James Franco Set to Play a U.S. Navy Sailor in The Gritty Drama HEY JOE

James Franco seems to be making movies again and he’s set to star in an upcoming gritty drama titled Hey Joe. Franco will play a U.S. Navy sailor in the story, who’s stationed in post-World War II Naples, where he fathers a child.

In the film, “Franco plays Dean Barry, an American sailor who in 1944, at age 23, disembarks in Naples which has been destroyed by bombing. He falls in love with a young, very poor, local woman named Lucia. A couple of years later, Dean is forced to leave Lucia, alone and pregnant, to go back to New Jersey. He eventually returns to Naples to find the woman and her son, Enzo, but the city has changed a lot and Dean must navigate these challenges leading up to a surprise finale.”

The movie is written and directed by Claudio Giovannesi (Gomorrah TV series, Piranhas), and is currently shooting in the southern port city.

Following the 2019 now-settled lawsuit alleging that Franco sexually exploited young women who took his acting class, the actor has found himself taking roles outside of the U.S.

Producer Degli Esposti said the the director is shooting Hey Joe with his “customary gritty, naturalistic style,” and added that Franco is “an amazing actor who has really bonded with Giovannesi and with Italy.”

The film’s cast also includes Francesco Di Napoli (Piranhas), Giulia Ercolini, Aniello Arena (Reality, Fiore) and Francesca Montuori (My Brilliant Friend).