A Tweet by Production Weekly unveiled the lead actor in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours. James Franco will play the part of Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who found himself trapped by a boulder in 2003 and was forced to amputate the bottom half of his own arm with a dull knife in order to survive. Then Ralson climbed to safety and hiked until a helicopter rescued him. I think we’ve all been there.
Ryan Gosling and Cillian Murphy were both rumored at one point, but Franco won the role to work in Slumdog Millionaire director’s next.
Boyle has said he wants to film the first hour entirely without dialogue, which would certainly present a challenge for the Oscar-winning filmmaker and the talented young actor. Slumdog writer Simon Beaufoy is working on the script with Boyle and production is expected to start in March for a release probably in late 2010, just in time for awards season.
Franco, who came up in “Freaks and Geeks,” has done everything from Spider-Man to Milk to Pineapple Express. He’s currently doing a stint on the daytime soap opera “General Hospital,” which still strikes me as an odd choice for a successful actor.
2010 seems to be the year Franco proves himself as one of his generation’s best, though. Aside from this film where he’ll be on screen alone for over an hour, Franco is also starring in the Sundance selection Howl and a medieval stoner comedy titled Your Highness.
