With The Disaster Artist hitting a limited run this weekend and it's full theatrical release just a week away, James Franco is being discussed as a possible Oscar contender. Now, news is breaking that the actor and all around nice guy is going to take on another role as a real life person. Franco has just boarded the Shel Silverstein biopic as director and star. The film will adapt Lisa Rogak's A Boy Named Shel.
Silverstein remains a legendary author and poet. Not only a writer, Silverstein was an adventurer and world traveler. Two of his books remain some of the most popular ever. Where The Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree remain a mainstay in the world of children's books. Now his life is being turned into a film with James Franco taking on dual roles.