Armory Films & Endeavor Content Present

Directed by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

Written by

Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

Produced by Albert Berger

Ron Yerxa Christopher Lemole

Tim Zajaros Lije Sarki

David Thies

Executive Produced by Manu Gargi Aaron Scotti

Timothy P. Shriver Anthony K. Shriver

Michelle Sie Whitten Carmella Casinelli

Starring

Shia LaBeouf Dakota Johnson Zack Gottsagen

IN CINEMAS 18TH OCTOBER Running Time: 98 minutes

For further information, screening details and interview requests please contact:

Chris Lawrance Publicity chris@chrislawrance.com

Tel: 07967 647726

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON

In a classic adventure tale worthy of Mark Twain, a down-on-his-luck fisherman and a young man

bent on achieving an impossible dream make their way down the waterways of a mythical American South

with the help of a succession of colorful strangers. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and newcomer

Zack Gottsagen, The Peanut Butter Falcon is an inspiring and heartfelt slice of timeless Americana that

took home the 2019 Audience Award for Narrative Spotlight at the SXSW Film Festival.

At loose ends since the death his brother, Tyler (LaBeouf) has resorted to stealing the catch of other

crab fishermen to survive. At the same time, Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, dreams of life as a

professional wrestler. They both soon find themselves on the lam, as Tyler is pursued by a pair of angry

fisherman (John Hawkes and Yelawolf), while Zak busts out of his care facility and hightails it from North

Carolina toward Florida to find the professional wrestling school of his hero, the Salt Water Redneck

(Thomas Haden Church).

With no money, map or even pants, Zak’s plans soon come to a screeching halt, just like Tyler’s

battered fishing boat. A chance meeting sets the pair on a path that introduces them to a world they never

dreamed existed. Along with Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a conscientious aide from Zak’s residence who

comes to retrieve him, they set sail for a once-in-a-lifetime journey on a makeshift raft through an

unfamiliar and extraordinary landscape. Filmed in and around Savannah, Georgia, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a joyous and uplifting folk story that celebrates the friendship of three unexpectedly kindred

spirits.

The Peanut Butter Falcon is written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz in their feature film debuts. It stars Shia LaBeouf (Transformers franchise, American Honey), Dakota Johnson (50 Shades

of Grey franchise, Suspiria), John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone, The Sessions), Bruce Dern (Nebraska, Coming Home),

Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3), Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher,” The Wolf of Wall Street),

rapper Yelawolf and, in a role written especially for him, Zack Gottsagen.

Producers are Albert Berger (Little Miss Sunshine, Nebraska), Christopher Lemole (Mudbound,

Billionaire Boys Club), Lije Sarki (Concrete Kids, ToY), David Thies (“Rod Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory,” “Man vs.

Machine”), Ron Yerxa (Little Miss Sunshine, Nebraska) and Tim Zajaros (Mudbound, Arctic). Director of

photography is Nigel Bluck (Deadpool, The Home Song Stories). Production designer is Gabrael Wilson (The

Ropes, Nightstalker). Editors are Nat Fuller (Maleficent, The Last Witch Hunter) and Kevin Tent (The Descendants,

Nebraska). Costume designer is Melissa Walker (The Neon Demon, Keanu). Music supervisor is Zachary Dawes.

Executive producers are Carmella Casinelli (The Blue Mauritius, Connie & Consuelo), Manu Gargi (The Double,

Silence), Aaron Scotti (Arctic, Beast Mode), Tim Shriver (The Ringer, Amistad) and Michelle Sie Whitten. Co-

executive producer is Matthew J. Malek (Silence, To the Bone).

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

The Peanut Butter Falcon’s inspirational story begins with its remarkable leading man, Zack Gottsagen, who makes an unforgettable feature film debut in the tale of two dreamers drifting south on a

homemade raft. After meeting Gottsagen six years ago at a camp for actors with disabilities, co-director

and co-writer Tyler Nilson saw a chance to shine a light on the performer’s charisma, determination and

self-confidence with a story written expressly for him.

“I could see that he had a unique skill set,” says Nilson. “He’s a really good actor. About five years

ago, my writing and directing partner Mike Schwartz and I decided that this was the right time, and we sat

down to create a role that would showcase his abilities.”

Schwartz and Nilson decided to create a modern-day fable about two strangers who make their way

down isolated waterways and back roads and find an unexpected bond that changes both their lives. “The

setting allowed us to explore some great characters for Zack to play off of,” Schwartz says.

Pitching a script in which the main character has Down syndrome was a daunting task, the writer-

directors admit. To head off doubters, they decided to create a short video demonstrating Gottsagen’s talents.

