David Mamet will release “Henry Johnson,” a prison drama that marks his first film in over a decade, this spring. Production wrapped recently on the film, which stars Shia LaBeouf and is an adaptation of Mamet’s 2023 play of the same name.
In addition to LaBeouf, who starred in the show when it was mounted at the Electric Lodge venue in Venice, Calif., the rest of the play’s cast will reprise their stage roles on-screen. They include Evan Jonigkeit (“The Night House”), Chris Bauer (“True Blood”), and Dominic Hoffman (“Suits: LA”).
“Henry Johnson” will be released independently in partnership with production company 1993. Starting on May 9, the movie will be available to rent directly through the film’s website. It will also get a simultaneous theatrical run at the Aero Theatre in Los Angeles. Mamet said in a statement, “If you only see one film this year… you should get out more.”
Mamet is back on Broadway this season with a revival of “Glengarry Glen Ross,” starring Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk, and signage in the lobby of the theater touts “Henry Johnson’s” release.
The film follows the title character (Jonigkeit) as he “navigates his search for a moral center.” That journey includes encounters with various authority figures, such as his eventual cellmate, Gene (LaBeouf). According to a plot description released by the filmmakers, “Henry Johnson” examines “power, justice and the consequences of letting others choose your path for you.”
Variety’s Peter Debruge gave a largely positive review of the play, calling it “an exploration of [manipulation and negotiable morals] at a time when entire segments of the country are being swayed” and said LaBeouf is “dynamite.”
Mamet is a Pulitzer Prize winner as well as an Oscar nominee. In addition to “Glengarry Glen Ross,” he also wrote “American Buffalo” and “Speed-the-Plow.” His screenwriting credits include “The Verdict” and “Wag the Dog.” His feature film directorial works includes “The Spanish Prisoner,” “House of Games,” “State and Main,” “Heist” and “The Winslow Boy.” In recent years, however, his career in Hollywood has waned, which may have correlated with a move towards rightwing politics that’s dominated much of the media attention around Mamet.
LaBeouf has also become controversial after assault and sexual battery allegations were leveled against him in 2020 by musician FKA Twigs, his former romantic partner. Recently, Leo Lewis O’Neil announced that he had completed a documentary, “Slauson Rec,” that charts the tumultuous history of a free acting school LaBeouf started at the Slauson Recreation Center in Los Angeles in 2018. The 800 hours of footage that O’Neil captured reportedly includes scenes of LaBeouf’s physical violence towards members of the experimental theater collective. The director told Vanity Fair that LaBeouf has given the final film his blessing.
“Henry Johnson” was produced by Jonigkeit and 1993’s Lije Sarki, and was executive produced by RGB (Peter Baxter), Marcel Bonn-Miller and Sheldon Stone.
