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You may want to sit down for this one: James Franco did something weird and artsy.

We know it’s shocking stuff, but at least this time he had a good reason for pulling a LaBeouf-level red carpet stunt.

Franco posted a bald selfie to Instagram last week, leading many to wonder if he shaved his head for a role, or if he’d finally cracked and joined a cult.

It turns out that unlike Franco’s nude selfies, there’s actually a point to the chrome dome…and the weird fake tattoo stenciled on the back of his head:

James Franco: A Photo
(Getty Images)

James is directing and starring in an adaptation of Steve Erickson’s novel Zeroville, in which he’ll play a movie editor with an image of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift tatted on his skull.

Franco showed up to the Venice Film Festival in character so that he could use the fest as a backdrop for scenes in the film. Also, so that everyone would look at him like, WTF?

 

His latest literary adaptation – a film version of William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury – debuted at Venice, and Franco plans to premiere Zeroville at next year’s festival.

So to recap: James Franco went to a festival to shoot a movie about a festival that will debut at next year’s festival. We’re not responsible if your head just exploded.