Film

Netflix’s Upcoming Movie Based On A Bestselling Book Features The Most Meta Casting

11 March 2026

Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures brings a bestselling book to life, and it officially features the most meta casting. Many novels are being brought to the screen this year, but one book adaptation you cannot miss is Remarkably Bright Creatures. The story has been affectionately nicknamed “That Octopus Book” because it’s told from the perspective of a Great Pacific Octopus, combining magical realism and literary fiction.

The story explores the unlikely friendships between a 70-year-old woman named Tova, Marcellus the octopus, and a new 30-year-old aquarium employee named Cameron. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a rare book that became popular not because of a massive marketing campaign but because of recommendations from readers and librarians who love it.

The book is a powerful exploration of humanity and grief. If the adaptation is anywhere as good as the book, Remarkably Bright Things has the potential to change viewers’ lives. If the cast is any indication, the movie will be incredible. Sally Field will play Tova, and Lewis Pullman will play Cameron. Most recently, they announced the voice actor for Marcellus, and it’s both perfect and completely meta.

Alfred Molina as Doc Ock robbing a bank in Spider-Man 2 — Actor Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2.

Remarkably Bright Creatures kept the actor voicing Marcellus, the Giant Pacific Octopus, a secret until the teaser trailer was released. This was a clever move because it allowed fans to hear Alfred Molina’s performance rather than simply imagining it. After listening to him deliver Marcellus’s lines, I am convinced he will be a perfect fit for the role.

His voice shares the same gravely quality as audiobook narrator Michael Urie, but Molina’s voice is deeper, imparting a tired, worn-down quality that will suit Marcellus well. Urie and Molina have similar cadences, at least based on the teaser clip. Plus, the actor has shown in past roles that he has great vocal control, which generally leads to a better performance in a voice-acting role.

What’s more, it creates the most hilariously meta situation. Alfred Molina’s best-known role is Dr. Otto Octavius, aka Doc Ock, from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Molina is going from a mad scientist with AI-controlled, octopus-like mechanical arms to an actual octopus trapped in an aquarium in Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Remarkably Bright Creatures Brings Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Movies Together Again

Marcellus and Tova touch hands through the aquarium glass in Remarkably Bright Creatures — Sally Field as Tova in Remarkably Bright Creatures

Another layer of the meta-casting is that Alfred Molina plays Doc Ock to Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 2, and Sally Field plays Aunt May in Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies. These two universes collided when the characters were pulled across the multiverse into Tom Holland’s world in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now, they feel like they’re coming together again.

In the Remarkably Bright Creatures book, Tova feels like Sally Field’s Aunt May if she were older. She’s mostly soft-spoken, offering kindness and patience to the people around her. She experienced a devastating loss with unanswered questions that left her lonely. There’s also another key similarity that will remain unnamed because it would spoil parts of the story.

Alfred Molina and Sally Field previously appeared together in the 1991 movie Not My Daughter.

Amusingly, Sally Field’s hair color, hairstyle, and clothing in the Remarkably Bright Creatures teaser look very similar to the comic book version of Aunt May. She looked less like Aunt May when she actually played the character in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Meanwhile, Marcellus has the same brilliance and snarky attitude as Dr. Octavius in Spider-Man 2, though Remarkably Bright Creatures’ octopus isn’t evil. He’s just as haughty about the fact that he’s smarter than everyone else. Due to the similarities between the characters, a humorous image comes to mind: Aunt May and Doc Ock as the most unlikely friends.

Ultimately, Remarkably Bright Creatures’ casting is not only extremely meta, but it’s also pretty perfect for the characters. With Field and Molina on board, I’m confident the Netflix movie will be something special.