James McAvoy and Claire Foy have signed up to star in My Son, an English-language remake of the innovative French thriller film Mon Garçon.

McAvoy will play a father who travels to the town where his ex-wife (Foy) lives when his son goes missing. The plot is predicated on the idea that McAvoy's character doesn't know what's ahead of him, and to enhance the sense of surprise along the way, McAvoy won't be given a script or dialogue. Instead, he'll have to improvise each scene as it unfolds, bouncing off cast and crew members including Foy who will know in advance what each scene entails.

Guillaume Canet (The Beach, Tell No One) starred in the original French movie, improvising in the same way that McAvoy has signed up for. Christian Carion, who directed Mon Garçon, will also direct the remake.

Adam Fogelson of production company STXfilms Motion Picture Group told The Hollywood Reporter: “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."

McAvoy and Foy don't have too long to prepare for this pretty unique challenge because shooting is due to start November in McAvoy's native Scotland. You can whet your appetite by watching him share an amusing anecdote during his most recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show in 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJScTUnKDWk

Do you like the style of this unusual part-improvised thriller movie?