Well, if you're gonna tell a "manic pixie dream crook" story, then Aaron Paul is definitely the one you cast

As absurdly surreal as this story is....of a deaf kid looking for a father figure in a fugitive....I feel like the sole reason that you could possibly just go with it, is cause you cast him.

There's like an inherent role model coolness about Aaron that you'd kinda buy into the idea that just playing checkers, doing pull-ups and bouncing a ball would be the kid's idea of an ABSOLUTE DREAM.

And the fact that even though the criminal is obviously scary and twisted, the kid would just be adamant that it's all "cool and exciting" and that losing him would absolutely shatter his heart.

That's quite a fantasy, Darren.