Writer-director Guy Guido is developing a biopic titled Surviving James Dean, based on William Bast’s 2006 memoir of the same name. Guido has acquired the rights to the memoir and has written the script, which explores the personal relationship between James Dean and Bast, a close friend and roommate of the legendary actor.
The film will span from Bast and Dean’s first meeting at UCLA’s theater program to Dean’s untimely death in 1955. Bast’s memoir details their evolving friendship, which he claims became romantic, while Dean maintained public relationships with female stars to protect his career. Guido said the film would focus on the duo “navigating their evolving relationship and Bast coming to terms with being gay during the 1950s.”
Guido emphasized the importance of authenticity in casting, stating, “I want people to feel as if they are watching the real James Dean on the screen.” He also highlighted his dedication to Bast’s story, adding, “I have been a fan and historian of James Dean since I was 18 years old, so I knew about his ‘friend’ Willie, even when information about their relationship was straight-washed by the Hollywood machine.”
While the film has yet to secure financing, Guido is optimistic about finding the right producers who “understand the gravity and importance of a story like this, especially in today’s divided social climate.”
James Franco previously portrayed James Dean in the 2001 TV movie James Dean.