From writer/director Peter Livolsi, the indie dramedy The House of Tomorrow follows sheltered 16-year-old Sebastian (Asa Butterfield), who was raised inside a geodesic dome. When a stroke sidelines the grandmother (Ellen Burstyn) that he lives with, Sebastian starts sneaking out to spend time with Jared (Alex Wolff), a chain-smoking punk music obsessed teen with a heart transplant who he met on a guided tour of their home. Soon, the two have a band and a real friendship, and Sebastian must decide if he wants to carry on with the teachings of futurist Buckminster Fuller for his grandmother or if he wants to choose his own next step in life.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actor Asa Butterfield talked about why he wanted to play this character, what most struck him about this story and the work of Buckminster Fuller, who is actually a real person, what it was like to be in the dome, the immediate friendship he had with Alex Wolff, and how much fun he had getting to learn the bass and play live for this film. He also talked about working with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on the horror comedy Slaughterhouse Rulez, enjoying his time off, and what he looks for in a project.

Collider:  When this came your way, you’ve said you were you were asked to consider both Sebastian and Jared, to see which character you leaned more toward. What was it about Sebastian that ultimately pulled you more in his direction?

ASA BUTTERFIELD:  I don’t know. It was a mixture of things. I knew that the Jared character would need be someone who was incredible confident in music, and punk music in particular. I am a musician, I play the piano, and I love music, but I loved Sebastian’s journey and his rebellion through music and the discovery of it. I thought that was a really sweet story. Me and Alex both were in the same situation, where we naturally leant toward each character. It was great.

This is a coming of age story, which we’ve seen a lot of, but one that feels very unique and different. When you did finally read the full script, and you learned about this kid who was living in a dome with his grandmother, what most struck you about the story?

BUTTERFIELD:  That’s a good question. All of these characters have their own voice, and they’re unique and different. Jared has this pain inside of him that he’s deflecting through confidence. And then, Meredith is trying to juggle all of these things and keep her family together while she’s a teenage girl. I just thought it was an amazing ensemble.

These characters are teenagers, but they feel and talk like they’re real teenagers and not a movie’s version of teenagers. Was that important to you?

BUTTERFIELD:  You’re right, and that’s something which can’t really be written. They did a great job in the script, but so much of it comes through the reality of the situation. Me, Maude [Apatow] and Alex [Wolff] all bonded incredibly well. That ease and friendship made those conversations feel very real and genuine.

This movie also has the added element that Buckminster Fuller was a real person. What did you find interesting about what you learned about him, from making this movie? 

BUTTERFIELD:  I knew literally nothing about him, before I read the story and script. I knew of the dome, but I had no idea about his legacy. If we did all listen to him, we would probably be in a better place, but this is where we are. I think it’s an interesting foundation for a film. His philosophy is interesting and really unique. I haven’t seen that before in a movie. The dome gives an amazing shape to the movie, with the angles and the light. It put the film on another plane, which helps it. It is a quirky movie. It’s quite odd, but it doesn’t feel out of place.

How was the experience of being in the dome? Did it make you appreciate not having to live in a dome, or did it make you want to hang out there?

BUTTERFIELD:  The dome was actually awesome. We spent a lot of time in there, in the forest, essentially, and it was beautiful. The dome is gorgeous. [The people] who own the land and the dome were so incredibly generous with their time and letting us use their home. I don’t think I could live in one, but I was grateful to get to hang out there for the movie. I like the idea of settling in there for a month and never living, and immersing yourself in it. It is very encapsulating and isolating, but in a nice way. It’s weird.

What do you think it is about this moment in Sebastian’s life that makes him decide to explore life outside of the dome he’s been living in?

BUTTERFIELD:  I think he’s always known that he’s been missing something, in the world outside of the dome. He’s just a naturally curious kid and he wants to experience things. When he hears that punk track, for the first time, and he sees this kid who’s not afraid of anything and who’s brash, it’s exciting for him. I would imagine he doesn’t have much excitement at home with his grandmother, so like any kid, he’s looking for something.

Did you and Alex Wolff get to spend any time getting to know each other, prior to shooting this?

BUTTERFIELD: We didn’t really have time. We didn’t know each other prior. We knew of each other. I was so lucky to be working with him and to be able to do this film with him because I honestly would not have given the performance I did, if it wasn’t for Alex. He’s so good. The chemistry we have is real because we get on so well. We immediately had that connection, and that’s really tangible in the movie. You can feel that. We were really lucky.

You learned to play bass guitar for this film and got to play live in this film, and even got to play live at a real bar. What was it like to get to live out a bit of a rock star fantasy, as a result of this film?

BUTTERFIELD:  We had so much fun, both me and Alex. We got on and still get on incredibly well. He’s one of my best friends. We spent every minute that we weren’t working playing and practicing and jamming out. It was so much fun! I love music. I love playing music and I love listening to music. And I’ve always wanted to play the bass guitar. I think it’s a really cool instrument and I absolutely took to it. I loved it! To do that final performance was one of the best days of my life. It was so much fun. It was hard work, but it was incredibly rewarding.

How did playing bass in the film compare to playing bass for a real show with a real audience? 

BUTTERFIELD:  The show we did beforehand, just to get a taste of that experience. Alex has done that before, but I had never done it. We just wanted to feel the energy of what it would be like, and then try to create that again for the movie. It was supposed to be messy and angry, so we couldn’t really go wrong, as long as we showed that kind of anger and didn’t hold back.

You also have Slaughterhouse Rulez, with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, coming out this year, which sounds crazy. How did you find the experience of working with that and what can people expect from that film?

BUTTERFIELD:  That’s gonna be an interesting one. I did that last year, and it’s a comedy/horror, as Simon Pegg does so well. I loved working with the two of them, as well as with the great cast. It’s set in an English private school, and I play one of the students there, who’s incredibly sarcastic and dry and funny, which was a lot of fun to play with. I enjoyed inhabiting that character, who’s very witty. It’s very bizarre. I’m excited to see it.

What are you looking to do next? Do you know the kind of project that you’re looking to do?

BUTTERFIELD:  I’m not shooting anything, at the moment. I’ve got a few potential things lined up, but I’m not quite sure yet what I will be doing. I’m enjoying time off, at the moment. It’s nice being at home. I’m taking it easy.

At this point in your career, what are you looking for, in a project and character?

BUTTERFIELD:  It’s a combination. You want to find a character you can relate to, or you think will be exciting or memorable. You also want to be invested in the story and all of the characters, and tell a story that’s original or exciting or funny. There are a lot of factors when I’m looking at a project, like who’s involved, as far as the director and the cast members.

The House of Tomorrow is now in theaters.