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​Shia LaBeouf Is Starring In A Movie About Shia LaBeouf, But He Won’t Be Playing Shia LaBeouf

​Shia LaBeouf Is Starring In A Movie About Shia LaBeouf, But He Won’t Be Playing Shia LaBeouf

LaBeouf will take on the role of his own father, while Lucas Hedges will play a younger version of LaBeouf

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Shia LaBeouf isn't one to shy away from a pretty complex concept, having done everything from wearing a paper bag over his head to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival to setting up a live stream of his heartbeat for the sake of his art.

His latest stunt? According to Variety, it's a film about his life, in which he stars - but not actually as himself.

The film, which will be called Honey Boy as a reference to LaBeouf's childhood nickname, will be loosely based on the Transformers star's life. However, in the film, LaBeouf will take on the role of his own father, while Lucas Hedges will play a younger version of LaBeouf. Still with us?

PA

You'll remember Hedges as the rising star from Manchester By The Sea, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and, more recently, Greta Gerwig hit Lady Bird. He's also had roles in Wes Anderson's cult coming-of-age comedy Moonrise Kingdom and 2014 crime thriller Kill the Messenger.

Variety reports that Honey Boy, meanwhile, will follow the story of a child star 'attempting to mend his relationship with law-breaking, alcohol-abusing father over the course of a decade' - taking LaBeouf's famously troubled past as its starting point.

The 31-year-old actor has been no stranger to controversy over the years, having in the past been arrested for disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and public drunkenness, and also landing himself time in rehab.

In his first interview since undergoing a 10-week stint in rehab, LaBeouf has spoken to Esquire about the reason behind this problems: hearing his mother being sexually assaulted when he was just 10 years old.

"I froze," he said, describing how he overheard a man raping his mother.

"The man ran out, and my mom ran after him. Dave [a biker who lived next door] came running over. I remember he had a crossbow."

Authorities never found the culprit, and Shia - who still sleeps with a gun under his pillow - admits that he has yet to fully mentally process the incident.

"When I got to rehab last year, they said I had PTSD," LaBeouf said. "The first time I got arrested with a real charge, it stemmed from the same shit.

"Some guy bumped into my mother's car with his car in a parking lot, and my head went right to 'You need to avenge your mother!' So I went after the dude with a knife [but didn't use it]... I've always thought somebody was coming in. My whole life."

Since his arrest last year, LaBeouf says his priorities have changed dramatically. "For a long time, I thought that life was secondary to art," he says. "And then you realise you can't have this art thing without the life thing.

"I'm just trying to deal with my life right now, 'cause I don't have fuck-all to offer the world until I do."

There's currently no word yet on when we can expect Honey Boy to hit cinemas, but it's looking like it'll be far from a dull ride once we get there.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Film, TV and Film, Shia LaBeouf