Production is set to begin on the Disney streaming service exclusive film Stargirl, based on Jerry Spinelli’s YA novel of the same title. Now the film has found its male lead.
Fargo actor Graham Verchere has been cast as Leo Borlock. Verchere will star opposite America’s Got Talent winner Grace VanderWaal, who is playing the title role of role of Stargirl.
Originally published in 2000, Stargirl tells the story of a strange girl, formerly home-schooled, and how she took her high school by storm with her eccentric behavior and eclectic dress sense. The story is told from the viewpoint of Leo, a shy boy who comes to admire Stargirl for her strong sense of individuality and unwillingness to change, even when she is bullied by the most popular girl in school. A New York Times Best Seller upon its initial release, Stargirl won multiple awards, including a place on the American Library Association’s Top Ten Best Books for Teens list.
Stargirl is set to be directed by Julia Hart (Miss Stevens) and will be produced and written by The Departed producer Kristin Hahn. The film is expected to begin filming September 24 in Arizona and New Mexico.
