- One of my favorite movies of all time.
- If I don't get this one I'm walking out.
- Huh, well, you're wrong.
Are you trying to put together a soundtrack or a cast?
- I'm just building a girl group.
I'm just like Simon Cowell.
(upbeat music)
- Welcome to "The Recast," I'm Ally Hord.
- I'm Mike Scollins.
- And today we are recasting "Clueless."
One of my favorite movies of all time.
- It's great.
- Top five if not top three.
Amy Heckerling just knocked it out of the park
directing and writing her experiences
growing up in L.A.
And I think it is one of those movies I quote
more often in my life than I realize. (laughs)
- Yeah, I do say "As if."
- [Ally] Do you also quote "Clueless?"
- I do say "As if" at least 10 times a day.
- Okay, let's get started
because I'm very excited about this cast I've assembled.
For Cher, originally played by Alicia Silverstone,
I have cast Florence Pugh.
- Love that.
And may have her for somebody else later.
- Huh.
Well, you're wrong, but let's discuss.
So, Florence Pugh, obviously she is just
seminal uprising talent right now.
She can do anything.
She was in "Fighting With My Family,"
she was in "Little Women."
I think she would be fantastic in a dumb comedy like this.
And by dumb I mean a genius satire.
- "Midsommar" you could say is a bit of a comedy,
but I wanna she her in a poppy teen movie.
- Yeah, popcorn comedy.
- And I think that she would be so good at it.
I do not have her for Cher, I have Kacey Musgraves.
- [Ally] Huh.
- I think she is so charming.
I think she is super funny.
She seems like she should be breaking into acting.
- Right.
I do think the potential is there.
I think she is very charming.
I just wonder if she helm a huge box office movie like this.
- I mean, she's definitely got name.
- I think we can all agree Florence Pugh can helm
a box office hit.
- Yes.
If Florence Pugh's in a movie we gonna see it.
- I think she's been nominated
for so many trophies this year.
- Not a Grammy.
- I can see Kacey Musgraves playing Amberler.
- Oh, I like that too.
- She could be a good Amber.
- Can I tell you my other reason?
- Why?
- The "Clueless" soundtrack is maybe the best soundtrack
of all time.
- [Ally] Such a good soundtrack.
- And Kacey Musgraves could re-record some of those '90s,
Counting Crows, Radiohead, you know?
- Right.
You know the people who contribute to soundtracks the most?
The recording artists who play ancillary characters.
(both laugh)
Taylor Swift in "Cats."
- Alicia Silverstone got that job
because she was in Aerosmith music videos.
- That doesn't make her a musical talent.
- Yeah, but she was giving an acting--
- That's how good of an actor she is.
She killed it in music videos.
(Mike laughs)
So I think we can both agree,
Florence Pugh is our choice for Cher.
- [Mike] You have had it out for Kacey Musgraves
since the moment she entered the scene.
I don't know if you think she's invading your turf
or something.
- No, I think she's adorable.
I think she would be a good addition to the cast.
But I also think Florence Pugh just has that
really angelic baby face that could be believable
as a teenager in high school.
Let's move onto Josh, very famously played by Paul Rudd.
The first role that I fell in love with Paul Rudd.
- [Mike] Mm-hmm.
- [Ally] I actually went a little outside the box with this,
Lucas Hedges. - Ooh!
- [Ally] So he always plays serious, sad Massachusetts boy.
- [Mike] Right.
- But what if he played like, kinda, awkward, quiet,
freshman boy who, you know,
when he takes out his ponytail and takes his glasses off
and you're like, "Wait a second?"
- And he's got a ponytail?
- (laughs) No, you know what I mean.
I'm using the same type of deal with women.
- Yes, a real "She's All That" moment.
- [Ally] I think he and Florence Pugh would be a cute,
play off each other.
- [Mike] They read the same age to me though,
and Paul Rudd is a little older than Alicia Silverstone.
- Well he's suppose to be,
she's suppose to be a sophomore in high school,
and he's suppose to be a freshman in college.
That's only two years apart.
- I was thinking who are brother and sister
that we would believe have sex?
And I just don't see--
- They're not brother and sister.
Their parents were married, they're not related.
How have you been casting this?
(Mike laughs)
Okay, who did you pick for Josh?
- [Mike] My first thought, and I asked if I could do this,
was Paul Rudd 'cause he looks exactly the same.
And I was told no. - Okay.
- [Mike] I was told if you're doing a show called
"The Recast" you actually have to recast somebody.
- Sure, sure. - Which is fair enough.
So I picked Cousin Greg from "Succession."
Also needs a ponytail moment where you're like,
"Oh, Cousin Greg's kinda handsome."
- I agree he's handsome but he's 6'5"
and I think he's too doofy.
- We can free him up, it'll be fine.
- I think Cousin Greg comes off like nervous energy
where Josh is more just like, he's a calmer presence.
