Shia LaBeouf, Mel Gibson to star in rich people satire Rothchild

May 13th 2019, 10:36am

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

It would be putting things kindly to say that Mel Gibson and Shia LaBeouf have made some, let’s call them “questionable” choices across their careers within the last few years. Perhaps this is what makes them perfect co-stars for the new movie ROTHCHILD, with the two starring as a feuding, money-grubbing father and son in what is being called a dark satire of the New York wealthy elite. Jon S. Baird is set to direct, following up the heartwarming and endearingly funny STAN & OLLIE with whatever insanity is likely to come from this.

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Deadline got the scoop that the two actors were cast as the project heads to the Cannes market. The 2014 Blacklist script written by John Patton Ford follows Beckett Rothchild (LaBeouf) who tries to get his hands back on the family riches, only to clash with his father, Whitelaw Rothchild (Gibson). Doing so means Beckett has to navigate the world of the filthy rich, including “frat boys, hipster artists and reality TV stars.”

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Keith Kjarval (DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE) and Tyler Jackson (WHAT THEY HAD) will produce alongside Lowell Shapiro of Black Box Management’s Lowell Shapiro and Mike Dill. The movie is set to begin production in September, and Kjarval described the project as “Thrilling”, “action packed”.

“Rothchild is a satirical and thrilling ride, and I am elated to be working with a filmmaker like Jon Baird, who not only has an incredible track record of guiding award-winning performances but is crafting this film to be an action packed cautionary tale on wealth and power.”

A movie with Shia LaBeouf weaving his way through the crazy world of a bunch of terrible trust fund yuppies with Mel Gibson playing the patriarch of the family, and perhaps the craziest member of the whole family, sounds too bonkers to miss. The two have been turning in some notable work recently after years of, again, let's go with "questionable" career moves, so I'm very interested to see what kind of chemistry they cook up.