James dean biography james franco comparison

television film by Mark Rydell

James Dean is a American made-for-televisionbiographicaldrama film based on the life of the American actor James Dean. James Franco plays the title role under the direction of Mark Rydell, who chronicles Dean's rise from a struggling actor to an A-list movie star in s Hollywood.

The film's supporting roles included Michael Moriarty, Valentina Cervi, Enrico Colantoni, and Edward Herrmann.

The biopic began development at Warner Bros. in the early s. At one point, Michael Mann was contracted to direct with Leonardo DiCaprio starring in the lead role.

After Mann's departure, Des McAnuff, Dennis Hopper, and Milčo Mančevski were considered for the director's chair. Rydell was hired as director in , but the film continued to languish in development hell.

James dean biography james franco comparison

Warner Bros. then decided to produce James Dean as a TV movie for Turner Network Television (TNT); both Warners and TNT are owned by Time Warner. Franco was cast as Dean in M