Legendary filmmaker Abel Ferrara has never been a creator to avoid risks. He’s the type of director that will happily tempt fate by going down the path less traveled in the name of art. And it would seem that Ferrara is set to do that once again with his next project, a proposed film about the Italian Saint Padre Pio, as the filmmaker has revealed Shia LaBeouf is set to be his star.
According to Variety, Abel Ferrara shared the news that Shia LaBeouf is attached to star as the lead in a film about Padre Pio, an Italian monk. The news is somewhat shocking, even given Ferrara’s proclivity for taking big risks, because, over the last year, Shia LaBeouf has taken a step back from acting after abuse claims were brought up.
“We’re doing a film about Padre Pio, he’s a monk from Puglia. It’s set in Italy right after World War I. He’s now a saint, he had stigmata. He was also in the middle of a very heavy political period in world history,” Ferrara said. “He was very young before he became a saint, so Shia LaBeouf is going to play the monk.”
Joining LaBeouf in the cast, according to Ferrara, is likely going to be Willem Dafoe, who is a regular collaborator with the filmmaker and clearly a close friend. So, the fact that Dafoe is involved isn’t at all shocking.
Obviously, it’s fairly big news that LaBeouf is involved with a new film. Not because he’s a terrible actor, as his previous work has proven he’s qualified enough to star in a film. However, last year, the actor stepped out of the public eye (once again) after his former partner, FKA Twigs, filed a lawsuit claiming their relationship was rife with abuse.
So, with this sort of baggage, it’s unclear if Ferrara’s film will actually come to fruition. It’s likely a major studio won’t come aboard to finance the venture, so the film could eventually fall apart. However, as of now, it would appear that Ferrara is creating a project that would serve as LaBeouf’s latest “comeback” vehicle.