In the 1990s, Greg Sestero is an aspiring actor, who meets the strange Tommy Wiseau in an acting class. Together, Tommy inspires Greg to overcome his nervousness in acting so well that Greg agrees to come to Los Angeles with his odd new friend to pursue their dreams. However, their dreams seem to prove hopeless, especially for Tommy whose mysteriously strange accent and personality repels nearly all around him.
Out of an inadvertent suggestion from Greg, Tommy is inspired to instead create his own movie, The Room (2003). What follows is a bizarre struggle to create that film, guided by Tommy, a man who has plenty of money, but not a trace of filmmaking education, experience, talent or even common sense. Along the way, Greg’s friendship with Tommy is put to the test as this project takes shape that would produce a film that ultimately becomes a bizarre accomplishment of a cult classic nature that no one, including Tommy, can see coming.
The Disaster Artist is a 2017 American biographical comedy-drama film produced and directed by James Franco. Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the film is based on Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell’s non-fiction book of the same name, and chronicles the making of Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 The Room, widely considered one of the worst movies ever made. The film stars brothers James and Dave Franco as Wiseau and Sestero, respectively, alongside a supporting cast featuring Seth Rogen (who also produced), Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, and Jacki Weaver.
Principal photography began on December 8, 2015. A work-in-progress cut of the film premiered at South by Southwest on March 12, 2017; it was later screened at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, and also played at the 2017 San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it became the first American film to win its top prize, the Golden Shell, since A Thousand Years of Good Prayers in 2007.
Distributed by A24 in the United States and Warner Bros. Pictures in international markets, The Disaster Artist began a limited release on December 1, 2017, before opening wide on December 8, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics, most notably for James Franco’s portrayal of Wiseau, as well as its humor and screenplay, and was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2017.
At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, James Franco won the award for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy; the film was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Franco also received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards. The film also earned a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 90th Academy Awards.
The Disaster Artist (2017)
Directed by: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Ari Graynor, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Jacki Weaver, Paul Scheer, Zac Efron, June Diane Raphael, Josh Hutcherson, Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas
Screenplay by: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Production Design by: Chris L. Spellman
Cinematography by: Brandon Trost
Film Editing by: Stacey Schroeder
Costume Design by: Brenda Abbandandolo
Set Decoration by: Susan Lynch
Art Direction by: Rachel Rockstroh
Music by: Dave Porter
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout and some sexuality / nudity.
Distributed by: A24 Films (United States), Warner Bros. Pictures (International)
Release Date: December 8, 2017
