Toronto: Ed Skrein on How Badly He Wanted Role in Nicholas Hoult’s Dark Comedy ‘Kill Your Friends’ (Video)

In director Owen Harris’ dark comedy “Kill Your Friends,” Nicholas Hoult plays a ruthless young music executive in 1997 London.

“It really was a kind of fall-of-Rome time,” John Niven, whose semi-autobiographical novel is the basis for the film, told TheWrap’s Jeff Sneider at the Toronto Film Festival. “We were making an incredible amount of money and we were all very young and learned some very poor decision-making — but a lot of fun.”

Niven’s 2008 novel has become a cult favorite in the U.K. — particularly for a young generation that includes co-star Ed Skrein (“The Transporter Refueled”).

“I would have walked on and just been an extra in the background,” he said.

Watch the video.