Shia LaBeouf To Star in a New film About Italian Saint Padre Pio

Shia LaBeouf is looking to make a comeback after the recent troubles that he’s found himself in. Director Abel Ferrara has revealed that LaBeouf is set to take on the lead role in his next movie. The story of that film centers on the younger years of Italian Saint Padre Pio. Willem Dafoe is also looking to join the film.

Ferrara said in a statement, “We’re doing a film about Padre Pio, he’s a monk from Puglia. It’s set in Italy right after World War I. He’s now a saint, he had stigmata. He was also in the middle of a very heavy political period in world history. He was very young before he became a saint, so Shia LaBeouf is going to play the monk.”

Born Francesco Forgione in southern Italy in the late 19th century, Padre Pio generated both devotion and controversy throughout his life. He rose to fame in the Catholic world for exhibiting stigmata, or crucifixion wounds corresponding to those on the body of Jesus Christ, before becoming a symbol of hope for the Italian people during the country’s difficult inter-war period. He died in 1968 at the age of 81, was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1999, and then canonized and 2002.

Ferrara is the director of films such as Bad Lieutenant, King of New York, Mary, Dangerous Game, and Body Snatchers, and he says that this film will be “bigger” than many of his recent works. This is also a project that he’s been working on for some time.

I think LaBeouf is a talented actor and a creative guy. But, as you know he’s had his fair share of controversy over the years. I just hope that he manages to pull himself together so that he can continue to make good movies.

Source: Deadline