The project caught the attention of Tim Zajaros and Christopher Lemole, producers of the gritty post-WWII

drama Mudbound, which garnered four 2018 Academy Award® nominations, as well as veteran independent

filmmakers Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, 2014 Oscar® nominees for Nebraska.

“I had the same feeling when I read this that I did when I read Mudbound,” says Zajaros. “I finished

it and said, all right, let’s make this movie. The reason I got into the movie business was to make special

movies that you remember for the rest of your life. You don’t often get that kind of material so if there’s a

chance, we have to try to make it. It was risky, but we don’t necessarily judge what we do based on an Excel

spreadsheet.”

“Some projects just grab you,” agrees Lemole. “It can take two years or more to make a film, so we

try to trust our guts and do things we enjoy. This script was so ambitious. The story has to stand up to some

classic films. Our lead actor has Down syndrome. And we are working with two first-time feature directors.

It was challenging.”

But Schwartz and Nilson’s proof-of-concept video featuring Gottsagen convinced them to move

forward. “We knew he could act in a two- or three-minute piece of film,” says Zajaros. “We decided to take

the chance. We went with a lot of faith. My gut said he would great.”

The Adventure Begins

With a handful of short films under their belts, Nilson and Schwartz suddenly found themselves at

the helm of a feature involving no fewer than seven Academy Award nominees, including actors John

Hawkes, Bruce Dern and Thomas Haden Church, and producers Zajaros, Lemole, Yerxa and Berger.

Working with largely untried directors, says Lemole, can be trying for producers, but not in this case.

“It’s a director’s job to ask for the moon,” he explains. “The producer’s job is to keep costs under control.

With Tyler and Mike, we had a really good dynamic that allowed us to be very straightforward. They

appreciated that it wasn’t about cutting costs, it was about what was best for the film. Their passion for the

project made it easy for us all to work as a team.”

Once the film was greenlit, Schwartz and Nilson were swept into the whirlwind of their first

major production without much opportunity to doubt themselves. “It was like a tornado,” Schwartz

recalls. “We had a schedule, but then we’d have to switch it because of weather or people’s availability. We

didn’t even have time to be tired.”

“We had written The Peanut Butter Falcon primarily for Zack to have the experience of making a

feature film,” adds Nilson. “I hadn’t put a lot of thought into what it meant for my future as a director or

what it could be like for me to have that experience. So there was no fear. It was more excitement.”

Although the six-week shoot was arduous, says Nilson, the producers, actors and crew members

quickly became family. “Most importantly, I learned to trust my gut, but be open to new ideas. There’s a line

in the film: ‘Hold on and let go.’ That’s what we had to do. For example, you have an idea what a scene is

and you try to hold on to it, but sometimes you have to let your assumptions go. Who knows? You could end

up with something even better.”

“We flow together,” adds Schwartz. “We’re yin and yang. If we were exactly the same, it’d be really

hard to be partners. But we want the same things. And we care about the same things. We each do what we

do best, but we talk to each other about it first.”

According to Lemole, although the bar for success was set high from the beginning, the finished

product exceeded everyone’s expectations. “If we had gotten to 75 percent, I would have been very happy,”

he says. “But we broke through the ceiling in terms of what I expected. I can’t wait to show this movie to the

world. There were times we all lost sleep. Three weeks before shooting, we still didn’t have our Salt Water

Redneck or our Eleanor, but in the end we couldn’t have put together a better cast.”

Three for the Road

Gottsagen plays Zak, a young man who has been warehoused in a facility for seniors because of a

lack of better alternatives. Passionate about professional wrestling, he watches decades-old matches over

and over on VHS. His all-time hero is the Salt Water Redneck, whose North Carolina wrestling school is

advertised endlessly on the tapes. With the help of his elderly roommate, Zak makes a midnight run to

freedom. His plan is to track down his idol and attend the Salt Water Redneck’s wrestling school.

It took all of Nilson and Schwartz’s determination and vision to get the movie made, Gottsagen says.

“I love Tyler and Mike for pulling this off. They pushed us hard every single day. They are great directors and

I hope we can work together again. I feel so much love with these two and I’m so happy to be a part of this

movie.”

Gottsagen’s relentless optimism is backed up by the kind of fierce ambition that makes stars out of

actors, says Nilson. “Zack has always believed in himself. He has unwavering faith. We were shooting a

scene where everyone was jumping off a 35-foot-high platform into the water and we had to use a stunt

double for Zack and he got kind of mad. He wanted to jump, but at first the stunt coordinator wouldn’t give

his approval. So at lunch we snuck out and started jumping him at low heights. He was fine, so we bumped

him up higher. In the end, he did his own stunt. It felt great. The whole movie is about someone like Zack

being able to do what other people do.”

