Variety has now confirmed a spring release for Henry Johnson. The film will be released independently in a single theatre in Los Angeles, in partnership with production company 1993. Starting on May 9, it will also be available for rent directly via the film’s website.
Mamet remarked in a statement:
“If you only see one film this year… you should get out more.”
Henry Johnson is based on Mamet’s play, which had off-Broadway showings at Venice’s Electric Lodge in New York City. LaBeouf plays the cellmate of the titular character, a lawyer imprisoned for his illegal activities. It is described as a “tense prison drama” about a “convict hoping for redemption.”
LaBeouf recently delivered a wild performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis and has Bjorn Franklin’s Salvable in post-production. He dropped out of Eugene Kotlyarenko’s next film just days before production was set to begin, citing the “unprofessional and unprepared nature of the production.”
So why has Mamet not directed a film in over 15 years? He publicly identified as a Republican 13 years ago, stating that modern liberals must “pretend not to know things” to advance their arguments. In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, he claimed that “Trump did a good job” as president and expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. During a recent podcast appearance, Mamet criticised “brain-dead” Hollywood executives and noted that he no longer works within the studio system because “A, they don’t want me, and B, I don’t want them.”
Mamet’s last film was the underrated Redbelt (2008). His distinctive dialogue can be heard in many acclaimed films such as The Verdict, The Untouchables, Glengarry Glen Ross, House of Games, and Wag the Dog.
