Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon to make movie directorial debut in Wilmington

Multiple film industry publications are reporting that the Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon will make his directorial debut of a feature film in Wilmington.

According to reports by the Chicago Tribune, the film industry site Deadline and others, Shannon and his crew are in the process of scouting locations in the Wilmington area for a shoot that will begin in August.

The film, which is titled "Eric Larue" and is based on a play by Chicago writer Brett Neveu, was originally supposed to shoot in Arkansas.

But, according to multiple stories, including one in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade triggered a ban on abortions in Arkansas, filmmakers decided to move the production to Wilmington. (North Carolina currently permits abortions up until the 20th week of pregnancy.)

Shannon should be familiar with the Port City, as he spent time here in late 2021 and earlier this year acting in "George and Tammy," the upcoming country music mini-series about singing legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

Shannon plays Jones, and Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain plays Wynette.

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Shannon has dozens of film and theater credits, and received best supporting actor Oscar nominations for roles in "Revolutionary Road" and "Nocturnal Animals." He was spotted regularly in downtown Wilmington bars and restaurants during the filming of "George and Tammy."

Not much is known about the film production in Wilmington, but according to Deadline, "Eric Larue," the play the movie is based on, made its debut in 2002 at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, a company of which Shannon is a founding member. Neveu, the playwright, is also said to be adapting his own work for the screen.

The movie appears to confront the hot-button issue of gun violence in the United States. The play the movie is based on is about the mother of a school shooter who has to meet with the parents of her son's victims and also visit her son in prison.

“'Eric Larue' has so much to say about our country," Deadline quoted Shannon as saying. "When I read the screenplay, I immediately knew I had to direct it."

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Actor Michael Shannon will make directorial debut in Wilmington NC