Ella Bright joins Mason Thames in Sony comedy Narcs
Ella Bright has been cast as the female lead opposite Mason Thames in Narcs, Sony Pictures' coming-of-age comedy, Deadline reported on 25 September.
The part pairs two young actors at speed. Thames was already set as the male lead. Bright now completes the central pairing for a story about growing up, which is what the coming-of-age label means in comedy.
Narcs will be the first film directed by John Phillips. The script is by Jordan Shipley and Justin Shipley, with a rewrite by Phillips and Gene Stupnitsky, according to the same report. Stupnitsky is also producing through his company Big Name Entertainment.
Viewers may recognise Phillips from his writing credits. He wrote the comedies No Hard Feelings, Good Boys and Dirty Grandpa. This is his move behind the camera for the first time.
Bright arrives with momentum from streaming. She stars opposite Belmont Cameli in Prime Video's romantic drama series Off Campus. The show drew 36 million viewers worldwide in its first 12 days on the service, Deadline reported, and it was renewed for a second season ahead of its May premiere.
She has a long screen history for a young actor. She played a young Kate Middleton on Netflix's The Crown. She also starred in Malory Towers, the historical drama series based on the Enid Blyton books.
Her next screen role outside Narcs is already lined up. She will star alongside Finn Cole and Ben Foster in Gable, a wrestling drama based on real life.
For fans, this means a quick shift in gear. Off Campus put Bright in a romantic lead watched around the world. Narcs keeps her in a central role, this time in a cinema comedy from a major Hollywood studio.
