"I'm excited for the next chapter," says Greg Sestero.
The actor, model and author is currently in London, coming to terms with the fact his creative life has almost come full-circle.
After starring in a terrible film over a decade ago, Sestero decided to write a great book about it. That great book is now being turned into - potentially - a great film. One of the worst films ever made may just give birth to a cinematic masterpiece.
"My goal with the book was to take this terrible train wreck of a film and share the oddly inspiring story behind it," says Sestero.
"[It's a] very surreal take on the American dream, and what it's like to pursue your artistic goal against all odds. It felt like an impossible task to have that taken seriously but I'm very happy that people have enjoyed and responded so positively."
Sestero's story all started back in 2003, when he found himself co-starring in a film called The Room, the vision of director, actor and writer Tommy Wiseau.
Sestero didn't know it at the time, but The Room would go on to become affectionately known as 'The Citizen Kane of bad movies'.
Once released, it didn't take long for the movie to take on a cult status, with midnight screenings, countrywide tours and Internet memes.
Sestero has spent the last 10 years attending midnight screenings with Wiseau, living and breathing the terrible film they made together. It's a strange existence that he began to write about, tracing the origins of the film and its creator, Tommy Wiseau.
Last year, Sestero released the critically acclaimed book The Disaster Artist: The Life Inside The Room, billed as "The hilarious and inspiring story of how a mysterious misfit got past every roadblock in the Hollywood system to achieve success on his own terms: a $6 million cinematic catastrophe".
Sestero is over the moon about the response from readers, saying: "I'm very happy the way fans have responded to the book. In sharing their appreciation, they've made it clear that it's not only got a good laugh but a heartfelt story that resonated".
The book also translates for those not familiar with the film, and the lore surrounding it. This is promising for the movie adaptation.
"It's also been satisfying that a lot of readers that have never heard of the film thoroughly enjoyed the story as well," says Sestero.
The book caught the eye of director, writer and actor James Franco late last year, who wrote a glowing review for Vice magazine in December. Franco perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the book, writing that it "Reads like the combination of two Paul Thomas Anderson film scripts: Boogie Nights in its focus on a group of optimistic outsiders trying to be artistic with a project that defies all artistic pretentions, and The Master with its arrangement around a bizarre mentor-pupil relationship".
Obviously the book hit a chord with Franco, as his production company, Rabbit Bandini Productions, acquired the film rights. A post on Instagram earlier this week confirmed the rumours:
The image was captioned with: "The disaster artist - making of the the room!!!!! Tommy weiseau! Produced by seth rogen and evan goldberg!!!! Directed by Franco! Starring the Franco brothers!"
So, the film looks to star both James Franco and his younger brother, Dave Franco. It will be produced by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg.
Sestero says he's happy Franco got the rights.
"James Franco's Vice review was tremendous. I felt like he really captured what the book was about in a universal way. I think James is the perfect artist to adapt The Disaster Artist. He's a rare breed in that he's incredibly diverse in his work and knowledgable in all facets of cinema," says Sestero.
3 News
source: newshub archive
