A new biopic about Jacob Dean is currently in development. Dean was an actor who had a short but notable career in the 1950s. During his career, he starred in films like East of Eden And Rebel without a cause. The actor was extremely popular for a short time in this era, however His career ended abruptly when he tragically died in a car crash in 1955. He was only 24 years old.
now, The Hollywood Reporter announced that A James Dean biopic is in the works. The biopic will explore Dean’s personal life, documenting a time when he was in college. The film will be based on the 2006 memoir Surviving James Dean by William Bast, in which Bast chronicles his close friendship and later romantic relationship with the famous actor. The rights to Bast’s memoirs were acquired by writer-director Guy Guido, who will work on the film. According to the report, Guido is currently in the process of talking to producers and finding the lead cast of the film.
What this means for the James Dean biopic
The James Dean biopic will last five years
The Writing for Guido’s film takes place over a year-long periodBeginning with the first meeting between Bast and Dean and ending with the actor’s death. According to Surviving James DeanBast met Dean in 1950, when the two were 19 years old. They met in a theater program at UCLA, and according to Bast, the couple kept their relationship a secret to avoid hurting Dean’s career as he was a rising star. As Bast and Dean saw each other, Dean also had relationships with female stars.
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The film itself will not hide their relationship, because it will focus on the couple’s romance. It will also be Delve into Bast’s experience with being gay in the 1950sIn a time when this was not as accepted as it is now. In a statement about the film, Guido spoke about his connection to Bast’s character, saying that he “Was especially drawn to Bast’s unique story” as a gay man himself. Guido’s full quote can be found below:
Guido: I have been a fan and historian of James Dean since I was 18 years old, so I knew about his ‘friend’ Willie, even when information about their relationship was immediately washed by the Hollywood machine. As a filmmaker, I love to tell the story of a celebrity’s life in their coming-of-age period. As a gay man, I was especially drawn to Bast’s unique story.
Who could play James Dean in the biopic?
The lack of casting leaves options open
As of now, the Dean biopic is so early in the development stages that it doesn’t yet have a cast. I think there are many options for who could play Dean, but the role will likely go to a young star who is recognizable to an audience. One likely choice could be Timothée Chalamet, who, although older now than Dean was when he died, looks young and regularly plays characters younger than himself. James Francopreviously described Thin in 2001 Jacob DeanBut the actor didOld out of the role now.
Source: THR