Nicholas Hoult has had a bit of rocky start to 2013. The zombie rom-com “Warm Bodies” was an unexpected hit, and also largely found favor with the critics, while the tentpole “Jack The Giant Slayer” barely debuted at number one and pretty much plummeted from there. Still, Hoult — who shoots “X-Men: Days Of Future Past” this spring — is continuing to mix it up with Rupert Wyatt‘s WWI tale “Birdsong” on his slate, as well as the indie “Young Ones,” and now he’s coming on board a thriller that already has two strong actresses attached.
Hoult has joined the fast-developing “Dark Places” starring Charlize Theron and Chloe Moretz. An adaptation of the novel by best-selling author Gillian Flynn, the story centers on Libby Day (Theron), who as a teenager witnesses her family get murdered, and testifies against her brother when he is tried for the crime. 25 years later, Libby is brought before the secretive, crime-solving Kill Club who want to uncover the truth about what happened. Hoult will play Lyle, the treasurer of the Kill Club, thus proving that no group, no matter how odd, needs a treasurer.
“Sarah’s Key” helmer Gilles Paquet-Brenner is writing and directing and there’s no start date yet, and we presume “Dark Places” will have to wait until ‘Future Past’ wraps. [Deadline]
