After a nationwide audition search for his Super 8 lead, J.J. Abrams narrowed it down to the Idaho-raised newcomer Joel Courtney. The child actor was a perfect addition to one of the strongest elements of the film, the relationship between he and his friends. With Super 8 being a big hit for Paramount, the actor how found two more projects, but not in the blockbuster realm
Variety reports that he in talks to join the indies Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn and The Healer. The former film is directorial and writing debut for Jo Kastner, who will take on the adaptation of the classic by Mark Twain. Courtney, in what looks to be perfect casting, will play Tom Sawyer, a “mischievous troublemaker in search of endless adventures in 1850s Missouri.” But it won’t shoot there, rather late this summer in Bulgaria.
The next film he is attached to is The Healer, from writer/director Giorgio Serafini, who recently helmed Wesley Snipes’ direct-to-DVD actioner Game of Death. The film follows “an ailing father who takes his two teenage kids into the woods to renew the bond they shared before a divorce. The trio are soon swept into a supernatural adventure in a haunted forest.” He won’t have much of a break as the film shoots this September in North Carolina.
His Sawyer project sounds appealing, but I can’t say the same about the latter, based on Serafini’s rough track record. We’ve seen breakout child stars hit bottom before, but I think Courtney has some strong potential, so I hope he truly believes in these projects and isn’t just signing onto anything that comes his way.
Which Courtney project are you most excited for? Did you like him in Super 8?