James Franco, who is pretty much guaranteed a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his turn in Danny Boyle's excellent "127 Hours," seems to be quietly surrounding himself with a number of projects to keep his options open as his agent's phone becomes busier in the upcoming months.
Last month, the actor picked up the rights to "The Adderall Diaries" as a potential writing, directing and starring vehicle and earlier this year, it was revealed he was writing an adaptation of Charles Bukowski's "Ham On Rye" with his brother Dave Franco in addition to being linked to "The Broken Tower," a film based on the life of poet Hart Crane. Well, one more project is being added to James Franco's desk filled with scripts, art projects and school assignments. The actor has picked up the rights to the memoir "The Holy Land" as yet another potential film. According to author D.J. Waldie, Franco read the book in a class at UCLA and "it stuck in his memory." The book finds Waldie recounting his childhood growing up in the idyllic suburb of Lakewood, California in the 1950s and the unique quirks of the era -- such as local mall built with a half-mile fallout shelter.
Sounds like some intriguing material but this is likely a long way off. So you might want to pick up the book in the meantime. The ladies should note. We didn't bother mentioning it in our New York Comic-Con reports, but during the "Your Highness" panel, Franco did say he is thinking about returning to "General Hospital" and possibly directing an episode as well. You've been warned.
This past weekend, New York Comic Con audiences were witness to a big treat: the first footage and trailer of David Gordon Green's medieval stoner comedy, "Your Highness" starring an all-star cast of James Franco, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride and Justin Theroux (a multitude of photos arrived recently, and note McBride is writing a prequel comic).
The panel was moderated by actor/director Todd McCarthy for some reason ("The Station Agent," "The Visitor") and to be perfectly honest, the footage looked excellent; funny, thrilling — like a deeply irreverent and filthy version of "The Lord Of The Rings" made by some of the core guys who created "Pineapple Express." The picture looks like a blast and if Universal markets this thing correctly — what do they really have to do other than let it sell itself — they should have a pretty decent-sized hit on their hands. McCarthy saw the film earlier in the week and described it as "a hell of a ride. There's a lot action, it's funny as hell and there's some serious gore going on. But it's dramatic too. It sucks you in and you really care about these idiots in a really great way," he said to much laughter from the cast on the panel. For those that are still wondering and puzzled as to why David Gordon Green went from lyrical dramas such as "George Washington" and "All The Real Girls" (the former of which made our best of the decade list) to relatively big-budget studio films about stoner princes trying to rescue a maiden from an evil wizard, they should realize eclecticism is big on the filmmaker's agenda. " 'Pineapple' was a 180 turn from anything I had done before," Green said alluding to his early career of independent films that he joked that "three people saw." "But I really wanted to get into that [genre]. For me it's about the project and the cast and wanting to shake things up and try different things that I've done before and there's a great leap from drama to 'Pineapple' and an extraordinary technical leap from 'Pineapple' to 'Your Highness' and I'm always looking to take some left turns and do what's different, so I feel like the unexpected is the most interesting for me." Asked whether the studio was nervous about such a wild and strange picture or had reservations, Green shrugged and said Universal and he were on the same page since day one. "I don't think they would have let us out of the gate on something like this if we weren't clear about the tone we were going for," he said. "There's some degree of risk. Any time you're gonna do something that's left of center I think people are a bit nervous about it, but when you're all looking at each other and thinking, 'This is someone we wanna get into business with, let's fucking do it.' It worked out great for everyone." McBride did however admit that their first version of the script was unwieldy and overly ambitious. "The studio breakdown for the first draft was like a 200 million dollar movie, which is a little higher than we were shooting for," he laughed. "So we decided to be creative with it and pull it back and make it something that a studio would be willing to take a risk on and wouldn't sink a small nation." One of the joys of the trailer and looking to be a scene-stealer throughout is Justin Theroux as the evil wizard Leezar. McCarthy also noted that Theroux's character was one of his favorites. "He [something]... he kinda breaks your heart in a wizard way," he said. Theroux's objectives and inspirations were simple. "I watched a lot of Gary Oldman," he said. "And I just thought, 'If I could kick Oldman's ass...if I could do better than he has, I'd be OK.' I just kinda hammed it up."
The trailer is impressive, and as noted before, looks like a comedic riff on "Lord Of The Rings" without simply being a spoof. The action is almost as impressive as that Peter Jackson film, at least in the extremely entertaining and well-cut trailer. And Green said creating a movie that looked believable was paramount.
"We wanted the movie to be real, we wanted to be hands on, we wanted it to be tangible," he explained. "There's puppets in the movie there's guys in creature suits (made by Spectral Motion, the company that did Guillermo del Toro's creatures in "Pan's Labyrinth"), there's stop motion elements, CG and we kinda just took the best of the technology. We love and prided ourselves on finding beautiful locations and construct sets that were massive yet elegant and constructed as if we're making a serious period piece and approach it dramatically knowing the more serious we took the movie, the funnier it would get." However period exactitude wasn't on their minds. "We pride ourselves on the historical inaccuracy like trying to slip in some powdered wigs," he quipped.
