In a post-Transformers world, Shia LaBeouf has publicly declared he is entering a new phase of his career, one with less blockbusters and more careful choices. He’ll be seen in John Hillcoat‘s crime drama The Wettest County in the World next to Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, and Guy Pearce later this year, but he has added another promising film to his slate.
Variety reports that he will star in Robert Redford‘s next directorial effort The Company You Keep. The political action thriller will also star Redford with a script from The Limey and upcoming Haywire writer Lem Dobbs from Neil Gordon‘s novel. Check out a synopsis below.
Redford will play a former Weather Underground militant wanted by the FBI for 30 years who must go on the run when a young, ambitious reporter exposes his true identity. LaBeouf will play the budding journalist who’s determined to make a name for himself.
I can already see LaBeouf’s job-hunting eagerness displayed in Transformers: Dark of the Moon transferred here. The Hurt Locker producer Nicolas Chartier said, “this is an edge-of-your-seat thriller about real Americans who stood for their beliefs, thinking they were patriots and defending their country’s ideals against their government. It is absolutely amazing to have Shia LaBeouf, arguably the brightest young star in Hollywood today paired with the global icon Robert Redford.” I quite disliked Redford’s last directing gig The Conspirator, but hopefully he can inject some life into this one, as the premise is appealing.
A Vancouver production begins this September.
What do you think about LaBeouf and Redford starring together?