Ron Howard wept while watching Shia LaBeouf's Honey Boy

Ron Howard has confessed the last time he cried at the movies was during Shia LaBeouf 's self-penned biopic, Honey Boy.

The deeply personal film was written by the Transformers star while he was in rehab and is loosely based on his relationship with his own estranged father, who LaBeouf plays in the film.

Honey Boy, which also stars Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, and FKA Twigs, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and will be released in cinemas in November.

Accordingly, Howard has now shared how much he admired the powerful movie, directed by Alma Har'el, and could relate to the 33-year-old's experience as a child actor.

“I got very emotional watching that movie,” he explained to Variety. “Shia LaBeouf is basically playing his father, and I think maybe having been a child actor myself, although my circumstance is quite different – it was a very constructive experience – but I thought that movie was raw and true. So, I was really empathetic with it and open to it and really admired it and I found it very moving.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Howard admitted he wasn't a fan of opera when he was approached to make a music documentary chronicling the life of the late Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti but was convinced by producer Nigel Sinclair.

"He said, ‘Look, we found some new footage. I think the family is interested or willing to talk. We don’t know for sure, but does the character interest you at all?’” Howard shared. “And I said ‘Well, it’s kind of perfect for me because I love explorations where I have an innate respect and fascination, but not necessarily all that much knowledge.'"

Pavarotti was one of opera’s most celebrated tenors and died at the age of 71 in 2007 from pancreatic cancer.

“I understood how charismatic he was,” the director added. “A little bit later in my life, I began to appreciate the talent.”