The 2003 film The Room is viewed by many to be one of the worst movies that has ever been created. The movie is about a couple, Johnny and Lisa, who are engaged to be married. For reasons that are never clear, Lisa decides to begin an affair with Johnny’s best friend Mark. That is about the extent to which any of this movie makes sense. The acting is terrible, the continuity is non-existent, and so is the point. The film’s insanity has led to it becoming something of a cult film among the "so bad it’s good" crowd. It’s become such a strange film that one of the movie’s co-stars wrote a book about the bizarre experience of making it.
Now James Franco is turning that book into a movie. Franco will star as the man behind the madness, Tommy Wiseau, who both wrote and directed the film as well as played the lead. Franco will, like his alter ego, also be in the director’s chair. Franco’s longtime partner-in crime Seth Rogen will produce the film, as well as play a part in the film, titled The Disaster Artist. Ironically, a film about a terrible movie is actually putting together an incredibly solid cast.
Model Kate Upton has been slowly putting together a solid acting resume over the past few years. This time, according to The Hollywood Reporter, she’ll be taking on the role of Actress Robyn Paris, who played Michelle in the original film. Michelle, is the best friend of Johnny’s adulterous girlfriend. The highlight, if such a word is possible, of Michelle’s character is when she and her boyfriend break into Johnny’s apartment to have sex. There’s no reason for it, it has no bearing on the plot but it’s essentially the only reason the character is in the film.
Apparently, when you’re engaged to marry somebody, you can get roped into the strangest movies. Alison Brie is currently engaged to Dave Franco, the brother of James, who will be playing actor Greg Sinestro in the movie. Sinestro played Mark in The Room, the second male lead. It’s fitting then that Brie will be playing Franco’s onscreen girlfriend in the film. As the character of Mark did not have a girlfriend in the The Room we assume that means she’ll be playing Sinestro’s girlfriend. This movie in a movie stuff is confusing.
Best known for playing the part of Peeta in The Hunger Games films, Josh Hutcherson will be braving a slightly different trial by fire by being in this movie. Hutcherson will play the role of Philip Haldiman who in turn played the role of Denny, a college student and friend of Johnny’s. In The Room Denny has a run in with a drug dealer. Why? Nobody knows, it’s a mystery.
Well, if nothing else, this film will turn out to be an interesting experiment in trying to make a good movie about the making of a bad movie.
