Image Courtesy: Associated Press
Australian actor Sam Rechner will be playing a pivotal role in veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s upcoming yet-to-be-titled semi-autobiographical film, which is reportedly loosely based on Spielberg’s childhood growing up in Arizona. According to reports, the actor will be joining the ensemble cast that includes actors like Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Julia Butters, and Gabriel LaBelle.
Filmmaker Speilberg has co-written the script for the movie along with writer Tony Kushner, who has previously worked with the oscar-winning director on movies such as Munich and Lincoln. Although the plot details for the movie are kept under wraps and are scarce at the moment, the movie is expected to focus on the main character, as a young child and teen. The protagonist will be living in Phoenix, Arizona, where Spielberg spent most of his childhood and young adulthood in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The film will also be examining the character’s relationship with his parents and is expected to be split across time periods.
Paul Dano will be playing a version inspired by Spielberg’s father Arnold, and Williams and Rogen will be playing roles of the director’s mother and uncle respectively. Each of the characters is expected to have a unique voice that will be a bit different from the real people, who will serve only as the inspiration to base the characters. The project will be a follow-up to Spielberg’s West Side Story remake that is currently under production. The movie will be produced by Speilberg himself, along with Kushner and Kristie Macosko Krieger.