Shia LaBeouf is due to star in the new Andrea Arnold film, the British director’s first US-based feature. The script for American Honey, written by Arnold, is still under wraps but sees a teenage girl join a magazine sales team and become involved in a world of partying, law bending and young love.
It’s not clear what part LaBeouf will take as yet but it’s likely a supporting role to the female lead. Arnold may take the opportunity of having that big name attached to the project to cast an unknown in the lead as she did for her second film, Fish Tank. Then, she cast Katie Jarvis as the main character after spotting her waiting at a train station.
The move sees LaBeouf move further into arthouse territory after his role in Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac in 2013. He’s been busy off camera in the last year with performance art projects including #IAMSORRY, a six day project at an L.A. gallery in which he sat crying silently in front of visitors. He also starred in Sia’s Elastic Heart video. He’s next seen in the more conventional Man Down, a post-apocalyptic war thriller with Kate Mara and Jai Courtney, due out later this year.
No filming date has been set for American Honey as yet but the rights will be up for sale at Cannes, where Arnold has previously won the Jury Prize at the festival for her debut film Red Road in 2006 and again for Fish Tank in 2009.
Credits
Text Colin Crummy
Photography Marvin Lynchard