The other day, when we spied Selena Gomez flashing some tucchus, our research yielded one of James Franco's newest projects. Yes, he is making art and hosting Oscars and attended Ivy Leagues, but he is also filming Spring Breakers, about girls who get arrested for their vacay, in our fair city. Which isn't that weird — he did star in that Apes movie, after all, and J.F. is no stranger to, um, odd — but just wait. Not only is he headling a movie about girls who rob a bank for spring break cash, but he's playing alongside tween queens Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens. A kooky cast indeed, but here's the kicker: The director is Harmony Korine. A quick refresher on your gritty downtown indie directors — Harmony Korine helmed '90s shock movies like Kids and Gummo, and then furthered his indie-cred with Mister Lonely and his most recent film, the super-alternative and very literally named Trash Humpers. The bottom line is, Korine does not make glossy spring break movies like Gomez's earlier Monte Carlo; in fact, his films have visceral sex scenes and terrifying glimpses of humanity. Yikes.
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With his short movies being produced by Proenza Schouler and his plethora of art world pals, Korine is probably not hurting for money. So what is this project? Are Korine and Franco playing a joke on the girls who'll shell out money to see Selena and Vanessa? Did the ex-Disney stars' agents not read the script closely enough? Or has Korine (whose last project including Yolandi from Die Antwoord) decided to go mainstream? Either way, this confluence of people is totally unexpected and happening in Miami as we speak. And given the most recent Garfield shirt Selena's been sporting, maybe the weird is beginning to rub off on her...
Image: Via Melty Fashion.