Brandon Flynn. Photo: Calvin Klein
The highly anticipated James Dean biopic, Willie & Jimmy Dean, is officially in post-production after wrapping principal photography in late 2025.
Following a summer shoot on location in Los Angeles, the film – starring Brandon Flynn as the legendary “rebel without a cause”- is expected to be a major contender on the 2026 festival circuit.
Written and directed by Guy Guido, the film departs from traditional Hollywood biopics to explore a deeply personal and long-suppressed narrative. Based on William Bast’s 2006 memoir, Surviving James Dean, the story chronicles the secret five-year romance between Dean and Bast, which began during their time as theater students at UCLA in the early 1950s.
The film highlights the “double life” Dean was forced to navigate, contrasting his public image as a Hollywood heartthrob with his private reality as a gay man in a restrictive era. Flynn, who also serves as an executive producer, described the project as a “beautiful attempt at truthfully understanding” the man behind the iconic photographs.
Flynn’s casting brings a layer of modern authenticity to the role. Unlike many actors of previous generations who remained closeted for decades, Flynn came out publicly in September 2017 at age 23.
He shared an emotional Instagram post protesting a “No” vote on same-sex marriage in Australia while in the midst of his breakout role on 13 Reasons Why.
By portraying Dean, Flynn continues his work of centering LGBTQ+ identity in storytelling—reclaiming the history of a cultural icon who was never afforded the same freedom to live openly.
