British actor Alex Roe has signed on to play the male lead in Paramount's Rings, which we reported last week will be a prequel to the studio's 2002 thriller The Ring. While that report has yet to be confirmed, it claimed that this new story will be set several years before The Ring, focusing on the origin of Samara's reign of terror and how the mysterious video tape was created. In The Ring, anyone who watches this VHS tape dies seven days later.

We reported in January that Matilda Lutz has signed on as the lead character, but no details about her role were given. Deadline reports that Alex Roe is playing Holt, the boyfriend of Matilda Lutz's character who suddenly becomes distant after he watches the aforementioned tape. Since the earlier report reveals the story will examine how the tape is created, these new details could either mean that the previous report was inaccurate, or it's possible that Holt could be the first person ever to watch this tape.

Deadline also reports that Ehren Kruger, who wrote both The Ring and The Ring Two, has written the shooting script. The screenplay was previously worked on by a number of writers including David Loucka (House at the End of the Street, Dream House), Jacob Aaron Estes (Mean Creek, The Details) and, most recently Akiva Goldsman (Winter's Tale). F. Javier Gutiérrez is directing, with Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald producing. It isn't known when production will begin, but Paramount has already slated a November 13, 2015 release date.

Alex Roe recently wrapped production on The 5th Wave. The young adult adaptation, which also stars Chloe Moretz and Nick Robinson, hits theaters on January 29, 2016. His other credits include Sniper: Legacy and the 200 thriller The Calling.