Book To Screen
‘Butcher & Blackbird’ Dream Cast: Our Picks For Sloane, Rowan & More
Grab some cookies and cream ice cream, and settle in because it’s time for Swooon‘s official Butcher & Blackbird dream cast!
In 2024, Variety announced that Brynne Weaver’s epic dark rom-com, Butcher & Blackbird, had been picked up for a movie adaptation. The story follows Sloane Sutherland, a serial killer with a passion for removing the eyeballs of bad people, and her fellow non-eyeball-obsessed serial killer Rowan Kane. Together, the deadly duo embarks on a yearly competition to track down and slay other dangerous murderers. Along the way, the two fall head over heels for each other, in all their gruesome glory. Butcher & Blackbird kicks off the Ruinous Love series, which follows the killer love stories of all three Kane brothers.
While Butcher & Blackbird is officially in development with Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company, the adaptation has yet to be cast. Here at Swooon, we love a dream cast, and even though we have yet to correctly guess a single casting decision for a book-to-screen role, we have a fantastic feeling that this Butcher & Blackbird dream cast will break our losing streak.
Without further ado, here’s our official dream cast for the killer couples of Butcher & Blackbird. Comment with your picks for Sloane, Rowan, and the rest of the gang down below!
Butcher & Blackbird, In Theaters, TBA
Ella Purnell as Sloane Sutherland
Butcher & Blackbird follows Sloane Sutherland, a fiercely protective 23-year-old who turned to murder in order to defend her best friend. Now, Sloane uses her passion for the dark to target other killers, leaving behind intricately webbed crime scenes and eyeless corpses. While reading Butcher & Blackbird, we couldn’t help but imagine Ella Purnell, best known for the role of Jackie in Yellowjackets and Lucy in Fallout, as Sloane.
Paul Mescal as Rowan Kane
You can’t have Butcher & Blackbird without Sloane’s “man-guy,” Rowan Kane. To take on the role of the Irish killer turned Bostonian chef, we’re tapping Paul Mescal. Not only does Mescal’s presence enhance every love story (Seriously, have you seen Normal People?), but he perfectly fits Weaver’s carefully crafted character description all the way down to his cheeky Irish accent.
Kathryn Newton as Lark Montague
Readers first meet Sloane’s best friend in Butcher & Blackbird. However, it isn’t until Lark kills a man by attaching fireworks to his… well, you know, during Leather & Lark that you truly understand her. To play Weaver’s glitter-obsessed crafting aficionado turned “multiple deleter,” we’re hoping to see Kathryn Newton (The Society), who can perfectly balance action and affection. Plus, she can already rock a strappy leather dress!
Jack Reynor as Lachlan Kane
For the oldest Kane brother, we’re hoping to see a glasses-clad, bulky lad with seemingly endless tattoos. While we’ve decided to leave Lachlan’s body art and optical needs to the film’s hair and make-up department, we’ve gone with Irish actor Jack Reynor, who is best known for Midsommar and The Perfect Couple. Get this man a decked-out wetsuit, and Newton’s Blunder Barbie has found her Budget Batman.
Havana Rose Liu as Rose Evans
Leading the most recent Ruinous Love book, Scythe & Sparrow, Rose knows a thing or two about a situationship. Rose became a fan favorite character in the first two books before she got her time in the spotlight, so we know that moviegoers will have a soft spot for this former circus performer. To play Rose, we’re cheering on an actress who knows a thing or two about popularity, Havana Rose Liu from Bottoms.
Jack Wolfe as Fionn Kane
While many Nebraskans know him as the “adorably nerdy” Dr. Kane, we first meet Fionn as Rowan and Lachlan’s innocent younger brother. To play everyone’s favorite crochet club member, Fionn Kane, we’ve selected English actor Jack Wolfe (Shadow and Bone), who recently brought the world to tears in the PBS pro-shot of Next to Normal. After that performance, let’s just say, Jack Wolfe can make us cry any day he wants; in fact, we’d thank him for it.
