James Franco to Direct and Star in Film about the Night Stalker Serial Killer Richard Ramirez

Apparently, James Franco (127 Hours) is all set to direct and star in a new feature film based on the serial killer Richard Ramirez, also known as the Night Stalker. Franco will play the satanic killer. The film will be based on the non-fiction book The Night Stalker by Philip Carlo, and it will be adapted into a script by screenwriter Nicolas Constantine.

For those of you who don't know, in 1985, Ramirez went on a rampage of sexual assault and murder as he entered people's homes at night, generating fear throughout Southern California. He was later found guilty of 13 counts of murder, five attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults, and 14 burglaries. I was growing up in Southern Cal while this was going on, and I remember watching all the news reports and seeing that guy's face everywhere. It was a pretty crazy time. Click here to learn more about Ramirez and his crimes.

Constantine talked about how Franco got involved with the project and confirmed that he'll both star in and direct the movie,

I had no idea if he would do it... since it's pretty dark subject matter. They told me he was studying to be a director and this was perfect for him. We watched three short films he made, two of which were dark and one of which was about a serial killer. That confirmed James definitely had this dark side, and it definitely sealed the deal for us. Sure enough, James read the material and responded to it immediately.

Constantine went on to say,

Phil Carlo painted such an amazing portrait of Richard Ramirez, the human being, and it's that which drew us all to the project. Sure, Ramirez was a monster -- but Phil investigated how he became that monster, and that's what this film is about.

This isn't a horror film, nor does it glorify Ramirez in any way. James Franco shares that vision, and we all agree that he is absolutely the one actor, and now director, who can truly do this very intense role and story justice.

I think this is a great project for Franco to tackle. There's no doubt that he'll nail the role perfectly. Hell, he even kind of looks like the guy! As for directing it, I can't wait to see what he does to bring this terrifying story to the big screen.

What do you all think about Franco taking on this crazy film project?

Here's a description of the book:

Richard Ramirez, a Mexican American from El Paso, committed perhaps 14 murders in the Los Angeles area during 1984 and 1985 and wounded several people. While robbery was one of his motives, his main objective, according to Carlo (Stolen Flowers), was to achieve power over the women in the houses he entered, to rape, torture and humiliate them. He saw himself as committing his crimes in the service of Satan and expressed contempt for conventional morality. Stubborn and with a vicious temper, he insisted on being represented by two young lawyers who had never been involved in a capital case. Found guilty in 1989, Ramirez was given 19 death sentences plus six years for each of 33 other charges. Carlo speculates on the psyche of this chilling killer and introduces an intriguing supporting cast, from the prosecutor, who saw the case as good versus evil, to the alternate juror who "fell in love with" the defendant. An exceptionally well-told true-crime tale.