Boogie Nights actress Heather Graham returns to the world of porn and James Franco goes sleazy lawyer in About Cherry, which now has a new trailer. Here’s the synopsis, ‘Cherry is about Angelina (Ashley Hinshaw), an 18-year-old girl on the verge of finishing high school. Angelina’s family life is difficult. Her mother (Lili Taylor) is an alcoholic and her step-father is violent and unpredictable. One morning her boyfriend (Jonny Weston) suggests she take naked pictures for money. She balks at first but then does the photo shoot, using the money to run-off with her best friend (Dev Patel) to San Francisco. In San Francisco, while cocktailing in a strip club, Angelina meets Frances (James Franco) a well-off lawyer who offers to introduce her to a different kind of world, a place full of expensive dresses and fancy parties. But that world is not as perfect as it first appears and Frances has problems of his own. At the same time Angelina, using the moniker Cherry, has begun exploring the San Francisco porn industry under the direction of Margaret (Heather Graham) a former performer turned adult film director.’ No UK release is yet set.
James Franco Joins Jason Statham in Homefront
If you asked most people who’d they’d expect to pair up for a movie, few people would say James Franco and Jason Statham – especially working from a script by Sylvester Stallone. However perhaps it shouldn’t be the surprising, as Franco seems to make it his mission in life to confound expectations.
Variety reports that’s just what’s happening, as Franco has signed on to star alongside Jason Statham in Homefront. The movie is about Phil Broker (Jason Statham), a former DEA agent who moves his family to a quiet town to escape his past. However, he discovers the town is overrun by a dangerous meth distributor named Gator (James Franco).
Gary Fleder is directing from a script by Sylvester Stallone. It isn’t known if Sylvester Stallone plans on starring in the project as well.
Oz The Great And Powerful Trailer
Comic-Con has kicked off an San Diego, but us normal people don’t have to miss out completely, as following it’s presentation at the event, Disney has now put the first trailer for Sam Raimi’s Oz The Great And Powerful online. It appears the movie will follow The Wizard Of Oz’s trick of having the real worls in black and white, while Oz will be in colour, although the fantastical world is has been given a bit of a CG makeover. Here’s the synopsis: ‘Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.’
Teaser Poster For Oz The Great & Powerful Unveiled
As a non Sam Raimi Spider-man swings into cinemas, Disney has decided it’s time to reveal the first poster for the director’s latest effort, Oz The Great And Powerful, which follows the ‘Wizard’ (James Franco), before he made it to the Emerald City.
Here’s the official synopsis: ‘Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.’
The film is due out March 2013. (There are rumours the first footage may pop up online next week to coincide with Comic-Con, but we’ll have to wait and see if that happens).
Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill & James Franco Team For True Story
They both got oscar nominations for Moneyball, and now Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill are reuniting once again for True Story, although this time Pitt will only produce, while Hill is set to star. James Franco is also attached to appear in the movie, which gets its title from the fact the plot sounds like it was made up.
Deadline reports that the project is based on the memoir by Michael Finkel, a New York Times Magazine journalist who learned in 2002 that his identity was used by Christian Longo, a fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List who was wanted for killing his entire family. Finkel was fired by the magazine shortly after Christian Longo was captured in Mexico (for an unrelated matter), until the fugitive revealed that Michael Finkel was the only person he would talk to. Jonah Hill will play Finkel and James Franco is set to portray Longo.
Brad Pitt is producing True Story through his Plan B production, and won’t be acting opposite his Moneyball co-star in the project. Rupert Goold is directing. A screenwriter is not yet attached to adapt Michael Finkel’s book and there’s no director yet, so it’s early days.
Cherry Trailer – James Franco gets involved in porn!
Cherry looks like a potentially interesting indie flick, with a great cast including Dev Patel, Heather Graham, James Franco, Jonny Weston and Diane Farr, all getting involved in porn! Cherry is about Angelina (Ashley Hinshaw), an 18-year-old girl on the verge of finishing high school. Angelina’s family life is difficult. Her mother (Lili Taylor) is an alcoholic and her step-father is violent and unpredictable. One morning her boyfriend (Jonny Weston) suggests she take naked pictures for money. She balks at first but then does the photo shoot, using the money to run-off with her best friend (Dev Patel) to San Francisco. In San Francisco, while cocktailing in a strip club, Angelina meets Frances (James Franco) a well-off lawyer who offers to introduce her to a different kind of world, a place full of expensive dresses and fancy parties. But that world is not as perfect as it first appears and Frances has problems of his own. At the same time Angelina, using the moniker Cherry, has begun exploring the San Francisco porn industry under the direction of Margaret (Heather Graham) a former performer turned adult film director.
