The Son Release

In July 2021, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film. STX Entertainment claimed the distribution rights for the UK, Benelux, Italy, Scandinavia and Iceland that same month. However, following the announcement that STX Entertainment's British offices were shutting down, the distribution changed to Lionsgate UK.

The film had its world premiere in-competition at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 7, 2022. Its North American premiere took place at the Toronto International Film Festival that same month on September 12, 2022. It also screened at the 2022 AFI Fest on November 5, 2022.

The film was initially scheduled for a limited release in the United States on 11 November 2022, with expansions in the following weeks, before its limited release was shifted to November 25. Its US limited release was later shifted again to a one-week engagement from 25 November, only in limited New York City and Los Angeles theaters, before a nationwide release on 20 January 2023.

The Son Production

During an interview via Zoom after the 93rd Academy Awards nominations were announced, director Florian Zeller revealed to Deadline that he was finishing up an adaptation of one of his plays titled The Son. In April 2021, Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern were cast to star in the film. In June 2021, Vanessa Kirby joined the cast of the film.

Principal photography began in August 2021. As of October 2021, production had concluded. It was reported Anthony Hopkins and Zen McGrath had also joined the cast, the former of whom is reuniting with Zeller after working on The Father (2020), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

The Son Cast

Hugh Jackman as Peter Miller

Laura Dern as Kate Miller

Vanessa Kirby as Beth

Zen McGrath as Nicholas Miller

George Cobell as young Nicholas Miller

Hugh Quarshie

Anthony Hopkins as Anthony Miller

The Son Plot

Peter Miller (Hugh Jackman) is recently married to his second wife, Beth (Vanessa Kirby), and raising their newborn son. Peter's ex-wife, Kate (Laura Dern), shows up and says their 17-year-old son Nicholas (Zen McGrath) is depressed and has dropped out of school. Although Peter barely knows Nicholas, he agrees to house him. Peter has a terrible relationship with his own father (Anthony Hopkins), who was cruel when he wasn't absent from Peter's life. Peter has moved on from his childhood trauma, and hopes to be a good father to Nicholas.

Peter remains aloof of the trauma his cheating on Kate with Beth has caused his son. Soon after finding out Nicholas has skipped school since his first day living with Peter and Beth, Nicholas attempts suicide and Nicholas is placed an in an in-patient treatment facility, which leaves Peter feeling guilty.

Peter and Kate bring Nicholas home a week later after feeling sympathetic to his pleas that he regrets the decisions that led to the facility. Once back home, Nicholas makes tea for his parents and happily talks about seeing a movie as a family. As he leaves to shower and his parents discuss how things seem better, Nicholas shoots himself. Peter fantasizes about what life would be like had Nicholas lived.

The Son (2022 film)

The Son is a 2022 drama film directed by Florian Zeller from a screenplay written by himself and Christopher Hampton. It is based on Zeller's 2018 stage play of the same name and serves as a prequel to 2020's The Father. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, Hugh Quarshie, and Anthony Hopkins.

The Son had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2022, and was released for a limited one-week theatrical run in New York City and Los Angeles on 25 November 2022, before a wide release in the United States on 20 January 2023, by Sony Pictures Classics. In contrast to the critical acclaim received by The Father, the film received negative reviews from most critics, who praised the performances of Jackman, Dern, and Hopkins, but criticized the screenplay, direction, and McGrath's performance. At the 80th Golden Globe Awards, Jackman was nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his performance.

愛·子 The Son

基本資料
導演	費洛瑞安·齊勒
監製	喬安娜·勞瑞（Joanna Laurie） 伊恩·肯寧 艾彌爾·謝爾曼 費洛瑞安·齊勒 克里斯托夫·史派登（Christophe Spadone）
劇本	費洛瑞安·齊勒 基斯杜化·咸頓
原著	兒子 費洛瑞安·齊勒作品
主演	休·傑克曼 蘿拉·鄧恩 凡妮莎·寇比 贊·麥格拉思（Zen McGrath） 休·卡西 安東尼·霍普金斯
配樂	漢斯·季默
攝影	班·史密特哈德（Ben Smithard）
剪輯	尤格·藍布里諾斯
製片商	電影4 巧妙傳媒 跨城電影（Cross City Films） 路堤電影公司 蹺蹺板電影公司 虛無製作（Inthevoid Production）
片長	123分鐘
產地	英國 美國 法國
語言	英語
上映及發行
上映日期	2022年9月7日（威尼斯影展） 2023年1月13日（台灣） 2023年1月20日（美國） 2023年2月17日（英國） 2023年3月8日（法國）
發行商	獅門英國（英國） 索尼經典電影（美國） UGC影城（法國） 索尼影業（台灣）
各地片名
中國大陸	困在心緒里的兒子
香港	兒子可否不要走
臺灣	愛·子

The Son

愛．子

Original title: The Son

2022, 2h 3m

Peter has his busy life with new partner Beth and their baby thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate turns up with their teenage son, Nicholas.

Director: Florian Zeller

Writers: Christopher Hampton(screenplay by), Florian Zeller(based on the play by)

Stars: Vanessa KirbyHugh, Jackman, Anthony Hopkins

Genre: Drama

Details

Release date: January 13, 2023 (Taiwan)

Countries of origin: United Kingdom, France

Language: English

Also known as: The Son

Filming locations: London, England, UK

Production companies: See-Saw Films, Ciné@, Embankment Films

Box office

Gross US & Canada: $402,464

Opening weekend US & Canada: $213,287Jan 22, 2023

Gross worldwide: $593,944

Technical specs

Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes

Color: Color

Sound mix: Dolby Digital

Aspect ratio: 2.39 : 1