My Son Trailer: Missing Person Thriller Starring James McAvoy And Claire Foy Heading To Peacock

Here's something you don't see everyday.

Peacock has unveiled the first trailer for "My Son," a new thriller starring James McAvoy ("X-Men: Days of Future Past") and Claire Foy ("The Girl in the Spider's Web") – but this movie took an unconventional approach when it came to its production. McAvoy, who plays a father whose son goes missing, did not receive a script for the film, so he improvised reactions as the story progressed and learned the truth about what was going on at the same time that his character did. Take a look:

"My Son" is a remake of a French thriller from 2017 directed by Christian Carion, who returned to direct this version as well. Foy and the rest of the cast had specific lines they were meant to say, but McAvoy only knew the vague shape of what an individual scene was supposed to entail, allowing Carion to capture a type of performance that is almost never seen from a professional actor in a film like this. The plot, which I have to imagine is the stuff of every parent's nightmares, feels similar to something like Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners," but it's the novelty of the filming approach that has me the most curious to check this out.

STXfilms originally made this movie with the intention of releasing it in theaters, but they have since sold the rights to Peacock, which will use it to bolster the nascent streaming service and hopefully attract more users. McAvoy and Foy are excellent performers, but in this crowded streaming and theatrical landscape, I'm not sure this unconventionally filmed thriller will be enough to move the needle in a significant way for Peacock. Regardless of how many new subscribers or users it generates, it looks like it will be a fascinating cinematic experiment and a showcase for McAvoy to do something different and stretch his acting muscles in a new way.

Carrion wrote this iteration with Laure Irrman, and the two of them will produce alongside Vincent Maraval ("Blue is the Warmest Color") and Brahim Chioua ("Only God Forgives") for Wild Bunch International, Rebecca O'Brien ("You Were Never Really Here") for Sixteen Films, and Marc Butan ("The Trial of the Chicago 7") for Mad River Pictures. Here is the official description:

Driving in the heart of the Highlands, Edmond Murray receives a call from his ex-wife, in tears. Their 7-year-old son went missing from a campsite. Soon it becomes clear that the child was kidnapped and the parents give way to despair.

"My Son" will be available to stream for free on Peacock starting September 15, 2021.