James Franco will adapt Chuck Palahniuk’s serial killer novel Rant

As a big fan of author Chuck Palahniuk, I am excited to learn that another one of his novels will be adapted for the big screen. As a not so big fan of James Franco‘s directorial career, I am disappointed that he will be adapting one of Chuck Palahniuk’s novels. But, surprises have happened before and they could happen again.

Palahniuk told LitReactor that Franco has optioned the rights to his 2007 novel, RANT, and that casting, production, and release dates will be announced shortly. If RANT makes it to the big screen, it will represent only the third Palahniuk adaption following David Fincher‘s FIGHT CLUB and Clark Gregg‘s CHOKE.

In case you aren’t familiar, here is the synopsis for RANT.

Buster “Rant” Casey just may be the most efficient serial killer of our time. A high school rebel, Rant Casey escapes from his small town home for the big city where he becomes the leader of an urban demolition derby called Party Crashing. Rant Casey will die a spectacular highway death, after which his friends gather the testimony needed to build an oral history of his short, violent life. With hilarity, horror, and blazing insight, Rant is a mind-bending vision of the future, as only Chuck Palahniuk could ever imagine.

RANT is definitely a bizarre read, although not one of my favorites by Palahniuk (Check out INVISIBLE MONSTERS and SURVIVOR). Franco’s directorial career has been less than stellar with his movies CHILD OF GOD, AS I LAY DYING, and the forthcoming THE SOUND AND THE FURY seeming like they were directed by a film student rather than an accomplished director. Franco definitely has the potential to make something good, but I would much rather see RANT handled by somebody with a bit more experience under their belt.

Other novels by Chuck Palahniuk have been optioned and never made their way to fruition, so I will believe RANT is happening once I see some footage. Until then, stay tuned.