James Franco set to Star in CHERRY

James Franco will star alongside Heather Graham in a new indie drama called Cherry, which will be directed Stephen Elliott. Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) and Lilli Taylor (The Haunting) are also both in negotiations to co-star in the movie.

The story follows a troubled 18-year-old who moves to San Francisco, where she enters the porn industry and becomes involved with a cocaine-addicted lawyer, to be played by Franco.

According to Variety "Graham will play a former porn star-turned-director who becomes mildly obsessed with the young starlet, who has yet to be cast. Taylor will play the teen's alcoholic mother, while Patel will play the girl's best friend who's in love with her."

Ouch, that sure has got to suck for Patel's character. This sounds like it's going to be a pretty heavy film. It is scheduled to start production next month in San Francisco.

Franco will next start working with Sam Raimi on Oz, The Great and Powerful. He will next be seen on the big screen in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Patel hasen't done much since Slumdog, he most recently starred in The Last Airbender, which sucked, and just wrapped John Madden's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Unfortunatley Graham's acting carrer has taken a dive. She was recently seen in The Hangover and can next be seen in Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.