James Franco is, like a fearless artist, exploring more uncharted territory — this time, by directing a film some people might actually see. Deadline tell us he’ll both headline and helm Beautiful People, a portrait of “men’s grooming pioneer” Jay Sebring, who found success in ’60s Hollywood, a relationship with Sharon Tate (one and the same), and eventual murder at the hands of the Manson Family. Debut writer Lauren Wild is behind the screenplay, which Franco‘s RabbitBandini Productions will produce in conjunction with LBI Entertainment & Jane and Sheppard Productions.

Since there (clearly) isn’t some great demand to depict Sebring’s life story, not knowing anything else about it might render Beautiful People worth attention. How else would you rather first get this tale? James Franco can’t introduce you to everything.

Let’s hope this other project is an introduction. I speak of kink, a Sundance-bound documentary (which he’s produced) centered on the sordid world of BDSM — admittedly, a pairing of adjective and noun that this seems to have hopes of dispelling. Looking at this relatively non-explicit peek, however, yours truly — someone who (let’s be clear, folks) is not at all into that sort of thing — was already a little traumatized. The full result is bound to only be worse. Count me in.

Produced by Franco and directed by Christina Voros, kink will premiere at Sundance this Saturday at midnight. You can watch the trailer below (via /Film):

Here’s a synopsis:

Director Christina Voros and producer James Franco pull back the curtain on the fetish empire of Kink.com, the Internet’s largest producer of BDSM content. In a particularly obscure corner of an industry that operates largely out of public view, Kink.com’s directors and models strive for authenticity. In an enterprise often known for exploitative practices, Kink.com upholds an ironclad set of values to foster an environment that is safe, sane, and consensual. They aim to demystify the BDSM lifestyle, and to serve as an example and an educational resource for the BDSM community. In kink, we discover not only a fascinating and often misunderstood subculture, but also, in a career far from the mainstream, a group of intelligent, charismatic, and driven people who really, truly love what they do.

Is there any sense in Franco telling Sebring’s story? Were you surprised by the trailer for kink?