The actor also worked through a painful condition that might have sidelined another performer.

About three weeks into shooting, with his most critical scenes coming up fast, Gottsagen developed a

hernia. He refused to step aside. “Zack came through for us even though he was often in an enormous

amount of pain,” says Schwartz. “We thought it might be all over — there was no replacing Zack — but he

kept showing up to work.”

Casting the role of Tyler, the troubled and troublesome fisherman who becomes Zak’s traveling

companion, was a delicate proposition, according to the filmmakers. Initially the character, who is on the run

from adversaries who mean to do him some serious harm, has no interest in helping Zak. So the actor

playing him needed the sensitivity and patience to work opposite a newcomer, but also the depth to

understand and convey Tyler’s own demons. Enter Shia LaBeouf.

“We got blessed with a lightning bolt with Shia,” says Nilson. “He is one of the most dedicated

actors I have worked with. The whole heartbeat of the film is Tyler and Zak and the way they get along. Shia

came in and built a real relationship with Zack that could not be faked. He’s as much a filmmaker as he is an

actor and he cares about the movie as much as we do. He isn’t willing to just move on after a certain number

of takes. Every scene has to be great.”

LaBeouf says he was on board after reading just the first 30 pages of the script. “I talked with Tyler

and Mike on Skype and we hit it off pretty good. Working with them felt like a constant conversation. Even

when we got off set, it kept going, sometimes all night. What any actor wants from a director is somebody to

lean on, to hire the right people and to trust those people. And these dudes did that. I’m really happy with

how the movie has turned out. I can be pretty hard on my work, but this one is a beautiful movie.”

The actor calls Gottsagen one of the purest, most intensely good people he has ever met. “He’s really

elevated in terms of feelings,” LaBeouf explains. “It’s not a logical thing. He’s just expressive. Zack can’t lie.

He wears his heart on his sleeve. We got to a place where we were so connected we really just didn’t even

need to talk. It’s just a knowing silence.”

The connection was essential for the characters the two actors play, according to Lemole. “When

they team up, they become fellow outlaws in a way. They are both running from something. And now they’re

friends. I can’t imagine having anyone else in these roles. The brotherhood between those two is undeniable

and then when you add in Dakota Johnson, you’ve got a family. The chemistry between all the actors is

unmatched in my experience.”

LaBeouf, who has been acting professionally since he was a preteen, says Johnson brought a level of

professionalism to the set that goes beyond anything he has seen before. “Her first day was eight pages and

she cut right to the chase,” he says. “Dakota is really powerful in a Jodie Foster kind of way. She has the

strength to put you in your place. And her bond with Zack was amazing. They’re so good together. Once she

showed up, he didn’t care about me anymore.”

Johnson plays Eleanor, an empathetic volunteer at Zak’s nursing home who has a special connection

with the young man. When he disappears one night, she goes on the road to try and rescue him before he

gets in over his head. But by the time she locates him, he’s had a taste of freedom, Tyler-style, and there’s no

going back. Against her better judgment, Eleanor agrees to escort Zak to Florida on his quest to find his

wrestling idol.

“Working with Zack has been one of the best experiences of my career,” Johnson says. “Actually

of my life. There are no games, no judgment and no room for anything but honesty. We just love each

other. I’ve never had that before. I can be completely open with him.

“I didn’t really have an idea of what it was going to be like when I came in,” she says. “I came in later

than the guys and the first day for me was probably our biggest scene together. It was pretty hardcore and

very beautiful. And not like anything I’ve ever imagined could exist on a film set. We had to open our hearts,

just like the characters.”

Hot on the Trail

Duncan and Ratboy, a pair of crabbers who are looking for retribution after Tyler destroys their

equipment, are close behind as Tyler, Zak and Eleanor continue their journey south. After dealing with

Tyler’s antics for too long, Duncan is out for blood this time. John Hawkes, who plays Duncan, brings an air

of real menace to the character. “I have so much respect for John’s work,” says LaBeouf. “He’s just a smart

dude. He makes good choices and he’s fun to watch. I was kind of intimidated. I thought John was the kind

of guy who takes everything seriously. But he’s the best.”

Hawkes says he was interested in the project as soon as he heard that producers Ron Yerxa and

Albert Berger were involved. “They are producers extraordinaire. And then meeting Tyler and Mike

reinforced my interest. It’s always really great when the directors have written the script. And the screenplay

itself was a little piece of magic.”

To prep for their roles as fishermen, both he and LaBeouf trained with crabber Rob Thomas. “He’s

a legendary fisherman locally and a wonderful man,” Hawkes says. “Getting out on the boat with him at five

in the morning was really enjoyable. You can see why people love to crab. There’s an autonomy and a

peacefulness to it. That said, you’re laying buoys and coming back to them later and people may have stolen

your catch. It happens all the time. That’s what sets Duncan after Tyler.”

