Timothée Chalamet isn’t about to let all the career momentum accumulated from last year’s “Call Me by Your Name” and “Lady Bird” go to waste. Though the early consensus has been positive for the Oscar nominee’s upcoming coming-of-age film “Hot Summer Nights,” it’s the biographical addiction drama “Beautiful Boy” that’s been entrusted with an awards season release date in the fall.
Though it won’t be all plain sailing for Chalamet this year (the actor already regrets his role in Woody Allen’s next film, “A Rainy Day in New York”), ‘Boy’ looks to be a savvy choice if the 22-year-old is gunning for another round of accolades. The film is the English-language debut of Belgian director Felix Van Groeningen, best known for the Oscar-nominated 2012 drama “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” and is produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, who previously brought us Best Picture winners “Moonlight,” “12 Years a Slave,” and “The Departed,” along with a host of other critical darlings.
‘Boy’ is based on the complementary memoirs “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction” by David Sheff and “Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines” by his son Nic Sheff. While Chalamet plays the part of Nic, Steve Carell stars as the father and journalist who struggles to be a good parent to his addicted son. David took the name of his novel from a 1980 song by John Lennon, whose last major interview was conducted by David in that same year and allegedly inspired the author to start his own family.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Based on the memoir “Beautiful Boy” by David Sheff and “Tweak” by his son, Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.
Chalamet and Carell are joined by Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan, Kaitlyn Dever, Andre Royo, and Timothy Hutton. The screenplay is written by Van Groeningen and “Lion” scribe Luke Davies, and is distributed by Amazon Studios.
“Beautiful Boy” is in cinemas October 12th.