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Ben Platt Joins Cast Of Ang Lee’s ‘Billy Flynn’s Long Halftime Walk’

EXCLUSIVE: I hear the up-and-comer — recently of The Book Of Mormon on Broadway, the films Ricki And The Flash and the Pitch Perfect mini-franchise — has been cast in Ang Lee’s adaptation of the acclaimed 2012 Ben Fountain novel about a group of servicemen sent on a “Victory Tour” after returning from combat in Iraq. The trip takes them to Texas, where they’re hosted by the Dallas Cowboys at Thanksgiving time. Already cast are Garrett Hedlund (Unbroken), Steve Martin and Joe Alwyn. Lee begins shooting Billy Flynn’s Long Halftime Walk this month in Atlanta from a script by Oscar winner Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire). Platt will be playing Josh, who works for the Cowboys organization and is the point person in charge of taking care of the Bravo Squad during its day at the football stadium. The character is described as “hyper-competent and eager to please.”

This summer, young Platt returns to the stage — heading south to Washington D.C., where he’ll be playing the title character in the original musical Dear Evan Hansen, a new show from the terrific team behind Dogfight, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, staged by Michael Greif (Rent). Pitch Perfect 2 comes out in May, Ricki And The Flash later in the summer.

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