Back in September, we brought you details about a casting call for the big-screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s classic novel Ender’s Game. The characters listed in the casting call were Ender Wiggin, Ender’s brother Peter Wiggin, his sister Valentine Wiggin, Ender’s bully Bonzo Madrid, Commander of the Rat Army, Rose the Nose; Ender’s friends Dink Meeker, Petra Arkanian, Bean and Alai, and Mick

Now, Deadline reports that at least one of those roles has been cast, and it’s the titular character, Ender Wiggin himself. 14-year old British actor Asa Butterfield (Hugo, Merlin) has officially been cast in director Gavin Hood‘s adaptation of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning sci-fi novel.

About Ender’s Game:

Set in Earth’s future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind who have barely survived two conflicts with the Formics (an insectoid alien race also known as the “Buggers”). In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world’s most talented children, including the novel’s protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room where Ender’s tactical genius is revealed.

Ender’s Game is slated to hit theaters on March 15th, 2013.