James Dean: Biopic in the Works Based on Memoir About Gay Romance
Writer-director Guy Guido is behind Surviving James Dean, based on William Bast’s 2006 book of the same name that details his time with the iconic actor.
A feature is in the works that aims to explore the personal life of legendary actor James Dean, who died at the age of 25.
Writer-director Guy Guido has acquired the rights to author William Bast’s 2006 memoir Surviving James Dean and plans a biopic of the same name.
Having written the script, Guido is meeting with potential producers and is in the process of casting the key roles.
Bast described meeting Dean at the UCLA Theater Program at the age of 19 and wrote that the two men became roommates, close friends and eventually lovers.
Bast claimed they kept their fling private to avoid hurting Dean’s career while the rising star had relationships with female stars, with Bast remaining hopeful that he and Dean would soon live together again. Five years after meeting Bast, Dean died in a car accident in 1955 at the age of 24, with two of his signature films, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, released posthumously.
“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 straight-washed by the Hollywood machine,” Guido says in a statement. “As a filmmaker, I love telling the story of a celebrity’s life in their coming-of-age period. As a gay man, I was particularly drawn to Bast’s unique story.”
“I am obsessed with getting the look right when it comes to casting and directing a film about a famous person,” he explains. “I want people to feel as if they are watching the real James Dean on the screen.”
James Franco previously played Dean in the 2001 TV movie James Dean.
The film version of Surviving James Dean doesn’t yet have financing, but Guido feels hopeful about finding the right fit after taking recent meetings about the project.
