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Shia LaBeouf No Longer Interested in Y: The Last Man?

by Alex Billington
June 9, 2009

When I reported the news yesterday that D.J. Caruso was attached to The Defenders, I realized that, yet again, there was no hope that we'd see a Y: The Last Man movie anytime soon. Now this news today just confirms my worst fears. Shia LaBeouf talked with Wizard magazine recently and was briefly asked about Y: The Last Man, which he has been attached to for a few years and has been previously adamant about supporting. "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," LaBeouf said. The reason being is that it's too much like his Transformers character.

"You take Sam [Witwicky] and you put a monkey on his shoulder," LaBeouf said about the character of Yorick in Y: The Last Man. "I don't know if it's that big a differential. It seems like he's the ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation again." That is accurate, but I would argue that it's the story and the setting that make Y: The Last Man much more different than something like Transformers. As a reminder, Y: The Last Man is a comic series written by Brian K. Vaughan that has great story that would be perfect for the big screen. So without Shia on board, is there still hope for this at all, even sometime in the distant future?

I talked with an exec at New Line yesterday, who told me that the project had been moved to the back burner. He said that they were working on the script again, which reminded me of an update last December where D.J. Caruso had said that they were still struggling with the screenplay. "I think it's one of those that the source material is fantastic stuff, it's great, but it's a tough one to lick into getting into a screenplay," Caruso said last year. So they're still not happy with the screenplay? I wonder if Caruso's desire to turn this into a trilogy from the start is one of the reasons why they're getting nervous. We may never know!

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

Sumit

Excellent news! I have nothing against Shia LaBeouf or DJ Caruso but neither of them are right for Y. Hopefully once Lost & Ex Machina finishes Brian K Vaughn will be able to write the script himself and get a more suitable director like David Fincher.
http://www.galaxykid.net Johnny Neat

Wow what a gay ass. What a lame excuse.
MaTT

I know its probably not going to happen, but just in case: NO
Ryan

agreed #1, that is the best news i've heard to date. I'm fine waiting.
http://www.andreascliment.com Andreas Climent

I'm a big fan of Y and thought Shia would have made a pretty good Yorick. If no one else eventually gets around to it, I'd love to direct a Y movie some day. What would be cool though is a Y:The Last Man movie written by BKV and directed by LOST's Jack Bender or even by BKV himself!
Darunia

Awesome!
germs

I guess Shia didn't realize that all his characters are the same anyway.
Caitie

All of his movies I've seen so far are good. I think right now he's kind of at a cross road in his acting career: Do I keep playing the average guy turned hero or put my acting skills to the test? It will be interesting to see where he is in a couple of years that's for sure.
Holly

I keep insisting that Zachary Levi (Chuck) would be perfect for the character. Thought they were going that route too when Y posters started showing up in Chuck's room. It's a damn shame..make this movie for the love of all that is holy!
Matthew

Thank god. Shia is making a career out of ruing great franchises and this is one I would picket with a torch if it ever actually happened... Unlike #1 I do have something against Shia...He's not good...At all...He's plastic as all hell and I don't understand what anyone sees in him. How absolutely ridiculous is it that he says Y is too close to his character in Transformers...The only similarity is the two are in their 20's...Period. The good news is that maybe, just maybe Shia wont be in anymore franchise movies by the time his career is over in two years. Hooray for common sense. Unless Brian K Vaughn writes the screenplay it shouldnt be made, the reason Dj caruso is having a hard time writing it is because the material is way over his head.
nelson

yeah because it was'nt the bad writing in both those franchises it was all shia right lol anyway i say get Anton Yelchin for this role
David Banner

Milo Ventimiglia as Yorick!
LSP

This movie, this idea, it's been done and it's over. Oh wait, it's Hollywood.
Sumit

Just a side note; did you guys spot Hurley reading a Spanish language Y The Last Man graphic novel in the Lost episode at the airport this past season? Pretty cool!
1-7

As if all of his characters aren't the same anyway?
Matt

#11 I agree 100%. Anton was great in Terminator and has impressed me everytime i've seen him. I think the part would suit him perfectly.
9mm

the guy from wanted > shia
Fisherr

I liked LeBeouf although i think he is a D-bag for turning down the role, i think he is the only one capable of doing Yorick i read the 6 issues in 4 days and it was a lot like fun.
Joshua m

I was going to say that this is the best news I've heard all week but I think enough people have said that already. What the heck, best news I've heard all week. Oh, and LSP, or anyone for that matter, when has this movie been done before?
Holly

@Sumit -Brian K. Vaughn is a writer on Lost, that's why it was there But it was badass and I started freaking out, I know a lil' spanish and loved the comic so my husband was like, calm down what's the matter, lol. Gotta love those fan easter eggs. Shia is okay IMO, I thought he had good comedic timing when I caught episodes of Even Stevens when my little niece was watching it on Disney..it was all downhill from there. He just needs to stop for awhile.
Kellie

This is fantastic news! I completely agree with #1 as well. Only, I think it would be great as a series on HBO or Showtime. That way the whole story can really have enough time to play out.
Sumit

@ Holly Yup I know BKV is a writer on Lost - just another reason why that show is so great! @ Kellie Totally agreed - a film would be cool but a mini series would be perfect. I'm sure they could pull it off on a TV budget too. And being on HBO/Showtime will mean they wont have to censor some of the more controversial plots and themes.
Tim

I've been working my way through the Y graphic novels and I'm fully behind there being a mini-series adaptation. A feature film of that story might be ok, but I think a serialized treatment would serve the story better.