The actor James Franco announced on Tuesday that he will be the executive producer and host of a new TV series dedicated to art. The actor posted a photo-shopped Vincent Van Gogh style self-portrait with his face superimposed on it in an Instagram message. “New show, with me, and a bunch of crazy stuff. Announcement tomorrow.”
The new programme will feature Franco on the Ovation network and will offer “an unprecedented look at the fascinating projects and real-life adventures of Mr. Franco. James Franco Presents will document his provocative explorations of the world of art. From his gallery exhibits to his students’ films, the innovative series will also provide an exclusive opportunity to hear Mr. Franco’s point of view on his most-personal passion projects, most of which have not been seen by the public.” The show will also highlight the works of emerging artists.
“James Franco is the ultimate artist, so partnering with James is a dream come true for Ovation,” said Robert Weiss, Ovation’s Chief Creative Officer in a release. “And, since Ovation’s mantra is ‘art is everywhere,’ James is the perfect person through whom to introduce viewers to a modern, more inclusive definition of art.” Ovation mostly airs re-runs of shows and this will be one of their first original commissions.
This new project sees Franco’s collaboration with the art world continue. In 2011, he finished, a joint piece with director Gus Van Sant, and exhibited at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, which featured reedited footage from Van Sant’s 1991 drama My Own Private Idaho, spotlighting late actor River Phoenix’s sullen performance. Noted Indiewire’s Eric Kohn on the project at the time, “Franco picks up on the ‘private’ qualities implied by the project’s title, sketching Phoenix/Max as a somber introvert with a playfulness just beneath the surface.”
Franco’s collaboration with filmmaker Travis Mathews produced ‘Interior Leather Bar’ which debuted at Sundance earlier this year, as well as the London LGBT Film Festival. He also recently had an exhibition at one of London’s top galleries, the Victoria Miro gallery.