James Franco, Rob Lowe, and Jennifer Jason Leigh to Star in New Ben Shaprio-Written Film

The Daily Wire is best known as the broadcasting fortress of right-wing political commentator Ben Shapiro, but its film division is rapidly expanding as more Hollywood actors cross the drawbridge. Case in point: Academy Award nominees James Franco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, Brad Dourif, and Kodi Smit-McPhee are all set to star in the conservative imprint’s upcoming movie, Confession. Additionally, the ensemble cast will feature Rob Lowe, Emile Hirsch, and Dean Norris. The newly released trailer introduces a Soviet-era thriller written by Shapiro and directed by Czech filmmaker Václav Marhoul. Set in Moscow during Joseph Stalin’s rule, the plot follows a former professor imprisoned on suspicions of conspiring with a dissident priest as he navigates the interrogation process. This is the latest step in the company’s efforts to grow its filmmaking operation by signing on performers whose careers and public reputations have faced varying degrees of controversy. Once an industry mainstay, Franco largely fell out of favor after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2018. Three years later, he settled a lawsuit brought by his former acting students who accused him of ...