My Son Trailer Offers a Sneak Peek at James McAvoy’s Entirely Improvised Performance

Peacock has released the trailer for My Son, a remake of the 2017 French movie of the same name, starring James McAvoy and Claire Foy. Christian Carion, who directed the original movie, directs this remake as well using a screenplay he co-wrote with Laure Irrmann. That is to say, the characters not played by McAvoy were given a script, as the actor had to improvise his entire performance. Ahead of the movie’s premiere on Peacock this month, you can check out the brand new trailer below.

Like the French version of the movie, My Son follows James McAvoy as a man lost without answers. He was not given a screenplay or told any dialogue he had to say, nor did he know how the story would end. In character, McAvoy had to improvise his performance from start to finish, playing off of the other actors who are familiar with the script and the story. The idea is for the audience to relate to McAvoy on a personal level as not even the lead star know’s what’s going to happen next.

Per Peacock, the official synopsis for My Son reads: “Driving in the heart of the Highlands, Edmond Murray (James McAvoy) receives a call from his ex-wife (Claire Foy), in tears. Their 7-year-old son went missing from a campsite. Soon it becomes clear that the child was kidnapped and the parents give way to despair.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with Christian to create My Son for worldwide audiences,” the production company previously stated. “James will be doing the detective work of the film in real-time, on camera, to create real tension for this thriller. We like to support bold and innovative storytelling like My Son, and Claire could not be a more spectacular or exciting choice for this film which is certain to thrill audiences.”

It’s going to be interesting to see how this experimental approach to filmmaking plays out, but if there’s one person who could pull off such a role, it’s McAvoy. The acclaimed actor has long been impressing critics and audiences with his performances in various movies, though he particularly showed off his range in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split. In the thriller, McAvoy plays a man with 23 alternate personalities and does so rather convincingly.

McAvoy reprised his Split role in the sequel Glass. He is also known to Marvel fans for playing Charles Xavier in the X-Men movie series. His other recent credits include Atomic Blonde, Sherlock Gnomes, and It: Chapter Two. The actor also plays Lord Asriel Belacqua in the series His Dark Materials.

Meanwhile, Claire Foy is best known for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of the Netflix series The Crown. The role earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA for her role as Neil Armstrong’s wife Janet Shearon in the biopic First Man. She will next appear with Benedict Cumberbatch in the upcoming biopic The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.

My Son will start streaming on Peacock on Sept. 15. Given the nature of the improvised role, the movie appears to be must-see for any big fan of McAvoy. The new trailer comes to us from Peacock on YouTube.

You can view the original article HERE.