Billy Howle has joined Saoirse Ronan in the cast of ‘On Chesil Beach’.
The newcomer will play Edward Mayhew opposite the actress as Florence Ponting, a newlywed couple honeymooning at Dorset’s Chesil Beach in the 19660s.
The film will be made under Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley’s Number 9 Films and Karlsen believes the 25-year-old actor is the perfect fit for the role in the adaptation of Ian McEwan’s 2007 bestselling novel.
Speaking to Deadline, Elizabeth said: "The character of Edward has a lot of qualities that are hard to find in young people today but Billy has all the qualities of strength, innocence, sensitivity and a certain kind of rage that are needed for this complex role."
Dominic Cooke will direct and it will mark his first feature film.
Number 9 teamed up with BBC films to develop the project and Lionsgate has the UK rights to the film.
‘On Chesil Beach’ is set to start filming in October.
It will mark the second time Saoirse has starred in an adaptation of a McEwan novel as she starred, and was Oscar nominated for her performance, in 2007’s ‘Atonement’.
Although Billy has not yet been seen in a feature film he has completed two, which are yet to be released.
He has filmed ‘The Sense of Ending’ with Emily Mortimer and Charlotte Rampling, and ‘The Seagull’ opposite Annette Bening and his ‘On Chesil Beach’ co-star Saoirse.
Billy Howle will star in the Ian McEwan adaptation of On Chesil Beach
