James Franco and Bryan Cranston's professional working relationship began just earlier this year, when the two starred in Franco's latest directorial effort In Dubious Battle. And while the results of their work remains to be seen, it must've resulted in something plentiful. The Breaking Bad performer finds himself teaming up with his new multi-hyphenate friend again to co-star in the upcoming comedy Why Him?.
The Cranston/Franco reunion comes courtesy of director John Hamburg (I Love You, Man), from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ian Helfer (The Oranges). His new film is set over the holidays and follows a Midwestern dad (presumably Cranston) who travels to visit his daughter in college, only to have to battle for her attention against her tech billionaire boyfriend (Franco, one assumes). Variety unveiled the news.
In addition to this project bringing these two stars back together, Why Him? also finds Ben Stiller reuniting with his Along Came Polly director to produce the 20th Century Fox production under his Red Hour Films banner. Likewise, Franco reconvenes with his Date Night director Shawn Levy with Hamburg's latest, as he, too, produces under his 21 Lap label. Meanwhile, the president of the latter company, Dan Levine, oversees the knee-slapper with Fox's Jeremy Kramer.
With the holiday theme in check, expect production to start later this fall, once Cranston is done playing LBJ for a second time in Jay Roach's HBO adaptation of All the Way, filming this September. In between his work schedules, he'll squeeze in promotional rounds for Trumbo, set to premiere at TIFF in a matter of weeks, and not long after he finishes shooting his new roles will he return back to the press junkets for Kung Fu Panda 3, in theaters on January 29, 2016. How Franco fits Why Him? into his schedule, however, is a mystery. The actor/writer/director/artist/author has an astronomical list of films on his docket and set for release in the near future, including the Hulu mini-series 11/22/63, Harmony Korine's The Trap and The Room biopic The Disaster Artist, just to literally name a few. He'll likely hang out with Cranston at TIFF too in his (limited) free time, as he's slated to fly to Toronto-based film festival for Every Thing Will Be Fine.
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