Danny Boyle’s 127 HOURS, Starring James Franco, to open on November 5th

In a surprise announcement, Fox Searchlight has tweeted that Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours will hit theaters on November 5^th, only three months away.  And yes, I checked the Fox Searchlight website to make sure it wasn’t November 5, 2011.  For those who don’t know, the film stars James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who was forced to cut off his own arm when it became trapped under a boulder.  The film co-stars Lizzy Caplan, Kate Mara, and Amber Tamblyn, has two cinematographers, and reportedly has very little dialogue.

The announcement is surprising because the movie is probably being set for an awards run based on the date, the premise, and that it’s Boyle’s follow-up to Slumdog Millionaire.  And unlike Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, which earlier today got the release date of December 1st and which Searchlight  is clearly setting up for awards season, we haven’t even seen a photo from the movie and we know it’s not playing at the Toronto or Venice Film Festivals.  I can’t wait for the film and I’m glad it’s coming sooner rather than later.  And hopefully this means we’ll be getting a first look at the movie in the very near future.  It’s all just very sudden.  Hit the jump for the official synopsis.

Here’s the official synopsis for 127 Hours:

127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clemence Poesy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral, thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life.

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