Professional weirdo James Franco is taking one of the greatest narrative moments in Twitter history and turning it into his next project. Deadline is reporting that Franco is heading up an adaptation of Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted. The original story was written by Rolling Stone's David Kushner, and it details Aziah "Zola" Wells' insane trip to Florida for a stripping gig that quickly went south. Zola gets caught up in a web of violence, prostitution, betrayal, and kidnapping; she still finds time to relax by the pool. ("I mean, I am in Florida!") You can read the whole thing here; it's worth your time, I promise.
There are still plenty of unknowns swirling around the project, but Franco is going to produce, direct, and star in the adaptation. (The script is being written by Andrew Neel and Mike Roberts.) I can't believe I'm saying this, but if Zola's story is going to be turned into a movie — and it's been speeding toward that destiny since the second people like Ava DuVernay started tweeting about it — Franco isn't a bad choice of spirit guide. Zola's Floridian odyssey is basically the real-life version of Spring Breakers, a movie in which Franco turned in his best performance ever. He should understand the humor and hedonistic spirit this project needs to survive and thrive. I'm not completely sold, but it could be worse, right? Let's hope Zola gets the story credit she deserves.