Asa Butterfield still has plenty of years ahead of him playing teenagers, so it’s encouraging that he’s sticking to parts in movies that aren’t immediately forgettable - The Wolfman notwithstanding. If negotiations pan out, he’ll soon star alongside Clive Owen in the indie comedy King of the Kastle for Benaroya Pictures. In what will most assuredly be a non-teenager role, Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) is also set to star.
In the film, which hasn’t revealed much by way of plot, Owen will play a cheating husband who finds himself the target of a blackmail plot from a teenager, the role that Butterfield would take. Weaver’s co-starring role isn't specified in the casting report from The Wrap.
I can’t wait to see Butterfield in a comedic film, as he’s best know for more dramatic roles in films such as The Boy and the Striped Pajamas and Hugo. Right now he’s probably most recognized for his lead role in Gavin Hood’s Ender’s Game, which hit theaters two weeks ago and has currently earned half of its $110 million budget back at the global box office. So while it’s obvious that he’s a bankable star both in blockbusters and in critically acclaimed flicks, it’s not so clear just how funny he is. Or how funny this film will be regardless of his performance.
King of the Kastle will be co-directed by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, who also co-wrote the script together. Their claim to fame has been the so-so David Gordon Green comedy The Sitter with Jonah Hill, though they did create and write for the amusing but short-lived ABC series Animal Practice. Their upcoming efforts include Jackie Chan-starring Skiptrace and the inevitable Baywatch feature, so we might get a hint at what else these guys are capable of by the time Kastle comes around.
Butterfield has a couple of interesting projects coming out as well, starring with Chloe Moretz in the fantasy The White Circus from directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, as well as the drama X Plus Y for Morgan Matthews.
The veteran actress Weaver recently starred in the chilling thriller Stoker and the JFK assassination drama Parkland. She’ll soon be seen in Mac Carter’s indie horror Haunt and the comedy horror The Voices, as well as Woody Allen’s next feature Magic in the Moonlight. She also has a Fred Savage-directed TV pilot for CBS called The McCarthys coming out soon.
Are you guys excited to see Butterfield and Owen team up? Check out the Ender’s Game trailer below and let us know in the comments.
