R.E.M. Drafts James Franco For Collapse Into Now Film Project

When James Franco was looking bored hosting the Oscars, do you think he was daydreaming about the videos he directed for R.E.M.?

Franco is one of a handful of directors who was selected by Michael Stipe to shoot videos for each track of Collapse Into Now, the band’s new studio album (stream it here), which has critics singing its praises. Franco joins documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, Sam Taylor-Wood, James Hebert, Jem Cohen and others in the project; Michael Stipe and sister Lynda Stipe directed the clip for “Discover.”

The videos will debut on various sites across the Internet over the coming weeks (hey, Stipey — we’ll gladly take one). Stay tuned to remhq.com for details.

Check out the full details below:

R.E.M. Collapse Into Now Film Project Directors:

1) DISCOVERER
Directors: Michael Stipe and Lynda Stipe

2) ALL THE BEST
Director: James Herbert

3) ÜBERLIN
Director: Sam Taylor-Wood

4) OH MY HEART
Director: Jem Cohen

5) IT HAPPENED TODAY
Director: Tom Gilroy

6) EVERY DAY IS YOURS TO WIN
Directors: Jim McKay, Chris Moukarbel and Valerie Veatch

7) MINE SMELL LIKE HONEY
Director: Dominic DeJoseph

8) WALK IT BACK
Director: Sophie Calle

9) ALLIGATOR_AVIATOR_AUTOPILOT_ANTIMATTER
Director: Lance Bangs

10) THAT SOMEONE IS YOU
Director: James Franco

11) ME, MARLON BRANDO, MARLON BRANDO AND I
Director: Albert Maysles & Bradley Kaplan

12) BLUE
Director: James Franco