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By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act
And I was just having a conversation about what John Boyega would do next now that “Star Wars” is in the can, and will be out in a few months. The man still has to keep working after all, despite all the press and probably a healthy paycheck he’s received for being a part of that mega franchise.
The young British actor has signed up to join Tom Hanks and Emma Watson in “The Circle,” an adaptation of Dave Eggers‘ novel of the same name – in a nutshell, a satirical tale about a globally-dominant Google-esque tech company that erodes humanity’s concept of personal privacy.
Watson will play a recent college graduate who lands a job at that powerful tech company (called The Circle), which is owned by a charismatic employer (played by Hanks). Boyega has inked a deal to co-star in the film, playing Ty, who’s described as “the iconized boy-wonder visionary” of The Circle company, who develops a relationship with Watson’ character after she starts working at the company. It’s said to be a lead role.
Here’s Amazon’s description of the book: “When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.”
James Ponsoldt (“The Spectacular Now”) is attached to direct from his own script, with shooting set to begin in September in California.
The film is being produced by Hanks and Gary Goetzman for Playtone, Anthony Bregman for Likely Story and Ponsoldt.
Deadline was first to report the news of Boyega’s casting.