- [Mike] I should be specific though
and say I'm talking about Nicholas Braun, not Cousin Greg.
- [Ally] I've never seen him in anything
other than Cousin Greg,
so I guess I haven't yet. - Just give him a chance.
- God, this is a tough one because I think Lucas Hedges
is an inspired choice,
and Cousin Greg is just,
felt like you Googling teen-looking boys again. (laughs)
- Inspired choice.
Do I lose this one again?
- I just think Lucas Hedges is stuck in this world
of conversion therapy,
and it'd just be nice to put him in a popcorn comedy.
- [Mike] Okay, let's let Lucas Hedges have fun for once
and finally book something. (Ally laughs)
- Book something fun. (Mike laughs)
So now we're moving on.
- If I don't get this one I'm walking out.
- [Ally] Ooh, okay, well me first.
My pick for Dionne, played by Stacey Dash originally,
would be Zendaya. (dramatic music)
She's fantastic.
You're a fan. - Big "Euphoria" fan.
- Big "Euphoria" fan.
I think she could play the too cool girl
but then really have heart really well.
She's hot, she's funny, she's cool,
kids love her, she's a Disney star.
- She could help the soundtrack as well.
- Yeah, that's how I cast this,
was who could sing.
- Clearly I put a lot of thought into soundtrack.
- You're doing "Clueless, The Musical" in your head.
So, Zendaya.
Who did you pick?
- I picked Normani.
Previously of Fifth Harmony
now breaking out into a hot solo act.
- [Ally] Right.
- And I think that she's ready to move into features.
- You were just listening to music
when you were writing this down.
- [Mike] But I think she could do the job
and she could help recreate that awesome '90s soundtrack
that Kacey Musgraves is doing,
if we let her have it.
- Are you trying to put together a soundtrack or a cast?
- I'm just building a girl group.
I'm just like Simon Cowell.
- [Ally] I'll give you Normani, she's fantastic.
And I think she has a great '90s aesthetic.
So Dionne will be Normani.
Super fun.
Moving on. - Got one.
- [Ally] Tai, originally played by Brittany Murphy.
I had Beanie Feldstein.
- [Mike] That's great.
- Here's my argument for Beanie Feldstein.
Gonna bring so much good comedy to the situation.
- Yes. - I just think that role
is made for Beanie Feldstein,
and she's just killing it in high school comedies
right now between "Booksmart" and "Lady Bird" and all that.
- I had a Adele, again not a musician.
I'm kidding. - Adele!
(both laughing)
- [Mike] Clearly I picked Florence Pugh,
I told you she was coming up.
- [Ally] Oh, as Tai?
- Yes.
Because, like you said, she's got this angelic,
cherubic face where she could play a little,
nerdy, meek girl like she kinda does in "Midsommar,"
and then she gets a makeover and you're like,
"Oh, you're Florence Pugh, you're a badass."
- She's too...
No, she's Cher.
- That is a good point.
I didn't consider that.
- Thank you for hearing me out.
I see what you're saying about her,
but you've already agreed to cast her as Cher,
ergo we can not cast her as Tai.
- If anyone could pull off both girls it's her.
She played young whatshername and old whatshername
in "Little Women."
- Old whatshername, I can see you saw the movie.
Thanks ally.
All right, so I think we agree Beanie Feldstein
is not Florence Pugh, ergo she could play the other role.
- [Mike] Yes, okay, I think by default.
- [Ally] Are you a Beanie Feldstein fan?
- [Mike] But I also think she's fantastic
and would crush it, yes. - Okay.
- I think she would do well.
- I think we agree she would bring something fun to it.
You know, I actually think that having Beanie on set
would make Lucas Hedges feel more comfortable.
(Mike laughs)
- That sounds like a nervous boy.
- Well, yeah, it's his first big comedy, he's nervous,
so just to make him feel at ease.
So I think we're agreed then, we have our cast.
- Can Kacey Musgraves be a featured extra or something?
- She'll be Amber.
- Okay, great, yes, then we're done.
- [Ally] So let's go over our new cast for "Clueless."
In the role of Cher we have Florence Pugh.
- [Mike] Great.
- [Ally] Josh, we have Lucas Hedges.
- [Mike] Dionne is gonna be played by Normani.
- [Ally] And then, finally, Tai,
Beanie Feldstein as Tai to round out the cast.
Oh, excuse me, and Kacey Musgraves as Amber.
- [Mike] (laughs) We added a fifth.
- Because, you know, you gotta put a soundtrack together.
How do you think it compares to the original cast?
- I think that this is the right cast for today,
and "Clueless" didn't feel like a retro film
that came out in the '90s,
and this is gonna feel like a fun,
retro film like the way we watched "Dazed and Confused."
- Yes, and I feel like all of the people we cast,
although we're not discovering them,
it will be fun for people to get back into the reboot
knowing it's all new actors that they love.
- Yes. - Yeah.
Then it's settled, we did it.
(upbeat music)