James Dean biopic, based on his reported gay romance, in the works

A feature exploring the personal life of late legendary actor James Dean is in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Surviving James Dean will be based on the eponymous 2006 William Blast memoir, in which he details his gay relationship with Dean. It will be directed and written by Guy Guido, best known for Madonna and the Breakfast Club.

Bast’s original book details his own relationship with the actor, who he met at the UCLA theatre program at the age of 19. He wrote that the two men became roommates, close friends and eventually lovers, but kept the nature of their relationship private to avoid harming Dean’s career.

Dean died 5 years later in a car crash at the age of 24, with two of his most famous films, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, being released posthumously.

The film will be set between Dean and Bast’s first meeting and the actor’s death on September 30, 1955. It will focus on their evolving relationship and Bast coming to terms with being gay during the 1950s.

“I have been a fan and historian of James Dean since I was 18 years old, so I knew about his ‘friend’ Willie, even when information about their relationship was straight-washed by the Hollywood machine,” Guido says in a statement.

“As a filmmaker, I love telling the story of a celebrity’s life in their coming-of-age period. As a gay man, I was particularly drawn to Bast’s unique story.”