Franco was offered the role following an exhaustive casting search that spanned New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other cities. "Finding just the right actor to portray James Dean in all of his complexities was our challenge and we couldn't be more pleased with James Franco," said Rydell. "He is an excellent actor who has the right combination of charisma, vulnerability and intelligence to take on the demanding role of Hollywood's most tragic and enduring icon."

Set against the golden backdrop of 1950's Hollywood, JAMES DEAN will explore the tragedies and insecurities that fueled Dean's burning ambition to succeed as an actor, and ultimately lead to his downfall. From the devastating loss of his mother at an early age and his fractured relationship with his father, through his astonishingly rapid rise as one of film's most celebrated icons, to his tragic death at the age of 24, JAMES DEAN will tell the story behind the legend.

Franco received popular and critical acclaim for his role as Daniel Desario in the NBC series Freaks and Geeks. He has also starred in the film Never Been Kissed and the recently released Whatever It Takes. On television, he starred in the miniseries To Serve and Protect. He will next be seen in the independent feature Deuces Wild, also starring Fairuza Balk, Matt Dillon and Brad Renfro and the VH-1 film At Any Cost. Franco is represented by Randy James of James, Levy and Jacobson and ICM.

Rydell received widespread critical acclaim, including an Academy Award^® nomination, a Golden Globe nomination and a B.A.F.T.A. nomination, for directing On Golden Pond, starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn and Jane Fonda. His other film directing credits include Intersection, with Richard Gere and Sharon Stone; For the Boys and The Rose, with Bette Midler; The River; and The Fox, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. For television, Rydell received an Emmy^® nomination for the HBO film Crime of the Century. He also directed episodes of Family; Wild, Wild West; The Fugitive; and Gunsmoke.

A long-time Warner Bros. production executive, Gerber joined the film studio in 1986 as vice president of theatrical production, and worked his way through the ranks, being appointed president of Worldwide Theatrical Production in 1996. While there, Gerber supervised such films as L.A. Confidential, Unforgiven, Twister, Selena, Goodfellas, Heat, JFK, Disclosure, You've Got Mail and Analyze This. In 1998, he formed Gerber Pictures, which has an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. His company is developing several feature film projects, including an adaptation of Michael Connolly's novel Void Moon, Bandits and The Keith Moon Story. JAMES DEAN: AN INVENTED LIFE is Gerber's first film for cable television.

Horovitz has won numerous awards, including the OBIE (twice), the Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and the New York Drama Desk Award. His screenplay credits include Author! Author!, and, most recently, Sunshine, starring Ralph Fiennes, which will be released by Paramount Classics later this year and for which he received the European Academy Award^® for Best Screenwriter. His screenplay for The Boys is currently set up at Hal/Miramax.