Greensboro, N.C. ? Haley Joel Osment says his latest role as a high school journalist covering the basketball team is perfect for him at this point in his career.

Osment, 17, stars in “Home of the Giants,” set in high-school basketball-loving Indiana but mostly being filmed across the Triad area of North Carolina this month and next.

The script by Indiana native Rusty Gorman, who is also directing, attracted him to the movie, Osment said. “This one is perfect for this age for me,” Osment said during a break between scenes Wednesday.

Osment received an Oscar nomination for his role in 1999’s “The Sixth Sense.” His screen credits also include “Artificial Intelligence: AI” and “Pay It Forward.”

In “Home of the Giants,” he plays a high school journalist who covers the basketball team as it heads toward a state championship.

“It’s important to find roles with characters growing up,” Osment said. “Gar is one of those characters that moves me along the timeline in my career.”

Osment’s character is best friends with Matt, the team’s star, played by Ryan Merriman, who has a lead role in the upcoming film “Cheating Death: Final Destination 3.”

Danielle Panabaker, of TV’s “Summerland” and “Empire Falls,” plays a new girl in town who studies journalism with Gar.