Actor Kevin Costner expressed interest in starring in the film adaptation of Larry Watson's Let Him Go, citing the book's clever writing, emotional resonance, and slightly unsettling elements.
In a recent phone interview, Costner told UPI, "I'm always looking for an original story -- at least that's how I've tried to conduct my career -- and, as I started to read this, I had this No. 1 immediate dread."
"I saw where it was going, and it really kind of scared me as a man to know that you have to follow the person you love because they are relentless in their pursuit of what they think is right," said Costner.
"The best storytellers get to the point and hold your attention. So, as long as I choose to do this, I need to be about stories that... actually do that."
Let Him Go, which is set in the early 1960s, was written and directed by Thomas Bezucha, the director of The Family Stone.
After Lorna (Kayli Carter) marries abusive Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain), who takes them to live with his menacing, off-the-grid family in North Dakota, the film follows retired Montana sheriff George Blackledge (Costner) and his headstrong wife Margaret (Diane Lane) as they attempt to bring their late son's widow, Lorna, and 3-year-old grandson Jimmy home.
Jimmy is unimportant to the Weboys, but they would stop at nothing to prevent him from being with his devoted grandparents.
The film's strong themes of brutality and power may speak to spectators in the present era.