For anyone who wants a taste of “Honey Boy” before it hits theaters, you’re in luck: a new podcast has launched giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. Hosted by director Alma Har’el, the opening episode features writer-star Shia LaBeouf and actors Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe and Byron Bowers. Scroll down to listen to the full episode below.
The Amazon Studios release, which opens in theaters on November 8, grew out of LaBeouf’s own experiences in front of and behind the camera. It centers on Otis Lort (played as a child by Jupe and as a young adult by Hedges), who like LaBeouf rises to fame as TV’s cutest kid before becoming a scandal-plagued movie star. During a stint in rehab Otis reflects on his stormy relationship with his father James (played by LaBeouf), an alcoholic former clown who took his resentments out on his son. Bowers costars as Percy, Otis’s jovial rehab roommate.
LaBeouf started writing the script during his own stay in rehab, and the film presents “a distilled, edible version” of that recovery process. “There was a lot of reflection happening in real time,” he explains. But because there were no cameras around, none of it felt “performative,” especially since he was “the only actor in the bunch.” And he recalls that “there were some wild people in the room” struggling through their own recoveries, including “a pyromaniac and a pedophile.” The experience certainly wasn’t “fun,” but it was ultimately “very open and honest.”
Each episode of the unscripted podcast will feature reflections and anecdotes from the cast and crew, with guest moderators such as David Lowry and Vanessa Kirby dropping by to add to the discussion. But it’s more than just an inside-Hollywood expose: rather, the filmmakers hope to get to the heart of such important topics as toxic masculinity, redemption and the need for fresh perspectives in storytelling.
Produced by IHEARTCOMIX, “Honey Boy Podcast” will be released and distributed by QCODE, with a new episode dropping each week throughout November. You can listen to every episode by subscribing to the series on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcast service of choice. Listen to the introductory installment by following the link below:
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