His Dark Materials actor James McAvoy is starring opposite Claire Foy in the remake of a French thriller, My Son, and like the original film he will be acting without a script, although his co-stars and the crew will all be working from one.

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The original, Mon garçon (My Son), was a success in 2017 using the same innovative production process. The idea is that his dialogue and reactions to the mystery will be completely improvised and a genuine response to the drama.

Deadline reports that My Son will star McAvoy as the absent father of a child who suddenly disappears from camp. He races to the town where his ex-wife (The Crown star Foy) lives and begins a desperate hunt for him in the mountains of south-eastern France. McAvoy, however, will only be aware of the basic outlines of the plot.

The technique found favour with critics. Glenn Kenny reviewed the original in Roger Ebert: “My Son finds its cinematic footing in a committed, steady, realism, and that creates a high-wire act of tension and suspense that’s refreshingly clean and consistently effective."

My Son will be directed by the man who helmed the original Mon garçon, Christian Carion, and will filmed in Scotland, starting some time in November.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Christian to create My Son for worldwide audiences,” said Adam Fogelson, chairman of the production company, STXfilms Motion Picture Group.

“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.”

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While you’re waiting visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight, or check out our guide to new TV shows 2020 to find out what's airing this autumn and beyond.

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