Evan Rachel Wood has seduced the likes of Marilyn Manson and Jamie Bell, so we don't think it would be much of a stretch for her to play Houdini's mistress, Daisy White.
Joaquin Phoenix's eerie resemblance to Harry Houdini—and his oftentimes erratic and perplexing behavior—makes us think that he would be perfect for the role of a mad magician. After performing a brief disappearing act of his own, Phoenix is thankfully back in the acting game and was recently nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role in The Master.
Photo by Amanda Demme, Interview, October 2012.
Houdini had many enemies, but we think Kirsten Dunst would make a perfect Mina Crandon, his arch nemesis. Crandon, also known as "Margery," was the wife of a successful surgeon; she conducted spiritual séances and was said to be able to communicate with the dead. Dunst has a mysterious look about her and we would believe her as a cunning spiritualist.
Quirky, beautiful, and innocent-looking, we nominate Franka Potente as Houdini's wife and stage assistant, Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner. Bess met Houdini while she was performing at Coney Island. Though she was initially courted by Dash, she fell for his younger brother. Potente is best known for her roles in the Bourne series and for her fiery red hair in Run Lola Run.
We've chosen Paul Giamatti to play Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes series and former-friend-turned-enemy of Houdini. Sir Arthur became a fan of Mina Crandon, Houdini's nemesis, and eventually plotted to destroy Houdini's career.
Michael Shannon is definitely bizarre enough to play Houdini's brother and partner-in-crime, Dash. His two-faced role as Agent Van Alden in Boardwalk Empire and his starring role as a contract killer in the new film The Iceman has proved him a terrifyingly talented actor.