After more than 30 years of acting and over 100 film and television roles, Hawkes knows the mood

on a set always comes from the top. “When the producers and the directors are great people who care about

what they’re doing and want to make things as good as they can possibly be, it’s real joy,” he observes. “The

people who worked on this were really fantastic. There aren’t many actors more dedicated than Shia. He cares

more than most people, and that’s an exciting prospect. And Dakota Johnson is a delight. She’s a lot of fun to

be around and a real talent. But my favorite part of the experience was getting to know Zack and seeing his

approach to life and to work.”

Duncan’s sidekick in the film, a seedy tough guy known as Ratboy, is played by Alabama-born

rapper, songwriter and producer Yelawolf, in his professional acting debut. “I knew I was going to be joined

at the hip with someone, but you never know what that’s going to be like until you meet,” says Hawkes, who

was already a fan of the musician. “He turned out to be a really terrific actor and a really terrific human

being.”

Nilson says that he was always impressed with Yelawolf in his music videos and when he saw the

video for “Til It’s Gone” he said, “That’s Ratboy.”

The rapper returns the praise, “they have their vision and they stick to it,” he adds. “They work super

good as a team and it seems like a well-oiled machine, you know? I just had to step in and rock. They made it

super easy for me. The vibe was good, and the character wasn’t a huge stretch. I’d work with them anytime.”

Accomplices and Inspirations

Zak does not make his late escape without help, which comes in the form of Carl, his octogenarian

roommate, played by Bruce Dern. “I’m just a geeked-out fan of all the people in the film,” says Nilson.

“Especially Bruce Dern! The intensity and gravitas that he brought to set was really awesome.”

Dern’s thespian roots trace back to the famed Actors Studio, but his career received a big boost from

famed low-budget auteur Roger Corman. He says that Corman, for whom he made 11 films, is responsible

for getting his name and those of fellow actors Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper above the

title in films. He admits to seeing a parallel between himself and his character. “I wrote a memoir called

Things I’ve Said but Probably Shouldn’t Have,” Dern says. “That’s Carl. He probably drank a little too much

Wild Turkey and people got tired of putting up with him, so he ended up in this home.”

The actor, who was nominated for his supporting role in 1979’s Coming Home and won a Best Actor Oscar 35 years later for Nebraska, says he took on the role because the film catches “lightning in a bottle.” “Zack on the screen is magic,” says Dern. “He gives everyone his heart every day. He brings it take after take after take. And he’s legitimately funny. He is in on every joke and has an appreciation for them. Audiences will see his charm and fall in love.”

The object of Zak’s odyssey, a washed-up wrestler who goes by the moniker Salt Water Redneck, is played by Thomas Haden Church. “My character had a brief encounter with wrestling stardom back in the ’90s,” Church explains. “He made it to the big leagues for about the amount of time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, but he’s still a local legend. Zak knows him from these ancient videos he watches, but his life has changed and he’s a lot different than what Zak thought he was going to be.”

Church was drawn to the wealth of talent attached to the film as well as the visual and emotional

worlds of the film. “They rang true to me,” he says. “I have family from the Deep South and have spent a

lot of time on the coast of Texas. This is so authentic to a world I am familiar with.”

The Salt Water Redneck may have retired from the ring, but in Zak’s heart, he is still a champion.

And like so many before him, the Salt Water Redneck has a hard time saying no to the young man’s

determination to become the Peanut Butter Falcon, the wrestling nom de guerre he and Tyler cook up one

boozy night.

“As an actor, Zack fully engages and comes up with spontaneous and authentic emotional moments,” says Church. “His innocence is paired with unusual acuity and everybody responds to it. And he’s got charm for days with the ladies.”

Becoming a pro wrestler was never on Church’s own radar, but he says that working with wrestling

stars Mick Foley and Jake the Snake was a thrill. “I learned my first wrestling move,” he boasts. “I felt like a

master wrestler. It’s been an honor to get to know Mick and Jake. They are the only pro wrestlers I’ve ever

met, and both are very entertaining, colorful, good-hearted guys.”

The Hostess City of the South

The Peanut Butter Falcon was shot in and around Savannah, Georgia, in the midst of one of the city’s notoriously sultry summers, when weather conditions can be extreme. Temperatures regularly top 90

degrees, with humidity of 90 percent or more. Frequent rainfall can bring thunder and lightning storms, so

the company had to be extremely nimble to accommodate last-minute changes. But the city’s many charms

easily outweighed those concerns, says Nilson. “We love Savannah, I can’t count one time I wished we’d shot

somewhere else. It was the perfect place.”

