James Franco has released the trailer for "Sal".
Franco's latest film project explores 1950s teen idol and Oscar-nominated actor Sal Mineo, most known for his role in "Rebel Without A Cause" opposite actor James Dean. The film follows the gay actor in his final hours as he struggled to regain his fame, according to Deadline.com.
"Sal" examines the last days of Mineo's life, 20 years after becoming a teen idol and later becoming one of the first actors to publicly acknowledge his battle with his homosexuality, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Mineo died from a mysterious random stabbing incident during a robbery in 1976.
"Released through Tribeca Films, the film focuses on Mineo who, like James Dean before him, struggled against being typecast as the troubled kid before seeing his life cut tragically short in the alley behind his home," Carl Rodriguez, of IndieWire.com wrote. "The film looks to be a completely low-budget affair with seemingly little disguising the modern age it was shot in, so perhaps there is a reason why it took nearly two years to finally see the light of day."
"Sal" stars Val Lauren as Mineo and Franco in a supporting role. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2011, due to the poor market, the film has been kicked around for two years waiting for release.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Sal" was another in Franco's connection with independent work. The celebrity newspaper said he premiered William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" at the Cannes Film Festival.
"Sal" will be available on VOD and iTunes on Oct. 22.
