Hugh Jackman, the Australian actor best known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men series, and Laura Dern, the American actor and filmmaker last seen in Little Women, will star in the upcoming film The Son, which is a follow-up to the Oscar-nominated film The Father, Deadline reported.
Directed by Florian Zellar, The Son is an adaptation of his own stage play of the same title. The film centres on Peter (Jackman), whose pre-occupied life with his new partner Emma and their child becomes chaotic as his ex-wife Kate (Dern) appears with their teenage son, Nicholas. He has not been attending school for months and is troubled, distant and angry. Peter strives to be a better father, seeking ways to help Nicholas with intimate and instinctive moments of family happiness. Despite the efforts, Nicholas’ condition weighs too heavy and sets the family on a dangerous path.
Zellar adapted The Son along with Christopher Hampton, who has won an Oscar for his adaptation of his play Dangerous Liaisons. The Son marks the duo’s second collaboration after The Father, which was Zellar’s directorial debut and had won two BAFTAs and was nominated for Oscars under six categories.
Describing The Son as a “deeply human” story that connects everyone, Zeller said: “The story is set in a vibrant and very much alive New York, an important character. The movie should make us call family and friends to tell them that they are wholly loved and not alone.”
Zellar also praised Jackman and Dern saying they “naturally convey great warmth, compassion, and vulnerability… inviting our audience to embrace and feel every moment”.
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Oscar winners Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (The King’s Speech), and Joanna Laurie of See-Saw Films, will be producing The Son with Christophe Spadone who also worked with Zellar in his previous adaptation The Father. Film4 are co-financing the production of the upcoming film. Jackman is executive producing The Son along with others.
Producers Canning and Sherman said: “Having been lucky enough to see The Father at Sundance 2019, we knew that Florian was a uniquely talented filmmaker. 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.”