First Look at James Franco's 'The Sound and the Fury' with Seth Rogen and Danny McBride

James Franco has taken upon himself the monumental task of adapting novels that have stymied more experienced filmmakers. And so in the last couple of years we've seen him tackling the works of Cormac McCarthy (Child of God) and William Faulkner (As I Lay Dying), and while the results weren't that great one has to admire Franco's ambition. Now he's taking on another challenge trying to bring the complicated, stream-of-consciousness narrative of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury to the big screen, with the first images arriving before its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Franco will again write, star, and direct the film and he's brought along a few familiar faces to join him. Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Ahna O'Reilly, Joey King, Scott Haze, Loretta Devine, and Tim Blake Nelson star in the period drama centering on the aristocratic Compson family. Here's the official synopsis:

Directed by and starring Academy Award nominee James Franco, The Sound and The Fury captures the lives and passions of the Compsons, a once proud Southern family caught in a tragic spiral of loss and misfortune. Based on the novel by Noble Prize winner author William Faulkner and considered among the 20th century’s greatest works, The Sound and the Fury encapsulates the universal theme of the death of honor, social injustice and forbidden love.

Read More

James Franco to Direct 'The Sound and the Fury'; Jon Hamm, Danny McBride, and Dave Franco May Star

Never let it be said that James Franco has taken the easy road during his directorial career. He's consistently challenged himself with one ballsy project after another, including a number of adaptations many said couldn't be done. He's completed a big screen version of Cormac McCarthy's Child of God, and his adaptation of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying hit festivals to mixed response earlier this year. Last week he dropped out of directing Andres Dubos III's The Garden of Last Days, but Franco didn't wait long to find another extremely tough project to take its place.

Franco is planning to adapt another Faukner novel, The Sound and the Fury, the famous stream of consciousness tale centering on the downfall of the aristocratic Compson family over the course of decades. The book employs a number of different styles and narrative voices, not unlike As I Lay Dying, and it'll be interesting to see how Franco and co-writer Matt Rager decide to approach it. While many consider it unfilmable, a Yul Brynner-led version was released in 1959, so it's not impossible.

According to the LA Times, Franco plans an unspecified role for himself, but he really wants Mad Men star Jon Hamm for the role of patriarch Jason Compson III. He also wants his brother Dave Franco to play Quentin Compson, and there's a role for Danny McBride, as well. Assuming everything comes together, Franco is aiming for a fall shoot, which should give him time to star in Wim Wenders' next film, Everything Will Be Fine.

Read More