20th Century Fox and Walden Media are beginning to round out the cast of the upcoming adaptation of The Dark Is Rising. After nabbing Ian McShane earlier this week, Gregory Smith and Christopher Eccleston have become the two latest additions.
Gregory Smith, Christopher Eccleston for The Dark Is Rising
The Dark Is Rising tells the story of a teenager (newcomer Alexander Ludwig) who learns that he is the last of a group of warriors who have dedicated their lives to fighting the forces of the Dark. Traveling back and forth through time, he hunts for clues while encountering the forces of evil and discovers that the future of the world rests in his hands.
I was not the biggest fan of the book, which makes me wonder how 'kiddie' Walden Media wants to go with this one. Since Fox recently blew Eragon -- it should have been a cinch -- I am also curious on how they plan to move forward with this adaptation.
Smith will play the teen's older brother, an edgy young man with piercings and tattoos who questions their father's authority. The character later delivers an important artifact to the teen from abroad.
Eccleston has been given the task of playing the movie's villain, the Rider. The teen and the Rider have many encounters throughout the book with a final showdown that culminates near the end.
With the addition of Eccleston and Smith, the cast also includes Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, Amelia Warner, Emma Lockhart, Gary Entin, Edmund Entin, Jonathan Jackson and John Benjamin Hickey.
Smith is best known for the TV series Everwood while Eccleston is currently dodging looks by playing Mr. Invisible in Heroes.
Production on The Dark Is Rising is expected to begin February 26th in Romania.
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