Watch: Trailer for James Franco’s Gay Art Film ’Interior. Leather Bar.’
The first trailer for James Franco's conceptual gay art film, inspired by William Friedkin's cult classic, "Cruising," has now surfaced online.
Franco worked with San Francisco filmmaker Travis Matthews on the upcoming film, "Interior. Leather Bar." and BuzzFeed reports the movie "explores the lost footage cut from the film, "Cruising." It was reported a graphic, 40-minute S&M scene was removed to avoid an X rating at the time."
Franco and Matthews are working together to create their own lost footage.
"In order to avoid an X rating, 40 minutes of gay S&M footage was rumored to be cut and destroyed from the 1980 film, 'Cruising.' Inspired by the mythology of this controversial film, filmmakers James Franco and Travis Mathews collaborate to imagine their own lost footage," according to the film's website. "Amid the backdrop of a frenzied film set, actor Val Lauren reluctantly agrees to take the lead in the film. Val is repeatedly forced to negotiate his boundaries during scenes on and 'off camera,' as unsimulated gay sex happens around him.
"The film itself is constructed as a play with boundaries remaining queer in subject and form. As much a film about filmmaking as it is about an exploration of sexual and creative freedom, 'Interior. Leather Bar.' defies easy categorization."
The film will debut at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and it has been reported that Franco, unfortunately, will not appear nude in the project.
"That will not be happening," Matthews said. "It's an art film. He makes a lot of art films. He makes a lot of big studio films. This is one of his art films."
Franco said he "wanted to be taken on a ride" and wanted to "make a film as much about the experience as it was about making something."
"I wanted to go to a place of uncertainty, to set up parameters and then let the movie make itself," the Hollywood hunk added. "I wanted to explore the beauty of queerness, beautiful because it is counter to everything normal. As 'straight' becomes the new 'gay,' I wanted to find places where the anti-normative still thrived. Travis became my partner and guide on a trip to the queer-side."
Watch the trailer for the movie bellow: