As we look back at the surprising stories that made 2019 so interesting, one of the biggest ones is the resurgence of actor Shia LaBeouf. After years that found the actor toiling away in films that didn’t live up to expectations, combined with his rather boisterous off-set reputation, LaBeouf was seen as perhaps on the decline. But this year, with the release of critically-acclaimed films “The Peanut Butter Falcon” and now, “Honey Boy,” LaBeouf is in the middle of a Keanu Reeves-like renaissance.
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And in honor of “Honey Boy” expanding into more theaters, Amazon Studios has released a brand-new trailer for the film, which finds LaBeouf not only acting in the semi-autobiographical film (as his own father, no less), but he’s also responsible for the script. The film recently earned four Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Director, Best Cinematography, and two Best Supporting Actor nods, including one for LaBeouf.
The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, and FKA twigs. “Honey Boy” is the debut narrative feature from director Alma Har’el, based on a script from LaBeouf.
READ MORE: ‘Honey Boy’: Shia LaBeouf Crafts A Love Letter To His Father [Sundance Review]
“Honey Boy” is in select theaters now and will be expanding in the weeks to come.
Here’s the synopsis:
From a screenplay by Shia LaBeouf, based on his own experiences, award-winning filmmaker Alma Har’el brings to life a young actor’s stormy childhood and early adult years as he struggles to reconcile with his father through cinema and dreams. Fictionalizing his childhood’s ascent to stardom, and subsequent adult crash-landing into rehab and recovery, Har’el casts Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges as Otis Lort, navigating different stages in a frenetic career. LaBeouf takes on the daring and therapeutic challenge of playing a version of his own father, an ex-rodeo clown and a felon. Artist and musician FKA twigs makes her feature-film debut, playing neighbor and kindred spirit to the younger Otis in their garden-court motel home. Har’el’s feature narrative debut is a one-of-a-kind collaboration between filmmaker and subject, exploring art as therapy and imagination as hope.