Here’s a positive sign for The Way, Way Back: After casting Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Allison Janney, and Toni Collette in, I imagine, major roles, the film has only just found its lead actor. (Not that a good supporting cast instantly equals quality material, mind you, but it’s still a damn good supporting cast.)

Said lead actor, as per Variety‘s word, is Liam James, a young fellow best known for his work on TV’s The Killing and in Roland Emmerich‘s 2012 — let’s consider this an upgrade — who will be playing “a teen boy who struggles to find himself as he comes to terms with his unattentive mother (Toni Collette) and cheating stepfather (Steve Carell) during summer vacation.” On this very vacation, he begins secret (?) work at a waterpark and, because of this, accrues enough courage to mend all that’s wrong in his life.

James is something of a wild card for myself, being someone who stopped watching The Killing after the first season and, on top of that, never even bothering to check out 2012 — although that film probably isn’t the best litmus test of his talents. But Faxon & Rash have clearly got a good handle on casting, anyhow, so I really doubt they’d make such a big misstep a) this late into the game, and b) on what’s clearly Back‘s biggest character. I’ll give all three concerned parties my full confidence, thus only making this exciting film even more promising.

How do you think James will handle himself in Back, especially with such talent surrounding him?