Elyas M’Barek cast as Vampire Lieutenant in CITY OF BONES
Elyas M’Barek has landed a role in THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES.
Executive producer Martin Moszkowicz confirmed M’Barek has been cast in THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES on Twitter Wednesday morning.
Here is the report from THR:
COLOGNE, Germany – Elyas M’Barek, one of Germany’s hottest young actors, has been cast as a vampire in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the adaptation of Cassandra Clare‘s best-selling fantasy novel, which Harald Zwart (Karate Kid) is directing.
A veteran of German TV sitcoms, M’Barek became one of Germany’s biggest box office draws with his starring role in the cross-culture romantic comedy Turkish For Beginners, in which he plays a stereotypical German-Turkish macho.
The film was a huge hit from producer/distributor Constantin Film, which is also producing The Mortal Instruments. The fantasy film, which stars Lily Collins as an ordinary girl forced to fight demons to rescue her mother (Lena Headey), is currently shooting in Toronto. Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Zegers, Kevin Durand and Jonathan Rhys Meyers also star.
UPDATE: Cassandra Clare confirmed that M’Barek’s role of “Vampire Lieutenant” is not Raphael, but a different character altogether.
Here’s what she had to say Raphael’s absence in THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES and M’Barek’s role:
Well, this is different casting — the previous casting was done by Stephanie Corsalini, but this casting was done by Constantin’s Toronto office. I don’t actually know anything about the three actors that were announced today. I don’t know any of their previous work and I haven’t seen auditions or anything like that. I had dinner with the guy playing Alaric, Harry van Gorkum, while I was in Toronto. He was very nice.
As for Raphael/The Vampire Lieutenant/Elyas m’Barek, what I’ve been told is that there wasn’t space enough to properly introduce Raphael. Raphael, after all, is not the vampire who actually captures Simon from Magnus’ party. They’re different guys and it was felt there was not room for both. (This isn’t a decision I made or have any control over — when you give over your movie rights you have to accept that decisions about how to adapt your books will be made without you. Scripts are also rewritten up until shooting, and even rewritten on set. They are never final until the film is done shooting.) So Elyas will play TVL, who is a composite of the vampires in the NYC vampire clan.
Raphael won’t be in this movie but they hope to introduce him in City of Ashes, as he does play a bigger and bigger part in each book. I’m sad not to see Raphael sooner, as I know you all are, but I hope when the time comes he will be introduced in a way that does him justice. There are a lot of talented Latino actors out there who would be great for the part.
Meanwhile, I’m glad to see my German fans responding well to the casting of the lieutenant of our absent vampire leader, and glad that the actor cast was one of color since the NYC vampire clan is a diverse group.
What do you think M’Barek? Sound off in the comments!
TMI Source 
Please be alaric not raphael… Raphael is 14 or 15 i forget but not this old please be alaric
Please be alaric!!!! This will be the first time i was upset over casting if hes raphael!!
And i realize that they said vampire and not werewolf but hoping they could be mistaken
Yeah I know what you mean & I hope that too, I feel bad for moaning but he isn’t young enough looking, personally
Yeah i feel bitchy cause i complain when other people say bad things about the cast but this… I think hes 30 and if he looked younger id be like cool okay i can see him as raphael but im trying hard right now to be like yay! Raphael! But raphael was very young and thts when i think they shouldnt hire adults to play young teenage character and im not saying it will ruin the movie at all, im just a ta disappointed
I can kinda see too with the tanned skin and Spanish look ect but I don’t know, also pictured someone slimmer as well.. but it ain’t been confirmed yet so..
Never know he could act young and make up and editing could make him look different? I’ll be as happy as I can if and when it’s confirmed!
Yeah me too, holly wood makes so
Many people look younger and if you look him up hes not horrid looking but i did also imagine him slender and short i always though raphael had this boyish thing to him… If he gets confirmed ill probably do the same and try to get all happy but i would much rather him be alaric
Ok now I think I would of rathered him be rapheal than for there to be no rapheal? Hum..
I hope this one is wrong, he’s way to old to be Raphael.
