James Franco’s been busy adapting literary works and tweaking Lifetime Originals of late, but he’s still open to taking direction from someone else on occasion. The actor will raise the question of Why Him? in a new comedy that co-stars Bryan Cranston, and he’s also just signed on to star in a feature-length film from Jonathan and Josh Baker. Empire reports that the Bag Man directors will expand on that short film for the sci-fi thriller Kin, which will star Dennis Quaid and Zoe Kravitz, in addition to Franco.
The Baker brothers’ short film won over SXSW attendees last year with its understated narrative about an unnamed 12-year-old Harlem boy who heads out on a solo journey to the countryside. Judah Bellamy gave a moving performance as the boy with baggage, but Kin will give the character some companions and a new storyline. The upcoming film will center on an ex-con and his adopted younger brother, who go on the run for some as-yet-unknown reason. Franco will be in hot pursuit as a “vengeful criminal type,” but he won’t be the brothers’ only trouble—they’ll also have to evade a “legion of otherworldly soldiers,” because how else would you know this is a sci-fi movie?
Sing Street’s Jack Reynor has also been cast, in what we assume will be the ex-con role. There’s no word yet on who will play the young boy, who will no longer be on an introspective journey but, rather, what sounds like a run-of-the-mill chase. But anyway, the brothers will get some help from a runaway played by Zoe Kravitz, with Dennis Quaid acting as dad to one of them. The script comes from Daniel Casey (Coronation Street), and production is expected to begin in October. In the meantime, here’s the inspiration for the project.