Though a fantasy film with spectacle-like set-pieces James Franco noted the shoot wasn't distinctly different from "Pineapple Express" and improvisation was still an important element in shaping the film and its comedy.
"You can [be free] to go anywhere," Franco said. "And that's the environment that David creates and that is unusual. With David you depend on the chemistry and relationship you have with the other actors. Despite the action and effects he does create a space where actors can discover things on set."
While it may remain to be seen what mainstream audiences will think of the film — it's conceivable, it could run into the same issues "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" did — there is no doubt that movie geek and fantasy types are going to flip for the trailer. Filthy and hilarious, it also boasts a lot of action and one of the sheer delights is watching Natalie Portman really going for it and treating the material (and her action sequences) deadly serious (which of course causes more comedy). The trailer begins with melodramatic music right out of a "Harry Potter" film before segueing into the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" and there's no doubt the picture is going to be very R-Rated (the trailer shown to NYCC fans was definitely a red-band one). When James Franco's doofus prince character asks the wizard played by Theroux how he's going to steal his princess Deschanel away, the sorcerer answers simply," Magic... Motherfucker!" There's another line about Zooey Deschanel's vagina that we won't spoil here, but suffice to say all those in attendance were rolling in their seats.
Given the thumbs-up reception the trailer received we don't doubt Universal will be putting it in front of audiences and online soon. "Your Highness" is set for an April 8, 2011 release and to be honest, we kind of can't wait.
While we've already seen the teaser trailer for Danny Boyle's harrowing one-man-show, "127 Hours" starring James Franco and basically no one else aside from a few brief cameos, now the full-blown trailer has arrived. And we must say, having seen the film at TIFF earlier this fall, we're much more on board with this new version. The new poster isn't perfect either, but our bet is you'll see several along the way while Fox Searchlight tries to nail the right tone.
It's basically a good problem to have. "127 Hours" was basically the film of the Toronto International Film Festival despite the fact that "The King's Speech" won the audience award. Karina Longworth called the film, somewhat pejoratively, a "determinist tract styled like an energy-drink commercial," and while that's stylistically on the mark, it also forgets its harrowing intensity and life-affirming (sans fromage) tone. Our review from TIFF said, "Deeply humane, rawly felt and astonishingly executed "127 Hours" is one of the best films of year," and that's undeniably spot on. "127 Hours," much like "The Social Network" probably, will be all over the Academy Awards with several nominees. Best Picture, Actor and director are sure-fire nominee bets.
Here's the official synopsis:
127 HOURS is the new film from Danny Boyle, the Academy Award winning director of last year's Best Picture, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. 127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clemence Poesy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life.
Watch the HD version over at Apple. BTW, the song used in the second half of the trailer is Band Of Horses' "Funeral," and it's well used. But we'll tell you right now, the movie music moment of the year in 2010? It's already been decided. It's Sigur Ros' "Festival," used in the picture's uplifting conclusion, and we can't wait to see the film again just to witness that glorious moment once more. The film hits theaters November 5 in limited release and will expand after that shortly.
You've got to hand it to Universal Pictures. They've had a string of bombs, or pictures that severely underperformed in the last two years -- "Public Enemies," "Funny People," "Brüno," "Green Zone," "The Wolfman," etc. -- and still they have the balls to greenlight something like David Gordon Green's upcoming medieval stoner film, "Your Highness" which sounds like it might be the most balls-out, craziest mainstream studio film we've seen in some time (or at least since "Brüno," which ended up being a lot tamer than we envisioned).
The picture stars James Franco, Danny McBride, ZooeyDeschanel, Natalie Portmanand Justin Therouxin a bizarre, fantasy movie about an arrogant, lazy prince (McBride) and his more heroic brother (Franco) who must complete a quest in order to save their father's kingdom. In the past, Green and McBride have called the film a mix of "Krull" (the oddest film the venerable Peter Yates ever directed) and "Barry Lyndon" and right there, that hilarious and strange concoction demands you buy a ticket. Anyhow, the film will be appearing at New York Comic Con next weekend so Universal is unveiling promo and production photos (via Hitfix and Hitfix) from the film and giving thego ahead to publish various set visits from the film that took place last year in Ireland where the film was shot (more photos below) From all accounts it's a pretty nutty film and most of the principal cast are surprised with what they got away with. "We just locked 'Your Highness,' Danny McBride recently said in an A/V Club interview. "David and I watched that and looked at each other and said, “I can’t believe people are letting us do some of the stuff we’re doing.” [Laughs.] I don’t know if I would." ZooeyDeschanel also extolled its filthy virtues recently and yes, it's R-Rated. "[It's] the dirtiest medieval comedy you will ever see," she said. "I will guarantee you that. Oh my God, it’s ridiculously dirty. I mean, it’s like the most dirty humor that you could possibly come up with." At SXSW, Green called the film a "tough shoot" and "by far the most expensive movie, by about double anything I’ve ever done. There was huge special effects, it’s just got so many different elements working [at once]." He also noted that English actors like the great Charles Dance thought they were off their rocker when making the film which bodes well for its levels of absurdity. "We had these amazing British thespians that have worked on the stage of London who thought we were fucking retarded."
