James Franco Directing Josh Boone-Scripted ‘The Pretenders’
BeforeJosh Boone’sThe Fault in Our Starsconquered the box office, one of the projects the busy writer-director wanted to make to wasThe Pretenders. Boone once described his script as “Carnal KnowledgemeetsUnbearable Lightness of BeingorThe Dreamers,” which doesn’t sound emotionally draining at all. In 2013, the director put together an impressive cast for the project, but due to scheduling, it may have fallen to the wayside. Now,The Pretendersis up and running with a new director,James Franco, and new actors.
Below, learn more about the James FrancoThe Pretendersproject.
The Hollywood Reporterwrites Franco and his production company, Rabbit Bandini Productions, are helping to makeThe Pretendershappen. The 1980s-set story follows two college friends who fall for the same girl.Jack Kilmer(Palo Alto),Shameik Moore(The Get Down), andJane Levy(Don’t Breathe) have signed on to play the three central roles.The Pretenderscovers a decade in time, so the fine trio of actors will get to play the three friends/lovers through various stages of their lives. Taking on supporting roles areBrian Cox(25th Hour) andJuno Temple(Vinyl).
Over the years,The Pretendershas attracted some serious talent. At one point, Boone hadMichael B. Jordan(Creed),Imogen Poots(Green Room), and the lateAnton Yelchin(Green Room) attached to star. From the sound of it, Boone wrote the script with Poots in mind. The two may have met for Boone’s directorial debut,Stuck in Love, but Poots, like Boone, fell off the project, which the director planned on making afterThe Fault in Our Stars.
Take it with a grain of salt, but it looks likeThe Pretenderswas in development in a different for up until a month ago.A casting call, which went out for “all types in the 1970s and 1980s” listedEvan Peters(American Horror Story) andKeith Stanfield(Selma) as the stars. Boone isn’t name-checked in the casting call, so maybe he departed from the director’s chair earlier than last month.
Boone has been incredibly busy these days, with brewing adaptations of Stephen King’sThe Stand, the X-Men spinoffYoung Mutants, andInterview with Vampirein the works. The word isYoung Mutantsis aiming to begin productionearly next year, so maybe that comic book movie played a role in Boone leaving his somewhat dark,Mike Nichols-inspired love story in Franco’s hands.
