Movies by James Franco
As part of the cast:
-
Your Highness (2011)
Cast: Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman …
Directed by: David Gordon Green
When a twisted wizard kidnaps the virginal fiancée of a valiant prince, his ne'er-do-well brother grudgingly joins his sibling on a quest to save the beautiful damsel. Along the…
-
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Cast: James Franco, Tom Felton, Brian Cox …
Directed by: Rupert Wyatt
James Franco headlines the reboot of the immensely popular Planet of the Apes franchise, a prequel which boasts cutting-edge CGI effects and a gripping story set in modern-day San Francisco,…
-
Sal (2011)
Cast: James Franco, Val Lauren, Brian Goodman …
Directed by: James Franco
Sal Mineo -- one of Hollywood's first openly gay actors -- provides the focus of this biopic that tracks his career ups and downs and his tragic death. Mineo was on the verge of a…
-
Eames: The Architect and The Painter (2011)
Cast: James Franco
Directed by: Jason Cohn, Bill Jersey
This documentary tells the story of the husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames, widely considered America's most important designers. Their creations include furniture,…
-
Date Night (2010)
Cast: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg …
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Who knew simple dinner reservations under a different name could turn one New Jersey couple's date night so terribly upside-down? Claire (Tina Fey) and Phil (Steve Carell) Foster leave…
-
Tekken (2010)
Cast: John Foo, Kelly Overton, James Franco …
Directed by: Dwight H. Little
When young Jin Kazama (John Foo) discovers an opportunity to avenge the death of his mother, he enters a martial arts tournament sponsored by the futuristic Tekken Corp. to gain access to the…
-
Howl (2010)
Cast: James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm …
Directed by: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
James Franco steps into the shoes of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in this star-studded biopic centered around Ginsberg's poem "Howl" -- and the widely publicized obscenity trial that…
-
Shadows and Lies (2010)
Cast: James Franco, Julianne Nicholson, Josh Lucas …
Directed by: Jay Anania
Four years after leaving New York City for good, William Vincent (James Franco) finds himself back in Manhattan, attempting to save the woman he loves from organized criminals following a…
-
Eat Pray Love (2010)
Cast: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco …
Directed by: Ryan Murphy
Julia Roberts stars in this adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir about coping with a depressing divorce. After deciding to reshape her life, Liz (Roberts) travels the…
-
127 Hours (2010)
Cast: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn …
Directed by: Danny Boyle
From director Danny Boyle comes this harrowing tale of real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco), who literally cuts himself loose from danger -- and lives to tell about it when…
-
Love & Distrust (2010)
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Talulah Riley, James Cameron …
Directed by: Eric Kmetz
This collection of five short films artfully portrays desire's ability to both empower and destroy those who encounter it. In "The Summer House," sultry teen Jane (Talulah Riley) is…
-
Wholphin: Issue 8 (2009)
Cast: James Franco, Creed Bratton, Maria Bamford …
Directed by: Lauren Greenfield, Carlos Dengler, Dominic Bisignano …
This eclectic compilation of short films, documentaries and animations includes a jarring look at brand-obsessed Los Angeles teens, an absurdist conversation about AIDS and a critically…
-
Pineapple Express (2008)
Cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride …
Directed by: David Gordon Green
After witnessing a murder involving a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez) and a drug kingpin (Gary Cole), straitlaced pothead Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) must go on the run with his dealer (James Franco,…
-
Nights in Rodanthe (2008)
Cast: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, James Franco …
Directed by: George C. Wolfe
With chaos tearing her family apart, Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane) takes a weekend job at her friend's coastal North Carolina inn, but when a hurricane hits and strands the only guest,…
-
Milk (2008)
Cast: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin …
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Sean Penn (in an Oscar-winning role) stars in this fact-based drama about Harvey Milk, the openly gay activist and San Francisco politician who was murdered along with Mayor George Moscone…
-
Camille (2008)
Cast: Sienna Miller, James Franco, David Carradine …
Directed by: Gregory Mackenzie
Forced to marry Camille (Sienna Miller), the sheriff's niece, parolee Silas (James Franco) takes his bride on a Niagara Falls honeymoon, where he plans to escape to Canada. Certain the…
-
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco …
Directed by: Sam Raimi
The seemingly invincible Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) goes up against an all-new crop of villains -- including the shape-shifting Sandman -- in the third installment of this blockbusting comic…
-
An American Crime (2007)
Cast: Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, James Franco …
Directed by: Tommy O'Haver
Based on a story that's too shocking to be true -- but is -- director Tommy O'Haver's grisly drama centers on Indiana housewife and mother Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine…
-
Good Time Max (2007)
Cast: James Franco, Vince Jolivette, Wilmer Calderon …
Directed by: James Franco
James Franco directs and stars in this drama about two genius brothers forever linked by family ties. When irresponsible Max (Franco) gets into trouble, successful doctor Adam (Matt Bell)…
-
Annapolis (2006)
Cast: James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster …
Directed by: Justin Lin
To prove himself in the cutthroat world of the U.S. Naval Academy, a struggling freshman (James Franco) trained in the school of hard knocks enters a fiercely competitive boxing contest --…
-
Tristan & Isolde (2006)
Cast: James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell …
Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
When gallant English knight Tristan (James Franco) wins the love of beautiful Isolde (Sophia Myles) -- the daughter of the Irish king -- soon after the fall of the Roman Empire, their liaison…
-
Flyboys (2006)
Cast: James Franco, Jean Reno, Jennifer Decker …
