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Every week, Scott Davis and Austin Kennedy check out the latest, but not always the greatest films in the multiplexes. Everything from the biggest blockbusters, to the smallest indie films to the latest foreign films. Scott and Austin are film geeks by birth, keeping a critical eye on things, but bringing a lot of humor and energy to the proceedings as well. They don't always agree, but it's always entertaining.

• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 6/10/2009 10:31 PM UTC

  LaBeouf Out of "Y: the Last Man"
  

  Before I would have said Shia LaBeouf was a pretty good choice to play Yorick Brown in Y: THE LAST MAN. Now that he has given his reasons why he won't be in the film, I'm sort of relieved.
  
  Y: THE LAST MAN was a successful comic series by Brian K. Vaughn that ran for several years before wrapping up its story arc. It involved a young man named Yorick Brown and his pet monkey. Once a kind but ineffectual person, Brown is shocked to find himself the only male left alive after the rest of the men in the world from embryos on up mysteriously drop dead.
  
  
  
  
  DISTRUBIA director D.J. Caruso has been prepping the film since shortly after that film became a big hit. Ever since then, LaBeouf has been attached. But now, LaBeouf thinks he's been there, done that. The reason he gives is strange.
  
  The reason given is that LaBeouf sees a lot of similarities between the Yorick Brown character and his character of Sam from the TRANSFORMERS films. "You take Sam and you put a monkey on his shoulder. I don't know if it's that big a differential. It seems like he's the ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation again....I'm not willing to make that movie currently, and may be too old to play the role by the time it does come around" says LaBeouf.
  
  The thing is that besides being an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation, the two roles are completely unalike. Not only is Brown a bit older, but his personality is a bit different. Not to mention the tone of the whole thing is considerably darker (The Y film would have to be rated "R" if it was keeping in tone with the comic) and more overtly satrical, thus skewing the way certain characters play.
  
  So, although he seemed like a good fit, it now seems like LaBeouf's read of the Yorick Brown character may have been incorrect anyway.
  
  Whatever the case, the project remains active with Caruso still on to direct and Carl Ellsworth will serve as screenwriter. No plans on when the film will be ready to go into production.
  
  
  • Tags:
  • Shia LaBeouf
  • Y the Last Man
  • comic book
  • film
  • adaptation
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