James Franco Set To Play Gay Artist Robert Mapplethorpe
James Franco needs to take a holiday or he’s going to burn himself out. It seems that every day there’s news of another project he’s linked to, and while many stars sign up for things and then drop out, Franco actually makes most of his. The lastest news is that he’s signed on to play controversial artist Robert Mapplethorpe in a new biopic, according to THR.
It’s another gay cultural icon for Franco, after Allen Ginsberg in Howl and Hart Crane in The Broken Tower. Mapplethorpe, who died of AIDS at the age of 42 in 1989, was extremely controversial as his photographs often depicted acts of bondage, sadomasochism, and gay sexuality. He was also known for taking photographs of celebrities, including Andy Warhol, Richard Gere, Grace Jones, Peter Gabriel and Patti Smith. Mapplethorpe’s work often raised questions about public funding of art and the line that separates art and obscenity.
The film will be mark narrative debut of documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner. Originally the movie was being set up to star Nate Dushku, brother of Eliza, who’ve been spearheading the project, however it seems it needed a little more star power to get made. So does this mean Franco will be recreating Mapplethorpe fames photograph of himself with a whip handle up his butt?
It’s not the only movie about Mapplethorpe in the works, as Patti Smith is working on an adaptation of her memoir, Just Kids, about her the artist’s friendship before either of them became famous. There’s no news on when either movie might get made.
James Franco In Talks For The Game
James Franco sure is a busy bee. He constantly signs on for new acting roles, as well as directing and producing gigs and seems to be able to fit a lot into his hectic schedule. Now THR reports that he’s close to signing to appear in The Game, an adaptation of Neil Strauss’ best-selling guide to picking up women.
The book is part how-to, part memoir, and recounts Neil’s efforts to become a pick-up artist, as well his stay at a Sunset Strip mansion that found him competing with a group of likeminded individuals all trying to find love. James Franco is set to play Mystery, a man who serves as Neil’s teacher in the art of seduction throughout the book. The real Mystery later served as the host of VH-1’s reality game show The Pickup Artist.
A film based on Strauss’ book, ‘The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists’, has been in the works since 2005, but it finally seems to be going ahead now at MGM.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
James Franco In Talks For Lovelace Cameo
Earlier this year it was reported that James Franco was in talks to play the male lead of Chuck Traynor in the Linda Lovelace biopic, Lovelace. However a deal never came together and the part went to Peter Sarsgard instead. However Franco may still pop up and he’s now in talks for a cameo role as Hugh Hefner, reuniting him with the directors of Howl, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.
Amanda Seyfried is playing the title role of porn actress Linda Lovelace, star of the infamous Deep Throat, who later became a noted anti-porn advocate. James Franco’s involvement will be limited, with only one scene where Hugh Hefner invites Lovelace and Traynor to the Playboy mansion for a screening of Deep Throat
Variety also reports that Hank Azaria, Bobby Cannavale, Chris Noth and Robert Patrick have joined the film. Hank Azaria will play Deep Throat director Jerry Damiano, Bobby Cannavale and Chris Noth will be Deep Throat financiers Butchie Peraino and Anthony Romano, and Robert Patrick will portray Linda’s father, John. They join recently announced cast members Wes Bentley, Sharon Stone and Juno Temple.
Shooting has just begun.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
James Franco’s Gay Poet Biopic Gets Distribution
For a man who’s keen to insist he’s straight, James Franco sure does have a lot of interest in the gays (and I’m not hinting at anything there, as if he was gay Hollywood would probably be insisting he had nothing to do with anything that wasn’t 100% straight). Franco’s played gay in Milk and Howl, and the last two films he directed were both biopics of gay people.
One of those, The Broken Tower, about gay poet Hart Crane, premiered back in June at the LA Film Festival. However, despite Franco writing and starring in the movie, it’s taken a while to find distribution because it’s not about the most commercial subject matter and was shot in black and white. However now THR reports that Focus World, the digital distribution arm of Focus Features, have picked up the US rights to the movie and plan to bring it out in America on January 10th.
A few years ago the movie would probably have found it tough to get much of a cinema release at all, but with digital projection the cost of bringing movies out has dropped, allowing films like The Broken Tower to reach cinemas.
At the moment there’s no news on when it might reach the UK, but a US release should certainly help it get picked up over here.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the other biopic of a gay man Franco’s directed is about Rebel Without A Cause star Sal Mineo. That’s also awaiting distribution.