Kate Mara joins James Franco in 127 Hours

Danny Boyle’s upcoming film 127 HOURS is being billed as a “one-man show” for actor James Franco, who will be playing Aron Ralston, the real life mountain climber who got trapped under a boulder and had to amputate his own arm with a pocket knife to survive. But while the primary focus of the film will be just Franco trapped under that rock, there are some other minor parts before we get there.

Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn have signed on to play hikers that Ralston meets on his way through the Utah desert. I’m guessing they’ll also take the place of the family that Ralston met on his way out of the desert who gave him water and called a rescue squad to help him. (Two sexy hikers > a Dutch family in the Hollywood world, I suppose…)

Mara recently starred in the Sundance hit HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE and can be seen in this summer’s Marvel blockbuster IRON MAN 2 where she plays Bethany Cabe. 127 HOURS is expected to begin filming this spring from a script by Oscar-winning SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE writer Simon Beaufoy.