WAY too old!!!!!!! 😦
Yeah, if they cast him as Raphael it will be like “Did they even read the book?” Raphael is the youngest looking character. He looks like a really young boy. You can’t just swap out an older Middle Eastern man for a young Latino boy and expect fans not to notice. Great choices would have been Tyler Posey or Michael Trevino or Aldo Quintano, not this guy.
Here’s praying he is Alaric.
IF he’s playing Raphael, then it’s absolutely ridiculous! 30 year old playing a 14 year old? Wow, just wow. He would need a lot of makeup to look young!
A bit too old…:(
We’ve had some scary age differences in the CoB casting, but this is just…wow. I mean, Raphael is 14? 15? This dude looks to be 25 or so. Makeup can only go so far. Alaric though, would be good.
Well, they don’t seem to have been considering any other charactors age, so I’m betting this is true. At least he might make Alec look younger by comparison lol. (Well not until COA, but still..)
Too old! Raphael is described as a boy not much older than Jaycees but six inches shorter. I’m sure he’s a great actor, just doesn’t fit the description.
Damn autocorrect changed Jace to Jaycees. SMH
I am fairly confident that he will be Alaric, because it did say several times in the books, that Raphael looked to be about 14, and had a high-pitched child’s voice. So I personally haven’t a doubt in my mind that he is Alaric.
But the article states he’ll play a vampire…
IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE??? I love him!! Oh my god 😀 I am german and I
watched a TV-Show starring Elyas. He’s greeat and actually not old. He is an actor for comedy stuff but I think he can do this!! Such a big big surprise by the way!! And he is 30?? Never thought that. He looks much younger in his films!!! And actually he is an austrian actor. Just go get facts right XOXO!! He is extremely good-looking!
Does he speak any English? Any at all?
Well, I guess the Germans will be happy with this, even though nobody else will be.
I don’t know about his english skills, but I guess he will do so – otherwise he wouldn’t get that part right?
It’s Alaric.
And by the way it is not for sure he is Raphael there are some other vampires at the hotel 😉 even it he is – I like him 😀
But I don’t think they would announce those castings. It would have to be for a bigger role. But we’ll see!
…my thoughts. I think they want to attract the german audience with him, `cause he is really quite popular here…and he is pretty easy on the eyes
There are other vampires besides Raphael, what about the vampire that picks up rat simon in the first place, the one with the bike, I think he’s that guy!!!
I never even thought that!! I would be happy if he played someone like that i mean i net they have lines and all so
hey i loooooooooooooooove your vid`s you rock!!!
Whoa if he’s playing Raphael..I mean I can see him as Raphael but only if he looked younger, Raphael is a teenager
I think he would be good for the vampire that picks up rat Simon. But who knows. He is old looking for Raphael though.
Maybe they’re going to make Raphael older?
Elyas? Well he CAN look younger: http://tinyurl.com/brnydvv and i love him as an actor, he played in one of my favorite german tv series, if he’s in it, he’ll be good. But really, more as an werewolf…not as Raphael!
Ich liebe Türkisch für Anfänger 🙂 Cem ❤
Oh no!!!! Not Raphael…..very much too old!!!
Oh God, oh no, not Raphael. No. He’s much too old and he is NOT LATINO. It would be great if he was Alaric though. It would be great to have an Alaric of color (he is Middle Eastern) and since he’s older than the guy who plays Luke it would fit.
The more I look at him, the more I could see him as Raphael, although I would prefer him to be Alaric. And can I point out that whilst Raphael was turned at 15, he’s described as looking OLDER than Jace. Not younger. So he’s going to look around 20, and the camera makes you look younger. *shrufs* I’m happy with the casting so far, I’m not going to start doubting them now.
Does anyone know if this guy has ever been in anything where he had to speak English? I can’t find a single video of him speaking it, just German. “Raphael Santiago” with a heavy German accent? How is that going to work? He better be Alaric.
Oh, is this guy actually of Turksih ethinicity? Don’t judge me for this, but it makes me happy to have someone of a similar background to me playing a character. It means a lot to me, even if he looks a tad bit old for Raphael :’)
-turkish, sorry
Well, as someone Latino, it makes me pretty sad to have the one character who was of a similar background to me cast with a person not of that background. It would be one thing if Raphael was Turkish, but he’s not. He’s Latino. He speaks Spanish. He has a Spanish name. He lives in Spanish Harlem. That’s why I am still hoping this guy is playing Alaric.
