James Franco Will Star in Allen Ginsberg Biopic Howl

Bookish hunk James Franco, who spent his free time during the filming of his latest movie reading the collected works of Thomas Pynchon, has signed on to star in the Gus Van Sant-produced Allen Ginsberg biopic Howl. The movie, written and directed by documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, will also feature David Strathairn, Alan Alda, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker and Paul Rudd. According to Hollywood Reporter, the film will focus on the obscenity trial surrounding the 1957 American publication of Ginsberg's most famous poem, "Howl." 

Hopefully Mr. Franco will not go overboard in his attempts to mimic Ginsberg: if he goes too far he might end up getting kicked out of Columbia, where he enrolled in an MFA program this fall.