If you’re disappointed you’ll no longer be able to see James Franco‘s interview skills in The Interview next week, maybe True Story can help scratch that itch. Directed by Rupert Goold, the Sundance drama sees Franco engaging in an entirely different kind of interview, from the other side of the coneversation.

Franco plays Christian Longo, a man wanted for murdering his family. He goes on the run and assumes the identity of New York Times reporter Michael Finkel — much to the surprise of the real Michael Finkel, played by Jonah Hill. Watch the True Story trailer after the jump.
The premise of True Story sounds pretty wild but, as the title suggests, it is in fact based on a true story. Finkel published a memoir about his bizarre encounter with Longo in 2006, and it serves as the source material for the film. Goold and David Kajganich wrote the script.
While Longo was fleeing from the authorities, Finkel was facing a fall from grace. The day after Longo’s arrest by the FBI, Finkel was fired from the New York Times for fabricating parts of an investigative article. Nevertheless, Longo insisted that he only wanted to speak with Finkel, so the journalist reached out to the prisoner to find out the truth.

The first True Story trailer looks intense and interesting. It’s not at all funny, but there is some amusement in seeing Franco and Hill go dead serious since they were fending off demonic penises and Hollywood egos the last time we saw them together.

Felicity Jones co-stars as Finkel’s long-suffering girlfriend. True Story has its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month. A theatrical release is scheduled for April 10, 2015. Here’s the Sundance synopsis:

When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo — who has taken on Finkel’s identity — his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat and mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit, and redemption.

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