WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05:Ed Skrein attends the Premiere Of Lionsgate's "Midway" at Regency Village Theatre on November 05, 2019 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) 775423208WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05:Ed Skrein attends the Premiere Of Lionsgate's "Midway" at Regency Village Theatre on November 05, 2019 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) 775423208
WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05:Ed Skrein attends the Premiere Of Lionsgate's "Midway" at Regency Village Theatre on November 05, 2019 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) 775423208

New Netflix movie starring Deadpool actor Ed Skrein being shot and set in Hastings

A new Netflix movie starring Hollywood star Ed Skrein is being filmed in Hastings.

Skrein, 38, who played the villain Ajax in Deadpool and was also in Game Of Thrones, plays a former pop star called Vince in the new film I Used To Be Famous, which is expected to be released next year. Other lead actors in the film include Eleanor Matsuura (from The Walking Dead) and Lorraine Ashbourne (from Bridgerton).

Vince used to be in a boy band in the 1990s, and returns to his home town of Hastings, with dreams of making a comeback. He strikes up a friendship with a young, autistic drummer called Stevie (played by musician Leo Long) after an impromptu jam session, according to website What’s On Netflix. Long, who has played drums with the London Youth Folk Ensemble and National Open Youth Orchestra, is neurodivergent and was found via a UK-wide search for an autistic performer by casting director Isabella Odoffin.

Film production company Forty Foot Pictures starting shooting the film on October 28, and last month spent a few days filming scenes in Hastings. I Used To Be Famous is based on a 2015 short film of the same name, written and directed by Eddie Sternberg. Sternberg is directing the new film and penned the script with Zak Klein, a writer on The Crown. Netflix has not set a release date for I Used to Be Famous, but it is expected to be released some time in the second half of 2022.