Steven Spielberg Casts Actor to Play His Younger Self in His Next Film Project

After a long search, director Steven Spielberg has cast an actor by the name of Gabriel LaBelle to play the younger version of himself in the story. La Belle is a newcomer that has appeared in films such as Dead Shack and The Predator. 

Spielberg’s new film is loosely based on his childhood. LaBelle joins Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, The Batman), who is playing a character inspired by Spielberg’s father; Michelle Williams, who is taking on a role inspired by Spielberg’s mom; and Seth Rogen, who will play Spielberg’s favorite uncle. They are all said to have a separate and original voice.

Spielberg co-wrote the script with Tony Kushner (Munich, Lincoln). This is the first time that Spielberg has worked on a script for a film since 2001’s sci-fi film A.I. This is a super personal project for him, so it makes sense that he would be heavily involved with the writing process.

Over the years, Spielberg has talked about how growing up in Arizona was an inspiration for so many of his films from story themes to actual characters. It’ll be interesting to see how this movie explores that.

Production on the film starts this summer and is eyeing a 2022 release. LaBelle will next be seen playing a younger version of Jon Bernthal in Starz’s upcoming series adaptation of American Gigolo. 

Source: Deadline