John Boyega has just signed on for his first major role after his forthcoming appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
According to Deadline, the 23-year-old British actor has landed a key part in The Circle, an adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Dave Eggers, alongside Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. Boyega will play Ty, the founder of a futuristic company which is an amalgamation of Facebook, Twitter, Google and every other major online brand. He strikes up a relationship with an employee, played by Watson.
The film will be directed by James Ponsoldt, whose last film The End of the Tour received rave reviews after premiering at the Sundance film festival. It tells the story of the five-day interview between a Rolling Stone reporter and author David Foster Wallace.
Boyega originally broke out in the sci-fi comedy Attack the Block, and after a few false starts, including a failed HBO boxing drama, he finally landed a plum role in the next Star Wars film, out this December.
The actor’s casting caused unrest among some Star Wars fans due to his race. Boyega appeared to respond to the online comments via his Instagram page, saying: “To whom it may concern … get used to it.”
