James Franco's 'Zeroville' Movie Being Released After 4 Year Delay

If you follow the world of movies, you might have once heard about Zeroville, James Franco's screen adaptation of Steve Erickson's novel. Franco's film has been in the can since 2015, but legal issues kept it from seeing the light of day. Now, myCinema digital content distribution system has rescued the film, and will release in September of this year. Will it have been worth the wait?

Deadline has the news that James Franco's Zeroville movie will finally see the light of day. Franco first optioned Steve Erickson's book in 2011. By 2014, the actor and director had lined-up an impressive cast that included Seth Rogen, Jacki Weaver, Megan Fox, Will Ferrell, Jamie Costa, Danny McBride, Dave Franco, Craig Robinson, Joey King and Horatio Sanz. Alchemy bought the rights to Zeroville in 2015, but the studio then fell into financial problems, delaying the release. Other legal issues, including a matter involving U.S. distribution rights, kept the film from ever being released. That's about to change, thanks to myCinema.

I'll confess I'm not familiar with myCinema, but per the Deadline story, "myCinema delivers films over the internet which individual theaters can then licenses for any number of weeks of play. myCinema also markets the pics for exhibitors and the distribution system is currently available at 500 screens throughout the U.S. and Canada."

Zeroville  follows "Vikar, a young architecture student so enthralled with the movies that his friends call him 'cinéautistic.' With an intensely religious childhood behind him, and tattoos of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift on his head, he arrives in Hollywood where he's mistaken for a member of the Charles Manson "family" and eventually scores a job as a film editor. Vikar discovers the frames of a secret film within the reels of every movie ever made, and sets about splicing them together—an undertaking that takes on frightening theological dimensions."

Erickson's book is highly acclaimed, but there's no telling how Franco's take on the material might pan out. I liked Franco's The Disaster Artist, but I found the films he directed before that to be rather bland. Still, with a cast this compelling, I'm definitely interested in seeing how Zeroville plays – especially after such a long delay. There's a bootleg trailer for the film floating around the web, but I won't link to it, because I'm a fine, upstanding citizen. I'm sure you can find it if you're so inclined. The footage on display looks amusing and quirky, and not half-bad, if I'm being honest. Maybe this will turn out okay.