by Ilich Mejía
Ilich here (I'm new! Say hi). Earlier this summer, Joel Edgerton signed on to write and direct Focus Features' Boy Erased, a timely drama based on Garrard Conley's namesake memoir. The story dives into Conley's experience with gay conversion therapy. Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Lucas Hedges were initially cast as the film's central, fundamentalist family. Now, the film has added the Red Hot Chilli Pepper's Michael Balzary, YouTube star Troye Sivan, Cherry Jones (!), and Xavier Dolan (!!) to the already astral cast...
While Balzary was just in this summer's hit Baby Driver, Boy marks an exciting Hollywood acting debut for Dolan. Good news for the Canadian director following The Death and Life of John F. Donovan's TIFF coulda-been.
Already thinkpiece fodder, Boy faced criticism for having a sensitive narrative that strongly resonates with a great part of the LGBT+ community directed, written, and produced by straight men. Hopefully, consulting from the memoir's author and the addition of openly-gay stars Sivan, Jones, and Dolan will inform the film's treatment of its controversial subject matter.
The memoir is set in Arkansas, but considering the director and the very-Australian cast, don't be surprised if the film pulls a reverse Big Little Lies and sets the converting Down Under. Also joining the film's call sheet are Emily Hikler, Jesse LaTourette, Britton Sear, Dolan alum Théodore Pellerin, and Edgerton alum David Joseph Craig.
If nothing else, this is gonna make for a VERY fun press tour. Somewhere in Cannes, an intern is maniacally filing beachside paperwork.
Who are you hoping get screen time together? If you've read the memoir, attach style suggestions for Nicole Kidman's wigmaker.