The film was shot by Nigel Bluck, a native Australian who has been honored around the world for

his cinematography. His camera captures a stylized, languid version of the backwaters and byroads of the

rural South, from swampy, reed-filled inlets and intimate sandy beaches to wide-open fields and scrubby

woodlands, transforming Savannah, Georgia in to North Carolina flawlessly. He finds innate beauty and

mysticism in places more often portrayed as hardscrabble. “It is a beautiful part of the world,” he notes.

“The people are very colorful, vibrant and comfortable with themselves. Even the poorest parts are free and

lush and full of possibilities for fantasy and magic.”

Bluck says he and the directors talked extensively about keeping the camera “transparent.” “It was

important that the camera not call attention to itself, but to be silently observing this journey,” he explains.

“There’s a mythical feeling to the script that reminded me of Huckleberry Finn. Visually I was going for a

sense of timelessness that you see in all the great road pictures. We wanted to tell the story with a sense of

ultra-naturalism that reflects the realities of Tyler’s life and some of the surrealism of the fantasy realm of

Zak’s imagination.”

He carried that philosophy through to photographing the actors, especially Johnson. “We chose to

emphasize a sort of uncurated beauty that fits into these settings,” he says. “She looks natural and gorgeous.

It makes it easy to understand Tyler’s attraction to her singularity.”

Music for the Road

The Peanut Butter Falcon soundtrack is a spirited and eclectic collection of American music that evokes the exhilaration of an open-ended road trip. It includes bluegrass, gospel, country, rockabilly, folk and

indie rock, from artists as diverse as the Staple Singers, Colter Wall, Ola Belle Reed, and Yo La Tengo, plus

original music from a quartet of composers.

The directors specifically sought out music that would feel at home in the film’s distinctly American

landscape while also reinforcing the unique personalities of its trio of travelers, according to music supervisor

and composer Zachary Dawes. “The setting is very much a character in this film,” he says. “They wanted to

stay true to that and also have something that could pendulum between the edginess of Shia’s character and

the sweetness of Zack’s and Dakota’s. So there are elements of dissonance and distortion and heavy

percussion at times and then also sweet bits for the story of the new family they become.”

As Dawes and fellow composer Jonathan Sadoff began writing original music for the film, they

realized it was essential to bring in musicians fluent in the score’s musical language. They turned to a pair of

virtuosi, multi-instrumentalist Gabe Witcher and banjoist Noam Pikelny, who are also credited as composers

on the film. “They are players of the highest caliber and their role ended up being more significant than just

playing,” says Dawes. “They’re so good and so creative that they ended up being a part of the scoring

process in the studio.”

Executive music producer Charles Barsamian worked with the directors, the producers, Dawes and the

other composers to assemble the soundtrack. “Everyone was so passionate about making it the best film it could

be,” he says. “Zach did an extraordinary job finding source music to supplement the original score.”

The original music includes both traditional and nontraditional elements, says Barsamian. “Jon

Sadoff is more of a traditional film score composer, whereas Gabe Witcher and Noam Pikelny, who are

members of the band Punch Brothers, contributed more of a bluegrass element. But the whole through-

line is Americana. Bluegrass fiddler Sara Watkins recorded some original vocals over a song called ‘Long

Hot Summer Days.’ It’s more than superficial background music; it all impacts the scenes and the

movement of the film.”

Besides being intimately involved in selecting songs for the film, the directors also co-wrote the film’s

end-title song, “Running for So Long (House a Home).”

An Honest Story

The road to completing The Peanut Butter Falcon, like the route its protagonists follow, was

sometimes difficult, often unpredictable and always gratifying, according to the filmmakers. “Mike and Tyler

wrote an amazing script,” says producer Zajaros. “They lived with the movie long enough to know exactly

what they wanted. They found the perfect locations. The love and enthusiasm they brought to the set every

day had a profound effect on all of us.”

His hope is that the film will be as special to audiences as it is to everyone who worked on it. “It

could potentially start an interesting conversation,” he says. “But it’s also just incredibly entertaining. It has a

ton of heart and a lot of fun. There are elements that everybody can relate to in one way or another. I can

keep watching it over and over again. It’s a story told honestly, and that’s the right way to tell it.”

Lemole is hard-pressed to think of another film like The Peanut Butter Falcon, and he is excited

to share it with a wide audience. “It’s a story that breaks your heart and puts it back together again,” says the

producer. “It addresses real issues without being preachy. One of the most important things it has to say is

that everybody is entitled to their hopes and dreams. We all have to try and be realistic in our expectations,

but at the same time, there is no reason to leave anyone on the sidelines. I know Zack’s not going to become

a professional basketball player or an Olympic swimmer. But neither am I. He’s such a special guy and I’m

proud that we were able to celebrate that.”

