We’re living in an age of actors renaissances, Matthew McConaughey, Keanu Reeves, and now Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy are getting the praise they haven’t had in a while, or that simply a different kind of praise than before. Though missing from most end-of-year lists and the award season conversation, Shia LeBeouf also experienced a bit of a comeback last year with his first feature-length script, “Honey Boy.”
The biographical fiction based on his own life was a critical darling out of the Sundance film festival last year, with critics and audiences praising both the script, Alma Har’el’s direction, and the performances by Shia LaBeouf as his father, and Noa Jupe’s role as a young Shia. Sadly, the film was largely missing from award season nominations, but that didn’t stop LaBeouf from having already finished his second feature-length script.
The news was first reported by 3rd & Fairfax, the Writers Guild of America West podcast, where late last year Shia LaBeouf opened about his experience with “Honey Boy,” as well as his latest script, based on rapper Kevin Abstract. Then, last week, The Black List posted the final script for “Minor Modifications” LaBeouf’s script on the founding member of Brockhampton, who LaBeouf has got to know through a weekly therapy sessions. The official synopsis for the script reads “Based on the life of rapper Kevin Abstract, this biographical fiction follows a Texas teen as he struggles with identity, finding meaningful relationships, sexual fluidity, and his direction in life.”
“Honey Boy” was a return to force for LaBeouf, who not only gave one of the best performances of his career, but also wrote a meaningful, emotionally raw and intimate script based on his life. He also was a part of the excellent “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” which won the Narrative Spotlight Award at SXSW last year. It will certainly be interesting to see if LaBeouf can find similar if not more success with “Minor Modifications,” but one thing is for sure, we wouldn’t mind seeing him continue working as a screenwriter.