Directed by: Tony Bill
Directed by Oscar winner Tony Bill, this epic drama tells the true story of the Lafayette Escadrille, a group of Americans who volunteered for the French military before the United States…
-
The Dead Girl (2006)
Cast: Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Piper Laurie …
Directed by: Karen Moncrieff
A close-knit community near Los Angeles is thrown into turmoil when the brutally desecrated body of a vibrant young girl is found in a field. A series of seemingly unrelated dramas in the…
-
Finishing the Game (2006)
Cast: Sung Kang, James Franco, Roger Fan …
Directed by: Justin Lin
In 1973, martial arts great Bruce Lee died, his final film, Game of Death, left unfinished. With the public hungry for more Lee, movie execs decide to find a replacement. This outrageous…
-
In the Valley of Elah (2006)
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jason Patric …
Directed by: Paul Haggis
When exemplary soldier Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) disappears after returning from Iraq, his concerned father (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-nominated role) -- a retired sergeant -- works…
-
The Great Raid (2005)
Cast: Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Robert Mammone …
Directed by: John Dahl
Joseph Fiennes and James Franco co-star in this World War II-era drama based on actual events, the story of a daring rescue mission that puts Lt. Colonel Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) and the…
-
The Ape (2005)
Cast: James Franco, Brian Lally, Allison Bibicoff …
Directed by: James Franco
In this indie comedy, family man Harry Walker (James Franco) -- determined to write the next great American novel -- leaves his job as a corporate scrub, moves out of his house and rents an…
-
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina …
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is going through a major identity crisis. Burned out from being Spider-Man, he decides to shelve his superhero alter ego, which leaves the city suffering in the…
-
The Company (2003)
Cast: Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco …
Directed by: Robert Altman
In this drama from Robert Altman, a young dancer (Neve Campbell) is focused on becoming a principal dancer with her ballet company, but finds it progressively more difficult to stick to the…
-
Spider-Man (2002)
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst …
Directed by: Sam Raimi
After being chomped by a genetically altered spider, shy high schooler Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is endowed with amazing superpowers. And while he first uses them to win wrestling matches,…
-
City by the Sea (2002)
Cast: Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, James Franco …
Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro) is an NYPD police detective whose father was executed at Sing Sing Prison in the 1950s for kidnapping and murdering a child. Now, while investigating the…
-
Sonny (2002)
Cast: James Franco, Brenda Blethyn, Harry Dean Stanton …
Directed by: Nicolas Cage
This is the story of a young New Orleans man, Sonny Phillips (James Franco), who is trained to follow the family tradition as a paid male prostitute, pleasuring the whims of wealthy women --…
-
Mother Ghost (2002)
Cast: Mark Thompson, Kevin Pollak, Dana Delany …
Directed by: Rich Thorne
In the year since his mother died, Keith Bennett (Mark Thompson) has been tormented by the notion that she's still with him. On the verge of losing his wife and family as well as his…
-
Deuces Wild (2001)
Cast: Fairuza Balk, Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro …
Directed by: Scott Kalvert
It's West Side Story minus the earnest balladeering when a war breaks out on the streets of Brooklyn, circa 1958, in which brothers Leon (Stephen Dorff) and Bobby (Brad Renfro) lead the…
-
James Dean (2001)
Cast: James Franco, Michael Moriarty, Valentina Cervi …
Directed by: Mark Rydell
Golden Globe winner James Franco portrays method actor and all-around rebel James Dean in this made-for-TV biopic that covers his strict upbringing, his ill-fated love affair with actress…
-
Whatever It Takes (2000)
Cast: Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Marla Sokoloff, Shane West …
Directed by: David Raynr
Shane West and James Franco star as Ryan and Chris, two high school classmates who need each other's help to woo their dream girls -- smart, cute Maggie (Marla Sokoloff) and sexy Ashley…
-
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Cast: Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Molly Shannon …
Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Journalist Josie Geller goes undercover at a high school to pen a teen exposé. A dork as a teenager, Josie enlists her brother to help her fit in. Josie falls for a teacher, but her…
-
To Serve and Protect (1999)
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Joanna Cassidy, Richard Crenna …
Directed by: Jean de Segonzac
This gripping drama follows three generations of Dallas police officers -- members of the Carr family -- who join forces to track down the deadliest serial killer ever to terrorize Texas.…
-
Celebrating AFI (1993)
Cast: Chris Penn, Martin Sheen, Corinne Bohrer …
Directed by: Lily Mariye, Ernst Gossner, Tricia Brock …
The American Film Institute pays tribute to short films with this "best of breed" collection. The list includes a few films that star Hollywood A-listers, including Martin Sheen in "Family…
As a director:
-
Sal (2011)
Cast: James Franco, Val Lauren, Brian Goodman …
Directed by: James Franco
Sal Mineo -- one of Hollywood's first openly gay actors -- provides the focus of this biopic that tracks his career ups and downs and his tragic death. Mineo was on the verge of a…
-
Saturday Night (2010)
Cast: John Malkovich, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis …
Directed by: James Franco
Join actor James Franco as he takes a documentary film crew behind the scenes at "Saturday Night Live" to chronicle how its writers, cast and guest host John Malkovich gear up to produce an…
-
Good Time Max (2007)
Cast: James Franco, Vince Jolivette, Wilmer Calderon …
Directed by: James Franco
James Franco directs and stars in this drama about two genius brothers forever linked by family ties. When irresponsible Max (Franco) gets into trouble, successful doctor Adam (Matt Bell)…
-
The Ape (2005)
Cast: James Franco, Brian Lally, Allison Bibicoff …
Directed by: James Franco
In this indie comedy, family man Harry Walker (James Franco) -- determined to write the next great American novel -- leaves his job as a corporate scrub, moves out of his house and rents an…