As an actor, Michael Shannon has delivered memorable performances in just about every genre. He’s a world-class performer and one of the best working today. Now, it appears Shannon is ready to test his storytelling abilities behind the camera on a new film, “Eric Larue.”
According to Deadline, Michael Shannon is set to make his feature film directorial debut with the upcoming drama, “Eric Larue.” Based on the play of the same name, “Eric Larue” tells the story of a mother who has to reckon with the fact that her teenage son, Eric, killed three of his classmates. She is forced to come to terms with this as she faces a meeting with the mothers of the victims, as well as a meeting with her son in prison. The film is written by the play’s author, Brett Neveu.
“‘Eric Larue’ has so much to say about our country, about the way we try (sometimes quite ineptly) to deal with the trauma of living here, which is so insidious because it does not present itself overtly in concrete terms most of the time,” Shannon said. “Like most great stories, ‘Eric Larue’ plays at the macro and a micro level simultaneously. When I read the screenplay, I immediately knew I had to direct it. I saw it. I heard it. I could feel it. And I wanted to make sure that it received just the right touch in all its aspects, because at the end of the day, it is an extraordinarily delicate thing.”
He continued, “I find it interesting to align with artists possessing the most vivid imaginations, the most stringent yet empathetic senses of morality, and the most passionate and rigorous disciplines to create worlds and stories that contribute to our experience and understanding of what it is to be a human being in this day and age and, particularly, this country.”
Shannon is probably best known for his various film roles in projects such as “Man of Steel,” “Knives Out,” “Take Shelter,” “Midnight Special,” “Mud,” and “The Shape of Water.” He’s no stranger to TV either, having starred in “Boardwalk Empire,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” and the upcoming limited series, “George & Tammy.”
Filming was expected to begin soon in Arkansas. However, after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the filmmakers involved with “Eric Larue,” decided to move production from Arkansas to North Carolina. It’s unclear when the film will now start production.