Oakes Fegley among new cast members for Spielberg film

Oakes Fegley, Chloe East and Isabelle Kusman have joined the cast of Steven Spielberg's film that is loosely based on his childhood.

The three young actors will play school classmates of the aspiring director (Gabriel LaBelle) at the centre of the story that takes inspiration from the iconic filmmaker's upbringing.

The trio join a cast that includes Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen, who are playing characters inspired by Spielberg's mother and favourite uncle, with Paul Dano set to portray a character inspired by his father.

Steven is set to co-write the personal movie with Tony Kushner, who has penned several of the iconic director's films in the past. The flick will begin shooting this summer with an expectation that it will be released sometime in 2022.

Casting on the project has been a secretive task, as while Spielberg had a clear idea of who he wanted to play the adult roles, he took his time meeting with children at various age levels to determine the main leads in the film.

Spielberg has often talked about how his upbringing in Arizona was an inspiration for many of his films – from stories to characters. This project will be the first time viewers will be able to gain perspective on the filmmaker behind movies such as 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' and the 'Indiana Jones' franchise.

The 'Jaws' director opted to tell his own story on the big screen after the release of his 'West Side Story' adaptation was delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.