The co-directors say all they set out to do was tell a good story, one that would open up pathways for

people to look at the commonplace in different ways, and to give Zack Gottsagen a chance to do something

he dreamed about for a long time. “We really wanted to make something that would be fun for all of us and

for the audience,” says Nilson. “And I wanted to give my really good friend Zack an opportunity to be in a

movie. And maybe allow people to see him differently.”

ABOUT THE CAST

SHIA LABEOUF (Tyler) is an actor whose extraordinary natural talent and raw energy have

secured his place as one of Hollywood’s leading men.

LaBeouf recently received rave reviews for his performance in Honey Boy, which premiered at this year’s

Sundance Film Festival. The film also marks his first feature-length film as a screenwriter and reunited him with

director Alma Har’el, with whom he previously collaborated on the documentary LoveTrue, which she directed

and he produced. In Honey Boy, LaBeouf portrays a law-breaking, alcohol-abusing father who tries to mend his

tumultuous relationship with his son (played by Lucas Hedges and Noah Jupe). The film received a Special Jury

Award for Vision and Craft at Sundance and was quickly picked up by Amazon.

LaBeouf recently wrapped production on the crime drama The Tax Collector, which was written and

directed by David Ayer.

In 2017, LaBeouf starred in the drama Borg vs. McEnroe, which chronicles the rivalry, friendship and

personas of Björn Borg and John McEnroe and how they became international superstars of mainstream

culture. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received rave reviews as did LaBeouf’s

performance. The previous year he was seen in the critically acclaimed independent film American Honey, a

coming-of-age drama about a gang of law-breaking teenagers chasing the American dream. His performance

earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Actor, a London Critics Circle Film

Award nomination for Supporting Actor of the Year, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best

Supporting Male.

LaBeouf’s other recent credits include the post-apocalyptic thriller Man Down, alongside Gary

Oldman, Jai Courtney and Kate Mara; the war drama Fury, directed by David Ayer, with Brad Pitt and Logan

Lerman; Lars von Trier’s drama Nymphomaniac, about a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her

erotic experiences; and the suspense drama Charlie Countryman, opposite Evan Rachel Wood, Mads

Mikkelsen and Melissa Leo.

LaBeouf starred in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which marked his third and final turn as the

enterprising and heroic Sam Witwicky. From the original Transformers, released in 2007 (which earned over

$700 million around the world in its theatrical release and became the highest-grossing DVD of the year)

to the second installment in 2009, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (which garnered global receipts upwards

of $836 million), LaBeouf’s character found himself in a life-and-death struggle between warring robot

legions on Earth.

Additional film credits include Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep; Lawless, alongside Tom

Hardy, Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce; Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, opposite Michael

Douglas; the fourth installment of Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones series, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the

Crystal Skull, alongside Harrison Ford; D.J. Caruso’s Eagle Eye; the Anthony Minghella-scripted segment of

romantic anthology New York, I Love You; the thriller Disturbia; the Oscar-nominated animated film Surf’s Up;

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which won a Special Jury Prize for its ensemble at the Sundance Film

Festival; Emilio Estevez’s acclaimed drama Bobby; The Greatest Game Ever Played; I, Robot; Constantine; Charlie’s

Angels: Full Throttle; and HBO’s “Project Greenlight,” featuring The Battle of Shaker Heights, produced by Matt

Damon and Ben Affleck. He made his feature film debut in 2003 in the comedy Holes, based on the best-

selling book by Louis Sachar.

In 2007, LaBeouf was named Star of Tomorrow by the ShoWest convention of the National

Association of Theater Owners, and in February 2008 he was awarded the BAFTA Orange Rising Star

Award, which was voted on by the British general public. In addition, he was nominated for four Teen

Choice Awards for Transformers, winning the Breakout Male Award as well as the Teen Choice Award for

Movie Actor in a Horror/Thriller for Disturbia. In 2004, he was nominated for the Young Artists Award for

Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film and the Breakthrough Male Performance at the MTV Movie Awards

for his performance in Holes.

On television, LaBeouf garnered critical praise for his portrayal of Louis Stevens on the Disney

Channel’s original series “Even Stevens.” In 2003, he earned a Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding

Performer in a Children’s Series for his work on the highly rated family show.

In addition to his work in front of the camera, LaBeouf has also directed several projects including

music videos for Kid Cudi and Marilyn Manson. He currently resides in California.

DAKOTA JOHNSON (Eleanor) is a BAFTA nominated and award winning actress

and producer.

