would they see a woman of color hit the big screen?" One fan in particular was highly interested in seeing this happen.
The movement, sparked by Twitter user Mariah or known by her handle "MixMalikMarvel", kicked it off with one simple tweet to John Green with the hashtag #WOCforAlaskaYoung
I need a girl of color to play Alaska Young. I'll start a campaign if I have to. #LookingforAlaska #WOCforAlaskaYoung @johngreen
As luck would have it, John Green replied back echoing her sentiments
@MixMalikMarvel I would support that campaign wholeheartedly (and have said as much to those in charge).
With that tweet, fans quickly got started on pushing the #WOCForAlaskaYoung campaign even further
#WOCForAlaskaYoung Never wanted this as badly as I do now! Please spread the word! :) @johngreen
#WOCForAlaskaYoung #WOCForAlaskaYoung Because representation matters.. @wyckgodfrey keep it in mind :)
#WOCforAlaskaYoung 100% support bc there are so many talented WoC who have been waiting for a chance to show their talent
#WOCforAlaskaYoung is the best hashtag ever! I've been saying for the longest she needs to be a WOC.
This is so needed. #WOCforAlaskaYoung
There's so many black or brown beauties that could play Alaska Young #WOCforAlaskaYoung
I would so love it if they cast a #WOCforAlaskaYoung 😍. Easily one of @johngreen best books & doing so would make the movie so much better!!
I think this would be excellent, it couple open so many doors. I 100% support a WOC being Alaska Young. #WOCforAlaskaYoung
maybe it's just bc I'm black, but when reading Looking for Alaska, I kinda pictured a black girl tbh #WOCforAlaskaYoung
The movement has also caught the eye of African-American actress Kiersey Clemons (starred in Dope and short lived MTV series Eye Candy) who retweeted a few tweets in support of her as the role of Alaska
@KierseyClemons #WOCforAlaskaYoung
I don't know but when I read Looking For Alaska I legit pictured @KierseyClemons as Alaska
Actress Imani Hakim best known from her role as Tasha in Everybody Hates Chris has also shown her support for the movement
I'm loving this movement #WOCforAlaskaYoung I love when people take action. Fighting for something you believe in. :)
@MixMalikMarvel I agree with everything you are saying :) I am contacting my team ;) thank you!
New Zealand singer Lorde has retweeted and favorited her support of Amandla Stenberg playing Alaska
If @amandlastenberg gets the role of Alaska Young, I will 100% watch the movie.
Honestly Amandla Stenberg would make such a good Alaska #WOCforAlaskaYoung
20 year old Burberry model Neelam Gill has tweeted multiple times about her interest in the role as well
Neelam Gill is 18 years old and the first Indian representative of Burberry #WOCforAlaskaYoung
#WocForAlaskaYoung
I really want to but don't know how because nothing has been announced. 😢 https://t.co/IAzRTQAPdn
I def will when I know how. I just saw how many RT's that tweet got and I wanna make you guys proud! https://t.co/wEMJFNigBY
For real!?!?!!! Thank you ❤️!!! I'm so flattered. X https://t.co/UNF6zdDFUT
@beccalouthomas Hey 😊 please could you follow me back so I can DM you
When asked why she began the movement, what her reaction was to John Green replying, and what she hopes to achieve with the movement, Mariah told me
"The lack of diversity in Hollywood and myself as a mixed girl, love to see diversity and "Looking for Alaska" is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. So a woman of color to be a lead in the movie adaptation would mean so much to me since we rarely see a woman of color in lead roles. Especially when it comes to romance, it's like Hollywood is afraid to cast a white boy and black, Latina, etc. girl as a love interest".
"I was shaking when he (Green) replied to me. It means a lot to me that he sees the lack of diversity in his books and that he suggested to the people in charge of the movie to have a woman of color play Alaska Young. Hopefully they will go through with it."
"I'm shocked at how far this movement has come and I think we can make it bigger. What I would like to see come out of this is people seeing that there is a lack of diversity in Hollywood. If we continue making this movement big and tweeting it to celebrities and directors, they will try and change it."
When asked who her dream casting was for Alaska Young and Miles "Pudge" Halter, Mariah suggested Paige Hurd and Nick Robinson. Stating, "I really feel like they are perfect for it. They would be able to take on the character's personalities perfectly."
Two of the women in charge of the movement have recently started a Tumblr in hopes of spreading the word further throughout the internet and also post their dream castings.
Here's to seeing more diversity in young adult films!
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