Can Teenager Asa Butterfield Play a Young Ender?

Written by

Aramis Knight, Asa Butterfield, Editorial

It’s already been made clear by early casting calls for the film adaptation of Ender’s Game that Ender has been aged up from 5 to 10.

Obviously, finding the right five year-old actor to portray the child genius Andrew could have kept the movie in limbo for yet another 20 years no matter how strong the script, so aging him up is an understandable change to a science fiction classic that has been a favorite of readers for decades.

Still, when it was announced that Asa Butterfield had been offered the key role, I have to admit I had reservations. Sure, he looked the part of an older Ender, but could he play the younger Ender as well?

Pictured right, Butterfield looks like a teenager. It’s moderately difficult to see how this young man could pull off being so young. Past pivotal young male roles were cast pretty close to their character’s ages. Haley Joel Osment was 10 when he filmed The Sixth Sense and his character was 9 years old. Macaulay Culkin was 9 when he played 8 year-old Kevin McCallister. Butterfield looked very young in Hugo, but his character was twelve years old.

Fourteen years old when he was cast and just recently turned fifteen this April, could Asa Butterfield be made to look like he is a young 10 year-old boy? Photos posted to Twitter today seem to support that the answer to that is a convincing yes.

Asa Butterfield and Aramis Knight

This photo was posted by Asa Butterfield (left) and Aramis Knight (Bean, right) today and Asa does look a lot younger with his military hairstyle, though it could be the angle and camera filter playing tricks on the eyes. It could just be the expression on his face.

What do you think, folks? Does he look like he can pull off 10 years old? After seeing the photos posted today, my reservations have definitely begun to fade away.

Hopefully we’ll get a real photo of Ender soon. Everyone cross your fingers for next week!

View more photos below:

Aramis Knight Asa Butterfield

Comments

11 responses to “Can Teenager Asa Butterfield Play a Young Ender?”

April 24, 2012

CaelumXIII

Hmmm…. I think he looks too much like Malcolm in the Middle…. Not sure if that’s good. I think Ender is meant to be more… hmm… “deep-thinking-looking”. We haven’t had a real glimpse at him, but I’m not sure if this look will suit the worn-down Ender described almost at the end of the book… I just hope they don’t make this film all quirky and hollywoody. Depth, despair and sigh are the essence of this story. So far so good though; the cast rocks.

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May 30, 2012

anonymous

he looks cute and sexy in all of them xxx

🙂

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June 13, 2012

Maolai

Hmm…I still think he looks too old to play Ender. And so does the actor for Bean. I don’t know. He’s supposed to be only 6 at the beginning, so…a 15-year-old? Playing a 6-year-old? I’m not sure if that would work out too well at all.
Anyway, even if the movie doesn’t work out, it’s still the best book I’ve ever read! It’s so good! I imagine Ender with dark hair and dark eyes, and I imagine Valentine with light brown hair and green eyes. I think I’m going to be surprised–very surprised–by the rest of the cast.
Can’t wait for the movie! I can’t expect it to be as excellent as the book (movies rarely are), but I hope it is very close!

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November 8, 2012

The Consequences of Placing the Weight of a Fandom on a Child’s Shoulders

[…] is 15 years old and Ender Wiggin was five when he left home for Battle School. I’ve written about this topic before and will continue to defend the studio’s decision to age Ender up because the fact of the […]

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November 4, 2013

chairde

I saw the movie but the endless reliance on special effects annoyed me. When they stayed close to the book it was entertaining. The special effects were taken from Star Trek and Star Wars and others. A Death Star killing a planet, Harry Potter type of flying games, aliens acting Borge like but looking like the insects in that Starship Trooper movie. It could have been so much better.

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1. November 4, 2013
  
  EnderWiggin.net
  
  Yes, but you do realize that Ender’s Game the novel came before Star Wars, Star Trek’s Borg, Harry Potter, and Starship Troopers right?
  
  Reply
  1. November 4, 2013
    
    Lauren
    
    Star Wars came out in 1977. Ender’s Game was written in 1985. The Star Trek tv show was in the 60s and had creatures that communicated this way also. To say these ideas aren’t new isn’t surprising. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a brilliant story. These elements can be used in unique ways again and again.
    
    Reply
    1. November 4, 2013
      
      EnderWiggin.net
      
      Sure but she mentioned the Borg for Star Trek, which I believe is from TNG. That said, I don’t think a hive mind is an original idea, but it doesn’t mean it’s a ripoff either.
      
      Reply
January 15, 2014

Alice

They really had no choice but to age the characters up because no 6 year old that looks the part of Ender could possibly get into the mind-space of Ender.

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February 12, 2015

May

I luv ASA!!!!!!!!!!

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