Alden Ehrenreich has replaced Jack O’Connell as the male lead in supernatural love story “Beautiful Creatures” due to scheduling conflicts for O’Connell.
Alcon Entertainment made the announcement Wednesday. Filming will begin later this month in and around New Orleans.
Ehrenreich and Alice Englert will portray star-crossed teenage lovers, a local boy and a mysterious new girl who uncover dark secrets about their families, their history and their town.
Project’s based on the novel of the same name by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl as the first in a three-book series published by Little Brown Books that also includes “Beautiful Darkness” and “Beautiful Chaos.”
Alcon is looking at “Creatures” to kick off a possible franchise at Warner Bros., where Alcon has its output deal.
Ehrenreich will join Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Zoey Deutch, Margo Martindale and Rachel Brosnahan, with Richard LaGravenese directing from his adaptation.
Ehrenreich recently completed filming on “Stoker,” starring Mia Wasikowska and Nicole Kidman, for Fox Searchlight.
Erwin Stoff (“Water for Elephants”) will produce “Beautiful Creatures” along with Molly Smith and Alcon toppers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.
