I find this very interesting about James Franco, which was reported in Variety. He will star in In Praise of Shadows, an independent drama written and directed by Jay Anania. The film goes into production June 15 in New York City.
Franco met Anania at NYU graduate film school where Anania is head of the directing program. Franco just completed his first year at NYU while at the same time completed his master’s degree in English at Columbia University — unbelievable.
In Praise of Shadows is about William Vincent (Franco), and follows his eccentric and curious journey bringing him back to New York City after four years in exile to rescue the woman he loves from a crime syndicate.
It just goes to show you that networking in film school pays off.
James Franco (the cute guy on the right) tells EW.com that he plays Allen Ginsberg as “an unsure young man who’s trying to find his way. All his uncertainty culminates in the poem ‘Howl’ and gives birth to the Ginsberg we know. The Beats were very important to me when I started reading literature more seriously in high school. They were some of the first writers that I read and fell in love with.” Howl doesn’t have a distributor yet, but will after taking the festival circuit this year. Aaron Tveit is the other cute guy on the left playing Ginsberg’s friend Peter Orlovsky
Natalie Portman signed on to play the female lead in David Gordon Green’s Your Highness, a medieval fantasy comedy starring Danny McBride and James Franco. The story follows a pot-smoking prince who is given the responsibility to protect his kingdom from mythical beasts, but rather just hang out being a low lifer and stoned.
McBride plays the pot-head and Franco plays his brother. Portman plays a warrior princess, whom the lazy prince falls in love. The mythical creatures will be created in stop motion with puppets.
James Franco, who was in a short film by Judd Apatow during the Oscars telecast, is set to star in Howl, with production beginning March 16 in New York City.
Howl concerns the obscenity trial over Allen Ginsberg’s poem, as well as an animated reimagining of the poem itself.
His life changed history. His courage changed lives.
In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Gus Van Sant in Milk, filmed on location in San Francisco from an original screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, and produced by Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen.
Milk charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life. While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change.
With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics. Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words.
When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin). But as White and Milk’s political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge.
Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now.
The film’s original score is by Danny Elfman. The costume designer is Danny Glicker and Elliot Graham edited the film. The production designer is Bill Groom and the film’s director of photography is Harris Savides, A.S.C.
“Howl” takes cinematic venture after 50 years of book-length poem launched an obscenity trail in the 1950’s.
Take a look at the cast including David Strathaim, Alan Alda, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker and Paul Rudd with James Franco as Allen Ginsberg, the author of the controversial poem.
Howl is being touted as a beatnik piece by creating an animation re-imaging in segments described as “a Beat Fantasia.”
If anyone knows their freedom of speech history, they’ll recall Ginsberg’s poem envisioned issues — free speech, government censorship, militaristic empire building, fear-mongering and sexual conformity — that are relevant today according to the film producers, directors and writers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, who make their debut with this 1950’s era film.
Milk limited release date is November 26, 2008. The true story is directed by Oscar winner Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black. The cast includes Oscar winner Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, and Emile Hirsch.
Yesterday Pineapple Express opened to a record-breaking $12.5 million smoking past $8.5 record from The Princess Diaries 2 of 2004. Pineapple Express stars Seth Rogen and James Franco. I’ve seen Rogan in comedies but never Franco, and Franco is good, funny and believable. Plus, there is a lesson to learn in this movie, don’t take drugs.
an independent drama written and directed by Jay Anania. The film goes into production June 15 in New York City.
James Franco, who was in a short film by Judd Apatow during the Oscars telecast, is set to star in Howl, with production beginning March 16 in New York City.