I love the casting and while I don’t know much about Butterfield, I know he’s a fine actor and frankly I can’t think of anyone better suited for the role.
Here’s a description of the film from Deadline:
“Ender’s Game is a seminal futuristic novel that Card originated as a short story in 1977 and then turned into a 1985 book that won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and spawned a series. The storyline begins on Earth after an alien attack, when gifted children are recruited by a government desperate to fight back. The kids are taught a competitive game that’s a cross between the Quidditch matches of Harry Potter and the Jedi light saber battles from Star Wars. Only the best and brightest will be chosen. A young boy emerges as a genius strategist, and the planet’s best hope to destroy the alien Formic race.”
“Ender’s Game” is expected to hit theaters March 15, 2013.