A new trailer for James Franco’s long-awaited flick Zeroville has arrived. Set in Hollywood in 1969, the film is an adaptation of Steve Erickson’s 2007 novel but draws a comparison to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as it similarly touches on the industry during the time of the Tate murders. It follows the story of Vikar (Franco) and his attempts to traverse the wonky world of Tinseltown:
"Vikar is a lost soul journeying through Hollywood 1969, a land of myths, beauty, and monsters. The studio system is in decay, and a new generation of brash filmmakers are on the rise. With his shaved head marked by a tattoo from his favorite film, 1951’s A Place in the Sun, Vikar is a bizarre presence even amid the dreamers and players. He finds work first building sets, then as an apprentice editor obsessed with wielding the power of moving images. As his involvement in the creative process deepens, so does his fascination with a tragic screen goddess named Soledad. Together they discover just how hard it is to live in the blurred boundary between reality and illusion."
Joining Franco is an all-star including Seth Rogen, Megan Fox, Jacki Weaver, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Will Ferrell and Joey King. Younger brother Dave Franco will also make an appearance as actor Montgomery Clift along with Horatio Sanz as Francis Ford Coppola.
While many might see Zeroville as an attempt to ride on the success of Hollywood, Franco and company actually began principal photography back in October 2014. Film distributor Alchemy initially picked up the film’s domestic rights after its premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, however, the company filed for bankruptcy shortly after and left the motion picture in limbo for four years, only recently picked up by digital content distribution system myCinema.
Watch the trailer for Zeroville above. The film hits theaters September 20.
In other entertainment news, Ewan McGregor is reportedly in talks to reprise his role as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.