‘Wonder Years’ Reboot Casts Its Lead: Watch Fred Savage Share the News With the Young Star (VIDEO)
Behold the passing of the torch. ABC has just shared the Zoom call, below, in which Fred Savage, who played Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years and is now directing and executive producing the reboot pilot for ABC, tells the young star-to-be he’s been cast. This time around, though, the actor, Elisha “EJ” Williams, will portray a boy named Dean Williams.
The six seasons of the original Wonder Years aired on ABC from 1988-1993. The reboot is set in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1968, and follows the middle-class Williams family and Dean’s coming-of-age story. According to ABC, the 12-year-old is inquisitive and hopeful, and trying to find his place in his family and the world. He may be a little insecure, a tad awkward, and a bit self-conscious, but he’s still determined to make his mark.
“This project is very close to all of our hearts. It just means so much to everyone who’s involved. [Writer and executive producer] Saladin [K. Patterson] is writing about his own experiences,” Savage says before welcoming Williams to the family with, “It’s your turn to be the star of The Wonder Years.”
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve prepared for this thing,” says Williams, whose TV credits include Henry Danger and Puppy Dog Pals.
Watch the video below for more from the two of them, and from Patterson. We hope we get to see him as Dean based solely on this adorable conversation.
