The mystical allure of James Dean continues from beyond the grave: Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan have signed up to star in “Life,” which The Hollywood Reporter says is “the true story about the friendship between James Dean and Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock.” DeHaan will play Dean and Pattinson will play Stock (sorry ladies). Noted photographer and director Anton Corbijn, whose last movie was the sorely underrated George Clooney thriller “The American,” will direct. The film is being shopped in Toronto.
The script, by Luke Davies, follows Stock as a young photographer who gets an assignment to shoot James Dean, then a rising star. The pair’s life became intertwined personally and professionally and Stock would end up shooting some of the most iconic photos of Dean, shortly before “East of Eden” cemented his place as a Hollywood icon.
Iain Canning is producing alongside Emile Sherman. Pattinson has a number of exciting projects in the works, including David Cronenberg‘s new film “Maps to the Stars,” as well as the post-apocalyptic western “The Rover” from “Animal Kingdom” director David Michod. DeHaan will be in Toronto to promote “The Devil’s Knot,” the dramatization of the West Memphis Three case from director Atom Egoyan, and can be seen next summer in some little art house movie “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” Corbijn’s next feature, “A Most Wanted Man,” based on the John le Carre novel and starring Rachel McAdams and Robin Wright, opens in the UK on November 22nd (no domestic release date has been set).
Considering Corbijn got his start as a rock’n’roll photographer, capturing glamorous and gorgeous larger-than-life figures, this should be the perfect material for him.