Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road,” “Man of Steel”) steps behind the camera with “Eric Larue,” a deeply introspective film exploring the aftermath of violence through the lens of a perpetrator’s parents. The film releases from Magnolia Pictures on April 4.
Shannon’s journey with the project began nearly two decades ago when he first encountered the play by Brett Neveu in 2002 at Chicago’s Red Orchid Theatre.
“I saw it back in 2002… I kept going back to see it like seven or eight times,” Shannon recalled. “I was fascinated by it.”
Years later, when Neveu provided Shannon with the screenplay adaptation, the actor knew he wanted to direct.
“When I read it, I just fell in love with it,” he said. “I thought, ‘I should try and direct this.'”
The film tackles challenging territory, focusing on the parents of a perpetrator in the wake of a traumatic event. Shannon praised Judy Greer and Alexander Skarsgård, who are his friends, for their courage in portraying such complex characters.
“They’re so brave to do what they did,” he said. “(Their characters) are not a very sympathetic position to be in.”
As he has shown the film to audiences, Shannon has been struck with discussions of movies that center on the same subject, which is an unfortunate reflection of where society is today.
“Sometimes one of the handful of other films that deal with this subject matter gets brought up and it almost feels like a new mini-genre has been created, school shooting films,” he said. “Which is horrifying if you think about it, but how could it be avoided? It’s too significant a subject and happens far too often for it simply to be ignored or unconsidered.”
Despite initial reservations about directing, Shannon found the process surprisingly comfortable: “I’d always said I wouldn’t direct a movie because it just looked like too much work. But once we started shooting, I felt very at home.”
The low-budget production moved quickly, with just 22 days of shooting. Shannon’s approach relied heavily on his actors’ preparation. “Every actor in the movie, to a person, showed up completely prepared and ready to go,” he said. “They did a lot of the work for me.”
Shannon sees the film not as a quest for definitive answers, but as an exploration of human experience.
“I wish I just had a bunch of answers I could pull out of my pocket,” he admitted, acknowledging the ongoing tragedy of school shootings. “The fact is, I saw this play back in 2002, and now it’s 2025, and it still seems like the writer could have written it yesterday.”
The director believes art’s power lies not in providing solutions, but in offering understanding and comfort.
“Art is a place to find comfort, in an odd way,” Shannon said. “The intention is to provide comfort, to the extent that perhaps you can relate to things you see in the movie.”
The actor’s transition to director demonstrates a commitment to storytelling that goes beyond performance. His approach with “Eric Larue” suggests a thoughtful, empathetic perspective on difficult human experiences.
As his first directorial effort, the film represents a significant milestone in Shannon’s journey, showcasing his ability to translate powerful theatrical material into a compelling cinematic experience.
“Eric LaRue,” directed by Michael Shannon and starring Judy Greer, Alexander Skarsgård, Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, Paul Sparks, and Annie Parisse, will release April 4 from Magnolia Pictures.
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