Shack Chat: Who would you cast as Ulala in the Space Channel 5 movie?

Movie and television adaptations seem to be all the rage these days. Geoff Keighley is even making a category for it in The Game Awards. The number of adaptations seems to be rising and it's partly due to the success of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog movies, which have been quality fun and also solid moneymakers.

That's probably why Sega wants to go even farther into the movie business, though the publisher's movie ideas are... not what anybody could have expected. We're really doing a Space Channel 5 movie, are we? Well, then allow us here at Shacknews to throw out our ideas for who should play Ulala. If you don't like our picks, we're going to encourage everyone to give us their own shortly.

Question: Who would you cast as Ulala in the Space Channel 5 movie?

Margot Robbie - Ozzie Mejia, Senior Movie Watcher

I'm going to confess that I don't know a lot about Space Channel 5, but I will note that after some intense research, I can say that… this game looks silly and it's a nutty idea for a movie. Let's embrace the campiness and go with somebody that's familiar with campy properties. I mean, Margot Robbie's been a busy lady lately, but she looks like someone who could take this role on.

Brie Larson - TJ Denzer, Senior News Editor

When I think of Ulala, I think of a couple main aspects: beauty and moves. An actress can be gorgeous, but if they can’t capture Ulala’s energy, they’ve only got half the equation. Brie Larson has shown herself to be quite talented across a lot of cool movies, including Captain Marvel. However, it’s her role as Envy Adams in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World that convinces me fully she has what it takes. Larson can belt out a good song and move with it. That more than convinces me she’s got the stuff to bring the best out of an Ulala casting in Space Channel 5.

Lady Miss Kier - Blake Morse, Has groove in his heart

So, I don’t know how many people are aware of this, but the story supposedly goes that lead singer of Deee-Lite and all-around disco diva Lady Miss Kier claims she was approached to be the lead in the original Space Channel 5 game. She ended up taking Sega to court over use of her likeness, but the house that Sonic built was able to prove that the game had come out a year prior to Ms. Kier’s claims of being approached by the company.

Still, Ulala and Miss Kier are strikingly similar in appearance. While she may be a bit older than when Groove is in the Heart was topping the charts I would love to see this whole affair come full circle with Lady Miss Kier getting a shot at becoming Ulala. I mean, it’s all in the past and this would be a great way to let bygones be bygones and show that both parties truly do have that groove in their hearts.

Rhea Seehorn - Sam Chandler, Better Call Kim

After finishing Better Call Saul, I need to see Rhea Seehorn in more shows and movies. I’d love to see how she handles a role like Ulala in a game like Space Channel 5 after the extremely serious performance as Kim Wexler. Plus, Rhea was the tutorial witch in the 1997 Magic: The Gathering game - so why not get her back into the industry?

Taylor Momsen - Morgan Shaver, Has seen The Pretty Reckless live

I’ve never played Space Channel 5 either, but digging into information about the character and seeing what she looks like, I feel like Taylor Momsen could be a really good fit for the role. Momsen has some acting experience under her belt, though not as much as others on this list as she left acting behind to focus on her band The Pretty Reckless. That said, I feel like anyone playing Ulala should have some musical experience and be comfortable performing in a concert sort of setting, and Momsen definitely has that. Plus, visually and charisma wise, she reminds me a lot of Ulala for some reason. All she’d really need is Ulala’s signature pink hair.

Britney Spears - Asif Khan, Has actually played Space Channel 5

While it is great to see all of these actresses suggested for the upcoming Ulala role, I think the casting should probably consider people with dancing and performing experience. On the back of her new emancipated life, I think Britney Spears would do a great job filling in as the groovy journalist to the literal stars.

Doja Cat - Dennis White, Social Media Guru

This is the perfect role for somebody who can put together dance routines and rock the hell out of multiple outfits and costumes. She has decent comedic timing and has alot of fun on stage going over the top. We’ve seen pop stars make attempts at an acting career before and some are more successful than others but I don’t think anyone is expecting academy award winning performances here. I want a Space Channel 5 movie to be fun and full of heart and that comes through in a ton of Doja’s music. A lot of folks don’t know that Doja is also a producer so she could put together some original music or collaborate with some of the creative team from the original game and make some brand new bops that might actually become hits. This is a match made in heaven in my opinion. Book it, Sega!

Cobie Smulders - Steve Tyminski, Stevetendo show host

Who would I cast as Ulala in the Space Channel 5 movie? It appears that we’re in a time where every IP is getting either a live-action remake or a movie in some capacity. That being said, Space Channel 5, an old school Sega Dreamcast game is getting brought back into the spotlight with a movie. Who should get the starring role as Ulala in the movie? I think a good choice would be Cobie Smulders. I really liked he on “How I Met Your Mother” and she has a wide range of abilities in terms of acting. Comical, serious, or a bit of both, Smulders would do a pretty good job as Ulala.

Those are our choices, so now we turn to the community. Who would you pick to play Ulala in a Space Channel 5 movie? Join the conversation and let us know in the comments.

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.