Blumhouse Finds New ‘Firestarter’ Star in Ryan Kiera Armstrong
Up and coming actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong (“American Horror Story,” “The Tomorrow War”) has been cast as Charlie in the new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic sci-fi thriller “Firestarter” from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse and Weed Road Pictures. Armstrong is featured as Charlie in the picture above.
Armstrong joins Zac Efron and Michael Greyeyes who were previously announced.
Keith Thomas (“The Vigil”) is directing the film. Scott Teems (“Halloween Kills”) is writing the screenplay.
Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman will produce. Martha De Laurentiis, who served as an associate producer on the 1984 adaptation of “Firestarter” starring Drew Barrymore, will executive produce.
The film will follow a young girl who develops pyrokinetic abilities and is abducted by a secret government agency that wants to use her powers as a weapon.
King’s novel was first published in 1980 and the following year, the book was nominated as Best Novel for the British Fantasy Award, Locus Poll Award and Balrog Award, and in 1984, it was adapted into a feature film that also starred David Keith and Martin Sheen. A mini-series follow-up, “Firestarter: Rekindled,” was released in 2002.
Ryan Kiera Armstrong was born in New York City in 2010. The youngest of five siblings, Ryan began her professional acting career in 2015. The young actress has worked with Julie Taymor, Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Timothy Hutton, Bill Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried, Milo Ventimiglia, Kevin Costner, Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Betty Gilpin and J.K. Simmons, to name a few. Armstrong most recently joined the tenth season cast of “American Horror Story.” Previous credits include “Anne with an E,” “It: Chapter II” and “The Glorias.”
Armstrong is represented by Innovative Artists and Noble Caplan Abrams.
Deadline first reported the news.