James Dean biopic about actor’s alleged gay romance in development
The biopic will be based on William Bast's 2006 memoir Surviving James Dean
By Alim Kheraj
A film about the actor James Dean and an alleged gay affair he had with a college roommate is in development, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
Based on the 2006 memoir Surviving James Dean by William Bast, the film is being helmed by Guy Guido, who not only acquired the rights to the book but has also written the script.
In the book, Bast describes encountering Dean while the pair were studying at the UCL theatre programme when they were both 19.
Bast, who died in 2015 aged 84, goes on to recount how he and Dean went from roommates to lovers, claiming he kept the romance a secret to protect Dean’s career. The actor, who died in a car accident in 1955 at the age of 24, starred in films such as Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden.
“I love telling the story of a celebrity’s life in their coming-of-age period” – Guy Guido
The film, which has yet to secure funding, will follow Bast’s first meeting with Dean and continue to the actor’s death.
“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 said in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter.
“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.”
Guido, who previously directed the documentary Madonna and the Breakfast Club, said that he was hoping to find the right team to partner with in order to make the film, which will take the same name as Bast’s memoir.
“I am obsessed with getting the look right when it comes to casting and directing a film about a famous person,” he added.
“I want people to feel as if they are watching the real James Dean on the screen.”
Actors who have previously taken on the the role of Dean on screen include James Franco, who played the actor in the 2001 made-for-TV-movie James Dean, and Dane DeHaan, who depicted Dean in the 2025 film Life.