Well, it seems like this news has just slipped on by me, and perhaps the rest of the movie-going world. I mean, if it hasn’t then why wasn’t it made a bigger deal of? I mean, surely news that regular Renaissance man, James Franco, is taking not first, but actually sixth role behind the camera in the world of feature film making would have elicited some sort of reaction, right? Especially since Franco’s latest venture is unlike his previous ones in that it is set to be a big movie. How big? Cormac McCarthy big (and in case you didn’t know, that’s pretty darn big.)

That’s right, according to The Playlist, James Franco isn’t just signed on to direct the Cormac McCarthy novel, Child of God, for the big screen, but he has already started shooting the thing! Is it possible that Franco is just doing SO much that I happened to overlook this potential Oscar-worthy one? After all, we all remembered what happened when a certain someones, who go by the brother Coen, got their hands on a another McCarthy novel.

And since the movie is already filming, it only makes sense that it has a cast. Scott Haze (of the Coen brother’s O Brother, Where Art Thou?) will be playing the lead role of Lester Ballard. I must say that after reading the book about a degraded violent man who creates extremely unsavory havoc in the small town he lives in, Haze seems like he could have been one of the most perfect choices for this role. So, I guess this calls for a point for Franco. Also on board is True Blood‘s Tim Blake Nelson as well as Franco’s close personal friend Vince Jolivette who has already stared in a plethora of Franco-directed films and is serving as one of the film’s producers as well. As IMDB reveals, Franco is also set to take on an as-of-yet untitled role.

Hmm. Is it possible this movie could be any good? I mean, here’s hoping for the sake of McCarthy fans everywhere. In fact, according to Jolivette, the film will try and hit the film festival circuit in “6-8 months” and then will hit theaters at some point next year. Well, maybe this is just the sort of saving grace Franco needed for let-down fans everywhere. And if it happens to be, I say put down your PhD books and give us another ape movie!