October 27, 2020 6.01 pm This story is over 41 months old

Lincolnshire boy stars in new remake of The Witches film

Alongside some big Hollywood names
Boston-born Codie-Lei Eastick plays Bruno Jenkins in The Witches. | Photo: Warner Bros

A 12-year-old boy from Boston said he was mind blown when he was cast alongside Anne Hathaway, Chris Rock and Stanley Tucci in The Witches, which is now available in the UK to watch on streaming platforms.

Codie-Lei Eastick starred as Young Watson alongside Will Ferrell in the film Holmes and Watson in 2018 when he was 10 years old, and The Witches, which is based on Roald Dahl’s classic book, is his second big break.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was released in USA last week and on Thursday Codie-Lei had a virtual private premiere with LA manager, James Symington of Symington Talent Management, and his parents Grant and Lucy.

The film has skipped cinemas and is available to purchase and rent for £15.99 on services in the UK, including Sky and Amazon Prime and iTunes Store.

In the film Codie plays the role of a greedy and lonely child Bruno Jenkins, the sidekick of Hero Boy Jahzir Bruno, and they have to stop the witches from turning them into mice.

Last spring Codie, talent agent Abi Kingsley-Parker and his dad Grant went to Warner Bros Studios to meet director Robert Zemeckis and some of the team before doing screen tests at the studio.

Filming took place at the Leavesden studios over several months last year.

Codie told The Lincolnite: “When I found out I’d got the part it was amazing because I have always wanted to be an actor. I was mind blown, going all over the house and I nearly stubbed my toe in the excitement.

“I got to work with more Hollywood actors and to meet a famous director. Getting to work on scenes with Anne Hathaway was incredible.”

Codie working on his script for the test casting.

After recently watching a premiere with his family, Codie said: “It felt weird because I would never have imagined being on the Hollywood screen, but it felt good. I watched it with my family and we all enjoyed it.”

Codie’s passion for acting and performing started when he was only three years old as he loved dressing up as superheroes and re-enacting scenes from films around the house.

He joined a local theatre company when he was six and UK talent agent Abi Kingsley-Parker, who was teaching at the academy at the time, invited him to further pursue his passion with private acting training at her one-to-one drama school AKP Performing Arts.

Codie-Lei Eastick. | Photo: Teele Photography

After Holmes and Watson and The Witches, Codie is now working with the UK talent agent doing auditions and warm-up training, and has another exciting project in the pipeline.

He will play the lead role in an upcoming animation series about football, although the title and further details are currently being kept under wraps.

Abi, who launched AKP Management Agency in May 2018, said: “Codie-Lei is an absolute joy to work with and has me laughing all the time!”

Other young Lincolnshire actors from the agency enjoying success include Stephen Thompson, who recently appeared on BBC’s Casualty, Freddie Garnham who wrapped a short film, and Olivia Boyne, who has been working on an exciting project set for film festivals next year.

Abi added: “My private drama school AKP Performing Arts and agency AKP Management Agency run side by side, many of my students are now also represented by the agency and it’s great be able to support so much local talent as well as international actors also.”