In perhaps one of the best casting decisions that we’ve seen in ages, The Hollywood Reporter reports that Shia LaBeouf has signed on to play the explosive tennis bad boy John McEnroe in the upcoming film Borg/McEnroe. Critics opposing Shia LaBeouf’s performance in “American Honey”, have said it’s been a while since LaBeouf has done anything notable as an actor-even hoping LaBeouf will learn a few lessons from McEnroe’s career.
Advertisement
LaBeouf showed off the temperamental side just a tad on Sunday before the press conference began as photographers stood in front of him, as they traditionally do in Cannes, and took his picture along with American Honey director Andrea Arnold and other cast-members present.
The project, which starts shooting in August, chronicles the 1980 Wimbledon final and sheds light on the two tennis stars’ complex relationship and rivalry.
“These are extraordinary men in an extraordinary situation under a tremendous amount of pressure who had found a way to create a little hold on that court”, LaBeouf reflected. “There is something really romantic” about that, he later told Britain’s Independent website.
“These two men had a whole lot of stuff going on”, he said.
In the film, Stellan Skarsgard will play Bjorn Borg’s legendary coach Lennart “Labbe” Bergelin.
Will Shia LaBeouf diving into the role of a troubled tennis star prove to be harmful or helpful to the aggressive actor? Nor is he left-handed like McEnroe. “Right on that first day, everyone was alpha-male-ing on the set and (Arnold) said, ‘I need you to body-roll to Rihanna.’ It was awkward”.
A Swedish production, the film is set to shoot later this year in Sweden, London, Monaco and NY, with an eye on a 2017 release.
Advertisement
Guldbagge Award victor (the Swedish equivalent to the Oscars) Sverrir Gudnason will play the ice-cold Swede, Borg.
