Published January 7, 2010 04:20PM
Back in November, we mentioned that filmmaker Danny Boyle, Oscar-winning director of Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, and Trainspotting, planned to helm a big-screen depiction of climber Aron Ralston’s survival ordeal. (Ralston, you’ll no doubt recall, cut off his own hand to free himself from a large boulder that pinned him in Utah’s Blue John Canyon).
The film, titled 127 Hours, now has a star: James Franco, of Spider-Man and Milk fame, will portray the resourceful Colorado climber. Previously, Ryan Gosling had been mentioned in connection with the role.
With built-in drama and the gifted hand of the always-interesting Danny Boyle at the helm, choosing the role was likely a no-brainer for Franco. But will he be able to pull it off? Is it a performance worthy of a certain little golden man? We’ll find out later this year, as 127 Hours is scheduled for a late 2010 release.
What do you think of Franco as Ralston? If not him, who would you cast? Personally, I was hoping for Mr. T, but this is a close second.
—Ted Alvarez
James Franco puts in ‘Hours’ (Variety)