Shia LaBeouf latest film was born in an unusual place 鈥� court-ordered rehab.

The actor spent time writing the script for his semi-autobiographical 鈥淗oney Boy鈥� while he was being treated for substance abuse after a 2017 arrest.

鈥淗e wrote this script in rehab and actually sent me an email from there with the script,鈥� said Israeli director Alma Har鈥檈l. 鈥淪o it was pretty mind blowing. I couldn鈥檛 say no to that.鈥�

LaBeouf premiered the film at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday in Park City, Utah. He didn鈥檛 speak with the media but posed alongside his mother, Shayna Saide, and fellow actors.

The former 鈥淭ransformers鈥� star plays an alcoholic and abusive father of a child actor, who is played at different ages by Noah Jupe (of 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥�) and Lucas Hedges (鈥淏oy Erased鈥�).

鈥淚 think it was emotionally difficult for anybody to do what he did and I think nobody has ever done it before,鈥� Har鈥檈l said. 鈥淗e stepped into his own trauma and played his father in it 鈥� the most complicated relationship he鈥檚 ever had, that defined his life more than anything else.鈥�

LaBeouf had admired an early documentary by Har鈥檈l and they鈥檇 developed a working relationship over the years. 鈥淲e did a music video. He was kind enough to finance my second film when nobody but nobody else would,鈥� she said.

In 2017, LaBeouf pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge of obstruction stemming from his attempt to elude police following a vulgar public outburst in Georgia.

He was also ordered to pay $2,680 in fines and fees, perform 100 hours of community service, enrol in anger management counselling and complete a drug and alcohol evaluation. That鈥檚 when he began on 鈥淗oney Boy.鈥�

Har鈥檈l said the film shines a light on LaBeouf鈥檚 private struggles.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a story about the things you inherit. Shia definitely inherited a lot of his passion towards acting from his father. But he also inherited other things that he has to deal with for the rest of his life. And he鈥檚 trying to do it as best as he can. He had to do it in the public eye, unlike many of us. So it鈥檚 been very challenging. And I think this film really kind of deals with that,鈥� she said.

鈥淗oney Boy鈥� is seeking a distributor at Sundance.

Ryan Pearson, The Associated Press

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