A Hollywood odyssey that took five years to reach the screen and then bombed
In short: Zeroville, a 2019 comedy-drama directed by James Franco, tells the story of a seminarian obsessed with finding a secret movie hidden within every film. Despite its ambitious premise and star-studded cast, the project suffered a tumultuous production history and was ultimately met with overwhelmingly negative critical reception upon release.
The journey of Zeroville began in March 2011 when James Franco optioned Steve Erickson's 2007 novel. Although principal photography finally commenced in Los Angeles on October 24, 2014, the film's path to audiences was far from straightforward. After Alchemy acquired distribution rights in September 2015, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, leaving the completed project in limbo for years. It was not until April 2019 that myCinema secured the rights, allowing for a limited theatrical release on September 20, 2019.
The narrative follows Vikar, a young man who arrives in Los Angeles on August 9, 1969—the same day as the Tate-LaBianca murders. As he navigates the industry, working at Paramount and editing films, he becomes convinced that hidden fragments of a singular secret movie exist within all cinema. The film tracks his career through the 1970s, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Megan Fox, Seth Rogen, and Jacki Weaver. However, critics argued that the adaptation failed to find its footing, with some suggesting that Franco’s attempt to frame the story as a tragic romance between Vikar and actress Soledad Paladin undermined the source material's potential.
The critical response was harsh, with the film earning a 23% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 28 out of 100 on Metacritic. The project was widely labeled a box-office bomb and received three Golden Raspberry Award nominations, including nods for Worst Director and Worst Actor for Franco, and Worst Supporting Actor for Rogen. While some reviewers noted the film's radical streak, the consensus remained that it was a fundamentally misguided passion project that failed to function as a traditional crowd-pleaser.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Zeroville (film)
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