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As part of A24\u2019s participation in Deadline\u2019s The Contenders, The Disaster Artist director James Franco appeared today to discuss the genesis of the project at New Line, why he felt compelled to make the film, and the bizarre process of directing in character. Based on Greg Sistero\u2019s best-seller, The Disaster Artist follows Tommy Wiseau (Franco)\u2019s making of The Room, a cult classic regarded as one of the worst films ever made\u2014a film so bad, it\u2019s good.<\/p>\n
Coming off a number of \u201cliterary, artsy\u201d adaptations of Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy, The Disaster Artist was a palette cleanser for Franco and the right project to finally bring his brother, Dave Franco, into the fold. The actor discussed the project\u2019s transition from New Line to A24 as an act of generosity on the part of New Line execs, who released their claim to the film, feeling at the time that they were not in the best position to release this particular film.\u201dI think they were coming off Kong, and they were actually protecting the movie,\u201d Franco said.<\/p>\n
Knowing Wiseau\u2019s predilection for James Dean\u2014and coming to recognize the actor\u2019s \u201creverse body dysmorphia,\u201d fancying himself a James Dean type\u2014Franco came to feel that he and Wiseau \u201cwere sort of destined for each other.\u201d Franco played the iconic actor in a 2001 film of the same name, and he later found out that Wiseau had watched that film countless times.<\/p>\n
Of his decision to direct in-character\u2014in full prosthetics\u2014Franco wasn\u2019t flexing his muscle, or attempting to show off. Ultimately, \u201cit was just plain easier\u201d for the actor to stay in character. \u201cI think it helped the other actors, because our set was a movie set, and they\u2019re playing characters who are actors. I think it helped the vibe to just be Tommy all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Appearing with Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf moments prior, Lady Bird writer\/director Greta Gerwig discussed the roots of her independent family drama, and the extent to which it was autobiographical. \u201cThe heart of the movie is very close to my heart, but actually the character of Lady Bird is almost the opposite of who I was I was,\u201d the actress told Pete Hammond of her solo directorial debut. \u201cI was much more of a rule follower and a people pleaser. When I wrote the character, she was kind of courageous and out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starring Saoirse Ronan as the titular Christine \u201cLady Bird\u201d McPherson, the film follows an adolescent girl in her last year of high school, through her combative, complicated relationship with her mother and her pursuit of a new life in New York. At The Contenders, Gerwig discussed the process of finding her characters in conjunction with her actors, also revealing the reasons behind Christine\u2019s chosen name. \u201cIn a way, it\u2019s almost like a rock star renaming themselves,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt\u2019s both this supreme confidence in herself, and it also means she thinks who she is on her own is not enough, which is an interesting dichotomy. It\u2019s sort of becoming who you already are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also appearing at A24\u2019s The Contenders panel today were The Florida Project writer-director Sean Baker, and his young star, Brooklynn Prince, whose moving and gorgeously rendered drama is in theaters now. Set at a rundown motel in the shadow of Walt Disney World, the film follows six-year-old Moonee and her ragtag pals, who get into all kinds of trouble over the course of the summer, becoming close with motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe).<\/p>\n
With a title inspired by Walt Disney\u2019s original name for his Florida property\u2014intended to keep his big 1972 project \u201cdown low, so they didn\u2019t have to compete with competitive land buyers,\u201d The Florida Project stemmed from an idea brought to Baker by his co-writer, Chris Bergoch. \u201cHe was sending me news articles about what\u2019s happening [in Florida]\u2014that\u2019s how it came to my attention,\u201d Baker said, in conversation with Deadline\u2019s Anthony D\u2019Alessandro. \u201cI\u2019d always wanted to make a film about kids. We saw this as our opportunity to make the modern-day Little Rascals.\u201d<\/p>\n
A unique combination of childlike wonder and tragedy, as families are ravaged by poverty, the film emerged from Baker\u2019s typically unorthodox casting process, with Moonee\u2019s mother Halley (played by Bria Vinaite) found on Instagram. \u201cWe really tried to mix up conventional and non-conventional ways of casting. We had a local casting company [in Florida], and that\u2019s where the kids came from,\u201d the director explained. \u201cThen, of course, there was some street casting involved. I found little Valeria [Cotto] at Target, and I found the mother, Bria, on instagram. I just happened to find her Instagram by accident, and she won me over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of his young star Brooklynn Prince, who delivers a powerhouse performance beyond her years in maturity, Baker said, \u201cShe is one of the most powerful dramatic actors I\u2019ve ever worked with, and I wasn\u2019t expecting that.\u201d<\/p>\n
View this article at Deadline<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As part of A24\u2019s participation in Deadline\u2019s The Contenders, The Disaster Artist director James Franco appeared today to discuss the genesis of the project at New Line, why he felt compelled to make the film, and the bizarre process of directing in character. Based on Greg Sistero\u2019s best-seller, The Disaster Artist follows Tommy Wiseau (Franco)\u2019s
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