Straight Outta Compton and bound for Kong: Skull Island – The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Jason Mitchell has been recruited for Legendary’s big-budget creature feature.
Playing Easy-E in F. Gary Gray’s adorned musical biopic, Mitchell turned heads and raised eyebrows with his breakout performance, and now the up-and-comer is plotting course for the blockbuster scene. No word yet on who he will play in Skull Island, though word of his casting arrives on the heels of Fantastic Four‘s Toby Kebbell joining the project, which is to be directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.
Truth be told, Kong: Skull Island sidestepped a potential pitfall earlier in the year when it lost both Michael Keaton and J.K. Simmons – two actors who are widely seen to be hot property in the wake of Birdman and Whiplash. And though the origin tale is yet to fill in those roles left vacant by the departing stars, fans are still chomping at the bit to see Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson plot course for the titular, primordial isle. As for Mitchell, he will be reuniting with his fellow Straight Outta Compton co-star Corey Hawkins in the film.
Legendary Pictures is keen to set the project in motion following the rip-roaring success of Jurassic World, and we understand that Skull Island is primed to pounce in front of the cameras in late October. The studio is also taking a leaf out of Universal’s book by drafting in Derek Connolly to add an extra sheen of polish to the script. Connolly isn’t the first scribe to rein in the monstrous project, with Godzilla‘s Max Borenstein, John Gatins and Dan Gilroy all contributing to the screenplay at one point or another.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Kong: Skull Island will roar to life on March 10, 2017.
