The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons is to play the lead role in Brother Orange, the first foray into feature film-making by media website BuzzFeed.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Parsons will play Matt Stopera, the BuzzFeed editor whose attempt to track down his stolen mobile phone forms the basis for the film.
After his phone was stolen in 2014 and pictures began appearing in his online feed, Stopera chronicled his trip to China to track down “Brother Orange”, as the subject of the pictures was nicknamed; he became a huge social media star in China in the process. Ellen DeGeneres is acting as executive producer of the film after Stopera and Brother Orange appeared on her TV show in 2015.
Parsons has played Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory since 2007, and recently voiced the central role of Oh in the DreamWorks animation Home.