James McAvoy has already impressed millions with his impressive accents and eclectic roles, but now he’s doing something really wild. He’s signed on to star alongside Claire Foy in the English-language remake of French thriller My Son. Sounds simple enough, right?
Well, not quite. Just like the original film, McAvoy will not be given a script or any dialogue, and will have to improvise and react to each moment as it unfolds. The plot revolves around a man who’s only son goes missing, so he goes to visit his ex in search of answers. The improvisation is intended to add to the mysterious nature of the film.
Naturally, the rest of the cast will be aware of what’s going on, while McAvoy will only be aware of basic aspects of the story. Christian Carion, who helmed the original, will return to direct the remake.
This sounds pretty wild and kind of feels more like something that would happen in a play than in a film, where multiple takes are frequent and most shots take a while to set up. It doesn’t exactly sound conducive to great improv, but that’s what the original film did, and who cares, it’s a hell of a hook. Who wouldn’t want to see this just out of sheer curiosity?
STXfilms are developing the project, and STX’s Adam Fogelson said: “James will be doing the detective work of the film in real time, on camera, to create real tension for this thriller. We like to support bold and innovative storytelling like My Son, and Claire could not be a more spectacular or exciting choice for this film, which is certain to thrill audiences”.
The original My Son doesn’t seem to be that well known in English-speaking countries, at least not yet, so this will be a fresh experience for most. And even if it was well known, the beauty of this method is that both movies will be totally different anyway thanks to the lead actor’s improv.
A normal film starring McAvoy and Foy would be intriguing enough, but this extra twist is tantalising. Who knows when we’ll eventually get to see My Son, but whenever it is, it’s sure to be an interesting ride.
#Peace.Love.MySon
