Singer Troye Sivan is set to appear in Joel Edgerton’s new film , alongside Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, Flea.
The film is based on Garrard Conley’s Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family. The story is set in a small town in Arkansas where a 19-year-old son of a Baptist pastor is forced to choose between undergoing gay conversion therapy or losing his family.
When the project was announced in June, Conley wrote about the importance of representing and protecting survivors of gay conversion therapy.
“Representation matters, and when I was growing up closeted in Arkansas, it was a matter of life and death," he wrote on his .
“I remember seeing stereotyped versions of queer people on the screen, and turning away out of shame. None of us wants to be portrayed in the same hackneyed manner as some of the worst examples.
“Boy Erased, from what I have read in the script and what I have learned through countless hours with the director and production team, will not be one of those bad examples.
“I have worked with many people to ensure that my story and the story of other queer folks who suffered through conversion therapy would not be stereotypical or threadbare,” he said.
Sivan—who rose to prominence via his Youtube channel—tweeted his excitement about the upcoming project.
“UM I guess cats outta the bag!!!! Guys I'm so shook at this 😭 This movie is gonna be so important and I'm honoured to be a part of it," he wrote.
The "There For You" singer has previously acted in the 2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine film and portrayed the title character in the Spud trilogy.
The film will also star actress Cherry Jones (Transparent, Erin Brockovich), Lucas Hedges (Manchester By the Sea) and French-Canadian director Xavier Dolan.
Boy Erased is set for release in 2018.
