With the film languishing in development hell, producer Bill Gerber from Warner Bros. decided "James Dean" would work best as a television movie for Turner Network Television (TNT); both Warners and TNT are owned by Time Warner. Gerber explained the format choice, "It was just hard to find bankable names that the studio would finance a $20 million movie with. And there were marketing problems. He died in a highway accident in 1955 so almost everyone would know the outcome of the movie. James Dean also isn't that well known by the general movie-going public these days." Actor James Franco was cast into the lead role, and principal photography for "James Dean" started in June 2000. Filming took place around the Los Angeles area and at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.