Franco takes on 'Rebel Without a Cause' star's story

He won a Golden Globe for the 2001 biopic "James Dean," and now James Franco is set to tell the story of the icon's "Rebel Without a Cause" co-star Sal Mineo.

Franco has optioned the film rights to author Michael Gregg Michaud's "Sal Mineo: A Biography," and will likely write the screenplay and direct it on the big screen, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

As of now, Franco does not plan to star in the biopic.

Mineo, who was friends with Dean and Natalie Wood off-screen, made history as the youngest actor to receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in 1955's "Rebel." The Bronx-born star, who was gay, made 21 films before he was stabbed to death by a pizza deliveryman in West Hollywood in 1976. Mineo was 37.

Meanwhile, busy Franco is also planning to reprise his role as a serial killer artist on "General Hospital." The 32-year-old actor will be seen in the episodes airing the day before and after his February 27 Oscars hosting gig, and will return for a lengthier story arc later in the year, according to the Hollywood Reporter.