After bursting onto the scene with her performance in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed The Social

Network, written by Aaron Sorkin, Johnson went on to appear in the feature comedies The Five-Year

Engagement and 21 Jump Street. She then starred as Anastasia Steele in Universal’s billion dollar franchise Fifty

Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.

In 2015, Johnson starred in two highly acclaimed features: Scott Cooper’s Black Mass opposite

Johnny Depp, and Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash opposite Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, both of

which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

In 2018, she re-teamed with Guadagnino and Swinton to star in Guadagnino’s critically acclaimed version of Dario Argento’s Suspiria. Johnson received rave reviews for her performance of American dancer Susie Bannion. Guadagnino and the cast were honored with the Robert Altman Award at the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards. In addition to her much-talked-about work with Guadagnino, Johnson also starred in Drew Goddard’s noir thriller Bad Times at the El Royale, alongside Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, and Chris Hemsworth.

Johnson is currently shooting Universal’s Covers opposite Tracee Ellis Ross and directed by Nisha

Ganatra. She will next be seen starring in The Friend with Casey Affleck and Jason Segel, and in Babak

Anvari’s Wounds with Armie Hammer and Zazie Beetz.

As a producer, Johnson has several films in development including Amazon’s Unfit and Sony’s Queens

of the Stoned Age. In addition to acting and producing, Dakota is the face of the Italian luxury brand Gucci.

Johnson is active philanthropist and is an advocate for Global Citizen’s She Is Equal campaign. She

has helped by using her voice along with others to target world leaders demanding them to strongly invest in

girls and women by providing critical funding for women’s health and family planning. Global Citizen is an

organization that provides a safe environment for individuals to come together in a collective effort to end

extreme poverty. Johnson also actively supports Action in Africa, a nonprofit organization that strives to

educate, inspire and empower people in Uganda by focusing on education and community development.

Johnson received the CinemaCon Female Star of the Year award in 2018 and was nominated for a

BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016.

ZACK GOTTSAGEN (Zak) made his film debut as the star of a natural childbirth instructional

film on April 22, 1985, and has been an enthusiastic performer since his first role as a frog at age three. He

attended Bak Middle School of the Arts, and graduated from Dreyfoos School of the Arts as a theater major

in 2004.

Gottsagen was the first child with Down syndrome to be fully included in the Palm Beach County

school district. After the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) he filed one of the first

ADA suits, which successfully challenged Little League to include children with disabilities, resulting in all

coaches being required to receive training in inclusion.

An actor and a dancer, Gottsagen performed with Southern Dance Theatre for 13 years and assisted

teaching there. He also helped teach theater to children at Standing Ovation Performing Arts and worked in

an inclusive child-care center.

Gottsagen performed a monologue from “Hamlet” while standing on top of a tall ladder at the Black

Box Theater at Dreyfoos in 2003. He auditioned for and was chosen to star in the live theater production of

“Artie” at the Royal Palm Playhouse in 2005. He has been involved with Zeno Mountain Farm nonprofit

film productions from 2008 until the present, performing in multiple independent movies with Zeno,

including Burning Like a Fire and Life of a Dollar Bill.

During the shooting of the Zeno Mountain Farm short film Bulletproof, a documentary was made

entitled “Becoming Bulletproof” (2014), which went behind the scenes to follow Gottsagen and other actors

with different disabilities through their daily lives. “Becoming Bulletproof” was featured on Showtime for

several months, received numerous film festival awards, and has a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In

July 2015, the Smithsonian Museum invited Gottsagen to be the keynote speaker for the 25th anniversary of

the Americans with Disabilities Act and showed the movie “Becoming Bulletproof.”

Gottsagen is a leader in SAIL (Self-Advocates & Independent Living) through the Gold Coast Down

Syndrome Organization and is actively involved with Very Special Arts. He has advocated for the rights of

people with disabilities in local, state and national arenas. He won the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s

Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award in 2018 for his work in the Down syndrome community and was

awarded at their Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show.

Gottsagen lives independently in an apartment in Boynton Beach, Florida, and has worked at the

Alco Theatres for several years. He loves swimming, working out, basketball, kayaking, windsurfing, bowling

and watching wrestling.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

TYLER NILSON (Co-Director) is a filmmaker from North Carolina. He explored the seas of the

South Pacific as an adventurer for a handful of years, and eventually decided to pursue his rich desire to tell

stories by moving to Los Angeles. He has appeared in commercials selling products people don’t really

need, like NFL jerseys and beer. He also used to be one of the world’s top hand models and enjoyed making

easy money doubling his hands for actors like Brad Pitt. A few years ago he co-wrote and co-directed a

narrative short film called The Moped Diaries, which people seemed to enjoy.

