Henry Golding boards Downtown Owl cast

Henry Golding has joined the cast of 'Downtown Owl'.

The 35-year-old actor has boarded the drama that is being directed by Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater and will feature with previously announced stars Ed Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, Finn Wittrock, Jack Dylan Grazer, August Blanco Rosenstein and Rabe herself.

The movie marks the directorial debut for Lily and her partner Hamish and is based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Chuck Klosterman.

It is set in the fictional town of Owl in North Dakota in 1983 and sees the arrival of new high school English teacher who upends the lives of the locals, just as a blizzard for the ages hits the area.

Linklater wrote the script for the project with Rabe and Bettina Barrow producing for Kill Claudio Productions. Production is underway in Minnesota, with Eric Charles and Elizabeth Grave overseeing for Stage 6 Films.

Henry has been tipped as a potential replacement for Daniel Craig as James Bond but doesn't think diversity should influence the decision of 007 bosses.

The 'Crazy Rich Asians' star said: "It shouldn't be a factor at all. I think Bond represents something that we've all sort of grown up with and that's a man of substance, a man who has stoic properties and is a protector, has a sensitive side."

Henry also suggested that Bond chefs should take Ian Fleming's books into consideration when selecting the next actor to take on the legendary role.

He said: "So really, the talk of having to have them be diverse is – it's great and all, but I think you have to do justice to the source material. He's such an iconic character, so I wouldn't say that there should be any pressure."