Actor/writer/director James Franco will be working with Lifetime and Sony Pictures Television on a remake of Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?. The classic made-for-TV movie first aired 20 years ago and starred Tori Spelling, Ivan Sergei, and Lisa Banes, with Jorge Montesi directing. Franco will be involved in the remake as an executive producer along with Vince Jolivette, Diane Sokolow and Rachel Verno. Melanie Aitkenhead, who just directed Franco in Actors Anonymous, will helm the remake. Franco worked on the story and Amber Coney wrote the script.
Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? will air sometime in 2016 on Lifetime. According to the official announcement, the new film will be a retelling of the 1996 movie that will “pay homage to the original film that continues to resonate in pop culture today.”
The 1996 film, which is considered a cult hit, starred Spelling as a girl who fell in love with a psychopath (played by Sergei). Banes played Spelling’s mother who discovers there’s something really wrong with her daughter’s boyfriend.
Franco will next be seen in the miniseries 11-22-63 based on the book by Stephen King. In addition, the Oscar nominated actor recently completed work on King Cobra for writer/director Justin Kelly, The Long Home (which he also directed), and he’s wrapped up work voicing a character in the animated movie Sausage Party.