The Allen Ginsberg biopic Howl isn’t officially released in the UK until next month, but directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman must have liked what they saw in their lead James Franco with rumour currently suggesting they’d like star to return for their next true life inspired project, Lovelace.

With Franco having just received an Oscar nomination for his role in 127 Hours, the potential project would see the actor take on yet another real world character, playing pornographer Chuck Traynor – husband to Linda Lovelace during the time she appeared in the infamous 1972 film, Deep Throat. In later years, the retired and divorced Linda would go on to accuse Traynor of coercing her into prostitution and pornography through both abuse and hypnotism.

Kate Hudson currently has the offer for the film’s lead role, a portrayal that will be based on the W. Merritt Johnson’s adaptation of Eric Danville’s book The Complete Linda Lovelace. But it’s not the only Lovelace project currently in the works, with Malin Akerman attached to star in Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story, adapted by writer-director Matthew Wilder from Ordeal: An Autobiography, which Lovelace wrote with Mike McGrady.

Both projects are struggling to gather funding, but there’s no doubting that Franco’s name would draw intrigue. However, due to the star’s intensely busy schedule (Franco has announced plans to direct two movies and will also act alongside Nicole Kidman on Broadway this year in David Cromer’s production of Sweet Bird), it’s as yet unknown whether he’ll be able to commit.

Source: Deadline.