Award-winning actors Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern will star in the upcoming film The Son, writer-director Florian Zeller’s follow up to his Oscar-nominated and BAFTA winning movie The Father.
Written for the screen by Zeller and Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons), The Son is an adaptation of Zeller’s acclaimed stage play.
The film will tell the story of Peter, played by Jackman. His busy life with new partner Emma and their baby is thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate (Dern) turns up with their troubled teenage son Nicholas, who has been skipping school for months. As Peter works to be a better father and help his son, the weight of Nicholas’ depression takes the family on a difficult journey. They must do everything they can to maintain the bond that holds them together as family.
Zeller says: “The Son is a deeply human story which, I believe, connects to us all. I hope audiences will be profoundly moved by the family’s journey.”
Hugh Jackman has won multiple awards, including Best Actor for Les Misérables at the Golden Globes. Dern has also received many awards, recently winning an Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Role in Marriage Story.
Zeller adds: “Both Hugh and Laura naturally convey great warmth, compassion and vulnerability… inviting our audience to embrace and feel every moment. The movie should make us call family and friends to tell them they are wholly loved and not alone.”
Joanna Laurie partners with Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (The King’s Speech) as producers at See-Saw films, alongside Christophe Spadone (The Father) and Zeller. When asked about the film, Canning and Sherman said: “The Son is a story that needs to be told—a story that rings an alarm. Through examining the human condition and our vulnerabilities, this film will strike a chord with audiences and leave an indelible mark on all who see it.”
Zeller’s film The Father was released on 26 February 2021, depicting an ageing man struggling with dementia as his daughter (Olivia Coleman) moves in to take care of him. It received two BAFTAs, six Oscar nominations and four Golden Globe nominations.
See-Saw Films and Film4 are collaborating to support the funds for The Son to begin production, it will hopefully shoot later this year.
Words by Danielle Saunders
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