Shia LaBeouf and Mel Gibson, over the years, may be best known for their off-screen antics, with the former having some run-ins with the law and the latter being, well, an alleged anti-semite and domestic abuser. But hey, when it comes to acting, both are still big names in Hollywood, and their next project sees their combining forces with one of the better directors working today.
Ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, where the project is expected to be sold to distributors, it’s been announced that LaBeouf and Gibson will star in the upcoming black comedy “Rothchild,” directed by Jon S. Baird. “Rothchild” is expected to take a dark and entertaining comedic look at the world of the New York super-rich, with Gibson set to play the patriarch of one of the wealthiest families in the area. Baird is probably best known for his most recent film “Stan & Ollie” and his 2003 film “Filth.”
Shia LaBeouf has been relatively quiet in recent years. After a run of films like the “Transformers” franchise, “Indiana Jones 4,” and the “Wall Street” sequel about 10 years ago, LaBeouf found himself involved in controversies and some odd career choices. However, this year looks to be a bit of a rebound for the actor, with roles in his pseudo-biopic “Honey Boy,” the festival darling “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” and David Ayer’s “The Tax Collector.”
Gibson has also seen his career have a resurgence in recent years, after the aforementioned controversies. Last year, the actor was seen in the film “Dragged Across Concrete,” and he’s going to have starring roles in upcoming films like “The Professor and the Madman,” “Boss Level,” “Waldo,” and the recently announced, “Fatman.” This is only a sampling, as the actor has even landed some directorial gigs and other projects. Needless to say, Gibson has once again made himself one of the biggest names in the industry.
Here’s the synopsis:
Becket Rothchild (LaBeouf) was never given a fair lot in life; the bastard child of a mother, who in eloping with a jazz musician, was cast out from the Rothchild family and its vast fortune. All grown up and armed with charisma, intelligence and a flair for opportunity, it does not take long for Becket to fully grasp the immense gap between his situation and the richest 1% which should be his birth right. He has a plan…
There are precisely 9 Rothchild family members who stand between him and his fortune including Whitelaw (Gibson), his sinister grandfather. How hard could it be for them each to meet with an “accident”? With the unique advantage of being unknown to any of them, Becket penetrates the weird and twisted lives of his super-rich kin amongst frat boys, hipster artists and reality TV stars. The only thing that threatens to get in the way is love, both old and new.