Additionally, while "Your Highness" was delayed and was supposed to hit theaters this October originally, the picture was shot for a more modest $45-ish million so Uni will have less worries on return (though the additional time they've spent in the editing room and on effects has probably added up). The picture is set for a April 8, 2011 release date and you should be hearing a full Playlist report from NYCC next weekend.
How to react when a movie is not intended to be “just” a movie? The new film “Howl” isn’t intended to be a direct narrative as much as an introductory course. You’ll get more from watching this in an intro to poetry class than at the cineplex; better to have a pen and pad than a bucket of popcorn. “Howl” is so named for the seminal poem by Beat Generation avatar Allen Ginsberg: who isn’t played by multi-hyphenate renaissance man James Franco as much as mimicked and impersonated. As significant as the source is (the poem itself is a desperate cry for help during a period veering towards the political compromise some ignore but that we’re currently embroiled in), “Howl” the movie can only, at best, serve as a companion.
The film, from documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, interweaves three methods of telling the same story. One strand of the film utilizes what we’re told are the recorded musings of Ginsberg from an interview taken during the trial, where “Howl” publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was prosecuted on charges of obscenity. As the poet, it’s difficult to divorce this Ginsberg manqué with the very public persona of Mr. Franco, whose profile has gained mileage less from a string of watchable movies than for erratic, unpredictable performance art comprised of off-center interviews, ersatz public appearances, and self-mocking stunts disguised as film performances. It’s quite the hurdle for any accomplished actor, never mind the Emmy winner Franco, who embodies Ginsberg’s dismissive concerns about the lasting influence of his artistic contemporaries. His casual, lying-around-the-couch physicality in these moments, shot with a handheld camera, makes it hard for the viewer to distinguish where genius/bloviater Ginsberg beings and the very public art student Franco (currently angling for multiple literary degrees) ends. The second strand follows the obscenity trial, again based on actual court documents. During these proceedings, shot with a flat TV sheen, the prosecution, represented by an especially-actorly David Strathairn, faces off against the far sexier, more convincing defense, represented by the most lethal of weapons, Mr. Jon Hamm in a suit. The more things change, the more they stay the same: as cartoonish as the prosecutions’ arguments against the value of “Howl” may be, the government continues to struggle against labels of obscenity and arbitrary regulations of free speech. The case proposed by the prosecution is that “Howl” cannot be considered “art” or not, considering the profane language and unconventional attitude. Our government’s definition of obscenity has changed, but not the fact that the standards remain arbitrary and a slave to the whims of a few politicians and self-appointed guardians. The third, and least-successful strand of the film involves the actual reading of the poem. In a black-and-white café, Franco-as-Ginsberg recites his work for yuppie beatniks who react as if, familiar with Ginsberg’s work, they are attending a Greatest Hits session. Franco reads the poem the way a fat person eats a sandwich: sloppy and ravenous, but not without panache. Accompanying him (because simply reading the actual poem isn’t enough) are a series of arcane illustrations and animations making a futile attempt to render Ginsberg’s work literal. It’s a crushingly ill-conceived idea for several reasons, but specifically that it tries to visualize what Ginsberg’s words already evoke, thus undermining the actual work by considering it a candidate for visual recontextualization. It’s a testament to how strong Ginsberg’s words were (and how shoddy the animation is) that you will likely be distracted from the onscreen images by the visuals the text conjures up in your own head. “Howl” is still discussed today on more than just the merits of the obscenity case.
For those unfamiliar with “Howl” the poem, the movie should assist in awakening this interest, and so credit must be given to the film that spotlights a socially-significant work of art. Where Friedman and Epstein go wrong is in almost obscuring the subject in hand with what amounts to a series of gimmicks. The courtroom sequences stack a deck that needs not be stacked, explicating how one cannot measure the merits of poetry with prose, a feat that all great poetry accomplishes on the page. The nuts-and-bolts interview segments with Franco-as-Ginsberg have that under-thought, thrown-together element always present when artists who don’t care to explain their work are thrust in front of a mic. They also commit the crime of spotlighting Ginsberg’s intellectual origins with bullet-point precision, unsure as to whether this is a film about a work of art or its cavalier creator. And of course, the animation does not work. “Howl” has merit as an introduction to a great work of art, but aside from doing the library legwork for uninformed viewers, its entirely perfunctory. [C]
James Franco, who is pretty much guaranteed a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his turn in Danny Boyle's excellent "127 Hours," seems to be quietly surrounding himself with a number of projects to keep his options open as his agent's phone becomes busier in the upcoming months.