MICHAEL SCHWARTZ (Co-Director) is a filmmaker from Northern California. His roots as a

traveler and artist are constant influences on the projects he chooses and the people with whom he

surrounds himself. Some of his accomplishments include riding his bicycle across the country, planting an

orchard, and growing a really big beard. In 2014 Schwartz and Tyler Nilson collaborated on a short film

called The Moped Diaries and co-founded a production company called Lucky Treehouse. Together they make

films, commercials and marinara sauce.

CHRISTOPHER LEMOLE (Producer) is a producer and co-founder of Armory Films, a

company that creates, develops, produces and finances high-concept and commercially viable content.

With the ability to finance projects from initial creative inception through production and release, Armory

has amassed an impressive slate spanning numerous genres and styles, nurturing distinctive stories into

groundbreaking films. The Los Angeles-based company was created with partner Tim Zajaros in 2013.

Under the Armory Films banner Lemole recently wrapped production in Los Angeles on Charlie

Day’s directorial debut El Tonto, starring Day, Kate Beckinsale, Jason Sudeikis, John Malkovich, Edie

Falco, Jillian Bell, Ken Jeong, Adrien Brody, Ray Liotta and Travis Fimmel.

Lemole produced Joe Penna’s Arctic, starring Mads Mikkelsen, which made its world premiere at the

2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it was acquired by Bleecker Street for North American distribution and

released earlier this month. He also produced and financed Dee Rees’ lauded feature Mudbound, starring

Carey Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund, which rose to critical success since its premiere at the Sundance Film

Festival in 2017. After being acquired by Netflix, the film went on to receive four Academy Award

nominations, setting a record for the streaming service.

Additional recent productions include the horror thriller Mom and Dad, starring Nicolas Cage

and Selma Blair, which received rave reviews when it premiered in the Midnight Madness section at the

2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

Before founding Armory Films, Lemole produced three independent features: George Griffith’s

From the Head, and Richard Gray’s Mine Games and Blinder. Under the Armory Films banner, he went on to

produce the horror comedy Zombeavers with Benderspink and the Cabin Fever reboot with Eli Roth

and Cassian Elwes.

Lemole received both his undergraduate degree and J.D. from Villanova University in Philadelphia,

before moving to Los Angeles, where he began his entertainment industry career working in the Business

Affairs Department at United Talent Agency (UTA).

TIM ZAJAROS (Producer) is a producer and co-founder of Armory Films, a film finance and

production company that creates, develops, produces, and finances high concept and commercially viable

content. With the ability to finance projects from initial creative inception through production and release,

Armory has amassed an impressive slate spanning numerous genres and styles, nurturing distinctive stories

into groundbreaking films. The Los Angeles based company was created with partner Christopher Lemole

in 2013.

Armory recently wrapped production in Los Angeles on Charlie Day’s directorial debut El Tonto

starring Day, Kate Beckinsale, Jason Sudeikis, John Malkovich, Edie Falco, Jillian Bell, Ken Jeong, Adrien

Brody, Ray Liotta and Travis Fimmel, and produced The Peanut Butter Falcon, starring Shia LaBeouf, Jon

Bernthal, Dakota Johnson and Bruce Dern, which received rave reviews and the Narrative Spotlight

Audience Award out of its SXSW premiere. Roadside Attractions acquired the film for the US and will release

August 9, 2019. Up next, they will be teaming with Don Handfield on the sci-fi comic book series The Dark

Age.

Zajaros produced Joe Penna’s Arctic, starring Mads Mikkelsen which made its world premiere at the

2018 Cannes Film Festival where it was acquired by Bleeker Street for North American distribution and

released earlier this year. He also produced and financed Dee Rees’ lauded feature Mudbound, starring Carey

Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund, which rose to critical success since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival

in 2017. After being acquired by Netflix, the film went on to receive a record breaking four Academy Award

Nominations, making the film a milestone in Netflix’s history in the awards race.

Zajaros’ previous work with Armory Films includes producing the horror comedy Zombeavers with

Benderspink and the Cabin Fever reboot with Eli Roth and Cassian Elwes. Prior to launching Armory Films,

Zajaros produced Restitution starring Mena Suvari and Tom Arnold, and From the Head starring Matthew

Lillard. He earlier wrote and produced the documentary Building for Life, an inspirational story about three

poverty stricken individuals in Northern Thailand who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Zajaros presented

Building for Life at the session for the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations

Headquarters in New York City.

Zajaros graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western Michigan University with a Bachelors of

Business Administration, emphasis in Finance. He began his professional career with an automotive

marketing company based out of Detroit, and soon after left to work in the Agent Training Program

for United Talent Agency (UTA).