James Franco To Play Two Roles in David Simon's 1970s Porn Series For HBO

A couple of months ago, we heard that The Wire creator David Simon was working on a new pilot for HBO that takes place in New York City's Times Square in the 1970s and chronicles the legalization and rise of the porn industry in the city, "exploring the rough-and-tumble world that existed in midtown Manhattan until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic and the renewed real estate market all ended the bawdy turbulence." Now Deadline reports that James Franco will star in the pilot, and in typical Franco fashion, this won't be just a normal performance from him. I'll let Deadline explain:

The Deuce was inspired in part by the career of twin brothers who were players in the Times Square world and became fronts for Mob control of the volatile and lucrative sex industry from its origins. Both will be played by Franco.

Sounds a lot like what Tom Hardy is doing in the gangster film Legend. Longtime Simon collaborator George Pelecanos is co-writing the script, and the always-awesome Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead) is directing. Production starts in October, and if this ends up being half as interesting as it sounds, HBO will surely pick it up for a full series. If you aren't excited about it yet, check out a quote from Pelecanos about what to expect:

“Porn, prostitution, pimps, the Mob, after-hours nightlife, institutional corruption, and New York in its Wild West heyday…it’s a world rich in character, and a fascinating story we’re eager to tell.”

I can't wait to see what they come up with. The outlet also reports that Simon is developing a separate series that's more focused on politics, set on Capitol Hill in present day and tracking the influence of money on how laws are made. Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein (of Watergate fame) is collaborating with him on that show, as well as a bunch of veterans from The Wire, so that should be a hell of a show as well.