James Franco Attempts Another Literary Adaptation in the 'Child of God' Trailer

James Franco—yes, that James Franco—recently decided that he must direct all film adaptations of novels about the American South. Hence, we have the trailer for his Child of God, a film based on an early Cormac McCarthy book that will debut at the Venice Film Festival, currently underway.

James Franco—yes, sigh, that James Franco—recently decided that he must direct all film adaptations of novels about the American South. Hence, we have the trailer for his Child of God, a film based on an early Cormac McCarthy novel, which will debut at the currently underway Venice Film Festival.

The trailer, via Deadline, doesn't show much, just Scott Haze snarling, a voiceover, and banjo music. The novel takes place in 1960s Tennessee, and Haze plays its focal point, a man named Lester Ballard who lives on the outskirts of society and has a thing for necrophilia. It's obviously tough material, but—for better or worse—Franco is not one to shy away from such things. (Franco himself also appears in the film.)

Haze, mind you, also appears in Franco's adaptation of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, which was shown at Cannes earlier this year. The reviews out of Cannes for that film weren't as terrible as we were expecting, considering the novel is famously "unfilmable." Next up, one of Franco's myriad projects is going to be an adaptation of Faulkner's even more unfilmable The Sound and the Fury. He just can't stay away.

Child of God will also show at next month's Toronto International Film Festival, and, in case you were wondering just how ubiquitous Franco is, note that an adaptation of his book Palo Alto is part of the Telluride lineup announced today. Franco will also act in that film. The guy is everywhere.