Shia LaBeouf.Photo: Amanda Edwards/WireImage
Ferrara, who has directedKing of New YorkandThe Funeral, revealed the casting news in an interview withVarietysaying LaBeouf, 35, had signed on to play Saint Padre Pio.
“We’re doing a film about Padre Pio, he’s a monk from Puglia. It’s set in Italy right after World War I. He’s not a saint, he had stigmata,” Ferrara said. “He was also in the middle of a very heavy political period in world history. He was very young before he became a saint, so Shia LaBeouf is going to play the monk.”
A rep for LaBeouf did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
LaBeouf’s legal team hasroundly denied every one of the claims. His lawyers deny that she suffered any damages or injuries from LaBeouf and assert that her sexual battery claims should be dismissed because “none of the acts alleged were based on sex and/or the conduct was not sexual.”
RELATED VIDEO: FKA Twigs Sues Ex-Boyfriend Shia LaBeouf for ‘Relentless’ Sexual, Physical and Emotional Abuse
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Inan interview with theNew York Times,FKA twigs explained why she filed a suit against LaBeouf, who directed her in 2019’sHoney Boy.
“What I went through with Shia was the worst thing I’ve ever been through in the whole of my life,” she said. “I don’t think people would ever think that it would happen to me. But I think that’s the thing. It can happen to anybody.”
Since the allegations came to light, LaBeouf has made headlines for being fired from Olivia Wilde’s sophomore drama featureDon’t Worry Darling, which PEOPLE confirmed in late December.
In February, a source told PEOPLE the actor was stepping away from his talent agency CAA andwould take an acting hiatusas he did inpatient treatment.
The source added LaBeouf’s break is “so that he can get the help he needs” amid the lawsuit.
In May, PEOPLE learned the actor was ordered tocomplete a judicial diversion programfor misdemeanor battery and theft charges from a separate incident in June 2020.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
