Having now gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Ben Kingsley (twice) and Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield (Ender’s Game, Hugo) has signed on to play Clive Owen’s adversary in the upcoming comedy King of the Kastle.
The film is being written and directed by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, who wrote the 2011 Jonah Hill vehicle The Sitter. It concerns a middle aged philanderer (Owen) who is caught and blackmailed by a teenager (Butterfield). The only other cast member announced thus far is two time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook) in an as yet unspecified role.
It’s an interesting premise considering that both actors headlining the film aren’t exactly known for their comedic chops, but anyone who’s seen Shoot ‘Em Up knows what Owen can do with overtly comedic material, and Butterfield is probably likewise itching to break out of the more serious films he’s been associated with of late.
The young actor first got noticed in the Holocaust drama The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and has gone on to become one of the most in demand young talents. He has a relatively full plate in front of him, too. He will next be seen in the math-based dramedy X Plus Y with Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) and Eddie Marsan (The World’s End), as well as The White Circus, which reunites him with Hugo co-star Chloe Grace Moretz.
Gatewood and Tanaka, in addition to writing The Sitter, also created the incredibly short-lived ABC comedy Animal Hospital, and are also said to be collaborating on Paramount’s upcoming feature film version of Baywatch. It seems they’ve managed to attract some major acting talent for this film, and will hopefully turn King of the Kastle into a riotous comedy.
We’ll keep you posted when we hear more.