James Franco To Direct ‘The Sound And The Fury’ With Jon Hamm In Mind

Days after it was announced that James Franco dropped out of directing The Garden of Last Days, it seems like the filmmaker is on to his next passion project. This time it’s another William Faulkner adaptation with The Sound and The Fury.

Franco, a self-proclaimed avid fan of Faulkner hopes to direct a film version of nonlinear novel. The Sound And The Fury is another stream-of-conscious novel that tells the story of the Compsons expanding three decades of strife.

While it’s considered to be a difficult task to bring to screen, Franco has already taken on another Faulkner classic that was also deemed as unfilmable. Although it suffered mixed reviews, Franco and his production company Rabbit Bandini filmed As I Lay Dying, which had its festival debut at the Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year.

Besides Franco’s impending take, The Sound And The Fury has already had a screen treatment. In 1959 director Martin Ritt had adapted the novel into a film. It’s unknown whether or not Franco plans to take creative license from the original version. Either way the filmmaker seems to be confident about how things are coming along.

Franco opened up to LA Times about his new project, stating, “We’re in pretty good shape, but there are a few more things that have to happen before we’re good.” One of those things that needs to happen is working out the cast. The actor is hoping he can score Jon Hamm to play Mr. Compson, while he wants his little brother Dave Franco, to take on the role of Quentin Compson. Another actor that’s being thrown into the mix is Danny McBride, who had a bit part in As I Lay Dying, and can also be seen with Franco in the ensemble comedy This Is The End.

This summer has proven to be a busy one as usual for Franco. He’s currently filming Good People in London with Kate Hudson. After that it’s the Wim Wenders film Everything Will Be Fine, as well as his crowdsourcing project on Indiegogo. In addition he also has two adaptations, with Cormac McCarthy’s Child of God already in the can, and Bukowski nearing post-production.

Are you excited about James Franco’s The Sound And The Fury?