James Franco is in negotiations to direct the movie “Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN” for Focus Features.

The project is based on the 2011 book of the same name by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales, which recapped the formation of the sports network, based on interviews with more than 500 people. ESPN was launched in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott as the world’s first 24-hour cable TV network. It saw success by telecasting the early rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament and the NFL Draft.

“Halt and Catch Fire” co-creator Christopher C. Rogers has been hired to re-write the script. Miller was tapped to adapt the script in 2015. Michael De Luca, Jamie Patricof, and Julie Yorn are producing the film.

Franco produced, directed, and starred in “The Disaster Artist,” which received strong reviews and earned one Academy Award nomination for adapted screenplay (for Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber).

The news come in the wake of controversy; Franco was accused of inappropriate behavior by five women in January. He denied the allegations.

HBO programming chief Casey Bloys said Wednesday that the network decided to move forward on a second season of “The Deuce,” which Franco stars in and executive producer, after internal discussions and a conversation with producers and cast.

Franco’s directing credits include “In Dubious Battle,” “As I Lay Dying,” and “The Sound and the Fury.” He is starring in the Coen brothers’ Netflix movie “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” which will debut at the Venice Film Festival, and the sci-fi actioner “Kin.” Franco is represented by UTA, Anonymous Content, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Rogers is repped by UTA, Management 360, and Bloom Hergott.

A rep for Focus had no comment about the news, which was first reported by Collider.

Sources

James Franco and Seth Rogen are teaming up — this time, behind the camera.

The duo is developing a ’90s teen drama with author and social media personality Kelly Oxford, who is writing the script, Variety has learned exclusively.
The duo is developing a ’90s teen drama with author and social media personality Kelly Oxford, who is writing the script, Variety has learned exclusively.

Franco and Rogen will serve as executive producers on the project that is in early development, along with Franco’s producing partner Vince Jolivette and Rogen’s longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg. The hourlong series is currently untitled. Variety‘s source described the project as a teen show set in the 1990’s.

Funny enough, Franco and Rogen started working together on their own teen series in the ’90s, “Freaks and Geeks,” which was a comedy set in the ’80s.

To date, the pair has worked on a number of films together from “Pineapple Express” to “The Interview” to “This Is the End” and most recently, “The Disaster Artist,” which debuted at SXSW to rave reviews. The Hulu project marks Franco and Rogen’s first series production together, though both are currently at work on separate TV projects — Franco is gearing up for HBO’s upcoming series “The Deuce,” while Rogen and Goldberg are co-creators of AMC’s “Preacher.”

For Oxford, the Hulu project marks her latest TV development, following scripts that landed at CBS and NBC. The writer and blogger first gained recognition from her popularity on Twitter, and then parlayed her following into authoring books. She published her New York Times best-seller “Everything Is Perfect When You’re a Liar” in 2013, and is days away from releasing her second book, “When You Find Out the World Is Against You.”

UTA reps Franco, Rogen, and Goldberg. Oxford is repped by WME.

Sources

Lifetime has unveiled its latest slate of original movies, and they include not only the return of James Franco but the debut of Viola Davis.

“High School lover,” executive produced by James Franco, stars Franco as the father of a high school student (Paulina Singer) who falls in love with a much older man (François Arnaud). Papa Franco must intervene before the crush turns into a dangerous obsession. Jerell Rosales directs from a script written by Amber Coney (“Mother May I Sleep With Danger?”) and Jessica Dube. “High School Lover” will premiere Feb. 4.

“Britney Ever After,” starring Natasha Bassett as Britney Spears, will cover the pop star’s rise and fall and rise again. It is produced by Asylum Entertainment for Lifetime. Steve Michaels, Jonathan Koch and Joan Harrison are executive producers. Leslie Libman (“Manson’s Lost Girls”) directs from a script from Anne-Marie Hess. “Britney Ever After” will debut Feb. 18.

“Custody,” executive produced by Viola Davis and starring Davis, Hayden Panettiere, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ellen Burstyn, and Tony Shaloub, premieres Mar. 4. The story revolves around three women who are brought together when a hard-working single mother (Moreno) has her children taken away from her. Panettiere plays the recent law school grad charged with representing the mother, while Davis plays the judge on the case.

“Custody” is written and directed by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner James Lapine (Into the Woods). Lauren Versel, Katie Mustard, Lapine and Roy Furman serve as producers. Davis, Julius Tennon, Jeff Elliott, Chad Moore, Gregory P. Shockro, Daryl Roth and Sandy Robertson also executive produce.

Biopic “Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland” will begin shooting in February, starring Michael Jackson tribute artist Navi. Based on the book “Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days,” the film also stars Chad L. Coleman as Jackson’s bodyguard. The film is produced by Silver Screen. Dianne Houston is directing from a script written by Elizabeth Hunter (“Beauty Shop”).

Sources