James Franco Soars in Italian Film
TORONTO – It feels like a lifetime ago that the “MeToo” movement dismantled the abuses within showbusiness. The global movement started with investigative journalism at the New York Times followed by the New Yorker, both documenting the allegations from numerous women about the then-movie mogul Harvey Wienstein. Accounts of sexual assault and audio evidence in which the film Producer admitted to groping a model rocked Hollywood. Several industry players had their careers cancelled as a result. But one of them, James Franco, is attempting a comeback.
And he’s been doing it from Italy. Franco admittedly slept with some of his acting students from his now-closed acting school “Studio 4”. The 2019 suit against him alleged that he had coerced some of his female students into sexually exploitative behaviour by promising them acting opportunities. Still, Franco maintained that any sexual conduct with his students was consensual. He agreed to a settlement, without admitting to wrongdoing.
But the damage to his career and reputation was irreparable, or at least it seemed so at the time. Franco’s self-imposed exile in Europe however, mainly in Italy and France, appears to have given him new life.
Audiences and filmmakers, perhaps more forgiving and empathetic in Italy, have not only extended an opportunity for Franco to show his face in public again, Italian cinema has given the American actor an opportunity to be recognized for an Oscar this season – or so his Producers believe.
His new film Hey Joe which had its premiere at the 19th Rome Film Festival, is now slated for a theatrical and digital platform release in late 2025. Claudio Giovannesi’s film stars Franco as a World War II era soldier whose brief love affair with a Neapolitan woman results in her pregnancy. Though forced to leave her at the time, he returns years later to find her and their son.
“We were captivated by Hey Joe from the first screening. It’s a rare blend of American and Italian storytelling, grounded by an emotionally resonant performance from James Franco. We believe this film will resonate strongly with audiences and critics alike during awards season”, said Tom Malloy, president of Glass House Distribution.
Franco has not only been welcomed into the European film scene, but is currently attached to four projects – three Italian and one French.
Will Franco be nominated come award season for his performance in Hey Joe? Not likely. The cancel culture in Hollywood might have simmered down since its recent resurgence in 2016, but the industry has seemingly moved on from Franco’s era. Regardless, Hey Joe looks good.
Images courtesy of RAI Cinema and Vision Distribution
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
