Jason Mitchell, the young actor making a name for himself with his portrayal of rapper Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton, is in negotiations to join the cast of Legendary’s Kong: Skull Island.
The move will reunite him with Corey Hawkins, his Compton co-star (Hawkins plays Dr. Dre) who is already cast in the monster movie. Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and Toby Kebbell are also already on the manifest of the ship that takes a crew of explorers to the mysterious, creature-laden isle that is also the home of Kong, the king of the apes.
Insiders say that Mitchell will play an easygoing pilot.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts is directing the big-budget project, which last week brought on screenwriter Derek Connolly for rewrites as it heads toward a late-October production start in Hawaii.
Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent. The movie is scheduled for a March 10, 2017, release.
Mitchell is currently shooting Keanu, the New Line comedy from Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, and will be seen in the indie Vincent-N-Roxxy with Emile Hirsch and Zoe Kravitz.
This is his first deal since bursting off the screen in Compton, in which he portrayed the key member of N.W.A who died of complications from AIDS in 1995.
Mitchell is repped by UTA, Authentic Talent & Literary, and Ziffren Brittenham.
