IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Emoji movie: 12 characters we want to see, and which stars should play them

Because, let's face it, Channing Tatum has to play the party hat.
/ Source: TODAY

With news that Sony has won the rights to an animated movie about emoji, fans of the cartoonish characters may have celebrated by texting each other tiny pictures of that party hat with the confetti in the background.

But few Hollywood movies can be a blockbuster if casting is anything short of perfect, so TODAY.com has already started planning not just which emoji characters will make the cut, but also the celebrities who should play them.

1. Grinning face (Chris Pratt)

Premiere Of Universal Pictures' "Jurassic World" - Red Carpet
HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 09: Actors Chris Pratt (R) and Anna Faris attend the Universal Pictures' \"Jurassic World\" premiere at the Dolby Theatre on June 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Getty Images

Whether he's showing that can-do attitude in "The LEGO Movie" or being a goofball on "Parks and Recreation," Pratt embodies the enthusiasm of that emoji determined to show us all of its teeth at the same time. Plus, the "Jurassic World" star is in, like, every movie these days. What's one more?

2. Sunglasses-wearing face (Will Smith)

MEN IN BLACK, Will Smith, 1997
MEN IN BLACK, Will Smith, 1997Everett Collection

Smith's "Men in Black" character was right when he fashioned his Ray-Bans and declared, "I make this look good." Two sequels followed. Smith plus shades equals box-office gold.

3. Dancing twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen)

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 01: Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen pose on the winners walk at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on June 1, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)Getty Images

Let's face it: Any other pairing would be a disappointment. Toss two pairs of rabbit ears on them and you're good to go. And since they're not appearing in the "Full House" reboot, they may be available.

4. Football (Tom Brady)

Tom Brady
HYANNIS, MA - MAY 30: NFL quarterback and Best Buddies honorary co-chair Tom Brady speaks on stage at the Finish Line and Victory Celebration Party during the Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port 2015 on May 30, 2015 in Hyannis, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images)Getty Images

Appearing in "Ted 2," the Super Bowl champion already has movie-star looks and chops. And if he should play the football character whose ego gets deflated, the jokes write themselves.

5. Snowman (Josh Gad)

Josh Gad Visits Disneyland
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 23: Actor Josh Gad visits Disneyland on May 23, 2014 in Anaheim, California. Josh Gad (the voice of Olaf from 'Frozen') counts down to opening beside an 18,000-pound sand sculpture of Olaf at the Disneyland Resort on Friday as Disney Parks kick-off the summer travel season with a 24-hour, coast-to-coast celebration that invites guests to \"Rock Your Disney Side\" at the Disneyland Resort in California, and the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. From 6 a.m. Friday, May 23, to 6 a.m. Saturday, May 24, 2014, on each coast, guests will spend 24 hours laughing, screaming, dancing and embracing their own Disney Side ? that fun, playful side that emerges as they enter a Disney park. (Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Parks via Getty Images)Getty Images

Hey, Josh! Do you want to be a snowman? Yes, again! Look, everyone loved you as Olaf in "Frozen," which made more than $400 million domestically. So what if it's type-casting? Forget snow; if Sony makes it rain enough cash on you, you might just be on board.

6. Dancer (Jennifer Lopez)

2013 Billboard Music Awards - Show
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 19: Singer Jennifer Lopez performs onstage during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 19, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Getty Images

Earning one of her earliest breaks as a Fly Girl on Fox's "In Living Color," the actor-singer-producer never lost her moves on her way to superstardom.

7. American flag (Kid Rock)

Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show
Kid Rock during Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)FilmMagic

Whether he's singing about wanting to be a "Cowboy" or being "Born Free," Rock's patriotism is always on display. Could be the most obvious choice in lieu of casting a bald eagle.

8. Dragon (Emilia Clarke)

Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke stars in HBO's \"Game of Thrones\" as Daenerys Targaryen.HBO

As Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's "Game of Thrones," Clarke has played the so-called "Mother of Dragons," so it's only a matter of time before she takes the next step and plays a fire-breather herself.

9. Sad woman (Meryl Streep)

Meryl Streep
SOPHIE'S CHOICE, Meryl Streep, 1982, (c) Universal/courtesy Everett CollectionEverett Collection

Do you want your movie to teem with gravitas? Do you want it to win, or at least be nominated for, Academy Awards? Cast Meryl Streep, who, in what only can be described as a tremendous understatement, can do "sad." Spoiler alert: She also can do pretty much anything on screen, because she's Meryl Streep.

10. Party hat (Channing Tatum)

Image: "Magic Mike XXL" - European Premiere - VIP Arrivals
Getty Images

The life of the party on and off the screen, Tatum has a knack for putting people in a festive mood. Just ask the "Magic Mike" fans he pranked earlier this year.

11. Explosion (Bruce Willis)

Bruce Willis in "Die Hard"
Bruce Willis in \"Die Hard\"20th Century Fox

Willis has played many an action hero, so it only makes sense for him to play the very symbol of anything that goes boom. And if Anthony Leondis weren't already tied to the Emoji film as its director, Michael Bay could have made the movie an explosive affair.

12. Running man (Tom Cruise)

Tom Cruise - Mission Impossible
Tom Cruise - Mission ImpossibleParamount Pictures

If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound? And if a cinematic role doesn't require Cruise to run away from something, is it really a Tom Cruise movie? (You may say, "Hey, I don't remember him running away from anything in 'Magnolia.'" To which I'd reply, "Oh yeah? What about his feelings?")

Follow TODAY.com writer Chris Serico on Twitter.