Shia LaBeouf says making ‘Honey Boy’ was "like an exorcism".
The 33-year-old actor penned the screenplay for his upcoming biopic which chronicles his beginnings as a child star on the Disney Channel under the care of his alcoholic father, and he admitted hi "whole team" weren’t sold on the idea.
Speaking to Variety during Toronto Film Festival, he said: "You [exorcise] demons. This felt a little bit like an exorcism.
"My whole team, my whole professional team, was not with it. They were not wanting me to do this.
"But at that point, I didn’t have a whole lot to lose. I was in a wild spot in my life."
LaBeouf will star in the film with Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges playing young and older versions of himself – named Otis in the film – respectively.
He decided to write the script while he was in rehab after sharing some of his ideas with his friend Alma Har’el, who will direct the project.
He added: "I was just sending her stuff that I was writing down. I had a flashlight and was rummaging through the attics of my soul trying to figure stuff out, figuring my past out…She was like, ‘Oh, this is a movie.’ "
Meanwhile, LeBeouf – who is "in a way better place" with his dad now – explained he’s made the movie for anyone raised by addicts.
He said: "I really feel I made this film for children of alcoholics.
"They’re all like my brothers and sisters and when I show the film I kind of realise the whole world is dealing with daddy issues right now, so it’s kind of become bigger than that."
Shia LaBeouf: Making Honey Boy felt like an exorcism
