Malibu Rising Dream Cast

Featured image photo by Michael Olsen on Unsplash

Author Taylor Jenkins Reid has been on a roll since the publication of her book, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. She’s since written three killer follow-ups that aren’t quite sequels, but strung together in the same universe – all linked by a character named Mick Riva.

He had a quick cameo in the book Daisy Jones and the Six, then was promoted to unwilling family patriarch in Reid’s Malibu Rising. A character from that book, Carrie Soto, got her own book in August 2022.

Three of the books mentioned above have been optioned for screen adaptation. Daisy Jones and the Six was released as an Amazon Prime eight-episode miniseries in 2023. Evelyn Hugo is also on deck to be adapted for the screen. Malibu Rising is set to be adapted into a television series on Hulu.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to speculate about who could potentially be cast for the lead roles in Malibu Rising. You’ll notice that Kit Riva isn’t present. I couldn’t think of a perfect fit for her. 

Shiloh Fernandez as Mick Riva

Shiloh Fernandez almost had a lead role on a Gossip Girl spin-off (set in 1983 in Southern California – sound familiar?) about Serena van der Woodsen’s mom, Lily. You can see him in the episode “Valley Girls.”

Allegedly, he was almost cast as the male lead in Twilight. He natural smirk is a great fit for Mick, who’s a pretty smug dude.

This was a stumper of a casting choice, since I went back and reread. Mick is described by June’s mother as a “young Montgomery Clift.” I really can’t think of an actor today who embodies that, so while I know this is a bit of a departure from his book description, I still think he’d be a great fit. 

Lucy Hale as June Costa

Lucy Hale, who’s probably best known for starring in the show Pretty Little Liars, has a wholesome, wide-eyed innocence that I thought of when I read the flashbacks to Mick and June’s early years together in the 1950s.

Kaia Gerber as Nina Riva

The author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, makes it crystal clear that Nina is drop dead gorgeous. Who else could really match this except Kaia Gerber, who’s not only Cindy Crawford’s daughter but also her mini-me?

Froy Gutierrez as Hud

Hud is the sweet, sensitive type and I imagine him looking a little different than the rest of the Riva siblings since he has a different mother. He recently starred on Hulu’s show Cruel Summer. 

Noah Centineo as Jay

Noah Centineo is Netflix’s heartthrob flavor of the month thanks to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and a few other films. Jay definitely gets around with the ladies in Malibu. I also think he’d be pretty believable as a surfer. 

Chris Lowell as Brandon

Brandon, the tennis pro who becomes Nina’s husband, and then her ex,  is described as conventionally good looking but a bit bland. 

I always smirk a little when I think about how the Riva siblings describe Brandon as having a “bagel” in reference to the bald spot on his head. For the record, Brandon is a jerk, and I think Chris Lowell seems like a nice guy — but I also think he could play a jerk really well (he had some jerk moments in The Help). He’s currently starring in How I Met Your Father. 

Emma Mackey as Carol Hudson

Lili Reinhart as Ashley

Ashley comes across as your typical all-American girl-next-door type, which is exactly what I thought the first time I saw Lili Reinhart as Betty on Riverdale.

Odeya Rush as Tarine

Odeya Rush is not only gorgeous and believable as a model, she’s also Israeli, which made me think of Tarine. She reminds me so much of a young Mila Kunis and was great as popular girl Jenna in the film Lady Bird.

Odette Annable as Carrie Soto

In Carrie Soto is Back, we learn that Carrie is of Argentinian descent. Odette Annable isn’t Argentinian, but she is Colombian-Cuban and I think she could really pull off Carrie’s strong personality. 

So — what do you think? Who would you cast as Kit Riva or Casey Green?