That's pretty much a rhetorical question, because the above photographic evidence is undeniable (okay, not everyone agrees). We can now see that James Franco will not only make a fantastic (looking) Ginsberg, but following the news that he's practically the next Proust all but confirms he can encapsulate the influential poet's spirit. The biopic he's starring in, the Gus Van Sant-produced Howl, is currently filming in NYC (where the actor attends school) and concerns the 1957 obscenity trial that almost got the famous poem banned. (Spoiler alert: Judge Clayton Horn ultimate ruled that "Howl" was of "redeeming social importance.")
Meanwhile, Jesse Eisenberg (friend of Gothamist) will also play Ginsberg in a movie set to hit the big screen in 2012, titled Kill Your Darlings—but that one will keep the focus on Lucien Carr and the murder of William Burroughs's childhood friend David Kammerer.
For a dose of immediate, live-action Ginsberg, check him out with Kerouac in this silent video as the two imbibe at Harmony Bar.
