Filmmaker Eugene Kotlyarenko turned some heads in 2020 with his scathing social media satire “Spree.” It premiered in the digital-only edition of Sundance during the pandemic.
Kotlyarenko was supposed to direct a new untitled film near Joshua Tree, and production was set to begin on June 1st with stars Dasha Nekrasova and Shia LaBeouf. This was said to be a pandemic romance with LaBeouf playing a famous skater/influencer.
I had heard a few weeks ago that LaBeouf was already making these strange demands — or at least his camp was — demanding final cut. I’ve just been informed that Shia has now dropped out of Kotlyarenko’s new film.
The reason given was “on account of the unprofessional and unprepared nature of the production.” That’s LaBeouf’s excuse.
We’ll see if the movie even ends up happening now, as many of the investors were only interested due to Shia’s involvement. He was the core of the whole thing and now we’re not entirely sure of its status.
Kotlyarenko deserves to make another film, “Spree” was an underrated pandemic-era statement, but he probably needs a big name to fill the void here. Will anyone come to bat for him?
Meanwhile, LaBeouf has found a way to stay relevant in the industry — he has Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” coming out next year and is set to shoot David Mamet’s “Assassination” in the fall.
Following “Air,” this is Affleck’s latest stint behind the camera. He has cast himself in the lead role, alongside Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”).