For many reasons, the Goldfinch movie is one of the most anticipated literary adaptations in recent memory. The source material by Donna Tartt has already won a Pulitzer Prize, while also building a large, dedicated fan base, and John Crowley, of the Oscar-nominated Brooklyn, has already signed on to direct the movie. The Goldfinch is a project that screams both “Prestige” and “If this doesn’t do the book justice, people will riot.” Expectations are high.
Information, meanwhile, is starting to trickle out. And because The Goldfinch is a decades-spanning tale involving many characters, there is a lot to keep track of. So for the Finchheads out there—that is a nickname that I just created for people who love the book, and it is now canon—who want to know how things are shaping up, here is a helpful exchange of pertinent questions and informative answers.
Let’s just get the most important question out of the way first: Who is going to play our beloved Goldfinch protagonist, Theo?
Theo is going to be played by noted New York Knicks fan and sweater enthusiast Ansel Elgort, who joined the project back in October.
Oh, wait, that’s actually perfect. He just played a thief in Baby Driver, and Theo becomes part of the underworld of art thievery and forgery.
That isn’t a question.
OK, then, how about this: Who’s going to play Boris, Theo’s friend?
Well, this is a two-parter. Young Boris—whom Theo first meets after his mother dies in a terrorist attack—will be played by Stranger Things and It star Finn Wolfhard, who, between his acting projects, band, and weird mayonnaise commercials, is officially the busiest 15-year-old ever.
He’s 15? Hm. Are we sure he’s not too young to play Young Boris?
While Wolfhard does look a little fresh in the face—note that in Stranger Things he plays a 12-year-old—he is the right age. In the Las Vegas section of The Goldfinch, Boris is close to 15, so don’t worry, it works.
But isn’t Ansel Elgort only 23?
Yes.
And isn’t he playing the older version of Theo?
Yes.
Don’t you think he’s too close in age to Young Theo and Young Boris to play Old Theo?
I think you’re maybe thinking about it too much.
OK, fine. So who’s playing Young Theo?
Actually, that’s really the only main part that hasn’t been cast yet. On IMDb, it says Oakes Fegley—a.k.a. Pete from Pete’s Dragon—is rumored to have a role in The Goldfinch, and he’d make a lot of sense as Young Theo, but that is yet to be confirmed.
But they have cast someone to play older Boris?
Yes—older Boris will be played by Aneurin Barnard, who was one of the soldiers in Dunkirk.
Hold on. … Every soldier in Dunkirk looked the same. Who, exactly, did he play in Dunkirk?
He was the French soldier who was trying to escape Dunkirk with the main dude. Remember? The one who never spoke? Shoot, I see your point; the soldiers did all look alike. But trust me: Barnard was good in Dunkirk; he made you care about his character even though he barely spoke and shared several scenes with Harry Styles.
Have any other roles been cast?
Jeffrey Wright is in talks to play Hobie (read: it’s probably happening), the man who gives Theo a stable upbringing after the traumatic death of his mother. Luke Wilson is going to play Theo’s father, Larry Decker, and Sarah Paulson will play Larry’s girlfriend, Xandra.
Isn’t Sarah Paulson in everything nowadays?
Yes, and The Goldfinch should be grateful that she’s giving her time to the production.
Speaking of production, have they started filming yet?
Not yet, but with the cast being rounded out, filming will likely begin later this year.
So can you tell me when the movie is coming out?
No. But it’s coming together, the cast is great, and there’s a very capable, Oscar-nominated director at the helm. The Goldfinch could be in much worse hands.
That’s good to hear. But back to the age thi—
No.
