James Franco is in early negotiations to star in the Fox comedy “Why Him?,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
John Hamburg is attached to direct the film from a script he co-wrote with Nicholas Stoller and Ian Helfer.
The story follows a father who takes the family to Stanford to visit his daughter at Christmas and ends up in a competition against the daughter’s boyfriend, an internet billionaire.
Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps and Ben Stiller’s Red Hour are producing.
Franco most recently starred in Sony’s “The Interview” and will next be seen opposite Jonah Hill and Felicity Jones in “True Story.” He is represented by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.
The news was first reported by Variety.