'Ender's Game' Casts Canadian Teen Star Brendan Meyer (Exclusive)

Rob Daly

The casting for the film adaptation of the Orson Scott Card sci-fi novel, Ender’s Game, is heating up. And an inside source tells The Hollywood Reporter that Canadian teen star Brendan Meyer has joined the OddLot project.

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Meyer will play Stilson, Ender’s (Hugo’s Asa Butterfield) classmate who taunted him during ground school in the futuristic film.

The 17-year-old actor has starred in the titular role of Adam Young on the YTV and Disney XD series, Mr. Young, as a child prodigy who graduated from college at 14 and returns to his area high school as its science teacher.

Ender's Game is described as the story of “a young boy, a genius strategist, who is drafted by the International Fleet to destroy the alien Formic race.”

Hailee Steinfeld and Ben Kingsley are currently in negotiations to join the film.

Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) wrote the script and is set to direct the film. The producing team includes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (2009’s Star Trek, Transformers), OddLot’s Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough, as well as Lynn Hendee, Robert Chartoff and Card.

The film will be executive produced by OddLot’s Bill Lischak, K/O’s Mandy Safavi, Digital Domain’s Cliff Plumer and Ed Ulbrich. Summit is the domestic distributor and is co-financing. Digital Domain is also a financial partner in the movie. The production is set to start shooting early next year in New Orleans with a March 2013 release date.

OddLot also co-produced the film, Drive, which just scored a supporting actor Golden Globe nomination for Albert Brooks.

Meyer is represented by The Gersh Agency and Play Management.

UPDATE Wednesday, March 7: Meyer is no longer part of The Ender's Game cast. The actor writes on Facebook, "Hey guys. Unfortunately, I had to leave the cast of Ender's Game due to a last minute scheduling conflict. Although I'm disappointed, I wish the cast and crew all the best with this awesome movie. I'll be announcing my new & exciting projects in the next couple of days, so keep an eye out. Thanks for your support!"

Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter: @TheRealJethro