Variety has announced that Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) has been cast alongside Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern in The Son, the follow up to director Florian Zeller’s The Father which is based upon his and Christopher Hampton’s stage play.
The Son “follows Peter (Jackman) as 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 and angry teenage son, Nicholas. Peter strives to be a better father, searching to help his son with intimate and instinctive moments of family happiness — to solve, with understanding, what Nicholas is going through. But the weight of Nicholas’ condition sets the family on a dangerous course, and they must do everything they can to maintain the bonds that hold them together.”
Kirby will portray Emma, the new partner to Jackson’s Peter.
“Vanessa Kirby is for me a very great actress: intense, inventive and powerful. I am especially happy to take her on this cinematic adventure,” said Zeller.
“[The Son] holds a mirror up to our families and our emotions and we’re very excited to add Vanessa to the already exceedingly talented cast of Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern in bringing this story to life,” added See-Saw Films’ Joanna Laurie.
The Son will be produced by Zeller, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Laurie and Christophe Spadone.
Zeller’s first film The Father starred Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins. It received much critical acclaim, winning two BAFTAs and two Oscars, the latter of which for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Hopkins’ performance. Production on The Son is expected to begin in a few weeks.
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