Howl served as the opening night film at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and while it received mixed reviews I still believe it has a genuine shot at earning James Franco an Oscar nomination as he plays a young Allen Ginsberg. Oscilloscope has picked up the distribution rights and while they weren't able to ultimately deliver an Oscar nomination for Michelle Williams with Wendy and Lucy, their push to get her an Oscar was strong that earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination. This is one to keep an eye on.

Howl is directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and the MPAA has rated it R for strong sexual content including language and images, and for some drug material.

The cast includes James Franco, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker, Jon Hamm, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams and Bob Balaban.

Documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman will make their narrative writing, producing and directing debut with the 1950s-era tale, focusing on the obscenity trial launched to censor Ginsberg's groundbreaking book-length poem. The pair were approached by the Allen Ginsberg Trust to make a film commemorating the 50th anniversary of "Howl."

Among the real-life characters featured in the film are prosecuting attorney Ralph McIntosh (Strathairn), Judge Clayton Horn (Balaban), prosecution witness Professor David Kirk (Daniels), radio personality and prosecution witness Gail Potter (Parker) and literary critic and defense witness Luther Nichols.

Graphic novelist and Ginsberg collaborator Eric Drooker will create an animated reimagining of "Howl" (in segments Epstein describes as "a Beat Fantasia") and Carter Burwell will write the original score.