James Corden Shares Footage of Shia LaBeouf's Post-Jail 'War Dogs' Audition on 'Late Late Show'

'War Dogs' could have starred our guy Shia LaBeouf and 'Late Late Show' host James Corden. Here's the audition tape to prove it.

August 3, 2016

Not Available Lead — Image via Complex Original

Surely you've seen the trailer for War Dogs by now. The film, based on a Rolling Stone article about 2 arms dealers who score a hefty Pentagon contract, stars fashion icon Jonah Hill and some guy named Miles Teller. It's directed by Todd Phillips, the same guy who did the Hangover movies. However, unlike The Hangover Part II and the intolerable The Hangover Part III, War Dogs actually looks pretty damn funny. But what if I told you this movie could have starred Shia LaBeouf and James Corden?

"It was quite bittersweet for me," Corden said of seeing the film on Tuesday's Late Late Show, joined by Phillips and Bradley Cooper. Corden then told the director to fill everyone in on what could have been. "I've known of James for many years and there was a version of this film, we ended up pushing it off for about a year, but James came in and read for Miles' part when I had Shia LaBeouf playing Jonah's part," Phillips explained. Damnit! This movie could have been great.

However, as Corden and Phillips joyfully reminisced on Late Late Show, something came up. LaBeouf was arrested at a Broadway showing of Cabaret the night before Corden was supposed to read with him, which briefly complicated the process. "I got a message," Corden remembered. "'I don't know if it's going to happen tomorrow. Shia LaBeouf is in jail.'" But LaBeouf got out of jail in time to make the meeting, resulting in this unearthed audition footage he agreed to have shown on Corden's show. Brilliant!

Just for comparison's sake, here's what the final (i.e. sadly LaBeoufless and Cordenless) version of War Dogs looks like:

Oh what could have (should have?) been.