Shia LaBeouf, Mel Gibson Starring in Comedy About New York’s Super Rich, ‘Rothschild’

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Shia LaBeouf and Mel Gibson will star in “Rothschild,” a dark comedy about New York’s super rich helmed by “Stan & Ollie” director Jon S. Baird. has boarded the project and will kick off international sales at Cannes. CAA Media Finance is handling the North American rights.

LaBeouf plays Becket Rothschild, who was cast out from the family. As an adult the charismatic Beckett hatches a plan to get back into the family and claim his birth right. There are nine Rothschild family members who stand between him and his fortune including Whitelaw (Gibson), the family patriarch and villain of the piece.

“Rothschild” is being produced by Los Angeles-based production company Unified Pictures. Keith Kjarval and Tyler Jackson will produce alongside Black Box Management’s Lowell Shapiro and Mike Dill who represent the writer.

“Rothschild is a satirical and thrilling ride, and I am elated to be working with a filmmaker like Jon Baird, who not only has an incredible track record of guiding award-winning performances, but is crafting this film to be an action packed cautionary tale on wealth and power,” said Kjarval.

HanWay Films MD Gabrielle Stewart added: “The divide between the super-rich and the rest of the world is an ever growing one, and it’s both fun and fascinating to delve into its inner bowels along with our hero trying to scramble to the top and claim his piece.”

Gibson has several projects at Cannes including action comedy “ Fatman ,” in which he plays Santa Claus and which is being sold by Fortitude, and action movie “ Force of Nature ,” which Bluebox Intl. is selling.