Warning! Major spoilers for Fantasy Island below.
Blumhouse's Fantasy Island brings a fresh-faced cast of young characters to a tropical island setting to live out their fantasies and heal from some of their deepest traumas, but not everything is as it seems.
Directed by Jeff Wadlow and co-written by Wadlow, Chris Roach, and Jillian Jacobs, Fantasy Island takes the premise of an ABC television series that ran during the '70s and '80s, and gives it a horror lean for a modern audience. After a group of contest winners arrive at a deserted, tropical island, they are introduced to the mysterious Mr. Roarke, who promises he can make all their deepest fantasies come true. They only needed answer a short questionnaire, and the island predicts the rest. However, Roarke is quick to caution them that once their fantasy begins, they must see it out to its completion, no matter what.
Full of twists and turns, Fantasy Island does well to adapt to the horror space, with the premise of fantasies being twisted in deadly, unexpected ways a strong contender for what is very much an ensemble cast horror flick. Running at just under two hours, Fantasy Island hasn't been faring well with critics or audiences, and as of this writing, only has a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film seemed tailored for the Valentine's Day crowd, yet its PG-13 rating might have kept some horror fans from taking the risk. However, the film boasts an astounding cast of prominent actors from both film and television. Here's the full cast and character breakdown.
Fantasy Island Main Cast
Lucy Hale as Melanie Cole: Melanie Cole originally arrives at Fantasy Island to get revenge on a childhood bully, Sloane Maddison, who she believes has ruined her life. After getting the chance to ruin Sloane, Melanie saves her and - for a moment - seems determined to get them both off the island, but it's later revealed in a third-act twist that Melanie has orchestrated everyone's arrival, as she blames them all for having an inadvertent hand in the accidental death of her crush, Nick Taylor. Lucy Hale is currently starring as the titular character in Katy Keene on the CW. She has worked with Wadlow, Jacobs, Roach, and Blumhouse before in 2018's Truth or Dare.
Michael Peña as Mr. Roarke: Mr. Roarke, the island's mysterious benefactor, has agreed to be the island's servant in exchange for it keeping his wife, Julia, alive forever. He seems to have good intentions, though doesn't intervene with his guests' struggles when their fantasies turn sour. However, he ultimately does choose to save them all from Melanie, breaking his vow to the island. His actions have consequences, though he seems content to pay the price, and sees Julia finally find peace in the afterlife. Peña has a long career in film, and made a name for himself in Crash and Million Dollar Baby. More recently, Peña appeared in A Wrinkle in Time and landed a role on season four of Narcos, which became a spin-off series, Narcos: Mexico.
Maggie Q as Gwen Olsen: Gwen Olsen comes to the island as something of a skeptic, as she is convinced there's no way for her to find true happiness. Roarke disagrees, and gives her an opportunity for a "do-over"; she goes back to the night where her true love, Alan, proposed and says yes this time, which results in her playing out a five-year time jump where the two have a child. Ultimately, she decides to give up this fantasy and asks for a new one, as her deepest regret was not being able to save Nick Taylor in the apartment fire she accidentally started. Maggie Q is known for her work on the CW series, Nikita, and has had roles in Mission: Impossible III, as well as Divergent and both its sequels.
Austin Stowell as Patrick Sullivan: Patrick Sullivan, a police officer, has had a lifelong dream of being a soldier after his father died a hero during his service. Though the island allows Sullivan to reunite with his father, it's bittersweet when he dies again and Patrick realizes what true heroism is, and decides to sacrifice his own life just as his father did to save the other guests on the island, ensuring their escape. Austin Stowell has starred in both Dolphin Tale and its sequel. He is also known for Whiplash, and has had small roles on various television series, including 90210 and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Portia Doubleday as Sloane Maddison: Sloane Maddison does not arrive with the other guests on the plane, and is instead brought to the island to serve a specific purpose. She is Melanie's fantasy - her childhood bully - and is meant to be tortured. While Melanie does save her life, it is only as so she can attempt to kill her later after her true intentions are revealed. Sloane ends up escaping the island, but her life is forever changed after Melanie leaked a sex tape of her affair onto her Facebook page, leaving her marriage in peril. Portia Doubleday played Chris Hargensen in the 2013 Carrie remake, and is known for her role as Angela Moss on Mr. Robot.
Jimmy O. Yang as Brax Weaver: Brax is an out gay man who ended up being disowned by his family after coming out, and turned to his brother JD for support. The two are inseparable, and even share a fantasy of "having it all". After JD dies during their fantasy being played out, Brax exchanges his freedom for a life on the island as Roarke's assistant (a nod to Tattoo in the series) so JD can have his life back. Jimmy O. Yang is a comedian who has starred on the HBO series, Silicon Valley and has also made appearances in Crazy Rich Asians and Like A Boss.
Ryan Hansen as JD Weaver: JD Weaver is Brax's brother and protector, who sacrificed his one true love to ensure his brother felt like he wasn't alone in the world. Though he ends up going to Fantasy Island to ease his heartbreak, JD is unable to truly enjoy the thrill of "having it all" despite being surrounded by models and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol. He ends up getting killed, but is brought back to life by his brother's sacrifice. Ryan Hansen is known for his role as Dick Casablancas in Veronica Mars and as Kyle Bradway in Party Down. Horror fans might recognize Hansen for his role as Nolan in the 2009 Friday the 13th remake.
Fantasy Island Supporting Cast
Michael Rooker as Damon: Damon is a private investigator who has been hired to figure out the island's secrets. He sacrifices himself to save Melanie and Sloane from "Dr. Torture". Michael Rooker is a well-known actor, who has had roles on The Walking Dead and is beloved by fans as Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel.
Parisa Fitz-Henley as Julia: Julia first appears to greet the guests when they arrive on the island, and is Roarke's assistant; she claims she is "new". Later, it is revealed that Julia is Roarke's wife, but doesn't know it; she is forced into a loop where she is healthy, then gets sick again, over and over because of the deal Roarke made. He eventually breaks his oath to the island and lets her go. Parisa Fitz-Henley has had roles on Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and has appeared in the NBC series, Midnight, Texas.
Evan Evagora as Nick Taylor: Nick Taylor mostly appears to the island's guests as a mysterious, burnt figure who is monstrous and looms in the shadows. However, he is the real reason they have all gathered there: Melanie was set to go on a date with him, but he died in an apartment fire, and she sought revenge for his death. Evan Evagora can be seen on Star Trek: Picard as Elnor.
Kim Coates as Devil Face: Devil Face is the leader of a group of mercenaries who come to attack JD and Brax when their fantasy turns sour; Roarke explains that there is sometimes a cost for "having it all" in the sense that other people may try to take it. Kim Coates has appeared on Sons of Anarchy as "Tig" Trager, and has appeared on CSI and CSI: Miami.
