James Franco's recent tiff with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will obviously have no effect on his productivity. For years, we have watched this actor/director grow more prolific in his work and show his affinity for novel-to-film adaptations (see: As I Lay Dying, Sound and the Fury). 

Franco took on the daunting task of tackling Cormac McCarthy's famed Child of God, which is set to open in limited release on August 1st. In case you're not familiar, the film tells the story of Lester Ballard (Scott Haze), a violent, dispossessed man who strives to live outside the social norm. As Ballard falls deeper and deeper into his violent tendencies, he finds a cave to dwell in and becomes more comfortable with his degradation. The trailer is not for the faint of heart, but shows us promising (and pretty terrifying) prospects from James Franco. 

Some other titles we're expecting from Director Franco this year are: Bukowski, The Sound and the Fury and his third documentary,Metamorphosis: Junior Year. These are all in post-production, and thus have only limited information, but we will be updating as more details are released. 

James Franco will also be starring in multiple films set to open in the next year including Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen's new screwball comedy The Interview, and Henrik Ruben Genz' crime thriller The Good People (alongside Kate Hudson).