Cassie said on her twitter that she didn’t think he was playing Raphael, so maybe they’ll have a Hispanic Raphael and middle-eastern ‘other vampire’. Personally, I think he’s going to play the vampire that takes rat!Simon to the hotel in the first place.
He often plays Turkish-German characters, but he’s actually an Austrian of Austrian (mother) and Tunisian descent, who was born and raised in Germany. 😀
Well then. This is slightly awkward :D.
I love this guy!!!!! I am german and i’ve seen him in a few things. He’s especially good at the witty and sarcastic bits, so I think he’s going to be great. A plus: he’s REALLY hot.
I believe that Raphael was cut from the movie completely because he is no longer listed on the official website and it now says Vampire Lieutenant… so i think for the sake of cutting the story down to a two/three hour movie they cut his character.. which im frankly wicked upset about since raphael is later a huge part of the story and he is replaced by a grown man called the vampire lieutenant…
*Raises eyebrow in a ‘not amused manner’* But, won’t that affect the character? They better keep the bit in COLS (assuming they make it that far) when Raph- Vampire. Lieutenant. *grumbles* asks Simon to be his bodyguard, because that is honestly one of the most hilarious bits in the whole seiries.
“So if you want it in vampire talk, it gives me great pleasure, to say to you my liege, Hell, no.” cracks me up every time. I hope you’re wrong. 😦
*walks away grumbling*
Cassie said it wasnt raphael! Yay!
Now who shall play this vampire
Boy….
just watched “turkish for beginners” he is h i l a r i o u s !!! i laughed so hard!!! and he looks much much younger ( he performs an18 year old teen)
watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDIX6L0IE6kh and be happy if you don’t understand the lyrics… I mean it…
Haha, that video is hilarious! ❤ Cem
Well, he’s not Raphael, so I can be happy there’s a middle eastern character, and not feel guilty! I really hope Raphael gets to be in the second movie though!
I agree! Finding out he is not Raphael was the best news ever! And if there’s going to be basically an original character I am glad he is a PoC.
it’s disappointing that Raphael isn’t featured in the movie but at least the dumort scene is still in. it’s a major. though the vampire lt should be cool and I’m still excited. maybe they’ll introduce him in the next movie? and something like this has been done before. in twilight the book, Edward tells Bella about the time he went off for his own for a bit. It was included in the Breaking Dawn(them ovie) with very awesome flashback. maybe they’ll make it that he was on short leave of absence shorter than Camille?
i mean for raphael
i am actually so fucking excited for this. i forgot all about the books for the longest time, i used to be a huge fan. now that the movie’s are coming out soon i remembered them again, and then when elyas m’barek was cast i nearly had a heart attack. my parents are german, so i live in the us but speak german and have friends there etc, and i am such a huge fan of m’barek. i know it’s probably weird to see someone different and foreign and kind of old playing in the movie, but trust me he is hysterical. not only is he super funny, he’s also really fucking hot. as in reaaally hot. if you ever get a chance before the movie comes out, see if you can watch Turkisch fur Anfanger with english subs or whatever. he’s not as great at the beginning…since he was just starting, but when you watch through all the seasons he really develops as an actor and a character. and each episode he gets hotter ;). also, the new movie is amazing. watch that too, its got english subs. all my friends in the us are also obsessed with him noww!
Oh my gosh! It just pisses me off when I read all your comments. One to three of these comments like “Oh , he is too old.” “I would hate it if he played Raphael” would be sufficient. But I just read like 100 of them and I wonder if … I just can’t understand People who judge others they barely know. In this case: They don’t know a bit. Be happy People get chances and it’s not just for the german fans… It’s just so weird…
Make your own Version of “City of Bones”, maybe you’ll be happy one day.
I’m excited just as you to see the movie… But as it isn’t released yet I don’t judge too much about anything… You can judge hardcore afterwards. Be discreet if you don’t know the actor you’re judging about.
(I know I’m months too late… But These comments depressed me.)
I’m from germany and I really love Elyas but I think he’s a little to old but he’s so damn hot that I can forget that rafael is just 14 or 15 so I think he could play the role.