Blumhouse has officially found their Charlie McGee for the upcoming remake of Firestarter starring Zac Efron. Per Deadline, Ryan Kiera Armstrong has been cast in the lead role of the film adaptation from Blumhouse, Weed Road Pictures, and Universal, based on the original horror novel by Stephen King. The news also revealed an image of Armstrong in the first official look at the movie.
Armstrong is no stranger to the horror genre, already having acted in several notable franchises. She has joined the cast of American Horror Story for its upcoming tenth season and also made a memorable appearance in It Chapter Two, facing off against Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise in a particularly creepy scene.
On Firestarter, Armstrong joins the previously cast Efron as Charlie's father Andy McGee as well as Michael Greyeyes in the role of Rainbird. The film was confirmed to have started production via a tweet from the official Blumhouse account last week, revealing an intense pyrotechnic stunt that indicates the upcoming remake won't be shying away from heating things up on the set. Keith Thomas (The Vigil) will direct, with screenplay adapted by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills, Rectify). Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman are producing, with Martha De Laurentiis, an associate producer on the 1984 film version, serving as executive producer.
Armstrong also has an extensive resume already for such a young actress. Additional projects include Netflix series Anne With an E, as well as the soon-to-be-released The Tomorrow War with Chris Pratt. She also currently has an uncredited role in Black Widow, though it's possible she could be playing a younger version of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff or Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.
Firestarter does not yet have a release date. Keep checking back with Collider for more news on the project.