Michael Greyeyes Joins Blumhouse’s Stephen King Pic ‘Firestarter’

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Greyeyes has been cast as the character of Rainbird in Universal-Blumhouse-Weed Road Pictures’ adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel Firestarter.

In Firestarter, a young girl develops pyrokinetic abilities and is abducted by a secret government agency that wants to harness her powerful gift as a weapon.

More from Deadline

• Jennifer Lopez Movie 'Marry Me' Has Wedding Date Postponed

• Renée Zellweger To Star In NBC True-Crime Limited Series 'The Thing About Pam' From Blumhouse

• Golden Globe Nominee Chloé Zhao Directing 'Dracula' For Universal

Rainbird is a relentless powerful man who has been pushed into a violent life. The character was played by Oscar winner George C. Scott in the original 1984 movie.

Greyeyes recently received rave reviews from critics for his gripping portrayal of Makwa/Michael, in Wild Indian, the feature debut by writer/director Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr, which premiered in competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. This Spring, he will star opposite Ed Helms in the new Peacock comedy Rutherford Falls, co-created and executive produced by Helms, Mike Schur (Parks and Recreation, The Good Place) and Sierra Teller Ornelas. The series is set in a small town in upstate New York and the Native American reservation it borders. Additionally, he will return for the second season of the Apple+ Original mystery drama series Home Before Dark, which was renewed for a second season before the first season aired.

As previously announced, Keith Thomas (The Vigil) will direct Firestarter which is being adapted by writer Scott Teems (Halloween Kills, Rectify), who will also executive produce. Jason Blum and Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman will produce. Martha De Laurentiis, who was an associate producer on the 1984 adaptation of Firestarter starring a young Drew Barrymore, will executive produce.

Greyeyes had recurring roles in HBO’s anthology crime drama True Detective opposite Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff, and the HBO limited series, I Know This Much Is True opposite Mark Ruffalo and Fear of the Walking Dead. He also starred in the independent horror film, Blood Quantum, written and directed by Mi’gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, which featured an Indigenous cast. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The film blends horror with socio political subtext, imagining a world in which those with indigenous blood are immune to a vicious zombie apocalypse. Other feature credits include Disney+’s Togo, Woman Walks Ahead, and Terrence Malick’s The New World.

Greyeyes’s select directing credits include: A Soldier’s Tale, from thine eyes (Signal Theatre), Pimooteewin (Soundstreams), Almighty Voice and his Wife (Native Earth Performing Arts), & Seven Seconds (2010 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival). Most recently he directed Yvette Nolan’s adaptation of Aristophanes The Birds at York University, where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre in the School of Arts, Performance, Media and Design.

Greyeyes is represented by TalentWorks, The Artist Representation Company and Mills Kaplan Entertainment.

Best of Deadline

• U.S. Covid-19 Update: Nation Falls Below 100,000 Daily New Cases For First Time In 3 Months

• Coronavirus: Movies That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak

• Hong Kong Filmart Postponed Due To Coronavirus Fears; Event Moves Two Weeks Before Toronto

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.