Amber Tamblyn will join Danny Boyle and James Franco for their big screen adaptation of the Aron Ralston story, “127 Hours,” according to DHD.
Tamblyn has presumably won the role “Paranormal Activity” actress Katie Featherstone previously tweeted about reading for. “The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants” actress will play Franco’s girlfriend, with their relationship played out in flashbacks that keep the mountain climber going. You knew it all couldn’t take place on a mountain top.
Ralston’s story is of course that of a mountaineer who was forced to amputate his own arm in order to escape entrapment from a fallen boulder and then hike miles to safety. Boyle is set to begin shooting in Utah this March in what is going to be predominantly a one-man-show — the director wants to have the first half of the film completely dialogue free with no catch. Sean Penn’s “Into The Wild” was noted by Ralston as an inspiration in discussions with Boyle.
With that in mind, there probably won’t be much more casting news. There is a family that encounters Ralston at the end of his tale that call for help, but we’d assume they won’t be names? Expect this one to likely land in the fall with Fox Searchlight, with hopes that the picture will lead their award season campaign.