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‘I Am Number Four’ Sets Sights on ‘District 9’ Star Sharlto Copley

Filed under: ActionSci-Fi & FantasyCastingNew ReleasesDreamworksSteven Spielberg

District 9 star Sharlto Copley isn’t a household name yet, but that might change in the not too distant future. The actor has wrapped up work on this summer’s movie version of ’80s television series The A-Team(where he’ll play Howling Mad Murdock) and now THR’s Heat Vision blog is reporting he’s in negotiations to appear in a new sci-film with franchise potential entitled I Am Number Four.

Dreamworks has the rights to the title, based on the first novel in a planned six book young adult series by authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes. Adapted by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar, I Am Number Four is about a group of aliens who escape to Earth after their home world is annihilated by a rival species. Once here, they disguise themselves as regular high school students and presumably do their best to fit in. Alex Pettyfer has already been cast as Number Four, while Copley would be playing an alien from a lower class who finds himself as Four’s adult guardian. I’m guessing some wacky situations arise out of this arrangement.

D.J. Caruso is set to direct with Spielberg and Michael Bay handling production duties — so at least we know this won’t be some cheap-looking book tie-in. I expect explosions and maybe even a few “giant f***ing robots” from the Bay camp.

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