Continuing his crusade to adapt all the books on his shelves, James Franco has corralled an impressive cast for his latest starring/directing gig. He’ll oversee Selena Gomez, Vincent D’Onofrio, Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Bryan Cranston and Danny McBride in a film version of John Steinbeck’s In Dubious Battle.
Set in a fictionalised valley in California, the story explores themes Steinbeck continued to develop: group behaviour, social injustice, man’s inhumanity to man. A labour conflict between migrant apple pickers and the local growers’ association is the backdrop against which Jim Nolan (Franco) becomes involved in the labour movement and rapidly matures as he learns what it means to do organisational fieldwork.
Franco’s As I Lay Dying collaborator Matt Rager has written the script, adapting the 1936 novel. The film is scheduled to start shooting next month, though there’s no word yet on which characters the rest of the cast will play. The film’s international distribution rights will be up for sale at the Berlin Festival next week.
As for Franco, he’ll next be on our screens in Seth Rogen’s The Interview, which arrives on Friday. He will also be seen in a variety of films including Queen Of The Desert, True Story and Sundance success I Am Michael.