Lady Bird and Three Billboards star Lucas Hedges is set to play a younger Shia LaBeouf in the upcoming film Honey Boy, loosely based on events from LaBeouf's own life.
Hedges, 21, will join LaBeouf, 31, who Varietyreports will be playing his own father. The project, which LaBeouf scripted with the assistance of a pseudonym ("Otis Lort"!) was briefly detailed in last week's must-read Esquire cover chat. "I could work myself up into a frenzy," LaBeouf said of having his father, Jeffrey, help him nail down emotional scenes as a younger actor by standing next to the camera. "He's the whole reason I became an actor."
The title comes from a nickname given to LaBeouf by his father. Alma Har'el, who previously worked with LaBeouf on the 2016 documentary LoveTrue and the visual for Sigur Rós' 2012 single "Fjögur píanó," will direct. Last year, Har'el contributed to the Election Day 2016–chronicling documentary 11/8/16.
In addition to his widely praised work in last year’s top awards season contenders Lady Bird and Three Billboards, Hedges previously enjoyed similarly strong reviews for Manchester by the Sea, co-starring Casey Affleck. Hedges was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Patrick Chandler, ultimately losing out to Moonlight's Mahershala Ali.
After next month's Borg McEnroe, LaBeouf will next be seen in Mike Schwartz and Tyler Nilson's Peanut Butter Falcon alongside Dakota Johnson and fellow Fury co-star Jon Bernthal. #TAKEMEANYWHERE, the shortform documentary he crafted with his HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US collaborators Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner, is currently available for $0.00 via Vimeo:
