The Disaster Artist has been a mysterious and intriguing project since its announcement. It’s based off the book of the same name that covers the bizarre making of The Room. If you don’t know about The Room, here’s one of the key scenes that will give you a taste of the film’s insanity:
…What?!?
Okay, a little background. Writer/director/actor Tommy Wiseau made The Room with the intention of it being an actual drama, but it ended up becoming known as one of the worst movies ever made. Eventually, it was adopted as a new midnight movie staple a la The Rocky Horror Picture Show. And so, it’s infamy was born. Lead actor Greg Sestero wrote a tell-all book about how he met Wiseau and The Room‘s insane production. The book is being turned into a movie by James Franco and he’s also playing the enigmatic Wiseau. Check out the teaser that shows us a peek at how the above scene was shot:
This looks like an incredibly good-natured and fun bit of behind-the-scenes storytelling. It’s great to see that Franco isn’t turning Wiseau into a caricature. That moment when he finally delivers the line does feel triumphant. It’s great to see a lot of the ironic appreciation of The Room get stripped away and examine the genuine emotion behind the show.
The Disaster Artist is also worth keeping an eye on because of its incredible cast. Franco’s younger brother, Dave, is playing Greg Sestero in the film and they look like quite the pair. We’ll also see Alison Brie, Zac Efron, Lizzy Caplan, Bryan Cranston, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, Sharon Stone, (*deep breath*) Adam Scott, Judd Apatow, Hannibal Burress, Melanie Griffith, J.J. Abrams, Zach Braff, and some other appearances I don’t want to spoil. This is going to be a showstopper of an ensemble.
The Disaster Artist will hit theaters on December 1. This could actually be an Oscar contender. That’s kind of beautiful. A film about one of the most ridiculed films ever made could end up validating said film. Here’s hoping this works out.
