The beautiful Quaker wife of Sheriff Kane, Amy Fowler Kane is vehemently opposed to the idea of her husband engaging in conflict with a violent criminal. Like most of the town, Amy believe that the sheriff faces a losing battle against Frank Miller; she decides to leave town no matter what, giving her husband an ultimatum. On her way out she meets her husband's ex-lover Helen Ramírez, whose criticism of Amy for abandoning her husband causes her to have second thoughts about leaving. Emmy Rossum is capable of reproducing that innocent gleam that Grace Kelly gave to the character in the original film. She's well known for her performance of Christine in the screen adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, so she's certainly no stranger to the dramatic demands of a complex leading lady.
Will Kane, the protagonist of the film, is a retiring sheriff who takes the high road against all odds. When notorious criminal Ben Miller is released from prison, Miller promises to rally his gang and get his revenge on the sheriff at high noon. Kane desperately seeks support from his law enforcement colleagues, but all refuse to support him and urge him instead to leave town as soon as possible. The conflicted decision puts strain on his new marriage with pacifist Amy Fowler, who promises to flee the town with or without him. In a choice between his conscience and his fear, Kane ultimately decides to stand alone in facing his enemy. Matthew McConaughey recently reminded us of his impressive dramatic ability in Texas Buyer's Club. At 46, his handsome looks have reached a rugged maturity reminiscent of Cooper's when he shot High Noon. With the added bonus of that natural southern charge, McConaughey is well suited to pull off the role.
While the 1952 original may have played too far into the "exotic Latina" image with shopkeeper Helen Ramírez, she's still one of the most interesting characters in the film; the wizened and tough former lover of both Will Kane and Frank Miller is the only person in town to understand Kane's decision to protect his honor. Fast and Furious star Michelle Rodriguez is known for her portrayals of strong, independent women and the intrigue that she inspires both in her personal and professional life would translate beautifully into the character of Helen Ramírez.
Frank Miller is the notorious outlaw who vows to take revenge on Sheriff Will Kane. Just released from prison, Miller promises to arrive on a noon train where his brothers will meet him for a showdown with Kane. Since the outlaws in the remake are likely to be reimagined as cartel members, Guatemalan-American actor Oscar Isaac would make for a believable antagonist (provided that he's able to make his pretty face look mean enough).
When Will Kane goes looking for support from his colleagues, the only one to offer it is his hot-headed young deputy Harvey Pell—with a caveat: Kane has to nominate Harvey as his successor. Not keen on having to bribe for backup (honor is the whole reason he's stayed in the town, after all), he looks elsewhere with disappointing results. Harvey's bratty attitude and shifty antics make him an outsider of a character. We'd like to suggest Rami Malek, who just won his first Emmy for his performance as outcast hacker Elliot Alderson on Mr. Robot.
Judge Mettrick is yet another character who skips town and refuses to help Will Kane. In the spirit of giving the film a contemporary update, it seems like there should be at least one woman on the law enforcement side of things. Since Kate Mulgrew is so good at doling out tough love as Red on Orange is The New Black, it just seems right that she be put in a judge's role. Plus, if was able to get that Russian accent down so well, a strong Texan accent should be no problem.
